“Oh, Kai-kun! I heard everything went well! I’m really glad! Next time, introduce me to Nagi-chan!”

The chairman is saying something. But right now, I couldn’t hear anything else because of my pounding heart. I couldn’t take my eyes off her captivating eyes.

“Uh, um!”

I was at a loss for words because of the sudden event. After all, this woman was my admiration, my first love.

When I was in junior high school, a Cube near my school caused a dungeon collapse. I was supposed to die there, crushed by a demon.

But I was saved by her, who was still a high school girl at the time.

Now, she is known as the strongest clearer in the world.

Her silver, lustrous hair is as beautiful as Aya’s. And her uncharacteristically model-like figure naturally draws my eyes to her chest. Yet, she is so slim, it’s almost fantasy-like. Is this the work of magic?

But no one has ever seen her smile. The expression I’m currently seeing is as cold as ice. There’s no mean-spirited atmosphere, just an absence of emotion. Those sapphire-like eyes give me the sensation of being sucked in just by looking.

She’s beautiful.

And she’s known as the strongest woman in the world.

She has a lot of fans worldwide, popular with both men and women. She’s held the first place in the world’s most beautiful face rankings in the clearer division for five consecutive years.

She’s popular all over the world, and I’ve always been a big fan of hers. For a while, I even had her picture as my smartphone’s lock screen. I owe her a lot, though I won’t say exactly for what.

So,

“Uh, I’m…a fan! Please, shake my hand!”

I asked her for a handshake, my face flushing red.

“…A handshake? Okay.”

With a clear voice, Ginno-san took my extended hand without any hesitation. Her voice was monotone but calming.

“I won’t wash this hand for the rest of my life.”

“That’s dirty…I think you should wash it.”

“Sorry, I’ll wash it after all!”

Her hand was smooth. Her white hand was a little cold and smooth. It smelled good, I think. This is just my perception, but I think my hand smells good because of hers.

I think I can manage with just this right hand for a while.

I won’t say what for.

“Wait, why is Ginno-san here!?”

“I went to pick her up. Reina-kun is an association staff member! She doesn’t belong to any guild, she’s unaffiliated.”

“I know that, but! Wait, seriously!?”

I’m obviously excited. Then Ginno-san made room for me in the back.

“Yes, please.”

“No, Kai-san should stop here–I’ll get in! Please drop me off at the chairman’s house! That’s fine!”

“But that’s the opposite direction from your house…”

“It’s fine!”

“Well…”

I sat next to Ginno-san. I was originally planning to walk home after handing Aya over to the chairman, but this changes things. Opportunities like this don’t come often. There’s something I want to tell Ginno-san.

“Hmph!”

Aya, who was upset, sat next to me. Ginno-san, me, and Aya sat in the back seat, with only the chairman in front. The driver then started the car.

“Before that, nice to meet you. I’m Kai Amachi. Actually, it’s not our first meeting!”

“I’m sorry, I don’t remember. I’m Reina Ginno.”

“No, no, it’s impossible for you to remember! Back then, I was nothing more than a pebble, our worlds were completely different!”

I kept talking, trying to get her interested in me. Ginno-san, while looking straight ahead, kept the conversation going with me.

“Kai-san? Um, I…”

“No, I’m thrilled to meet Ginno-san in a place like this!”

“Kai-san? About the future…”

“I heard you were dealing with the A-Rank Cube collapse in the Philippines. Good work! How was it? The A-Rank Cube! Easy for Ginno-san, right?”

“Hey, Kai-san…”

“No, really, I have Ginno-san’s photo album–”

“…Hmph!”

“–Gah!? Ah, Aya!? What’s wrong?”

“Enough! You’re fawning too much! Do whatever you want!”

Suddenly, I got a body blow from Aya. Why? What happened? Was my tension too high and annoying? While clutching my side, I writhed in pain. That girl Aya has the strength of an S-Rank, it hurts…

Then there was silence in the car for a while.

“…Well, this is awkward. Maybe it was a mistake to bring Reina…”

…

“Then, I’ll get off here!”

“You really followed us all the way… You don’t need it, but be careful at night.”

“Yes! See you, Ginno-san. Also…Aya?”

“You’re just an afterthought! Hmph!”

I’ve upset Aya, so I’ll have to apologize later. I don’t exactly know what I did, but I think it’s correct to apologize in these situations.

So, I decided to head home.

◇ Ryuenji Residence

“Reina, um, what do you think of Kai-san?”

Aya and Reina have been friends for a long time. For Aya, Reina was one of the few people she genuinely liked.

Reina lives in this Ryuenji household.

There are various circumstances, so she has grown up like a sister to Aya since she was young. And she also adores Kagetora as if he were her real grandfather.

“What do I think of Kai-san? … He talks a lot…”

“Ah, you’re not one to talk!”

“…I think Aya is weaker than me.”

“That’s not the point!”

“Calm down, both of you. Anyway, about the future… Reina. Kai-kun might participate in the next operation with us. Please get along with him.”

“I understand. I’ll get along.”

“Don’t get too close! His eyes were like hearts… and to think he was a fan of Reina… really…”

“Do… do you like him, Aya?”

“Wh… What!? I don’t know. But I think he’s a nice guy.”

“I see… I’ll go to bed then. … Grandpa. Is my room the same?”

“Yes, it’s the same. We’ve cleaned it up so there shouldn’t be any issues.”

“Thank you. Good night, you two… hawawa…”

Reina, yawning big, returned to her room. Aya, irritated by mixed emotions and disliking the feeling, hated thinking about what this emotion was.

“Sigh… I wonder if Kai-san thinks I’m a bad girl… Ahh! I can’t stand it! I’ll take a bath and go to bed!”

Aya, seemingly in a bad mood, made her way to the bath with heavy steps.

“Kai-kun… couldn’t you choose Aya… Reina might cause our household to crumble…”

Kagetora’s worries increased by one.

◇ In The Bath

“Do I… like him…?”

Aya murmured to herself in the bath. She kept questioning whether or not she liked Kai.

She had always looked disdainfully at girls her age giggling and gushing about love, thinking it was something only fools engaged in. All men seemed like idiots to her, and she could only see their ulterior motives. She thought they were disgusting, and honestly, she never imagined herself falling in love.

When did it start?

When did she stop being able to get him out of her head?

When did she start following him with her eyes?

There’s one thing she was sure about, that time.

The time when he protected her from Phu, the assassin. It was really cool how he put his life on the line to protect her. Seeing him fight while covered in blood honestly shook her maiden heart.

But that’s not it.

The most important part was his words.

“Don’t you dare talk about her potential when you can’t see anything. You, who can only see the surface. Don’t deny her potential. She is strong. She has a truly strong heart that believes in herself and never gives up. You wouldn’t understand. You don’t know how it feels to be called incompetent for 18 years. The strength of a heart that never gives up!!”

Aya ruminated on his words in her heart. Just thinking about it made her face turn red, and the image of Kai’s face at that time made her heart flutter with love.

They were the words she wanted someone to say to her. Even though she had kept trying hard, her life was constantly negated. Those words affirmed her. It was probably because Kai’s life was a bit like hers.

That said, she had been more fortunate compared to Kai.

“He was so cool… Kai-san… And…”

After that, things escalated quickly. The days she spent making artifacts while thinking about Kai were enough to amplify her feelings.

The cherry on top was…

“His fingers… they were rough… a man’s hand…”

When she licked Kai’s finger. It was embarrassingly hot. Yet, he looked down at her from above and suddenly stroked her tongue with his.

At that moment, she felt something like a current running through her body. It was a sensation she couldn’t quite comprehend.

When she thought about his hand, she felt a bit odd.

“I wonder… am I actually a masochist?”

Such were the delusions of an 18-year-old girl who had just discovered what first love was. Soaking in the bath for a longer time than usual, her face was red. Was it because of the hot water?