After the nuisance was dealt with, we headed back to Erisen. The date had ended quite abruptly, but from how Tohru clung to my arm, she seemed to be happy.
I wasn't quite satisfied with the way the date had ended.
"I…"
But before I could say a thing, she pecked me on the lips, catching me off guard.
"Next time, let's have a proper date like the one you wanted. I will wait for that day, for you to take me." With a smile, she walked ahead.
"It seems she is happy." I was about to follow her.
"Rihito."
I looked around and saw Hajime in a broody mood.
"Hmm… Hajime?"
Tohru looked at me, and I gestured for her to go on ahead.
"What do you need?" I asked with my signature lazy smile.
"The hell do you mean? What I need!" Hajime yells.
I cover my ears because of his yelling.
"Sigh, don't yell out so loud, will you? I will answer. Go on, what do you want to know?"
"What the hell were you doing there? The weather here was going all over the place. If I hadn't placed the new barrier, we would have had a disaster on our hands here." Hajime grumbled.
"Well, I guess it would have been like that," Rihito murmured to himself.
"You remember the Sea Angel?"
Hajime, hearing that, frowned and spoke, "That thing has shown up again?"
"Yeah, so I had to deal with it and had to use a lot of power. And it seems the aftereffect of that clash reached here."
"I see. So what spell did you use? By how the temperature was fluctuating, it's a fire and ice type spell, I am guessing."
"Yeah."
I hurriedly nodded, not wanting to explain more.
Hajime, seeing him so readily agreeing, stared harder. "You again did something absurd, didn't you?" he spoke in an accusatory voice.
"No," I looked away.
"Spill it. What did you do?" he stared harder.
It was clear he would not let go of this matter.
"Fine, I created a new spell."
Hajime raised his brow. "What's the spell?"
"Blackhole,"
"Like the one that Yue is talking about?" Hajime remembers Yue also talking about creating spells like that.
"I can't provide an exact answer without asking her for more details. However, if it's her we're talking about, I can make a rough comparison. Her spell will seem artificial, calculated, precise, and limited in scope. In contrast, my spell is more raw and feels closer to the real thing."
Hajime, understanding what it meant, rubbed his head like he had a headache.
"Whatever, please, just don't use any spell like this near here, or Erisen will be destroyed," Hajime said in a given-up tone.
"I won't; I am not stupid."
"So, your boot camp starts tomorrow." His tone was resigned.
"Not tomorrow; we will do it the day after."
"Are you busy tomorrow?"
For some reason, I felt Hajime's mood improved.
"Myu wanted to spend some family time. When she looked at me with those tear-filled eyes, I simply couldn't say no," I admitted in a defeated tone.
"..."
"..."
"I understand," Hajime nodded.
"I guess you are busy tomorrow."
"Yeah."
"So, how is it going with Kaori and Tio? Have you made some moves on them, or are you still brooding over the topic?"
I changed the topic.
"Why are you so interested in that?" Hajime leaned in his chair, a bit annoyed, and sipped his drink.
"Well, you did ask me for advice, so of course I am interested. So, how is it going? I stare at him.
"I think it's going alright," Hajime spoke, averting his eyes.
"Did you go on a date with them? Have you gone to first base with them, or are you just holding hands? How has Yue reacted?" I started firing questions like one of those gossiping aunts in the neighbourhood.
Hajime sighed, seeing his friend in a fully joking mood.
Like that, two friends spent some time laughing and joking.
…
Next day…
"Papa!"
Myu ran happily toward me, wearing a blue and white One Piece dress. I picked her up in my arms.
"Papa, how do I look? Am I pretty?" Myu looked at me expectantly.
"Myu, you look extra cute today, just like a real angel," I praised her.
"Really?" Myu's eyes glittered.
"Of course, have I ever lied to you?"
She shook her head and denied, "Papa never lies." She hugged me.
[Ah, I am melting; what an angel.]
"Papa, are you crying?" Myu asked worriedly.
"No, I got dust in my eyes." I hurriedly cleaned the tears.
[Damn, I lied already.]
"Let me see, I will make it all better."
Myu grabs my eyelid and blows on it to clear my eyes.
"It's all good, Myu; my eyes are all good." I held back my tears.
I wanted to let her continue with the treatment, but…
"Fufufu, what's my little angel doing to her papa?" Remia walked out of the house with the others and spoke with an amused smile.
"He is always like that with Myu." Shea smiled wryly.
"That is obvious because Myu is just too cute; he can't help it," Shizuku said in a tone like it was obvious.
"I will have dinner ready for you when you return," Tohru spoke.
With a nod to three of them, we head out.
"Papa had dust in his eye, so I helped Papa and cleaned it."
Myu explained to Remia how helpful she is.
"Good job, you helped Papa." While praising, she seamlessly closed the distance and hugged my arm as if it were natural.
Interestingly, I didn't even mind. She was striking a balance: maintaining enough distance to prevent me from pulling away, yet close enough that I allowed her presence. It was a peculiar equilibrium.
And by how she was smiling at me, she knew it too.
Myu, getting praised, puffed her chest in pride.
"Then, should we get going, darling?" she spoke in a slightly husky tone.
"Papa, let's go." Myu pointed towards the city.
"Fufu~ let's go, Papa~," she said in a mischievous tone, tightening her grip.
We wandered around the city like a family of three. During our stroll, I sensed some resentful, jealous glares directed at me from a group of random male Dagons.
I stare back at them with a bit of intimidation, making them scurry away.
"Ara~, papa is quite protective, isn't he?" Remia teasingly said, noticing what I just did.
After a few moments, Myu climbed down from my arms, grabbed both Remia's and my arms, and pulled us forward, happily giggling.
Seeing her so happy made it seem like delaying the boot camp a day was worth it.
"You are totally acting like a doting father," Remia said.
"Acting? Who is acting? I am her father. Who's going to fight me about it?" I challenged.
"And even if your husband, that deadbeat, returns. I will beat his ass to the ground if he tries to take Myu away," I said with a complete mask of seriousness.
"..."
"..."
Hearing my serious declaration, Remia couldn't help but laugh; it was, like I said, a funny joke.
"Fufu~ ahahaha~"
"What's so funny? I am not joking, you know." I emphasise my seriousness.
Remia tries to control her laughter. "Fu…haha, I can see how serious you are, Rihito, and I see how happy Myu is when she calls you 'papa,' which makes me grateful that she found you."
We were currently in a children's playing area where Myu happily ran around with a bright smile, enjoying herself with other kids; occasionally, she looked towards us and waved her hands.
[Her running movements, footing, and posture have improved. The daily training is beginning to show results.] I observed with satisfaction.
"I should be the one thanking her."
Remia smiled and felt the genuineness of Rihito's words.
"Say, what does it make us?" Remia slowly closed the distance.
"Are you sure you want that? We can just continue like we currently do. You don't have to force…"
Remia used her fingers to close my lips.
"I have already made up my mind. The question is, will you accept me, or do you dislike an old woman like me?" Her mood shifted to a teasing one.
"Old… huh? If age were a restriction, then I would never have taken Tohru as a lover. She is centuries older than me, you know."
Hearing that, her eyes widened for a second.
"Are you really sure? As you can see, I have 3 lovers already." I tried to dissuade her, a final act; if even after this she still chose my side, I would accept her.
From the beginning, Rihito knows that his relationship with Remia will be complicated; this happens in the anime, and unless he does some drastic things like mind-reading or altering events, nothing should change.
"Fufufu~ that changes nothing. The moment you entered my house, I knew those girls liked you. I don't mind that; I just have to make sure that you think of me more." She closed the distance and pecked my cheek.
"Darling…"
"..."
"..."
"And what about your husband? What if he is back?" I stare at her, observing her emotions.
For a moment, her expectations turned to sorrow with a hint of resentment as she stared at me. Then her expression shifted again. "He is in the past now. The only future I see is with you, our daughter, and the girls hiding on the other side of the building observing us," she whispered the last part so only I could hear.
"So, you noticed them too, huh?"
"Fufu~ of course, as a mother, I have to pick up some of those skills to look out for my little trouble maker."
We looked at Myu, who was easily beating other kids in every game they were playing.
"Fufu~ she is having a lot of fun, isn't she?" Remia smiles.
"Well, other kids are crying out of frustration, though."
I watched her then, acting like a big sister to other kids.
I sighed, "Fine, you win."
"Fufufu~, I will be in your care then, darling."
Upon hearing my confirmation, I noticed her giving the most dazzling smile I had ever seen.
…
Chapter end
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==Insert tell me about your favourite ability==
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