"Meow~"
Kazuma was completely unaware of the complicated emotional turmoil unfolding on the sports field. He was crouching behind the building, nervously watching his little cat. A few minutes ago, he had used an evolution package on her—the [Evolution–Devolution Radiation Source].
Even though he was certain there was no danger, he still felt uneasy. After all, the little black cat wasn't even fully grown yet.
"How do you feel? Uncomfortable? Or comfortable? You're not going to suddenly go crazy like I did, right?"
That would be a serious problem.
"Meow…"
At first, the small, adorable cat showed no reaction. But soon, her body began to sway unsteadily, and she let out a weak cry toward Kazuma, as if asking to be held.
Kazuma quickly picked her up and held her in his arms.
"Meow~~"
The kitten looked at her owner pitifully. She didn't know what he had done to her, but her body felt strange and uncomfortable. She even wondered if he no longer liked her, letting out soft, plaintive cries.
"Don't worry. There's no danger. This is evolution. Once you get through it, you'll be reborn and become the king of cats—cough… something like that," Kazuma said quickly, comforting her as he gently stroked her head and soft fur.
"Don't be afraid. Just rest quietly."
"Meow~"
As if she understood his reassurance, the black kitten gradually calmed down and lay obediently in his warm embrace. She stuck out her tongue to lick his finger and blinked her large, bright eyes.
Kazuma wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but…
Her pupils seemed to be becoming more and more human-like.
"Her body temperature is rising… just like mine did," Kazuma murmured.
For now, her reaction wasn't too extreme. Aside from the rising heat in her body and her limp state, there were no other abnormalities.
And she wasn't in heat, either.
Kazuma carried her over to the poolside faucet. As if by coincidence, Shinomiya Natsuha also approached from the other side, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her ponytail swayed behind her as she came over, seemingly intending to get a drink.
But the moment she saw Kazuma, her pupils shrank, and her steps faltered.
Kazuma glanced at her briefly, then turned on the faucet without saying anything. Cool water splashed onto his face, and he drank several large mouthfuls. Afterward, he held his damp fingers near the kitten's mouth, and she stretched out her tongue to lick the water clean.
"Meow~"
She seemed to have regained a bit of energy.
Miss Shinomiya Natsuha stood frozen in place for a full three minutes, as if struggling internally. In the end, she still walked over slowly and stopped beside Kazuma. Without looking at him, she turned on the faucet and bent down to drink directly.
Wait—that's too rude…
Startled, she quickly pulled back and instead cupped water in her hands, drinking in small sips. While doing so, she secretly glanced at Kazuma and noticed him feeding water to the kitten in his arms.
Is that his pet? It's so cute… but is it sick?
"Do you hate me that much?"
Kazuma suddenly spoke while feeding the cat, startling Shinomiya Natsuha.
"Eh? Ah?"
"You're acting strangely," Kazuma said calmly without looking up. "If you hate me, you wouldn't keep secretly glancing at me. But if you don't hate me, you keep avoiding me. Or… am I scary?"
"I—I wasn't secretly glancing!" Shinomiya Natsuha's embarrassment exploded instantly. I only glanced a few times—how did he even notice?! No matter what, I absolutely can't admit it. "You're mistaken!"
Kazuma finally raised his head, wearing a faint, ambiguous smile. He didn't argue.
"I see. Then I must have misunderstood. Maybe Shiina-san was right—I really am too narcissistic."
Shinomiya Natsuha took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm.
"You're basically a celebrity now. After what happened last time, any normal girl would have been too embarrassed to face you… but Kazuma-san seems completely unaffected."
Thick-skinned.
Her eyes clearly conveyed that meaning.
Kazuma raised his dead fish eyes. "I was once a pure boy, even blushing when talking to girls. Now…"
He suddenly winked at her.
He winked at Shinomiya Natsuha, watching the droplets of water under the sunlight slide down her lips, all the way from her neck into her clothes. Facing such a beautiful scene, he said meaningfully, "Purple has a lot of charm~"
Shinomiya: ???
"Eh?"
See, now I even know how to flirt with people. I've learned bad things. Kazuma shook his head and turned to leave, leaving Natsuha standing there blankly. "He wouldn't be talking about me, would he?"
A lot of charm or something.
Was he flirting? He was definitely flirting, right? Or was it just a simple compliment? No… he didn't even say my name. Purple doesn't necessarily mean me… even if my name is Shinomiya…
The girl lowered her head and looked at herself, her cheeks faintly flushed.
It was the first time she had ever heard such words directed at her. It felt slightly suggestive, yet not vulgar. Even if it was flirting, it didn't make her feel disgusted—instead, it stirred something deep in her heart.
Miss Shinomiya Natsuha was completely thrown into confusion, her emotions thrown into chaos by a single sentence from Kazuma.
"Hey! What are you doing here?!"
Oga Masaru suddenly blocked Kazuma's path, his expression dark and unfriendly. He had been following Shinomiya the entire time, and seeing the girl he considered his already chatting with another man—blushing, hesitating—made his anger boil over.
He couldn't tolerate it any longer.
"Shinomiya! What's the meaning of this?! You wouldn't even talk to me, but you chatted so naturally with him. What—do you think this guy is better than me?!" Oga Masaru demanded, his tone dark and frustrated.
More than anything, he felt a deep sense of crisis.
He had always been confident when compared to other guys. But after seeing Kazuma that day, he had felt genuine shock.
His greatest source of pride had always been his physical superiority—but standing next to this guy, he actually felt inferior?
Damn it! Could Shinomiya be attracted to his… that?
"And you," the yellow-haired guy turned his head and glared at Kazuma in front of him, mocking him with an unwilling expression. "Boy, what's the use of being big? Stamina and endurance are what really matter!"
Oga Masaru flexed the muscles on his body and warned fiercely, "A weakling like you who even needs to take leave from sports should obediently lie in a hospital bed. Don't touch women who don't match your strength! If you know what's good for you, stay away from me in the future, I—"
Before he could finish speaking, his pupils suddenly shrank as he saw his hand being grabbed.
"You're disturbing my kitten."
Kazuma stared at him coldly, his gaze filled with killing intent as the strength in his grip slowly increased.
"Y-you! You bastard!!!" A terrifying force tightened around his hand. Oga Masaru clenched his fist desperately, trying to break free, but it felt like his hand was trapped in iron pliers—he couldn't move at all.
Crack, crack, crack.
His eyes bulged outward.
"You said I'm weak?" Kazuma smiled broadly as his fingers continued to tug. "I'll give you one last chance. Who exactly is weak?"
Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!
That was the sound of bones breaking.
"Let go! Let go quickly!!! It's breaking, it's going to break—I'm weak! I'm weak! Aaahhh!!!"
Kazuma twisted his wrist slightly, forcing Oga Masaru to drop to his knees. Looking at his arm, which was nearly twisted out of shape, Kazuma curled his lips into a gentle smile.
"Be careful next time. Speaking carelessly makes it easy to offend people, you kidney-deficient dog. And remember—take a detour when you see me in the future. Otherwise, I'll beat you every single time."
The yellow-haired boy knelt on the ground without dignity, his heart freezing with fear. In his eyes, Kazuma's smile looked like that of a devil.
Monster… this monster…
As for Shinomiya Natsuha, she didn't even glance at the yellow-haired boy on the ground. Her eyes remained fixed on Kazuma's back, her cherry lips pressed together, her expression conflicted.
"So, was that sentence really about me..."
She was still struggling with her emotions.
*****
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