“I don’t know how anyone else feels, but for me, this kind of life is exactly what I’ve always craved.” Yuuta calmly taking a bite of his food.
“Ufufu…
I figured you would say that, Yuuta-kun.” Nonoa propped her chin on her hand, gazing at him with an alluring yet unreadable sparkle in her eyes.
Given how sharp she was at judging the character of others, Nonoa wasn’t at all surprised to see Yuuta welcoming this “death game” with pure excitement rather than the fear shown by the other Ascendants.
“So, what is your actual goal in approaching me?” Yuuta asked without taking his eyes off his meal.
“Don’t tell me you just happened to want to have lunch with me.” “How cruel~ I just wanted to reminisce a bit about the times when our relationship was still hot.
You remember, don’t you, how passionately we spent our time?” Nonoa answered in a forced, pampered tone.
Yuuta set his spoon down and looked at her helplessly.
“Stop the nonsense, Nonoa.
Tell me the truth or I’m leaving right now.” Nonoa let out a short sigh, though her smile didn’t fade.
“Fine, you win.
I need your help with my studies.
Even though my grades aren’t bad, studying science in the year 2058 is truly beyond reason.
It’s insane!
But I know your brain capacity, Yuuta-kun.
It’s only a matter of time before you catch up and master it.” Nonoa then leaned her body in, whispering directly into Yuuta’s ear with a seductive voice.
“As a private tutoring fee…
I don’t mind letting you do the things we used to do back when we were a couple.
How about it?
A good offer, right?
♡” THWACK!
Yuuta flicked Nonoa’s forehead with his finger quite hard.
“Ow~ That hurts, Yuuta-kun!” “Don’t talk nonsense.
Look at yourself in the mirror.
Our current physical bodies are only nine years old.
No matter how depraved I was in the past, I’m not touching an underage girl.
I’m not a pedophile.” Yuuta took a breath for a moment before continuing.
“I’ll teach you without needing any weird compensation.
Consider it a courtesy because of our past relationship, and also because I need someone I can cooperate with.” Nonoa was stunned for a moment, then she leaned her head casually against Yuuta’s shoulder.
“Ufufu…
that kind of tsundere attitude really doesn’t suit a man like you, Yuuta-kun.” “I’m not a tsundere.” Yuuta countered quickly.
“Is there such a thing as a tsundere with a love life as wild as mine?
I’m just being realistic.” Nonoa chuckled with amusement, feeling a familiar warmth from Yuuta’s shoulder even though their bodies were now much smaller.
“Yes, yes.
And that’s the part of you I’ve always liked.” “Ahem.
This is a public space.
If you want to flirt, you should do it somewhere else.
Almost everyone in this canteen is watching you.” Yuuta and Nonoa turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice.
Standing near their table was a boy their age with a thin but upright stature.
His black hair was combed neatly, giving off a strong impression of discipline and education.
“Ah, forgive me.
I got a bit carried away by the atmosphere.” Nonoa answered with a sweet smile that looked sincere, though Yuuta knew it was just part of her act.
“I’ll be more mindful of my behavior next time.” The boy gave a slight nod, accepting the apology politely.
“My name is Saegusa Kouichi.
May I join you at this table?
The other tables are starting to fill up.” Kouichi had no intention of dwelling on the matter of their flirting.
In a time of war, children were forced to grow up much faster than their years, including in their understanding of attraction between opposite sexes.
For the locals, seeing the seeds of a romantic relationship at an early age wasn’t particularly taboo as long as it didn’t disturb the peace.
“Go ahead.” Yuuta answered shortly.
“This table belongs to the school.
Anyone can sit here.” “Thank you.” Kouichi said as he set down his food tray and sat directly across from Yuuta.
While beginning to arrange his cutlery, Kouichi glanced at Yuuta with an interested gaze.
“Your answer about resources in class earlier…
it was very short and concise.
I was impressed.
It’s rare for a child our age to see war from such a pragmatic perspective without a bunch of troublesome idealism.
What is your name?” “My name is Yotsuba Yuuta.
Nice to meet you, Saegusa.” Hearing that name, Nonoa, who was beside Yuuta, flinched slightly.
She stared at him with a bewildered look, wondering why the man wasn’t using the Yamabuki surname that was his true identity.
However, she remained silent and observed the situation.
“So you’re a Yotsuba, huh…
No wonder your aura is different.” Kouichi nodded slowly as if all the puzzle pieces in his head had just fallen into place.
He then began to eat his food calmly.
Nonoa, sensing a strange tension or respect in Kouichi’s tone, couldn’t help her curiosity.
“Saegusa-kun, may I call you Kouichi?” The movement of Kouichi’s hand about to take a bite stopped in mid-air.
He looked at Nonoa with a puzzled expression.
In this era, women tended to grow into very conservative personalities compared to previous decades.
Nonoa’s proactive attitude was an anomaly.
However, Kouichi actually found it unique.
“Sure, I don’t mind.” Kouichi answered before returning to his meal.
“Kouichi-kun, you said ‘no wonder’ just now when you heard Yuuta-kun’s name.
You seemed surprised to hear the Yotsuba surname.
Is there actually something special about that family?” Nonoa asked with a very convincing, innocent tone.
Kouichi swallowed his food and then set his spoon down for a moment.
“It isn’t surprising if civilians don’t know much about the Yotsuba.
Information about them is often filtered by the military.” He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping low.
“Magicians from the Yotsuba Clan are famously formidable.
They are the trump cards in counter-terrorism operations and often perform actions that exceed legal boundaries for the government’s interests.
In terms of covert operations, infiltration, and assassination, not a single clan in Japan can match the dark reputation of the Yotsuba Clan.
They are the sharpest and most hidden sword this nation possesses.” Hearing that deep explanation, the sparkle in Nonoa’s eyes changed.
She now gazed at Yuuta as if looking at a piece of priceless treasure.
A man who not only possessed good looks and intelligence but also the backing of the strongest and most dangerous clan.
Kouichi then turned his gaze back to Yuuta.
“Yotsuba-kun.
I hope that when we graduate from military training in the future, we can be placed in the same unit.
I would feel much more at ease on the battlefield if I had a Yotsuba I could trust enough to hand my back to.” Yuuta gave a thin smile, a smile that was hard to interpret yet full of confidence.
“I look forward to it as well, Saegusa.
Having a comrade from the Saegusa Clan would certainly make everything much easier.”