In a fit of frustration, she slammed her hand on the table, pretending to be angry.
"Anyway, this isn't a date! It's a celebration for your top score, got it?"
"Got it," Rei Ao replied, playing along. He decided not to tease her too muchhe didn't want to push her too far and risk her doing something truly outrageous.
"By the way, Sensei, would you like some wine?" he asked.
His question left Shizuka Hiratsuka stunned. She had a weakness for alcohol and cigarettes, something she couldn't quit. Her family had even tried to set her up with potential matches before, but the moment they heard about her habits, not to mention her proficiency in Taekwondo, they quickly made their exits.
Shizuka's emotions were complicated. She suspected that her long-standing single status wasn't just due to her personality, but also her habits. Her thoughts drifted, but outwardly she kept a wary eye on Rei Ao.
"Be honest, you're not planning to get me drunk and take advantage of me, are you?" she asked, half-joking.
Rei Ao smirked, "Do you really think I'm that low, Sensei?"
"Didn't I teach you? You can never fully trust someoneyou only see their face, not their heart, remember?"
""
Rei Ao sighed, exasperated. "Sure, let's say you're right."
"So, do you want some or not?"
"Yes!"
Her answer came without hesitation.
*Gulp, gulp!*
*Sigh*
She downed an entire bottle in one go. The sight of her, in a youthful outfit yet chugging alcohol like that, was a stark contrast. It created a strange dissonance, but Shizuka was more at ease now. This was the real her. No matter how nicely she dressed, that wouldn't change.
She'd thought that showing this side of herself might scare Rei Ao off. But to her surprise, he didn't flinch or show any sign of disgust the entire time.
As she looked at him curiously, Rei Ao asked, "Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
"...No."
Shizuka shook her head.
"I'm just wondering if you're pretending to stay calm."
Rei Ao chuckled. "That's an imaginative way to put it."
"But no, I'm not that bored."
"Heh, I don't believe you."
Shizuka still seemed doubtful.
"You should know I'm older, I love drinking and smoking, and I've got a notorious temper. Plus, I practice martial arts. Any man would avoid me, but you're really not bothered?"
Rei Ao got it now...
"So, you're wondering what exactly I see in you?"
It was true that her habits and personality weren't easy to deal with, especially for someone looking for a stable relationship. Her love for smoking and drinking wasn't just a nuisance but also a health risk that would inevitably cause problems in the future.
But Rei Ao wasn't like other people. He had ways to transform others, making them extraordinary. Besides, he wasn't here for a conventional life.
With a sly grin, Rei Ao stood up and moved to sit next to her on the couch.
"What are you doing?" Shizuka tensed, unsure of his intentions as he came closer.
Rei Ao picked up a bottle of beer and lightly blew on it. A fine layer of frost instantly coated the bottle.
At first, Shizuka didn't notice. But when Rei Ao handed it to her, she instinctively took it and immediately realized something was off.
"It's freezing cold!"
She stared at the bottle in disbelief. It had been at room temperature just moments agohow had it suddenly frosted over?
Rei Ao raised his hand with a playful smile. "Want to know how the drink got so cold? Hold my hand."
"Is this a magic trick?"
Thinking it was a simple illusion, Shizuka reached out and held his hand.
The next second...
"Ahh! So cold!"
An intense chill shot through her, making her gasp.
"Your hand How is it this cold?!"
Rei Ao retracted his power but kept his hold on her hand.
"Sensei, you can think of me as someone with supernatural abilities," he explained casually.
Shizuka's mind reeled. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
But then Rei Ao stretched out his other hand, palm up, under the table in front of them. Slowly, ice began to materialize and take shape, forming an intricate ice sculpturean exact replica of Shizuka herself, complete with the outfit she was wearing.
"!!!"
Shizuka was speechless.
He wasn't lying.
At the same time, nearby, Haruno Yukinoshita was left in shock.
She had followed them into the restaurant and chosen a discreet spot to spy on them. Watching her former teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, interact with a younger man was quite the spectacle.
Initially, nothing too exciting had happened, and Haruno had sighed at how restrained Shizuka was being.
But things changed when Rei Ao sat next to her and took her hand.
Haruno frowned, thinking, "Is he trying to get her drunk and take advantage of her?"
She had seen such tricks many times in business dealings. If she hadn't been cautious in those situations, she might have fallen into a similar trap herself. But Shizuka had only had one bottle of beerthere was no way she'd be drunk already. Haruno knew her tolerance well.
Then she saw Rei Ao reach under the table toward Shizuka's lap. From her angle, she couldn't quite see what was happening but assumed the worst when she saw Shizuka's shifting expressions.
"This isn't right!" Haruno thought.
Her mind jumped to the conclusion that Shizuka must have been drugged.
She immediately stood up and hurried over to confront them.
"Take your hands off her!"
Haruno realized too late that her choice of words implied more than she intended, but it was too late to take it back. She reached out to pull Rei Ao's hand away, only to find herself holding
A small ice sculpture of Shizuka.
"What is this?" Haruno stared in confusion, her mind struggling to comprehend what she was seeing.
~~~
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Chapter 72: Shizuka's restlessness, and Trade Request!
"Haruno? What are you doing here?" Shizuka Hiratsuka's surprised voice broke the tension.
Haruno... Rei Ao raised an eyebrow. No wonder this sudden visitor seemed familiarit was Haruno, Haruno Yukinoshita, Yukino's older sister. Aside from the obvious differences in their figures, they did resemble each other quite a bit.
"That's not important right now," Haruno's eyes narrowed as she fixated on Rei Ao. "Did you drug Shizuka's drink? I hope you're not planning anything foolish. Whether it's Shizuka's connections or the Yukinoshita family, you wouldn't want to mess with them."
There was a hint of threat in her tone. Hiratsuka quickly realized what Haruno had misunderstood.
"Wait!" she stood up hurriedly, placing a hand on Haruno's shoulder to calm her down. "You've got it all wrong, Haruno. I wasn't drugged."
"Not drugged?" Haruno sounded skeptical but softened her tone. "Then what was this guy's hand doing near your legs just now?"
"Uh..." Hiratsuka thought back and realized how easily Rei Ao's actions could have been misinterpreted by an outsider. Her ears reddened as she pointed to the ice sculpture in Rei Ao's hand. "He was just showing me a magic trickthis."
Rei Ao shrugged. "That's one way to put it."
"..." Haruno quickly caught on. Hiratsuka was sober and in full control of her faculties, which meant her assumption had been wrong. Her expression instantly shifted to an apologetic smile.
"My bad. I misunderstood the situation, Rei Ao," Haruno said smoothly. "I'll make it up by drinking as punishment." She poured herself a drink and downed it in one go, her face completely composed as she set the glass down. "Oh, and I'll cover your tab today."
She was quick to apologize, and just as quick to handle the aftermath.
"I get that you're looking out for Shizuka as a friend," Rei Ao said, "but next time, it might be best to confirm the situation before jumping in."
"Also, I'm openly pursuing ShizukaI wouldn't use any underhanded methods."
"Ugh! Don't just say things like that!" Hiratsuka's face flushed red with embarrassment as Rei Ao's blunt words echoed in her mind. She grabbed his hand and twisted it playfully in response. If Rei Ao were an ordinary person, he probably would've yelped in pain by now.
"Haha, Rei Ao, you're refreshingly straightforward," Haruno commented with amusement. His candidness left quite the impression on her.
Sensing that her presence might now be unnecessary, Haruno rose to her feet. "I won't intrude on you two any longer. Shizuka, just send me the bill later."
With that, she made a swift exit, not wanting to linger as a third wheel.
"Haruno Yukinoshita..." Rei Ao's eyes followed her retreating figure, deep in thought. The Yukinoshita family really was full of stunning women.
"Admiring the view?" Hiratsuka teased, narrowing her eyes at him.
"She's definitely attractive," Rei Ao admitted without hesitation. But then he turned to Hiratsuka, meeting her playful yet slightly annoyed gaze. "Still, you and Haruno have completely different types of charm."
"Oh, really?" Hiratsuka replied with a cold smile. "And what's that supposed to mean? 'Older women' charm?"
She had noticed how Rei Ao's eyes lingered on Haruno just moments ago. She had thought Rei Ao was straightforward, but it seemed he was just as much of a "little pervert" as the next guy.
Rei Ao sighed. "It seems like you've already forgotten what we were discussing earlier, Sensei." He gently squeezed her hand, which he was still holding, sending a familiar chill through her skin.
In an instant, Hiratsuka snapped back to the earlier conversationthe display of supernatural power, the ice sculpture that had materialized right in front of her.
She stared at the small, intricately detailed ice replica of herself still sitting on the table, remembering how Rei Ao had created it out of thin air. It was impossible to deny what she had witnessed.
"How... How did you do that?"
"Supernatural powers," Rei Ao responded calmly.
"..."
This time, Shizuka Hiratsuka didn't treat it as a joke. She thought more carefully about what she had just seenit clearly wasn't something that could be explained as a magic trick.
To give her a more direct experience, Rei Ao pointed at the ice sculpture on the table.
Crack!
There was a small noise, and then the ice sculpturean exact replica of Shizuka Hiratsukastarted to move. At first, it moved stiffly, as if adjusting its joints. But soon, it began to pose dramatically, even spreading its legs provocatively on the table.
"Stop!!!" Shizuka quickly grabbed the ice sculpture, halting its movements. Seeing an ice version of herself acting like that in front of Rei Ao was more than she could handle.
"Do you believe me now?"
"Yes, yes, I believe you!" Shizuka nodded repeatedly.
Seeing her reaction, Rei Ao dispersed the ice sculpture, causing it to vanish into thin air.
"Gone?" Shizuka touched the dry surface of the table and the cold sensation lingering on her fingers. This... was magic! She was now fully convinced that Rei Ao possessed supernatural abilities. But the realization hit her hardso much so that she drank several more bottles of alcohol to calm her nerves before slumping back onto the sofa in a daze.
Supernatural abilities... It was enough to shake her entire worldview.
She stared at Rei Ao, asking, "Are there many people like you?"
"Not many," Rei Ao responded calmly. "But this world isn't simple. Angels and demons might exist, too."
He didn't say it directly, but Shizuka sensed something hidden in his words. Angels and demons... it was almost too much to fathom.
She watched as Rei Ao's expression shifted into a faint smile, and he leaned closer, whispering in her ear with a devilish tone, "If you're willing to be one of my girlfriends, I can show you a whole new world."
"!!!"
The warm breath on her ear made Shizuka's heart race, especially since no man had ever gotten this close to her before. But then she caught onto something important.
"One of your girlfriends?"
She looked at him suspiciously. "What does that mean?"
Rei Ao shrugged and spoke honestly, "I won't lie. I plan to have more than one girlfriend."
"Ha?!"
After hearing Rei Ao's blunt confession, Shizuka's mind was spinning. She had almost been swayed by his straightforward pursuit, but his final revelation completely threw her off balance. This guy was clearly just a playboy after her body!
Normally, if someone tried this with her, they'd receive a punch to the face. But Rei Ao didn't follow normal ruleshe was so blunt it was almost disarming. Even she didn't know if she should punch him or not.
In the end, she excused herself to the bathroom to gather her thoughts. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Shizuka smiled wryly. "This is the first time someone's been so brazen about just wanting my body."
After splashing some water on her face and drying her hands, she left the bathroom with the intention of firmly rejecting Rei Ao. But she wasn't paying attention and accidentally bumped into a gaudily dressed woman.
It was just a light bump, but the woman, with her heavy makeup and dramatic eyeliner, glared at Shizuka's appearance with displeasure.
"Ow!"
Then, in an exaggerated fashion, the woman dramatically fell to the ground. She was accompanied by a muscular man covered in tattoos and wearing a chunky gold chain, clearly her boyfriend.
"How dare you bump into her!"
The man immediately played the protective boyfriend, raising his voice. Shizuka's expression darkenedthis was clearly a setup, a scam. These people were trying to pull a "bump and scam" on her. Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong person, as she was skilled in Taekwondo.
Before the man could make a violent move, however, he froze, unable to move, as did the overly dramatic woman.
"Hmph, trash like this dares to mess with someone I care about?" Rei Ao appeared, his eyes cold.
Shizuka, surprised, asked, "What happened to them?"
"Don't worry," Rei Ao reassured her. "They won't die. I just taught them a small lesson."
He gently touched Shizuka's hand as he led her around the frozen couple. "Let's go."
Shizuka, still in shock, let herself be guided away. After they were gone, the two scammers returned to normal.
"Huh? Where did they go?" The man and woman were confused, unsure of what had just happened.
But then, as if acting on some strange impulse, both of them reached for their crotches simultaneously. Rei Ao had left them a "gift"one would suffer from impotence for a month, and the other would experience a month of sexual disinterest.
