>20< Magic

Chapter 20: Magic

The next day arrived, and Zaimokuza awoke in a daze.

Stepping out of the wooden cabin, he stretched, yawned, and went to wash up.

"Ohayou, Kuza! You look a bit out of it," Yui said cheerfully as she greeted him on the road. He had just run into Yukino and Yui.

"Morning, Yui. I'm alright," Zaimokuza replied with another yawn.

Yumiko and Ebina had just left the washing area when they saw Zaimokuza approaching. They immediately gave him wounded puppy-like looks.

Zaimokuza responded with a playful smile, raised his hand in the shape of a finger gun, and made a "bang" sound.

The two girls blushed instantly, clearly recalling the events of the previous night. Yumiko shot Zaimokuza an angry glare and quickly pulled Ebina away.

"What's up with them?" Yui asked curiously, turning to Zaimokuza.

"Hmm? No idea," Zaimokuza shrugged, feigning ignorance.

Yui and Yukino looked at Zaimokuza speechlessly, internally criticizing him, thinking that if he really didn't know, he wouldn't do that action.

Later, after freshening up, Zaimokuza sat down at the dining table. Hachiman joined him and asked,

"I heard from Hiratsuka-sensei that you plan to give a lecture to the elementary kids, is that true?"

Zaimokuza nodded at Hachiman while taking a bite.

"Yeah, I want those little rascals to know that bullying is not just a joke between classmates."

"Is that really okay?" Hachiman asked with concern, although he didn't know what changes Zaimokuza had gone through, he still considered him one of his few friends.

"Don't worry, trust me. Words are the most direct tool for education."

Seeing Zaimokuza's confidence, Hachiman felt a bit more reassured.

"The talk will be tonight when the bonfire is held, as everyone will be gathered then. But until then, we should relax," Zaimokuza said, picking up his tray and heading out.

"It's alright, Oniichan, don't worry so much. Let's trust Zaimokuza-niichan," Komachi comforted Hachiman.

"Yeah, I guess that guy did seem pretty confident," Hachiman admitted, digging into his breakfast.

After cleaning up their trays, Zaimokuza and the others started gathering firewood for the bonfire.

After chopping wood for a good ten minutes, Zaimokuza, not red in the face or short of breath, finished his task and strolled about leisurely.

"Ah, I've finally found you, Onii-chan," a little girl's voice called out from afar.

Zaimokuza looked over to see Hinata Gokou pulling Rumi Tsurumi along with her.

"Hey, good morning, little ones," Zaimokuza greeted them.

"No, no, Onii-chan. You should call me Hinata. You're my boyfriend for the day, remember?" Hinata teased playfully.

Zaimokuza was momentarily stunned, then patted his head as he recalled the agreement.

"Well then, I'll just call you by your name, Yoshiteru-kun," Hinata said with a big smile.

With a slight twitch of his lips, Zaimokuza replied, "Alright, alright, so what does Lady Hinata have for me to do today?" he asked, bowing like a gentleman.

"So, Onii-chan, do you know any fun places?"

"Sure, I discovered a little stream yesterday. Would you dare to go there?" Zaimokuza teased, glancing at Hinata.

Upon hearing this, Hinata puffed her cheeks, "Hmph, if it's just a stream, I can handle that."

"Alright, let's go then," Zaimokuza said as he stood to lead the way.

After just a few steps, his shirt was tugged on. He turned to see Hinata still with her cheeks puffed out, her large eyes staring intently at him.

Zaimokuza looked at her, puzzled, and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Um, what Hinata-chan means is she wants Yoshiteru-niichan to hold her hand," Rumi  whispered.

"Oh, you should've said so," Zaimokuza remarked as he took Hinata's small hand.

Feeling the warmth in her hand, Hinata glanced at Zaimokuza and spoke with a slight huff, "Onii-chan, you must have never had a girlfriend, right?"

"And why's that?"

"Because Onii-chan didn't even know you're supposed to hold hands on a date."

"Who says? I do have a girlfriend."

Curious, Hinata asked, "Who is it?"

Zaimokuza raised their joined hands and said, "Isn't she right here?"

Hinata finally comprehended, blushing slightly, and smiled happily.

"Yoshiteru-kun, you certainly are a lolicon," a cool voice came from behind them.

Zaimokuza turned around to see it was Megumi Kato.

"Hey, good morning, Megumi."

"Hello, Yoshiteru-kun," Megumi replied with a slight smile.

Seeing this, Hinata puffed her cheeks again in displeasure. Zaimokuza found it amusing and lightly poked her inflated cheek with his finger.

"Poof!" Like a deflating balloon, Hinata's puffed cheek quickly shrank back to normal.

No longer teasing her, Zaimokuza picked Hinata up and gestured with his eyes for Megumi and Rumi to follow him.

Upon reaching the stream, Hinata forgot her fear of drowning from the previous day and began to play happily with Rumi by the crystal-clear water.

Zaimokuza sat beside Megumi, taking in the scenery around them.

"Zaimokusa, what are you doing here?" Shizuka, in a swimsuit, led a group of girls to the riverbank, looking puzzled at Zaimokuza.

Surprised by the group of girls, Zaimokuza answered, "Just here to accompany the two little girls. Why are you all in swimsuits?" He stared, somewhat dumbfounded by the beautiful scene.

The girls noticed his gaze and blushed slightly but felt reassured since they were all in swimsuits together.

Shizuka smirked, eyeing Zaimokuza teasingly. "Are you captivated? How do you like our figures?"

Zaimokuza looked carefully, then nodded seriously and said, "Yes, it's indeed a rare and beautiful sight."

The girls were delighted at the compliment. After all, every girl has an appreciation for beauty.

"But Onii-chan, you're my boyfriend, so you shouldn't be staring at other women," Hinata's adorable voice chimed in, apparently envious again.

They all turned skeptical looks towards Zaimokuza, who could only shake his head in exasperation. "Alright, alright, I understand, my lady."

Hinata eagerly said, "Then Onii-chan should come play with us too."

With a mischievous glint, Zaimokuza pulled off his t-shirt, revealing his fit physique.

Even though they had seen this scene yesterday, everyone couldn't help but look over again, as abs tend to have a certain allure.

Suddenly, Zaimokuza cheekily asked the ladies, "So, what do you think of my physique, ladies?"

Some of the girls shyly covered their eyes, while the bolder ones didn't hesitate to take a good look.

Shizuka even stepped forward and gave a squeeze, commenting, "Hmm, not bad. Nice and firm."

Zaimokuza and the others exchanged exasperated looks at her straightforwardness.

Komachi ran over to Zaimokuza, hugging his arm and asking, "Zaimokuza-oniichan, how do you like Komachi's swimsuit? Isn't it cute?"

Feeling the sensation on his arm, Zaimokuza nodded, "Yes, it's very cute."

Komachi beamed and said, "Right? I just bought this with my friends, and I haven't even shown it to my brother yet!"

Zaimokuza was taken aback, knowing full well that Hachiman would be extraordinarily jealous if he found out. Privately, he gave a moment's silent condolence for Hachiman.

Then he turned to Megumi and asked, "Do you have a swimsuit, Megumi?"

"I do. Would you like to see it, Yoshiteru-kun?"

"Absolutely, I'd love to see it."

Yukino and the others frowned slightly at Megumi's familiarity with Zaimokuza. It seemed their acquaintance from the previous day had rapidly progressed to a first-name basis.

Shortly after, Megumi changed into her swimsuit and arrived at the stream. Wearing a blue and white striped swimsuit, Zaimokuza gave her a thumbs-up, exclaiming, "You look really cute, Megumi. I'm quite captivated."

Hearing this, Megumi blushed slightly and pointed towards Hinata, adding, "With such compliments, Hinata-chan might get jealous."

Zaimokuza turned to look at Hinata, who indeed wore a pouty expression, staring at him with big, expectant eyes.

Feeling helpless but amused, Zaimokuza promised, "Would you like to see a magic trick?"

Hinata nodded eagerly, pulling Rumi to sit in front of Zaimokuza on the bank. Both little girls watched him with sparkling, expectant eyes.

Overhearing the promise of a magic show, the other girls couldn't help but look curiously at Zaimokuza as well.

Zaimokuza approached a small flower and gestured to it, declaring, "Now, witness the moment of magic."

Everyone began scrutinizing the flower intently, trying to spot anything unusual about it.

As the women observed, the flower suddenly surged upwards, growing to a height of two meters as if it had been magnified several times over.

The women were left with their mouths agape, displaying expressions of disbelief.

"Amazing! How did you do that, Onii-chan?" Hinata asked as she ran over to Zaimokuza, curiosity brimming in her eyes.

The other women also looked at Zaimokuza, puzzled. Zaimokuza chuckled playfully and said, "That's the magic. If I told you, it wouldn't be magic anymore. It's a secret."

Everyone understood the principle, yet their curiosity was hard to resist.

Seeing their wonder, Zaimokuza's mischievous side took over. He used his trickery again on the flower, making it grow even larger. As everyone's gaze moved upward, the flower continued to expand until it reached the size of an ordinary tree.

"How is this possible? This defies all logic," Rizu exclaimed, stunned by the enormous, tree-like flower.

Yumiko and Ebina exchanged glances, silently acknowledging that yesterday's events were indeed real; such magical feats were indeed possible through Zaimokuza's methods.

"That's amazing! You really are the best boyfriend, even if just for today," Hinata squealed with joy, cuddling up to Zaimokuza.

Zaimokuza ruffled her hair affectionately and said, "It's only for a day. Why are you so excited?"

"A boyfriend for a day is still a boyfriend. Rumi-chan, can you take a photo of me and Onii-chan?"

Rumi nodded in understanding.

Hinata tugged on Zaimokuza's hand, signaling him to bend down. He complied, and as the camera clicked, a photo capturing the giant flower and Hinata sweetly kissing Zaimokuza's cheek was taken.