ăChapter 6
It had been three months since Shinji had joined <Running Wolves>.
And now, he had decided to take the day off and not work as an adventurer.
Shinji left the inn in the morning and walked around the town alone.
He had a goal in mind, but he hadnât decided what he wanted to buy, so he walked to the commercial district.
He looked around a few stores, but couldnât find anything he liked. As he walked along, wondering what to do, he was approached from behind.
âYouâre up early today, Shinji. I thought you are sleep in in the morningâ
âHello, Renka. Iâm looking for something todayâ
Shinji said good morning, and Renka smiled back. Apparently, three months is enough time for them to get to know each other, and they had built up enough trust that if they saw each other on the street, they would call out to each other.
âItâs unusual of you. After all, youâre the type of person who decides what to buy before you make a moveâ
âThatâs usually the case. But today Iâm going to buy a birthday present for Alvin. Itâs in one month and four days from now, right?â
Shinji remembered the birthday he had been told about during their previous quest. Of course, he remembered not only Alvinâs birthday, but also Milisâ and Renkaâs birthday. Because of this repeated attention to detail, it made a good impression on Shinji. Renka also impressed by Shinjiâs willingness to celebrate the birthdays of his friends.
âYes. Every year on his birthday, we gathered and have dinner. Maybe we would ask Shinji to join us this yearâ
âIf so, Iâd love to. Please told them about itâ
âFufu, Iâm sure theyâll say yes. All rightâ
Renka giggled at Shinjiâs polite request for permission.
âAre both of them on a date?â
âYes. They went out from the morning. As I was free too, I thought Iâd go shopping.
âOh, really? If youâre free, Iâd appreciate it if you could accompany me in choosing a present for Alvin. It would be great if you could give me some advice. Of course, Iâll return the favorâ
âOkay. Then lunch will be Shinjiâs treatâ
âSure, sureâ
Itâs not the first time the two of them have gone out together. In the past, there have been many times when Renka and Shinji would split up to go shopping for a party or to gather information for a quest, if necessary.
And from that time, Renka had begun to trust Shinji, who work efficiently for the party, and didnât flirt with her even when they were alone, and she no longer felt uncomfortable when they were together.
âSo, letâs start from there. Have you decided what you want to buy?â
âIâm thinking of consumables or something that can be used on a daily basis. Maybe some desserts if weâre having a dinner partyâ
âI usually bake cakes, but MilâŚâ
As they talked, Renka led the way and started walking. Shinji also started walking behind her, matching her pace. He is one step behind Renka, keeping the distance between them as friends.
* * *
They went to several shops, but could not find anything good, so they could not decide. In the end, the time is almost noon.
âRenka, why donât we have lunch first?â
âOkay. Then, letâs go to the square there. Thereâs a stall selling delicious lunches. Also, itâs a nice day, so letâs eat outsideâ
âAll rightâ
When they arrived at the plaza, they found a good number of people strolling around and chatting. There are a few couples who seemed to be lovers, and there are only a few places left where they could sit and eat. In addition, there is a queue at a stall that looked like a bento shop, and it looked like they wouldnât be able to buy anything right away.
âIâll save a bench for you, can you go and buy one for me?â
ââŚSure. If I wait for you, I might get approachedâ
âWell, itâs not easy being a beautiful woman. Hereâs my walletâ
Shinji smiled at Renka while he handed his wallet to Renka, who annoyed at the unpleasant pick-up that could occur if she waited alone on the bench.
âTwo silver coins should cover the cost. You donât have to hand over your entire walletâ
âI donât think Renka would have a problem with that, would she?â
âYes, but⌠Well, okayâ
With Renkaâs cautious gaze, Shinji is taken aback by what she is worrying about. When asking someone else, he should always ask for confirmation in a polite manner, but when he asks a colleague for a favor, Renka reacts as if she were dumbfounded by his reaction. Heâs happy to be trusted, though, on the inside.
Shinji sat down on a bench and looked over at Renka. When he saw Renka in line, he looked around. The weather is good, the air ir calm, and there are children running around in the square. As he is looking at this ordinary scene, he heard Renkaâs annoyed voice.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Renka is being picked on by two men. As the bento shop is some distance away, they must have thought she is alone. Shinji sighed and walked over to Renka.
âI told you I was with a manâ
âJust leave that guy who make the cute girl like you buy stuff and play with usâ
âYeah, yeah. Itâll be more fun with usâ
Even though Renka refused, she glared at the men who blocked her way, but they did not show any sign of concern and continued to laugh and tangle with her. Renka is carrying a lunch box, so she couldnât push her way through. The men must have known that.
When Renkaâs frustration reached its peak and she opened her mouth to shout, Shinji stood over her to hide her from the men.
âIâm sorry. Sheâs with me. Can you refrain from doing that?â
Shinjiâs face is smiling as he looked at the men. But his eyes are not smiling at all, and he looked strangely intimidating, which put the men under pressure. At the same time as the men opened their mouths to say something back, Shinji increased his magic power and made it even more intimidating.
The men, who finally understood Shinjiâs threat, closed their mouths and walked away quietly. Although they are swearing, Shinji didnât care about the howling of losers. And so, he just walked away.
âI didnât think youâd be picked up even at this distance. Sorryâ
âI thought so too, but⌠thanks. Thank you for coming before I yelled at themâ
Shinji looked back at her and gave her an apologetic look, but she shook her head and smiled, thinking that Renka hadnât seen it that way either. And when Renka offered him a lunch box and he took it, Shinji said.
âBecause you look even more beautiful in plain clothes, they annoyed you. The clothes look great too. But letâs forget about the pick-up and have lunchâ
Renka is flustered by Shinjiâs quick compliment.
She is thrilled to hear a compliment from a close friend of the opposite s*x, different from the the same gender Milis. Yes, she is used to being told she was beautiful, but she had never received a compliment that included fashion before.
Still, Renka decided to cover up the fact that she felt flattered by the compliment, even though she hated flirtatious words, so she speaking louder.
âI know, I know! Letâs have lunch! The lunches here are the best!â
âOh, itâs recommended by Renka, after all. Iâm looking forward to itâ
Renka could not help but feel that Shinjiâs smile, which should be the same as usual, saw through her inner thoughts. But he didnât make fun of her like Alvin did, so she felt at ease and headed for the bench with Shinji leading the way.
After a pleasant lunch, they went back strolling in the town.
However, the afternoon is a little different from the morning.
Shinji is leading and Renka is following.
Shinji also walked in step with Renka. He consulted with Renka about the store clerk and where they are going as they proceeded.
Renka, who had always led Alvin and Milis, found it refreshing to be led by him. She is strangely excited by the sensation of working with a dependable man of the opposite s*x, with no one older than her father around.
In the end, the two of them went around until the evening, but didnât find anything good. So, Shinji takes Renka back to her inn. At first Renka refused, saying it that he was in a different direction, but then she decided to take Shinjiâs advice to avoid being picked up. After all, thereâs a lot of men who will pick-up a girl to ask them out to dinner at dusk. And so, after half a day of escorting, Renka felt less reluctant to rely on Shinji.
âI made you stay with me for a day and we couldnât decide. Iâm sorry about thatâ
Shinji shook his head with a smile as Renka apologized with an apologetic look on her face.
âItâs okay. I had a great day tooâ
âReally? Iâm glad to hear thatâ
Renka was relieved to see Shinjiâs reassuring smile.
But suddenly, she thought, âWasnât I the only one who had fun?â. She also thinks it must be hard for Shinji to deal with someone as unfeminine as Milis.
âDid you have fun, Shinji?â
Renka didnât mean to ask, but the words slipped out of her mouth. She thought to herself if she had lost her mind, but that feeling was blown away by Shinjiâs words.
âOf course. It was fun. Thank you for today, Renkaâ
Renka thought, âIâm glad to hear thatâ.
âThen, See you tomorrowâ
âYeah, see you againâ
With that, Shinji walked away. Renka watched his back for a while and then went back to her room. Back in her room, Renka lay down on her bed.
When she thought about it calmly, she realized that todayâs shopping trip like a date. Although, she had spent the morning picking out gifts, but in the afternoon, she had enjoyed spending time with Shinji. And now, she was feeling a little lonely when they partedâŚ
(No, no, no! Itâs not like I promised him a date, so itâs no problem! Itâs not like he was hitting on me!)
She shook her head and jumped out of bed.
Yes, Shinji looked the same as usual. He was caring, but still treated her as an equal friend.
For some reason, this bothered Renka.
