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“I was pretty sure those Heros Company goons wouldn’t have my phone, but seeing it with my own eyes feels necessary.”

So after wrapping up my chat with the guys in black suits, I told the kids I wanted to step out for a bit and split off.

Like a maniac, I dashed off to find my phone that was still at the scene.

The entire area was blocked off with red tape and biohazard signs, so even I couldn’t get in, but I managed to send a part of my slime inside to take a peek.

If it were back in the day, I wouldn’t have been able to infest another slime just with a part of mine.

But having used the Mimic to its maximum about two days ago, it was finally possible now.

Feigning indifference, I strolled around the area while keeping a shaky connection, manipulating the slime to search for that car somewhere inside.

It must be here somewhere, definitely close to the lab. Anxiously, I sent my slime to look for the crumpled black sedan.

And at last, I could spot the sedan, all squashed flat.

Trying to penetrate inside proved futile since it was crushed like a Choco Pie someone accidentally sat on, offering no chance to even retrieve my phone.

…Heros Company can restore even materials completely ground to dust, but only when they have value, of course.

I didn’t think they’d go out of their way to retrieve my phone, which I could simply buy again, just to salvage some junker of a car.

Oh, and they probably wouldn’t even notice its absence if I pretended to be unconcerned and let it be discarded.

Ah, what a relief. A wave of comfort washed over me.

If my phone got stolen, information about the Liberators would end up in Heros Company’s hands, but luckily, that didn’t seem likely.

At the same time, it felt unfortunate.

That I’d have to let go of the phone my friends gifted me like this.

It was the phone Yeonhwa generously bought for me.

All the trivial chat logs with my friends were still there, along with a few photos we took together.

To sacrifice all that just for the organization’s secrets felt bitter. For the first time in a long while.

I regretted being affiliated with the Liberators.

“Man, I’ve really come a long way…”

What started as a friend’s game has turned into a friendship I can’t shake off now.

If the old me saw this, he’d grab me by the collar and wonder what the heck I was doing. I wouldn’t even have a defense based on my old standards.

But now…

I was happy to be with them. Beyond what I deserved.

Just the thought of betraying them felt like my heart was being ripped apart.

Oh, how wonderful it would be if they were by my side.

Of course, I might face the consequences of thrusting a blade of rebellion into Heros Company, but still, I couldn’t help but selfishly think that way.

“If we hadn’t met like this…”

Maybe we could have truly become friends. Close throughout the Academy, sharing drinks and laughing about how lousy Heros Company is.

If I had escaped that lab miraculously without the Liberators’ help.

Or if I’d at least escaped from the Liberators when I was really young, that could have been possible.

If that were the case, even if I hated Heros Company, I possibly could have held on and pretended to be normal for the sake of my friends.

I had hidden my true nature in my previous life, so I could do it again without a second thought.

…Sigh, what’s the point of thinking about this? It’s all just pointless delusion anyway.

I’ve already immersed myself with the Liberators, and there’s no way back. If they stand in the way of that person… I’d ultimately have no choice but to choose that person.

From the moment that person saved me, my fate has been deeply entangled with the Liberators.

“Contact us now to change your fate…”

Watching a cheap lottery number prediction ad bouncing around my floor, a smile as bitter as dark cocoa slipped out.

It was laughter aimed at me and also at those who believe they can change their fate.

“Fate doesn’t just change.”

Some are locked into how they’re supposed to live from the moment they’re born. Can one phone call really change that?

I picked up the flyer, shredded it beyond the point of it being usable, and threw it away.

Then I reached into my pocket to contact my friends to return to them, but nothing was there, causing a hollow laugh to escape.

Maybe I’m suffering from dementia.

I grabbed a passerby to ask if I could borrow their phone to contact someone, and it was only after making a call that I could finally set a meeting spot to regroup with the kids.

The phone store near the accommodation. Lapiz was probably already looking into phone models, so I told her to keep at it and returned my phone to the owner.

Now that I think about it, today is the last day. We’re leaving for Heros City early tomorrow. So today’s practically the last day of training.

Wondering what we could do, I pondered a few ideas, but nothing really came to mind.

It was a bit ridiculous to think about how the girl who was supposed to part ways had to think of ways to spend time with the kids.

But still, I wanted to have fun and be happy, at least while I could.

If all of this is a midsummer night’s dream in the end…

I just hoped that dream would be one that brought happiness and joy whenever I thought of it.

If our ending is destined to be betrayal and a bitter conclusion…

Then at least let this moment of happiness and joy be real.

– – – –

“Um… Lapiz? I’m not one to order you around with money, but… is it really okay to spend this much?”

Blanca was looking at Lapiz with a slightly frightened expression, which was unlike her usual demeanor.

The main reason, apparently, was the price of the phone Lapiz had bought for her.

To be honest, I barely managed to suppress my jaw from dropping when I first saw it.

I knew the phone was pricey, but still, paying this much for a single phone seemed… excessive, doesn’t it?

How can a phone cost more than a used car? I couldn’t believe the amount.

“I-it’s fine… Spending this much won’t really show… Well, even my mom and grandma told me to spend some money…”

Lapiz tilted her head, clearly not understanding why we were shocked, and then shrugged it off like it was mere pocket change.

That attitude of “it’s nothing” made it clear she was truly noble. Even if there’s supposedly no class system, spending money like that…

Wow.

Blanca seemed to be worrying practically about how much the repair would cost if the screen cracked, contrasting sharply with Lapiz’s attitude.

“I-I’ll cover the repair costs then.”

No, Lapiz. It’s just piling on more burden for Blanca, isn’t it?

“Though I feel like I’m imposing too much on Lapiz… Hehe, that price is a bit much for even me, so for this one time, I’ll concede…”

If Ageha, who wouldn’t lose out in terms of wealth, thought that, it was obviously enough said.

Once she got her new phone activated, Blanca received it as if it were a treasure, asking Lapiz how to use it and setting up accounts and personal settings.

“Ah, right… Blanca’s only been using R-type phones until now… So, um, you do this like this…”

While Blanca learned the controls from Lapiz, we huddled together, pondering what to do on our last day.

“It seems too late to head to the beach now… But I still want to see the sea… Is there something we can do at the beach?”

Yeonhwa thought for a moment before suggesting we at least have a fireworks display.

“Fireworks… that sounds great. But, where do we get the fireworks?”

“…A light abilities user and a flame abilities user are here, but… do we really need to get store-bought fireworks…?”

Lucia suggested we simply do a small homemade version with our abilities.

Jinhyeon briefly questioned if that would be legal, but then remarked that since we’d already broken the law once, what was stopping us from doing it again?

And so, we decided on how to cap off our last day and waited until Blanca got comfortable with the controls before heading straight to the beach…

Well, not quite right away. I felt a bit uneasy, so I went to ask Justitia if it would be okay for us to do something like this.

Justitia smiled bitterly and suggested we just buy fireworks, but that if we really wanted to do it, she just advised not to make it too big.

So finally, we did head to the beach for real, watching the kids work together to make makeshift fireworks.

“So, like this and… if we want to add color, just hold on. Was it sodium or potassium…?”

Initially, the plan was for Yeonhwa to spread Jinhyeon’s flames, but as it went on, it turned surprisingly serious.

By the time we finished something we could be satisfied with, the sun had already set.

With no time left and the timing perfect, the kids finally sent the completed fireworks into the sky.

“Okay, on three… fire!”

The fireball soared into the air, leaving behind black smoke, and once it reached its peak, it burst into brilliant purples and greens, decorating the night sky.

“…We suffered a bit, but in the end, it was worth the effort, right?!”

“Yeah, at first, I was unsure, but this actually worked!”

Those who participated each chattered about their thoughts, but only Blanca remained silent, gazing at the fading fireworks.

 

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