Chapter 48: Hokama Yukio’s Regret, Celebration Plans

Hokama Yukio exited the chat group, a faint melancholy in his eyes. 『Hokama Yukio』: So... Carl's already gone, huh? 『Hokama Yukio』: I really wanted to thank him with some of my cooking... 『Hokama Yukio』: Guess it'll have to wait until next time. After all, Carl had saved Natsumi Tachibana's life. Hokama Yukio was sincerely grateful. Shaking off those thoughts, he turned and headed back into the hospital room. By now, Natsumi had fully recovered. Her complexion was healthy, and there was no longer any sign of discomfort. When she saw Hokama Yukio enter, her expression softened into a gentle smile. 『Natsumi Tachibana』: Tsukasa, you're back? 『Hokama Yukio』: Yeah. Nearby, Yusuke Onodera couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Tsukasa, what about Carl-san? Were you able to reach him? Hokama Yukio gave a small smile. 『Hokama Yukio』: Yeah... I did. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Really? Where is he now? Yusuke's eyes lit up with excitement. 『Yusuke Onodera』: It's all thanks to Carl-san that we got the Dual-Sided Energy Mirror and saved Natsumi! I didn't even get to properly thank him... 『Hokama Yukio』: He returned to his own world. 『Hokama Yukio』: He's not from this one. 『Hokama Yukio』: He came because I asked him to help save Natsumi. Once it was done... he left right away. 『Hokama Yukio』: Said he didn't want to disturb the peaceful mood. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Huh...? Yusuke looked a little disappointed. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Why would his presence ruin the mood? 『Yusuke Onodera』: He could've at least stayed long enough for us to say thank you... It wasn't hard for them to believe Carl came from another world, they'd all experienced cross-dimensional travel by now. Sensing his friend's disappointment, Hokama Yukio clapped Yusuke on the shoulder with a grin. 『Hokama Yukio』: Don't worry. I told Carl, next time he visits, I'll cook for him myself. 『Hokama Yukio』: As thanks for saving Natsumi. Yusuke's eyes sparkled again. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Really? He's coming back? 『Hokama Yukio』: Of course. We agreed on it. 『Yusuke Onodera』: That's awesome! I'll help prep the ingredients when you cook! 『Hokama Yukio』: You better not mess up the prep, or you'll ruin everything. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Don't worry! I've got this! ... Off to the side, Natsumi pouted slightly. She was starting to feel just a little left out. I mean seriously... They kept going on about this "Superman" who had saved her... And now they were calling him "Carl-san"? 『Natsumi Tachibana』 (thinking): Seriously... Still, she could vaguely remember the events before she lost consciousness, the attack by Apollogeist. From the way things looked now, she figured Tsukasa and Yusuke had saved her. Seeing how happy they were, she decided not to interrupt or question them. Her eyes shifted downward. Two unconscious figures lay on the floor, Apollogeist, and the Gijinka Demon. They weren't moving. Either dead... or still out cold. 『Natsumi Tachibana』: Why are they here? 『Natsumi Tachibana』: Did you bring them, Tsukasa? 『Hokama Yukio』: Nope. He shook his head. 『Hokama Yukio』: Carl brought them. It was part of saving you. 『Natsumi Tachibana』: Ah... I see. She didn't press further. 『Natsumi Tachibana』: So what do we do with them? 『Hokama Yukio』: Eliminate them, of course. His answer was immediate. 『Hokama Yukio』: Apollogeist absorbed your life force and almost killed you. 『Hokama Yukio』: Of course he needs to be dealt with. 『Hokama Yukio』: And that Gijinka Demon isn't innocent either. Just then, a young man appeared at the doorway. He had short, tousled hair and wore a black short-sleeved shirt. It was Daiki Kaito, the secondary rider from Kamen Rider Decade. Hokama Yukio's frenemy, and occasional rival in Natsumi-related matters. Earlier, when Hokama Yukio's transformation belt had been stolen by Apollogeist, it was Daiki who retrieved it. Now, he was here to return it. And knowing Daiki, he probably came to "encourage" Tsukasa in his own weird, tsundere way. 『Daiki Kaito』 (grinning): Thanks to Apollogeist... I've acquired the most precious treasure in the world. He was spinning the Decadriver around his finger smugly. But then he noticed something strange. Wait... Tsukasa didn't look depressed or gloomy. He looked... relaxed? And Natsumi didn't look injured at all. Then he noticed the two unconscious figures on the floor. Apollogeist?! Daiki's plan to act smug and aloof while returning the belt was immediately derailed by the sight before him. 『Hokama Yukio』: Oh, it's Daiki. Yusuke grinned as he turned. 『Yusuke Onodera』: What a perfect day! Natsumi's all better, let's go celebrate at the photo studio! 『Hokama Yukio』: Great idea! He nodded. 『Hokama Yukio』: But first, we've got to clean up Apollogeist and the Gijinka Demon. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Right! Hokama Yukio turned to Daiki. 『Hokama Yukio』: Daiki, hand me the belt. 『Daiki Kaito』: Don't order me around... Sure, Daiki had come to return it. Sure, he wanted to encourage Tsukasa. But now that things had turned out this way, it felt completely different. There was a big difference between offering the belt, and being told to hand it over. At least, to Daiki. 『Hokama Yukio』: Stop stalling. Just give it. 『Hokama Yukio』: You're invited to the celebration, too. I'll even cook for you. 『Daiki Kaito』: As if I care. Yet... His body betrayed his mouth. With a flick of the wrist, he tossed the belt over. Because truthfully? He and Hokama Yukio were more alike than they cared to admit, classic tsunderes. 『Hokama Yukio』: You little... He caught the belt with a laugh. And then, with one swift motion, he transformed into Decade. Moments later... Both Apollogeist and the Gijinka Demon were wiped out. Truth be told, Apollogeist had already died when the Dual-Sided Energy Mirror drained his life force earlier. ... With the threats gone, the room felt lighter. The group relaxed. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Let's go celebrate! Hokama Yukio and Natsumi both smiled. But then, They noticed something. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Wait... Where's Daiki? 『Natsumi Tachibana』: He was just here a second ago... 『Hokama Yukio』: Eh, forget him. Let's just head back. 『Yusuke Onodera』: Alright. And so, the group headed for the photo studio. But the moment they opened the door... They saw Daiki already seated inside, casually sipping a cup of coffee. 『Daiki Kaito』: Took you long enough, Tsukasa. 『Hokama Yukio』: You sneaky bastard... ... Back when Tsukasa had been using the Dual-Sided Energy Mirror to revive Natsumi, Carl had already received a notification from the chat group. End of chapter... To be continued... Hey everyone! ???? 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