Making the enemy overthink is a very satisfying thing to do.
After Shigeru entered, Kaito's faint, looming majesty had indeed successfully scared him.
Plus, he must have investigated him, and being unable to find anything would naturally startle him.
With many factors combined, it was normal for him to gradually fall into paranoia.
Even if not, Kaito himself was definitely not an 'ordinary person'.
After lunch, Kaito kept his promise. He and Akina changed into casual clothes, put on masks, and set out, followed by Ginko and Ai.
Ginko looked uninterested, but a hint of anticipation still gleamed in her eyes, while Ai had been excited since morning.
Following Ai's directions, Kaito drove to the largest nearby arcade area. After having Ai's bodyguards go in and shoo away some thugs, Kaito let Ginko and Ai play whatever they wanted.
This afternoon had only one goal: have fun, play without restraint.
Even if they filled the coin pusher machine with tokens and got none out, so be it.
Kaito's purpose was simply to let Ginko thoroughly relax, and for Ai to further influence her.
Gradually, Ginko became interested in some games, like racing, motorcycles, or basketball throwing, playing happily with Ai.
Kaito and Akina walked hand in hand, slowly accompanying them, occasionally playing some relaxing two-player games together.
Looking at them, they truly resembled a couple, bringing their two daughters out to play.
"Sensei, Sensei! Look! I caught a super big plushie!"
Ai excitedly handed over the giant panda plushie she had finally caught after spending dozens of tokens.
Since the panda plushie was bigger than her, it looked quite funny when Ai carried it over.
As for Ginko, she continued to battle the claw machine, even once considering taking a hammer to smash the glass and just take one.
"Kaito, do you really plan to nurture Ginko into a world-class female Shogi player?"
Akina looked at Ginko's figure and asked curiously.
"We'll see. If she can, fine; if not, we'll nurture her slowly."
After all, this was Baal's idea, not his own.
Of course, Kaito also liked her, just not right now.
The beautiful afternoon passed like this. With Ai's company, Ginko smiled a bit more, gradually enjoying herself.
In the evening, Kaito intentionally continued to prevent Ginko from her super heavy tastes, keeping her on light food.
Afterwards...
He brought out the board he had made before going to sleep last night, in the same tea room.
"This is the gift I promised you."
Bringing Ginko to the tea room, when she saw the sunset opal board accompanied by another board as white as snow, her eyes went wide.
It wasn't that she particularly liked white, but this board matched her personality perfectly!
The towering snowy mountains, the sparse white clouds floating in the sky, and the silver-white lines above—everything was related to snow.
The pieces were also like snow, along with translucent white pieces.
"Sensei, th-this is too valuable..."
"No, from now on, it's yours."
Ginko was a bit excited.
Indeed, a big shot is a big shot, able to easily give her such precious things.
Although she didn't know how it was made—it seemed as naturally formed as the jade pendant she wore—she still suppressed her curiosity and happily nodded.
Let her teacher be mysterious!
Since her teacher gave it to her, the best repayment would be to reach the peak with this board!
"Wow! So beautiful... Sensei, I want one too, I want one too!"
"Ai, don't you already have one? This was actually a surprise I prepared for you too."
"Ah, but hers is more beautiful than mine..."
"What are you saying? Yours has more presence. And call her senior sister. How can you be so rude?"
Kaito patted her little head, suppressing her disobedient ahoge. Instead of having them play Shogi, he started teaching them Go.
He's using the name of broadening their thinking by understanding other board games.
Go was a bit difficult for them at first.
Or rather, getting started was easy, but advancing got them stuck just like ordinary people.
But fortunately, they already had some talent in Shogi and quickly got past that stage, starting to delve deeper.
"These are the game records I prepared for you. Study them well."
These records were purchased outside, selected by Baal, who picked decent ones for them to learn.
After letting them finish their games and go to bed early, Kaito and Akina went to soak in the hot spring.
But this time...
Akina didn't run away.
Perhaps because the morning's matter was finally resolved, she relaxed and opened her heart a bit more.
"Akina, do you want to scrub my back again?"
"If you like."
"Okay, then come on."
Speaking of which...
Kaito's gaze looked towards the wooded slope beyond the wall. As the moonlight spilled down, he remembered a poem.
Of course, it wasn't the one about looking up at the bright moon and lowering head thinking of home.
It was Tao Yuanming's most famous "Peach Blossom Spring".
There was a long passage he particularly liked, similar to what he saw now. Akina didn't understand at first, but curiously, she recited it with him.
[At the end of the stream, a mountain came into view. The mountain had a small opening that seemed to have light. So he abandoned his boat and entered through the opening. At first it was extremely narrow, barely allowing passage. After advancing several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a broad expanse. The land was flat and open, the houses were neatly arranged. There were fertile fields, beautiful ponds, and mulberry and bamboo groves. Paths crisscrossed, and the sounds of cocks crowing and dogs barking could be heard. The people coming and going, planting and working...]
"Kaito... you're too weird..."
"Hahaha! This is the culture passed down from my ancestors!"
Two hours later, Kaito and the poetry-reciting-until-exhausted Akina left the Angel Hot Spring.
Sigh... There was no helping it. Akina loved learning poetry too much.
From initial reluctance to reciting poetry for fun, and even arguing with Kaito.
With no way out, Kaito had to teach her diligently, and mischievously, even when she didn't want to learn, she had to. Hence it dragged on until now.
"Kaito, don't go back... How about... come to my room? I still want to learn more."
Kaito, about to return to his own room to rest, stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at Akina, who was holding a bottle of stamina recovery potion specially drawn from the Gacha.
Seeing this, Kaito smiled.
"Sure."