(Ren's POV)
After I had confirmed that Hina wasn't a yandere...yet, through various means, we stayed sitting under the tree until the sun was nearly behind the horizon.
While waiting, we talked and reminisced about the event three years ago.
At that time, we sat side by side in silence until I asked her what got her so down and she hesitated for a bit because she thought it was kinda dumb before telling me about it.
"Hahaha, well, you were young then so it's natural to be sad about something like that" I reassured her while lightly chuckling.
"Then why do I remember you laughing your butt off when I told you!?" Hina hugged her legs and pouted in annoyance.
"Come on, I was young so it couldn't be helped; plus, didn't I make up for it afterward?" I hugged her waist and rested my chin on her shoulder.
"Well, yeah…That's when…" Hina looked away with her ears turning red while trailing off.
"Hmm? That's when what?" I asked, acting clueless.
"That's when….Ugh! That's when I realized that I have feelings for you, romantic feelings!" Hina exclaimed in frustration before burying her face in her arms.
"Hmm…Well, I already know that, I just wanted to hear it again" I whispered in her ear before letting go of her.
"W-What!? How!?" Hina swiftly turned around and grabbed my shoulders with a surprised look.
"Remember last Christmas?"
"Don't tell me…" Hina looked down with her shoulders trembling.
"Remember you accidentally ate alcoholic chocolate and got drunk? You drunkenly confessed when I took you to my room to rest, along with when you realized your feelings" I looked to the side while scratching my cheek, waiting patiently for her outburst, but it never came.
"So, you knew all along, and yet you've made me wait for so long?" Hina's tone was cold as she looked at me with blank eyes.
"Also, you've even gone to great lengths to make me confess" Her tone grew colder and colder as bloodlust oozed from her.
The only thought that came through my mind at this moment was 'Someone give this girl an Oscar'.
Just at this thought, I felt my face was grabbed and turned to her before a soft sensation landed on my lips. The kiss didn't last long as Hina pulled back almost immediately afterward with a dazed look and blushed face, like all that before was nothing but an illusion.
"Well, I got to confess on my own because I didn't know so you can get off easy with only giving me your first kiss, but don't keep secrets from me from now on, okay?" Hina smiled cheekily like she had won something.
"Uhh...Not to burst your bubble but that's not our first kiss" I smiled wryly.
"Don't tell me…" Hina widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Yeah, the Christmas incident"
"How did it happen!? Tell me!" Hina grabbed my collar and came closer with a red face filled with embarrassment.
"Well, it was after your drunken confession and the next thing I knew, you already pulled me onto the bed and went to town" I gently removed her hand from my collar while she was dazedly processing it.
"Did we…" Hina trailed off, with all the possible things that could happen after that, she was kinda afraid to ask.
"No, we didn't go all the way; we were close to it though before you passed out" I held her hands and squeezed them to get her attention.
"So, don't worry about it too much. We can take our time with it until you're ready…maybe we can try it again on Christmas" I joked at the end, trying to lighten the mood, but Hina just stayed with her head down.
"…Alright, Christmas it is then…but Christmas is only the deadline, okay?" Hina averted her eyes as her face turned red from embarrassment; the implications of her words were definitely intentional.
"Haha, then be prepared to be attacked" I grabbed her waist and leaned closer to her ear with a smirk.
"*I'm the closet type, you perverted girl*" I whispered into her ear in a seductive tone, giving her a shiver.
"Mhm" Hina nodded meekly like an innocent little girl who didn't just make a suggestive offer a few moments ago.
----------------------
(Ren's POV)
After cuddling and flirting for a while, we made our way out of the woods and onto the roads before the sunset. We then slowly walked to Hina's house while holding hands as the sun finally rested and the street lamps turned on, illuminating the dim road for us.
Again, silence permeated the dimly lit atmosphere as we stuck close to each other for the entire duration of the walk to her house, which is only a few minutes' walk away from my house.
We arrived there before we knew it, a testament to how time moves faster when you're having fun.
In front of the Izuno resident, Hina held my hand tightly, reluctant to part ways so soon just after confirming our relationship; her eyes pleading me to stay and come inside with her.
"Hina, we still have school tomorrow, you know?" I reasoned.
"I know…" Hina looked down in shame at herself acting spoiled.
"Plus, we'll be able to see each other again on our way to and at school"
"I know, but-" Hina tried to argue, but I cut her off.
"No buts. Also, you can always call or text me anytime, alright?" I stroked her face with my free hand.
"…Fine, call me when you get home at least" Hina demanded with great conviction like she's not willing to compromise on this.
"Sigh, alright, I'll call when I get home" I scratched my head with a helpless expression.
"One last thing" Hina tilted her head up with closed eyes, clearly something before I go.
*Chuu*
"Good night, Hina. See you tomorrow" I gave her a quick goodbye kiss before heading home.
"Good night, Ren…" Hina stayed there waving until I was out of sight before going into her house. I just completely ignored the pair of eyes watching us from the second-floor window of her house, looks like our relationship is not gonna be a secret at all.
----------------------
(Third person POV)
"I'm home-" As Hina walked through the door, announcing her arrival and expecting to see her house's hallway like every time she has come through there.
However, what greeted her eyes were absolute darkness and a feeling of floating in zero gravity. It was complete blackness, almost akin to the look anyone would expect when they hear the word 'void'.
Hina could not move her body in the slightest as she floated in mere emptiness; she could feel something was putting pressure on her, making her feel suffocated.
"!!" Her eyes widen in fear as she felt her screaming nulled out as she experienced what it was like to drown in nothingness.
But, this doesn't last long as the moment her fear of death started to sink in, she felt a force pulling her down(?) towards solid ground(?) and the suffocating feeling vanished in an instant.
When she came to, she was standing upright in the same looking place and breathing heavily due to her previous experience.
*Pant* *Pant* *Pant*
After an unknown amount of time, she realized she could move her body now and was relieved for but a second before tensing up, realizing she was still stuck in this 'place'.
『Huh~? This is quite…curious~』 A laid-back voice reverberated through this 'place', though in truth, the voice was speaking directly into Hina's mind.
Hina did not recognize the words nor the language spoken to her and yet she can still understand their meanings. It was quite an unusual experience, but to be fair, this entire situation was very unusual.
Hina opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, it was like the words themselves were forced back in whenever they tried to come out.
『Ah~ Right, there is no way for you to speak. However, it is unnecessary to speak as you are not supposed to be here…yet~』 The same voice sounded in her mind again, and now that she focused a bit on his voice, Hina could tell this was the voice of a young man around his early 20s.
Then, before she had time to think any further, a completely white human hand popped up just right in front of her and touched her forehead before sudden drowsiness clouded her mind.
『Return~ The time is not right~ 'He' is not ready yet~』 The voice seemed almost gentle to Hina as her consciousness slowly drifted from this place.
『I...….@#%!....b*…..&%i$</g....E#%x』 Gibberish was all she heard as the gentle and laid-back voice distorted to something inhuman.
Well…not like she will remember it anyway. Not in the near future, at least.
----------------------
(Third person POV)
Hina stood in the opened front door, dazed for reasons unknown to her before she came back to her senses and continued on her way like nothing happened.
When she got to the stairs to the second floor, a shadow of a person cast down upon her, revealing the presence of someone.
Looking up, she widened her eyes in disbelief when she saw the person.
"Rei-nii? When did you come back?" Hina unconsciously asked to her older brother, he was supposed to be attending university overseas.
"Just this afternoon, actually. I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone, so I came without telling you guys. Mum and Dad were in tears when I showed up at the front door" Rei came down and patted Hina's head.
"So, did I surprise you, Asa-chan?" Rei gained an amused smirk; he was tall at 185cm compared to Hina's 169cm, he has blond hair and light blue eyes like his mother, though he looks more Japanese.
"Sigh…Yeah, it was a surprise seeing you after a few years. Welcome home, Rei-nii" Hina hugged her brother briefly with a tired look, she does love her brother but he's quite a handful sometimes.
"Hmhm, my little Asa-chan is all grown up, bring your boyfriend to meet us sometime before I return to the US" Rei hummed playfully while heading to the living room.
"Mhm, I will" Hina agreed before realizing something amiss.
"Wait! How did you know I have a boyfriend!?" Hina hurriedly ran into the living room and confronted her brother about this.
Then she quickly paused as she noticed her parent sitting on the sofa, stunned by this revelation.
Her Dad, Izuno Asaki, was completely frozen at the news of his precious daughter having a boyfriend. Her Mom, Izuno Reina, was surprised for a bit before giving her daughter a motherly smile as if to say "Bring him home, Dear".
"Well, I saw you kissing a guy and was super clingy to him so I guess I'm right then" Rei dropped another bombshell in the room with a calm smile though his eyes were filled with mischief.
"Ah, y-you saw…?" Hina, red-faced, sputtered with her words at her intimate time with Ren being both seen and revealed to her parents.
"I didn't recognize who it was though, he was very good-looking, is he a new boy you've met?" Rei had a curious look but, again, he was oozing with mischief.
The aura around Asaki became cold and fierce, his daughter was in an intimate relationship with a boy he doesn't know of, any good father would feel what he felt right now, the feeling of wanting to beat someone up.
"Ara ara~" Reina was kinda proud of her daughter, she actually knew better than the guys in this house that Hina was in love with a certain someone for a good while now.
Reina knew she didn't raise her daughter to be shallow as to go out with a guy just because he was a bit handsome. Just a few weeks ago, Reina had overheard Hina giving herself pep-talks in her bedroom about 'confessing' and 'big sakura tree'; she didn't quite get how those two things correlate but she got the gist of it.
"A-ah, uhh, eto…Sigh, no, he's not a new boy, he's someone you all know" Hina struggled with her words for a bit before deciding to tell the truth.
""Oh?"" Rei and Asaki were caught off guard by this info while Reina's smile grew even further.
So, Hina sat down with her parents and older brother before telling them about her relationship with Ren, but she kept the more private stuff to herself. Nobody besides her and Ren will ever know of it, and a certain someone will make sure it stays that way.
----------------------
(Ren's POV)
While walking back home, I started thinking of plans for when I enter the Dream World.
On the last episode of Journey Across Mirkaz(Temp name), the party had made it out of the Forest of Nightmares, and while on their trek, Hiro had learned how to sense, feel, and control mana.
He had also gotten a tome detailing the spells and branch magic he could learn, along with a book explaining the Tiers, Monster Tiers, Item Grade, Skill Rank, and the 14 Elements; especially the 6 he has an affinity with, which are Darkness, Nature, Metal, Light, Earth, and Water, from highest affinity (Darkness) to lowest affinity (Water).
I believe I would have to spend this night traveling with Hiro, Alicia, and Atsuka to the nearest town before teleporting to the capital of the Einzelfoth territory then meeting the Lord and finishing off his quest.
Of course, that doesn't mean the others won't be there in the Dream World as well, they're just gonna be on their own for a couple more days before I take Hiro and leave to find them.
Yeah, I plan on taking Hiro away from the Einzelfoth family temporarily and going on another quest to pick up the others. I will be monitoring them of course to keep them safe because even if they can't get hurt physically, pain is still a thing in the Dream World and the pain of getting killed is definitely enough to affect them mentally.
They're just teenagers, they're at a time where their mind can be easily affected by external factors like a near-death experience or a traumatic incident, and boy, are there a lot of those in Mirkaz.
As I have been explaining for a while now, Mirkaz is a dangerous place; you are very likely to die within days of living there without a backing, a place to shelter, or enough strength.
The others and I only managed to grow strong enough to go off on our own because A. We were granted a Unique Skill each on our arrival, B. We were under the protection of the Victal royal family plus the entire kingdom, and C. We got summoned into a strong, peaceful, and human country.
All these came together to become the perfect place for us, for any average person at that. We got treated as a person and not as a weapon, we got the freedom to learn almost anything in the royal library, we got great teachers to help us along the way and taught us about the world, we could do anything as long as it was within reasons, we were provided with everyday necessities and resources to help us grow, and not to forget the support of three of the biggest and most influential countries on the entire continent, the Tri Alliance.
The Kingdom of Victal, the Land of Freedom, and the Ignel Empire, all three are in the top five most powerful counties in the continent and had been in an alliance for several millennia.
Victal has strong military prowess especially in magic, Freedom has the largest land along with being the main HQ of the Adventurer's Guild, and finally, Ignel has the richest resources and pride themselves on being the most advanced in craftsmanships of all kind.
All these three countries combined control 20% of the inhabitable lands of the continent or about 9 to 10% of the entire continent.
They are superpowers in the world of Mirkaz, along with the Isvylle Theocracy and the Beast Empire of Juchvel.
Anyway, we were basically very fortunate to be summoned right into the mantle of one of the world's superpowers.
In the Dream World, my friends are not going to have such luxury and will be starting from the bottom as commoners or low-ranking nobility. However with my help, even if some are not as talented as others, they will all be progressing at about the same rate.
Arriving at the front gate of my house, my thoughts shifted to another thing instead. I did make a promise so I have to keep it lest Hina gets angry at me.
I pulled out my phone and called her through Chat-Up, her username is Small_Penguin.
[Ringtone – Euphoria by Kyrrin]
The song went on for several seconds before she picked up, must have been talking with family with her phone still in her bag.
*Beep*
[H-Hello] Hina's voice rang out.
"Hey, Hina, I'm in front of my house now so I called" I started opening the gate and headed in, I heard some background noises from Hina's side, which I guess came from her parents.
[Y-you, you didn't need to call, you know]
"Ohh~ Wasn't it you who made me promise to call when I got home?" I teasingly commented, a grin forming on my face.
[U-urusai! Since you've made it home safely, I'll hang now]
"Alright, and Aunt Reina, I'll drop by sometime next week; 'night, Hina" I hung up before she could say anything and went through the front door.
"I'm home" I called out.
"Nii-saaaan!" A Mitsuo bullet darted right into me at full speed and I caught him.
"Welcome home, we have guests tonight" Mitsuo cheerfully smiled.
"Really? I wonder who it is" I feint surprise because I've sensed their presence from outside already.
"It's a secret! Come on, we've been waiting for you" Mitsuo directly grabbed my hand and guided me to the living room, after I've taken my shoes off, of course.
Walking through the door, I came to the sight of everyone seated at the dining table with two other people.
"Alice" I greeted her with a nod before turning to the old man in a nice butler outfit standing right behind her.
"This is my and Alex's assigned butler" Alice gestured to the gray-haired old man with gray eyes.
"My name is Morgan, it is nice to finally make your acquaintance Young Master Ren" Morgan bowed with grace.
"Nice to meet you too, Morgan. But, don't call me Young Master; I don't like being called that" I dropped my bag next to the couch and walked to sit at the dining table.
"Ahem, I think you forgot about me" A voice rang out with a slight bit of arrogance.
"Oh, you're here? I didn't notice such an insignificant thing" I stared coldly at Alex, who was sitting next to Alice.
The air in the room grew tense, and everyone could feel it. I think it's about time I talk about the reason I detest arrogant people of high status, especially things associated with the word 'Young Master'.
