Chapter 52: Expected, Yet Unexpected

"The helicopter is here!" Sosuke Kitahara, who had just finished securing the rope, instantly perked up and nimbly jumped down from the three-meter-high rooftop. The three girls, though they hadn't heard anything themselves, never doubted Sosuke's hearing. They all excitedly looked into the distance, and just minutes later, a small white speck quickly approached, its noise growing louder as it drew near. "It's the helicopter! It's our family's helicopter I recognize it! We're saved!" Haruno Yukinoshita spun around and hugged her sister, Yukino, in excitement. The helicopter's timely arrival meant their nerve-wracking journey was finally coming to an end. Even Yukino, overwhelmed with emotion, wiped tears from her eyes and promised Sosuke and Utaha Kasumigaoka, "Once we're safe, I'll treat you both to a huge feast." "Then I won't hold back," Utaha smiled, while Sosuke simply nodded, calmly glancing at the other group before turning his focus back to the rapidly approaching helicopter. "The helicopter's here! Minister Doi didn't lie to us we're saved!" "It really is a helicopter! We're saved!" "Please hurry I can't stand another moment in this hellhole!" The survivors erupted in ecstatic cheers, some jumping up and down on the helipad, wildly waving their arms. Several even stripped off their jackets and spun them frantically, terrified the helicopter might miss them and fly elsewhere. Thump-thump-thump The blue-and-white helicopter rapidly approached, resembling a giant white dove in the blue sky. But it was clearly not the military chopper they had all expected. Instead, it was a civilian helicopter adorned with a distinctive family crest. Inside, it wasn't just the pilot. A middle-aged man in a suit, holding a submachine gun, peered out, surveying the scene below. His stern expression made it clear this man was no JSDF soldier. Sosuke's faint smile vanished. His eyes narrowed sharply, and an ominous feeling crept into his gut. He distinctly remembered Haruno saying that only the pilot would be aboard. Yet now, there was someone else with a gun. "I hope I'm just overthinking this..." Sosuke quietly raised his guard. Whoosh Powerful air currents whipped across the helipad as the blue-and-white helicopter slowly descended, hovering about six or seven meters above the ground. The suited man, noticing the crowd shouting and waving, immediately frowned and barked, "Move back! Get out of the way! The helicopter can't land if you're crowding like this!" "Okay, okay!" "Move! Everyone, back up!" They shouted as they retreated, but none of them were foolish enough to leave too much open space. Forming a circle, they eagerly watched the landing skids slowly touch down. Thud The moment the helicopter landed, the crowd surged forward in a frenzy. One unfortunate survivor tripped and was instantly trampled, screaming, "Aaaah my butt! Who the hell stepped on me?!" Bang! Bang! Two deafening gunshots shattered the chaos. Everyone froze, trembling in place, their terrified gazes snapping to the helicopter. The suited man had jumped down, his cold, unwavering gaze suggesting he had expected this exact reaction. He raised his submachine gun and barked, "Stay where you are! Move another step and I'll shoot you on the spot!" "This is my family's helicopter! It even has our family crest on it! Who are you? I've never seen you before!" Haruno pushed through the crowd, urgently questioning the man. "I don't know anything about the Yukinoshita family," the man coldly replied. "This helicopter has been requisitioned by the Maritime Self-Defense Force. Stay here and wait for the next rescue. It'll arrive no later than the day after tomorrow." "We can't even board our own family's helicopter?" Haruno pressed. "Wait for the next one." "Sir, listen I'm willing to stay behind and wait for the next rescue. But there's still space in the helicopter. Can't you at least let my sister board? My father is a councilman in Chiba Prefecture. The helicopter belongs to our family. Taking just one girl isn't too much to ask. She's light it wouldn't make a difference." Haruno desperately pulled Yukino toward the helicopter, but Yukino struggled free, shouting, "If you're staying, I'm staying! I'm not going without you!" "Listen to me, Yukino! This isn't the time to be stubborn!" Haruno's sharp glare conveyed how critical this chance was it might be their only one. "Stop right there! One more step and I'll kill you!" The suited man leveled his gun, his voice ice-cold. "I don't care whose helicopter this is it's been requisitioned. I don't take orders from anyone." Suddenly, he fired two more shots. Bang! Bang! A figure collapsed at the back of the crowd. Everyone turned to look. The fallen figure was the woman who had voluntarily been tied up earlier. Her pupils had gone white, her veins bulged unnaturally she had turned into a zombie without anyone noticing. That display instantly silenced the entire helipad. No one dared to speak, much less step forward. His precision with the gun was terrifying no one wanted to be his next target. Haruno seethed with rage, glaring at him as though she could burn him alive. Yukino paled, trembling but secretly relieved. She would never abandon her sister. Hidden within the crowd, Sosuke and Utaha exchanged glances. Sosuke quietly stepped half a pace to the side. The suited man swept his sharp gaze across the crowd, pausing briefly as a faint, weary smile crept onto his face. "Young Master, it's time to go. Rear Admiral Ichinose has been worried sick about you." So that's it. The helicopter was here to pick up the son of some bigshot. The crowd suddenly understood, frantically scanning for who it could be. Then, a figure slowly emerged, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The suited man didn't issue any warnings or objections clearly, this was the one they were waiting for. But no one expected the person to be... "Akai?" Asami gasped in shock, quickly turning to joy as she rushed over to grab his arm. "So your father's a Rear Admiral? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I was so worried all this time!" Clinging to him, she pleaded, "Please, tell him to let me on board too, okay? I'm your girlfriend, right? Please, let us leave together!" "Calm down, Asami. I'll ask for you." Akai gently patted her hand, signaling her to relax. He then turned to the suited man. "Kenji, what do you say?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going. The story's already ahead on Patron. Go there if you want to catch up faster! [email protected]/_theon Change @ to "a"