After Ayaka’s departure, Ren lazed in the sunlight, enjoying its warmth.
The day was still young, and he had plenty of time.
The sunlight poured down, wrapping everything in its golden embrace.
It was, undeniably, a perfect day for a date.
Ren soaked in the comforting warmth and closed his eyes.
Ah… so relaxing.
All he needed now was someone to massage his shoulders—perfection.
His gaze swept across the courtyard.
“…”
The village girl, Mei, looked up, her sharp eyes glaring like daggers.
Ren immediately averted his gaze.
She wasn’t even a consideration.
It was impossible to imagine her taking care of someone gently.
No way. Not happening. Absolutely not.
That left only one person.
“Hmph.”
Yoimiya propped her chin on her hands, staring at him with her bright, watchful eyes.
Her intentions were blatantly obvious.
Ayaka really found herself a loyal teammate.
Ren’s face darkened as he reached out.
“Mmmpf! Takahashi, what are you doing?!”
Yoimiya’s voice came out muffled as her face was gently but firmly covered by his hand.
“I should be the one asking you that.”
“Your face was about to crash into mine!”
With no mercy, Ren pushed Yoimiya back into her seat.
“Ahaha… there was, um, a bug on your face…”
Realizing her faux pas, Yoimiya’s cheeks turned red.
Ugh, I got too into it and forgot to control my expressions.
Ren chuckled and stretched lazily.
“Alright then, I’ll be on my way…”
He waved and turned to leave, only to be stopped by a sudden outburst.
“Not so fast!”
Yoimiya leapt to her feet, grabbing onto Ren with all her might.
“Yoimiya-san, what’s with the dramatics?”
Her fiery reaction drew an amused, teasing look from Ren, making her blush even harder.
“W-What are you laughing at?”
Oh no, he knows!
The truth was, he’d known all along.
“So, what’s your deal?” Ren asked, his smile sly.
“You’re not leaving!”
“I’m just going for a stroll.”
“Denied!”
Yoimiya shook her head vehemently, refusing to let go.
She was nothing if not principled!
“Calm down for a second,” Ren said soothingly, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“I heard the Kamisato family has a stash of fireworks…”
Fireworks?!
Yoimiya’s ears perked up instantly.
But she quickly realized the trap and stomped her foot.
“Takahashi!”
“Tch, didn’t fall for it, huh?”
Ren sighed. This girl is taking her job seriously.
Getting out unnoticed might actually be a challenge.
“Hmph.”
Satisfied that Ren had sat back down, Yoimiya crossed her arms with a triumphant smirk.
I knew it—he’s trying to sneak out for a date. No way I’m letting my bestie down!
Her mind turned mischievous as she leaned closer.
“Come on, spill it.”
“Spill what?”
“How many girls do you have chasing after you?”
Ren shot her a sidelong glance.
So, the relationship guru is gossiping now?
Yoimiya pouted, her cheeks puffing out.
“What’s with that look?”
“And you and Mei… I mean, I didn’t…”
Before she could finish, Ren popped a sweet pastry into her mouth.
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” he said, cleaning the crumbs from his hands.
“And watch out, or you’ll get yourself into trouble.”
If Mei got mad, no one could stop her.
“Mmph! So good!”
Now resembling a chipmunk, Yoimiya beamed at the unexpected treat.
“Feel free to eat more.”
With her first probing attempt thwarted, Ren shook his head.
He’d need another opportunity to sneak out.
His gaze fell on a certain sleepy little ninja.
Despite her drowsy demeanor, she was a seasoned shinobi.
How to get past her?
As Ren pondered, Yoimiya suddenly spotted something.
“Hey, what’s this?” she asked, pointing at the delicate purple envelope on the table.
Her instincts told her a new girl might be entering the picture.
For Ayaka’s sake, I can’t let this slide!
“Just a pen pal. We’ve never met.”
Ren dismissed her suspicions and opened the envelope.
Yoimiya leaned in, watching intently.
“Mei, come look! A mysterious new girl is showing up!”
“…”
Mei didn’t respond.
Whatever Ren does has nothing to do with me.
He’s heading to Tenshukaku sooner or later anyway.
“Quiet down,” Ren said, his fingers brushing against something unusual inside the envelope.
It felt oddly solid and lumpy.
Then, something small and intricate slipped out.
Ren caught it instinctively.
“What’s this?”
He opened his hand, puzzled.
The object was small and exquisitely crafted, etched with delicate patterns.
In the sunlight, it gleamed with a metallic sheen.
“Let me see!”
Yoimiya craned her neck to get a better look, her curiosity overflowing.
“It’s… a hairpin?”
She furrowed her brow, trying to identify it.
It was worn and bore signs of damage, clearly old.
Ren nodded.
A hairpin, indeed.
If his guess was right, it belonged to a certain… cat-loving individual.
What’s going on here?
Ding! System upgrade complete.
[Special item detected.]
[Source: The Noodle Master Who Wishes to Remain Anonymous.]
Ren sighed inwardly.
Why does the system always have to make a fuss?
[Unlocking 5-star archive.]
[Talent activation quest unlocked.]
[…]
[Special item detected. Task completed. Would you like to unlock the talent?]
A free 5-star reward?
Of course, he’d unlock it.
[Ding! Talent successfully unlocked!]
Ren’s eyes lit up.
What kind of talent would it be?
[Elemental Skill: Stellar Restoration.]
An elemental skill?
Ren couldn’t help but smile. This might actually be useful.
—
T/N: so its actually keqing… is the trend electro users…?
This is a fan translation of 原神：人在提瓦特，贴贴就能变强 by 萌红叶. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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