Aibo and Erza had not spoken for three days. Others thought they had fallen out, but only the two of them knew just how awkward the incident between them had been.
Because of it, Aibo had stayed up all night modifying every pair of his underwear. He had once assumed no one would ever get hold of his intimate clothing, so for convenience, he had casually connected all the spatial interfaces to his personal storage space. That was how Erza had managed to "ambush" him.
Now, at great expense of effort, he had converted every pair into an independent space. Each pair of underwear was now its own separate spatial pocket, so he no longer had to worry about such an embarrassing mix-up happening again.
But what had already happened could not be treated as though it had never occurred, nor could their memories be erased. Thus, an unspoken understanding continued to linger between them.
Aibo was actually doing fairly well. He was only somewhat embarrassed and resentful, regretting his own carelessness. After spending two days venting his petty frustrations by bullying Lucy, he had adjusted his mood.
But the matter had greatly affected Erza.
Erza had finally realized that "Aibo has grown up" was no longer merely a casual remark. It was a fact right in front of her.
Aibo was no longer a child. He had grown up in every sense of the word, and he even had troubles that only boys would have.
Although Erza was serious most of the time, she was already a nineteen-year-old young woman. She had long passed the stage of being curious about the opposite sex. Besides, she often borrowed books from Levy, so she understood at least a little of what she should and should not know.
Understanding the theory was