It was already dusk, the sunset gently spilled over the world, casting a hazy golden veil over this steel city.
"Going to meet Mana soon," On the way to RiNG, the girl with long pink hair had her hands behind her back, her steps light like a fawn. Those gray delicate pupils shimmered like jade in the warm yellow afterglow, full of watery brilliance.
"It's all thanks to you, Kaito-kun, for speaking up for me."
Mana originally intended to invite only Kaito for a private talk.
But the reason he sought out Mana to ask about Sumimi's news was entirely on Anon's behalf. He himself had no interest in this kind of entertainment gossip, so when faced with Mana's invitation, he straightforwardly asked, [Mind if I bring a friend? She's your fan.]
The donut lady on the other end of the screen seemed choked for a moment, only replying after a while, […Of course, no problem.]
So the matter was happily settled just like that.
Walking on the small road amidst misty clouds and glowing sunset, Anon couldn't help but secretly observe the beautiful boy beside her from the corner of her eye.
'Sure enough… Kaito-kun, deep down, actually likes me, right?'
Although she had already had similar thoughts before, what happened today undoubtedly further confirmed her guess.
Otherwise, why would he be so enthusiastic, and when he saw her feeling embarrassed, even take the initiative to ask Mana about the inside story of Sumimi's upcoming disbandment?
Isn't this what they call irrefutable evidence? (tactical lean-back)
Yet in front of her, he still deliberately acted stern and serious, like a rigid old scholar…
'Ehh~ A tsundere boy is steamed goose heart~', The pink cotton candy dragon giggled foolishly in her heart, her smiling face also became bright and silly. Kaito glanced at her twice, his expression looking a bit like he was looking at an idiot.
'Chihaya-san is fantasizing again.'
Although he didn't know exactly what she was fantasizing about, seeing her like this, it was clearly a textbook case of hysteria.
"Kaito-kun," After laughing to herself for a while, Anon suddenly leaned over, cleared her throat, and decided to do a little probing, "Can I ask you a question?"
'So what if he's a tsundere? Anon-chan, me, has always been a super considerate and invincible beautiful girl.'
'Since Kaito-kun is too shy to break that barrier, I might as well do it. After all, we're bound to be family in the future, what's the difference between you and me?'
Kaito glanced at her, "You already did."
Anon, who was still preparing her question, froze for a moment, "Then can I ask you two questions?"
"You already did."
Anon: "..."
Anon puffed her cheeks, 'Even if I am slow-witted, I should be catching on by now. Besides, anon-chan, me, has always been an ice-snow-smart and orchid-hearted extraordinary girl (in her own opinion).'
The girl snorted twice, "Then can I ask you four questions?"
'Thinking you can trouble this lady with just a bit of cleverness is simply wishful thinking.'
Just as she was full of confidence, slanting her eyes to see Kaito-kun's expression, sure to be stunned and awed by her extraordinary wisdom, the beautiful boy beside her kept walking and blandly said three words, "No, you can't."
Anon: "..."
Anon widened her eyes: "Why?"
Kaito glanced at her again, "Because you already did."
———
[Five Minutes Later]
Kaito continued walking forward, and Anon followed beside him angrily, her cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish.
The pink-haired girl was stabbing a straw doll in her heart, while viciously vowing that when Kaito confesses to her one day, she would definitely return today's humiliation a hundredfold. Make him understand that anon-chan, is not someone to be bullied.
'But, isn't a hundred times a bit much? Maybe ten times will do?'
'After all, boys have their pride too,' Anon hesitated a bit, thinking ten times might still be too much.
'Forget it, forget it, didn't I already say anon-chan, me, is a considerate beautiful girl…'
'Better jot it down in the little notebook first, next time he annoys this lady, the crimes will be punished all at once.'
Thinking that way, Anon became happy again, feeling like she held great power. Her steps once more became light, and she even smugly glanced at Kaito, like a proud queen giving her favored courtier a sideways look.
Kaito ignored her gaze.
In fact, the reason he helped Anon wasn't that complicated. It was simply a habit left from the past.
Courting Death Sect was a place where strength mattered, not seniority. The capable were teachers.
Kaito started his cultivation late, but with overwhelming talent, in many disciples' hearts, he was the undisputed senior brother.
Not only because he was strong, but also because he was reliable.
Senior brother cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness. Although he seemed cold, wasting a face that made junior brothers and sisters scream, and was quiet and reserved, he was truly dependable.
The junior disciples usually didn't dare to bother senior brother's cultivation, but whenever they faced problems they couldn't solve, they instinctively wanted to look for senior brother.
Kaito also got used to helping his juniors settle things. As long as it wasn't something outrageous, he never hesitated to unsheathe his sword.
Occasionally he did hit walls, encountering old monsters he couldn't defeat, unable to protect his juniors. At that point, it was the master's turn to step in.
Although the master had no image in front of him, she always presented herself as a lofty flower to the outside world. Most importantly, she could really fight.
So usually, those old monsters who wanted to bully the young ended up dying peacefully.
Every time afterward, the master would bring him back to the cave and say earnestly, ("My dear disciple, see how dangerous the outside world is? It's safest to stay by Master's side. If you lack anything, this fairy will just snatch it back for you.")
She repeated these words for hundreds of years. Every time, Kaito just listened silently, his handsome face expressionless, as if covered by a cold iron mask.
Later, his cultivation broke through repeatedly, mastering the Path of Ruthlessness deeper and deeper. Even the sect leader, who had been in closed cultivation for years, was astonished, never imagining that a sect-less Path of Ruthlessness, silent for thousands of years, would produce a deity-level cultivator. Truly a monstrous talent.
Then the sect leader regretfully patted his shoulder, sighed, and said, ("Such a good seedling, why did you have to cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness? You were such a good person, now you've become like a block of wood. I'll talk to your master about this.")
Kaito silently listened to the sect leader's lament, said nothing, merely removed his hand and turned back to the cave.
At that point, his master was no longer his match, could no longer support her disciple. So those words she repeated for hundreds of years were never spoken again.
Only during full moons, when she was drunk and dazed, she would sometimes look at his increasingly cold and lonely back, without a trace of human emotion, and say, ("If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have let you cultivate that damned book.")
Kaito didn't look back, just stood on the cliff, watching the moonlight, not missing her extremely soft whisper of "Sorry."
Actually, it was he who should apologize to his master. He wasn't a good disciple, unable to warm the bed, fan the pillow, or act filial.
He wanted to thank his master for taking him into the sect, teaching him cultivation, and giving him a home. But every time his lips moved for a while, he could never utter a single syllable.
A sword without emotion, how could it speak?
All he could do was stand up for his master and protect her.
But she didn't need him to do that. She didn't need him to stand up for her. She didn't need anything. She just looked at him and scolded him as a rotten log, a dumb log, a big log.
She didn't know how to scold people. Her vocabulary was pitifully limited. So these few phrases were repeated over and over.
The more she scolded, the angrier she got. The angrier she got, the more she scolded. When she got really mad, she would even kick him with her tiny unshod feet.
Each time her strength wasn't much, so Kaito never dodged.
Even if she used more force, he still wouldn't dodge. But she always held back, perhaps for fear of hurting him.
Even though she could no longer defeat him, even if she used all her means, she couldn't scratch even a layer of his skin. Yet she still instinctively held back. In her eyes, he always remained the child who had just started cultivating.
That person who used to scold and kick him was gone. Perhaps they would never meet again.
Kaito pulled himself from his thoughts and looked deeply at the pink-haired girl beside him, her mood once again high and carefree. She was humming a tune, looking very happy.
Laughing foolishly again, and who knows exactly what she was happy about.
But she reminded him of his master, the one who used to fiercely say, ("I'm your master, you're my disciple. Disciples must obey their master, or else I'll have to use the family rules.") and then, after breaking character, laugh until rolling on the bed.
'The past, after all, cannot be pursued.'
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y