"Are you going back?" Yue asked, her crimson eyes locked onto him.
"What's wrong?"
Although it was a simple question, Suzuki felt there was something strange about her delivery. Her voice was casual, yet he could sense a hidden layer of worry beneath the surface.
"No, it's just..."
"Do you really think I would leave you behind?"
"..." Yue fell silent.
Her silence confirmed his suspicions. He had already made up his mind to return to the group so he could move on to the next phase of his plan. Naturally, to pull that off, he had to reunite with everyone first. But considering his ultimate goals, did she really think he would just abandon her?
"You're silly."
Suzuki leaned down and gently kissed Yue's smooth forehead. "How could I ever leave you? I like you far too much, and honestly, I still want to hold you."
"Pervert," she muttered, though a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
"It's impossible for a man to behave when he has someone as beautiful as you by his side, right?"
"Really?" Yue knew she was beautiful, but hearing the man she loved praise her triggered an instant rush of dopamine. It was like an addictive drug; she wanted to hear it every single day.
"Yeah..."
Suzuki looked down at her, feeling her physical response to his words. "Don't you feel my reaction, too?"
"Hmm... what a naughty boy."
"..."
Boy.
Suzuki knew that, compared to Yue, he really was just a boy. She was over three hundred years old—probably more if he counted the time before her imprisonment. Yet, hearing her call him that still felt undeniably strange.
"Still, you can't go back out there to meet everyone looking so tense, right?"
Yue's expression turned decidedly naughty. She dropped to her knees, carelessly tied her blonde hair into a loose ponytail, and leaned forward, parting her moist, beautiful lips.
"Hnn..."
Suzuki had to admit, his mind was completely blown.
When they were finally finished, Yue rested her head against his leg and asked softly, "You still plan to return to your original world eventually, right?"
"I plan to, yes."
"...You don't sound very excited about it," Yue noted, leaning her weight against him. "What's wrong?"
"It's not that," Suzuki replied, taking a moment to figure out how to explain it. "If I had to be honest, my original world just isn't as good as this one."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah." Suzuki smiled down at her. "For one, you aren't there."
"...I know you're just flattering me." Yet, despite her words, Yue practically glued herself to his side.
"But it's the truth. At least in this world, I have my skills and jobs. Everything is pretty much easy for me here."
"What was your original world like?"
"Hmm... I can't say it was truly bad. There are a lot of modern conveniences there. But to actually enjoy any of them, you need money. And for me—an orphan with absolutely zero support network—I could only work myself to the bone to get it. I had to claw my way up just to live a decent life."
Suzuki had to admit that, despite his burning hatred for the Church, the Kingdom, Ehit, and everything else in Tortus, he was living far better here than he ever did in Japan.
Even though he had managed to build a good life as an orphan back home, the sheer amount of grueling effort it took was severe. He had routinely sacrificed two hours of sleep a night and given up almost all forms of entertainment just to stay afloat.
If he didn't, he would have drowned. It was that simple.
To get a good job, you needed a degree. To get money, you needed to work yourself to exhaustion. To live comfortably, you needed both. Suzuki didn't want to live under the constant, terrifying shadow of ambiguity, wondering if a single bad day would ruin his future. He just wanted a predictable, safe, and stable life: work for eight hours, relax for eight hours, and sleep for eight hours.
He didn't need a Ferrari, luxury brands, or a massive mansion. He just wanted enough resources so that if a problem arose, he could handle it with ease and ensure the people he cared about were protected.
It was a small, humble wish. Yet, being an orphan, achieving it was damn near impossible. That was exactly why something inside his mind had snapped when he was forcefully summoned to Tortus. After all the blood, sweat, and sacrifices he had made to secure his future in Japan, he was forced to start over from scratch for someone else's amusement.
Villains weren't usually born evil; they simply snapped under the crushing weight of their burdens and erupted.
Yet, unexpectedly, despite all the mortal danger and divine nonsense, Suzuki actually enjoyed his life here.
"Are you not worried about your family over there?" Yue asked.
"Me? I don't have a family."
"...You don't?" Yue blinked in confusion. He carried himself so well and spoke so confidently; she had assumed he came from a good household.
"No. I'm just like you. I don't have anyone. Which is exactly why..." Suzuki kissed her smooth hair and rubbed her head softly. "I treasure you so much."
"...Should we have a kid?"
"...Let's wait until we actually conquer the world first."
Yue laughed musically and pulled him down for a deep kiss. Suzuki was helpless against her charm and gladly accepted. It felt entirely too good to pull away.
But eventually, the plan had to proceed. It was time for his grand return. He needed to make himself look sufficiently battered and bruised, as if he had barely survived crawling out of the abyss.
"I don't have to go out there with you?" Yue asked.
"No, just stay here in the penthouse and watch Netflix. I'll come back for you as soon as this is all over."
"Okay."
Yue nodded obediently. If Suzuki said he had it handled, she had zero reason to worry. Besides, after hearing the horror stories about his classmates from Kaori and Shizuku, she had absolutely no desire to meet them.
So, she simply retreated into the penthouse, curled up on the plush bed—her favorite spot—and turned on the drama series she was currently binge-watching. Others might call her lazy, but for someone who had been violently sealed in pitch-black darkness for three hundred years, she had more than earned a little screen time.
While Yue relaxed, Suzuki initiated the next phase of his plan.
Crack!
"W-Who's there?!"
The entire class tensed up. They were back inside the dungeon, but their formation was an absolute disaster. Without Suzuki there to manage the logistics, mapping, and supplies, the burden had fallen entirely on Shizuku.
But Shizuku wasn't a logistician. Taking her away from the vanguard left Kouki and the others to lead the frontline combat, which naturally resulted in a chaotic, uncoordinated mess. Because of Kouki's reckless pushes, Kaori was being forced to burn through her healing magic at an alarming rate.
The group's tension was at its absolute breaking point. They were on the verge of total collapse, especially with Kouki constantly urging them forward. They didn't even have anyone to take their anger out on anymore, as Hiyama had cowardly glued himself to Nagumo's back for protection.
However, at that exact moment—
"Yaegashi-san?"
A battered, exhausted figure stumbled out from the shadows.
Shizuku broke formation immediately, sprinting as fast as she could to throw her arms around him.
"Shirasaki-san?"
Kaori was right behind her, crashing into his chest and hugging him with desperate, iron-clad strength.
Seeing the two girls clinging to the bruised newcomer, the rest of the class finally got a good look at his face.
"..."
"No way..."
"But how..."
"Finally..."
The dam broke. The entire class wept like rivers, abandoning their weapons and sprinting toward him as fast as their legs could carry them!
"SUZUKI-KUN!"
The girls—and honestly, half the guys—bawled their eyes out, rushing toward him as if the Messiah himself had just descended from the heavens. Their savior, their walking wallet, and their one-way ticket back to luxury had returned!
Yet, amidst the joyous, sobbing crowd, a select few watched the reunion with incredibly ugly expressions.
---
Hmm... you guys give me a lot of ideas, but I am not sure which one is better since I need a certain drive to write.
Campione is also good, by the way.