Chapter 116: The Meaning of a Gift
Belldandy and Yuta were heading toward the apartment together. On the way, Belldandy asked Yuta, "Yuta, what kind of person is Aunt Kaoruko?"
"A woman who's really good at causing trouble for others. But I believe you'll get along with her just fine, Belldandy!"
Yuta smiled at Belldandy. In his view, Belldandy was someone capable of disrupting all of Kaoruko's plans.
Belldandy seemed a bit concerned and said, "I can sense what you're thinking, Yuta. You're even happier now than you were earlier. Is it because of Aunt Kaoruko?"
"Huh? You can read minds?" Yuta looked at Belldandy in shock, pulling the motorcycle over to the side of the road.
He began to think about what he might have been pondering earlier. Surely, there hadn't been any inappropriate thoughts today, right?
Belldandy nodded. When talking to Yuta, she never lied or resorted to any form of deceit.
Seeing her nod, Yuta asked cautiously, "Can you guess what I'm thinking about right now?"
The motorcycle needs fuel!
The motorcycle needs fuel!
The motorcycle needs fuel!
...
Yuta kept glancing at Belldandy while repeatedly thinking in his mind, The motorcycle needs fuel, over and over, trying to distract himself.
Belldandy watched him and, after a moment of thought, said, "Yuta's feelings seem a bit complicated right now. I can't see them clearly."
"Can't see them clearly? I thought you could directly know what I'm thinking," Yuta sighed in relief. While he knew Belldandy had no ill intentions, he still didn't like the idea of his thoughts being constantly exposed to her.
Belldandy explained, "Previously, because I had granted your wish and was acting as your executor, I could see your thoughts directly. Now that my role has been dismissed, I can only discern others' emotions through colors. And unless I actively think about it, I can't see anything."
"Wait... so you've been watching me this whole time?" Yuta asked, looking at Belldandy with an exasperated expression. It felt like his privacy had vanished entirely.
"Yes. This way, I can understand you better. Although it consumes a little magic power, the amount is very small, and I can replenish it through sleep," Belldandy reassured him.
Yuta hesitated for a moment before speaking in a negotiating tone, "Belldandy, could you not look at my thoughts?"
"Alright, but wouldn't that make it harder to understand you?" Belldandy still felt that observing Yuta was the best way to know his emotions in real time.
Yuta, unwilling to be monitored constantly, patiently explained, "It's precisely because we don't understand each other completely that gradually deepening our understanding is meaningful. I don't like using magic to shortcut this process. And since you can only see colors now, it's better not to use it on me."
He didn't mind if she used it on others; he just didn't want to be the one constantly watched.
Belldandy nodded in agreement. "Can I still use it on others?"
"Feel free," Yuta replied. He couldn't control what she did with others, and it didn't affect him anyway.
Feeling reassured, Yuta became curious about her ability and asked, "Belldandy, you said you can only see people's thoughts through colors now. Can you explain more about that?"
Belldandy explained, "Different thoughts are expressed as different colors. For example, yellow represents happiness, blue represents sadness, pink represents love, gray represents confusion, and red represents anger."
"So what happens if you see a mix of colors?" Yuta asked, feeling that people's thoughts were rarely simple and often a blend of emotions.
"In that case, I focus on the color with the highest proportion," Belldandy replied, acknowledging that she'd encountered such situations before.
Yuta had a good grasp of Belldandy's ability now—it allowed her to sense a person's emotional state at the moment, but not their specific thoughts or detailed intentions.
"Belldandy, if you use your magic, can you create the identity of a transfer student for yourself?"
"I can, but I'd need to do it at the school," Belldandy replied. Her power wasn't overwhelmingly strong or limitless; she could only make small adjustments to reality.
Yuta had no intention of exploiting Belldandy's powers for personal gain. She was a goddess, after all, and even though she was staying by his side on Earth, she likely had rules to follow.
"Alright, we'll take care of that at the school later. For now, let's visit Aunt Kaoruko and explain your situation. She's a bit odd and always finds ways to trouble me. I suspect she's one of those people who constantly skirts the line of punishment by authority."
Yuta started the motorcycle again, moving forward with an almost mischievous smile. He was clearly looking forward to seeing Kaoruko's situation, perhaps a little too eagerly.
Belldandy wasn't reading Yuta's thoughts at the moment, but the joy was written all over his face. Curious about why Yuta seemed so happy at the thought of authority coming into play, Belldandy was about to ask when Yuta spoke up first.
"Belldandy, do you know how to use a phone?" Yuta asked, suddenly remembering there was a phone shop nearby and steering the motorcycle toward it. He wasn't in a rush to find Kaoruko anymore.
"Yes, I'm familiar with electronics," Belldandy replied with a smile. She had a sister who loved building machines, so she was quite knowledgeable about such devices.
"Alright. Then I'll get you a phone too. It'll make it easier for us to stay in touch."
Belldandy didn't really need a phone—there was a magical link between her and Yuta that ensured communication. However, realizing it was Yuta wanting to give her something, she beamed and asked, "Is this a gift for me?"
"Uh… I guess you could say that," Yuta replied, though he felt it wasn't entirely the same.
"'Guess?' Isn't it a gift?" Belldandy asked, tilting her head in confusion.
Yuta paused to organize his thoughts before explaining, "When you know in advance that it's a gift, it kind of ruins the surprise and excitement. Plus, something as simple as a phone doesn't really capture the feeling of giving a heartfelt gift. Though, seeing you smile like this makes me happy too, but I still feel like this doesn't quite count."
Belldandy seemed to understand and asked expectantly, "Will you give me gifts in the future?"
Yuta nodded firmly. "I will! And next time, it'll definitely be a gift I think is truly worth giving!"
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