451 She really spoke! (1/2)

Natsuya fell silent.

Aoran didn't say anything else, either.

Time seemed to freeze over as neither of them said anything for a full minute.

”Thank you for telling me all this, Brother Aoran.”

”No need for thanks… What do you intend to do, Natsuya?”

”…I need to think things over first.”

”Then think things over well.”

They ended their conversation there.

Natsuya slowly put down her cell phone.

Even though she had just finished a warm bath with such earlier sensations, she now felt like there was a chilly feeling enveloping her entire body…

The next morning, the weather was beautiful with clear skies and bright sunlight.

Seiji had an excellent and restful sleep. After getting out of bed and washing up, he went to get breakfast.

When he arrived at the dining hall, he instantly noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

The reason was obvious. The student council president who was already sitting at the dining table was emanating a gigantic aura of displeasure.

Natsuya's face was grim and her arms were folded as she glared at the salted fish crackers in front of her as if these pitiful fish crackers had done something bad to her.

Hitaka and Mai who were trapped in her aura noticed Seiji's arrival and both stared at him as he arrived.

Seiji's cheek twitched involuntarily.

Under the watchful gazes of Natsuya's Spirit-branded Retainer and her maid, he walked up to the president and sat down beside her.

”Cough… Good morning, Natsuya. About last night…”

There was no reaction from her.

”Natsuya?” Seiji slightly increased his volume.

”Hmm?”

Natsuya blinked and turned to look at him.

”Good morning… Seiji,” she greeted him calmly.

”Good morning… What are you thinking about? Is it about what happened last night?” Seiji felt that something was wrong, so he tried asking.

Natsuya's expression remained calm. However, her face gradually began turning red.

”No! I wasn't thinking about what you thought I was just now.” She averted her gaze.

Seiji was mystified as to what was going on.

He didn't understand why she was in such a foul mood, but figured that he should apologize.

”I wanted to say that I'm so sorry about what happened last night,” he said sincerely. ”Although I didn't cause it on purpose, I still… um… I'm truly apologetic about it. My bad.”

Several seconds of silence fell between them.

”I want to say that you don't need to apologize, but last night indeed made me… feel some unusual things,” Natsuya said as her face reddened. ”So, I'll accept your apology… and forgive you.”

Seiji smiled upon hearing this.

Hitaka blinked as she observed, and Mai smiled as well. The atmosphere eased up with this.

Everyone began eating breakfast together.

Although Seiji's apology seemed to dissolve the awkwardness from last night, he felt that something was still on Natsuya's mind.

Seiji tried asking about it, so Natsuya told him, ”I'll talk about myself later. For now, what's important is you.” Natsuya looked at him. ”Do you think you can take on the additional burden of more Spirit-branded Retainer contracts?”

”It shouldn't be a problem.”

”That's good, then… in that case, as we previously discussed, try making Rana into your Spirit-branded Retainer.”

Seiji nodded as he looked at the cat girl who was sitting across from him.

Rana noticed his gaze and looked at him as well as her large cat ears quivered.

When he thought about how he was about to now have this cute cat girl as his own Spirit-branded Retainer as well, Seiji…

”You aren't thinking about something strange, are you?” an icy voice spoke up beside him.

”Not at all!” he hurriedly denied.

”Hmph…” Natsuya gave him a sidelong glance.

”By the way, what spirit was summoned for you?” Seiji changed the topic as he asked a question that he really wanted to know the answer to.

Although he sensed a spirit descending upon Natsuya during the ritual, he wasn't sure as to its identity.