28 Chapter 28: The Bond of Reiji and Kanade: Shield of Lovers

Ayaka had left, leaving Reiji alone in the café. He was waiting for Kanade to arrive for their date.

Ding~

As if summoned by him...

The doorbell rang announcing the entrance of a stunning girl with long, black hair and shimmering purple eyes. She was dressed in an elegant white button-down blouse and a dark blue jean skirt, complemented by black tights that accentuated her well-shaped legs and attractive thighs.

Upon seeing Reiji, her face lit up with a smile, and she waved at him, a gesture that made her hair flutter and her large breasts sway, drawing the attention of others, including the women present. Her makeup, applied delicately, enhanced her natural beauty without being overpowering.

Walking towards him with the grace that her high heels afforded, Kanade approached Reiji. Her arrival seemed to mesmerize the other customers, a testament to her breathtaking beauty.

However, for Kanade, it seemed as if, besides Reiji, there was no one else there; it was as though he was the only one in the café.

With a somewhat shy smile as she got close to Reiji, she adjusted the strap of her gray bag on her shoulder and asked with a note of nervousness in her voice: "H-How do I look?"

"Did you say something, Kanade-chan?" Reiji exaggerated a deep sigh: "Sorry, I was so dazzled by your beauty that I lost my breath and my mind paused for a moment."

"Really?" Kanade's eyes sparkled, touched by the compliment. For her, those words held priceless value, surpassing any other compliment about her appearance.

Her heart sped up and her face warmed, causing her to feel an intense heat. She sat down across from him, trying to cool off by fanning her face.

"Yes, you look wonderful, it's true," Reiji affirmed.

With an embarrassed smile, Kanade stopped fanning and brought her hands to her cheeks, letting out a giggle.

After composing herself, she made a charming gesture by moistening her upper lip with the lower, highlighting the gloss of her red lipstick.

Reiji felt momentarily disoriented by the gesture. Taking a deep breath, he suggested: "How about we have a coffee here and then go to the movies? The film we want to see starts in 50 minutes."

Kanade agreed with a smile: "I'll follow your plans."

She already knew what she wanted to order, skipping the menu, and chose a Mocha.

Reiji opted for a Café Latte.

As soon as their drinks arrived, Kanade, after tasting her Mocha, initiated a conversation: "You mentioned you were with someone before I arrived, may I know who?" She asked delicately, not wanting to seem intrusive.

"Sure," Reiji replied, with a discreet smile. "It's not certain yet, but it's possible that I might become a freelance model for Lumière Models Sakura. I was having coffee and talking with one of the agents just before, discussing the possibility of joining the agency."

After a sip of his Café Latte, Reiji praised: "As always, the Master makes an exceptional coffee..."

"Lumière? The Lumière Models Sakura that is..." Kanade processed the information with a brief delay before exclaiming: "The one under the command of Michiko Sato, the founder and creative director? She, who is a figure of great respect in the fashion world, maintains close relations with luxury brands, designers, and magazines, ensuring the presence of her models at major fashion events and in influential publications?"

"Exactly that one," Reiji confirmed.

"Wow... Just, wow!" Kanade needed a moment to assimilate the news.

However, observing Reiji more closely, his beauty made it natural that Lumière would seek him out... She sighed, pondering his growing popularity. Being popular in all circles was one thing, but becoming a model for Lumière would elevate his status to another level. She wondered: would he still care about her after achieving such fame?

Deep down, Kanade wanted to believe that he would, but she couldn't deny feeling a bit insecure about this prospect.

It was then that she felt a warm and firm hand holding hers. As she looked up, she found Reiji's intensely attractive gaze fixed on her, that irresistible look that made her heart race as if it might leap from her chest. As she wondered why he had taken her hand, she heard him say:

"Don't worry, even if something changes, I don't think it will be for the worse," Reiji reassured her, offering a thoughtful reflection: "Kanade-chan, changes are inevitable in life, but I can assure you of one thing: you will always hold a special place in my heart, and stand by my side, of course, if that's what you want."

"Definitely, I want to!" Kanade raised her voice, but soon emitted a moan of embarrassment when she realized that even the café's Master had glanced in their direction. Despite slightly retreating in her seat, with whispered determination, she declared: "I will always choose to stay by your side, Reiji!"

For the first time, she addressed him by his name, dropping any honorific, and her words filled him with joy. And, to his surprise, a notification sound echoed from his system, revealing a holographic message in front of his eyes.

[A person now has a favorability rating with respect to you exceeding 100 for the first time. As a result, you have unlocked this person's character reward card.]

'It's definitely Kanade-chan,' Reiji speculated, observing her with a flushed face.

Ding! A new notification appeared, and text materialized in his vision.

[A female character has reached a connection rating 50 points above her favorability rating, enabling the [Connections] option. It is now possible to view the connection ratings of all characters with more than 50 points in favorability/connection.]

[Character Reward Card "Kanade Amakawa" – I will always choose to stay by your side!]

[This card provides a passive eternal effect and is indestructible.]

[All basic statistics receive a permanent increase of 3 points.]

[Ability (Passive) - (I will always choose to stay by your side: Shield of Lovers): Generates a protective barrier around the loved one, mitigating minor misfortunes.]

Upon examining the detailed information, Reiji discovered that both he and Kanade shared this passive ability. This meant that if he were attacked, a protective barrier would appear in his defense, and the same would occur in protection of Kanade. Additionally, this ability, still in its initial stage, could not defend against impacts stronger than a punch, being only at level 1.

At Level 5, the shield would strengthen, providing protection against more significant threats and keeping the loved one safe. Upon reaching Level 10, it would transform into an unbreakable fortress, capable of warding off any danger, reinforced by the power of true love.

For the ability to evolve, it was necessary to increase the favorability or connection index, depending on what had activated the card. In Kanade's case, it was favorability. Thus, with each increment of 10 points in this index, the ability would rise in level, with the maximum level being 10, corresponding to 200 points of favorability in total.

'This is simply incredible...' Reiji thought.