"Thank you, Kenshin. It looks beautiful." Yasaka gleefully smiled, caressing the heart-shaped necklace with her delicate fingers.
Kenshin scratched the back of his head, not wanting to show that it was his first time receiving such a compliment from a beautiful lady.
"I guess I'll get going now." Seeing Inari and her meek husband walk out of the grand mansion, Kenshin took that as his cue to leave.
Yasaka nodded her head and just as Kenshin was about to turn around and leave, Yasaka suddenly held his wrist and leaned forward, planting her lips on Kenshin's.
He was quick to reciprocate the kiss and as much as he wanted to stick his tongue inside hers and fully make out with her, however, he had to leave as her mother was now looking at them with an amused expression.
Kenshin bid his farewell with a huge smile on his face, "Bye, love you."
———
I think I finally got myself a girlfriend, Kenshin mumbled while flying in the air. He clutched his beating chest as a warm feeling that had been swirling inside slowly faded away.
Have I finally fulfilled my goals? But we haven't made it official yet.
Though I'm not gonna lie, I feel a bit unsatisfied? I also have feelings for both Sawako and Alya, yet Yasaka became my girlfriend. Wanting to settle with these chaotic feelings of his first, Kenshin decided to visit Alya first since technically, she also lives here in Kyoto.
His arrival was smooth and quiet aside from a few birds who were confused at seeing a human who was usually roaming the ground, being able to fly in the sky among them.
Kenshin floated just outside Alya's windows and saw her lying on her bed with a serious face as she read one of the magic books that he gave her.
Knowing her intelligence and how she takes things seriously, I doubt she's having a hard time grasping the basics. Heck, I'm not gonna even be surprised if she already mastered the basics and wanted to learn the advanced. Kenshin proceeded to lightly knock on the window, enough to catch her attention and not her sister from the other room.
Alya's face popped into surprise after seeing me outside.
Alya proceeds to open the window while asking, "What are you doing here?"
"Didn't I tell you that I'd drop by to oversee your progress?" Replied Kenshin while entering.
Only for Alya to deadpan at him, "Actually, no you didn't."
Kenshin kept a poker face, "Ehem. Well, just pretend that I said that."
"Anyways, what are you up to? Are you just reading them or rereading them?" Kenshin picked up the book she was reading and saw it was a book on how to shape Mana into constructs.
A little bit more than basic than what she's supposed to study for. This means she's finally done with the basics and wants more than that.
"Rereading them. I'm confused about how to shape a big construct while only consuming as little as possible." Alya sighed in defeat as she explained where she got stuck.
"I see. Show me how you do it." Kenshin nodded his head. He remembers encountering this problem too back in the world of Fantazio.
"Here." Alya nodded her hand and stretched her open palm. Kenshin detected a huge surge of mana inside her that soon flowed to her open palm and started forming what Kenshin could only assume was a huge and complex 3d star octadecagon.
"Alya-san. I think I finally know why you're having a problem." Kenshin rubbed his temples.
Alya's face beamed, "Really!"
"Yes, and it's because you're being too complicated with it, Alya-san. How the hell are you gonna fight or defend yourself with such a complex shape, huh?" Kenshin scolded her.
"….So it's impossible to construct complex shapes?" Alya seemed a bit saddened by it.
"Sigh. Not exactly, it's just impossible for a beginner like you. You just mastered the basics and you're also entering a field that only true Magic Masters can start practicing with. You haven't even entered the advanced level yet, you haven't even experienced being put in a scenario where you have to construct a shape as fast as you can, and many other things."
"So my answer is no, it is not impossible but for now, it is. Come here, I'll teach you the easiest way to shape a mana construct for as little time and consumption as possible." Kenshin sat on the bed and proceeded to give her almost an entire hour of pure lecture that she seemed to enjoy.
Normally, most of his students back in the world of Fantazio would immediately get bored when he started discussing magic, with some even boldly sleeping on their desks in front of him.
But Alya? She was enjoying it. She's even asking logical questions and presenting her theories that made even Kenshin think about it.
In the end, it wasn't just Alya who gained much from their lecture, but also Kenshin.
"You know, you're the only student of mine who is actually dedicated to listening to me. You're one of a kind, Alya." Kenshin smiled at her and resisted the temptation to pat her head.
"Y-Yes…" Alya was still, her eyes staring down at the ground as she took the compliment without anything to say in reply.
What else could she say? This is the first time someone, aside from her sister, who complimented her for taking academics very seriously. Most people would just harshly tell her to take things easy or even laugh at her for being too serious.
For some reason, her chest feels warm and for the first time, she feels appreciated.
"Right, before I forget. I came here to bring you out tomorrow. I'll introduce you to someone, also a student of mine, unlike you, she's just recent and not as academic-driven, so go easy on her, okay?" Kenshin reminded her and even showed her a photo of her, just in case she accidentally gets scared of Sawako like the others.
However, her next words ensured him that they'll get along just fine.
"She looks pretty." Alya, of course, wouldn't mind having a classmate studying under the same course. She even wanted to get to know her already.
Instead of comparing her appearance to the horror character Sadako, Alya simply complimented her womanly beauty.
I'm glad you see the same thing as I do, Alya-san, muttered Kenshin under his breath.
"I'm off now." Kenshin waved his hand goodbye before leaving through the window.
His next destination is Sawako's home.
———
Unlike what he did to Alya, Kenshin didn't dare to secretly visit her through the window. Instead, he knocked on the front door.
The one who opened the door was, of course, the familiar parents of Sawako.
"Ah! It's Sawa-chan's friend! Come in, come in!" Mrs. Kuronuma immediately greeted and pulled him inside with the utmost hospitality that a simple Japanese family could offer.
Mr. Kuronuma was watching the television, who just waved his hand upon his entrance.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Kuronuma-san, Mr. Kuronuma-san." Kenshin slightly bowed his head in respect per Japanese tradition when it comes to the elderly before continuing by stating his purpose of visit.
"I'm here for Sawako-san. Is she here?"
"Actually, she just went out to buy something from a nearby convenience store. You'll see it there if you take a left turn then another right turn. You could go and fetch her or you can just wait here." Mrs. Kuronuma taught him the direction and offered.
Of course, what else would Kenshin choose to get thr good side of the family?
"I'll go meet her there. I'll be back with her shortly." With a nod of appreciation, Kenshin left the house and followed the direction that Mrs. Kuronuma told him.
Two turns later, he finally found the convenience store and saw Sawako holding a small bag of whatever she brought while leaving just in time.
"Sawako!" Kenshin called out to her, gathering her attention.
She gasped in surprise, "Kenshin? What are you doing here?"
"I just came here to see you. Well, I was at your house first but your parents told me where you are and here I am." Kenshin replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
He then offered his hand to her, "Come, I told your parents I'll fetch you and I'm a man of my word."
"Umu!" Sawako softly smiled, staring at Kenshin's stretched hand for a few seconds before taking it with hers.
"So, what did you buy?"
As they walked back home, Kenshin couldn't help but ask in curiosity.
"I-It's nothing." Sawako looked away and hid the plastic bag to her left side, pulling it away from Kenshin's prying eyes.
"Heh~ did you buy something erotic, Sawako? I didn't expect you to be that kind of girl." Kenshin grinned and teased her.
Sawako's face turned beet red as she became a stammering mess, "N-No!! I-It's not what you think! I-I-I'm not that kind of girl!"
"Oh really? Then if it's not what I think it is, then what is it?" Of course, the teasing was simply for Sawako to finally reveal what's inside.
"I-It's just some beauty care products and makeup. For the hair and face." She turned her head away, not wanting to see Kenshin's judging face.
"Wow. I didn't expect you to be that kind of woman, Sawako." However, his words just confused her instead.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Could it be, Kenshin hates that kind of girl? For the first time, Sawako started to fear for what was about to come. Although she's already immune to being judged due to her appearance but being judged by someone she has feelings for is tenfold painful.
"I mean, a rich guy barely needs money since he's already rich. Someone with hundreds of cars barely needs a new car since they already have hundreds of them. As for you, why would you need to become more beautiful when you already are?"
"…" Sawako froze in her steps, her breathing turning a bit heavy as her cheeks turned tomato-red.
"Hm? Why'd you stop?" Kenshin was also stopped due to her and asked in confusion.
"Kenshin….Do you think, I'm beautiful?" With her quivering lips, she clenched her fists.
"Think? I don't need to think that you're beautiful, Sawako. Just by laying my eyes on you, that already became a fact. You're one of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life, both appearance and personality-wise, so don't sell yourself short, Sawako."
Sawako then heard his footsteps approaching her. Just as she was about to raise her head to meet his eyes, a warm feeling suddenly occupied the top of her head, caressing her hair.
Kenshin was patting her head.
"You're really pretty, Sawako. Now let's go home. We don't want your parents thinking I kidnapped you, do we?" She heard him chuckle.
When the warm feeling disappeared from the top of he head, for some reason, she felt disappointment and felt like she just lost something precious to her.
"Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to someone, she's also my student. I just feel like it's only proper for the two of you to get to know each other." Kenshin explained before showing a photo of Alya.
When Sawako laid her eyes on the photo, only one word popped up in her mind.
"Beautiful." She silently muttered under her breath.
Just before she could feel jealousy about it, she remembered what Kenshin told her and instantly, all negative emotions vanished.
Right, I'm…also beautiful….
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Huraaahhh! Power Stones hahhhh!
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[Next Chapter: Ch. 52 - Sawako meets Alya! [2]]