'Am I too cruel?' he mused to himself.
James would become a criminal one day, but there were other means to stop that without killing.
He pulled up his sleeves, noticing the tattoo he once had was now gone thanks to his spell.
Still, he swore he felt a tingling sensation when he cast that curse on James and, disturbingly, it left him feeling satisfied.
'I checked it all over, and it was just a normal tattoo… but is it really that simple?'
For someone so used to relying on proven theories, having an unknown variable in his body was an unsettling feeling.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it now; deciphering the mark would require a far more complex mana device, and until then, he had no choice but to wait.
zzzz!
His phone buzzed—it was Alisa.
The message included a location. It was the rooftop of the faculty building, an area off-limits to students. It seemed the teachers gave her special permission to use it.
Wasting no time, he headed to the place, blending in with the students along the way.
The halls were noisy with chatter, students milling about between classes, yet he blended in effortlessly, just another face in the crowd.
Turning down a quieter corridor, he found the stairwell and began the climb.
By the time he pushed open the rooftop door, a breath of fresh air greeted him.
Sunlight poured over the place, shining against the big water tank.
"Over here! Took you long enough." she waved at him.
A pair of bento boxes rested beside her, neatly wrapped in patterned cloth.
"Sit down." she tapped the space beside her.
Daniel dropped onto the warm rooftop, stretching his legs with a small sigh.
The breeze ruffled his hair, while Alissa giggled as she opened the first lunch box, letting the smell of food drift into the air.
"I made this myself. Don't laugh if it tastes bad."
Her words carried a teasing tone, but her eyes flicked toward him with the faintest hint of expectation.
"Then I'll eat it all and see if I survive." Daniel picked up the offered chopsticks with no reservation.
She looked surprised, and for a split second she seemed ready to take it back, but he pulled it away from her.
"No take-backs. You already said it's mine."
The box brimmed with rice balls, fried chicken, and rolled omelets. Each piece stood aligned neatly. He plucked one and chewed, catching the balance of seasoning and the faint unevenness of someone still practicing.
His lips twitched—not from teasing, but from the memory of her insisting on cooking for him between missions. The food had never been that great, yet he always met it with the same grateful grin.
"It's delicious. I could eat your cooking forever"
"Forever… does that mean you plan to…" Alissa's voice trailed off as she realized how silly and embarrassing she sounded.
But his next words leaved no room for misunderstanding.
"Yeah. I plan to marry you one day, if you like me back."
Alissa lowered her head, hiding her face in her hands.
"You can't just—" She peeked at him through her fingers, cheeks burning. "Why now? Why like this, all of a sudden?"
Daniel leaned back a little.
"I've liked you since we were little. And as for why now… it's because I want to spend more time with you, not as just a childhood friend, but as your boyfriend."
"You…" She was left speechless by how blunt and direct his answer was.
It wasn't what she expected a high schooler to say.
Where was the stuttering? The nervous fidgeting? Why did he look so sure she would say yes?"
It annoyed her a little, but the happiness of knowing their feelings were mutual quickly overwhelmed her.
"You rascal… you don't just throw something like that at a girl while eating lunch on a rooftop."
"So I'm a rascal now?" he teased, lifting her chin as he leaned closer.
Instead of kissing her, he just watched as she awkwardly squeezed her eyes shut, waiting.
"How about you say yes first before we get to the kissing part?"
Alissa's eyes snapped open when she realized he was only pranking her.
She puffed out her cheeks and pouted, giving him a small glare
"You're the worst…" she mumbled, her face bright red, making it impossible to take her anger seriously.
"So… is that a yes or a no?"
"You're the biggest rascal in the world, but…" She hesitated before letting out a defeated sigh. "I like you too."