Feeling the tension in the air, Tasu decided to break the awkwardness and introduce the two to each other.
"Let me introduce you!" he said with a smile, standing up from the couch.
"This is Akusa Takaru, my best friend and probably one of the most reliable people I know."
Well, thanks for such a title!
"And this is Kifuru Rielya," he added, clearly enjoying the attention he was receiving from both of us.
"Nice to meet you," Kifuru said shyly, blushing slightly and lowering her gaze.
She seemed a bit stiff in this new situation for her.
"Nice to meet you..." I replied.
"Hey... Akusa..." Tasu looked at me with a mischievous gaze.
"What are you up to now?"
"You've got a kiss mark on your cheek!"
Akusa instinctively touched his cheek and indeed felt something sticky.
He walked slowly to the sink to wash it off.
"I see things went according to plan?" Tasu teased, continuing to poke fun.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, you have a girlfriend now, don't you?" Tasu said with a grin.
Akusa froze for a moment before sighing quietly. He knew arguing with Tasu was pointless but still couldn't hide a hint of irritation.
"..."
"Alright, alright. Tell me what happened!"
"You first."
"Hmm... Well, I was on another guild mission," he began, recalling recent events.
"On my way back home, as it started to get dark, I met Kifuru. She looked exhausted and worn out, and her clothes were all tattered.
"It was obvious she needed help, and I decided I couldn't leave her alone."
Tasu glanced at Kifuru warmly, and she nodded slightly, confirming his words.
"It turned out she was exiled from a neighboring kingdom," Tasu continued.
"For failing to complete a guild mission."
"Her parents disappeared a couple of years ago, and since then, she's been training hard. Unfortunately, she lost a bet and had to leave the kingdom."
Akusa listened intently, nodding occasionally. He hadn't expected Kifuru's story to be so heavy.
Now that he knew her circumstances, she evoked not only sympathy but also respect for her resilience.
She must have had it tough... Akusa thought after hearing Tasu's story.
"I see, I think I got it," I said thoughtfully, trying to piece everything together.
On the surface, she didn't seem like a powerful mage. Her tattered school skirt and white blouse with black accents looked modest. However, her light-yellow eyes, long hair of the same shade, and attractive figure hinted at something extraordinary.
"Tasu, why didn't you buy Kifuru some clothes?" I suddenly asked, turning to him.
"Oh..." Tasu mumbled, slightly embarrassed, clearly having forgotten about it.
"As always," I sighed, already used to his absent-mindedness.
"Go to the store with Kifuru and buy her something appropriate before it gets dark."
"Would you mind if I stayed here?" Kifuru asked timidly, nervously fiddling with her fingers.
"I don't think anyone would object," I replied confidently.
"Thank you so much!" she said with genuine gratitude in her voice.
"Alright, go to the store, and then I'll tell you how everything went," I said, letting them leave.
When Tasu and Kifuru left, I picked up the book Kimi had given me. It was red with the title "Kishizu," probably the one Tadoki-sama himself had studied. Over two hundred pages, all filled with various spells. I flipped through a few pages but soon decided to start preparing dinner.
Half an hour later...
"It smells so good! I guess Akusa is cooking!" exclaimed Tasu as he entered the house, burdened with shopping bags.
"You bought so much..." I said in surprise, looking at the pile of clothes they brought in.
"T-these are just the essentials!" Kifuru explained with a slight blush and a smile.
Girls seem to need much more clothing than we do... A lot more.
"Hey, Akusa, what's for dinner tonight?" Tasu asked, peeking at the table.
"Nothing for you. You eat too much already!" I joked with a smirk.
"What?... Why?!" Tasu looked at me in confusion, not understanding if I was serious.
Kifuru chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Alright, Tasu, show Kifuru her room, then come down for dinner," I suggested, returning to my tasks.
"Got it!" Tasu agreed, heading upstairs with Kifuru.
Tasu and Kifuru went up to the second floor and stopped in front of Kifuru's room.
"Here's your room, and across the hall is the bathroom," Tasu said, opening the door.
"Thank you," Kifuru said politely, bowing slightly.
"Y-yeah..." Tasu replied awkwardly, clearly flustered by her bow.
"Alright, let's go eat!" he added, and they headed back downstairs.
I set the table, trying to make everything as neat as possible.
"Whoa... That looks delicious!" Tasu exclaimed, seeing dinner: fried fish, rice, vegetables, grilled meat, and several sauces. Akusa has always been an amazing cook. His food is always incredible, and this time was no exception!
"It looks delicious!" Kifuru remarked, sitting at the table.
"It's simple, but I think it tastes good," I said, serving the portions.
We ate, and during dinner, I told them what had happened to me and what I had learned.
"Flame that incinerates the body itself?" Tasu repeated, looking thoughtful in surprise.
"Yes," I confirmed.
"I see... But how did you survive?"
"At the moment I was being incinerated by that flame, part of my memory returned," I explained.
"I remembered how to enhance my abilities and how I can copy those of others."
"However, even I don't know exactly how the regeneration happened..."
"Now I understand... Wait... What?!" Tasu stared at me in complete confusion.
"F-fine, let's skip that part..."
"But to put it simply... You heroically saved Kimi and became her boyfriend?" Tasu teased with a grin.
"No, of course not! Why do you always turn everything into a love story?" I sighed, unable to believe my ears.
"So, when are you inviting Kimi over?" Tasu asked with a sly smile.
"I... I don't know..." I answered shyly, trying to dodge the topic.
"Tell me, you're taken already, right?" I countered with a question of my own.
"What do you mean?" Tasu looked at me, puzzled.
"Well, isn't Kifuru your girlfriend?" I asked with a slight hint.
Kifuru blushed, lowering her gaze.
"No, no..." she quickly replied, turning even redder.
"See? As you can tell," I said.
"Got it," Tasu gave up, slightly disappointed.
We chatted a little more before going to bed—tomorrow was a school day.
"The next day..."
"Hey, Tasu!" I called to him as he was still sleeping. "Get up, or you'll be late for school!"
"Just a few more minutes..." he mumbled sleepily, turning over.
"Then you're going to school on your own," I threatened, gathering my things.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up," he reluctantly agreed, finally getting out of bed.
We got ready and left the house. Kifuru decided to stay with us for now and go to school together. I didn't mind.
"Hey, Akusa, which class are we in?" Tasu asked, catching up to me on our way to school.
"Yesterday Rin sent a letter—we're in Class A."
"So that's the top class among the first-years?" he clarified.
"Yes, it's the strongest class for first-years."
"And what about Kifuru's class?" Tasu asked thoughtfully.
"I think she'll take a few tests today to determine her strength, and then they'll assign her to the appropriate class."
We were almost at the college when Tasu suddenly noticed someone ahead.
"Hey, Akusa, look!"
"What is it?" I asked, turning around.
"Over there, your sweetheart!" he said with a mischievous grin.
"You again? Are you trying to get on my nerves?" I growled, feeling irritation bubble up.
"No, no," Tasu raised his hands, showing he was joking.
"Hello." A familiar voice greeted us unexpectedly.
"Hi..." I replied, trying not to show my embarrassment.
"Hey," Tasu added.
"Hello," Kifuru greeted quietly, a bit nervous.
"Let me introduce you!" Tasu suggested, taking the initiative again.
"This is Kimi Kishimiya, our friend, classmate, and the ruler of these lands. And this is Kifuru Rielya—she's been living with us recently."
"Nice to meet you!" Kifuru said politely, bowing slightly.
"Nice to meet you, too!" Kimi said with a smile.
"Wait... Living with you?" Kimi asked in surprise, feeling a twinge of jealousy.
Here we go... I thought, anticipating her reaction.
"Don't worry, Akusa's still yours and will stay that way," Tasu joked, waving his hand dismissively.
At that moment, I couldn't take it anymore and punched him in the shoulder, sending him flying a few meters.
"Tasu!" Kifuru cried out in alarm, rushing to him.
"Don't worry, he's fine," I said calmly, knowing Tasu would recover quickly.
"Why?! What was that for?!" he yelled indignantly, getting to his feet.
"You talk too much," I replied, starting to calm down.
"Alright..." Tasu grumbled, realizing his mistake.
"Still mine... Will stay mine..." Kimi muttered, blushing and flustered.
"Anyway, we should head to college. Our classroom is on the second floor, I think," I reminded them, breaking the awkward silence.
"You guys go ahead, I'll escort Kifuru to the principal," Tasu offered.
"Alright, we'll see you in class," I agreed, heading toward the school building with Kimi.
We went to our class, leaving Tasu and Kifuru behind.