"WH-WH-WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!? YOU'RE GIVING IT TO ME?!"
"Yeah"
"YOUR JOKING RIGHT!?"
"Nope"
"JUST LIKE THAT?!"
"Yep"
"AND YOU DON'T WANT ANYTHING IN RETURN?!"
"Of course not"
"But that's just..."
She found it really hard to believe that I was just giving it to her and was doubtful. She didn't know what to do and was just staring at the keychain with a anxious look. She was holding the keychain tightly so it was clear that she really wanted it but was hesitating to take it. In a low voice she said
"Ah!"
She looked like she realised something and all of a sudden with a blushed face and hesitant eyes she looked at me and said
"Y-You're not going to make me do something perverted as compensation for this treasure right?"
WHAT THE-!....Does she know what she's saying!? That's a line straight out of a porn video!
It's like when the girl in the video orders a pizza and she doesn't have any money to pay for it, so she uses other "methods" to compensate for it
I know she's not doing this on purpose but the impact it brings to my heart is pretty massive. And with that adorable looking face....This level of cuteness should be illegal! I replied
"Oi-Oi, Just who do you think I am? I'm not some sort of pimp who gives out keychains to girls in exchange for perverted acts"
Hmm....Well I have been mistaken for a pimp in the past so it kinda fits my character I guess...*Sigh* Why am I saying it like it's a good thing?
I've been mistaken for a lot of people before and none of them were any good like, Yakuza or a male hostess. I've even been approached by a guy asking for drugs when I was in Tokyo
Just what makes everyone think I belong to the dark side of society?...Well I do belong in that part of society and play a main role in it but that's different
The "stuff" I do is also illegal but the difference is that, what I "do" makes a better change for humanity. It cleans the earth of any scum living on it and makes the world a safer place. And what I "do" isn't even illegal for me
If a "normal" person does it, they would definitely go to jail for a lifetime or even be put to death. But the United Nations has given me a license that makes anything I do, stand within the law. So I can basically do anything I want and not get apprehended for it. It seems pretty sweet but it just makes me feel more alienated from society like I'm a special being. Well I am one aren't I, I just don't want to entirely accept it. I told Akatsuki-san
"I'm not going to ask anything, just take it"
Akatsuki-san looked really happy that the keychain was in her possession and was constantly glancing at in excitement but she was reluctant to take it from me. She didn't know if she should take it or not and said
"But you worked so hard to get this. You camped in the streets without proper sleep or food for two days to it. You didn't even bathe for two days. I can't even imagine how much you would have stunk"
Was that last comment really necessary?
"Don't worry about the small things. What matters is that you really want it.....or is it that you don't?"
Akatsuki-san jumped a bit and exclaimed
"No! I definetly want it! But I-"
"Then it's yours. I can clearly see that you want it really bad, so just accept it"
She looked at the keychain with a anxious look and told
"But it's your precious keychain..."
I smiled and told
"I'd rather see you happy, than have that keychain"
She immideiataly got flustered and her ears became bright red and I said
"If you really want a reason for me to give it to you then, take it as a Thank you and Sorry gift for everything that happened today"
She looked at they keychain and then me and told with widened eyes
"S-So I can really have it?"
"Yeah"
She looked at me doubtfully and said
"And you won't ask for it back!?"
"Of course not, I'm not that petty"
She pulled back the keychain away from me and exclaimed
"This is your last chance to change your decision! I seriously won't give it back even if you ask! "
"I seriously won't. It's yours from now on. You can do whatever you want to do with it"
She looked at the keychain and said
"So it's mine?"
"Yeah it's yours"
After finally realising she owned the keychain, her blue eyes brightened up and her cheeks became red. She looked at the key chain in her hand with a look of happiness and satisfaction. She then looked at me with a big bright smile and glowing eyes said
"Thank you! I'll treasure it!"
Yeah....This is the face she should always have. Her smiling face suits her best
I don't know what caused her to have that distraught face before and I don't care. All I know is that I need to protect this smile from here on forth. As she was admiring the keychain, I looked at the time on my phone and said
"It's already this late? I didn't expect it to take this much time"
I looked at her and told
"Umm...Since my work here is done, I think I'll be going back now Akatsuki-sa-"
While still looking at the keychain, she interrupted me and told something in a soft voice that I couldn't hear properly
"Rena..."
As clueless as I was about what she told I said
"What did you say? I can't hear you properly"
She whispered something again
"Call me Rena..."
I still couldn't hear what she was muttering so I said
"Whats wrong? Do you have something stuck in your throat? Why are you speaking so softly?"
Irritated with what I had said and for not listening to what she said, she suddenly shot up and looked at me with a stern and slightly embarased expression and exclaimed
"I SAID CALL ME RENA!"
Realising what she had just shouted out loud, she quicky looked down in embarrassment
She wants me to call her by her first name?...I asked
"You want me to call you by your name?
"Y-Yeah"
"Why the sudden change?"
She looked at me and boastfully exclaimed....
"D-Don't get me wrong! It's not like I want you to call me by my first name! I just thought it would hard for you to say my last name since it's a bit long. S-So be grateful that I'm allowing you to call me by my first name!"
...with a prideful expression on her face.
Oh, so she's doing the tsundere act to hide the fact that she wants me to call her by her name. Well I can just accept it but that would just feel like I'm losing to her so I said
"No, it's okay. I can just call you Aksatsuki-san. I have no problem with it"
The prideful expression she had on her face was gone and now she looked all flustered and didn't know what to say in response. She must have thought I would have immidietly agreed to calling her by her first name, but now doesn't know what to do since I rejected the idea. While her eyes wandered around in nervousness she said
"B-But I'm trying to help you"
"Nah, I can't just call you by your first name for a small reason like that. I mean isn't it embarrassing for you girls when boys call you by your first name?"
"No but I-...."
She got caught in her own trap and didn't know what to say
"Well it would be different if you personally wanted me to call you by your name"
"No that's umm..."
Quite a prideful girl isn't she, she isn't budging. Well that prideful act won't last after this. I slightly turned my body, as if I was turning back and said
"Well if you don't have anything to say then I'll be going"
She got flustered and exclaimed
"No wait!-"
Before Aksatsuki-san could finish her sentence, I turned around and took my first step but was suddenly stopped by her as she held the back of my shirt with her hand, not allowing me to go. She then told in a soft voice
"I want you to call me Rena"
So she finally broke.....I turned back and looked at her slightly anxious expression and asked
"Are you sure? The people at school will misunderstand our relationship if they heard me calling you by your name"
She suddenly looked up at me with resolute eyes and exclaimed
"I don't care about what they think! They can say whatever they want! The only person who I care about, what he thinks of me is you and no one else! I only want you to call me by my name and nothing else!"
I couldn't help but feel happy and smiled when I heard what she said. It's just an amazing feeling when you know someone is willing to trust you with all their heart and is willing to cast aside everyone else for your sake. I've lived a fucked up life and have regretted many things which has made it worse but after hearing words like these, I feel like my shitty life is also worth living. I relied saying
"Sure 'Rena' "
She blushed and gave a satisfied face. She replied saying
"You better not call me by my last name again! Only my first name! If you do, I'll make you regret it!"
Her fierce look that scared me in class came back as she said, so I know she's not joking. I replied saying
"Of course, I don't want to anger a sleeping beast"
"Who are you calling a beast!? Baka!"
Yep she's definitely fun to play with. I then said
"Since my work here is done, I guess I'll be going back now"
"Y-Yeah"
She looked slightly disheartened that I was about to leave but said
"B-Bye Yuuto, I'll see you tomorrow"
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow too Rena"
I waved my hand at her and picked up my bags and started jogging down the path. I turned back and saw Rena holding the keychain with both hands, watching me leave
I looked up at the beautiful night sky as I ran home and said
"I'm looking forward for tomorrow"
This is the end of the first volume or introduction arc I suppose. The next part is going to start after this, where Kisaragi will come back after a while and we'll get to know a little more about Yuuto's past and present circumstances. Oh and Kisaragi and Rena all also be facing off, so look forward to it. Thank you all for making it this far and making this novel a success that actually got a contract from webnovel. I hope you keep supporting Yuuto as he goes through his melanchol life