Chapter 66: Mei's Confession
"Goodbye, President. Goodbye, Second Seat." Sugi Mikado offered the two of them a bow, a broad, relieved smile stretching across his face. It was clear he was genuinely happy. During the days Rovel had been away, the immense pressure of acting as the substitute Second Seat had weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Now, at last, he could lay down that heavy burden.
"Hmm..." Rovel's gaze swept across the now-empty Kendo Club dojo. The familiar scent of polished wood and old tatami mats hung in the air, but he felt as if something was missing.
"Is something wrong, Mr. Rovel?" Mei asked, her voice soft with concern.
"That girl... Asaka Yuno, wasn't she here?" Rovel finally placed the missing piece.
A soft sigh escaped Mei's lips. "She... didn't pass the Kendo Club's assessment, so I had to ask her to leave."
When Rovel had been present, Asaka Yuno's mind had been entirely on him, a whirlwind of activity as she constantly brought him water and towels. But when Rovel was away, her dedication had shifted. She would simply stand guard at the Kendo Club entrance every day, a silent vigil, waiting for his return.
Asaka Yuno hadn't put her heart into practicing Kendo at all, so it was no surprise that she failed the assessment. According to the club's rules, Mei's hands were tied. She had to ask the girl to leave; to do otherwise would have been a grave injustice to the other members who poured their sweat and effort into their training every single day.
"I see." Rovel nodded, not dwelling on it. In his view, the rules were perfectly reasonable. Mei had been upfront about the assessment from the moment Asaka Yuno joined. If the girl herself didn't care enough to try, no one could help her.
'Rather than hoping for a protective umbrella to fall from the sky,'he thought,'it's always better to become your own.'
Asaka Yuno's personality was tinged with a certain romanticism. She probably imagined that since Rovel had saved her once, he would continue to do so indefinitely. But Rovel was no saint. He had neither the intention nor the obligation to become the "romantic hero" she had constructed in her heart. Their meeting had been a coincidence, and the opportunity to change her own circumstances... she had let it slip right through her own fingers.
"Come on," Rovel said, breaking the silence as he wheeled out his bicycle. "I'll take you home."
Mei settled onto the seat behind him, her hand finding a gentle hold on his waist. She leaned forward, resting her head softly against the solid warmth of his back. This long-lost, reassuring feeling, the one she had yearned for, had finally returned.
This wasn't a dream. It was real. Rovel was right here, with her.
Back at Mei's home, Rovel once again had the pleasure of tasting her cooking. As he savored the familiar, comforting flavors, a subtle warmth spread through him.
[All attributes +1.]
After the meal, Mei excused herself and went to her room. She returned a moment later, carefully carrying a sheathed katana. Though the men who had ransacked her home had taken most of the valuables, they had left her swords untouched, likely deeming them worthless.
"This was a birthday present from my father when I was twelve—the Prototype Pulse Katana," she explained, her expression solemn as she presented it to him with both hands. "It's a very fine sword. Mr. Rovel, I'm giving it to you."
"Is this the gift you mentioned earlier?" Rovel hesitated, looking from the blade to her earnest face. "But... are you sure? It's a birthday present from Mr. Ryoma."
"I have a better sword now," Mei said with a gentle, knowing smile. "So please, don't worry, Mr. Rovel." She gently placed the katana into his hands.
[Obtained Prototype Pulse Katana (Blue).]
[Prototype Pulse Katana (Blue): Modeled after the legendary Muramasa series, this is one of the lesser-known Honkai weapon prototypes. It possesses the unique ability to grow alongside its master!]
[Attributes:]
[Strength +20, Agility +40]
[Weapon Skill:]
[Brief Overclock: Enhances the weapon's core. When using this weapon, slashing power is increased by 16%! Duration: 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes.]
After all this time, he finally had a decent weapon.
Rovel ran a hand over the sleek, mechanical-looking scabbard. The black and white color scheme was a bit plain, but as he drew the blade, the air itself seemed to thin. The polished edge glinted under the light, radiating an aura so sharp it was almost painful to look at.
Just as Mei had said, this was a magnificent sword. And it could even grow with its master... which meant it had the potential to evolve.
"Thank you, Mei," Rovel said, his voice filled with genuine gratitude as he accepted the weapon.
A joyful expression lit up Mei's face, pleased that he liked it. "You're welcome," she said, her voice a little softer. "However... the gift I wanted to give you today wasn't this."
The sudden change of subject caught Rovel completely off guard.
"Huh?" He blinked. According to the system mission prompt, his reward for completing the task was the Prototype Pulse Katana. Could there be something more?
While his mind was still processing this, Mei closed the distance between them. She stepped forward until she was standing directly in front of him, then gently wrapped her arms around his neck.
And then she kissed him.
It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was possessive, almost aggressive, a perfect reflection of the title she held at Chiba Academy—the "Thunder Queen."
The moment their lips met, it felt as if time itself had been pierced by a bolt of high-voltage electricity, creating a brief, stunning vacuum. Rovel's mind went completely blank. Every chaotic thought, every plan, every worry was swept away by a wave of overwhelming sweetness.
He could feel the slight coolness of her arms around his neck, smell the delicate fragrance that seemed to radiate from her, and see, even with his eyes closed, the subtle trembling of her eyelashes—a stark contrast to the boldness of her actions.
The kiss didn't last long, but to Rovel, it felt as vast and distorted as a Time Fracture.
When Mei finally pulled back, releasing her hold on his neck, both of their breaths were ragged and unsteady. Her face was flushed a deep crimson, a world away from her usual composure. She suppressed her frantically beating heart, swallowed hard, and met his gaze with her beautiful, luminous purple eyes.
"Mr. Rovel," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "This... is the gift I'm giving you."
'Last time I forced a kiss on Mobius, and this time I get force-kissed by Mei,'Rovel thought, his head still spinning.'Is this some kind of karma?'
"..." His mind was still adrift, unable to form a coherent response.
"Even though we come from two different worlds..." Mei's voice was barely audible, yet every word was crystal clear. "I like you, Mr. Rovel."
At that moment, Raiden Mei finally spoke the words she had kept locked away in her heart.
Just as Rovel had once told her, "Time is never the dividing line between understanding and not understanding." They had known each other for less than a month, and the time they had spent apart was far longer than the time they had spent together. Yet that burning emotion had already burst forth, impossible to contain.
Even if they existed in two different worlds.
At least in this moment, they had each other.
...
As Rovel walked out of Raiden Mei's apartment complex, a silly, dazed smile was still plastered on his face. He was still floating, replaying the last few minutes in his head, when the jarring buzz of his phone pulled him back to reality. He glanced at the screen and pinched the bridge of his nose.
[99+ Missed Calls]
He sighed and dialed the number back. "Yuki, what's wrong?"
"Ugh! I felt it just now!" An indignant voice erupted from the other end of the line. "Big Brother's chastity is in grave danger!"
"..." Rovel was speechless.
"Ha! I knew it! I hit the mark, didn't I!" Hearing his silence, Yuki's voice grew triumphant, as if she'd caught him red-handed. "Let me guess, it must be that thieving cat named Raiden Mei!"
"Sorry, Yuki, I have something to take care of here. I'll call you back in a bit." Rovel's voice suddenly lost all its warmth, becoming sharp and serious.
He hung up the phone before she could protest, his dazed expression vanishing completely. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the figure that had just appeared before him.
A system window flickered in his vision.
[Name:???]
[Level:???]
[Trust:???]
[Danger Level: Extremely High!]
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