Ryuen’s eyes snapped open, but he quickly shut them as a result of the bright light flooding into his room.
It was still morning, apparently—barely even an hour had passed since he stepped into Yuki’s world.
He slowly opened his eyes, training them to the bright sunlight, then exhaled.
He could still feel the cold from her world, in his fingers, but mostly in his bones.
He sat up and ran a hand through his ssy hair.
He scanned the room, hoping she hadn’t followed him out.
But still, he had to be sure the pact worked. The mont he thought about it, the screen appeared before him.
[Yuki Onna is in the personalized world that has been created for the beings the host makes pacts with.]
A smile appeared on his face. She was safe and free, and he had her as a battle companion.
A quiet knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts, but it did open.
"Ryuen... are you awake yet?" Kaori’s voice ca from the other side, muffled, however, because she had sothing in her mouth.
"Yeah," he replied and raised himself up from the chair.
He stretched for a while, now realizing that his body was aching.
A reminder that he had just finished fighting, and he also got hit multiple tis.
Kaori pulled the doorknob and peeked inside. She frowned at first but then scoffed. "You look like you just fought a bear."
He smirked. "Sothing close to that."
She sighed and folded her arms. "Just don’t do anything reckless, and get going."
Ryuen’s brow rose. "Going where?"
"You’re supposed to get a citizen declaration from the head office. How forgetful can you be?!"
She almost yelled, her frustration showing, and he instantly had an idea who might have caused it.
"Where is Daiki?"
"He went to supervise the mining team near the train station," she replied casually and leaned against the wall.
"Do you really have to dress like that?"
Ryuen’s gaze shifted to the mirror beside him. He stared at himself closely, his brows furrowing, before turning to Kaori.
"What’s wrong with this?"
"You look like you’re going for a job interview. It’s too..."
"Casual?"
"No, formal!" she yelled and stepped closer to him.
She was irritated, and he could tell from how she squeezed her face.
She raised her hand to his collar, loosened the first two buttons, and stepped back.
"Much better. Now get out of my house, I have things to do."
Ryuen simply rolled his eyes. He picked up the hairband on the bed and patted her.
"Don’t get too lonely."
She slapped his hand away as a scoff escaped her lips. "I am not a kid, stop patting ."
Ryuen let his gaze linger on her for a while. He wanted to say sothing but just smiled and walked out of the room in silence.
On his way out of the house, he grabbed a half-eaten apple on the table, with oddly shaped teeth marks.
But he cared less—as long as it wasn’t Daiki’s teeth marks, he was alright.
However, he forgot there was also another person living with Kaori and assud it was Kaori herself.
As he stepped out of the house, the cold breeze from the city hit him, and he sighed.
He lifted his gaze to the tall building not too far from Kaori’s apartnt and then groaned lowly.
"Stairs."
"Idiot!" Kaori yelled as she whacked the back of his head with a rolled-up magazine. "How do you think we got to this floor?"
"Ah..."
He chuckled and straightened up. Almost imdiately, he distanced himself from her to avoid another hit.
Then, he smirked.
"You know, I could hang you on a nail, and you wouldn’t get down unless soone as tall as I am helps you."
Kaori rolled her eyes in response and turned around. "If you can get rice cake, then maybe I’ll stop."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Alright," Ryuen replied.
He dragged his gaze to the floor below, a glint of excitent in his eyes.
Then, he chuckled softly. "There won’t be any need for an elevator anyway," he uttered as he raised himself onto the railings.
As soon as Kaori turned around, he waved and leaned backward—falling off the railings.
Her eyes widened in horror, and she hurried to the railings, staring down at the drop.
She expected a splatter, but instead, Ryuen called her attention from the other side of the road.
And he had a smile on his face. "That shows how much you still care, hehe," he mouthed before vanishing behind a passing truck.
Kaori bit her lip hard, almost drawing blood. She wanted to scream out her frustration, but instead, she exhaled.
"They are just vessels with the sa character. I can’t get mad."
"I can’t get mad," she repeated to herself as she made her way back into the apartnt.
---
Ryuen, on the other hand, was walking along the streets with his head raised, but his mind was far from where he was going.
He was still wondering why Yuki said he wasn’t human when, in fact, he was.
Maybe she mistook the curse and the system for sothing else.
Or maybe it was because of how he behaved.
Still, it bothered him, and there was no one he could ask, because Nikori City was a city of humans—probably with very few other races.
---
It took him thirty minutes to walk to the headquarters.
Upon arrival, he approached the front desk.
He stated his na, and Kaori as the one who referred him.
The receptionist, after giving him a skeptical and judging look, directed him to the elevator and down a long hallway.
He was led to an office with the na Vanguard boldly written on the door, and there was a strange aura lingering in that hall.
It made him raise his guard, as it reminded him of the dungeons he had been in.
The mont he opened the door, he saw a man behind a massive desk—green hair, red eyes.
His gaze was fixed on a piece of paper, and he didn’t seem to acknowledge Ryuen.
Ryuen, who closed the door behind him, hoped to hear sothing like, What can I help you with?
Instead, he was t with silence.
Annoyed, he turned and glared at the man.
"Good day," he managed to voice out, despite hating the fact that he was being ignored.
He couldn’t bla the man, however—people in high places usually had such behaviors.
To his surprise, the man smiled and dropped the file.
"Ryuen Takeru," he said, leaning into his chair. "I was wondering when you would actually show up."
Ryuen frowned. He already disliked the man.
Everything about him was wrong, especially the fake smile on his face.
"I had to clear up a few things, sir."
"No problem," the man answered with a very welcoming smile. "I am Sora Manabu."
"Nice to et you," Ryuen said with a blank stare, no emotion laced in his voice.
"Kaori told you need a permit to leave the city, as well as to finish your citizen declaration, correct?"
Ryuen nodded, still not taking his eyes off Sora.
"You’ll need to be assigned to a guild first."
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