Another day of training had come to an end.
It turns out that the essence of humanity is, indeed, to be a fan of attractive people.
With the addition of the new training outfits, Luo Qing noticed something peculiar—the male trainees no longer produced any Frustration Value while dancing to the square dance routines.
Every time it was time for the dance session, they all wore the happiest expressions, practically wishing they could add a few more hours to the routine.
When the male trainees were happy, the Frustration Value wouldn’t accumulate.
And when there was no Frustration Value, it was Luo Qing’s turn to feel dissatisfied.
So, he planned to devise a new strategy to give these eager trainees some fresh experiences.
But those plans would have to wait until tomorrow.
Right now, he had to wait for Ayaka Kamisato to change out of her training clothes so they could go to the Komore Teahouse together.
He stood patiently by the Thousand-Arms, Hundred-Eyes statue until Ayaka emerged, wearing her usual ceremonial attire.
They exchanged a glance, and Ayaka walked up to Luo Qing with a gentle smile, speaking softly.
“Thank you for waiting, Master.”
“Mhm, let’s go,” he said with a nod.
By now, their routine of walking together at dusk had become a comfortable habit.
Almost every evening after training, they would spend time together at the Komore Teahouse.
But today, Ayaka’s mood seemed different from the previous days.
When they reached the teahouse, they sat across from each other as usual.
After making sure the door was securely shut and repeatedly reminding Kaji to knock before entering, Ayaka cast a sideways glance at Luo Qing before glancing at the neatly folded training outfit beside her on the tatami.
“Master, did you design this training outfit?” she asked softly.
Ayaka had always enjoyed trying on different types of clothes, but she had never encountered such a bold and modern design.
“Oh? You figured it out already?” Luo Qing teased, grinning. “As expected, nothing escapes Ayaka’s keen eye.”
“It’s just… a lucky guess,” she replied, lowering her head slightly, surprised that he admitted it so easily.
“Do you have a particular interest in fashion, Ayaka?” Luo Qing asked, resting his chin on his hand with a soft smile.
“Not especially… but Inazuma’s traditional attire can get repetitive. Sometimes, I wonder what clothes from other nations might look like,” Ayaka said quietly, her gaze drifting again to the folded training outfit.
After two hours of dancing earlier, the outfit now bore faint traces of her sweat. She planned to wash it herself once Luo Qing left.
Though she couldn’t quite explain why, Luo Qing had a strange habit of always wanting to take a whiff of it…
“Really? What a coincidence,” Luo Qing said, leaning back a little. “I have a bit of an interest in fashion myself.”
He might have left out the fact that his “fashion interest” covered a wide array—everything from sheer stockings to maid outfits and Gothic Lolita dresses.
“R-Really? What style do you like, Master?” Ayaka asked, a hint of excitement sparking in her eyes.
Despite her usual poise, she couldn’t hide the slight thrill that comes with discussing a shared interest.
Luo Qing smiled mischievously, his gaze locking onto hers.
“If I tell you… will you wear it for me, Ayaka?”
“Eh?” Ayaka’s face flushed pink as she ducked her head, the question catching her off guard.
“I-I don’t even know what style you like, M-Master,” she stammered.
“Well, that’s easily solved.”
With a quick thought, Luo Qing reached into his system’s inventory and pulled out a small booklet.
Ever since he gave Kura-san the design for the training outfits, he had been inspired to sketch out several more clothing ideas—designs that would be perfect for various scenarios. He’d even considered having Kura-san create the entire collection just to keep them on hand, just in case.
Every night after returning home, he would stay up drawing, much to Theresa’s amusement, who sometimes watched in amazement as he sketched.
“That’s quite the talent, Lord Luo Qing,” she had remarked more than once. “Your creativity is something else.”
Of course, those illustrations weren’t all suitable for showing Ayaka—they ranged from innocent to quite risqué.
“Take a look at this,” Luo Qing said, handing the booklet to Ayaka. “See if there’s anything you like.”
“Huh?”
Ayaka hesitated, not sure where the booklet had come from. She opened it gently, only to be greeted by a series of designs featuring girls in a variety of styles.
There were frilly lace dresses, knee-high socks paired with pleated skirts, and short shorts with crop tops—each page showcasing a different look, each more daring than the last.
Her eyes widened, realizing just how imaginative these designs were.
But as she flipped through the booklet, Ayaka noticed something odd.
The models in the illustrations bore an uncanny resemblance to herself—not just the hairstyle but the figure… even the chest size…
She sneaked a peek at Luo Qing from the corner of her eye, recalling his earlier words.
“If I tell you… will you wear it for me?”
Was Luo Qing hinting that he wanted to see her in the clothes from this booklet?
She could feel her cheeks growing warmer.
“T-They’re… they’re very nice. Some of them… I really like,” Ayaka said quietly, her voice trembling slightly.
She feared he might ask her to try them on right away.
“If you like them, consider the booklet a gift,” Luo Qing said with a cheerful smile.
“Huh?”
Ayaka looked down at the booklet in surprise, confused by his sudden generosity.
Was he really not going to ask her to try anything on?
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No… it’s nothing. Thank you, Master…” she replied.
“Well, in that case,” Luo Qing said, rubbing his hands together excitedly, “don’t you think it’s only fair to give me a little something in return, Ayaka?”
“Huh?”
Her mind went blank for a moment.
I knew it! With Luo Qing’s personality, he’d never let things end so simply!
Could it be… does he want me to wear the clothes in the booklet for him, as a way to repay him?
“This is… um…”
If it were a stranger making such a demand, she would refuse without hesitation.
But when it came to Luo Qing, her usual composure seemed to evaporate, her usual social graces faltering.
“How about you let me pinch your cheek one more time as a reward?” Luo Qing said playfully.
“E-Eh?” Ayaka blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected request.
After all that, he just wants to pinch my cheek again?
Ever since the first time he had pinched her face, Luo Qing had found various excuses to repeat the gesture, and she had fallen for it every single time.
“Would that be okay?” Luo Qing pressed.
“Mmm…”
Ayaka hesitated. She genuinely liked some of the designs in the booklet and wanted to study them more closely.
If the only price was letting Luo Qing pinch her cheek again, she figured it wouldn’t be too bad.
After all, it wasn’t the first time.
“O-Okay… but this time, please don’t do it so hard…” she said softly.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle,” Luo Qing reassured her with a grin.
“Mhm…”
With that, Ayaka nodded, closing her eyes and tilting her face upward towards him.
Meanwhile, outside the Komore Teahouse.
Kaji, the hostess, stood by the entrance, humming a little tune to herself.
The joy inside the room was clearly not hers to share.
As she contemplated what late-night snack she might enjoy at Hanamizaka after work, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd.
“L-Lord Kamisato?! What are you doing here?!” she exclaimed, shocked to see him.
—
T/N: It’s over we’re back to new names… I’m not even gonna change it just to show how fucking ridiculous this is
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