Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 11 Special Chapter (section)

===Part 4===

Gravel came to the meeting place an hour earlier. No, she arrived.

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The place was in front of the station of Ataraxia’s underground train loop line. The station building couldn’t be seen from above ground, but a stylish building was built on the place where the station was underground. It was a commercial building that became one with the station, and a lot of tenants entered inside. Gravel was waiting for Kizuna near the entrance.

She couldn’t really sleep at night.

However, there was no way she could have a date with Kizuna while having shadows under her eyes. Feeling that she had to sleep somehow, she became even more fretful and became even more unable to sleep. She had also spent three hours for picking clothes already. Her sleeping time was in a great pinch.

And then in the morning she also woke up early.

Fortunately no shadow was created under her eyes. After feeling relieved, she polished her body that had been washed thoroughly yesterday in the shower even more.

Thinking further she didn’t have perfume or cosmetics.

With no other way, she polished her lips with a lip balm of thin color that was the only thing she had. It felt like she greatly differed from usual even with just that.

Her clothes was a white dress. It was thin with no sleeves, her appearance was also refreshing, perfectly suiting the current season. And then on her head was a white hat with wide brim. On top of blocking the summer sunlight, the hat also created a slightly reserved impression for her. Unfortunately she didn’t have any accessories, so she wore an arm watch with thin belt as a replacement. The watch was showing that it was just fifteen minutes more until the promised time.

Her heart was beating intensely because of nervousness.

She wanted to meet him quickly, but at the same time she also felt scared for the starting of the date. She was fine when she met him at school, but like this she was nervous meeting him with only the two of them alone. She wished that the meeting time would quickly arrive, but on the other hand she also thought that she wanted time to stop.

Gravel pushed down the brim of the white hat she was wearing and looked up to the blue sky.

 

There was no more place to escape now that she had come here. She had used up all methods available to her. She had cast the die. The rest would completely depend on her flexibility to adapt in the battlefield and the training that she had piled up day by day.

Her feeling became heavy instead when she persuaded herself like that.

She didn’t do any training for this.

「Eh? You are early.」

Gravel’s heart jumped so hard, to the degree that she thought it might make *DOKKIIIN* sound.

Her heart was ringing with the sound like that of a revved engine.

Kizuna was wearing a white T-shirt and thin blue jacket. He was wearing a denim jean. The clothes had a sense of cleanliness on the whole without any bad taste.

「Ye, yeah, Kizuna yourself……yo, you are ten minutes early! Wh, why are you in such a hurry!?」

‘What are you running off your mouth at’, Gravel made a tsukkomi at herself. Sure enough, Kizuna walked until right in front of Gravel with a smile.

「If you said that, then Gravel yourself is the same.」

「We, well yeah……」

Kizuna stared fixedly at Gravel’s appearance. Even Gravel noticed how his gaze was moving here and there through her body. And then a slight surprise could also be seen from Kizuna’s expression. Gravel’s face felt boiled up in panic at that moment.

「Do-! Do I, look strange!?」

「Uwah! Wha, what is it!?」

「Say it! Where does it look bad!? I’ll fix it right away!」

「No, nothing looks bad at all. Rather, you look, really……great.」

Gravel opened her eyes wide. Kizuna averted his eyes bashfully, however he sent Gravel a peeking gaze.

「It’s surprising that your atmosphere is different than usual but……ah, come to think of it, that time when we went to Izgard’s sea and also when we did Connective Hybrid, your appearance was very cute. That kind of clothes also suited you.」

「I, I see……」

Gravel’s cheeks blushed and she looked down.

「Bu, but……I’m not a person that is that graceful, I’m worried that it won’t really match me though.」

Kizuna smiled brightly as though to blow away Gravel’s anxiety.

「That so? But I think you look good like a young lady in a summer resort. Because I know that Gravel is a cool girl who is active and good at all sports so……how to say it, that, this feels like a surprise attack. Aah, my bad. I cannot say it well but, my point is, it really suits you.」

Gravel linked her fingers together in front of her chest.

──’I’m happy, happy, happy!’

She repeated inside her heart many times.

She almost got teary unconsciously.

「Then, how about we go now?」

Kizuna stared at Gravel while he started walking.

「Ye, yeah.」

Gravel also followed behind a bit late.

「Whe, where are we going, Kizuna?」

「There is a movie theater nearby, so I’m thinking of going there. What do you think? It seems that a movie that was recently dug up from the archive was a big hit when it was published. It’s a work from before the First Another Universe Conflict, but it’s more or less compatible with VR screening.」

「Go, got it. Fine.」

「But, before that how about we eat a bit? There is still time until the reservation time. If you already ate, then let’s drink tea at least.」

「N, no. I haven’t really eaten, but if Kizuna is fine with just tea, then I’m also okay with that!」

「Then, how about going to an Italian restaurant near here?」

「Ye, yeah! I’ll leave it to you.」

Both of them started walking on the large street in front of the station. Gravel was following a bit behind Kizuna.

Gravel was staring longingly at Kizuna’s hand that was swaying in front of her eyes.

──’Should I, try holding hands?

N, no, something like holding hands so suddenly, he might think of me as a woman without manners. Calm down Gravel.’

Kizuna stopped walking and turned around.

「Gravel, what’s wrong?」

「Eh?」

「Am I walking too fast?」

「N, no! That’s not true!」

She jogged and stood beside Kizuna.

Kizuna watched attentively at her smiling before he began walking again.

They turned at the corner of the large street and entered a side street that wasn’t divided between sidewalk and roadway. A car ran past Kizuna’s side. Gravel noticed it in surprise and she changed her position with Kizuna.

「Kizuna, this side is dangerous. Get close to the wall.」

Kizuna smiled wryly and gently grasped Gravel’s both shoulders.

「Aa……nn♡」

A sudden skinship. A shiver of pleasure ran through Gravel’s back just from the touch on her shoulder. She felt it just from Kizuna touching her. As though to confess such secret by her own initiative, a shameful voice leaked out from her mouth mixed with a sigh.

It was unclear whether Kizuna noticed it or not, but he made an amazed face and returned Gravel’s body to her original position.

「Wha, what are you doing Kizuna? Your body is important. You are the vital point for opposing the machine gods you know? If something happens to you, I won’t be able to apologize enough to the others and your elder sis──」

「Let me show off a bit. In this kind of time, the girl is in the side that is being protected.」

Saying that, Kizuna looked bashfully towards Gravel.

「Kizuna……」

Something sweet was spreading inside Gravel’s chest. Something made her feel like she was a small and weak living thing suddenly.

「I see……sorry.」

「You don’t need to apologize though. Well, from Gravel’s viewpoint, perhaps I look unreliable so it’s understandable.」

「That’s not true! Yo, you are, properly……qualified as a knight.」

「Knight huh……what you mean by that, is about the magic knight of Izgard and Vatlantis right? Am I really qualified for that?」

「Yeah. You are a knight that won’t be a shame wherever you joined. This me guarantees that.」

Gravel who said that looked vaguely proud.

「I see. Then, let me protect princess Gravel for today.」

「Hih!? ◯△※●♀◆Princess-!?」

Gravel was bewildered.

「Wha, wha wha wha, what are you saying! So, someone like you is just!」

「Ca, calm down. It’s here.」

「Ki-, Kizuna-! Listen to what I’m saying!」

However Kizuna showed a broad grin and opened the restaurant’s door. And then, he moved back and prompted Gravel to enter first with his hand.

「──……」

Gravel made a troubled expression, but then she slipped through the door in resignation and vague embarrassment.

Guided by the waitress, the two sat face to face at a table near the window. Both of them glared at the menu, discussed this and that and started ordering. And then they spent their time making small talk until the food came. But, they found new discoveries even during that time. There was a lot of information about Gravel that Kizuna didn’t know, and vice versa.

Gravel was having fun listening to anything no matter how trivial it was if it was about Kizuna. Each time she knew a new aspect about Kizuna, she felt Kizuna closer to her.

Suddenly, Gravel recalled yesterday when she spent time with Aldea in a café.

It felt like something inside herself greatly changed at the time when she was together with Aldea, and at the time when she was together with Kizuna. It was like the type of magic armor she was wearing transformed in reaction against each one. That was Gravel’s interpretation.

It was something strong and ferocious against Aldea. But towards Kizuna, something delicate and beautiful so she could lean close on Kizuna was put on her.

The food came and their talk was halted for the moment, but they soon found a new topic.

They weren’t bored no matter how long they were talking.