Chapter 17: Earthquake?

Watching the video, Fujihiro Shoji wore an expression as if he’d seen a ghost.

At that moment, the video showed how Kamikawa Mitsu, as if fused with the machine, sensed air currents and flew the plane along them to prevent right-wing damage.

Fujihiro Shoji’s spirit trembled; he stood frozen in place:

“Could a human possibly fly like this?”

That technique was otherworldly!

In fact, although Mori Tian Takeshi had publicly detailed the dangers NH137 endured, Fujihiro Shoji did not fully believe him, thinking the account was exaggerated, convinced the man had infused his own emotions into the narrative and inflated the danger.

That was why.

He held little admiration for Kamikawa Mitsu’s piloting skills, convinced that if he were Kamikawa Mitsu, he would have done better.

However.

After watching the “File—NH137” video, Fujihiro Shoji finally understood.

Mori Tian Takeshi had not exaggerated!

In fact, Mori Tian Takeshi had omitted some of the dangers.

From the video, the dangers NH137 endured were heart-stopping.

One wrong step meant death!

At the same time, Fujihiro Shoji realized just how extraordinary Kamikawa Mitsu’s piloting skills were.

As the top pilot of the Hamamatsu Base, Fujihiro Shoji admitted his own skills paled in comparison to Kamikawa-kun’s.

He knew clearly: if Kamikawa Mitsu had not been on NH137, everyone aboard would have died!

Even if he himself had been on board, it would have made no difference.

When the video reached the scene where Kamikawa Mitsu performed a drift maneuver.

Fujihiro was left speechless with shock.

Just then.

Creak—the bathroom door opened, and Shixi Ken stepped out, freshly showered.

Seeing this.

Fujihiro Shoji frantically waved at Shixi Ken, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Ken, come quick, come quick, oh my god, you’ve got to see this!”

“See what?”

Shixi Ken was baffled.

Fujihiro Shoji spoke without hesitation:

“See the god of aviation! This is what a real ace pilot looks like! Come look!”

Shixi Ken: “????”

Confused, Shixi Ken was dragged over to watch the video.

Not long after.

“This is the god of aviation!” Shixi Ken’s eyes widened in horror, a sudden sense of inferiority rising in him.

Compared to that skill, his own prized abilities were worthless.

“Wait—is this video real? This piloting skill is insane! Hey, isn’t this NH137? Who filmed this?”

Shixi Ken noticed the video’s title and the pilot inside.

Suddenly, he realized—it was Kamikawa Mitsu.

A voice rang out.

Fujihiro Shoji smacked his own head: “Damn! You just reminded me—I forgot the main point! Come on, Ken, hurry, come with me to report to General Suzuki Kū!”

Regardless of whether Shixi Ken wanted to or not, Fujihiro Shoji grabbed him and ran out of the dormitory.

He didn’t notice Shixi Ken was only wearing a bathrobe.

The situation was urgent; no more delays.

“Shoji, I haven’t even dressed yet! What the hell! What are you reporting to General Suzuki Kū for?” Shixi Ken, who hadn’t seen the full video, was bewildered and exasperated.

Running toward the report site

Fujihiro Shoji didn’t look back, speaking rapidly.

“NH137 might not have been an accident—it could have been deliberate.”

“What did you say?”

……

On another front.

The video “File—NH137” was spreading with time.

Everyone who watched it shuddered, trembling, their scalps prickling with fear.

They had heard that NH137 endured great dangers; they had seen Mori Tian Takeshi’s account of the crisis.

But it was still just hearsay.

They had never experienced the danger firsthand.

Thus, they could not imagine how perilous NH137’s ordeal truly was—only that they had a vague sense of danger.

But once the “File—NH137” video appeared, everything changed.

Watching the slow-motion footage of Captain Hase being killed by a bird’s beak.

Watching the passengers’ terror, the cabin rolling violently.

Watching the left wing freeze and sustain damage, the engines nearly shutting down from ice.

Watching…

Every danger unfolded before their eyes, vivid and undeniable.

This was not verbal description—it was real footage.

Viewers needed no imagination to grasp the true extent of the danger; they felt as if they were there.

As the video spread across major forums…

The internet erupted!

Countless Japanese netizens discussed NH137’s dangers on their phones and computers.

All were heatedly debating topics like “NH137’s dangers were this terrifying?”

In barely any time at all,

Yahoo’s search volume for “File—NH137” surged at an astonishing rate, quickly climbing to #1 trending, far ahead of #2, with search numbers vastly exceeding the rest.

Its popularity was unmatched!

Though it was nighttime, bedtime, everyone who saw the video jolted upright in bed, unable to sleep.

Each one excitedly talked to friends and online acquaintances, sharing their thoughts.

After discussion and analysis,

Everyone, like Fujihiro Shoji, was stunned by the video’s authenticity, how it was filmed, and who filmed it.

A tiny minority, however, noticed subtle clues in the footage and suspected NH137’s incident might have been deliberate.

At this moment,

The video was trending, but Kamikawa Mitsu was unaware, walking home.

As he walked, his steps suddenly halted.

Kamikawa Mitsu raised an eyebrow and looked down at the ground.

The small pebbles beside his feet were inexplicably jumping on their own—and yet he… was standing still, motionless, yet his body was trembling slightly.

“Earthquake?”

He could feel the ground trembling, vibrating faintly.

Kamikawa Mitsu glanced at flowerpots placed by residents along the street; leaves shook, flowers swayed without wind.

Every sign confirmed an earthquake.

Confirmed as an earthquake, Kamikawa Mitsu’s expression didn’t change; he resumed walking home.

Japan is a country prone to earthquakes; they occur frequently. How frequently? Statistics show Japan averages at least a thousand earthquakes annually, large and small combined.

Thus, Kamikawa Mitsu was unfazed by earthquakes.

Judging by the amplitude, it was a minor one—harmless.

Shortly after,

In Kamikawa Mitsu’s home, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, Japan.

Kamikawa Mitsu returned and handed the small cake to Kamikawa Chie.

“Wow! A cake!” Kamikawa Chie stared at the cake, her bright eyes sparkling with delight.

Immediately after,

Upon learning her brother bought the “luxury” cake because he’d found a high-paying part-time job and wanted to reward himself, Kamikawa Chie was delighted—but worried he was working too hard.

“Don’t worry, it’s not tiring.”

Kamikawa Mitsu smiled, explaining to Kamikawa Chie that the convenience store job was easy and light.

Hearing this, Kamikawa Chie smiled sweetly.

Her smile was sweet, adorable, captivating.

“Nii-san, you haven’t had cake in a long time. Let’s eat it together.”

Though the cake was bought for her, she refused to keep it all to herself and insisted on sharing it with Kamikawa Mitsu.

"I'll go get a knife from the kitchen to cut it, Nii-san, wait for me."

Kamikawa Mitsu smiled and sat on the sofa, turned on the TV, and waited for the cake.

"By the way, Nii-san, was that an earthquake just now?" came the voice of Takee Sashiko from the kitchen.

Kamikawa Mitsu, flipping through TV channels with the remote, turned his head toward the kitchen connected to the living room.

The apartment he lived in was very old.

It had a traditional Japanese apartment style.

The kitchen and living room were separated only by a kitchen sink.

"Yes."

"I thought so—I felt my eraser jumping on the desk while I was doing homework."

Takee Sashiko stepped out holding a Western-style chef’s knife.

As she cheerfully cut the small cake, she spoke.

"Come to think of it, Nii-san, I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but I’ve noticed there’ve been more earthquakes lately."

Kamikawa Mitsu took the cake and pointed to the TV with his finger: "You’re not imagining it—there really have been far more earthquakes."

The TV was broadcasting the news.

The news anchor was reporting on earthquakes.

……

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