68 Riajuu Explode!!

Inside the Medium Cruiser Transport Ship Aircraft Carrier, Helios.

You could see Kouro sitting while in a daze in the seat beside the pilot seat, Ayame, who is sitting next to him, felt that Kouro might still be bothered by what happened earlier.

She began to think of ways on how to cheer up Kouro.

'What should I do to cheer up Kouro?'

'Wait! Why should I worry about him?'

Ayame shook her head to get rid of the strange thought and looked back at Kouro.

'That dreamy expression, he looks really handsome!'

Seeing him daydreaming with a sad expression made Ayame, who was staring at him for quite a while now, abruptly say.

"You haven't changed much, Kouro."

"Hn?" Kouro broke out of his stupor when he heard Ayame talk about him, he turned to look at her with question marks on his face and asked, "What do you mean I haven't changed much?"

Ayame didn't look away from his gaze, and instead reciprocated a deep gaze into Kouro's purple eyes before answering, "Kouro, did you know? Why when I was little I always acted like a boy(tomboy), it's because those 'two people' always complained that they wanted to have a son. At that time, I, who didn't know anything, just thought that, if I acted like a boy, will 'those two' be happy?"

('those two people' are Ayame's parents)

At that time, Ayame already knew that the two people who took care of her are not her real parents, in addition, she have also already known about the crimes they have committed.

Ayame then continued, "That's why I started acting like a boy, even though they didn't look very happy when I started acting like that, they were still a little happy, I continued to act like a tomboy until I eventually met you, Kouro."

Ayame then looked forward while saying in a tone filled with nostalgia.

"I remember our first meeting, when I saw you crouching on the yard collecting roses, I was curious at that time so I decided to approach you and ask why're you doing that, I remember you answering innocently, "These flowers are for my dead parents."

Ayame, who was previously nostalgic, suddenly spoke evenly.

"After hearing that, I decided to help you and after we finished, I was just about leave, but then you suddenly handed a yellow rose to me while smiling innocently, "Will you be my friend?" you said. Did you know, your smile that day is still vivid in my memory, Kouro."

"Back then, because of my tomboyish nature, I was friendless, so when you expressed your intention to be my friend, I was very happy."

Ayame smiled, remembering her childhood memories, Kouro saw that and also stared ahead, recalling his main reason want to become strong and train hard.

He stared at his pale hands without the slightest callouses, Kouro still remembered the time before he still hasn't activated the system, the only thing on his mind was to train, train and continue training, leaving his body full of scars and his hand and feet filled with callouses.

Initially, his goal is to train to reach a level where he could survive in this dangerous world, but when he began to get acquainted with Ayame, his uncle and aunt (the people who raised Kouro), in addition to his memories of Mei, Kiana, Himeko, Bronya, and the other characters, Kouro came to a realization, his determination to protect them all began to grow steadily beyond his goal of living in peace.

This also coincide with the activation of the system, leading Kouro to finally realize that the system was probably activated because he no longer wanted to stay away from the plot and instead live in peace for as long as possible.

"Do you still remember, Kouro? When a Stigmata appeared on my back, the 'two people' became very happy, far beyond the happiness they showed when I acted like a boy, it's just that, the look in their eyes at that time was very strange, but the innocent me wasn't really thinking too much about it and just felt joy seeing them happy."

"After them, I then went and told you about this, but contrary to their reaction, you just responded calmly apart from the weird glint in your eyes that looked weird when I said the 'two people' has a very strange look in their eyes."

"Actually Kouro, when the stigmata appeared, my body became gradually stronger, on top of that, my five senses became sharper, so I heard their words from far away."

Ayame paused for a moment and then added in a sarcastic tone, "I could hear their bad words, like wanting to sell me, and that I was a child they adopted to sell, what's more is that they've been doing it for a long time, at that time, I just cried silently when I heard it all."

"I hid it all, didn't even tell anyone else, even to you Kouro. I lived in fear when I found out all about it, but kept it hidden as if nothing changed, until three months later, just when I was so desperate. I saw the police in front of our house with an arrest warrant for the 'two people', I felt very relieved then, but..." Ayame continued and paused for moment at the end.

"They suddenly caught me and used me as a hostage. I could feel the kitchen knife pointed to close to my neck, but do you know what I felt when the feeling of death came approaching? Calm, I only felt relaxed, the stigmata have not only strengthened my body, but my mind as well."

"Luckily, the police were able to apprehend the 'two people', the police approached me and asked if I was hurt to which I just replied that I was fine, but seeing that I was too calm about it, they concluded that I was traumatized so they took me to a hospital for a post-traumatic rehabilitation."

"I also realized that I was being too calm about the situation at that time, that's why I purposely took the rehabilitation treatment for several months, fortunately, you were visiting me often, I was just very afraid that one day you would also leave me, so I had you make a promise to not leave me."

Hearing the latter part of Ayame's story made Kouro stiff and his body twitched, it was because he broke his promise to Ayame.

"I... I'm sorry... Ayame, I'm sorry for breaking my promise."

Ayame shook her head, "I have already forgiven you, Kouro." before continuing her story.

"But a few weeks later after you disappeared, and I was told that you ran away from home, I was very sad and disappointed at you, Kouro, and my sadness turned to anger when uncle and aunt said that you ran away from home because you wanted to find yourself and told me that I don't need to worry because they can track you down easily."

(Uncle and aunt = Parents who take care of Kouro)

"Huh?" Kouro became dumbfounded, he knew that his Uncle and Aunt were people of influence, but he didn't expect them to use their influence just for the sake of tracking him down.

"Well, you may not believe this, but Uncle and Aunt have a certain influence over the government, which made them less worried about you when you ran away from home, they even became happy that you can finally get over your sadness (sad of his real parents died)."

"Uncle and Aunt later adopted me, I always asked them when I can meet you, but they just give me a smile and say that I can after I graduate from middle school."

"And just as they promised, when I graduated from middle school, they told me where you are currently, they said you are in Nagazora City and enrolled in Tachikawa Academy, they were also amazed that you can live independently for that long. When I wanted to apply to Tachikawa Academy as well, they instead suggested for me to enroll in Senba Academy."

(E/D: I'm kinda pissed that Kouro was quickly found out. It may just be my pride acting up because I often project myself in the characters that I felt irritated.)

"When I asked why, they replied, "It's too boring to meet Kouro directly, it's better if you give him a surprise and an unforgettable lesson.", so I took their advice and ended up attending Senba Academy."

"But I didn't expect out reunion to be such an unforgettable one, literally."

"I apologize for hurting you, Kouro."

Kouro scratched his neck at the gesture and said, "You don't need to apologize like that, its not your fault after all, technically."

Ayame, while still lowering her head, spoke again, "...An also, thank you for saving me back then."

"Hmm? Didn't you already thank me?"

Ayame finally raised her head and shook her head, she replied, "I thank you not for that, but for saving me from those 'two people', if not for you I probably wouldn't be here."

"...How did you know?"

"Of course I would know, after all, you were the only other person I info about the existence of the stigmata besides 'those two', and also at that time, you reacted too calmly when dealing with those 'two people'."

"Ahaha... I got caught..." Kouro said while scratching his head.

After say that, Ayame again looked at Kouro seriously and said, "That's why, Kouro. I want you to promise me once again that you won't leave me again."

She then stuck her pinky finger towards Kouro.

Seeing that, Kouro remembered his promise to Kiana, which didn't happen because of the Third Eruption, he took his pinky finger and hooked it with Ayame's pink and said, "I promise."

After their gesture, a burden in Kouro's heart disappeared.

The relationship between the two, which were previously fractured, became strong again, and it even became a little more intimate that before under the pinky promise.

Neither of them paid any attention to Theresa sitting on the pilot's seat, listening to them talk from start to finish.

Theresa's face formed an ugly expression at this moment and there is only one thought in her mind.

'Riajuu Explode!!'

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(E/D: Since Ayame is from Senba Academy, she would have known of Raiden Mei. And since they would soon meet each other, and with how close Ayame is to Kouro, Mei would inevitably feel jealous, much less the Herrscher inside of her, Herrscher Mei would probably want to cut Ayame into pieces and throw lightning bolts inside Mei while Mei would still retain her elegant smile outside, and rant inside her mind. What's your opinion about this?)