Chapter 71 [Bonus chapter- Response to summoning pen]
Ellie approached Kan from behind as he remained engrossed in deciphering the information displayed on the system screen. Kan's sudden awareness of her presence made him turn abruptly, initially startled but then breaking into a relieved smile.
"Hey babe?" Kan greeted, his smile masking the panic and shock that had momentarily gripped him upon her unexpected arrival.
However, Ellie wasted no time on pleasantries. Her tone was direct and businesslike as she cut through any small talk.
"What were you doing in there?" she asked, her eyes fixed on him with a sense of urgency that left no room for diversion.
Kan, recognizing Ellie's unusual seriousness and unwilling to escalate the situation further, decided to cooperate. He understood that this was not the time for his usual antics.
"You won't believe it, yeah?" Kan began, intending to explain how he had found himself leaving the counselor's office. But before he could elaborate, Ellie took a firm grip on his hand and led him back to the same place she had come from.
"Hey, slow down! I was just about to explain!!" Kan protested, but Ellie seemed determined and ignored his objections.
As they retraced their steps, Kan couldn't help but notice the strength in Ellie's grip. Her hand felt like a vise, and he marveled at the latent power she possessed.
[She's a werewolf. To her, this is normal,]Hela chimed in to explain the source of Ellie's strength.
Kan raised an eyebrow in response to Hela's explanation. "So you mean she's even stronger?" he mused but received no immediate answer as they arrived at the entrance to the elementary classroom.
Kan's eyes widened as he saw the state of the classroom door. The handle was mangled, some of the hinges appeared ready to fall off, and the overall condition of the door was far from intact.
"What the?!! What happened here?" Kan exclaimed, clearly taken aback by the sight.
Ellie wasted no time in explanation. Instead, she instructed Kan to retrieve his bag and gestured for him to hurry. Her voice held an unmistakable sense of urgency.
"Okay? Is something wrong?" Kan asked, still unsure about the situation but unwilling to take any action without a proper explanation.
"Just do it!!" Ellie responded firmly, refusing to elaborate further.
Kan raised an eyebrow, a silent protest to her cryptic behavior. Ellie, not one to entertain any delay, rolled her eyes and went over to Kan's seat to retrieve his bag. It was a minor oversight on her part, given that she could have grabbed it when she left the classroom earlier.
With Kan's bag in hand, Ellie turned to him, her expression clearly conveying impatience. "Let's go!" she ordered, grabbing his hand and starting to walk briskly while pulling him along.
Kan couldn't help but react to the forcefulness of Ellie's grip. "Easy girl!" he blurted out, feeling as if she might dislocate his arm with her determination.
Ellie, however, halted her steps abruptly and turned around to give Kan a look that clearly said, "What did you just say?"
"Uhmm... I mean woman?" Kan corrected himself hastily, not wanting to further provoke her.
With a shake of her head, Ellie resumed her swift pace, dragging Kan along as she moved with urgency. Kan found himself being pulled along like an escaped animal from a pen, and he couldn't help but remark internally.
"In every world, women still are women!"
Hela chimed in playfully, expressing her agreement with Kan's sentiment.
[You bet! They are the treasures of the universe. You either love them or love them!] Hela said, in a fun, playful tone.
"Well, I'm not surprised you agree.Given how you sound, you said that simply because you are one," Kan replied with a playful tone.
"How dare you? Do not cage me in a box! I am non-binary!" Hela retorted, correcting Kan's assumption about her gender.
The tension in the air was palpable as they continued their hurried journey, with Ellie leading the way and Kan reluctantly following. Unanswered questions and a sense of urgency hung over them, driving their actions.
The tension between Kan and Ellie was palpable as they were dragged all the way to the bus stop without exchanging a single word. Ellie's death stares and the weight of unspoken concerns hung heavily between them.
Finally, they boarded the bus, and even during the ride, the silence remained unbroken. Ellie's eyes bore into Kan, her gaze unwavering and filled with an intensity that hinted at her urgency.
When they reached their destination and disembarked from the bus, Ellie's monotonic voice broke the silence. "Your parents home?" she asked, her voice devoid of emotion.
Kan considered her question carefully before responding. "Erm...I doubt they are. It's too early," he replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Without any visible change in her demeanor, Ellie made a suggestion that cut through the tension like a blade. "Good, let's go to your place."
The gravity of the situation seemed to hang over them as they walked towards Kan's home. The unspoken questions and concerns weighed heavily on both of them, and it was clear that something wasn't right, Kan could feel it.
Kan and Ellie ascended the stairs of his apartment building in unbroken silence, each step resonating with the weight of unspoken questions and concerns. They finally reached his door, and Kan opened it, allowing Ellie to enter first.
Inside, the apartment was empty, confirming Kan's earlier assumption that his parents weren't home. The atmosphere was tense as they stood facing each other.
"What were you doing in the counselor's office? A female scent is all over you! And not just that...blood, sweat, and some other thing!!" Ellie's words were sharp, and her tone conveyed her frustration as she confronted Kan.
Kan met her intense gaze, taking in her exasperated expression. Her chest rose and fell with the emotions that had erupted in her. The veins on her forehead were visibly bulging, a sign of the tension that had built up.
"Hey, come here," Kan said, his voice softer now as he reached out and pulled Ellie towards him for a hug. The physical embrace was a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere, an attempt to comfort and provide solace in a moment of uncertainty.
"Okay fine, there was a girl," kan started and straight away, Ellie pulled away from kan's embrace, her eyes tracing all over Kan to see any semblance of a joke being pulled but the apparent look of seriousness on kan's face didn't seem to disprove her apprehension.
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