"What is this?"
Reflected in Futaba Rio's pupils was a transparent, azure crystal, about five centimeters in diameter, held in Kenmyo's palm. Within it, wisps of material seemed to form a constantly burning flame.
A look of surprise crossed the girl's usually serene face.
Although she didn't know the material of this sharply faceted crystal, in her estimation, its clarity and luster were on par with top-tier auction-grade crystals. At least, Futaba Rio had never seen anything of this quality on international auction house websites.
Futaba Rio's tone held a hint of being flattered, not entirely confident.
"For me?"
"Mm."
Kenmyo's tone was quite normal. He nodded and placed the crystal into Futaba Rio's hand.
"This is like an amulet; it can ward off evil, so don't take it off easily."
Futaba Rio couldn't see or know.
Ever since Kenmyo took out this dazzling crystal, the tiny, insignificant dirty things floating in the air, not even qualifying as Cursed Spirits, were utterly annihilated, like bacteria encountering powerful ultraviolet light.
With this item, Futaba Rio would at least have some protection in this world teeming with Cursed Spirits. Spiritual energy inherently counters Cursed Spirits, and after being crafted by Kenmyo, this coordinate now possessed a built-in positioning function.
It was invincible against Cursed Spirits below the Third Grade; none could approach within two meters of Futaba Rio before being completely exorcised. If a Cursed Spirit of Third Grade or higher approached within three meters, an alarm would be sent to Kenmyo, who would then use the [Eye of Hyperspace] to observe and decide whether to intervene.
The incidents involving Kenmyo's older sister Isayama Sakura and Sister Mei had already shown that no one knew whether tomorrow or an accident would arrive first.
Even Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers couldn't escape their fate. Kenmyo was certain that Futaba Rio belonged to the vast majority of ordinary people who lacked Jujutsu talent and possessed pitifully little Cursed Energy.
This meant that Futaba Rio, if unlucky enough to encounter a Cursed Spirit attack, would have virtually no means of fighting back.
Kenmyo couldn't even put a Flesh Hound in her shadow. Yomi-nee was protected by her own Cursed Energy, which could counteract the corrosive and toxic effects of the Flesh Hound.
Now, as a friend, Kenmyo simply didn't want to see similar tragedies happen around him again.
Kenmyo's emotions were easily volatile.
However, Kenmyo felt it was a pity that his good friend Futaba Rio couldn't awaken Jujutsu. Otherwise, with her high scientific research talent, any Jujutsu she awakened would undoubtedly be beneficial for research, perhaps even leading to discoveries that could revolutionize the entire Jujutsu World.
"Thank you."
Futaba Rio quietly said "thank you" and accepted it very solemnly.
"You're welcome. Oh, right, Futaba."
Kenmyo suddenly remembered something and, out of caution, added a sentence.
"You absolutely must not use any instruments to scan it, or perform any mechanical, physical, or molecular segmentation on it."
Kenmyo knew that Futaba Rio had a strong curiosity for anything out of the ordinary.
Why a crystal appeared to have a flame burning inside, the materialization of spiritual energy—Kenmyo couldn't even explain it clearly himself.
Moreover, this material likely didn't exist on Earth. A slight scrape and analysis would reveal that.
And Futaba Rio commanded astonishing technological resources, capable of mobilizing multi-national joint laboratories with tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of dollars worth of scientific equipment at her disposal.
Although Kenmyo vouched for the quality of what he created, he couldn't guarantee it would remain intact if thrown into a negative pressure, ultra-vacuum, or bombarded with special particles.
It would explode.
"Huh?"
Kenmyo's words made Futaba Rio, who had a slight smile and looked quite happy, suddenly widen her eyes.
The thought, "What kind of girl do you really think I am?" almost slipped out.
Futaba Rio rubbed her temples.
She felt that whenever she was next to Kenmyo, it was difficult to maintain a rational state.
"Do I look like someone who would casually ruin a gift from a friend?"
Futaba Rio sighed, mumbling softly to herself.
Her voice was so low it was barely audible.
"Every single thing you've given me, I've taken care of very carefully."
"What?"
"Nothing! Idiot."
Futaba Rio held the crystal in her palm, her heart filled with joy, and the more she examined it, the more she liked it.
"Kenmyo, do you have a string?"
"I want to wear it as a pendant. Otherwise, it's not easy to carry and might get lost."
"No problem."
Kenmyo took out a slender black string from his pocket and showed it to her.
"I do, but it's a bit simple."
Actually, there was a string before, but after adding it, he felt it didn't look very good.
"No problem."
Futaba Rio shook her head.
Since she said so, Kenmyo deftly threaded the string through the pre-drilled hole in the crystal, stringing it up.
When Kenmyo finished stringing it, Futaba Rio moved a little closer to him, then slightly lowered her head, lifting a bit of her hair to expose the fair skin of her nape.
"? "
Kenmyo was about to hand the crystal pendant to Futaba, but he saw her actively lower her head.
Noticing Kenmyo's lack of movement, Futaba Rio looked up and glanced at him.
You gave it to me, so it's only reasonable for you to help me put it on.
"Help me, please."
Faintly visible through the girl's gray long hair were slightly flushed ear tips, indicating she was also very embarrassed, but was forcing herself to endure it.
"It seems he lacked foresight."
Since the girl didn't mind, Kenmyo naturally wouldn't hesitate.
"Then I'll do it."
Kenmyo held the two ends of the pendant, slightly spreading his arms towards Futaba, who was facing him. Then he leaned closer to her, looking as if he was about to put his arms around the girl's neck.
There was no other way; the string was only so long, so to tie it, this was the only method.
Futaba Rio didn't dare to look up. Before closing her eyes, she saw the white shirt in front of her getting closer and closer, and her cheeks seemed to feel his breath.
She had read in books that when the visual sense is shut off, other senses become more acute.
Futaba Rio hadn't quite believed it before, but now she did.
The girl even felt her face burning, especially when the boy she liked gently brushed her fingertips against her neck and his fingers touched her skin.
Although it was just a slight, subtle physical contact, it was enough to stir ripples in Futaba Rio's calm heart.
"Futaba, oh Futaba, you're too bold. This is something only boyfriends and girlfriends do."
Futaba Rio's breath hitched, and she felt her face burning.
Although it was only for a moment, it felt long to her, yet also very satisfying, like the feeling of secretly doing something mischievous.
It merged with the tension, transforming into a peculiar allure in her heart.
"All right, Futaba."
Kenmyo lowered his hands, looking at Futaba Rio, who remained silent with her head bowed, finding it a bit amusing.
Is she shy?
It was quite rare to see the usually cool-headed Futaba display such strong emotional fluctuations.
When the familiar warmth vanished from her neck, she felt a little lost.
However, Kenmyo didn't tease her, but instead asked,
"Does the length seem about right to you?"
The length needed to be just right to allow for ease of putting on and taking off for showering or changing clothes, as well as for comfort.
Futaba Rio opened her eyes, looking at the azure crystal lying almost at a sixty or seventy-degree angle in front of her. It matched well with her white knitted shirt.
"The length is fine."
Futaba Rio's face was still a bit red, but her heartbeat had slowed down. She tried the length, taking it off from her neck, pushing her hair aside, and then putting it back on.
"Futaba, come a little closer. I'll use fire to secure it."
Previously, Kenmyo had merely estimated the knot based on Futaba's body measurements. Now, he would use high heat to fuse the knot for security.
This way, it wouldn't fall off.
As for a lighter, how could a science lab not have one?
The coffee in the beaker in front of Kenmyo had been brewed using an alcohol lamp, a unique feature of Futaba's science lab.
"Mm, I understand."
Seeing Futaba's obedient demeanor, Kenmyo proceeded as before, but this time very carefully, because he was using a lighter to burn it.
When the knot was burned and fused together, and allowed to cool slightly, the job was done.
However, Futaba's figure was truly exaggerated. Kenmyo recalled the crystal pendant's almost seventy or eighty-degree tilt in front of the girl, which would surely make those with flat chests envious.
"Hiss, oops."
Since Kenmyo was a bit taller than Futaba, and they were very close, he could see the graceful curves inside her collar.
After a quick glance, Kenmyo averted his gaze and then released Futaba.
"Thank you."
Futaba Rio took the opportunity of their separation to step back a little. The blush on her face had not yet faded. To Kenmyo, Futaba looked even cuter than usual in this state.
"Don't keep staring at me."
Feeling a bit self-conscious under Kenmyo's gaze, Futaba Rio spoke up to remind him. She reached up to straighten her slightly wrinkled and messy collar.
"Ah, sorry."
Speaking of which, Aoyama Academy's school rules apparently prohibited wearing accessories, so Kenmyo guessed she would hide the crystal pendant under her clothes.
As Kenmyo imagined, after adjusting the necklace to a suitable length, she unbuttoned the top button of her shirt and put the necklace inside.
Kenmyo suddenly had a question: given the necklace's current position, if he were to use the [Eye of Hyperspace] in this state, where would he be looking?
Damn it, Kenmyo felt like he was corrupted by Slaanesh; his mind was full of trash.
Noticing a certain person's wandering gaze, Futaba Rio, though not disliking it, still felt shy.
"I'll open the window and let some air in."
After being glared at by her, Kenmyo was more observant this time. He noticed that Futaba's blush lingered, probably due to the lack of air circulation in the room.
"No need, just turn on the air conditioner."
Futaba Rio took out the remote control from a drawer, and with a beep, the air conditioner turned on.
Kenmyo then realized that there was an air conditioner in the science classroom, which hadn't been there before. Because Futaba was sensitive to cold, an air conditioner hadn't been chosen for installation initially.
"Damn, when was this installed?"
"It's been installed for a long time; you just didn't notice, Kenmyo."
This was a lie. Actually, it was after Futaba Rio saw Kenmyo extremely hot after playing basketball that she fanned him with a small fan. After this incident, she asked the school administration to install it.
This goes to show that girls are generally more observant than boys, noticing things that are not visible.
"Knock, knock, knock."
A knock came from outside the door. Kenmyo looked at Futaba Rio, and after receiving her nod,
He then said,
"Come in."
"Wow, the science classroom actually has air conditioning!"
The door was pulled open, and in walked Kenmyo's other close friend, Azusagawa Sakuta, who also noticed.
"This time I'm smarter; I knocked."
Azusagawa Sakuta held a plastic bag containing three drinks and a yakisoba bread, likely his lunch, with the drinks for his two friends.
"Yo, our school's big celebrity is here too."
Kenmyo, this dark horse, had practically swept the entire second year, going from last place to first in his grade.
"I just looked for you in your class; you weren't there, so I guessed you'd be here."
Coupled with the announcement broadcast throughout the school during lunch break, Kenmyo's name spread even faster through the school.
"Kenmyo, are you getting extra tutoring from Futaba, or what? You're so amazing."
If that were the case, it would be like the apprentice teaching the master and then starving the master.
"Your buddy is a genius."
Kenmyo took it off.
"I came to ask if you want to go to the movies with me this weekend."
Azusagawa Sakuta waved three tickets in his hand, saying with a grin,
"It's the newly released 'Earthworm Man 1,' a Hollywood blockbuster."
"What? Earthworm Man?"
Kenmyo showed a disgusted expression.
"It sounds so disgusting. Just the slipperiness makes me feel uncomfortable."
"Agreed. I really can't imagine something as disgusting as an earthworm on screen."
Futaba Rio echoed,
"It sounds like it's a 'Part 1' that will become a bad film later on, just selling nostalgia."
"Stop watching these gloomy movies! Among the three of us, your grades are the worst, a player outside the top 100 in the grade. Learn from me, study hard and strive for progress every day!"
Azusagawa Sakuta was as flamboyant as ever; his academic performance was always in the bottom thirty, ever since the entrance exam.
Kenmyo, at least, had his moments of glory, having been in the top ten of his grade before falling.
"That's too much, you guys!"
Azusagawa Sakuta was fuming. He had come to invite Kenmyo and Futaba Rio to the movies together. Not only did they refuse, but they also attacked his academic performance.
Both of them were indeed skilled at putting people down.
Azusagawa Sakuta said fiercely,
"Futaba, turn on my computer. I'll show you the trailer for 'Earthworm Man 1.' You'll definitely be interested."
"No! I don't want such strange things appearing in my browsing history!"
"Hahahah."
Kenmyo laughed heartily.
After school, Kenmyo received a call.
It was from his assessor and partner for this Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer mission.
"Hey, pick me up at the school gate."
Kenmyo hadn't expected the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association to be so efficient; arranged in the morning, someone was already connecting in the afternoon.
"Okay, I understand."
When Aiba Asagi drove out in her red Ferrari, she happened to see her student, Kenmyo. She had just thought of giving him a ride, but to her surprise, he got into a black Maybach S680.
Looking at the mature older sister in the driver's seat, Aiba Asagi couldn't help but widen her eyes.
She recalled her previous thought: what could Kenmyo do if he dropped out of high school? Become a kept man for a rich woman.
"No, you actually did it."