The next morning, during the whole breakfast time, Mira was doing everything she could to avoid looking at me. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to focus on her food, but every now and then, her gaze would dart to me, and then she'd quickly look away.
I decided to push my luck, I whispered
"So, Mira, is there anything you want to say about... yesterday?"
Her cheeks immediately flushed, and she nearly choked on her juice.
"W-What are you talking about? There's nothing to talk about!"
"Oh?" I leaned in closer, smirking. "No thoughts on what you saw?"
Mira's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she tried to hide behind her cup of juice, like that would somehow shield her. "Shut up!" she muttered, voice barely above a whisper.
I chuckled, loving every second of her embarrassment. "It's okay, I get it. It's hard to concentrate when you've seen a body as impressive as mine," I teased.
"Eddie!" she hissed, slapping her hand on the table. "You're impossible!"
I leaned back in my chair, enjoying the sight of her flustered state. "I'm just saying," I said with a wink. "Maybe next time, I'll give you a better view."
"What view? Don't leave me out of fun and juicy things," Rebecca said,
"Yesterday-"
Her eyes widened, and she shot me a glare.
"Stop it! You're making it worse!"
Seeing Mira and my interaction Rebecca had a smile on her face.
'I hope both them always smile just like this,' Rebecca thought.
.
.
.
"I'm planing on visiting library," I said.
"Absolutely not," Mira protested. "You need to rest!"
"I'm fine,"
"If you're worried, why don't you go with him?" Rebecca said,
"That's fine by me," I said.
-------
We finished breakfast and headed toward the library.
"Why are you so worried?"
She sighed.
"Because you always throw yourself into things so completely that you forget to take care of yourself. I can't just let that slide."
I raised an eyebrow. "And what happens if I push myself too hard and get hurt again?"
"Then I'll be the one stuck looking after you," she replied,
"So you hate spending time with me, is that it?"
"No, that's not it," she replied, her tone softening.
I leaned in, a teasing glint in my eye. "So, you do enjoy my company then?"
Her expression turned defensive. "Why you?"
I shrugged, trying to hide my grin.
"Well, if you're going to treat me like a child," I said, "Maybe you should hold my hand so I don't wander off like one."
Her eyes widened, and her face turned scarlet.
"W-What?!"
I couldn't hold back my grin. "I mean, it would make sure I don't wander off too far, right?"
"Or you have other hidden motives?" I whispered in her ears
She froze for a moment, clearly flustered, her mind racing for a response. Finally, she muttered under her breath, "You're unbelievable."
And yet, after a few moments, she quietly took my hand. "You're lucky I'm even agreeing to this," she said, voice soft but carrying a hint of a smile.
-----
On the way, we encountered three boys my age.
"Look who we have here~" their leader sneered, all blonde hair and blue eyes. "A weakling who got hurt doing normal work and his mother tagging along."
Mira opened her mouth to retort, but I squeezed her hand and shook my head, signaling her to stay quiet. I turned and started walking toward the library.
"Hey, are you ignoring us?" The boy with black hair grabbed my arm, annoyance in his voice.
I stopped and turned to face him, my expression serious.
"You better take your hand off."
His face faltered at the intensity in my eyes, but he was clearly too stubborn to back off.
"And if I don't?" The boy with red hair stepped forward, using his larger frame to intimidate me, grabbing my collar.
Idiots
When he grabbed my collar, I saw an opportunity. In my past life, I'd learned that respect often starts with fear. Without another word, I delivered a quick blow to the side of the rib cage. As he bent in pain. I kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold.
I let killing intent flood my eyes as I faced the others.
"Do you want a 'massage' too?" I asked, voice cold.
"We… we're sorry!" they stammered.
They fled, leaving Mira staring at me with newfound interest.
"You know how to fight? Then why did you always let them bully you before?"
"I don't see the point in picking fights," I replied.
"Then why now?" she pressed.
"I wanted to show that I could fight… and I might have wanted to impress a certain girl," I added, glancing at her.
Her face flushed, and for a moment, she seemed lost in thought.
Something's different about him. He feels... more mature, more playful, all of a sudden.
We reached the library soon after. The building was old but well-maintained, and inside, the only person present was the librarian.
The library wasn't large, which was both a blessing and a curse. It was easier to find what I needed, but it also meant the selection was limited. I moved quickly through the shelves, gathering a few books that seemed useful.
To build a cult, I needed an ideology, a vision. I had to understand the world better, its structure, and the people's beliefs. Books were the best way to acquire that knowledge.
I gathered books on local history, religion, and culture - everything I'd need to craft a compelling ideology. With enough information, I could form an ideology that would resonate with the masses, drawing them into my cause.
I took a seat, papers and a pen at the ready. Mira had found a fictional novel and was already engrossed in it.
As I devoured the pages of the book, I could feel the hours slip away. Mira, however, was starting to get sleepy. Noticing her drowsiness, I gently placed her head on my lap.
Her face turned bright red, but she didn't protest. She was soon asleep. It was familiar—back in my previous life, my girlfriend had hated reading, and whenever she tried, she'd fall asleep on my lap.
As time passed, night settled in, and I felt the familiar pang of hunger.
"Hey, sleepyhead," I whispered, gently patting Mira's cheek.
"A few more minutes…" she mumbled, half-awake.
"My legs are numb," I added with a chuckle.
She jolted up, startled.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized, face flushed.
We packed up our things, returning the books I had already read to their proper places. Mira was still embarrassed, but I couldn't resist teasing her.
"I already read all these," I said, pointing to the stack of books.
"You're lying," she protested.
"When you were comfortable sleeping, I was taking notes," I replied with a sly grin.
Her face turned even redder.
I love teasing her.
"Let's go home," I said, smiling.
I nodded to the librarian as we left.
"You can take these if you want," he said, "Just return them in seven days."
"Nah, I prefer coming and reading in the silence."
"As you wish,"
----
Walking home under the stars, I held out my hand.
"Want to hold hands?"
As we were walking, I turned to her with a grin,
"So, Mira… You think I need to work on my body?"
She hesitated, then looked me up and down.
"Hmm... Maybe a little."
'I'm at a good start,'
I thought as we walked.
'A lover who can turn into a devoted follower before I even start the cult.' I smiled.
"Is something funny?" Mira asked.
'Something definitely changed in Eddie after the accident,' she thought, 'and I think I like it.'
"Just happy to be alive," I replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
And I was. After all, what better second chance could a contract killer ask for than being forced to start a cult? This world had no idea what was coming.
That night, we had dinner, and then, exhausted, we went to sleep.