Alright, send in a review or leave in a favorite/follow if you are liking the story so far!
"Aaaawww, look at the scenery...!"
The light-blue sky had some clouds spread around, as the wind was passing silently. Two mountains were standing in the distance, covered in grass and with a forest or two near their base. More forests were standing on the hilly plains, with a river entering from the forest on the left to the forest on the right. A seafawn was munching the grass, near the nearest forest's entrance.
A short, Inkling girl had her smiling mouth wide open and her eyes sparkling, pointing at the flying butterflies. She was wearing a flower-themed yukata tied with a pink obi on the middle, her skin was filled with orange ink and her right glove-like hand was holding a white fan with a drawing depicting roses.
"Such a nice day!" Her mouth closed. "But what makes this day even nicer…" Her head turned to her right.
An Inkling man wearing a black yukata, with a white obi belt tied on the middle. His hands were on his sides, as his mouth was smiling a bit. The little girl blushed, as her hands went each on one of her cheeks, her eyes closed and her smile expanded.
"Aaaaah, this must be a dream coming true…" Her knees bended a bit, as a pink aura with sparkles appeared behind her head. "All that hard work in curse-hunting paid so well… what I can do to keep him with me?!"
"Beautiful day, isn't it?" The man's head turned to his left, while lowering and pointing it at the small girl. "If it wasn't for that little curse, I would take a nice walk around and enjoy this natural gift."
"S-sure is!" The girl's eyes expanded, as she blushed even more. "I wish I could capture this wonderful moment…!"
"The mortals have a tool for that." The man bended on his right knee, as his left one went down, touching the grass. "If I would ever come back to the sweeter waters, are you interested into it?"
The girl's irises grew, as she gasped silently. Her face went full read, as her heart began beating faster.
"A-anything from the sweeter waters is like a treasure for me…" Her arms hugged herself, as her head lowered while twisting left and right. "Oooooh, s-sensei…"
"Ah ah, don't worry Lisa." The man's eyes closed. "Buying one shouldn't be too hard at all!"
Lisa's head rose back, as her large irises appeared watery. The man's eyes reopened.
"... I'm surprised you were this good at curse hunting." He stands up, while keeping a smile. "I still think you have a natural gift for dancing, though..."
Lisa's mouth opened.
"S-sensei...!" Her mouth downturned, as sweat jumped out from her head. "I-I have a great, GREAT passion for those curses... I-I mean, for repealing the curses!" Her eyes squeezed. "I don't like dancing... I-I don't even care about it in the slightest!"
The man's mouth downturned a bit.
"Well, if you hate it this much, then you shouldn't listen to my opinion..." He smiled back. "After all, if we are here today is because you are about to improve your rank and become a true curse hunter."
Lisa's eyes expanded, as she bended forward.
"Let's walk, Lisa." The man began walking forward. "The curse shouldn't be too far from here..."
"W-w-wait a minute!" The little girl rushed, as her head was pointed at the sensei. "No one told me about the rank improvement! An-and becoming a curse hunter too!"
"Yes, today I will bring you in front of a low-level curse..." The man nodded. "You enter inside it and repeal it. Once you are done, I will officially give you the definitive role of curse hunter."
"Bu-but can I do it?! I have never repealed a curse on my own!" Lisa swallowed silently.
"... at first... it was the same for me." His head turned to his left, while lowering. "They sent me alone, facing a curse sealed near that mountain over there." His right forefinger pointed to his left, exactly at the mountain's base. "It was for my graduation to a superior rank…"
Lisa's mouth opened wide.
"I was scared... even more than you." He chuckled a bit. "I was thinking to escape home and hide in a forest... but then, before I would retreat back in my room, I saw grandpa near the shoji." He nodded, as his head rose and stared in the same direction. "He told me how proud he was of me... keeping the tradition..."
The little girl's eyes went watery.
"... my grandma hugged me from the back, saying the same thing... then, I remembered." His eyes closed. "I remembered how intrigued I was in front of those curses." His eyes reopened, as his elbows touched his sides, while his hand opened a bit. "The history behind them, the enigma in their existence... and even how crafted they can be!" His head pointed back at Lisa. "The most powerful curses were literally pieces of the past. I could almost talk to the cores too!"
"Wow...!" The little girl's eyes blinked.
"And I was almost forgetting all those wonders, the night before my graduation… sometimes, it still happens." The man shook his head, pointing back forward.
"Why?" Her left hand grasped her fan's handle.
He shrugged.
"If my passion is backed up by a valid reason, then it will always come back." His eyes were pointed at the incoming forest. "So, at the same time, I don't pay too much attention to it."
"… oooohh…" Lisa's mind began seeing a light-pink background, behind the man. Sparkles were appearing behind him. "There is truly life in his passion…!" Her eyes sparkled.
"Now, prepare yourself mentally." His arms folded. "Before facing any curse, you have to check if you are able to concentrate on the task… actually, on every task you might have!" He chuckled a bit. "I always used this tactic, before... and I will always use it!"
"I'm ready, sensei… anything, to make you proud of me." Lisa smiled widely, staring back at the man. "Let's go!"