On the way back, Rhode kept looking back, glancing around now and then.
Mira asked him what he was doing.
Rhode hesitated: "I always feel like someone is watching us. Did you notice any strange gazes?"
Mira shook her head nonchalantly and said, "There are plenty of looks, none feel strange though."
Rhode feigned realization: "Oh~~ I almost forgot I'm with the megastar who draws everyone's attention."
"That's right," Mira struck a pose with a high-cold expression, "Want an autograph?"
"Yes, yes, yes, but I didn't bring a notebook for autographs, sign my hand, I won't wash it later." Rhode extended his hand to her.
"You say such strange things sometimes." Mira slapped Rhode's hand away with a snap, sign a hand, sign what hand.
"Honestly, you're so used to people's gazes, won't you even notice if you're being targeted by bad guys?"
"There's no bad guys in town," Mira said, "It's probably just someone from the guild wanting to joke with you."
"..." Well, that's not impossible, Rhode did have some self-awareness of how envious he was making others now.
Though nothing major was likely to happen, there was still a chance of two geese suddenly appearing on the road.
But through the journey, Rhode was cautious, and nothing happened.
When he started working back at the guild, Rhode suddenly realized that the unknown rascal might have done it just to mess with his mood?
This was just malicious.
Once he found out who it was, he'd definitely give them a beating!
The afternoon was full of usual work and practice, during breaks he would still visit the library to find something to read.
This time, not just limiting to informational books, he would also look at novels and artworks related to art.
After all, art is a reflection of human culture in some aspects, and an important means of cultural communication and development.
Understanding art is one way to understand the human spirit of this world and an important step for him to integrate into it.
It's certainly not because he's worried about not understanding what people are acting in movies later.
Yes, this world also has movies, with various entertainment companies (Loki sometimes goes to hit on female artists).
Movies here are usually filmed and shown with professional Magic Crystals, Magnolia even has a cinema.
Rhode figured when the time was right, he'd invite Mira to have a look.
When the time wasn't right, he could still use the excuse of 'unfamiliarity, curiosity' to ask her to take him.
No rush for this.
At night, the two were training together again, Mira seemed a bit more serious in teaching Rhode Fighting Technique, and even suggested Rhode spar with her.
To Rhode now, defeating Mira wasn't difficult, he could just suppress her with Magic Power and strength.
But there was no point in doing that, and it was hard to bring himself to do it.
Rhode doesn't use Magic Power, instead sparring like an ordinary person, which actually looked more like choreographed moves from filming action scenes.
Plus, when sparring with her, Rhode couldn't let go, he couldn't just whack her like sparring with Kana.
After a while of practice, even Mira found it a bit awkward, Rhode seemingly couldn't hit her vital spots...
"Maybe we should wait for Elfman to come back, and I'll teach both of you together."
"Alright."
Practicing with Elfman as a sparring partner felt more fitting.
But that night, while sleeping, Rhode suddenly felt regret, wishing he could slap himself:
"I gave you a chance, but you blew it!"
"Snore..." Warm drowsily opened his small eyes, did the master dream of something delicious?
...
The next morning, when Rhode was about to train in the backyard, someone suddenly pulled him back.
"Alzack?" Rhode stopped in his tracks, looking at his hesitating appearance and asked, "What's up?"
"Well..." Alzack hesitated for a moment, said, "Are you free, I'd like to invite you for a drink."
"Sure." Rhode sensed the young man seemed up to something, and directly sat down at the counter, "What to drink?"
"No, not here, let's go somewhere else!" Alzack pulled Rhode outside.
"Hey hey..." Rhode was pulled away, he turned back and yelled inside, "Mira, I'm stepping out for a bit!"
Mira waved with a smile, though she felt something was off.
...
Qico's coffee shop.
Rhode stirred the cup of coffee with a little spoon, depressed, "Why suddenly come to a place like this?"
Alzack said: "I thought it'd be quieter here... Sorry, don't you like coffee?"
"It's not about the coffee." Rhode looked around at the customers, the front table was a couple, the table behind was also a couple, "Don't you think we look odd sitting here together?"
Alzack just realized the issue: "Shall we change seats?"
"Forget it, let's just sit here." Rhode said, "What is it that you have to talk about so secretly?"
Alzack said: "There's something I wanted to ask you."
Rhode looked at him, expressing he was listening.
Alzack awkwardly asked: "How do you naturally invite Mira out... for a date?"
Rhode became alert, almost wanting to lash out: "You want to invite Mira too?"
"No, no... not Mira, it's, it's..." Alzack was too shy to say.
He thought for a moment, then suddenly downed his coffee as though gaining some courage: "It's Bisca! I want to ask Bisca out!"
"Oh~~" Rhode relaxed, almost forgetting in his excitement that Alzack had a crush on Bisca.
"But for chasing after girls, shouldn't you ask Loki?"
Mentioning Loki, Alzack was a bit frustrated and said: "I've asked, after the festival I did, that guy said to just directly confess."
To be precise, it was after the Miss Fairy Tail beauty contest, realizing he cared more and more about Bisca, so he asked Loki.
"But a direct confession, how can an average person possibly do that? And then that bastard Loki actually said..."
Alzack pounded the table, "He said if I don't go, he'll pursue Bisca himself!"
The way he refers to 'Loki', to 'that guy', to 'that bastard', Rhode clearly felt Alzack's emotional turn.
However... what Loki said was probably meant to encourage Alzack to muster up the courage, right?
Instead, it had no effect and made Alzack see him as a rival?
But you can't really blame Alzack for the misunderstanding, Loki being someone who even dares to pursue Erza, anyone in Alzack's position would probably feel jittery.
Alzack seemed to be repelled by the coffee's bitterness, continued to complain:
"You know Loki is really good at chasing girls, I'm worried about him... I can't even focus on work recently..."
Case solved!
Rhode suddenly remembered what the President said.
Turns out Alzack's recent blunders were due to Loki!
Though he himself was partly at fault too.
"Since you're worried, why not confess to Bisca then?"
"That's the trouble, I can't bring myself to do it," Alzack ruffled his hair, messing up his black hair,
"That's why I wanted to ask you, how do you naturally confess, or at least progress feelings without confessing."
Rhode understood his dilemma, helplessly said: "But I've never dated anyone."
Alzack gave him a strange look: "Aren't you and Mira dating?"
Rhode laughed: "Even though it's nice to hear that, technically we haven't started yet."
Alzack said: "But yesterday you both went out on a date, chatting and joking like lovers without the hand-holding."
Hahaha, Rhode almost burst out laughing, Alzack really knew how to put it.
Eh?
Rhode slapped the table and stood up: "How do you know such details!"