Level 5: Not Your Average Aoi

After being ridiculed and laughed upon by the tribespeople, Yukio had a hard time resting as his mind was in turmoil, with people doubting their abilities. 

"If you're still thinking about the tribespeople laughing at you, quit it. You need rest, your sleep is important rather than the opinion of others." said Keita, with concerns to his friend.

Meanwhile Ayane was sleeping, yeah sleeping and snoring like she isn't a girl of fair beauty.

While trying to sleep he then thought to himself if challenging Atsuto to fight in front of those crowds of people was a good idea as he could've done it in secrecy. He facepalmed himself in regret because of that decision he had made.

****

Walking on the seashore was Atsuto as he couldn't sleep easily unlike normal tribesmen. It had developed into a daily thing since "that day", since that day he suffered from insomnia all of a sudden, he had a hard time sleeping but he found out that calming thoughts, sceneries, and noises were helpful in alleviating his insomnia.

Watching waves wuther in the distance, with the cold seawater engulfing his calloused, rocky and solid feet all while feeling the grainy white sand and bumps of small corals in his soles.

As he took a slow walk, he noticed a little spider chilling on a hammock made from purple strings supported by a pair of coconut trees, she's sharing the same action as him, just admiring the nightly view of the shore. By now she had noticed Atsuto's presence.

"What's this? Can't sleep?" asked Maki 

"Why ask when you already knew the answer for ages now?" said Atsuto. And that her question didn't strengthen his desire to sleep. Maki scoffs as a reply to his queries and then she proceeds to remove the arbor of her spool which was a container of various vials of poisons and medicine, which is what that is a quirk Maki only knows, unique to the Ensemble itself. 

"You know" Maki said with a hint of suggestion, "I have a small glass bottle here full of melatonin, and according to research, melatonin can make you sleepy" she added, thinking this can help his insomnia because it's encourages sleep and reduces sleep latency of the person, and since this bottle is from her, the effects are better and more potent but she shrugs the potentially lethal price of consuming it as it's Atsuto after all, he's a tough nut to crack when it comes to poison. 

He accepts it but tells her that eating dart frogs is more of a suitable sleeping pill for him rather than this strong venom can make him snore for more than 8 hours. 

He asked her what's currently up, Maki told him the new news. Apparently, the Leader manages to gather everyone in a group holographic call. They cannot meet him right now as said before "priorities" and that Aria bestowed her title as one the Ensemble's Upper Five to the Guardian of Myanmar or Burma or whatever that country is called.

That was a good call for her if it's Atsuto's opinion, Aria giving up that position makes her less wanted for nonsense the Leader has, and that gives her lots more time for leisures and stuff, in short she gained more independence inside and outside the group. But he dares not mess with Aria as he got folded humiliatingly as fought calmly and with poise.

"Are you satisfied with your current position in the Ensemble?" she asked him

"Why of course I am, we are only ranked due to the outcome of that fight" he said.

It's unnecessary and a waste of time to increase his position, serving this tribe as the village is a much more important role than being an Ensemble member but, it's Ren, he cannot disobey him. He saved and helped with the development of the village so much. In fact he still has to repay his debt to him. 

"Yeah, yeah, I know the whole Tsuchiyama Tribe drama for about a hundred times now" "But I got to go now, the leader called me on a short notice. See ya around and don't disappoint me" she said.

She retracted her strings and then jumped into a newly opened spatial magic, disappearing from the scene without much of a whizzing noise. 

He is confused with the contents of the bottle. But knowing Maki, he decides to down the entire bottle in one go. At first he doesn't believe it, calling it a quack product and a scam from her, and then. 

He cracks a yawn, a long one at that.

Surprisingly it works

"I got to go rest my head now" he said tiredly as he walked back to his house 

********

The next day

Yukio left the comforts of the Tsuchiyama Tribe alongside Ayane and Keita, with them proposing to go back to the main city rather than stay here and increase the tribe's workload. A few batted an eye, most of those who waved them goodbye were the children who were playing in the entrance of the tribe.

As they go back to the main city of Dili, they try to think of some way to beat Atsuto.

Not thinking straight, Keita then proposes that they must study about him more and then analyze his manoeuvres. 

"But how can we analyze it? We need to fight him first head on for that to happen in the first place." said Yukio while scratching his head. 

They have some spare money in the bag due to their exploration in that dungeon and from the pocket money they stole from that thug and his dead subordinates.

The only question in their heads is how they will spend it again. They currently don't have anything lacking right now or any necessities that they'll need on the road. They're pretty much stuffed and heavily stocked up.

"So, when will we come back here again? I kinda miss the outside world." Ayane said with a hint of yearning in her voice. Like she wants to go back to the real world once again.

"Don't be silly, you've been gone for a day. It's not like we're stuck here until this game made by Ren is finished" Keita ripostes, seemingly mocking Ayane’s tendency to get easily homesick. 

If you ask Yukio, he wants to go outside, touch some grass then go back to the Moonlight Convenience Store to eat some real world snacks, he has nothing to do in the house, Chiyo is in charge of the house chores plus his allowance from Ren arrived today. His allowance is about 3 million yen in lump sum, all sent via a briefcase. He wants to treat the two of them now that he has money, all expenses paid by him. Slowly but surely, taking the role of being Ren’s; or rather Iwabe’s foster son doesn't sound all too bad after all. 

"Now you really know how to get a guy going" said Keita then agrees to log out for the day knowing that Yukio will treat him and that he will not be able to spend his pennies, Ayane thought of the same too.

******

They then logged out of the dream world, all of it taking around half a minute, from quitting the dream world to logging out and finally opening their eyes back to their beds.

Yukio took one sniff of himself and boy he smells bad, like he was in bed the whole day type of smell. And he thought to himself that he, Yukio Miyamoto must make haste to freshen himself up. He's gonna spoil his friends rotten today, his hands are excited to touch those thick wads of cash.

After he took a shower, got a new change of clothes and fixed his room he gets permission from his mother to get outside the house for a stroll and then when they are walking Yukio asks about where they are gonna hang out again as he forgot the moment he got out of their house's gate. 

"It's the Moonlight Convenience Store, dumbass" Keita said to his friend. Plus that convenience store is Keita's favorite haunt and place to have fun when his house gets a bit noisy, Keita also visits this convenience store to celebrate when exams are over. But Yukio thinks of it differently otherwise 

"You just hang out there because you wanted to smoke and to avoid Aunt Kinoe at home." he said to him.

"Hey I don't smoke, okay. I go there because I have extra money to spend and because I don't have a little sister so the money's all mine. While you on the other hand, yes you Yukio, I feel bad for you, for having Chiyo ordering you around.” he defended himself while subtly flexing his only child privileges.

Yukio and as well as Ayane knew fully well that Keita smokes but only if the situation goes down bad or when the mud hits the fan but he doesn't do it everyday like others. So this little explanation is him just trying to save his skin.

"Can you guys be a little silent when we are walking?" Ayane said to the two.

Keita ripostes her that having a conversation shortens the travelling time that it takes because while chatting with your friends you didn't realise you've already reached your destination.

Due to his scuffed tone of voice Ayane felt a pang of submissiveness as she had remembered what Keita had done in their first year of middle school, she decided to not argue back at Keita on that personality.

And when they reached the convenience store they saw a girl in a hood having snacks all by herself and then Keita asked her if she was alright immersing herself in isolation just like that. 

She gave a nice response to him but the way she ate and hung out in the place can make most people mistake her for being in depression, Yukio then suddenly realises the voice is familiar and it suddenly rang a bell with him.

"Aoi?" 

He isn't mistaken about who that hooded girl was, her voice is just too recognizable because of her loud voice that he hears everyday in school. Especially when she tells him that he and his friends are "late".

As Yukio looked closer, that face seemed familia and when the girl removed her hood, it was Aoi indeed and also her hair smelled so nice. Yukio was curious about what shampoo she was using as he wanted to use it too to smell nice and attract girls.

"It's just my imported shampoo, no big deal" she scuffs.

Keita realized that due to some expensive shampoo Aoi bought abroad, she was praised by Yukio, maybe he should buy some too in order to have girls praise him, and it would be worth every penny.

Also , Yukio was concerned and advised her that because of her beauty she could get abused in the alleys that easily there are many opportunistic men lurking in the area. After all, most of them here are masters when it comes to whistling and catcalling cute girls.

"Hah, how do you know that? Do you do that kind of thing?" Aoi queried.

"Yes, I know how to catcall too" he said sternly.

Aoi backs away slightly as soon as she heard that. But Yukio calms her down reassuring her that as he won't use it on her.

"Hey just so you know Yukio I am not your average girl as I have known this neighborhood longer than you, let them try let see what happens." she said

But it is not enough to expel doubts and worries from Yukio's body.

Not long after, three second year high schoolers then go to the convenience store to buy something to drink and when they found Aoi they then decide to flirt with her and also try their chance at sleazing her a little.

"Hey there cutie, are you alone right now? Because we are gonna treat you to a meal or two there inside the convenience store if you do." he said.

After a preposition of a meal or two, one of them then told her that if she finished eating they would like to talk more alongside her to somewhere secluded where there are only the four of them. They "don't want anyone to snitch on their private secrets" and a beauty like her deserves to hear it. 

Seeing a little sexual harassment about to go uphill she then drives away one of the students but to the suprise of Yukio's party, the student along with his two friends then tries to knock Aoi unconscious by which she dodges.

"What's the matter with you?!, we came here to be friends with you, you bitch" one of them said.

"Did you just call me a bitch huh? I'll murder you!" she asked in retaliation.

Aoi then leaps from the table and then kicks one of them horizontally and then vertically making his head bow. To be precise he was knocked unconscious, due to this and when one of them brought a bat she almost touched the bat when she was almost bashed all over causing chaos to the convenience store but, Aoi agreed to take it outside as there were CCTV cameras in the convenience store and if they were seen they are gonna get in trouble with the police. 

"Rich brats like you should be pounded with a bat to be disciplined" said by the remaining conscious friends of that student.

And Aoi was about to attack but Yukio stops it with his hand, hits him hard by his shoulder and then steals his bat to be used against him, disarming him in the process. 

Yukio then asks them a question

"Would you like it the arduous way or the hard way?" 

"The arduous way" he replied in hopes of being spared and avoiding injury.

Since the two words are synonymous any choice they'll make will all end up to a single inevitable beating. There was no way out or any easy way at all.

"Now you ladies are messed up" he said as he whistled for Keita to come to his aid who by now has stolen one of the unconscious student's bat.

As Keita reaches Yukio they decided to bash the two students until Yukio and Keita are satisfied and the two people unconscious.

Breaking a sweat, Yukio then ask them on what should they eat at the convenience store as all the beating made him forget it.

"Ughhhh, don't just shift the topic like it was nothing!!" Aoi said as she facepalms herself.

They then go to the manager of the place who saw the whole ordeal from the kiosk behind them and when they told them what they are gonna eat and also drink he then nonchalantly get the receipt and also the their orders into them and when their orders arrive they then talk into account of Aoi's habits outside the Asami mansion as the only daughter, with his father being controlling and also so worried about her safety.

When Yukio asked why her father was so overprotective and not trustworthy to boys at her age, Aoi then hummed a little, embarrassed. He is so at watch to boys especially Yukio when he discovered that behind Aoi's favorite stuffed teddy lies a picture of boy with a text on the back saying "You're so cute, I really like you!" which was obviously not known by Yukio and others, his father's mind stormed awkwardly as a result. 

Also she is taught martial arts and weapon holding by her father, also as her mother is the one who makes decisions for her own good and also there to always cheer both her and her father in their own decisions if they dare to make an alternative decision that's against hers.

Anyway he said that he will challenge Atsuto in one week and so they gotta prepare themselves to a fight, Aoi wants to volunteer too but she cannot leave Kaede and Hiragi alone in the team as they've attracted Atsuto to fight them too in 3 days after Yukio's team fights him.

Yukio appreciates her attempt to help them in the fight against Atsuto, and that it's ok if she is unable to provide them assistance during their fight.

Atsuto meanwhile was in his tribe when he sees the schedule and then sinks a grin.

****

When they walk home Aoi feels like she isn't safe when she walks home at nighttime to the mansion and asks Yukio again to accompany her to the mansion gates.

"I thought you knew this neighborhood more than I do?" he asked in confusion as he heard her proudly saying that in front of them earlier.

"Forget what I said" she ripostes

"Ok princess, l will follow your every commands as you wish" Yukio said pretentiously and sarcastically.

Then they walked towards the Asami mansion, while walking they heard some sounds which Aoi heard and then hugs Yukio. "Hey don't be a scaredy cat Aoi!" he said, then she let go. 

"Fine you don't want someone to hug you, you idiot" she replied "You just want Keita to hug you don't you?" she added.

All by himself now, Yukio walks home alone and in the dark he then calls Keita to accompany him home, which he accepts.

As they walked home together Keita asked what happened during his walk with Aoi. "She was being a meanie as she is rich and comfortable inside that mansion" he said to him.

"And he did not thank me" he added. 

Then suddenly his phone rings and a text from Aoi reads "Thank You! ^_^".

"Now he has thanked you, Yukio" Keita said.

They then argue who can score more in the exams tomorrow which Keita said would be him not Yukio. He cuts his hope as he will perfect the exam like usual, and make Keita bow to him. 

"Like hell I would do that" he said and then gave Yukio a chase home.

Meanwhile Aoi then scolds herself for not thanking Yukio in the gates and instead leaves him alone in the open if she confessed during that walk, it was a sure chance that Yukio will reject him as he had seen her attitude and also he likes Ayane more than her but she will never give up until Yukio gives her a chance to be his girlfriend.

And then hugs her teddy bear when she realized she was being close to Yukio this whole time while they were walking and then she hugs her teddy tighter and cringing loud that her maids can hear.

**Level 4 Completed**

Hello, Lazycat here! Thanks for tuning in to another chapter and reading it till the end. I appreciate it and hopefully more people would be able to read this novel despite the storyline not that great. Anyways I'm open for your thoughts and to your reacts too so feel free to drop one, I can give it a listen. 😉