It has been a year since that day.

That day, huh...

It was the day on which the hell broke loose. On the day when he barged into her office as she was panicking about in the nurse's office.

She was quite relieved to see that they were not just thrust into a catastrophic situation but she and the world were also blessed with a man like him.

A man with a plan... and the power and the will to accomplish them all.

initially, he was a bit blunt. Rude and self-centered would be better words. No, asshole was much better. But as time passed, as he got to know about others, and as others got to know about him... Well, let's just say they got used to him.

anyway, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he saved humanity... or at least what was left of it.

Well, in almost after a month every government around the globe fell, including the most powerful ones such as America, Russia, China, Japan, and India.

The powerful and influential ones used their connections but whatever means they tried, the undeads were just everywhere. Without resources and the required manpower, no shelter couldn't last much.

At least that's what she had heard from the people around...

Well, at least their shelter was still stable and never showed any signs of ever getting destroyed. What's more, they are bringing more and more people from around the world to be integrated as one of the citizens of the shelter Arthur founded.

Living on this island is quite peaceful and enjoyable. The shelter after a couple of weeks was like an autonomous country. With Soichiro being the king, he managed and dictated all the rules and maintained the regulations on the island.

Kazu was like the 'Hero' of the nation, everyone just loved and adored the boy. Mostly because of his kind personality and also because he was the one who led most of the rescue operation and added hundreds more people to the shelter.

Saya's mental health also improved in a few weeks, she also started helping her father in managing the shelter. Her out-of-the-box and rational ideas really helped improve the quality of life in the shelter.

Saeko's father and his whole clan were also brought into the shelter. They helped in maintaining order and discipline in the shelter by acting like knights of the king or like the police.

But for Arthur though, Saeko's father was just a pain in the ass. That guy really liked to glare daggers at Arthur whenever he encountered him. And spared no opportunity to yell or abuse the boy with the most gut-wrenching and ear-blasting words.

"The 'old man' of yours expresses his love for you in his own way~," Shizuka told him when Arthur shared the cause of his annoyance. She was in her doctor mode right now.

"That's what girls with toxic boyfriends say." He scoffed and stood up, "Anyway, I was gonna go fishing with Saeko. Heard that the old man has trauma due to a giant squid, gonna love the look on his face when the wriggling tentacles crawl up his skinny butt." He chuckled on his own.

The hypocrisy! Arthur has his own trauma with dogs, yet the guy was gonna torture an old guy.

"Oh, wanna join us in this venture?" Arthur invited the busty nurse.

"Won't Saeko be mad if I come along? She's your girlfriend, she might wanna go alone with you!" Shizuka said in a teasing voice as she stood up to join them even after she said that.

'Why does it still pains me while saying that... I should've gotten over those feelings long ago!' She put her hand on her chest, her brows knitted in contemplation.

She started feeling these small tinges in her heart when she got to know that Arthur and Saeko were in a romantic relationship. She realized then... that she also liked Arthur romantically.

But well, it was too to realize that.

First time in her life she held romantic feelings for a guy and he was already taken.

She thought that these feelings of attraction would soon fade away, and she'll again become that clutz and spacy woman with no care in the world.

'But why are these feelings just not going away...'

"What happened? You okay?" Arthur asked with concern as he saw the troubled look on her face and the palm on her chest.

"No, I'm fine. It was nothing." Shizuka smiled.

Arthur squinted his eyes and then started scolding the nurse, "Don't lie to me! Crows will bite you if you lie! If you're not feeling well, you don't have to come! I'm not forcing you, you know!" He patted the cute nurse...

Shizuka sighed, 'This is why...'

She hummed and nodded, "I'm gonna crash in my bed then, happy venturing~" She yawned as she blinked.

Arthur gave her a small smirk and walked away, he also greeted Rika who was entering Shizuka's small office, more specifically a tent but she likes to call this tent her office, so... yeah.

"You're looking down again." Rika winked as she placed her butt on the chair and legs on Shizuka's table. "I guess, Arthur and his little girlfriend are going on a date...?"

Shizuka glared at Rika with her cute pouty face, "You don't need to know!"

"Hah! Hit the mark! So? Where are those guys goin' anyway? Maybe I'll join them~" Rika teased her friend with a condescending smirk.

Shizuka ignored her and looked through the stock of meds and equipment.

Rika sighed, "Jokes aside, but Shiz... It isn't like you. That troubled face doesn't fit well with those ginormous tits at all!"

Shizuka also sighed as her gaze fell on her boobs, she lifted her tits a bit, "I know that, but you know what Rika? I was always confident in my figure and looks. Deep down I thought that they'll give me any man that I'll ever want..."

Rika removed her legs from the table as the room became a bit serious.

"But all they get is a couple of glances from him. For that too, I have to intentionally jiggle them up a bit, like this!" She did what she said.

"........ Pfffhhaha~ hahaha~ I'm sorry ahaha~haha I can't hahaha" Rika held her stomach and laughed, she just couldn't hold it anymore... 'this gurl is just hahaha!'

After a few moments when she finally calmed down, she opened her mouth, "Haaah~ The fact that you could say that with a straight innocent face like that is applaudable indeed."

Shizuka puffed her cheeks in anger and stood up from her chair. "Arghhhh"

"Huh? Was that it? Don't you wanna continue where you left off?" Rika tilted her head.

Shizuka sighed, and dropped her body back on her chair, "No, rather... I should end it here for good. I shouldn't talk about someone else's boyfriend like that. I have no righ––"

"Ah, ah!" Rika interrupted her friend, "We're back to where we started. That troubled face and those gloomy words don't suit you at all! And I still think you should just go and confess ~ who knows he really might just ditch those typical D-cups for your elite J-cups. Oh! I've got a better idea! Why don't you both share that guy? I mean, if sharing was possible then I might also join! I want my babies to have deep blue eyes like his!" Rika squealed.

Shizuka widened her eyes and gasped in surprise, filtering out the jokes, she asked what Rika's words may have unintentionally leaked, "What are you talking about? You like him too?!?!"

For a moment Rika didn't reply anything, she leaned back on her chair and took out a cigarette from her pocket, and lit it up with a lighter she found in the other pocket of her grey jeans. Arthur was her regular supplier of cigarettes and this lighter was the one he gave her that day too. Who wouldn't like their daily supplier of addiction?

"Nah, I was just kidding..." Rika replied, "You're gonna tell him, or do I have to tell him for you?"

Shizuka sighed, "No, Rika, I'm not gonna tell him my feelings. You aren't telling him as well! If... If I tell him then... then our relationship might not be the same anymore. This little connection I have with him, this bond... it's quite precious to me. I can't have my impatience ruin it for everyone."

Rika couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Could you get any more cliche than this?" Releasing a small sigh, "Well, at least you aren't concerned about the age difference!"

"Hey, I'm just 27! I'm still in my prime!" Shizuka huffed.

Shizuka's expression caused Rika to laugh out, and giggling a bit Rika came to sober up, "Look, Shiz, I tell you coz I really wish for your happiness. And you won't be able to achieve that if you hide your feelings in your chest like that from the one who needs to see it the most."

Shizuka looked down for a moment, she already knew what Rika was saying. But knowing and doing are two vastly different things.

Shizuka sighed, leaning her back on the chair she massaged her shoulders.

"Arthur gives really nice massages..." Shizuka's voice became solemn as she reminisced about the time when Arthur, gave her a really nice massage as a reward for healing his soldiers.

"Ah, yes, you told already told me about that. This was the eighth time, I think." The tanned woman tilted her head as she teased the woman with cow tits.

"Haah~ Rika, you know what you're right. I should confess my feelings to the one who needs to hear them the most. If it shatters our current bond then I'll just glue it back together, but if there is a chance that he'll accept me then that's all I need!" Shizuka said as a sudden realization dawned on her.

Saying so, Shizuka surged from her seat and rushed outside leaving the tanned woman in a slightly confused state.

'These feelings are confusing..." Shizuka thought as her feets pushed the ground and walked toward the seaport of the island.

'I was scared to think that Arthur might just stop talking with me if he were to know that I have romantic feelings for him. But now that I think about it again... He likes me as well. The way he touched me that day... the way he always looks at me...'

'Then maybe if a day comes... when he needs me...'