Saturday, November 5th, 807
7:00 AM
I opened my eyes before the alarm went off: it's a miracle.
Today, I'll stick to the plans made with Koto, spending the entire day with him and the others.
I was a bit hesitant because of Dr. Marco, but I don't think there will be any problems, as long as we stay away from his area.
I had completely forgotten that we need permission to leave the Academy. They grant it only once a month, but it accumulates. Apparently, the cellphone can track when we leave and return.
As for me, I used only the October permission; I'm using the November one now. I still have the one from September, which I plan to use on November 29th.
Fortunately, Leya will have one too, so we'll go somewhere together.
...
I turn to my side to look at her... she's still sleeping.
Uh huh, this is the first time I woke up before her...
I reach out and stroke her hair. Showing no signs of reaction, I approach her slowly.
Hehe, her neck is exposed...
...
8:00 AM
At the sound of the alarm, I open my eyes. Being already awake, I turn it off first.
Leya stretches as usual before giving me a glance.
"Ban... are you... already awake?"
"For a couple of minutes. Good morning..."
I smile at her, thinking about future scenarios... Uh... hehe...
"Good morning!" And there it is, that cursed smile.
"Sooner or later, you'll kill me..." I say with a slightly desolate tone.
"You won't die so easily." She retorts immediately, accustomed to my way of speaking.
She rolls towards me and gives me a kiss.
"I might die for this then..."
"No, even that is too little."
Having approached, I can't help but hug her, holding her close to me.
"When do we have to meet the others?"
She planned the day with Koto.
"At 10 sharp... at the nearby bus stop." She replies with a sleepy voice.
"Do you want to sleep a bit more?" I ask, even though she doesn't seem like a sleepyhead, maybe it's my influence.
"I want to stay like this for a few minutes..."
My eye falls on that purple mark...
"Hehe... Eh... Hehehe..."
"Why did you make that weird laugh?"
...
Maybe I ruined the surprise...
Seeing my silence, she starts trembling slightly.
"W-What did you do?" She says alarmed, breaking free from my embrace.
"You were awake before me... No... No... You didn't really do it."
She gets up from the bed and rushes to the mirror in the bathroom.
"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!" I hear her scream.
Then she returns to the room, showing me her look full of embarrassment, anger, and astonishment.
"Hehe... Do you like my mark?" I ask proudly.
"Mark? Is this just a mark for you? It's as big as a ravioli!"
For the record, I'm very proud of it.
"A-And then... I think it will last for many days... With the academy uniform, it will show!"
I avert my gaze and look at the wall, saying: "So they'll know you're taken..."
"D-Did you do it for that?!"
Why is she getting so agitated? She did the same to me.
Before I could answer, she forcefully throws herself onto the bed and slowly approaches me.
I retreat and hide under the covers.
It seems like a scene of a lion slowly approaching its prey.
"When I said you would kill me... It was only metaphorical..."
....
9:00 AM
I've been in the bathroom for ten minutes.
That nice girl left me many reminders on my neck.
"Ban, are you done? I need to use it."
"Done? What do you want me to do? Ice didn't help at all!"
"Don't complain! You started it!"
I open the bathroom door and show her the masterpiece.
"Pfft... Not... Bad..."
She's trying unsuccessfully to hold back laughter.
I've found out for several days that I can't handle her with food anymore. So, I thought of using another tactic...
I approach her slowly and, as if possessed by Liam Neeson himself, I whisper something in her ear:
"I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you, Leya. Because before this day ends, I [...] and then I climb [...]. At that point, you won't be able to move, so I [...]. You might [...], but I don't think you'll be able to, because I [...], then [...]. I'll continue to do it for a few minutes until [...], only then will it be all over.
So... what do you think?"
Within a few seconds, her face becomes serious, then changes color. In chronological order: light pink, dark pink, purple, light red, tomato red. Once my "threat" is over, she runs to the bathroom without saying anything and without looking back.
Hehe...
"Anyway, I'll use a scarf to cover them... You could also use it for lessons... But it's a shame that for practical exercises, it won't be possible..."
I talk to her from the other side of the door, trying to tease her, but she doesn't show any sign.
Ahh... I feel really satisfied.
....
9:55 AM
We notice that Koto, Kairi, Seyun, and Toki are already at the bus stop waiting for us, so we join them running.
"You could have come tomorrow." Saying this, Toki stretches on the bench.
"Good morning, everyone, except Toki." Leya says, in a good mood despite disliking the psychopath.
"Eh? Ban, haven't you taught her manners?"
I look at him perplexed and say: "Of course. And I don't think she made any mistakes."
He ignores us.
"The bus is about to arrive. Toki, get up."
Hearing Koto's words, Toki immediately stands up. Now, all that's left is for Koto to give him some biscuits.
"I can't wait to see 'Shark Kick,' they say it's a great movie." Toki says excitedly.
"They only show it in the afternoon; now we have other plans." Kairi brings him back to reality.
Meanwhile, Leya has gone to talk to Seyun, so I approach Koto.
"Ban, let's have fun today, okay? We also need to celebrate your promotion!"
I nod, smiling in response. Then I look away, shifting my gaze to the road. His behavior is ambiguous; the Koto from the book would never have wasted a day for fun... Did I change his personality? Well...
The bus arrives, so we board.
Koto gets on first and tells the driver to take us to the Jime Yama aquarium. It's the farthest from the Academy, but we chose it because it's closest to the cinema.
Before boarding, I gesture to Leya with my eyes towards the scarf. It was about to slip off, revealing something.
"Oh..." Understanding what I meant, she adjusts it better, then looks at me embarrassed.
With a finger, she points downwards a few meters away from me.
"Eh?"
What does it indicate? A scarf? Quite similar to mine too.
I look at Leya, who doesn't react and boards the bus.
I check my neck.
...
Mentally cursing, that's my scarf! I run to grab it, quickly putting it around my neck before getting on the bus and sitting next to Leya.
"That was close. Although... maybe Koto saw it." I whisper in her ear.
She looks at me embarrassed, not saying anything. Then, she starts looking out of the window.
Why isn't she responding? Is she still thinking about what I said earlier? The more she acts like this, the more I want to tease her.
I speak to her quietly, so only she can hear: "I wasn't joking when I said those things..."
Before I can see her reaction, she punches me on the thigh.
"Ah-!"
She puts a hand on my mouth, silencing my scream.
"D-Don't say anything and don't do anything... I think... Seyun might have seen mine too."
I look around, trying not to draw attention. Koto and Seyun are sitting nearby, on the other side of the bus, in the row behind us.
They were already looking at me...
I turn to Leya and declare:"I categorically exclude that."
She looks out the window again.
"Is this your first time on a bus?"
She nods sadly.
She hasn't told me about her past. I never asked her anything because I already know it, but I don't know how it makes her feel. Should I ask her questions, or is it better to wait for her to open up? What if she struggles to talk about it because it would hurt her?
I squeeze her hand; for now, that's all I can do.
Then, I ruin the touching atmosphere by playing with her fingers.
...
12:05 PM.
We should be arriving at our destination soon.
Leya falls asleep on my shoulder.
I start tapping on the armrest to my right, as the memory of a song comes to mind.
"You go down just like Holy Mary
🎶🎶🎶🎶
Mary on a, Mary on a cross
🎶🎶🎶🎶
Not just another Bloody Mary
🎶🎶🎶🎶
Mary on a, Mary on a cross"
🎶🎶🎶🎶
Leya pinches my arm, distracting me from the chorus.
"What happened to Mary?" She asks worriedly.
Mary? Oh right, there's a Mary in the song.
"Nothing happened, it's just a song."
Meanwhile, the bus has just stopped.
We all get off quickly. The aquarium is a five-minute walk away.
I walk alongside Leya at the back of the group.
...
1:15 PM.
We're inside the aquarium, at a refreshment point.
I ordered pizzas and drinks, which should arrive shortly.
Toki looks at me as if he wants to ask me something, so I stare back at him.
After a few minutes, he steps forward and asks: "Ban, where do you get the money? Well... considering you're an orphan."
Did he want to ask me this? Now that I think about it, it's a legitimate question. I could tell him my parents left me a small inheritance, or... I could say: "Oh... It's simple. In the first days of October, I went to a secret laboratory and stole some demon flesh. Then, I sold them on the Black market and got a few million."
I respond in the most serious tone possible.
"Really? That's insane!" He seems to believe it...
I notice Leya giving me strange looks; she's probably wondering if I've lost my mind. But everyone knows that when you want to turn the truth into a lie, you have to raise the stakes, so I continue:
"I know, I know, but that was really the only way. I had reached the point where I couldn't even afford clothes, and I had to steal many things from the orphanage to sustain myself."
"I don't believe it... But did you manage to escape unharmed from that lab?" He continues to ask, astonished.
Koto puts a hand on Toki's shoulder and reveals: "Toki... He's messing with you."
"Eh?!"
He looks at me with a threatening expression. I raise my hands in surrender and admission of guilt. He's about to pout when the pizzas finally arrive.
Ah, pizza brings everyone together...
"Ban..."
I look at Koto, who says: "It's more of my curiosity. I thought that bracelet was black, but now it seems to have a purplish tint..."
I look at the bracelet... Purple shouldn't be too serious; probably something minor will happen. She's had this coloration before. This morning, we weren't wearing it, but with the jolt I gave her, it would probably have turned blue or green.
I should worry when it turns orange-red. In those cases, something bad will happen to her. And then... when it turns white, indicating her imminent death.
"Yes... It's a special bracelet." I reply without further details.
The other pizzas are arriving now. Mine is a red four-cheese with spicy salami, and a Diavola for Leya.
I watch the waiter carefully because surely something will happen in the next moments.
But he manages to deliver the pizza normally, then leaves without any mishaps.
...
We start eating.
"When are the drinks coming? Did they forget?" Toki complains, always impatient.
I see the waiter running towards us from a distance. Once he reaches the table, he places the drinks and apologizes for the delay, then retreats embarrassed.
We all got cans of extra cola.
Before Leya takes hers, I want to test it since there's a high chance that once opened, it will spray on her.
What if I swap her can with Toki's?
After thinking about this opportunity, I look at the bracelet: it's back to black.
So, that was the issue...
I secretly exchange the cans without being noticed.
Sorry, Toki, but it's for a greater good.
-5 minutes later-
"Oh, come on! How can this happen? Look at these idiots, they've stained me with this crap can, because they don't know how to do their job. And I have to become a hero to protect them? Go all to hell, who asked me to break my back for this."
When I thought about changing the can, the coloration turned black because the artifact knew that my future actions would change Leya's fate... Bless those 2 million starks spent.
...
2:30 PM.
After finishing the aquarium visit, we head to the cinema.
"Ban, did you see that big white shark? It has a huge mouth!" Leya says euphorically, showing me the size of the shark with her arms.
She's been talking about it for about ten minutes now; it must have been really fun for her.
"You know, Leya... I read something on the internet. It has been recently observed that sharks can take control of people's minds." I speak to her very seriously.
"What? And in what way?" She responds alarmed.
"Well... I don't know if it's reliable, but they say the shark has to gaze into a person's eyes for about ten minutes. After this time, it takes control of their body, but doesn't show it immediately. It lets the original owner of the body control it, and when surrounded by a group of people, just like ours now, it unleashes by opening its mouth and starting to eat everyone."
"But... I should be safe. I must have looked at it for eight minutes, nine at most... " She replies confidently.
I remain silent.
"Ban... And you? Are you okay?"
I let go of her hand and stop in my tracks, remaining silent.
She stops a few steps in front of me. Others, noticing that we stopped, also freeze.
Koto must have understood that I have something in mind because I see him smiling.
"Ban? Are you okay? Why aren't you responding?"
I make irregular, short, and intense movements with my head.
"Ban? Ban? Don't tell me that..."
Leya is visibly agitated.
"Don't joke... You're pretending, right? You're not the shark..."
I stop and look into her eyes with an empty gaze.
"Ban?"
"WAAAAAWWWAAAA"
I open my mouth as wide as I can and approach Leya's neck, trying to bite it.
"Aaaaaaahh" Leya screams, starting to run right, then left, then back and forth.
She's in a panic.
I continue to chase her, shaking my head and arms and making strange noises.
At some point, she loses balance and stumbles behind a hedge on the sidewalk, so I jump on her, and we slide for about ten meters.
"Ahahahahah" I was trying to bite her neck, but burst out laughing.
Leya immediately realizes she's been tricked, so she flips me over and gets on top of me.
"You're an idiot."
...
I stop laughing and look into her eyes.
...
"WAAAWA-"
I was about to make another noise, but she prevents me by punching me in the chest.
She seems angry; did she really believe what I told her?
I become serious and apologize: "Sorry, I couldn't resist."
She lowers her head, resting it on my chest, and then says: "If something had happened to you..."
"Oh, I've gone too far." I lift her and embrace her. "Come on, nothing happened. Relax."
Someone approaches.
"The movie starts at 3:00 pm, stop playing and let's go watch it." Toki says, remaining on the driveway.
"Okay, okay, we'll join you in a moment!" I reply, looking at Leya.
We are beyond the bushes, sitting on the grass, hidden by the trees, so they can't see us.
I look at Leya, tears are already wetting her face.
...
Am I so important to her? I hug her tightly, then say: "You know, I was thinking about something..."
"Wha-" Before she finishes speaking, I kiss her intensely.
After a few seconds, she taps my back: she surrenders already?
"N-Not here!"
I smile and help her up. Before leaving, we fix our scarves.
She grabs my sleeve and says: "B-But I won't forgive you... just because you kissed me."
"Oh... then wait until tonight, heheh."
I give her a mischievous look.
She blushes even more and leaves without waiting for me.
...
2:50 PM
We enter the cinema.
Like most places, it's very similar to the one in my world. The author seems to have preferred replication over invention.
We pay for the tickets and enter Theater 3A.
Toki wanted to get some popcorn, but I told him I'd buy them online.
A small part of me feels sorry for him due to that kamikaze attack of extra cola.
We take our seats, and as soon as the movie starts, I distribute popcorn to everyone.
'Shark Kick'... The author who created this must be crazy: it's about a man who can transform his face into a shark's at will.
"Ahah" I laugh to myself, remembering the prank on Leya.
Oh right...
"Leya!"
She looks at me.
I whisper in her ear: "If I had turned into that, would you have-?"
She silences me by stuffing a bunch of popcorn into my mouth.
"No talking during a movie!"
So I start eating popcorn.
...
6:00 PM
The movie just ended. We're all in line for the bathroom since there were no breaks during its duration.
Koto is in front of me and seems to want to ask me something. Indeed, after a moment, he speaks: "Ban... I was wondering something..."
"Mmh?"
"Are you and Leya really siblings?"
I look at him with a fake resigned look.
Actually, no.
He looks surprised. Then I whisper in his ear:4 "When I infiltrated that lab, I found her locked in a cell. I didn't want to leave her there, so I saved her."
"Really? That's insane!" He uses the same surprised words as Toki.
After saying that, we both burst into laughter, recalling that scene.
...
6:30 PM
We reached the bus stop, which should come in about ten minutes.
"Shark Kick 2 is in production... It will be released in 809."
"Toki, already thinking about the sequel?" Kairi says, giving him a punch on the shoulder.
It wasn't bad as a movie, very splatter. Hmm, I might watch the sequel too.
The bus arrives, and we take our seats.
I stop Leya, who was about to board first, and ask her: "Wait, can I sit by the window this time?"
"Ehhh?... Just... this time."
...
7:00 PM
We're still traveling. Leya has fallen asleep, so to make her comfortable, I sacrificed my right shoulder.
At that moment, I receive a notification, so I take out my phone.
-ITEM SOLD. FUNDS CREDITED-
Finally... Now give me my money.
I immediately check.
...
The piece of the Shark demon has been sold.
I transfer the money to my bank account, which now has over 31 million stark.
Since it went well, I lower the price of the other piece to 25 million. The Prison Sphere costs 50 million, so it should be enough.
Hmm...
Since I have the money, I start looking for something on the site.
...
There they are: Spheres of Light.
The Light demon is not as strong as the Prison demon or the Darkness demon, but it's not to be dismissed.
I buy two spheres at the modest price of one and a half million each.
They serve as a form of temporary protection. If the time comes, using these spheres, I will create a kind of light barrier around the user that can absorb attacks.
The Darkness Demon is much stronger than the Light Demon, so it will eventually overpower and absorb it, but not immediately.
They must be used at the right times, taking advantage of opportunities.
"Waaaaaaan"
I close the site and then fall asleep.
...
8:45 PM.
I am awakened by Leya headbutting my chest.
The bus has arrived at our destination.
Leya, stunned by the impact, massages her head and asks: "Have we arrived?"
I nod.
We get off the bus and all head towards the dormitory.
Koto comes to me and asks: "Ban, did you enjoy yourself then?"
"Yes, it was fun."
"We should do it again next month!" Kairi suggests, showing she's the happiest among us.
If we survive... why not.
We reach the central palace.
Leya and I take the stairs, while the others use the elevator.
Even if the Devil himself were to appear in front of me, I wouldn't take that deal.
As we climb, Leya stops on a step below me.
"Ban..."
I turn and look into her eyes. She seems happy but also worried.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you..."
I remain perplexed.
"For what?"
She smiles without adding anything, so I reach out a hand.
"Come on, let's go back quickly..."
She takes my hand, and we return to our room.
...
10:00 PM.
We are both about to fall asleep. It's been a stressful day, and seeing the bed is like a blessing.
"Goodnight, Leya..."
I turn to the other side of the bed.
"Eh?" She exclaims surprised.
...
"Eh... What?" I ask thoughtfully.
"Y-You said those things to me today..."
Ah... Didn't she realize I was joking? As if I could do those things to a minor.
"Are you disappointed it didn't end that way?" I tease her a bit.
"B-B-B-B-B-Ban!"
I turn towards her. I can't see anything in the dark, but I imagine she's turned into a living tomato.
I approach slowly until I reach her.
...
I hear her panting.
...
I stroke her cheek with my hand.
"Your cheeks are really soft."
After a few seconds, she takes my hand and lowers it.
"Mmh?"
I bring the other hand closer and caress her other cheek.
But after a few seconds, she does the same thing. Now she has taken both my hands and keeps them lowered.
"Are you still mad?"
"No. I'm not mad."
"Mmh... You're not convincing. Prove it then... Give me a kiss."
She remains still for a few seconds.
...
She lets go of my hands and approaches slowly.
She caresses my cheeks to figure out where I am, and then... she kisses me gently for a few seconds.
"Did you see that I'm not mad?"
"Well... It wasn't the best... But not the worst either..."
"Eh?"
"I'm just telling the truth... so you're really mad!"
She kisses me again, this time for half a minute.
"Hehe, and what about this? Was it better, right?"
"Mmh, let's say yes, but you can do better."
"You're lying..."
I lean towards her, and this time, I'm the one kissing her with our tongues starting to dance, for almost five minutes.
...
"How was that?" I ask her proudly.
"This... is almost acceptable."
"Oh... Come here..."
...
....
Sunday, November 6, 807
10:00 AM.
I open my eyes; I'm not fully awake yet to get up.
I turn to Leya, who is awake and looking at me.
My eyes catch something spicy under those sheets.
"Leya... Why aren't you wearing pajamas?
...
I notice that I'm not wearing one either.
...
Now I remember...
Kiss after kiss, we got more and more excited... And in the end, we ended up doing it.
"How long have you been awake?"
"For a few hours."
"Ah... For a few hours..."
Was she watching me all that time?
Now that I think about it...
"Did you forgive me in the end?" I ask her with a smile.
"No..." She responds with an even bigger smile.
"Oh... So it's like that."
...
We've done 30, so why not do 31?