Damsel in Distress

Raven stops in an alley. It is quite close to his academy. Both of them come out the shadow. Ethan looked at her and she turns her head as she felt his gaze. She just stares at him silently.

"…"

"…Why did you have me do that whole drama?"

"…I did that so that he will not put us into surveillance. As a leader of government, He had independent right to put anyone under investigation. If he did the same to us, our life would have ended right away."

"…You never told me about it!"

"…It was a risk full of worth. If you think otherwise, return that gun to me…"

"I was saying today's heist was most thrilling adventure of my life. I would never forget it for the rest of my life."

Raven rolled her eyes at him. She is already used to his fickle side. Ethan still has something to ask.

"…What about that face mask?"

"The face mask I had you hide… I have some hair stick inside it. It's the hair of a person who happens to be someone I detests, I just took this chance to pay him back for last time. With this, we will never be in their cross hair again…"

"…You're through with your work."

"That's just how I work…"

Ethan raised his eyebrows at her obvious look. She seems to be in good mood today… well, it's not like he is not. Today is truly a day of fortune.

"…Go back and sleep. I will call you when I will need you again."

Ethan looked at her as darkness cover wraps her around curvy black dress. Darkness is shade darker than her black dress so it was fairly visible. She falls into the darkness and moves away at blur speed. Ethan follows her shadow and come out of alley. He stared at the direction she went to. There is one more question he had to ask but he is not really sure if he should ask or not.

Her illusions… they are quite strong. Ethan had seen it in a top ranking Magic Art list. There are only two Celestial Arts that are related to illusion one of them is ranked first that is lost for decades and he doesn't why but something is telling him that it is same… but if he asked her while she liked it… probably not…

Ethan threw the thoughts away as he doesn't want to offend her in anyway. It's not like knowing will change anything. It won't make a difference with him. Ethan also doesn't have any greed for it. Illusions need creativity, cunningness and great knowledge. Ethan is not sure if he has all of them. He will rather like destructiveness, surprises and one-shot kill…

*

Today is weekend, Adam have been come out to surf outside. He had been trying to rank up for few weeks but all of his tries seems to be in naught. He had been feeling quite frustrated after his last defeat from E- Rank from the last time. That's why he had been focusing on ranking up lately but it is not working at all!

Today, he came out for a walk, hoping something happen and his system caught it and threw a quest at him. He doesn't mind if he had to circle around whole city… he should probably call those two if he is going to do that. He will look too pitiful if he wander around alone like that.

"…What in the Green World you think you are doing?!"

A loud aged masculine voice resounded on the highway. Adam stops at his feet and looked at highway across. Cars and other vehicles were travelling through the road with zooming sound but he was able to see and hear clearly.

"Brats like you have no respects for elder! What are you doing not apologizing?!"

"I am sorry…"

An oldie seems to be bullying a teenage girl with navy blue hair. Adam was unable to see the face of the poor guy but he was able that it is teenager since the old one seems to be bowing his neck down while talking.

Adam shakes his head and walks forward with his fingers interlocked behind his head. If people don't even know how to take their stands then it is always bound to happen. It doesn't matter who is wrong if you can't even raise your voice to protect yourself, you will always found yourself in the same situation. Adam took a last glance and turns ahead.

!

Adam suddenly stops. It was just a glance but he still saw her face correctly… No, he doesn't believe he is so lucky for it to happen. He can't believe it is happening! He turned his head while suppressing the smile on his face. It's her! His first love in academy…! And it's the legendary cliché, Damsel in Distress!

Adam jump on road and ran across the highway. The car barely missed him but he doesn't believe that it would crash on him today. His luck is too good for an accident like that to happen!

He stands on the other side of road and fixes his clothes. He was wearing casual clothes but he still looks good. He took a look at his face in mirror on walls of café. He fixed his hair with a comb and grabs his chin to take a good look of his face.

"Yup…! I am at the peak of my handsomeness today!"

Adam went to confront the old man. He will teach him lesson for messing with his girlfriend today.

"…What is going on here and why are you scolding a cute girl like her like that?"

"Who are you…?! Are you- what's up with that smirk?!"

Adam didn't notice but his smirk doesn't seem to leave his mouth. He covers his mouth with his hand and reveals his serious face.

"…It's just your imagination… anyway why are you scolding her?"

"This girl first stumbles into me, due to that my hearing aid had fallen. She told me to let her help but instead of giving it to me, she threw it on the highway and didn't even apologize to me…"

Old man pointed at the highway where something crushed was lying like a stray pebble. He looked back at her weirdly. Lily felt his gaze and lowered her red-in-embarrassment head down. Just how much clumsy one had to be to make such a mistake?

Adam shakes his head. He doesn't give a damn about it. If it anything, it makes her more cute!

"…It's just a hearing aid. Just give me a price, I will pay it and leave her alone."

Adam answered with indifferent attitude. He needs show his cool and rich attitude today. Adam felt a hand tugging on his sleeves. He turns and looked at the Lily, who was holding on his sleeve, with a smile. He smiles softly and put his hand on her soft hands. They are soft! He wants to rub them!

"…It's fine. We are not stranger. It's the least I can do for you…"

"…Ah, that's not it…"

"Brat…It's worth 100,000 C. Pay me up now!"

Adam turned his furiously looked at the old man. He was lost for words. Was it made up of Diamond or something?! No, Even Diamonds are not that pricey! He looks back and forth to his love and the degenerated old man. His bank account had just few more thousand than the required amount. Should he split the bills with her?

He took a sneak look of her face. She had her head down even now, refusing to look at him even once. He would look cheap if he did that, that's the last thing he wants! He just bites his lips and asked the old man for his account no. with a painful expression. Degenerated as he was, he didn't show any hesitation over it, he took the money and left like nothing happened in the first place.

"…Hello…, T-Thank you…!"

Lily looked at her with ocean blue eyes and turned her head away as their eyes meet. She thanks him in shy voice while stealing glance of his face. Adam can already tell what she is thinking, she must be wondering how someone as handsome as him can exist.

"… It's nothing at all. Are you fine, he was screaming at you really loud…You're not hurt in anyway, right?"

"…I am not… Thank you…, I will be leaving."

Lily turns around and tried to leave but Adam grabs her hand softly.

"…You're not fine at all. You're whole face is red. Let's go. I know something that can help you…"

"…I…I have some-e-e w-w-where to go, I… I…"

Adam grabs her hands lead her where he wants. He had seen an ice-cream shop on the way. It looks like a couple spot, what else he needs now. There is no way he is going to let her escape her after making him pay like that.

Does she think she can escape after this? Adam had sworn that he will reclaim every cent he had paid for her today. That will be, of course, by spending his whole life with her. He interlocks her finger with him to make sure she didn't escape.

She blushed furiously at this intimate action. She never touched a guy before and now she had interlocked finger with one. She can feel his hand which is big and warm. She still felt uncomfortable so she tried to ask him to release her.

"…I…I… hear me… please…"

"…It's fine. I understand everything. I know the cure to your illness. You just need to follow me for the rest of your life…"

"E-E-E-Excuse me-e-e…?!"

"…Just follow me…"

Adam took her to ice-cream shop and has her taste all the ice-cream she can. At first, she was shy but slowly she also opened up and asked for flavors she likes. Adam didn't forget to count the bills. He just takes a look at the menu but price seems to be quite high for some reason. He will be in tight spot for his remaining date… BUT!

He has friends. Friends! That will help him unconditionally! Friends that is cheering for his love life! Friends that is looking for his happiness!

He hurriedly message Lucas and asked him for money.

[What is it? Is it something important?]

Adam looked at the message and sent the reply.

[It's a lifetime opportunity. if it lost, it will never show its face again!]

[I got it.]

[10,000 C Received]

[Enjoy your life.]

Adam looked at his balance and nodded. It will be more than enough for an expensive date today. A smile form on his life as he looked at the blue-haired beauty, squeezing her face and rubbing her temple due to brain-freeze. She looks so cute that he wants to squeeze her cheeks right now!

Adam took this chance to look for any date spots nearby him. It seems his luck is out of control today since there are more than enough to spend his whole day with her.

Adam also tried some ice-cream but it taste no different than the cheap ones he ate outside. Is it really worth it? He looked at the lady who seems to be enjoying ice-creams with a delighted expression. She seems to like multiple ice-cream flavors related to banana. Does she like bananas…? That will be another stroke of luck today! His luck is out of control today!

Adam took her outside and tour whole area with her. She seems to be trying to ask something but Adam didn't let her complete and use all the distraction he can found to shut her up. She might try to find her way out but he has no intention to do that at all. He took her too mall and tried to buy her clothes but she rejected it. He also took her arcade but she seems to feeling uncomfortable with crowd so he took her out.

He chose a silent park to take a long walk. He tried to talk with her but she respond with single words or gestures. He found it quiet hard but he never expected it to be easy. He still has rest of the day for his goal. Even if not girlfriend today, he will, at the least, sow some seeds for future.

Both of them rested on a bench. It's afternoon and sun seems to be trailing on them as it stand right above them. He made her sit on the side where there was some shade from the trees. He made his mind run on full drive to find some way to make things right for him.

"…Hee-llo… He-lll-o, I…"

She was stammering as she tried to talk. It seems this fast-paced date had left her baffled. Adam remembers that she seems to want to say something since beginning but was unable to say it. Adam turned toward her and waited for her to say it.

!

She flinched and looks away as she noticed Adam looking at her face. Still, she needs to say it now! She can't just stay like this… She gripped her blue skirt with both hands and clenched it. She had hard time asking normally so she said in loud voice.

"…Excuse me…! Who are you?!"