The rest of Nik's time was used up to help Mitsuko pack her stuff up even after her constant insistence that she was fine. Of course, Nik didn't take any of her excuses and quickly helped her pack up and much to Mitsuko's embarrassment, many plastic toys emerged from various corners of the house.

But the giant anal beads found from the kitchen allowed Nik to understand that his future with Mitsuko was nothing but bright.

Since Mitsuko had to give the news of sudden divorce to her daughters, she decided to stay back and wait for them to arrive home while she gave Nik a long and passionate kiss before hurriedly saying that she would meet him back at Okusan's place while she immediately ran off to vomit again, making Nik quite sad.

***

"Her school should be over by now..."

His back leaning against the connecting wall to the school gates, Nik looked up towards the blue sky and found today's weather rather pleasant. It could be said that after his little chat with Mitsuko, many things that apparently looked tangled and confusing were all simplified by a mere smile of hers.

"But still... getting a woman pregnant..."

As he muttered, the chiming bell rang across the whole faculty, the sound of which rose Nik out of his thoughts. 

"Huff... finally..."

As he stood up straight, soon, he could hear the unanimous chatters that started spreading around the building while many students started walking out of the school in groups. But mostly, is was gender separated. Girls hung around girls while boys hung around with other guys. In fact, it was quite rare to see some blonde and dark-skinned girls and boys amongst the groups, but they were there, nonetheless.

Soon, Nik found two girls walking side-by-side while the others actively avoided the duo with a complicated expression. A particular group of tanned guys and girls actually wore an expression of slight fear as they immediately backed off and seemed to be lowering their head.

'What... happened?'

The scene was exact opposite when Kurumi entered the school with a lot of girls chatting around her. Not to mention, Megumi, who was walking beside her at the moment. They both had an impassive expression while Kurumi visibly brightened as her gaze fell upon Nik.

'Something happened here. That girl actually chatted the loudest in the morning. Not to mention him...'

As Nik looked at a particular dark-haired girl that hung around Kurumi in the morning, his gaze suddenly fell upon a pair of dark-brown eyes that seemed to be looking towards himself with hidden cruelty and menace... but, Nik could still see an expression of fear dominating most of his menace. 

'Is it because of him?'

As Nik speculated the situation, he didn't immediately jump to conclusions without proper clues or the whole story if Kurumi was willing to share.

"Hey—"

"Don't— Hey— me! Hmph!"

Even though Kurumi definitely looked better, she simply harrumphed and walked past Nik while suddenly looking back.

"I think you guys need to talk. Nik, if Megumi-chi is satisfied this time, I'll meet you at Okusan's place."

As she started walking back, she suddenly seemed to remember something important and immediately ran back to Nik.

"Yeah?"

Nik asked with a smile.

"Hmph!"

Pouting, Kurumi swiftly extended her foot upwards, giving Nik a short kiss on his lips as she turned her back wordlessly and walked, leaving a calm Nik and embarrassed Megumi.

Meanwhile, the other students actually averted their eyes at the scenes. Many boys couldn't actually feel their heart-shattering twice while a pair of bloodshot eyes kept his gaze on Nik.

Looking at Megumi, who immediately looked down as her impassive expression clearly broke in an embarrassing stupor, Nik didn't immediately get to the point and actually pointed at someone behind her.

"Megumi... can you tell me who is that guy?"

***

The recent memories of Kurumi's cold and cruel honey-gold eyes resurfaced once again as Gunta found himself covered in cold sweat. But the rage building within his heart couldn't be suppressed the moment he saw Kurumi's beautiful lips touching that bastard's chapped, disgusting lips. 

'What's so good about him?'

As Gunta's breathing slowly grew rough, his gaze once again fell on Nik, who happened to be whispering something to Megumi while pointing towards him.

'Huh? He wanna fight? Fine by me!'

In his anger and frustration, Gunta couldn't help but immediately conclude the only thing his mind could come to while the tanned girl beside him look slightly worried as she fought against her urges to smile at the cute boy looking towards them.

As Megumi looked back and matched Gunta's almost crackling eyes, she looked back. Even though Gunta couldn't see if Megumi actually spoke something since her back was towards him, seeing Nik stepping forward, Gunta couldn't help but prepare himself.

Even if he was angry, Gunta was aware of how the infamous black steel Rick started calling Nik his master. He must be strong. Coming to this conclusion, Gunta gulped and then started calming his mind.

If he actually let his own rage get over him during a fight with someone with a similar physique, his own chance of coming out victorious would lessen.

But to his surprise, the infamous Goddess stealer actually stopped quite far from him, right in front of a spectacled, black-haired boy.

***

"Hello, Manabu-san, right?"

Nik extended his hands towards Manabu, who accompanied Megumi in the morning.

"Ah, hello, Faran-san!"

Unexpected by the sudden, greeting, the bookworm looked up from his book and immediately stuttered by the sudden arrival of much envious, Kurumi's boyfriend. But he still remembered his full name.

Looking at the extended hand, Manabu felt slightly flattered and he shook Nik's hand somewhat shakily.

"Please, call me Nik. Would you mind if I borrow Megumi for a while?"

At his question, Manabu couldn't help but look at Megumi, who was simply standing at the school gates.

"Eh? Why are you asking me?"

Manabu asked out, clearly confused while a short frown slipped between Nik's brows.

'Um... cause, Megumi asked to take your permission, you dolt.'

But of course, he wouldn't say something like this to 'Megumi's' Maa-kun.

"I see... alright. Good day, Manabu-san."

"Ah! Alright."

Manabu quickly nodded while Nik looked at the tense, blonde boy behind Manabu and smiled at him while mouthing a few words.

***

"Did you see it..."

Gunta suddenly asked out as his lackeys looked at him, confused. Did heat finally catch up to the boss? Or, did the Goddess berate him so coldly that he lost his mind?

As the doubt of Gunta finally going mad spiralled within their consciousness, Gunta felt cold when he easily saw Nik mouthing:— I'll get you...

***

"Let's go. I actually found a good place before coming to school."

Smiling, Nik explained softly to the ever-impassive Megumi while she looked up and frowned. At her expression, Nik's smile receded while he took a deep breath.

"Manabu... his words were— Why are you asking me?—... sorry."

Lowering her gaze, Megumi softly shook her head.

"It's not your fault... well, some part is definitely your fault. So? Which place do you have in mind?"

As Megumi started walking forward with her packaged bokken slung across her shoulder while her hands holding her bag in front with both of her hands, Nik followed and whispered softly.

"I actually passed by quite a beautiful riverbank."

"The one near the supermarket?"

Megumi questioned while Nik immediately nodded.

"Yeah, that's the one."

Since the shortest way was to once again go through the front of the Silver Muscle gym, Nik reluctantly lead Megumi through a slightly longer route. Throughout their walk, both of them kept their silence.

While Nik knew how to make sexual activities less awkward due to his intensive training and experience, he couldn't say much to the person he forced himself upon.

Not to mention that Megumi continuously felt her heart almost bursting out of her breasts. Many thoughts, both scary and positive, swirled within her mind.

'Can I actually trust him? What if he tries to force himself again?'

'No, it's not the question of trying. It's whether he would force himself on me or not?'

'But... Kurumi did say that he isn't the kind of guy... but can I really trust Kurumi? After what she told me about herself... I find it harder and harder that Nik can actually get into a relationship with someone like Kurumi...'

'Is that the difference between both of us? Wait... why am I even thinking that Kurumi is the bad person in this relationship?

She has her own right to do what she wants... she wasn't forced to do any of it...'

As she grew entangled and found her thoughts getting more and more restricted by her own beliefs and the ideals instilled by the society, they finally reached the open riverbank that ascended to the side roads connected by a small bridge.

Smiling, Nik broke Megumi out of her thoughts.

"We are here."