"Um... Su Yan, was what you said earlier about being kept by Ms. Marikawa true?"
Takagi Saya took a deep breath and lifted her head from where it was buried against Su Yan's back after the motorcycle had traveled a short distance.
She finally mustered the courage to ask him the question that had been gnawing at her curiosity.
Su Yan responded without looking back, "What if it is?"
"I can take care of you, too!"
Takagi Saya's face flushed hot, and the thought that had suddenly popped into her head slipped out before she could stop it.
By the time she realized what she had said, it was already too late.
Spoken words couldn't be retracted within two minutes like a message on a chat app.
There was a sharp screeching sound.
The motorcycle skidded to a sudden halt.
Inertia sent Takagi Saya's body pitching forward.
It is a well-known fact that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Under this sudden force...
...Su Yan felt two massive points of pressure against his back.
Even Su Yan couldn't help but marvel at how gifted the girl behind him was.
Despite skipping a grade and being younger than Busujima Saeko and Miyamoto Rei...
...her proportions were even more excessive than theirs—the kind of shameful figure that would make flat-chested girls curse through gritted teeth.
What did 'great potential' even mean?
This was the definition of potential realized!
"Do you have any idea what you're saying?"
Bringing the motorcycle to a steady stop, Su Yan turned around and stared intently at the pink-haired girl who had made such a bold claim.
Under Su Yan's direct gaze, the pink-haired girl felt her throat go dry and instinctively wanted to look away.
But that impulse lasted less than half a second before Takagi Saya's innate pride took over.
For some reason, she felt incredibly frustrated.
First, Su Yan had been acting cozy with Miyamoto Rei, then he did that with Busujima Saeko right in front of her, and now there was this business about being kept by Marikawa Shizuka.
If they could do it, why couldn't Takagi Saya?
Takagi Saya would never let herself be second to anyone!
With that thought, Takagi Saya gritted her teeth and snapped her head up to face Su Yan's gaze.
Yet, after barely a second of eye contact, her confidence began to waver again.
Trying to maintain her composure, she feebly explained, "Don't get the wrong idea. I just think you're strong, and you have that Nen ability that's like a superpower. The Takagi family needs someone as powerful as you."
"If you join the Takagi family, we can prioritize giving you wealth and resources that ordinary people could never reach."
"Oh, and don't you like legendary swords? I can decide to give you all the famous blades my father has collected."
"And if we get along... then even... even I... might consider..."
Her words became a jumbled mess as her face turned brighter and brighter red. It looked like steam might actually start rising from her head.
Su Yan couldn't help but roll his eyes at that.
'Good grief, she wants her cake and to eat it too, huh?'
It was lucky it was him. Any other hot-headed transmigrator would be a different story.
Given her family background, someone else might have slaughtered her entire clan instead of escorting her home during a zombie apocalypse.
Where would you find such a good deal?
They'd probably be more likely to wipe out her family.
"Takagi, are you living in a dream world?"
Su Yan gave her a light flick on the forehead and said dismissively, "Did you misunderstand something? I don't have much interest in famous blades. I only asked for one as payment for taking you home."
"Besides, your Takagi family might amount to something in Tokonosu City, but outside of it? To be blunt, what is the Takagi family worth?"
"I'd be interested in King Arthur's Caliburn or Excalibur, or legendary swords like the Dojigiri Yasutsuna that supposedly slew the great demon Shuten-doji. Can the Takagi family produce those?"
Su Yan wasn't lying.
He really didn't have much interest in these so-called famous blades of Japan.
The only reason he agreed to take Takagi Saya home was simply because he was in a good mood today.
However...
Su Yan was a firm believer in fair exchange.
For example, on the school rooftop with Miyamoto Rei—didn't he exchange an extra bento box for her secret?
Or during class this afternoon when the signs of the zombie crisis appeared—he had kindly warned the students.
In essence, that was just a small return for the relaxed, everyday school life they had provided him. It was a different kind of fair exchange.
At least, that was how Su Yan saw it.
Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if it was this deep-seated obsession with fair exchange...
...that caused his Specialist ability to awaken as Equivalent Exchange.
Even the Contract ability derived from Equivalent Exchange...
...might have been influenced by that line from Fullmetal Alchemist that left a deep impression on him.
'I'll give you half of my life, so give me half of yours!'
It carried the same meaning of equivalent exchange.
That was why Su Yan had asked Takagi Saya for the famous blade used by Busujima Saeko in the anime.
"I... I..."
Hearing this, Takagi Saya's face went from red to an even deeper shade of red. She stammered for a long time, unable to get a single word out.
While saying her face went 'from red to red' might sound redundant, Su Yan could feel the shift quite clearly.
It was the same color, but the emotions swirling behind that flush were entirely different now.
It was quite fascinating.
"Takagi, tell me... do you actually like me?"
Seeing her reaction, Su Yan suddenly placed his hands on her shoulders and asked in a calm, probing tone.
"Huh?"
An incredible heat rose from her head as she scrambled for words. "Wh-what are you talking about? How... how could I possibly like you?"
"So what if your grades are a bit better, you're a bit better-looking, and you... you have some superpower? Wh-what's there to be so smug about?"
"I... I would never... l-like you..."
By the end, her voice had dwindled to a whisper, nearly inaudible.
The three great delusions of life: my phone is vibrating, I can make a comeback, and...
'She likes me?!'
Looking at the state of the pink-haired girl, however, this didn't seem like a delusion at all. It was practically confirmed.
Su Yan scrutinized the girl in front of him.
Wealthy heiress!
Tsundere personality!
Twin-tail hairstyle!
Glasses for nearsightedness!
Genius archetype!
Childhood friend (kindergarten classmates with Takashi)!
Romantic loser (completely unable to cut in between Busujima Saeko and Miyamoto Rei, destined to end up alone)!
He ran through the list again, double-checking.
Looking at the Takagi Saya before him, Su Yan had a sudden epiphany.
'Is that you, the golden-haired loser, Eriri?'
Aside from not being blonde, not drawing doujinshi, and possessing a shameful figure that Eriri could only dream of, she was practically the same person.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]