(N.T. "Kimi to iru Jikan no naka de", In the Time We Were Together)
After training and dinner, it was time for Megumi to go to her room and enjoy her moment alone. Dressed only in a robe and with a bath towel on her head, she felt refreshed.
— What a full day! At least the bath was really relaxing — she said to herself, picking up her phone and typing a message.
FROM: MEGUMI
Hi Will!
I'm in town, I'll be staying a few days. Can we meet?
The reply came quickly:
FROM: WILL
Really, cutie?
How about we go out to dinner tomorrow!
FROM: MEGUMI
I'd love to!
Let's set it up!
The two exchanged a few more messages until they fell asleep. The next day would certainly be just as intense as the first.
June 22nd
During that beautiful sunny winter day, Megumi and Kaoru worked hard in training. She taught the importance of concentrating energy in his hand, and he pushed himself to the point of managing to sustain the glow for a few seconds. The light was intense, but it faded.
— That was very good, Mr. Vacchiano!
The model clapped, but he only stared at his hand.
— HOW IS THAT GOOD? IT JUST GOES OUT.
His reaction was so harsh that it left the young woman momentarily speechless. But she wouldn't let it stay like that. He needed to recognize his progress, and she encouraged him:
— Mr. Vacchiano, do you realize you're trying to hold light? That's not easy at all. Today you made great progress.
At first, the man only muttered, he didn't want to admit it.
— Stop calling me that. My name is Kaoru, we're not in a professional setting.
— I'm sorry if… Kaoru!
She was caught off guard by the sudden shift, but understood it as a way of him saying he had listened to her.
— Shall we go a bit more? — Vacchiano suggested.
— Ah, well, I made plans to go out with Will… I'd like to leave a bit earlier to get ready.
— Ah, of course. Enjoy yourself, we'll continue another time.
Night fell, and Megumi, now elegantly dressed, took a taxi and headed to meet Will. He was leaning against his car, waiting for her.
— Will!
Hearing his name, he immediately looked at her and walked over. He wrapped an arm around Megumi's waist and guided her to the restaurant entrance.
— Megumi, how elegant! Shall we go in?
— You look very elegant too! Let's go!
The restaurant, with its refined menu, was the beginning of their date, which lasted the whole night and extended to his apartment.
Sayuri's house
That same day, a little earlier, Naoko was enjoying the afternoon alone, reading on the balcony. The slightly cold breeze of early winter made the atmosphere pleasant and suited for introspection. The sound of the glass door opening broke the silence, it was Seki, looking for her.
— Hi Naoko! You're here!
Naoko stopped reading and lifted her face toward him.
— Mm-hm! Do you need something?
— Do you want to go out with me tonight?
— I do, where are we going?
— A pizzeria? Around 7 PM?
— Okay, it's set!
Seki's face turned slightly red, and a silly smile appeared on it. It was late afternoon, but for him, anxious, the hours passed quickly as he got ready for their outing at the scheduled time. Already dressed, before leaving he said goodbye to his brother, with whom he shared a room.
— Bye Hikaru! I'm heading out!
— Oh! Bye, man, I'm glad you finally got the nerve to ask Naoko out!
Seki looked at his brother with a nervous smile, he knew he was right, but didn't like the irony. Hikaru, meanwhile, kept his friendly, sarcastic smile.
Naoko appeared dressed right on time, and the two went together to the front of the house.
— It's close, want to walk? — Seki offered.
— Yes! I prefer it.
At the start of the night it was colder, and the walk would help deal with the temperature. At the same time, the breeze made the outing more intimate. They went uphill toward the school side by side, then started going down the main street toward downtown. The conversations were simple, everyday life and personal tastes became the main topics, and both smiled along the way.
— Have you been able to read a lot? — Seki asked.
— Yes! There are some good ones in the library!
— That's good! What were you reading today?
— A crime romance.
— That's good, Naoko! I'm glad. You've been quieter than usual, but now you seem happy.
Hearing that, Naoko lowered her gaze to the ground, then forward, her smile faded a little and her voice grew quiet.
— Seki…
Naoko's words were suddenly interrupted by the sound of an explosion. The two immediately turned toward where the sound came from. A corner shop had its window shattered by three young men. They carried no weapons or special equipment. All there was, was a lighter in one of their hands.
— Man, that's awesome!
— Nice, but the alarm's blaring!
There were three of them, one was inside the shop acting quickly. Another seemed too impressed and distracted. And the one holding the lighter seemed more anxious about the crime, clearly the one coordinating.
— Dude, you almost burned me, take it easy — complained the guy coming out of the shop through the shattered window.
— Get out of there, man. Let me throw another one before someone shows up.
The delinquents were in a hurry, but an explosion would let them escape through the ashes quickly. Naoko heard everything and, while they argued, a mass of water covered the three, leaving them confused.
— MAN, WHAT IS THIS?
They froze at that power coming from nowhere they could see. The confusion caused by the water was enough for Seki to raise four walls of earth around them.
— WHAT IS THIS?
— WE'RE TRAPPED!
None of them could do anything but deal with their own panic. From the next block, Naoko and Seki watched the crime scene.
— Must be those news reports on TV… — said Naoko.
— Must be… I'll hold them until the police arrive…
The two stayed at a distance that wasn't too close. They didn't want to get involved in statements. The sound of police cars approached, and when they were close enough that the criminals couldn't escape, Seki undid the earth wall.
Quietly, the two headed back home, where they told Sayuri what they had seen and how they had acted.
— Megumi told me about that — said Sayuri. — It happened in another city and she went there. It seems the wave of attacks reported are from Potentias from this planet… I don't know what to expect anymore.
— But what do we do, Sayu? — Naoko asked.
— We can't be everywhere — Seki commented.
— We really can't… But staying alert like you are already helps, even if it seems small.
June 23rd, morning
Located by the seaside of one of the state's main beaches was Will's apartment. The sight of the rising sun was the first thing Megumi saw that day, since she had woken up early and gotten ready.
Will, still sleepy, noticed her movement. He got up, walked over to her, and hugged her from behind.
— Leaving already, cutie?
She let out a small startle, she hadn't heard his footsteps, but soon smiled.
— Ah, yes! I'm going through training with Mr. Vacchiano.
— Hmm… But Kaoru didn't tell me anything… — said Will, his face close to her hair, but he pulled back slightly and frowned. His previously soft tone turned serious and suspicious. — Want me to take you?
Turning to face him, she noticed the change in the way he spoke. There was no way to explain her and Kaoru's Potentia. To avoid raising suspicion, she smiled sweetly and kissed Will's lips, saying it wasn't necessary and that she wanted to see him again another time.
It was close to 6 AM, and she was already back at the Vacchiano mansion, ready for the two to continue training. Upon entering the house, one of the maids saw her and found the timing odd.
— Miss Hoshino! You're already back, good morning!
— Good morning! Has Mr. Vacchiano woken up yet?
— Oh? Didn't he tell you? He has an appointment, he'll arrive later.
— Ah… I didn't know…
The model heard that, disappointed, as she had wanted to stay longer with Will and had only left early because of her commitment. There wasn't much left to do besides walk around the house and observe the decoration and architecture. During her walk through the corridors, she ended up overhearing whispers from the staff.
— Looks like the divorce got complicated! She wants everything!
— Good thing they didn't have kids! But do you think she'll get anything?
The subject sparked the guest's curiosity. In the next room, the two staff members didn't notice her presence and continued their comments.
— I don't know. But I know she was the one who cheated.
— She was! She said she felt lonely… It's already his second divorce. All because he works too much.
Even though she felt uncomfortable listening, Megumi felt a tightness in her chest. She ended up staying there, listening to the details of the separation.
The conversation was interrupted by the door opening violently. The three were startled, realizing he had arrived irritated. The two staff members went back to their tasks and chose not to greet the owner of the house, while the model was very close to the door and was immediately seen by him.
— Megumi. Good that you're here. Shall we continue?
— Mr. Kaoru! Don't you want to eat something first?
— I'm not hungry, we can go straight to it. I'll be there.
— Alright! I'll get ready.
Kaoru walked off, taking off his blazer as he headed to his room to change. Megumi changed into more comfortable clothes, and the two met in the training room, where she began to guide him.
— Let's continue! Focus and feel the energy flow.
Raising his hand and observing it, he nodded and followed the instructions. He turned his hand toward the empty space and soon began to charge it with light. The charging speed was different from usual, and she found it strange.
— Kaoru… This is too fast… Better take it slow—
The light was released from the man's hands, hitting the wall directly and creating a hole of considerable size.