Chapter 86 - Who Knows What Might Have Happened Behind Their Backs?
"So, it's not just you who has these tendencies."
Mahiro turned his head and shifted to a more comfortable position, which made Saeko stiffen as her face flushed even more.
"Thank you! I'm feeling better now," Saeko smiled.
"That's good for our genius girl," Mahiro replied jokingly.
"It's really much better. At least now I know I'm not the only one," Saeko responded, her nerves calming.
Mahiro adjusted his position again, subtly nudging Saeko's thigh, though he pretended not to notice.
"Many people have these thoughts once they gain power."
"It's just a matter of whether you can let your conscience and reason overcome your desires."
"If you fail, all kinds of terrible things can happen."
"But Saeko, you're clearly not one of those people. Aside from that pervert, you've never done anything excessive, right?"
Mahiro looked directly at Saeko, his gaze filled with confidence in her, which helped to calm the storm in her heart.
After a moment, Saeko nodded.
A subtle emotion stirred within her.
Is this what it feels like to be trusted?
It's a really good feeling.
Since the incident with the pervert, her heart had changed. She had been suppressing her true nature, trying to present herself as a refined and elegant girl.
Perhaps she felt she was tainted inside, so Saeko tried to cover up her true self with a bright facade.
"So, since that's the case, there's no need to torture yourself like this," Mahiro comforted her.
Saeko's eyes widened. Mahiro's words resonated deeply with her.
"Of course, if you ever feel trapped and consumed by guilt," Mahiro took Saeko's hand and said in a serious tone, "I'll help you carry that burden."
Saeko was stunned, her eyes wide as she looked at Mahiro in disbelief.
Her heart pounded fiercely as she tried to find words.
"Whether it's your guilt or your beauty, I'll help you bear half of it," Mahiro added with a chuckle.
Saeko stared at Mahiro for a moment, then burst out laughing, "You're too much of a flirt, Mahiro."
Mahiro smiled helplessly and joked, "I've put in a lot of effort to give you psychological guidance!"
"However, I'll be relying on you more in the future," Saeko said with a shy smile.
"Okay," Mahiro responded calmly, not making any further promises, but his steady demeanor made Saeko adore him even more.
"This kind of psychological guidance should have been done by your parents, but I didn't expect it would be me," Mahiro remarked jokingly.
"When I was in junior high, I had already learned almost all the techniques passed down from my family. My father felt there was nothing left to teach me, so he shifted his focus to the family business." Now that Saeko had fallen for Mahiro, she felt no need to hold back and began to explain.
Mahiro immediately understood.
Because of the family business, Saeko's father had neglected her, which led to Saeko developing this mindset.
Perhaps Saeko hid it too well, even her father didn't notice anything wrong with her.
It was precisely because he had such confidence in his seemingly perfect heir that Saeko's father left Japan to expand the family business abroad.
"In junior high, you mastered your family's techniques. No wonder, Saeko, you're a genius no matter how you look at it," Mahiro sighed.
Saeko smiled softly, "In front of Mahiro-kun, how can I be considered a genius?"
"My situation is a bit different," Mahiro dismissed the compliment.
Mahiro didn't consider his kendo talent particularly strong.
On the contrary, his talent for magic was so exceptional that even Rias and the others were surprised.
"Is it different?" Saeko murmured but didn't press for details.
"If there's a chance, I'll explain it to you," Mahiro said gently, then closed his eyes.
After a moment, Mahiro, opened his eyes, stood up and offered his hand to Saeko, helping her to her feet.
"Let's go meet the others," Mahiro said, taking Saeko's hand as they left the restroom. Although they both wished to remain in each other's company, the situation didn't allow them any peace.
Holding hands, they left the room, only letting go when they reached the dojo.
Rei and Saya were discussing the names and identities of survivors. Hearing footsteps approaching, they both looked up to see Saeko and Mahiro coming toward them.
Both Rei and Saya felt a pang of jealousy at the thought of Mahiro spending so much time alone with Saeko in the restroom.
Who knows what might have happened behind their backs?
Rei, who was certain of her feelings for Mahiro, couldn't help but resent Saeko.
But Saya was confused about why she felt this way. Both wanted to ask questions but decided against it. After all, Mahiro was walking with a serious expression, as if he had something important to announce.
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"It looks like you all haven't recovered yet," Mahiro observed coldly, his tone laced with indifference as he glanced at the students resting on the floor. "But I won't wait for you any longer."
He couldn't stand the thought of doing nothing for the next three days or playing nanny for these people without putting his foot down.
Mahiro had no interest in that.
Instead, he decided it would be a better use of his time to put these individuals to work for him.
After all, it was a way to make the most of what would otherwise be three boring days.
Of course, he had his eye on the survivors who had previously sided with Shido. While it wasn't entirely their fault, Mahiro wasn't about to let them benefit from his hard work for free.
[A/N: I was thinking about writing this as an R18 chapter, but I'm putting the brakes on that for now. Mostly because I'm not sure if you'd be down with Saeko and Mahiro getting it on already, or if we should let them build their relationship further. Let me know what you think—should we go full steam ahead, or give it some time?
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Want a timeskip of three days?
1. Yes
2. No
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