Seeing Yusei leave to mail the contract, Hina felt a bit better.
'This way, I could finally be of some help to the Boss.'
Just then, the phone on the table rang. It was Yusei's phone, which he had forgotten.
Puzzled, Hina picked up the phone and saw an unknown number. Thinking it was a spam call, she ignored it.
However, after a moment, the phone rang again. It seemed the caller wouldn't stop until someone answered.
Hesitantly, Hina picked up the phone and answered.
Before she could speak, an elderly voice came from the other end.
"Young man from the Shinomiya Family, I wonder if you have completed the task I entrusted to you? The girl sensed by the talisman..."
"Early this morning, I sensed the weather in the Tokyo area was altered by someone. Clearly, you must have found that girl. So, I won't hide it from you any longer. She possesses the ability to change the weather, as I believe you now know."
"Then, as agreed, please bring her to me. I will provide you with an additional reward."
Hearing the content of the phone call, Hina gradually froze. The phone in her hand slipped and fell onto the blanket.
The bed was incredibly warm, but Hina's heart felt icy cold.
She lowered her head, her black hair falling beside her ears, accompanied by falling teardrops.
"So... so it was all... a lie?"
Recalling Yusei's worry and care for her when she was sick, that concerned expression... Hina's heart grew colder.
The ability to control the weather.
This was something she had never told anyone.
But she thought that since she had it, others might too, so she had always been careful not to use this ability.
'So... His concern and care were all just to deliver me to someone else.'
'For the weather-changing ability?'
But it all made so much sense. This kind of power... it wasn't surprising that someone would want to obtain it. Hina herself found it miraculous.
Tears continued to fall. She didn't understand why Yusei had to pretend to care about her, and not just tie her up and deliver her directly.
It made her feel like a fool, being deceived and feeling grateful to that person.
She forced herself up, put on her clothes, draped her cloak over herself, and quickly left the apartment.
'If I wasn't mistaken, he knew from the start that I was a wanted criminal, right? The reason he pretended not to know was to play with me before handing me over to the person on the phone, right?'
Hina left, heartbroken. She left the apartment, using her cloak to conceal herself, all alone.
After mailing the contract, Yusei returned to the apartment.
He was shocked to find the apartment door open.
He paused for a moment, then went inside and found Hina was gone from the bed.
Yusei quickly felt the inside of the blanket, and found it was still warm, meaning she hadn't been gone long.
He thought there might have been a burglary and was about to chase after her, but then he noticed the paper on the bedside table.
It was a letter.
[Boss, I thought about it, and staying here isn't really a solution. So I've decided to return to my hometown alone and not strive for a life in Tokyo anymore. The 100,000 Yen, I haven't touched it… it's all under the pillow. I found my wallet, so I can use it for the bus fare. Don't worry about me. Amano Hina]
Looking at the neat handwriting, Yusei didn't know what to say.
He looked at the weather outside, and it was sunny now. The morning fog had completely dissipated, revealing a clear sky unseen for a long time.
"So sudden? I wonder if the journey will be safe."
Seeing this letter, and with no signs of a struggle in the room, it was clear Hina had left on her own.
But he didn't know what had prompted her to make this decision so suddenly.
"Did her family call her suddenly? But when did she find her wallet? Ah, she's so worrisome."
Yusei shook his head but didn't plan to look for her.
Since it was confirmed she left on her own and wanted to return home, he had no reason to stop her.
'But... I hadn't even paid her first month's salary yet. By the count, Hina had worked for me for a few days for free.'
Yusei sat on the bed and saw the phone still glowing on the bed.
"Call record?"
Seeing the entry, Yusei was taken aback. He picked up the phone.
After a moment's thought, he called the number back.
The call connected quickly.
"Hello?"
"Oh, it's the young man from the Shinomiya Family. You understood what I said just now, right? The reward is negotiable, but you need to bring that girl to me as soon as possible."
"Huh?" Yusei didn't understand what the Miko Haruko was talking about.
"The destined girl you mentioned? But the talisman you gave me spontaneously combusted. I didn't find any 'destined person'."
"Also, what were you saying to me just now..."
At this point, Yusei suddenly stopped. He remembered the call record he had just seen.
'So that meant Hina had answered this call?'
"You remember now, don't you? You should know that the girl who changed the weather this morning is the one I'm looking for. You must have found her by now."
'The so-called 'girl who changes the weather' was probably Hina. If she truly knew she could change the weather, then hearing the content of this phone call... she would definitely think I was deliberately deceiving her. It's like fattening a pig before slaughter.'
The previous mental energy's enhancement had made Yusei's thinking much more agile. He quickly pieced everything together.
But once he understood, Yusei could only smile wryly in helplessness.
'This was truly... a disaster falling from the sky.'
Heaven knows, he was genuinely unaware and simply helped Hina out of pity.
Shaking his head, Yusei wanted to hang up. He had no interest in listening to Haruko any further.
However, the phone then conveyed something that piqued his interest.
"If you can bring that girl to me quickly, I can help you lift the seal. I can help you obtain the sword's true form."
"The sword you carried on your back that day is called the Futsu no Mitama. But it's currently in a sealed state. You must know that, right? The rust covering it is proof of its condition."
"It's a divine weapon! I have a way to break the seal for you. As long as you bring that girl to me quickly..."