Chapter 145
Upon hearing Tojo Nozomi's words, Mineo let a faint smile play across his lips.
"Alright then, next I'm going to show Nozomi-chan a little magic trick. But first, could you please put that broom back where it belongs?"
"Put the broom back?"
Nozomi blinked, looking a bit stunned by the request. Nevertheless, she followed his instructions and leaned the broom against the side of the shrine building. She then walked back to stand before him, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Done. So, what's next?"
"Nozomi-chan, you don't need to do anything else. Just reach out your hand."
Complying with his request, Nozomi extended her small, fair hand. At that exact moment, Mineo took the initiative and grasped it in his own.
Startled by the sudden contact, Nozomi's first instinct was to pull away, but Mineo's grip was firm enough that she couldn't retreat.
A resigned smile flickered in her eyes, and she spoke in a teasing tone.
"Does Mineo-kun really need to hold my hand to perform a magic trick? You wouldn't happen to be using 'magic' as an excuse to openly take advantage of me, would you? That's quite a bold move."
Gazing at Nozomi's adorable face, Mineo smiled back.
"The real magic is about to begin. Nozomi-chan, just follow my lead!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Mineo led her by the hand and began walking forward along the narrow path. In the very next second, a truly shocking sight unfolded.
As Mineo stepped forward slowly, a gust of wind rose to meet every place his feet touched.
With each step he took, the fallen dry leaves scattered on both sides of the path suddenly took flight. It was as if an invisible wave of air was sweeping the ground, causing the dust on the path to move aside in perfect order.
The spot where Mineo's feet landed was completely free of dust or debris.
The golden-yellow leaves seemed to take on a life of their own, dancing in the air. Guided by the gentle breeze, they gathered into two long streams that resembled swirling rainbow ribbons.
They continued their slow walk down the path, the sound of wind chimes swaying in their ears. In Nozomi's eyes, an overwhelming sense of disbelief and shock began to surface.
Her footsteps faltered. She pulled her hand from Mineo's grasp and covered her mouth in shock.
Watching the long streams of dry leaves flying automatically as if possessed by a soul, Nozomi's beautiful eyes shimmered with charm and excitement.
She took a few steps forward and opened her palm. An instant later, a single leaf drifted down and landed perfectly in the center of her hand.
Nozomi stared at the leaf in her palm, completely entranced. She was dazed for a moment until Mineo walked up from behind to stand by her side.
"What do you think? Is this magic interesting? Was Nozomi-chan at least a little surprised?"
Hearing his voice, Nozomi bit her thin lip gently. But a second later, she whipped around to face him.
Her face was a mask of indescribable joy mixed with disbelief. Her voice trembled slightly with emotion.
"Mineo-kun, you... are you... do you have superpowers? Am I... am I dreaming?"
Mineo didn't answer her directly. Instead, he walked to her side and snapped his fingers toward the sky.
In the next heartbeat, the leaves that had been floating around them flew straight into the trash bin as if they had grown wings. The area around the path was now spotlessly clean.
"Nozomi-chan, I have a second trick. Do you want to see it?"
"A second trick? What is it?"
"A trick that's quite the adrenaline rush! Nozomi-chan just needs to say whether she wants to experience it or not."
"I... I want to!"
At her answer, Mineo flashed a mysterious smile. Then, he said in a cheerful tone:
"In that case, Nozomi-chan, you'd better hold on to me tight!"
Before Nozomi could even react, Mineo swept her off her feet, lifting her horizontally in a princess carry.
"Mineo... you... what are you doing! Quickly... put me down!"
"Put you down? Not a chance. Because I'm going to give Nozomi-chan the sensation of flying!"
Nozomi didn't understand what he meant at first, but the realization hit her instantly. Mineo's body actually began to hover in the air, and in the next moment, he shot up toward the sky at a staggering speed.
Feeling the roar of the wind in her ears and the terrifying sensation of weightlessness, Nozomi squeezed her eyes shut in fear, reflexively letting out a scream.
"We've reached our destination! Nozomi-chan, you can open your eyes now."
Hearing Mineo's voice right by her ear, Nozomi finally found the courage to slowly open her eyes.
She realized they were at the very peak of the mountain located behind the shrine.
Mineo was currently standing on the surface of a massive boulder at the summit, while she was still nestled in his arms, her own arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
Realizing what she was doing, Nozomi's face instantly turned bright red.
"Put... put me down! Mineo... you... how could you do something like this!"
"What exactly did I do? I was just showing Nozomi-chan a magic trick. This counts as magic, doesn't it?"
Hearing his teasing, Nozomi felt a surge of playful annoyance and gave Mineo's waist a sharp pinch.
"Magic? Using magic as an excuse to touch me so boldly? Mineo-kun, why didn't I realize you could be such a naughty boy before!"
"Put me down this instant, do you hear me!"
"Alright, alright, I'll put Nozomi-chan down. But the surface of this rock is quite steep, so make sure you stand steady!"
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