Riki stared straight at him, with none of his usual wisecracking attitude.
Riki wasn't a redhead. He didn't like people talking about him behind his back, either, but he usually let a few insults slide. But if someone started talking about his friends, he'd gladly take them on.
Name, student ID, school. Let's see them!
If that didn't work, he'd call the principal over, too!
The old man running their school was known as the Southeast Gentleman Sword. He was mild-mannered and refined, but he never let students get pushed around.
The moment Riki heard Nagasaki Soyo being talked about, he got angry. He stared at the man expressionlessly.
"S-sorry," the man said awkwardly, lowering his head and mumbling.
"It's fine, man." Riki smiled. "Once we're done fighting, I'll apologize to you, too."
The man's face stiffened, and the people around them watching made him feel even more embarrassed.
Everyone was just jealous and envious. They didn't have any real malice, and they certainly wouldn't say it out loud. Why were you the one who had to run your mouth?
A few students from the sports school on the bus wanted to help Riki, but when they saw the clear muscle definition in his arms, they relaxed.
They'd recognized a kindred spirit: Riki was a born battle maniac, too.
"Anyone else getting off?" the bus driver called loudly.
Seeing the man lower his head and fall silent, Riki figured he'd probably lie about his name if he asked. He snorted and got off with Nagasaki Soyo. Before the bus pulled away, the other passengers gave Riki a thumbs-up.
"Way to protect your girlfriend!"
"I've always thought Haicheng University was the Southeast's number one."
"Wait, are you Riki, fifth on Haicheng University's Scoundrel Ranking? Damn, you've even got a gorgeous Japanese girlfriend. You really deserve to die!"
Hold on. Did I just hear some weird ranking?
Which scoundrel put my name on it?!
Just you wait!
"What are you doing all of a sudden? Why'd you pick a fight with that guy?" Nagasaki Soyo asked Riki, her right hand holding her arm.
She'd heard someone mumble something behind them, but she had no idea what it meant. Then she'd seen Riki glare at the man with an expression she'd never seen before. It was the first time she'd seen him look so fierce, but she didn't know why he was angry.
"Oh, he said Triga definitely beats Tiga, and Intelligence Jiraiya definitely beats Healthy Itachi. So I went over and asked him what the hell he meant. He didn't like that, so I figured I'd teach him a lesson." Riki was furious.
"You got angry over something like that? Are all boys idiots?" Nagasaki Soyo asked in disbelief.
"You've discriminated against the Y chromosome, which has existed on Earth for billions of years! I demand an immediate apology!"
Nagasaki Soyo ignored Riki and walked straight ahead. When she saw him following her, she suddenly asked in a quiet voice, "It really... wasn't because he said something about me, was it?"
Otherwise, why had so many people on the bus looked her way?
"Of course not. You haven't given me lifetime Good friend permission, so why would I act like your pal?" Riki said haughtily.
"I thought so," Nagasaki Soyo said with a snort.
She stole a glance at Riki beside her.
As if I couldn't tell.
I'm not an idiot like you.
Nagasaki Soyo pulled up her collar to hide her face. A smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, and she was as beautiful as an Elf of the mortal world.
"...Idiot," she murmured.
Riki's behavior just now had made her heart beat a little faster.
The third floor of the mall was the clothing section. Riki and Nagasaki Soyo rode the escalator up, and he immediately spotted a Black man in a yellow number 24 jersey, grinning brightly in an advertisement.
Riki jumped, then promptly paid tribute to the legendary player—
"Holy crap, Lao—"
"That's Kobe, not Lao Da. We don't sell helicopters or little puddings here, and we can't break through to the underworld, either," the shop assistant said with a polished smile.
How could you predict my prediction? How many people had said that to you?
Why was your smile so sad?
What could that smile possibly protect!
There wasn't a moment to mourn Kobe before they arrived at the women's clothing section on the third floor.
It was Riki's first time shopping for clothes with a girl, but he'd prepared in advance. If he went in with Nagasaki Soyo, she'd definitely call him a "hentai" and insult him to his face again.
So Riki planned to stand outside like a Seven-day statue and wait until Nagasaki Soyo came out.
But his plan failed from the very start.
"What are you doing? Come in with me," Nagasaki Soyo said, puzzled. "How will the shop assistant understand me if you're not there?"
"Oh, right!"
"Your girlfriend may need to be measured again. Japanese sizing is a little different from Chinese sizing," the shop assistant said.
Riki translated for Nagasaki Soyo.
Damn, why did I feel like a translator for the Imperial Army?
Taijun Soyo, was it?
Nagasaki Soyo nodded. The shop assistant brought over a measuring tape and measured her bust, waist, shoulders, and legs.
"Wow... a bowl-shaped D cup," the shop assistant murmured, drawing in a quiet breath as she measured Nagasaki Soyo's bust.
Thank you. You've saved the planet from global warming.
Riki pretended he hadn't heard, but his ears twitched.
Was that kind of bowl what you meant?
The shop assistant looked at Nagasaki Soyo with even more reverence.
"What did she just say?" Nagasaki Soyo asked.
"She said your waist is a little slim and you should eat more, for the sake of your health," Riki said, telling a kind lie.
The shop assistant brought over some suitable sizes. Nagasaki Soyo picked out a few things and went into the fitting room. When she pulled back the curtain, Riki was stunned. Nagasaki Soyo was wearing an apricot-colored, nature-inspired long dress. A little bow at the neckline gave her a refined look, and a sash accentuated her figure, tied into a bow at the back. The skirt swayed with her body whenever she moved.
For the first time, Riki thought Little fairy sounded like a compliment.
"How is it?" Nagasaki Soyo asked casually, sneaking a glance at Riki, who was staring at her in a daze. She couldn't help smiling.
"Inferior to Sakiko," Riki said.
Nagasaki Soyo's brows shot up. "You really have no idea how to talk to people!"
"Then how about pure, sweet, and schoolgirl-cute—the Sweetness of the mortal world, Nagasaki Soyo?"
"That sounds a little weird, pervert."
You've said both nice and mean things. What am I supposed to say?
Nagasaki Soyo gave a snort. Remembering how Riki had stared at her just now, she smiled faintly and walked over to the lingerie section. She eyed Riki warily. "I can handle it from here. Go away!"
I'll explore the area up ahead another time.
Riki could only leave the shop and lean against the railing, watching the crowds come and go through the mall. It wasn't far from his home, but this was his first time visiting. If not for Nagasaki Soyo, he probably wouldn't have come today.
"It's pretty lively here," Riki said.
As he was thinking, he suddenly heard Nagasaki Soyo's voice behind him. He turned to see her peeking out from between the racks, her face flushed as she spoke softly. "Come stand guard outside the fitting room for me."
On my way!
As Riki walked over, he saw Nagasaki Soyo enter the fitting room with lingerie in her arms.
With lace trim?
Riki stood guard outside the fitting room, keeping a straight face. He could faintly hear rustling from inside, and it sounded like clothes were hitting the floor, too.
So was Soyo in the Shape of the universe now?
Going commando?
Don't overthink it.
Riki suppressed his thoughts.
You can do this, Riki. Don't imagine anything weird!
His little brother: No, you can't.
"The clasp in the back is a little hard to reach..." Riki heard Nagasaki Soyo mutter quietly from inside the fitting room. It sounded like she was struggling to pull the straps into place.
Even Riki was cheering her on in his head.
Click.
It was fastened.
Riki breathed a sigh of relief, and Nagasaki Soyo did the same inside the fitting room.
Wait, why was there a sound outside the door, too?
Nagasaki Soyo looked suspiciously toward the door.
Riki stood outside the fitting room with a solemn expression, though he was actually a little antsy.
Could there be a Lucky pervert incident? In principle, I don't accept such vulgar, lowbrow, attention-seeking clichés. I like watching Super Saiyans who can't hold back and punch the Earth into pieces—
But if a Lucky pervert incident happened to me, that'd be another story.
Was being lucky yourself really the same as watching someone else get lucky?
The fitting-room door opened. Nagasaki Soyo came out in her new clothes and gave Riki, who seemed a little disappointed, a puzzled look. "Why do you look like that?"
"Nothing."
I hate Lucky perverts the most.
Because it wasn't me.
"Good, I'll ring you up here. We offer home delivery, so please write your address here," the shop assistant said.
"Put mine down," Riki said, walking over.
So they lived together... The shop assistant muttered quietly, "No wonder you bought a Black lace bra."
Wait, did you deliberately let me hear that so I could get a little treat?
Thank you, Savior of the Earth.
Breathe in plenty of cold air.
Welcome to the highest point in Haicheng: Haicheng Amusement Park!
"There are so many people," Nagasaki Soyo said in surprise. Japanese amusement parks could get crowded, too, but compared to China, it was nothing.
"Today's a makeup holiday. Otherwise, there'd be even more people," Riki said. "Let's go in. The entrance is over there."
"How are you so familiar with this place? Do you often come here with your female classmates?" Nagasaki Soyo asked casually.
Why did she specify female classmates?
Couldn't he have come with male classmates?
"My classmate put together a guide to the amusement park. It's all written in there," Riki explained. He was walking over to join the queue when a staff member noticed the tickets in his hand.
"Hello, you two. You have VIP Couple Tickets, so you can use the express lane over here."
Before you continue