kscans

Chapter 790 - Couple (Future Tense)

"—H-Hey, welcome ba...ck? Eh, what, what's wrong?"

After about half an hour of practice, I returned once more to the Round Table. Passing through the dazzling light of the transfer, I was greeted by a single person, just as I had expected.

I had no doubt she would be waiting. And the fact that no one else was around was surely out of consideration for us.

If it's just this level of meddling, well. I suppose I should gratefully accept it.

"Don't cling to me. Not yet, anyway."

"Ehh, what's the big deal? We've done this much before...!"

"This is how things get out of hand. Don't loosen the boundaries."

It was fine for her to come running up to me so devotedly, but trying to leap into my arms was not. Trusting in the strength of my Mage build, which was far beyond my real-world body, I caught her head in mid-air with a 'thwack.' The sound that came out was not a scream, but a complaint.

A complaint... and a sly grin.

"Ooh, so things are gonna get out of hand, are they? I see, I see, so even Irorin can't resist things getting out of hand, hmm? Ooooh???"

"Yourウザさ has evolved..."

But I had decided not to deny that kind of teasing.

My ability to hide my feelings until now was less due to my exceptional acting skills and more because my true nature was hard to read in the first place.

Therefore,

"Don't you dare underestimate a man. You'll be the one who ends up crying."

A single, straightforward warning was all it took.

"Ah, yes... I understand."

I have no idea what she was imagining, but her smile vanished, replaced by confusion and other things.

When I let go of her head, which had started to feel hot, Mi-na landed safely and scurried back to her seat.

She was utterly adorable—and so, with that playful exchange over.

"A-Anyway! What's wrong? You're making a weird face."

The question she threw out to change the subject was the same as before. Even though I thought I'd composed myself, the fact that she could read me meant that the news had been a bigger shock than I'd realized.

"No, it's nothing................ An elementary schooler. On the level of an elementary schooler, huh..."

And so, without thinking, the words just slipped out, proof of that very truth.

"Huh? Elementary schoo... —Eh? What? You wanna fight???"

"You fool. I wasn't talking to you."

"Stop it with that 'you fool' thing!!! When you say it so coldly with that dead serious Irorin face, it makes me start to think I really am a fool!!!"

"...?"

"What! Why'd you tilt your head!?"

"You're not a dunce, but you are a fool of a certain kind, are you not?"

"What'd you say, you bastard—!!!"

"Which means we're a good match, two fools together."

"Hah!? —You're so annoying!!!!! What is with this guy, what's with him, just casually saying things like that now, stop hitting my weak spot so perfectly!!"

And so, while deflecting the next round of teasing that arose from my slip of the tongue.

Come to think of it, now that he mentioned it, my junior's 'fact' might be something I could deeply agree with. As I pondered this... I couldn't help but recall something from the not-so-distant past.

I don't know.

I have absolutely no idea what will happen, but—

"Is this less of a 'debt' and more of a 'sin'... I wonder."

"YES, IT IS! I'M GLAD YOU'RE AWARE OF IT! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT!?"

Setting aside the adorable little thing currently attacking me.

I had thought she was an adult. But now that I thought about it, she wasn't that much older than me. Looking back, she had always possessed a certain innocence and naivety.

I wondered if that girlish woman had correctly interpreted that as a confession. And if she had—

Wouldn't both he and I undergo an unexpected change?

"How careless of me..."

"Look at me! Pay attention to your future girlfriend!!!"

For a rare moment, Irori let out a sigh born from simple guilt, exposed to only one person.

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It was short, but I think the compressed sweetness gave it some weight, so please forgive me.