"Keep it up, boy."
After completing a hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, and now doing a hundred squats, the way Zastin addressed him had completely changed — from "Miss Lala's fiancé" to "boy."
It seemed like a simple change, but the meaning felt deeper. As if the way he saw Rito had shifted. Although he still wished Zastin would just call him by his name...
"C-Come on!"
When he finished, his legs gave out, and Rito sat on the floor, dripping with sweat.
His body was sticky with a strong smell of sweat.
"Not bad." Zastin gave a thumbs-up: "Keep it up, and you'll go far."
"Thanks." He tried to smile, but he didn't even have the strength for that now, lying down on the floor.
"Here, drink some protein." Zastin handed him a bottle.
There was a strange liquid inside, but Rito drank it without thinking.
With Zastin's strength, he wouldn't need to resort to sneaky methods to hurt him.
...
After making him run ten kilometers around the room, Zastin said: "That's enough for today, boy. If you want, we can train more tomorrow."
"Yeah..." Rito agreed with a tired voice.
==
After taking a shower, he simply collapsed on the couch with his face buried in a cushion in the living room.
"Rito." Lala appeared in front of him: "Were you training with Zastin until now?"
"Yeah." He turned to look at her: "I want to become at least a little stronger."
"Ohh, that's admirable~!" Lala smiled adorably.
'What a refreshing smile. I feel all my exhaustion slipping away...' He thought.
He forced himself to sit up.
Lala took the chance and sat next to him.
"Hey, hey, what are we having for dinner?" She changed the subject.
Mikan appeared at the door wearing an orange apron with a ladle in hand, waving it as she said: "Since you seem to like hot foods, I prepared Sukiyaki."
"Huh? For me?" Lala showed surprise.
Now it was Mikan's turn to be surprised, but she quickly became shy, asking in a very cute tone: "You don't want it?"
Lala blushed with happiness, barely containing herself, and ran to Mikan, hugging her: "Mikan!"
"I'm so happy!" Lala rubbed her cheeks against Mikan's.
"Y-Yeah..." Mikan seemed unsure of what to do.
"But..." Lala stepped back, placing her hands on Mikan's shoulders, tilting her head slightly as if confused: "What's Sukiyaki?"
Instead of answering with words, Mikan decided to show her.
Soon, the table was set with trays of meat, a platter of vegetables, and bowls of eggs, along with a hot pot simmering on a portable gas stove in the center.
Very excited, Lala exclaimed with her eyes closed and hands raised, holding chopsticks in her right hand: "Thanks for the food!"
"Thanks for the food." Rito and Mikan said in unison.
Zastin, who appeared out of nowhere still wearing his armor, also said: "Thanks for the food."
Zastin was the last to give thanks but the first to eat after cracking an egg into a bowl, grabbing a piece of meat, and dipping it in the egg.
"Oh, how delicious!" He exclaimed while quickly eating a bowl of rice.
"Delicious!" Lala said with her hand on the side of her face: "It's really, really delicious~!"
"Sorry, but can I have a bit more rice?" Zastin asked Mikan.
Smiling, she replied, picking up his bowl: "Sure."
...
'I ate a lot...' Rito rubbed his stomach while resting on the living room couch.
On the television, a news report was talking about a spaceship.
"Huh... It's not mine." Zastin touched his chin: "Could it be... No, no, but..."
Not understanding what he was mumbling about, Rito stood up: "I'm going out for a walk." He turned: "Lala, want to come with me?"
"Is it a nighttime date? I'm in, I'm in!" Lala jumped off the couch.
"Rito, don't stay out too late." Mikan warned: "Don't forget Lala will be with you."
"I know." Rito replied.
...
Instead of wearing the cosplay outfit, Lala had Peke transform into a beautiful white dress.
Rito also dressed up a bit, wearing jeans, a white button-up shirt, and a blue blazer over it.
"A date, a date~!" Lala sang happily while holding onto his arm.
"You seem really happy, Lala." He commented.
"Of course!" She said as if stating the obvious: "Going on a date with you makes me so happy~!"
He smiled: "I see."
After walking a bit, he said: "By the way, Lala."
"Yes, Rito?"
"Instead of walking like this, how about we hold hands?" He asked.
"Huh... Okay!" She let go of his arm and extended her hand.
"Not like that, but like this." Rito corrected her when she tried to take his left hand with her left hand.
"Ohh, makes sense." She stuck out her tongue.
However, her expression changed a little, even becoming a bit shy when their fingers intertwined.
As they walked, Lala became strangely quiet.
It was a surprise for Rito.
In fact, he himself felt quite emotional about walking hand in hand with her.
"This is a little embarrassing. Hehe~" She stuck out her tongue again, but it was much sweeter and cuter when she did it this time.
So adorable that Rito wanted to hug her.
"Yeah, a little." He agreed.
They fell silent again after that.
The walk continued until they reached a bridge and went down a staircase by the riverbank.
"Want to sit down?" Rito broke the silence.
"Okay." She agreed.
Sitting down, placing his hands on the grass while looking toward the river, he glanced at her: "Actually..."
"Yes?" Lala sat beside him and tilted her head.
Smiling a little, he said slowly: "So far, only you know about me. I'd like to know more about you, Lala."
"You want to know more about me?" She let out a happy giggle: "Hehe, that makes me happy~! Let me see..."
Little by little, she started talking about herself.
She talked about having two younger sisters, a bit about her mother and father, and also about the Planet Deviluke.
"That's why you get along so well with Mikan so quickly." He said, holding her hand on the ground: "You're also an older sister."
"Yes." Lala agreed: "Nana and Momo can be quite naughty sometimes and fight a lot, but they're so adorable and my sisters that I love and am proud of~!"
Seeing a smile different from the one she usually showed, he knew how much she cherished her younger sisters.
==
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