To be honest, even Asakura didn't expect the other party to agree to his request so easily.
He had originally prepared himself for the need to be persistent.
It wasn't that he had suddenly turned into a pervert lusting after a middle schooler's lips, but rather it was to solve Yanami's problem.
Therefore, even if he was questioned by Kosaka Kirino, he could say with a clear conscience, 'My actions are righteous!'
Of course, considering that the other party and Gokou were online friends, to avoid too much awkwardness when they met in the future, Asakura not only wore the magic (Magic Eye Killer was with Fujiwara Chika), but also deliberately kept most of his face in shadow, making it harder for the other party to see his features clearly—after all, the magic [Candle] burning away memories would more or less have some side effects, so he tried to avoid using it if possible…
It was Aragaki Ayase recognizing him immediately that surprised Asakura, after all, the number of times he had met Aragaki Ayase was countable on one's fingers, and the total time they had spent together was probably less than an hour. In terms of acquaintance duration alone, even Kosaka Kirino had known the girl far longer.
Was this also the result of being endowed with a massive amount of vitality, even elevating the very level of life to become a 'superhuman'?
Asakura nodded imperceptibly, acknowledging this conclusion: Although thoughts like 'maybe it's just that this child is heavier' occasionally popped into his mind, their rationality and logic couldn't compare to the superhuman hypothesis, so he dismissed them all.
Through the windshield, Asakura looked at Aragaki Ayase, who was still talking to Kosaka Kirino. The former seemed not to want the latter to be alone with Asakura, but he didn't know what Ayase said to her. After pulling and tugging for a long time, Kosaka Kirino still walked away reluctantly, taking three steps back for every one forward.
"Sorry, it took a bit of time because Kirino worries too much."
Aragaki Ayase came to the car, her long black hair swaying with the girl's movements, inexplicably attracting attention.
Not long after transmigrating to this world, Asakura had already realized that the average appearance level in this world was actually a bit higher than on Earth. However, even in this world, Aragaki Ayase could definitely be considered a beautiful girl. Putting other things aside, just her beautiful long hair was something Asakura had only seen on TV in his previous life, like the sparkling, special-effects-enhanced hair in shampoo commercials.
He withdrew his gaze and naturally picked up the conversation: "It seems you have a good friend."
"I think so too."
The girl said with a shallow smile.
"By the way, that guy didn't actually go far, but is hiding behind that utility pole marked 'Yoshida Only' at the corner ahead, secretly watching us."
Asakura continued.
"I'm sorry, she didn't mean any harm…"
"I know."
Asakura snapped his fingers as if nothing had happened.
Then, the two heard a strange scream from not far away: 'Ah-eh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh—?! Snake? Why is there a snake here?!'
"…Uh, Kirino, is she…?"
Aragaki Ayase looked at Asakura with some concern.
"Don't worry, it's not a real snake, just something to scare people."
Asakura said with a smile.
"That's good."
"Then, let's get down to business…"
Asakura rubbed his chin, beginning to think about how to explain the whole matter in the simplest and most understandable way.
"Asakura."
But before he could figure out what to say, the girl's soft voice sounded in his ear.
"How… mm…"
The morning light dyed the car window with a romantic amber glaze, the metal frame no longer served as a barrier, and faint white mist rose on the already lowered glass. At this moment, their reflections seemed to be kneaded into a single silhouette by the morning breeze.
The shadow of the girl's eyelashes fell across the window frame, like dandelion fluff lightly brushing the contour of Asakura's nose. The girl's slender, pale knuckles curled into an unopened magnolia, delicately resting on the glass.
When their noses touched the same trembling surface, a warm, moist breath intertwined on their skin.
Eyelashes crisscrossed into a grid, weaving the golden sunlight of dawn into the moment of contact. Even the cold glass seemed to soften under the girl's tiptoeing action.
A soft, sweet sensation came from his lips, and only then did Asakura come back to his senses.
The more beautiful something is, the more fleeting it is. Unfortunately, he couldn't purely enjoy the girl's spontaneous kiss; he was merely using the brief mucous membrane contact between them to extract the information he wanted.
A moment later, their shadows once again became independent entities, but the moment they separated, crystal clear saliva stretched into long threads, reminding them of what had just happened.
"Sneak attacks aren't very nice."
Asakura recovered from the fleeting sense of loss and tried to speak in his usual calm tone.
"I don't think it's very nice to stick your tongue in when someone isn't looking either."
The girl, having tidied herself up a bit, protested softly.
"...It's just academic research, no need to pay too much attention to it."
Asakura said earnestly.
"So, what have you researched, great scholar?"
The girl asked in a teasing tone.
"A fruitful harvest."
Asakura also pretended to sigh.
Following that, an inexplicable silence fell, and the two looked at each other, both seeing a hint of awkwardness in each other's eyes, as their heated brains had probably finally calmed down a bit.
"If there's nothing else…"
Although the girl had been the one to initiate it just now, after the impulsive rush faded, shame undoubtedly took over again, and the girl's voice also became a little softer.
"Ayase—" Asakura called out to her, "Thank you."
The girl waved her hand, walked a few steps forward, then stopped, turned around, and bowed slightly to Asakura (or rather, his car), before quickly leaving. Her steps seemed light, and a smile still lingered on her lips, as if she had encountered something good.
After watching Aragaki Ayase leave, Asakura settled back into the driver's seat of the car.
"I was the one who asked her for a kiss, so why do I feel like I was taken advantage of…"
He mumbled, and then his expression became a little more serious.
"Anyway, what I thought would be the second most troublesome part has been successfully achieved. The remaining parts can only rely on improvisation."
That being said, Asakura knew very well that with his magic expertise, the success rate of actually implementing the plan would be negligible.
If it were just like that, Asakura probably would never have chosen this method to solve Yanami's problem in this lifetime. However, the most crucial part of this plan, he had already acquired.
Asakura took it out from his item slot.
The bottle, so ornate it was almost impractical, highlighted the preciousness of what was inside.
It was a golden bean.
No, upon closer inspection, it was actually a magic potion that flowed like molten gold.
☰