"I will always choose to stand by your side, Reiji!"

Even though the events displayed in the system transpired in a matter of seconds, leaving him silent during that time, Kanade's words still vividly echoed in Reiji's mind. As he looked at her, he noticed her gaze fixed on him.

A smile formed on Reiji's lips, and as he returned it, a special sparkle appeared in Kanade's eyes; it was as if she had just solidified a significant decision.

Indeed, this decision had been made at the moment the card representing this promise materialized.

"Hearing this from you makes me very happy, Kanade-chan." Reiji intertwined their hands gently, maintaining affectionate eye contact and smiling tenderly.

Warmth flooded Kanade's face, likely a vibrant shade of red. However, this was of little concern to her; nothing else mattered beyond holding hands with her loved one, absorbing his words, and sharing that sweet smile.

///

An incident marked Reiji and Kanade's path to the cinema...

On their way, after leaving the restroom, Kanade bumped into another girl. Reiji noticed the surprise on Kanade's face, who expected to feel some discomfort from the collision, but contrary to her expectations, the anticipated pain did not occur.

After apologizing, she approached Reiji, her face wearing a clear expression of perplexity, unable to understand what had happened.

Reiji, carefully, caressed her head and gave a friendly pat, encouraging with a smile: "Ready, Kanade-chan? It's time for the movie."

"Yes, let's go." Although curious about the incident, Kanade nearly forgot it under Reiji's comforting touch. And as he took her hand and led her, the incident faded from her mind, losing all significance.

As they walked hand in hand through the mall towards the cinema floor, Kanade looked at him and said, "Reiji, tell me something interesting that happened in your day."

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he thoughtfully replied, "Hmm... If I had to choose, I'd say I made a joke in the bathroom..."

"Bathroom joke?" She looked intrigued, furrowing her brow.

"Don't laugh, but..." He touched his face, a gesture that denoted embarrassment: "Actually, when I went to the bathroom thinking I needed to do a number two, it turned out to be a false alarm... In the end, it was like the joke about the woman who had three dogs, named Pooped, Little Ball and Black... The three dogs ran away, and she went out on the street shouting: Pooped, Little Ball and Black!"

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A look of surprise appeared on Kanade's face: "Really?" It was not hard to deduce that he meant that, instead of doing a number two, he had an unexpected result...

Seeing him somewhat shy while confirming, Kanade witnessed a rare and precious scene, which she wanted to cherish, but... Hahaha.

Kanade, charming and attractive, covered her mouth while holding back with the other hand as she let go of his hand, struggling not to burst out laughing. Her breasts swayed under her shirt as she laughed, a scene that would attract the attention of almost any man, even women.

Men and women in the mall glanced their way, but quickly looked away, pretending not to have seen, especially when they noticed Reiji's gaze.

However, seeing her laugh so genuinely happy, Reiji allowed himself to smile as well, caught up in her joy.

This time, he was unconcerned about the looks or even the whispers from others that sometimes spoke about them.

"Ahh, that was funny~" Kanade struggled to catch her breath, drying a tear with one hand while leaning on him with the other.

She really hadn't expected Reiji to share something like that with her. Don't boys usually try to appear confident and interesting in front of a girl to make a good impression?

Yet, she must admit she wasn't disappointed, feeling even closer to him...

At the same time, Reiji noticed a system alert indicating that her favorability and connection levels towards him had increased; 1 point in favorability and 5 points in connection.

"It's your turn now," Reiji encouraged her with interest. "Did anything interesting happen to you today?"

"There is something, but it's not directly related to me, does that count?" she asked.

"Of course, I'm all ears," Reiji affirmed.

"Mm, you know about Genhana High School, right?" After he nodded, she continued: "So, I heard from a friend who studies there that an overweight boy was near a little girl about 10 years old, close to the school. The situation looked a bit strange, as the boy was panting and had a very distressed expression while talking to the little girl..."

"And then?" Reiji asked, curious.

She started in a mysterious tone: "So, while the chubby boy was trying to talk to the girl, who seemed visibly scared, her older brother showed up. Furious, thinking that a potential pervert was approaching his sister in a weird and repulsive manner, he beat up the chubby boy to the point that they had to call an ambulance."

"Wow, did that really happen?" Reiji seemed to visualize the scene.

"Yes, and it seems that things aren't going well for the chubby boy," she continued. "One of his arms was broken, and now he needs to wear a cast. And, even his..." She blushed, "The boy's private parts seem to have been seriously injured. I'm not sure of all the details yet, but the story is true, as another friend who studies there also mentioned the incident in the friend group, although without so many details."

"Mm..." Reiji reflected for a moment before saying: "I can understand the situation, and I think there might be some truth to it. I too would be disturbed to see a teenager, say, 15 to 18 years old, trying to approach a ten-year-old girl... I might react strongly."

"Even without knowing whether the chubby boy did anything wrong?" Kanade inquired.

"Yes, in this hypothetical scenario, if it were my sister, I would ask her about what the boy was talking about and what he did. Depending on her answer, I would decide how to act, defensively or otherwise," Reiji explained.

Kanade smiled, appreciating his perspective: "Yes, it's always better to understand the situation before acting. Sometimes, things aren't as they seem. Who knows, maybe the chubby boy was just tired, or perhaps he even saved the little girl from being hit by a car, and that's why he was panting? There are numerous possibilities, and that's why I believe it's crucial to analyze the facts well before making any decision."

"I agree with you," Reiji resumed, bringing up a story he had read on the internet: "This reminds me of a tale about a dog that faced off against a three-meter-long snake about to attack the family's baby. However, when the parents came home and saw blood near the crib, and the dog with a bloody mouth, not realizing the presence of the snake; the man, who was a police officer, drew his gun and shot the dog in the head..."

Hearing the story, tears began to stream down Kanade's eyes: "Did that really happen? Oh my God, poor dog... He did everything to protect the baby and... In the end, was killed by its own owner... Ahhh..."

Her emotional reaction surprised Reiji, who promptly hugged her, disregarding the judgmental looks from others who thought he was the reason for her tears (which, in a way, was not entirely false).

He held her close to the railing, making sure not to block the path of people passing by. It took some time for Kanade to calm down, stopping her trembling while she whimpered.

Even as they headed to the cinema queue, Kanade still seemed somewhat shaken. The story of the dog had affected her more deeply than the narrative she herself had brought up about the chubby boy.

In the end, she reflected on how the dog had given its life to protect the baby of its owners, receiving death as a 'reward,' while the outcome of the episode with the chubby boy, though serious, remained uncertain. And despite his injuries, he was alive.