LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 13: A Walk by the River
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As she looked at the aquarium she had visited twice but never indeed observed, Mai Sakurajima shook her head in resignation and followed Badr out of the aquarium.
"Since it's neither the company nor the place where you first noticed the symptoms, it must be somewhere you frequent, right?"
Badr analyzed, offering his two guesses: "Either near your home or your school... speaking of which, Mai, what about your family?"
Although others might not remember, surely her family would.
Upon hearing this, Mai Sakurajima's expression noticeably changed, becoming tense.
"We can visit those places later..."
She hesitated before speaking, avoiding answering Badr's question.
"Eh? It's still early," Badr insisted, knowingly stepping into a sensitive topic.
"I said we'll go later."
Mai's tone turned firm, making it clear she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Badr stared at her for a couple of seconds. Seeing the displeasure on her face, he shrugged.
"Alright."
He decided not to push further, recognizing her inner conflict. Reflecting on it, he realized Mai had avoided discussing her family.
Could it be that she was estranged from them?
---
Perhaps aware of her attitude, Mai Sakurajima fell silent.
She walked ahead without a word, not indicating any particular destination, and they moved forward aimlessly.
Badr didn't mind. He had the entire day free and didn't care about wasting some time.
The sound of an engine roared behind them as a motorcycle sped towards them.
Badr stepped aside early, but Mai Sakurajima, lost in thought, didn't move in time.
The rider, unable to see Mai, almost collided with her.
In a crisis, Badr reached out and pulled Mai into his arms.
The motorcycle zoomed past them with a roar and quickly disappeared.
Holding Mai by the waist, Badr looked down, meeting her eyes.
After a brief moment, he released her calmly, saying softly, "That was dangerous."
Mai nodded, acknowledging the trouble her condition caused.
"Thank you."
Badr waved it off, continuing to walk alongside her.
"Besides the situation just now, there must be many other inconveniences," Badr remarked, glancing at Mai's beautiful profile.
"Yes, being unable to buy the cream buns from that bakery is quite annoying."
Mai spoke lightly, her eyes on a nearby bakery.
The inconveniences of being invisible went far beyond being unable to buy buns. Mai mentioned the least essential issue in the most casual tone.
Badr glanced at the bakery and suddenly took Mai's hand, walking towards it.
"Two cream buns, please."
The shop assistant smiled, "Sure, please wait a moment."
Soon, Badr had two cream buns in his hands.
Throughout the transaction, the assistant never once glanced at Mai's location, clearly unable to see her.
"Here."
He handed one of the buns to Mai.
"Thank you."
"No problem. That's two hundred yen. Cash or transfer?"
Mai looked stunned.
Seeing her reaction, Badr blinked and added, "Considering the effort I put in today, treating you to lunch isn't too much, right?"
Mai, speechless, retorted, "Who treats someone like this?"
"As long as someone else pays, it's called treating."
Badr grinned, unfazed.
Mai wasn't buying it. After a moment, she responded calmly, "Next time, I'll treat."
So this time, she's paying, right?
"Alright," Badr shrugged.
They reached the riverside and stood by the bank, eating their cream buns while watching the water flow.
Across the river, an advertisement screen on a building started playing a new ad featuring Mai Sakurajima.
In the ad, Mai wears a white dress and smiles brightly in a field of flowers, promoting a matcha product.
Badr didn't criticize the ad's content but compared the honest Mai to her on-screen image.
For her fans, this must be a blessing.
Mai was indeed photogenic, but she appeared more mature and intense in person.
On the other hand, Mai was staring at her on-screen self, lost in thought.
Badr smirked.
...Though he didn't know her whole story, the discontent in her eyes was palpable.
"It's strange. Your ads are still running, but no one remembers you."
Badr finished his bun and lazily remarked.
Mai didn't respond, continuing to watch the ad.
It seems like tough love is needed.
Badr's eyes narrowed as he calmly said, "Though I don't know what you're avoiding, you still want to return to showbiz, don't you?"
"...When did I say that?"
"Your eyes betray you when you look at the posters," Badr calmly dismantled her defences.
"I'm just more interested in that kind of thing."
"And reminiscing about filming."
...She was caught.
Mai stared at Badr, wondering if Devils could read minds.
It seemed he could, for Badr spoke again without her prompting, "I can't read minds. You're just easy to read. Are you sure you don't want to try returning? Many people must be waiting for you."
Mai remained silent.
They are being seen through felt irritating.
"What do you know? You're not even human," she retorted, expressionless.
Her sharp glare revealed the anger rising within her.
"Heh... I may not be human, but saying I don't understand is wrong."
Badr smiled softly, "It's because of your family, isn't it?"
Knowing it was a sensitive topic, Badr was indeed bold.
Predictably, Mai exploded.
"You're so annoying."
She turned and headed towards the road.
"Not going to investigate nearby?"
"I'm going home!"
She was indeed furious, her tone seething with anger.
Badr followed her unhurriedly, always able to keep up no matter how fast she walked.
Realizing she couldn't shake him off, Mai finally stopped and turned to face him.
Seeing Badr's relaxed posture, she was both angry and amused.
"Are you a Devil or a persistent leech?"
Badr ignored her jab, smiling leisurely, "Feeling better?"
"I wasn't angry."
She immediately denied it.
Her personality was quite endearing.
Badr chuckled inwardly and cleared his throat.
"I don't want to open old wounds, but I hope we can be honest with each other."
He added quickly, "I mean that literally, no other meaning. Don't misunderstand."
Mai rolled her eyes, "You can skip unnecessary comments."
---
Mai's anger dissipated quickly. She was naturally composed, so Badr dared to touch on sensitive topics so directly.
"Aren't you keen on forming a contract? Why do you care about my return to showbiz?"
Her sharp gaze made it clear she was annoyed.
"Because I suspect your condition is related to this. Besides, if you remain in this state, returning would be difficult. So, we need to fix your mindset first. Otherwise, who knows if the influence will keep spreading."
His reasoning was sound, leaving Mai speechless.
After a brief silence, she grudgingly said, "Assuming you're right, it's still annoying."
"Why?"