"Lower," Mizuki said. "This is baby stuff; you can do better, right?"

"Shut it," Her daughter growled, legs shaking. "You know how painful this could get?"

"Oh please, I've gone through so much worse than a simple split," The mother rolled her eyes. "And you're half me, so this shouldn't be hard."

It wasn't everyday her daughter would ask for help on her own. Usually, Akane prefers working and figuring out stuff on her own, which is strange seeing how admittedly charismatic she can be. Making friends is easy for her as long as she puts up a front and acts all nice.

But she doesn't, which is why she practically has no friends, but not like she cares either. She wasn't a social recluse by any means, but she definitely wasn't a butterfly either. Mizuki understood, though. She was somewhat similar in her younger years.

Regardless, Mizuki was mildly surprised that Akane came asking for help with her stretches instead of their regular magic practice. Turns out that Akiyama said that she needed to be flexible to be able to learn from him.

Akiyama never actually learned any classical martial arts; only mimicking what he saw until he made his own style. He couldn't have told Akane to learn from actual masters first because of that.

Mizuki would teach her daughter her own clan's style, but that one is a little too lethal to use. It's not about defending yourself or neutralizing opponents, that one was made for the sole purpose of killing. She doesn't want Akane running around snapping necks or crushing skulls.

"Look, I'm like any other person out there. I just don't like pain, alright?" Akane glared at her. "Unlike you, you disgusting masochist."

"I'm not a masochist, I just know how to tolerate pain," Mizuki scoffed. "Clearly you don't if doing a split is close to making you cry."

"I'm not crying."

"Yet."

"I've been hit with a brick before and I didn't cry," Akane argued with a scowl, oddly offended. "Are you saying a brick being smashed on my head hurts less than doing a split?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever you say," Mizuki shrugged with a smirk. "Lil crybaby Akane~"

"I'm going to stab your throat."

"I'm sure you will," She sighed. "Jokes aside, if you want to do this, then you have to start lowering yourself. You're still not even halfway there."

Her daughter only grimaced in response, and feeling impatient, Mizuki frowned.

"How about this, I'll force you down myself," Mizuki offered. "It's gonna hurt, but then you'll get used to it."

"...Sure."

"Great! Okay, are you ready?"

"J-just give me a warning before you- DO IIIIIIT?!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as her legs were forced apart, eyes widening and watering as a gasp left her. The former assassin winced at the quiet 'crack' as Akane lowered her head while shaking lightly, biting down a cry of pain as Mizuki backed away a bit.

Her daughter didn't move at all, staying in that position for a while as she wiped her eyes with her arm. Mizuki approached her, looking proud that she finally did it. With help, sure, but she's always happy to give a hand, especially to Akane.

The pained expression on her face told another story, though. Mizuki hoped she wasn't angry with her. She really doesn't want to get decked in the face again.

"See? Wasn't so hard now was it?"

"I'm going to tear your spine out and shove it up your ass you stupid whore." Akane muttered coldly.

"Hey, it might've hurt, but look at you!" Mizuki completely disregarded Akane's terrifying glare. "You did it! You should be proud of yourself."

"Only thing that'll make me proud right now is seeing you choke on your own blood."

"Pfft, I dunno why you're so mad. It's your fault we had to do this in the first place." She scoffed.

"Wha- how!?" Akane scowled.

"Because this!"

Suddenly, Mizuki bent over and pinched her daughter's side, making her yelp in pain.

"Ow, what the hell- Stop!"

"Look at this!" Mizuki cut her off. "You don't exercise anymore and look how pudgy you've become! All because of the chocolate you eat!"

Akane slapped her hand away, face turning red in embarrassment. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

"I'm saying you need to start exercising more," Mizuki said sternly. "Not just with your uncle, but an extra hour or two, and no more fast food. You have all the tools you need here, use them."

"I was gonna do that anyway, moron," Akane growled as she got up, the pain seemingly subsided. "I don't need you telling me that."

Mizuki blinked, seeing Akane back on her feet. She'd have given her a minute or two, but she's already fine? Well, her daughter has always been tough, too tough due to their bloodline. Honestly, if they were pure humans, she'd have probably succumbed to one of the injuries from her past street fights already.

Though, this is still surprising.

"You're fine now?" Mizuki asked. "Does it still hurt?"

She noticed Akane tense suddenly, making a mental note of that. These recent weird behaviors are getting really concerning.

"Yeah, I'm good," She sighed. "I've been through worse, too y'know."

"Right, since I realized that you've become fat-"

"I'm not fat you dumb bitch."

"-I think we should focus on getting you in shape," Mizuki ignored her daughter's hateful scowl. "But you can do that in your free time, so let's take a step back and practice magic instead."

"Back to square one, then."

"What? No, I just gave you homework for your homework," Mizuki said. "Shun-kun said you need to be flexible, and to be flexible, you need to get in shape. Homeworkception."

"Yeah, whatever." She scoffed. "Let's just get this over with."

Sheesh, she gotta chill. Mizuki raised a brow. Did I hurt her feelings or somethin'?

"Ooookay then," She cleared her throat. "Since we've established refining and evolution, I think it's time I teach you a spell."

Akane's eyes lit up, her annoyed frown immediately replaced with an excited smile. "Finally, took you long enough."

"It's literally been like, two days."

"Two days too long." She waved it off. "So what kind of spell?"

Well, at least she's looking forward to it. Mizuki smiled.

"Seeing that you already have most basic spells down, I think it'll be fine to teach you a slightly more complicated one," She said. "It's not harmful on its own, but it can be paired up with almost anything. It's one of my favorites.

"Simply, tap the ground with your foot and force your magic into it. As if you're making a slippery ground." She explained. "But try to aim it at the enemy's leg and encase it in ice. That way, it'll stop their movement for a bit and give you an opening. C'mon, you can test it on me."

"If you say so." Her daughter nodded. "So just make a slippery ground but try to 'aim' it at you?"

"Yep."

"Alright…"

Akane frowned in concentration, focusing for a few seconds before casting the spell. It went off without a hitch, easily encasing Mizuki's leg in ice. The mother was surprised - she expected her to get it quickly, but first try?

Her daughter's potential is massive it seems.

"I'll be damned. You made it look so easy." Mizuki complimented the smirking Akane. "And the ice is decently tough too."

"I don't think it'd be useful if the ice broke so easily." Akane shrugged, approaching her mother. "I had to make it hard enough to actually trap someone."

"Fair enough." Mizuki frowned, trying to break the ice around her leg, but to no avail. "Maybe you made it a little too tough?"

"There's no such thing as too tough." She argued. "The stronger the better."

"True." Nervous sweat trailed down Mizuki's brow. "So uh, you gonna dispel it or…?"

"Dear heavens, would you look at the time?" Akane checked her nonexistent watch. "I don't want to be late for school so we're gonna have to cut this short."

"Wait-"

"Well, guess I'm going now." Akane said, walking towards the exit. "See you after school, Kaa-san."

"Hold on, what about the ice?!"

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's gonna dispel on its own." She shrugged, hand on the doorknob. "...In like an hour or two."

"What?! No, I don't want to stay here for so long!" Mizuki whined. "Please dispel it."

"Eeeh..." Akane paused as she opened the door. "Naaaah."

"Oh come on, why?!" She tried to reason with her daughter. "...Is it because I called you fat?"

Without giving a verbal response, Akane slammed the door shut and left her mother on her own, who groaned as she turned to look at the ice that trapped her leg. The ice was extremely hard to break, and seeing that she's powerless, she's stuck like this.

She'd call someone to help, but then she'll get made fun of. She doesn't want to sit through the embarrassment of having to explain what happened. Why did she have to open her big mouth and piss off her daughter? They both knew how spiteful she could be.

With a sigh, Mizuki created a small ice pike with whatever magic she still had. She grimaced and began to slowly break down the ice covering her leg, barely chipping away at it with each hit. At least her Yokai blood made her resistant to cold.

She's gonna get her back for this.

(Akane)

Quest complete

[Flexibility is Sexy] - Quest

Objective: Do a split without crying

Rewards: [Flexible] Perk, 5 DEX, 5 CHA, 50 Credits

When I got this quest, I honestly felt a little mocked. What do you mean 'without crying'? Are you saying I'm gonna cry because of a simple split? What am I, twelve? I didn't need a quest for something like this, even if it's admittedly appreciated. Also, the quest name seems uncalled for.

Are you calling me unsexy? Flexibility or not, I know I'm hot. The constant stares I get even in my bland male uniform is enough of an indication. You can go fuck yourself, quest.

I realized just how reasonable the quest was when I tried to do it on my own when I woke up. This is actually difficult to do, for all my DEX, it still was challenging. I needed help, so I asked the first person that came to mind.

I knew I ran the 'risk' of having her tease me about it, and the bitch did, but who else am I gonna ask? My uncle is busy and while we're close, that's a little too much. I debated whether I should have Ichi help me out because that'll give me a lot of material to tease him with, but I feel like I shouldn't go that far yet.

As for Haruka…

…

...Shit, why didn't I ask her?

Anyway, letting someone force me to do it was fucking painful for once, but it paid off. I don't like pain even if I'm used to it by now, so this sucked ass. I had to stop myself from reflexively backhanding my mother.

[Flexible] - Perk

While not quite rare, such skill is useful for anyone. Many kinds of sports require your body to be flexible, even combat may have a use for it. Who knows, it could even help with your bedroom skills.

Your body is at its peak flexibility, making you able to stretch and twist it in an almost inhuman manner.

I got the perk, thankfully, with a little increase in some stats to boot. The Game seems a little trigger-happy with quests, giving me one for every mundane activity possible. I ain't complaining, it's actually motivating to see quests like this.

Like this one.

[Workout Regime] - Quest

Objective: Run a total of 50 Kilometers and use three different gym equipment for a collective total of 7 hours

Rewards: 30 END, 30 DEX, 30 STR, 30 CHA, [Perfect Body] Perk, 250 Credits

Time Limit: 4 Days, 23 Hours, 16 Minutes

Now while I appreciate the quest and the sweet, sweet rewards, I couldn't help but feel offended. Specifically, the moment it appeared. It pissed me off to be honest. I'm not fucking fat just because my mother said so, Game.

Well, whatever. The massive stat increase as well as that perk sound really good. Remember, I get a double increase in stats due to one of my starting perks, so if I finish this quest, I get 60 instead of 30 in each of the listed stats.

And it doesn't sound so hard either. A collective of seven hours of workout alongside a 50-kilometer run spread throughout the five days isn't that hard, especially seeing that my Stamina is far above that of regular humans.

Getting my dumbass mother to shut up about my chocolate intake is a bonus.

After all, can you call life without chocolate actually living?

"I should stop by the convenience store for some," I mutter to myself, walking to my school. "A lighter too. Haven't smoked in a while."

Thankfully, there's one nearby. I can quickly grab some stuff - maybe breakfast on my way out too - and head to school. Shouldn't take more than a minute.

Then again, do I have to go to school? I really doubt there are heavy consequences to skipping a day or two if at all. I'm basically a princess here, and last I checked, getting a degree isn't really important in the world of DxD.

But then I have to explain why I'm skipping school to Sona, and that's one can of worms I don't want to open.

Not to mention the opportunities I still have there.

"What a pain…" I sigh, going inside the convenience store.

I look through the shelves and get what I want, getting out of the camera's sight before slipping a few items into my inventory. Stealing everything I want will only make me suspicious because not everyone gets in and out of a convenience store without getting anything, so I should pay for something or two.

I take a random sandwich off the shelf and head towards the cashier, only to freeze as I see a blond nun trying to speak to the worker in broken Japanese. I look around me for a moment, still not believing what I'm seeing. I confirm who this girl is with Observe, and a smile creeps up to my face.

I step in and try to help, giving the nun a polite smile. "Excuse me, I see that you're having trouble. Need any help?"

Asia blinks, seemingly taken aback at my perfect English, then nods as she mirrors my smile. "I-I only want to know if this drink is alcoholic or not. There aren't any English texts that I can read…"

...That's a Dr. Pepper.

"Uh, no, it's not." I shake my head. "It's alcohol-free, don't worry."

"Oh, I see." Asia smiles. "Thanks for clarifying."

"Um, you seem to know English." The cashier glances at me. "Can you tell me what she wants?"

"She's asking if it has alcohol or not," I respond, switching to Japanese.

The cashier blinks. "Dr. Pepper?"

"She's probably living under a rock. Don't worry about it." I wave it off, the blond blissfully unaware of what I just said. "Here."

I notice Asia tense a little, looking around nervously as she tries to stop me. Well, 'tries' is a stretch too. She looks like she wants to say something, but she doesn't.

"Ah, the girl hasn't paid yet." The cashier clarifies.

"I'll pay for her," I say, glancing at her bag. Nothing much, looks like she's having breakfast too. "How much is it?"

"800 Yen."

I hand over the amount and grab Asia by the hand, leading her out.

"W-wait, I haven't paid yet!"

"Don't worry about it, I paid."

"Eh?" Asia blinks in confusion. "But why?"

"You're a foreigner, yeah? Well, seeing you struggle, I thought I could help," I explain. "It's not much to be honest, so don't worry about paying back."

15 Reputation with Asia Argento [15/100]

Fifteen from that? Is she really that easy?

"That's very kind of you," Asia smiles warmly. "Thank you so much, but it's not right to not pay back a debt. Please let me."

"It's nothing," I wave it off, stopping her before she rummages through her bag. "Actually, you look lost. Are you new here?"

"Huh?" She blinks at my question. "W-well, yes. I've only been here for a little over a day."

"Funny, I'm new as well," I say. "I'm from Kansai but had to move due to school. Say, how about we explore the place together?"

"Eh? I-I mean, are you sure?"

"You need someone to translate for you, and I don't like walking alone," I insist. "C'mon, it'll be fun, I promise."

With my perk working as intended, Asia relents quite easily. Helping her earlier has given her a positive impression, and seeing how naive and easy she is, she immediately trusts me.

"That sounds nice," Asia smiles. "Thank you so much, Ms…?"

"Akane Amamiya."

"I'm Asia Argento. Pleasure to meet you."

Well, I guess skipping one day wouldn't hurt. I'll just say I felt ill or something, and Sona won't be able to question me about it. The Yakuza probably know that I'm skipping, but I'm not sure if they know anything about Asia.

She's here, confirming that the Fallen are probably here too, so why haven't they taken care of them yet? There must be a reason, but I'm not about to try to find out. I'm confident I can take on at least one Fallen, but not the entire squad.

Ichi is physically more powerful than me, so I could try to get his help in 'exploring' the abandoned church. We'll see, still not sure if I even should get in a fight with them. The only thing tempting me is the levels I'll be getting from them.

I'm so close to 100.

(Asia)

After what happened to her back in the Church, Asia practically lost her only home. She had nowhere to go after being kicked out, but she never lost hope. She knew God will light up her way as long as she believes.

And it turns out, she was right. Not long after her banishment, she was approached by certain individuals. She knew about the Supernatural but never thought she'd ever meet an Angel in her life. Well, a Fallen Angel, but an angel nonetheless.

She had been given a place to live in Italy for a while, a few weeks, before having to travel to Japan. According to the Fallen, the rest of his friends are there, and he wanted Asia to help them out as Kuoh is the turf of a very dangerous organization.

Asia didn't exactly know what their goals were, but she had to help. It's bad to not pay back your debts. They had saved her once after all. Clearly, they're doing good things, right? Why would they risk their lives by coming here otherwise?

Her belief was admittedly shaken a bit when she met Freed. He was just… off, from the way he talks and acts. She expected a respectable and honorable exorcist, not someone who keeps hurling insults at everything he sees.

It wasn't difficult for her to notice how his eyes would wander constantly. The way he gazes at her made her feel incredibly uncomfortable. She kept her mouth shut of course, but she definitely started to avoid him immediately.

Thankfully, even the Fallen Angels were annoyed with his behavior and disrespect, and Raynare made sure to keep him in check. She still intimidated Asia of course, but she can tell that she's not that bad.

...Maybe it's the weird and skimpy outfit that the blond isn't used to.

After that particular incident and Raynare's permission to leave the abandoned church just for a little while, Asia had gotten the fresh air she needed to calm down. She pushed it to the back of her mind and explored the town a little bit, enjoying her time alone.

It wasn't exactly a secret that Asia wanted to travel the world, or at least a bit of it, and seeing that her 'mission' is in Japan certainly motivated her a little. The sights already amazed her, and Kuoh wasn't even a tourist's town.

Of course, the language barrier was hard to get through seeing how different Japanese and Italian were, and even knowing English didn't help much. She struggled with the basics, only knowing the essential words like 'station' 'convenience store' and 'church' in case she gets lost.

Thankfully, the pretty girl with black hair named Akane helped her out. It wasn't every day you see someone willingly go so far to help, and it's certainly rare to see a Japanese person speak English so perfectly.

This wasn't it, though, because Asia had the most fun in her life. There were places she wanted to visit, sure, but the blond was too preoccupied with the thought that she finally has a friend that she let Akane drag her through the town.

And she's grateful for it. In Italy, she was basically confined in the church she grew up in, and while she didn't mind it much, she longed for the time she's able to explore the city and have fun, which is what she's doing right now, with a friend no less.

From simple stuff like getting ice cream to more taxing activities like singing in Karaoke, the two spent hours leaving no stone unturned. Asia never thought that someone's voice could sound so good, but this day was constantly blowing her way.

Not once did she feel out of place like the rest of her time here. She didn't know if it was having a friend that made her feel like this, or that it was because said friend was able to easily communicate with her.

In all honesty, it felt like a dream. A chance encounter like this leading up to the best day of her life? Is this God's way of rewarding her by giving her a wonderful friend? She knew her faith wasn't misplaced!

"Where did you learn how to speak English so well, Akane-san?" Asia asked.

"I told you, drop the 'san' thing, it's weird to hear in English," She said, "Well, mostly cuz I got into western culture when I was younger. Keep hearing English being spoken around you for a long time and you'll eventually pick it up, and I pick up new skills very easily."

"That's amazing. You don't even have an accent," Asia praised, genuinely surprised.

"It's a blessing," Akane winked, though with her hairstyle, it looked like she just blinked. "I can speak a little French too, but I'm not that good at it. Basic sentences and all that."

"Wow. Three languages?" The blond blinked. "I only know two."

"Better than one," She shrugged. "Speaking of, you said you were from Italy? And you're dressed like a nun, too. What's a nun doing here if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, w-well, I was… um…" Asia fidgeted, knowing that while lying is bad, it's necessary. "...p-put here due to some complications."

"Alright, so it's none of my business, got it."

"No, that's not it!" Asia squeaked. "I just don't know how to explain it…"

"It's fine, I shouldn't have asked in the first place," Akane patted her head, making her blush. "Anyway, there's one thing I want to show you."

"Oh?" Asia looked interested. "What is it?"

"Ever been to a batting center?" The black-haired girl asked.

"Can't say that I have."

"It's probably my favorite hobby," Akane said. "C'mon, we're here."

Asia felt a little startled when Akane held her hand, face burning as she was led inside a building. Asia didn't know what this funny feeling was, but quickly ignored it. She's clearly just not used to having friends.

Her hand feels a little cold. Asia thought. It's nice.

With that mental observation vanishing from her mind as soon as it existed, Asia blinked as the sights of this 'batting center' drew her attention. She's familiar with baseball, but to see a place dedicated to it was unusual, and it's not empty either. There were a bunch of people paying and playing, missing or hitting home runs.

So this is a batting center? Does Akane like baseball?

"There's an empty cage there," Akane said.

"O-okay."

Akane paid for two turns for some reason, ignoring Asia's protests of wanting to pay this time, then took a bat from the basket as the blond watched, a little dejected that she couldn't pay for a single thing this whole time.

"Watch and learn."

And watch Asia did, impressed at how perfectly her new friend lines up her swings, how she never missed a single pitch even after choosing the national level. Ten home runs, no misses.

"Wow, you're so good at this," Asia's eyes sparkled in amazement.

"I know," Akane smirked. "Come on, now's your turn."

"Eh?" She blinked.

"Don't you want to try?" She raised a brow. "I mean, you looked so invested I thought you'd like to take a shot."

"B-but I've never done this before."

"We all start somewhere." Akane waved it off. "Here, I'll even put the easiest level for you."

"If… if you say so," Asia timidly took a bat, surprised at how light it was before switching places with her friend.

Asia tightened her grip and waited for the pitcher machine, the first ball going past her easily as she blinked. She refocused quickly and swung as the second ball came flying, but missed again.

Third and fourth, a curveball and a fastball were a miss. Asia narrowed her eyes, determined to at least hit one.

And she did, but the angle of the hit made it a foul. Sixth was a miss, seventh wasn't a foul, but wasn't a home run either. When the eighth, a fastball, soared towards her, Asia managed to position herself just right and hit the ball, getting her first home run.

She was too happy that she hit her first and promptly forgot to hit the last two, making Akane giggle at her from the back. Asia felt a little embarrassed, but she'll admit that it felt good. This was her first time playing any sort of sport after all.

"So how was it?" Akane asked. "Fun, right?"

"It was." Asia nodded as the two left the building. "We don't have these kinds of activities back in Italy, certainly not where I live."

"Oh?"

Asia realized what she said, but couldn't stop herself, nor did she want to. She didn't know her for long, but she trusted Akane. This girl did so much for someone who was a stranger.

"I lived in a church and I wasn't allowed to leave most of the time," Asia said solemnly. "I guess I never experienced what it feels like to simply hang out with someone. I-I'm sorry if I seemed excitable back there."

"Must've been tough." Akane sympathized.

"It wasn't that bad. I love my job and I was treated nicely most of the time." Asia continued. "I just felt trapped sometimes, you know?"

"Well, if that's the case, then how are you here?" Akane raised a brow. "Something must've changed, right?"

This was the part where she was supposed to stop, but Asia couldn't. Her mouth kept moving as she revealed her story to Akane. She had enough restraint to not mention certain parts, though. It wouldn't do good if her new friend knew about devils.

"I did something bad, and I was kicked out." She summarized.

She couldn't even continue before Akane voiced her concern.

"You were kicked out?" Her eyes widened, making Asia flinch. "Just like that?"

"Y-yes-"

"Hold on, if that's the case, how did you get here?" Akane questioned in a worried tone. "Actually, forget that, it's not important. Where do you live right now?"

"T-the… abandoned church…?" Asia answered.

"Are you serious? Not even in an apartment or a motel?"

"I-I don't have enough money…" Asia muttered in shame.

"...This can't continue." Akane suddenly said. "Come with me."

Once again, Akane took her hand, this time a little roughly, and dragged her across the streets. "W-where are we going?"

"Your new home," Akane responded vaguely.

"Huh? W-what do you mean?"

She didn't answer, simply walking her through the town as Asia got comfortable with her cold hand. She didn't know what was happening, but one thing remained in her mind as she nervously looked around.

Maybe I shouldn't have told her.

Too bad Akane was too assertive for Asia to protest.

(Akane)

God, I've never seen someone so naive in my life before. I barely spent a day with Asia and her REP is almost maxed - I didn't even try hard enough. Basic niceness and an upbeat personality were enough to draw her to me like it's nothing.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like those types of people, because trying to manipulate smart or jaded individuals is usually a lot riskier and difficult. With Asia, it was child's play, and knowing her beforehand made it laughably easy.

I know that she latched onto Issei hours after meeting him, and it's Issei. The girl is so love-starved that she'd trust anyone that's moderately polite to her. I don't know what those Fallen idiots are doing letting her on her own like this. They were lucky this isn't a bad neighborhood, otherwise, she'd have gotten trafficked already.

Though, to be fair to them, they can easily track down any kind of regular criminal gang and wipe them out.

But Kuoh belongs to Yakuza, so maybe they are stupid. What makes them think they won't kidnap the girl and turn her over to their headquarters or something? I'm either missing something or the Fallen are that arrogant/dumb.

Something's definitely fishy. Maybe they don't know? That's the only thing I could think of that makes Fallen's actions look sensible.

As for what I'm doing right now, well, luring them. They want Asia, and I basically have her hostage. They won't be able to do much unless they show themselves and try to take her, which then will give me a reason to attack them.

I don't want to be the one starting trouble after all.

I open the door to my home, ignoring Asia's meek protests, and drag her inside before closing it behind us.

"From now on, you're living here," I tell her.

"But-"

"No buts. I can't let my friend live in some dunghill on her own." I cut her off. "There's a bunch of spare rooms upstairs. Choose one."

"I-I can't just barge into your h-home like this!" She argues. "You've already done so much for me- it's not right to-"

"Who's that I hear?!" My mother suddenly calls out from the stairs, making Asia flinch. "My daughter, who left me stuck in that stupid warehouse for an hour before running off and skipping school?!"

"Stop yelling, idiot. We have a guest." I respond casually, switching to Japanese.

"Oh?" Her demeanor changed almost immediately, pout turning into a smile. "Has the loner finally made a friend?"

"Hilarious." I roll my eyes. "I have a bunch of friends. Ichiban for one."

"Yeah but he's in Kamurocho." She waves it off, prompting me to realize I never told her about him. "Anyway, who's this-"

My mother freezes as she sees Asia, grin widening as she rushes like a madwoman, hugging her tightly. Asia was of course startled and confused, flailing her arms around as Mizuki coos.

"Oh my god, she's so cuuuute~!" She squeals. "I love her so much! Where did you find a nun this adorable?"

"You're choking her." I point out in deadpan. "And what is she, a pet? Treat her like a human being please."

Mizuki lets go of her and squishes her cheeks, looking so enamored by the nun. That's kinda weird.

"P-please shtop~" Asia whines, making me frown.

Shit, that was kinda cute.

"By the way, she doesn't speak Japanese if that isn't clear enough," I inform my mother.

"Well, good thing we both know how to speak fluent English." My mother says as she let go of the blond, switching to said language. "So what's your name, love?"

"I-I'm Asia Argento." She introduces herself timidly. "I-it's very nice to meet you, Miss."

"What a lovely name~" My mother praises, making Asia blush deeply. "I'm Mizuki Amamiya, Akane's mother. Did Akane invite you here?"

I love how she seemingly forgot about me skipping school or about the little prank I pulled in the gym-warehouse place. I can't tell if she's pretending to forget or she's that easy. Probably the latter.

"She doesn't have a place here- thought we had enough rooms to spare one at least," I answer before Asia could. "You don't mind if she stuck around for a few days, right?"

"What? Of course not! I'd love to~" My mother responds. "Ahhh I always wanted another daughter, y'know?"

This made Asia's face turn red, trying but failing to stutter a response. The only thing she managed to get out at the end was a quiet 'thank you' and I'll admit, that was great to see. Maybe I inherited the teasing thing from my mom.

"I'm sure Oji-san wouldn't mind giving you one," I comment, which is unfortunately ineffective against her.

"Pff, no." She scoffs. "I love him, but he's more of a brother than anything really."

"Oof, bro-zoned."

"Whatever, come on, Asia-chan." She says, gently taking her hand. "Let's show you your new room~"

"B-but I-"

"Can you stop with the honorifics when speaking English?" I call out as she drags Asia upstairs. "It sounds weird."

"I'll do whatever the hell I want, Akane-tan." She shoots back, making me click my tongue.

Bitch.

Ah, whatever. Best to drop it or she'll do it deliberately to annoy me.

Now that she's busy with pampering Asia, I guess I have a few hours to myself. I should use them wisely.

First thing I did was go to my room and change into something more comfortable, pausing as I saw the tracksuit hanging in the closet.

I never went on that run, have I?

(Ichiban)

What the hell do I do now…? He grimaced. Why did I even say yes?

He froze and said the first thing that came to mind, that's why. He knew he had a bad feeling about this day seeing that Akane skipped. He hung out with Haruka for a little while, but couldn't stay with her for too long as a dozen students swarmed her.

So he was left alone for most of the day, and good god was he bored. Everything was so damned monotonous without Akane - at least she kept him company.

This wasn't all of course. While he was pretty sure he never made any friends other than Haruka in this school, he had to wonder if he had any admirers and why. Have you ever looked at his hair? The shitty afro was supposed to keep people away.

So why in the goddamn fuck did this Yuuma, from another goddamn school, confess her love to him?

Better question: why the FUCK did he agree to be her boyfriend?!

His brain short-circuited, and he was admittedly enamored by her beauty. His lower head got the better of him and made the decision for once, and now he doesn't want to chicken out and break her heart.

And after consideration, she wasn't even that hot to begin with! Akane looks better if he's being honest.

His face turned red as he quickened his pace to his apartment.

...He can't believe he just thought that, but his point still stands. He just didn't understand why she confessed and now he's stuck with a date this Sunday. What the hell is he gonna do now?

Akane oughta know. He thought, fishing out his phone from his pocket. ...Probably.

He quickly called her number, and she responded after a few seconds.

"Hey, Ichi. What's up?" She greeted him.

"Yo, Akane, can we talk?" He asked.

"What about?"

"I…" He paused, looking around him before continuing. "Meet me at the park near the train station. I'll tell you there."

"Got it."

"Thanks."

He ended the call and made a detour. Ichiban sighed deeply.

She's gonna tease him about it, isn't she?

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