"Cael, I like you."
Watching Asa's face draw closer, Cael panicked.
Oh no. I shouldn't have teased her. How the hell am I supposed to handle this now?
"Wait, Asa, we are still—"
"Mmm—!"
Asa didn't listen. The moment was perfectly set. If she missed this chance, who knew how long she'd have to wait? This was her opportunity, and she wasn't letting it slip.
Before Cael could finish, soft lips sealed his mouth. His body froze.
He realized Asa had summoned all her courage and resolve to make this move. Her emotional state was fragile. Rejecting her now would crush her completely—and that was the last thing he wanted.
So, with a complicated heart, Cael swallowed the sweet, citrusy sensation of her lips.
The ferris wheel gondola finally stabilized at the bottom.
Click.
The cabin door opened. Asa trembled and reluctantly parted her lips, climbing off Cael. This was her first kiss—clumsy, awkward, yet undeniably captivating.
Phew. Cael exhaled, relieved. If she had continued, he might not have stayed in control.
Exiting the cabin, Asa kept her head down, the boldness from the ferris wheel seemingly vanished. Cael was mildly surprised she could walk freely.
"Asa, is your foot really healed?"
"Mhm." Asa's ears burned red. "See? I told you it'd get better just by riding the ferris wheel."
Cael chuckled softly, realizing her act. Her claim of injury was just a ruse. She'd slipped up.
But now a dilemma surfaced. Asa had been proactive; he had not. And yet—they'd kissed.
Not that he'd done anything inappropriate—no tongue, no groping—but still, they'd kissed.
"Asa, what do you think our relationship is now?" Cael asked directly.
If she demanded he take responsibility, he wouldn't refuse. They hadn't known each other long, but he did feel something for her.
Asa returned to her senses, realizing the pace of events had been terrifyingly fast. This was only their second meeting. No confession ceremony, no extended holding of hands. Yet a simple "I like you" had led to a passionate kiss in the ferris wheel.
Still, she was certain: she liked Cael. His small favors—the shoes he lent her, finding her student ID, guiding her gently—had planted a seed of affection. Her heart, long parched, had been showered with timely rain.
But she couldn't ignore her misstep. She had acted boldly without consulting him.
She smiled sweetly. "Cael, we're just ordinary friends."
"Oh?" Cael was slightly surprised.
Asa smoothed a strand of hair from her forehead and met his gaze seriously. "I apologize for the ferris wheel. I forced myself on you. Since we're ordinary friends, I'll now pursue you properly, until you're completely obsessed with me."
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere:
"Tch, your young master really is trash!"
Sawatari Akane lounged in the main seat, legs crossed, complaining. Dozens of Yakuza thugs in black suits stood before her.
"Woman, don't blame the young master! We didn't know the shop owner was Chainsaw Man!" muttered a die-hard Katana Man fan.
Cael had been exposed. During the Bat Devil fight at the amusement park, Yakuza surveillance had captured his pre- and post-transformation images. They had kept the footage secret—too many factions coveted Chainsaw Man. Exposing him would invite rivals.
"Tch." Sawatari Akane scowled. Raising her index finger, she commanded, "Snake, head."
Half of her fingernail glowed, sacrificed to the Snake Devil.
Boom!
A massive python head materialized, startling the Yakuza.
"Spit it out."
The Snake Devil obeyed, spewing two bulging sacks. Curious thugs looked inside.
Akane cut them open, revealing countless black pistols.
"So many guns?!"
She casually put her hands in her pockets. "Katana Man's captured, but we now have a lead on Chainsaw Man. The operation officially begins. Over three hundred guns, nearly ten thousand rounds of ammo."
"Distribute these guns, sell the excess. Claim they're from a Gun Devil contract. Price: twenty thousand yen each. Work well for us, and you profit."
The thugs eagerly complied.
"And who do we target?"
Akane clapped her hands. "Disguise yourselves as civilians and assassinate Public Safety Devil Hunters. Focus on Makima—she's dangerous. Confirm her death before moving forward. Chainsaw Man? I'll personally dig out his heart. All missions are issued by the Gun Devil."
---
Two days later.
Makima boarded the train back to Tokyo. She'd stayed longer in Kyoto to meet a renowned Psychology Master. She was intensely curious: why would such a powerful Devil disguise itself as a harmless, cute little pet?
Yes—Makima was fascinated by Pochita's new form. Had Cael not revealed himself as Chainsaw Man, she never would have linked the little dog to Black Saw, the terror of Hell.
As Chainsaw Man's number one fanatic, she would not rest until she understood.
____
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