The burning sensation was akin to some kind of small fire igniting within him. Yet, weirdly enough, it didn't feel painful at all. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
'What is this?'
As the burning grew stronger and stronger, a mysterious energy was born from that fire and it quickly started spreading all over his body. Every fiber of his being rejoiced as that energy spread more and more.
His muscles pulsated with more and more strength, his bones grew more and more powerful and even his internal organs started working more efficiently.
It was a complete and utter shift in his entire body.
A few seconds passed in that state before the burning feeling finally started subsiding, cutting along with it this mysterious energy that flowed into him.
'Was that the effect of my strength increasing?' Arthur blinked in confusion.
Checking his body, he was shocked to realize that it was indeed the case. The boy felt way stronger than before. It didn't even require him to make any physical effort to determine it, his body was pumping with power.
'Hahaha! This is amazing!'
Just seeing this in action further rooted Arthur's belief and shock at how absurd his new powers are.
'This is magic! No, far beyond magic! This is a cheat!'
"Colbert-kun?" Kaede's voice woke Arthur from his trance.
"Ehem, my apologies."
"Don't mind it."
'I need to calm down or she will think I'm an insane creep.' He mused.
Arthur and Kaede continued walking through the dark streets of the city in awkward silence. Neither of them spoke a word the whole time for one reason or another. The main one was possibly the fact that Kaede was holding his hand the whole time.
'I lost the opportunity to pull my hand away!' The two mused with an equally embarrassed face.
In actuality, Kaede didn't even realize that she did such a bold thing until she started calming down. Now, she was stuck in this situation with no way of easily defusing it.
But, for better or worse, their awkward walk ended after 15 minutes or so in front of a luxurious apartment complex in a rich neighborhood close to Arthur's residence. The place was certainly screaming 'Luxury' no matter where Arthur looked.
However, what surprised him was that Kaede lived in an apartment instead of one of the many villas her family-owned.
"You live here?" Arthur asked after hesitating for a moment.
"Hm? Yes, I moved in almost a year ago. I wanted to start relying on myself more." She said.
"Isn't that dangerous for someone as popular as you are?"
"Hahaha, do you see me as a popular person?" Kaede asked with a beautiful chuckle. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous hint.
"I would consider this as a given fact." Arthur retorted with a deadpan expression.
"You're really cute, Colbert-kun." Kaede exploded in laughter.
"What? I'm answering honestly?" Arthur was confused by her reaction.
'Wait! Did she just call me cute?!' Realizing what he just heard, Arthur's face turned red as he looked away.
How long has it been since he got praised by someone? He doesn't remember at all. So, hearing that from a beautiful girl like Kaede was like a critical hit to Arthur.
"Hahaha, I'm sorry for teasing you. I find your reactions really fun to watch." Kaede replied as she tiptoed and patted him on the head.
"... I'm not that easily teased," Arthur murmured in a sulking tone.
"Ok, you aren't easily teased. So don't get angry with me, would you? Let's go in," Kaede said to him before she guided him inside the building and used the elevator to go to the 7th floor of the building.
'Sigh, am I really getting invited into the house of a celebrity? How did I even end up in this situation? Maybe it's some kind of a prank?' Arthur thought to himself anxiously as he eyed Kaede.
The way she treated him was just oddly nice. Even if he did save her, that doesn't mean that she would be comfortable enough to invite him to her house and even tease him as if they were some old friends. They were progressing too fast as far as Arthur was concerned.
'Well, if she's trying to prank me then I will just head home. There is nothing fun out of this.' He shrugged to himself.
Eventually, the elevator opened and the two exited it before they walked to the end of the corridor. There, Kaede stood in front of room 247 and opened it using her key card.
"Welcome to my humble apartment. Please make yourself at home." Kaede said as she allowed Arthur to take a look inside.
The interior of her apartment was as beautiful as Arthur expected if not more. Just a mere look inside gave Arthur a warm sense of familiarity and simplicity.
The color palette is soothing, with soft neutral tones and subtle pops of color. The furniture is stylish and comfortable, creating a welcoming atmosphere. Wooden floors with area rugs added warmth to the whole atmosphere, and decorative artwork adorned the walls. The kitchen was sleek and functional, with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Arthur was certainly impressed by the place as he kept looking around curiously.
"Do you like it?" Kaede asked as she closed the door behind her.
"Yeah, it's beautiful."
'This place makes my apartment look like a dirty swamp.' He thought to himself. It wasn't that this apartment was overly luxurious but the way Kaede mixed between simplicity and aesthetics to make it feel welcoming.
"Thank you. Well, please sit down while I get the first aid kit." Kaede said before disappearing somewhere.
"Sit down… Yeah, I should sit down."
Approaching the red velvet sofa, he sat down timidly and looked around him. He was still feeling overly uncomfortable by simply being here but he at least didn't seem to be falling into some kind of prank.
A few minutes passed before Kaede appeared again with a box in her hand as she approached Arthur.
Setting it down, she pulled out the necessary tools before she set them down next to her and then sat facing Arthur.
"Please get close so I can wipe your face." She said.
"Oh, o-ok."
Pushing his head slightly forward with great hesitance, Arthur naturally closed his eyes. However, Kaede didn't seem to be satisfied.
"Please get closer, geez. I might hurt you if I don't be careful." She said as she gently grabbed him by the cheeks and pulled him in.
"Hey! Isn't… Ehem, isn't this awfully close?" Arthur, opening his eyes, realized how close he was close from Kaede's face.
He could feel her calm breath on his face lightly and he could see even more details of her mesmerizing face.
'Does this girl have no sense of danger?! I'm a guy for god's sake.' Arthur was now really tempted to just leave.
No matter how he looked at it, Kaede's behavior toward him was just inexplicable. It was almost as if she had known him for a long time. Yet, as far as he could remember, neither of them had spoken to each other before.
'Ouch…' But, before he could even speak, Kaede had already started disinfecting his injuries which stung his face a little.
"It will burn slightly but please don't move, ok?"
"Oh, ok…"
Silence took over the room as Kaede continued treating Arthur's face with great care. Her beautiful, serene features coupled with her gentle fingers made Arthur subconsciously relax a little.
'This actually feels pretty nice…' He thought to himself.
Eventually, Kaede finished the treatment.
"Done. This should be good enough. Although you must be careful when taking a shower." She said.
"Got it."
"Mhm, good. Again, thank you so much for helping me there. You were… really cool."
"I wouldn't call myself cool. Don't mention it."
'If she knew that I primarily did it for points and stat bonuses, I'm sure she won't have that same idea of me.'
But, for better or worse, the ordeal was over so Arthur stood up.
"Well, thanks for the help. I need to go now." He said as he picked up his bag.
"It's the least I could do to repay you. Again, I really appreciate your help."
"Of course, any time. Now, good ni-"
*GRUMBLE*
As Arthur was about to bid her farewell, his stomach suddenly growled loudly, making the boy freeze in his place. A good few seconds of silence passed as neither of the two spoke.
'Just kill me… Please, just end my misery…' He cried inwardly.