Chapter 29 - A Perfect Day with a Stunning Woman

(Nero POV)

"Let's go out on a date," a confident voice echoed through the living room.

Before me stood a beautiful blonde wearing a tight white shirt and jeans, a shoulder bag slung over her shoulder.

This girl was none other than Gwen Stacy, who had "invaded" my house in the morning and was bluntly asking me out on a date.

"You know, some girls would be embarrassed to ask out a guy who already has a girlfriend, right?!" Ochaco exclaimed, pointing at Gwen. Although her tone was accusatory, there was not the slightest hint of anger.

It was almost as if she was already used to something like this.

"Some, but not me, sweet Ochaco. So, shall we go on a date?" Gwen approached me, a smile forming on her lips.

I looked at Ochaco for a few seconds, only to see her shrug.

"Okay," I exclaimed, getting up from the Barcelona Chair I was sitting in.

•••

(Gwen POV)

It took me a lot of courage to call Nero, and now we were on a date, just the two of us.

Although it seemed like my request came out of nowhere, I had already talked to Ochaco about asking him out.

Come to think of it, this is pretty strange.

I shook my head, pulling myself away from my thoughts, and focused on the boy next to me.

Nero wore a white shirt with gold buttons and dark blue jeans.

He looked quite handsome, so much so that it was difficult for me to look away.

At that moment, we were walking side by side. To tell the truth, I was a little surprised by where he had taken me.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised," I said, looking around at the beautiful greenery surrounding us.

This place was beautiful, almost untouched by human influence.

"Good surprise or bad surprise?" he asked with a slight smile as our shoulders touched.

"Good surprise. I had never set foot in Enoshima." A blush rose to my face at the touch of our shoulders.

It seems I'm not as brave as I thought.

I thought, observing the staircase with red gates that led to a temple.

"Enoshima is a good place. So for our outing, I will introduce Enoshima Shrine as the first point." Nero's soft voice calmed me, making my heart beat normally.

Soon after, he made my heart beat even faster with a simple action.

His right hand intertwined with the fingers of my left hand.

…

I forgot that Nero isn't a big fan of respecting other people's personal space.

I thought as my heart beat wildly and my face flushed.

"Come on, my lady." Nero's playful tone rose, revealing a beautiful smile.

I just nodded, shy in my heart.

OK! Maybe I'm a maiden in love.

Feeling the warmth of Nero's hand, I accompanied him up the stairs. The few people who were climbing the stairs gave us looks.

Among these looks, there were some of desire..., not for me, but for Nero.

A mature woman looked at Nero, who smiled like a child with an enchanted look.

Hey?! Hey?!

You could be a little more modest.

I thought, taking my shyness and kicking it away.

My hand squeezed him, and I moved even closer to this boy, giving these women a provocative look.

Please, you are outdated milfs, and I am a beautiful young woman. Put yourselves in your place.

Nero looked at me, clearly noticing my personality switch.

He smiled and moved his free hand, patting my head.

Hmph!

"If it had been anyone else, I would have broken their hand." I pretended to be tough as I tried to hide my smile of pure joy.

"I know." He said, gently running his hand through my hair with the purest affection, his eyes looking only at me as if there was only me in his gaze.

I got lost in those golden eyes that were like sweet honey.

His eyes, after the incident at the U.S.J., seemed to contain a galaxy, so beautiful they had become. They weren't just beautiful; from what Nero had told me, these eyes were powerful, almost like another quirk, but they still complemented his quirk.

"Your eyes have really changed; they look quite powerful," I murmured.

"Yes." Nero smiled. "However, these eyes have a weakness: they are a passive feature that I cannot disable. Leaving them open for a long time causes great fatigue. To reduce this fatigue, I ordered a pair of glasses made from the darkest material possible from a Support Company."

Nero told me his weaknesses without the slightest hesitation.

"It shouldn't be a secret," I said jokingly as we walked up the steps.

"Nah! Besides, I trust you with my life."

Nero smiled, making me blush like a damn maiden.

And without even realizing it, we had already arrived in front of the temple, snapping me out of my stupor.

"You…" Nero exclaimed, catching my attention and looking at the shrine in front of us. "Did you know that this temple is dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten?"

"Benzaiten?!" I exclaimed, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Yes, Benzaiten is the goddess of all that flows: water, music, arts, love, wisdom, wealth, and fortune. She is a Buddhist goddess and, technically, a Dharmapala (Protector of the Dharma). She is revered as the guardian of the twelve heavens of Buddhism and the twenty-four and twenty heavens. Additionally, Benzaiten is one of the seven gods of good luck in Japan. Benzaiten's origin can be traced to the Hindu goddess Sarasvatī." Nero's words echoed softly like a river.

"You really know a lot about her." My eyes looked at her statue at the Shinto shrine.

"Well, I've always been interested in mythology in general. Plus, my mom had a tattoo of her on her back." He turned to me. "You had to see it; Benzaiten's tattoo covered her entire back." Nero gave a nostalgic laugh.

"What was your mother like?!" Seeing his smile, I couldn't help but ask.

Nero seemed a little stunned by my question, but he quickly snapped out of it.

"My mother, Asami Fujiwara, was a free, arrogant, charismatic, strong, smart woman. Although she was mute, she didn't need any words to make herself understood. But don't get me wrong; I'm not saying she was perfect. After all, that type of person doesn't exist."

Even saying that you could tell by the look in his eyes that he thought his mother was perfect.

"You know, she had one more tattoo on her arm. In fact, that tattoo was a phrase: 'Between heaven and earth, I am the most honorable.' That alone demonstrated her arrogance." He said, looking up.

It really takes a lot of arrogance to tattoo that phrase on your body.

"How did she die?" I asked this question with fear of offending him.

Nero let out a light sigh and, with a smile, turned to me. "One day she was alive, the next I got the news from my father that she had died. I was told she had a heart attack in her bed." Raising his arm, he closed his hand as if catching the sun. "But I feel like it's not that simple. It seems silly, right?" Lowering his hand, he looked at me with a goofy smile.

"No!" I shook my head in denial. "Sometimes we need to trust our instincts."

Maybe that wasn't good advice, but it came from the bottom of my heart.

"Thank you, your words mean a lot to me." His sad smile was replaced by a happy one. "Well, since we're here, let's pay our respects."

"Sure." I smiled, holding his hand.

•••

I looked at the beautiful blue tank, where several fish were swimming.

"It's so beautiful." My eyes were glued to the school of fish.

After visiting the Enoshima Shrine, we went to the Enoshima Aquarium.

"It sure is beautiful," said Nero.

Hearing his words, I turned my head towards him and saw him looking at me.

Automatically, my heart almost jumped out of my chest.

Nero moved his hand, placing it under his chin.

"You're cute!" he exclaimed provocatively.

That single word hit my heart like a critical hit.

"You fool," I said, playfully punching him and hiding my face, which was boiling like a pressure cooker.

"Hehehe!" He laughed and put his hand in my hair.

Meanwhile, fish of various colors swam elegantly.

But my eyes did not remain long on the school of fish; they always came back to Nero, who looked at the fish like a child.

Cute!

I thought, squeezing his hand tighter and feeling the warmth it transmitted.

We stayed there watching the fish and even went to see the dolphins, who for some reason seemed to want to kidnap Nero.

Dolphins are weird.

So, after pulling Nero away from the dolphins, we walked almost aimlessly, just enjoying each other's presence.

Walking through the aquarium at the top, we arrived at the most commercial area.

"How about some ice cream, Gwen?" Nero exclaimed, looking at the sun that was more intense than usual.

"Sure," I said with a smile.

Holding my hand, he gently pulled me toward an ice cream stand.

"Hello, champ." The ice cream shop owner said, raising his hand politely.

Champion?!

"Do you know him?" I asked quietly.

"No," Nero muttered, raising his arm. "Hello, Mr. Ice Cream Shop Owner." He said politely.

What kind of skit is this?

The man smiled and pointed to a menu posted in front of his humble store.

"What will the two champions want?" The ice cream shop attendant asked.

I put my finger to my lips, looking at the list.

"I think I'll have Hojicha (roasted green tea)," I said with a little uncertainty.

"Good choice, champ," he said, preparing the Hojicha. "What about you, Mr. Boyfriend?" he asked Nero.

B-boyfriend?! I mentally exclaimed with shame, but I didn't correct him. Not yet, anyway.

Nero smiled and pointed to one of the ice creams on the menu. "I want a Kinako with black honey," he exclaimed brightly.

"Sure." The owner of the ice cream shop, agile as a maestro, prepared our ice creams and delivered them quickly.

We grabbed the ice creams, letting go of each other's hands, as Nero's Kinako required both hands to enjoy.

I took a bite of my Hojicha, expecting it to be bitter, but it was delicious. "Is yours any good?" I asked, curious.

"Yes, try it." He used the ice cream scoop to gather a spoonful and offered it to me.

I shook my head, but Nero, with a smile, brought the spoon to my mouth. Wouldn't this be what the Japanese call an "indirect kiss"? Embarrassed but excited, I didn't hesitate for a second.

My lips met the ice cream on the spoon. "Tasty!" I said, looking at mine and his, realizing he was even better.

"Hahaha! How about we exchange? I love Hojicha," he suggested with a smile, even though it was obvious that Kinako was one of his favorites. Seeing my hesitation, he took my Hojicha and handed me the Kinako.

A smile formed on my lips. "Thank you," I exclaimed, hiding my embarrassment as I dove into the Kinako.

We sat in comfortable silence, and a few minutes later we finished our ice creams. "Oh! You got a little on your lips." Nero subtly moved his finger, passing it over my lips and removing the Kinako. Soon after, he took it into his own mouth.

My heart almost stopped from so much emotion. This is the best day of my life, I thought, feeling a pleasant beat in my heart.

••• •••• ••••

(Nero POV)

After leaving one of the little shops, I clutched Gwen's gift in my hand. She was waiting for me, sitting on top of a wall, looking up with a smile while her foot swayed from side to side. The moment she noticed my footsteps, she stopped and jumped to the ground with ease.

"You took your time," she said, getting closer to me. "You know you shouldn't leave a beautiful girl like me alone." Gwen gently nudged me with her elbow. Sometimes she acts like a maiden, and other times she acts like a tomboy.

"You're right, I know it's one of the worst sins in the world." With a guilty, sinful expression, I raised my hand toward her. "But I hope this can redeem my sin." Opening my hand, I revealed a small red box.

Gwen cocked her head to the side. "This is for me?"

"There's only one beautiful lady here." I smiled at her.

Gwen blushed but took the box and opened it. The moment she saw the contents, her eyes started to shine. "This is beautiful," she said, pulling out a silver necklace, but her gaze was fixed on the pendant. The necklace pendant was a white spider with black legs.

"Thanks," she exclaimed, small tears in her eyes. Without saying anything else, she jumped at me, putting her arms around my neck. Her lips connected with mine in an inexperienced kiss.

My hands went around her waist, and the kiss deepened. Seeing that Gwen was running out of air, I separated our lips, seeing her red face while she was breathing. "Y-you can put it on me," she said with embarrassment, handing me the necklace.

Not wanting to make her more embarrassed, I took the necklace, put it around her thin neck, and, with a clicking sound, fastened the pendant.

"Today was one of the best days of my life," she said, putting her hands around my neck.

"Any day around you gets better." I looked into her blue eyes. And then, this time, she kissed me deeper as the sun illuminated us.

Today really was a good day, I thought, enjoying my kiss with my Gwen.