'Inspection(2)'

Jason had been walking with Sara for hours now, and it was already noon. It didn't seem like the general was in a rush to conduct her "secret inspection" at Nagohana Fireworks. Instead, she was checking out the stores in Tenryou's famous Commercial District one by one.

He held back an urge to remind the general of her goal. Although Jason hadn't worked under her for long; he always had a feeling that beneath Sara's golden's eyes hid a tinge of sadness - maybe it was from the burden of having to shoulder the lives of her men? She seemed to be enjoying herself; something he rarely saw and didn't want to spoil the mood.

In the midst of the crowded street, the general was right now standing in front of a vendor, running her hands through its wares one by one.

"Wow. These accessories look really beautiful ..."

"I'm surprised Miyako. I didn't know you would be interested in something like this."

"No. I'm just merely pondering the meaning behind the aesthetics and craftsmanship of these items," she said. "Let's move on."

Jason cocked his head to one side. Why was she denying something so obvious? He couldn't make sense of her strange behavior. Maybe it was because of her upbringing. Sara did mention before that her foster father was incredibly strict.

Considering how she rose to a general at such a young age and her prodigious combat skills; Sara must have joined the military as a child - training for the most part of her life. That means her childhood must have been ...

"Are you sure you're not getting anything?"

Sara turned and began to walk away. "There's no need."

"W-wait ... Hey! Miyako!"

Jason's pleas fell on deaf ears as Sara continued to ignore him and proceeded to the next vendor nearby. He could tell that she really liked the hairpin - the general was looking at it earlier and her eyes had been glued to it for a full minute.

"How much does this cost?"

"What a great eye you have with goods! Dear Sir." The middle-aged man standing behind the stall spoke. "This is one of our most popular wares! The Crimson Finch Bird Hairpin."

"I see. Didn't expect that she would be fond of a chirpy bird …"

"Rumours say that aside from shibas, the Almighty Raiden Shogun herself is also fond of this type of bird. It has resulted in it being quite popular." The man explained.

Jason kept quiet. The Raiden Shogun liked Crimson Finches? As the ruler of a nation of over eighty million people; surely her tastes would not be the same as that of the commoners. She probably preferred exotic animals instead. This was definitely some sales tactic or rumors the merchants had decided to spread in order to raise the price of the item.

He had already received a generous sum of mora for his exploits and supposed it wouldn't hurt to get the general something she liked. Since he had the means, Jason figured he could doing something nice for his superior.

"I'll take it."

"That will be ten thousand Mora. Please." The man grinned.

Jason let out a soft sigh and took the hairpin after he had made the payment. Upon a closer look; it didn't seem like that bad of a deal after all. The workmanship and details on the hairpin were intricate, and the colors used accurately reflected how the Crimson Finch looked in real life.

A familiar voice then rang beside his ears.

"Hey Jason, are you done? What's taking so lo … you actually brought it?"

"Well, yeah. Um … here. Just treat it as a gift from a friend." He stretched a hand that held the hairpin towards the general, unsure of whether he had actually done the right thing. He was terribly awkward when it came to such stuff.

In his previous world, he'd never really interacted much with any one of the opposite sex - thanks to how the girls would always shun him based on how he looked. Jason wasn't exactly a ladies' man and didn't really have experience in how to handle them.

The hairpin was still lying in the palm of his hand, and Sara simply stood there - her eyes intently fixed on the object.

"If it's not to your liking, you don't have to accept it. I'll just give it to my disciple instead." Convinced that he had somehow made the general upset, Jason tried to salvage the situation.

"W-who said that I didn't like it?" Sara snatched the hairpin away at once.

"Of course. I definitely did not say it ..."

Her response was so defensive that it caught Jason off guard. Were all females so hard to understand? He'd given up trying to read her mind.

"I'll treasure it. Thank you." Sara ran her fingers around through the item several times; as if to ascertain that the object was real. She then slowly lifted a part of her hair and put the hair clip on.

Her eyes lit up, and for the first time, Jason saw such an open display of happiness from the general - she was normally very reserved and did not have a habit of displaying her emotions.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"It's the first time someone did something like this for me …" Sara's head bowed slightly, her voice barely audible, then she reverted back to her usual strict tone. "Ahem. It is only fair that I should do something for you in return as well. As a way to offer my appreciation, I will allow you to make not one - but f-five requests."

"Five!? It's a gift so you don't have t-"

"No!" the general forcefully responded. "It's okay if you don't have any for now. But I insist. As long as what you desire does conflict with the Almighty Shogun's Grand Cause; anything is fine with me. I will make every effort to see that it comes to fruition."

Anything was fine? Jason risked a glance at her chest, then quickly averted his gaze away.

"I don't have anything for now. It's already lunch …. Err. Let's get something to eat."

The crowded streets of Tenryou were filled with countless shops and eateries. It took a while before he managed to find a spot at one of the less packed restaurants.

"Shimura's … you really have a good eye for eateries. Jason."

"Is that so? I just randomly chose one where we would be most likely to find a seat."

"I've heard from some of the soldiers regarding this store before, it's run by a retired samurai. While its food isn't anything particularly outstanding, they are well known for their drinks instead."

Sara's eyes scanned through the menu again, her expression was as stoic as ever.

However, it was clear to him that the general was very interested in the onigiri the restaurant had to offer … and not their drinks - judging by how she had been on the same page of the menu for the past few minutes. He was just about to ask the general more about her tastes when the shop's assistant appeared.

"Here are your onigiris and Sakura Tea you ordered earlier, dear customers! And … oh! Since you're a couple, our eatery is currently running a limited-time special 20% discount for them. How lucky for you!"

Jason almost fell out of his chair when he heard the words 'couple' being uttered. Sara was someone from one of the three most esteemed clans in the whole of Inazuma, and even a general of the Shogunate Army.

If her cover was blown, and rumors were to actually spread … Sara's reputation would be affected. Most importantly, such a remark by the waitress was sure to have hurt the feelings of the general - it was definitely an affront to her position and standing to even suggest the idea of a noble and commoner like him being in a romantic relationship.

"Wait. I must clarify that we are no-"

"Oh my. Please accept my apologies. Does that mean both of you are husband and wife? It's not an issue! The discount also applies to married couples as well. The Nagohana Fireworks Show is around the corner, and lovers often enjoy viewing the event together. It is in line with this spirit that Shimura is having such a special offer!"

The misunderstanding was totally getting worse. Jason was just to speak once more when he noticed that Sara's hands, rested atop each other on the table, had traces of purple electro currents emanating out from it. She definitely was offended by the thoughtless remarks of the waitress earlier!

"Yes … this is definitely a problematic issue." Opposite him, Sara continued to murmur softly to herself repeatedly. "To think people actually see us as lovers … it is very problematic … very problematic indeed. I guess we must really look like one …"

Only then did Jason realize that the general was anything but angry - her cheeks went red and she was now touching the Crimson Finch hairpin on her hair. Just what was going on?

"Shimura's wishes you a pleasant lunch date." The waitress's voice broke his train of thoughts, and she turned to walk away without even giving Jason a chance to clear the serious misunderstanding ...

(1542 words)