Chapter 377: I Want to Maintain My Connection to You
Translator: imperfectluck Editor: vb24
The first formal meeting in this internet café room between the famous former trash and the nameless otaku girl, Seiji Haruta and Kanna Fujihara, would eventually become a meeting that would become a legend which marked the beginning of a new era… Just kidding.
Seiji sat down by the kotatsu .
Izawa poured some tea for him, as well as refilling Kanna and Natsuya's tea before finally pouring tea for himself and sitting down.
"Haruta-kun, could I take a look at your victory loot?" Kanna made a request.
Seiji handed the paper sack he was carrying to her.
Kanna excitedly began rifling through his purchases.
Seiji exchanged glances with Natsuya.
"How was it, exploring the doujinshi convention?" Asked Seiji.
"Not bad," Natsuya replied. "It seemed interesting, but… it was a bit too lively."
"You can just directly say that you thought there were too many people," Seiji chuckled. "Did you buy anything?"
"Yes, I purchased some doujinshis of anime and manga that I've seen before, as well as…" Natsuya averted her gaze as her face flushed slightly red. "…Some doujinshi that Fujihara-san strongly recommended to me."
'For such a fujoshi like Fujihara-san to strongly recommend anything, that could only be one category of doujinshi.' Seiji's cheeks twitched.
He could already clearly imagine the scene of Kanna Fujihara endlessly recommending boys' love books to the student council president.
Something else to mention was that Seiji had been intentionally ignoring the fact that the large majority of the books on the table had handsome boys on the cover, including quite a few that were half-naked or even hugging together. Some were even marked with obvious R-18 tags!
'You even purchased adult doujinshis, Fujihara-san, you're…'
"Why don't you have any adult books, Haruta-kun?" Kanna wondered after she finished looking through what Seiji bought.
"Because I'm not an adult yet."
"Those insignificant trifles aren't an obstacle at all, please tell the truth!"
"Wah… because there were four girls together with me, so I was unable to buy any adult books." Seiji forced himself to tell the truth.
Indeed, he had wanted to purchase adult doujinshi as well. However, since he was together with four girls, with two younger sisters also watching him through his stream, it was too difficult for him to do so!
"I see, I understand now, but I'm disappointed as well," Kanna sighed. "It's just the matter of being together with some girls, which caused you to lose the courage to buy adult doujinshi. This means that you're still not passionate enough about adult doujinshi!"
"Fujihara-san…"
"You should be more truthful to your inner heart! No matter if you're together with some girls, or even with your relatives, or even if the girl that you love is watching you, you should always proudly show off your own likes and habits! Abandon what the commoners view as embarrassment, only that will help you to become a truly strong warrior!!" Kanna told him all this in a spirited tone of voice.
"Fujihara-san… no, Master Fujihara, I've learned so much!" Seiji lowered his head in appreciation.
"Don't call me 'Master,' I'm just an ordinary girl who's progressing along on a 'warrior's' path." Kanna flipped her hair and made a cool pose.
Natsuya and Izawa were both rendered speechless by this exchange.
"Is your lady master often like this? Izawa-kun."
"No, something so ridiculous is rare for even her… It's probably because she's talking with someone like Harano-kun."
"Yeah… the two of them have a similar scent about them."
"You couldn't be more correct."
The Yoruhana family daughter and the Fujihara family Spirit-branded Retainer reached an agreement as they sipped tea together.
"Fujihara-san, I have a subtle feeling as if I'm being looked down upon."
"Haruta-kun, I feel the same way as well."
"Why are things like this?"
"Because they aren't true 'warriors,' so they can't understand what it's like to passionately fight in the battlefield, or about we who must constantly fight on." Kanna pretended to be heartbroken.
"This is… such a sad reality we live in."
Seiji also made an almost identical expression, making himself seem like he was a hero who was experiencing utter sadness.
"That's enough out of you!" Natsuya couldn't help but retort. "Could you stop acting so strangely?"
"Whew… we were finally retorted at."
"Yeah… I couldn't keep up the act anymore."
Seiji and Kanna instantly retracted their sad expression.
"Haruta-kun, that was just 68 points, wasn't it?"
"I think so as well. Our cooperation needs improving, as it still felt awkward in some parts. What do you think, Natsuya?"
"Don't count me among your comedy act."
"Ryuuno, you're only 34 points, you fail."
"What are these points about? I don't understand."
"Teehee~ 20 points deducted! Now you only have 14 points."
The four of them began chatting with Seiji and Kanna's clowning around helping to break the ice.
They chatted about non-adult doujinshi, anime and manga, ate lunch together, chatted about games, and then began to game together, as well as try the VR system… They had lots of fun.
"Haruta-kun, you're going to the doujinshi convention again tomorrow, right?" Kanna asked.
"Yep."
"Would you like to go together with us tomorrow then?" She invited him once again.
"You have time to go again tomorrow, Fujihara-san? You have so much free time."
"None of your business! Besides, aren't you the same?"
"I have a different identity from you, as I'm not the daughter of an illustrious family." Seiji chuckled as he mulled it over. "Thanks for your heartfelt invitation. It is my honor to accept." This time, he decided to agree to go with her.
Kanna smiled as she looked at him.
And so, the two of them agreed upon a time and place to meet up tomorrow.
Natsuya silently observed all this, having said already that she wouldn't come tomorrow, since she wasn't free.
Afterwards, the four of them parted ways.
Kanna and Izawa took a car together and left, while Seiji also took Natsuya's car.
"Fujihara-san is such a lively girl," Seiji said once inside the car.
"Yeah, you could even say that she's a bit too lively."
"Heh, was it a bit difficult to tour the doujinshi convention together with her?"
"What do you think?"
The two of them exchanged glances as both smiled.
"Although it was a bit tiring, it was fun as well," Natsuya smiled.
"I think it was a good thing that we got to know her at the Winter Snow Festival."
"Yeah…"
A moment of silence fell between them.
"How is the investigation into the Uehara family coming along?" Seiji inquired.
"The report's not ready yet, it's expected to take two more days… or perhaps just one more day is enough for some news."
"I see." Seiji paused for a moment. "One more thing, about the temporary Spirit-branded Retainer contract between us…"
"You'd like to cancel it?" Natsuya looked towards him.
"I think it's time to cancel it. Lengthening this contract will only be a burden on your Spiritual Power, won't it?"
"Indeed, but I don't want to cancel it."
"Why's that?"
Natsuya took a good look at Seiji's face.
"Because I want to maintain my connection to you," she said in a gentle tone.
Seiji was rendered speechless.
Hearing something so flirtatious, he felt an itch in his heart and couldn't help but avert his gaze.
Natsuya's mouth began to arc upwards seductively after seeing his embarrassment.
"Hey, Seiji, are you willing?"
"Eh?"
"To maintain this contract… to be my Spirit-branded Retainer, and taken advantage of by me."
As she said this, she intentionally got extremely close to Seiji's ear.
Her gentle words, the warm breath on his ears, and faint fragrant scent… Seiji felt like the inside of his ear was heating up.
"I…"