When I finally had any energy to stand up, I moved my body to sit up straight and Ai pulled me up. I was still exhausted and I leaned onto Ai’s small frame but she is a lot stronger than she looks so she had no problem holding and supporting me.
"Well, your progress is a lot faster than I expected but you still have a long road ahead of you Kazuki. Don’t forget to come tomorrow for training too," Natsumi-san told me and I looked at her.
"Even tomorrow? Are we going to do this every single day?" I asked her with a little hope for her to put it to alternate days.
"That is the plan," she said shattering all my dreams.
Looks like I might not be able to make any food during this training and I don’t really want to eat store-bought ones. I looked at Ai who was helping me stand up and she smiled at me. Even if she has no problem eating that stuff but having a healthy home-cooked meal is a lot better option especially for me since I don’t have the amazing body mechanism of this half-vampire.
I looked at dad’s katana and wondered if it turned small like Natsumi-san’s and Iwaguchi-san’s weapons. While I was thinking that, it actually started to transform and turned into a small key chain with a knife-like model with it.
"Now this is convenient," I muttered and then the thought crossed my mind. "But how is it able to do this?"
"Well, the technology is a lot more advanced than you think kid," Natsumi-san answered my question.
"I see and showing it to the public won’t be very beneficial. I get where you are coming from," I said and started walking.
We started walking out of the room and as always, Natsumi-san had to scan her card yet again. If it were me, I would have been a lot annoyed by now. Ai was walking next to me supporting me and Iwaguchi-san was a little worried about me so he was walking beside me. The only one who is not caring is my aunt who was walking in front of us.
After getting in the elevator, Natsumi-san pressed the button on the ground floor and I was slowly gaining more energy and I think I could walk on my own now.
"Ai, I can walk on my own now so you can let go now," I said to her but she shook her head and hugged my body.
"No, I like being this way. I won’t let go," she childishly said and I chuckled.
"Do as you please then."
"I already am."
"This is where we part ways. I and Iwaguchi have some work to take care of so you two are on your own," Natsumi-san said and then face Ai. "Take care of this guy and make sure he has enough rest."
Ai nods her head and a smile formed on her face. She is thinking something and I don’t have any idea what it is but I unconsciously gulped.
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"Bye Kazuki, sorry about earlier again," Iwaguchi-san said.
"Don’t fret is Iwaguchi-san. It is thanks to you going all out, I am realizing how incompetent I am. I should be thanking you instead," I replied while shaking my head.
"If you say so but don’t do anything too tiring. You need to rest your body for tomorrow. I think Natsumi-san is going to train you even harder."
"Haha, I am so going to die this month," I said nervously.
Both Ai and I walked out of the building before we got handed two cards with our names and information on them. I don’t want to deal with all the scanners!!!
"Where to?" I asked Ai and she put her index finger on her chin and pondered on the idea.
"Oh, I know a place. You are going to love it," she said and I smiled.
"Lead the way."
Ai grabbed my hand and called a taxi. We boarded the vehicle and started heading to where Ai told the driver. She did not actually say it out loud but showed something on her phone to the driver and he nodded. After that, she sat back and leaned her head on my shoulder.
Thinking about it, I am such a unique person. No, seriously. Just how many people get to say, "Meet my girlfriend. Oh, she is a half-vampire by the way."
Not many people get to say that.
My eye fell in my pocket and I took the keychain out. It felt a lot lighter than the actual katana which really amazed me. How were they even able to cut down the mass? It should logically not be possible if you think about it. This "technology" just defies the basic laws of nature but then again we are humans. We have always been striving of doing something out of the ordinary breaking every limit and boundary possible.
If not, then neither vampires would exist nor development would happen.
It has its own pros and cons.
My thoughts trailed off to another topic as I clenched the keychain. I finally have the means to protect myself now and I find out that my aunt is a vampire hunter in just two days. Forty-eight hours is a lot of time if I think about it.
But that still does not mean that I can rest assured. There haven’t recently been any vampire attacks on me but I just cannot get this feeling in my chest.
Something big is about to happen and I might not be able to tackle it easily.
I need to get stronger quickly but I cannot overexert my body too since that can lead to potential injuries which is not really ideal when I am in this situation. Even if I don’t want to, all I can do today is rest my body and work myself to death tomorrow and continue it for as long as Natsumi-san trains me.
"Were here," Ai said bringing me out of my thoughts and I looked out of the window and my eye widened.
"This is…"
"I know how much Kazu-kun loved to eat here when he was little," Ai said kissing me on the cheek as I looked at her. "Kazu-kun is doing so much for both of us so I need to reward him appropriately, right?"
We got off the taxi and paid the fare and my eyes were looking around the small establishment right in front of us. How many years has it been now? Ten years or so.
"I can’t believe this place has not changed till now," I muttered.
"The people here never intended to change this place at all and it still looks the way it used to. Your parents used to bring you here a lot, didn’t they?" Ai said smiling and I face her and quickly pecked her lips making her blush.
"Thank you so much Ai," I said with a soft smile on my face.
"Anything for my Kazu-kun."
We entered the restaurant and as soon as we put a step in, the strong smell of various dishes attacked our noses. I think there was garlic too since Ai pinched the bridge of her nose. My eyes scanned the place and I took a deep breath smelling the amazing fragrance here.
"Welcome," said a man in his mid-forties wearing a big t-shirt with the restaurant’s name on it.
"It has been so long Ida-san," I said smiling softly.
The man was a bit surprised hearing my response and he stepped forward and took a closer look at my face. He racked his brain a little trying to remember but he was having a hard time remembering.
"I will be having a hamburger and chocolate shake," I said and his eyes widened.
"Is that you Kazuki boy?" he asked me and I nodded. "Oh my god, look how tall and big you have grown."
He was Terajima Ida, a longtime friend of my father. His family owned a restaurant and he took over his father as the head chef after he got old. We would often come here to eat which was dad’s excuse to chat with Ida-san and the food also tasted amazing. He was married to his childhood sweetheart and they had a daughter too who is of my age if I remember correctly.
Ida-san happily hugged me and I returned the gesture. After some time, he let go but held my shoulder scanning me from top to bottom.
"Man, you are looking more like your father as the days passed. Now I really starting to feel old," he said and his eyes fell on Ai. "And this young lady here is your girlfriend?"
"I am Tsubaki Ai, it is a pleasure to meet you," Ai said smiling and bowing down.
The moment her voice escaped her mouth, all eyes were on her which reminded me that just how exceptionally beautiful she was. Seeing her every day waking up next to me kind of made me used to see her face.
"And she is very polite too. Now you got yourself a nice catch Kazuki," Ida-san said elbowing me in the chest.
"How are Sara-san and Aoi doing?" I asked him.
"Both of them are doing great. In fact, Aoi also started helping out at the restuar- "
"Hey just tell us. We are just asking your name," a voice interrupted Ida-san.
I looked at the source of the voice and some boys were sitting in their seats and were holding the wrist of a girl with shoulder-length golden brown hair She was trying to make them let go of her wrist but they weren’t doing as she said.
Before anyone could say anything, I moved and appeared behind the girl looking at the four boys.
"Please let go," the girl said.
"W- "
"I am pretty sure I heard her say to let go. Are you perhaps deaf?" I said in a cold voice as they all looked at me.
"Huh? Who are you? Trying to act cool here?" said the boy and stood up. He was a little taller than me and was looking down at me.
"Um…please don’t fight in the restaurant," the girl said trying to stop us.
"Why are you getting so angry there? Is your little pride so little that it got hurt by just a little request from me?" I said in a mocking tone. "Or perhaps that is arrogance."
The boy clenched his fist and aimed a punch at my face and I leaned back dodging it and grabbed his arm. With my free hand, I pressed his shoulder blade from behind and pushed him down.
"Easy there bud, if you don’t keep your limbs in check, you might hurt someone," I said pushing my hand further making him groan in pain.
"What are you looking at? Get him?!"
The other boys got up and I glared at them intensely. They stopped in their tracks and I could see the sweat falling down their forehead.
"Hey, no fights in my restaurant!" Ida-san said stopping everyone.
I let go of the boy’s hand and he stood up holding his shoulder. I turned around seeing Ai standing next to me as she held my hand. It was good that I knew I could deal with the person because if I got even a scratch from that, he would be killed by Ai on the spot even if she promised me not to kill or hurt a human. Her emotions can get the better of her easily if not kept under check.
"You four, out," Ida-san said pointing at the four boys who looked at him with a baffled expression.
"Wha- but we were the victims here," the boy said.
"Yes, you saw it didn’t you?"
"Why should we be the ones who should leave?"
"Because this is my restaurant and you messed with my daughter. Do I need any more explanation than that?" Ida-san said crossing his arms before his chest. "It is good that he was the one who stopped you before me because if it were me, you would be getting out of here without more joints in your body than before."
The boys got scared of Ida-san’s threat and quickly scrammed out of the place. He is still very protective of his daughter I see. After everything ended, everyone was back to eating their food.
"Thanks for your help Kazuki. It is hard to keep myself in check even now," Ida-san said laughing. He was an ex-delinquent.
He got to know dad because even he was not the most diligent of the students and would get in a fight quite often. Once he got in a fight with Ida-san’s group and he beat all of them up all alone. That was when he gained his respect and friendship.
"It’s fine Ida-san. I wouldn’t want something like that happening in this place. It is kind of special to me," I said smiling and faced the girl. "Are you alright now?"
"Kazuki-kun?" the girl asked tilting her head.
"Well, that sure is my first name. Like yours is Aoi."
"It’s really you Kazuki-kun!" Aoi jumped happily and hugged me. As soon as her body touched mine, I could feel daggers being glared in my direction. Ai is not happy about this. "Where have you been all this time? It has been so long since I last saw you."
I made her let go of me because she wasn’t and could see Ai still glaring at her. She latched onto my shoulder and had a sinister smile on her face.
"Nice to meet you, I am Kazu-kun’s GIRLFRIEND Tsubaki Ai," Ai said to Aoi. She is jealous.
"Oh, Kazuki-ken even have a girlfriend," Aoi said and I could see electric sparks between the two girls. "I was too late."
"What was it?" I asked her since I was not able to hear what she muttered.
"N-nothing! Why are you standing? Come have a seat," Aoi said taking us to an empty seat for two.
We then sat down and had our food served. It still tasted the same as I remember and Aoi was trying to talk to me but Ai was always coming up with different ways to stop it. In the end, I enjoyed it a lot and was about to pay our bill.
"No bill for you. Today’s meal is on the house," Ida-san said.
"Thank you Ida-san, I will come back sometime soon. I really missed the food here," I said and then started heading out.
Next stop, home.
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