He lined up the textbooks and notebooks for each subject, taking out the contents of his pencil case and arranging them.
He decided to explain the details of the stationery later.
Theo, who had looked puzzled, brightened with each item he pulled out of the bag, like a child shown a new toy.
"This is my wallet. It contains bills and coins. And here are some cards... um, what should I call them? Membership cards? There are several of those, along with my house key."
He had never thought about how to explain a cash card before.
Would he have to explain it as coming from the bank?
"Next, there's a handkerchief, tissue, sweat sheets, hand cream, and eye drops. This is a smartphone, which you are familiar with, right? Along with a mobile battery, a school tablet, earbuds, a folding umbrella, and an empty plastic bottle."
Theo was practically on the edge of his seat now.
With sparkling eyes, he intently gazed at the items laid out on the table.
"And this is a watch, which isn't very useful here."
It was an expensive watch that his grandfather had bought him as a keepsake for entering school, but in this world, it was not functional.
It wasn't that it had stopped; rather, the flow of time and the movement of the sun didn't quite match up.
He suspected that the rotation was different from Earth's.
It could somehow be used to measure time, but it didn't serve any greater purpose.
Finally, he took out his student handbook, which had a school emblem on it, from his chest pocket.
"This is my student handbook and ID… it's like my identification. Lastly, the clothes I'm currently wearing are everything I brought from Earth."
"W-wow, it's a treasure trove!"
"C-could I touch them?"
"Yes, of course. I will give all of this to you as a thank you for taking care of me, Theo"
The moment he said that, Theo's childlike expression turned serious.
Had mentioning Earth items as bait for his "protection" offended him?
His miraculous beauty made him serious expression intimidating.
"Damien, I cannot accept this."
Damien realized he had messed up.
With a little thought, it was obvious that his belongings were essentially Theo's to begin with.
That was why he had devised Strategy #2: "Offer everything before being asked and engage in subservient diplomacy."
However, he had foolishly gambled on that as a bargaining chip, and it had backfired.
For now, he decided to bow deeply.
"This is an important item for you. I cannot accept such a thing."
"Uh, what?"
As he prepared to bow, he noticed Theo had already knelt on the floor.
He was confused about what was happening.
Theo crawled closer, clinging to his legs while he sat there in shock.
"Damien! I'm so sorry for making you feel anxious! You don't need to do such a thing; I won't let you suffer!"
"Wha!?"
While clinging to his legs, Theo looked straight into his face and shouted.
He was taken aback.