Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

"So why don't you go in the future? Is there no reason?"

"In that case, how about I visit her as a sample for our culinary exchange? It will be much less convenient to exchange culinary ideas with her after she leaves."

Then, Mrs. Kohinata continued talking to herself, and casually took out a lunchbox with both hands and handed it to Kohinata Mirai.

Before Kohinata Mirai could react, her surroundings had already shifted from her home to the front of a small apartment building.

[In the end, she actually agreed to her mother's request, even though she hadn't figured out how to tell Lingyi.]

After double-checking the address her mother had given her, Kohinata Mirai, carrying a thermos of food, thought to herself.

"call…"

With indescribable feelings, Kohinata Mirai pressed the apartment doorbell.

"Kohinata? Wait a minute, I'll be there as soon as I'm done."

The sound came from the loudspeaker in front of the door, and the owner of the voice seemed to be busy with something.

"Alright, what brings you here today?"

After waiting for a short while, the door opened, and a girl dressed in neat casual clothes such as a short-sleeved shirt and a short skirt, with one eye bandaged, peeked out from behind the security door.

Hmm...

Holding the lunchbox in her hand, Kohinata Mirai didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"Long time no see, Lingyi."

In the end, Kohinata Mirai still chose to greet him the way she had always done.

"It's been so long... Has it really been that long? I remember it's only been less than a week since I moved out today. Am I just too busy and got the time wrong?"

Upon hearing Kohinata Mirai's greeting, Rei placed her finger to her lips, narrowed her eyes, and began to think carefully.

“Lingyi, no, you’re not mistaken, it’s just that it’s been a little long for me.”

Kohinata Mirai shook her head slightly, indicating that the other party had not misremembered the time.

"I see. Hinata, please come in first."

After realizing that she had not misremembered the time, Lingyi quickly shifted her attention away from it, opened her front door, and gestured for Kohinata Mirai to come in.

Without hesitation, Kohinata Mirai entered Rei's newly decorated home.

Is this your new home?

Upon entering Zero's residence, Kohinata Mirai's expression showed slight surprise.

What came into her view were countless odds and ends that she didn't recognize, neatly arranged and placed in various places.

There were white coats and various bottles and jars that she couldn't understand, things she had only seen in hospitals, filling a corner; there were intricately arranged plants on the balcony that she couldn't comprehend, blooming towards the sun; and there was a wall covered with bar-like decorations that she had only seen on TV.

Among this collection of miscellaneous items, the most eye-catching are the various musical instruments that occupy the largest space in the room. Some of these instruments seem to have just been used and have not yet been put away.

What she could see was already overwhelming, and this was only a part of Zero Clothes's residence.

[It's like a department store; why does Lingyi keep so much stuff at home?]

Therefore, Kohinata Mirai couldn't help but have this question in mind.

[I also understand now why Lingyi moved out; if she needed to buy so much stuff, there was no way her house could hold it all.]

Kohinata Mirai couldn't help but think this way.

"So, Kohinata, you came here today just to deliver my aunt's cooking?"

While Kohinata Mirai was still in a daze, Rei, without anyone noticing, brought over two cups of tea that were still steaming and fragrant.

"Yes, because Mom said she wanted to show Lingyi the new dishes she came up with."

Kohinata Mirai presented the reasoning her mother had taught her.

"Really? Okay, I'll try it and tell her how it feels."

Rei seemed to have figured out what Kohinata Mirai was thinking, but didn't say much about it.

Kohinata Mirai, for a moment, didn't know what to say.

Then, as time passed, the lunchbox, which wasn't very big to begin with, was finished in a short time. After finishing it, Lingyi also washed the lunchbox and tidied it up neatly.

"Well then, I'll be going now."

Even after Zero finished tasting the food, Kohinata Mirai still couldn't come up with a decent topic.

Or rather, seeing Lingyi regain her spirits, a question popped into her mind, a question that made her hesitate slightly.

[Ryou seems to have overcome her sadness. What role can I play in her life?]

Am I still needed by the other person? Does my relationship with Lingyi have any justification?

Such concerns gradually began to take root in Kohinata Mirai's mind.

These concerns made her slightly unsure how to continue interacting with Lingyi.

P.S. Ah, my graduation project, a real struggle.

Chapter 123 The Night Before the Shocking Change

All sorts of thoughts and worries converged into dark clouds in Kohinata Mirai's heart.

This isn't a particularly big deal; it's just a small worry that Kohinata Mirai has had since the very beginning—the huge gap in abilities between Zero and herself.

"Um…"

Looking at the message about leaving, Rei squinted, seemingly lost in thought.

"..."

While waiting for a response, Kohinata Mirai unconsciously became engrossed in observing the other person's appearance.

The simple white short-sleeved shirt had a slightly wide collar that tilted as the wearer moved, revealing some beautiful details from a certain angle.

The equally simple white hot pants allowed most of the view to be fully exposed to the air, as if the owner believed that doing so would make them cooler.

"Are you leaving now? But there are still things I want to do with you, Kohinata."

Before Kohinata Mirai could recover from her shock, the entity she was observing seemed to have finally finished thinking and said these words to her.

"Oh, what is it?"

Kohinata Mirai was a little confused. Was there anything else that she absolutely had to do right now?

"Since Auntie sent me food, there's no reason not to reciprocate."

Lingyi said.

"So, Lingyi, you want me to bring a return gift back? What kind of return gift is it?"

Kohinata Mirai didn't sense anything wrong.

"Of course, it should be a dish with my improved ideas; that would be the best return gift."

Lingyi said matter-of-factly, with a gentle smile on her face.

"So, Zero, are you going to cook now?"

Kohinata Mirai replied subconsciously.

"Yes, that's what I was thinking... However, I just moved to a new house and haven't prepared all the ingredients yet, so it would be a little difficult to make it."

As she said this, Lingyi's face showed a troubled expression.

"Kohinata, you should have some time now, right? Would you like to come with me to buy some ingredients and seasonings?"

y/u*e-已艺磷印齐]俬〆?)（四〕）?玖紦Then, immediately afterward, Zero looked at Kohinata Mirai and made such a request to her.

"Sigh...it's okay."

Kohinata Mirai certainly wouldn't refuse, since it wasn't a particularly difficult thing to do.

So she witnessed the other person carefully choosing clothes to go out, meticulously checking the items they needed to bring, and finally carrying the guitar case containing her knife on their back, locking the door, and leaving with her.

Logically speaking, given Lingyi's meticulous nature, buying something as small as this shouldn't be a problem.

However, things did not develop that way. After arriving at the shopping center where Zero was headed, Zero seemed to suddenly realize something.

"Oops, I got the supermarket discount time wrong."

Upon arriving at the convenience store where she was buying the goods, Lingyi delivered this statement without any emotion.

"Lingyi, do you have to wait for a discount when you buy things? You bought so much stuff at home!"

Kohinata Mirai couldn't help but ask.

"Well... to put it another way, it's because of those purchases that my finances have been a little tight lately."

Lingyi then said, seemingly troubled.

"Shall we wait a bit? It's not time for the discount yet, but it'll be here soon."

Kohinata said to Mirai.

"No, that would be boring. I think since we have free time, it's better to do something meaningful."

Rei immediately rejected Kohinata Mirai's suggestion, then shifted her gaze to the facility signs hanging in the shopping mall.

"Ah, this shopping center seems to have a small aquarium. Since we have some free time, Hinata, would you like to go check it out?"

As if she had just discovered it, Lingyi said this to Kohinata Mirai.

".……well?!"

Then, as expected, with Rei saying "hurry up," a receipt was slipped into Kohinata Mirai's hand, and then a tranquil world radiating azure light came into her view.

Colorful corals, fish of various shapes and sizes, and amazing marine life—the magnificent scenery of the ocean is gathered here and projected into these huge display tanks in a categorized manner.

This is a miracle of human technology, allowing this scene, which should have been buried in the deep, silent sea, to be replicated on this dry land, thus enabling many ordinary people to easily glimpse a magnificent corner of the ocean.

Being in such an environment, it felt as if one's mind and body were in harmony with the magnificent yet desolate sea, and a certain anxiety in Kohinata Mirai's heart seemed to have quietly faded away.

"How are you feeling? Are you in a better mood?"

In this quiet environment, Lingyi's voice lightly leaped into my ears.

"Sigh, Rei...did you notice?"

Kohinata Mirai said in a low voice, only then realizing that Rei seemed to have intentionally brought her to this place.

"Because I feel that you don't seem to be in a good mood, Kohinata."

Rei also acknowledged Kohinata's conjecture about the future.

Is that so?

When the true form noticed her strange thoughts, Kohinata Mirai felt a little embarrassed.

"My mood is indeed a little better."

Kohinata turned her head away, looking at the ornamental animals wagging their tails in the tank, and answered Rei's initial question in this way.

"So, did something bother you? My Flash Blade can sense that you're not in a good mood, Kohinata, but I don't know the specifics."

Having received confirmation from Kohinata Mirai, Rei went further and questioned her further.

"If you're feeling down, talk to someone about bad things when you're in a good mood. Otherwise, if you let them accumulate and then you feel down, you'll find it even harder to understand."

Lingyi said, and it was clear that she cared a lot about Kohinata's future.

"Should I tell you? Okay, actually, it's nothing serious, but I'm just a little worried... Lingyi, will you leave one day because of something I can't be a part of?"

“Unlike you, Lingyi, I am just an ordinary person and far less powerful than you. If this continues, I may not be able to keep up with your pace.”

"In that case, I might not be able to continue being friends with you, Rei."

Despite some slight embarrassment, Kohinata Mirai made up her mind after being questioned by Rei and poured out her worries like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

"Really? You're worried about something like that?"

After listening to Kohinata Mirai's words, Rei understood what she was worried about.

"I understand that I have mixed feelings, but I can't control them."

After finishing her sentence in one breath, Kohinata Mirai lowered her eyes, like a deflated balloon, and said this with a hint of unease.

"Is it bad of me to think this way?"

Kohinata Mirai felt a pang of self-reproach.