Chapter 42: Public Figure
Thea Bluegale lathered soap onto her breasts, covering them in a slippery layer as she stood beneath the shower.
She used gentle circular motions to wash them before rinsing them clean. The shower water continued to drizzle down over her like rain.
Then she looked down at herself, examining her chest.
They were definitely well-shaped and more than a handful. Any man would be ecstatic just to see them in a bra.
Still, Thea Bluegale sighed.
PING!
A notification on her phone, which was sitting on the bathroom counter, pulled her from her thoughts.
That’s strange... I only have notifications turned on for certain people.
She swiftly finished washing up and wrapped a towel around herself.
Then she read the message.
「1+ Message from: Kalon Manchester」
﹂Down to train? If so, meet me at Finsbury Gardens at 10 a.m. We can get lunch afterwards if you want.
Thea’s eyes lit up.
She had already completely forgotten about her breast size, which she and her mother both found underwhelming.
Immediately, she responded.
...
「1+ Message from: Thea Bluegale」
﹂I’ll be there :)
Kalon was already making his way to Finsbury Gardens before Thea responded, but he was still happy when she did.
She even sent me a smiley face... She’s really coming out of her shell.
It was a Sunday, and Kalon was feeling particularly good about himself, as usual.
Today, his durability had been enhanced by the daily blessing, which was why he had sent her the message.
With his durability buffed, he would be able to withstand more of Thea’s water attacks. That would allow him to improve his water resistance even further.
As he walked through the streets of Central London, he took in the scenery. The streets were mostly filled with students since the academy was closed, giving everyone some free time.
It was raining lightly, but he had expected it to be heavier, so he had brought an umbrella.
Usually, Kalon would spend these days locked in his dormitory room, hiding from bullies who had too much time on their hands and wanted someone to pick on.
Now...
"Excuse me, sir... Are you Kalon Manchester?"
Kalon turned toward the feminine voice behind him.
Except it wasn’t a woman. It was a group of small children.
All three of them looked no older than ten years old. They gazed up at Kalon despite him being fairly short himself.
Kalon had flashbacks to the times he had been bullied.
Usually, the only time a stranger asked who he was, it was followed by some sort of prank.
But this time was different.
He recognized the look in the kids’ eyes. It was the same look he had whenever he saw one of the Ten Dragons.
It was admiration.
A faint smile spread across his face beneath the umbrella.
"Yeah, that’s me. Is everything okay?"
"I knew it! I watched your fight on TV! How did you do it?" one of the kids asked.
"Does it burn when you use your own fire?!" another asked.
"Can you use any other elements?" the third asked.
Before Kalon could even answer the first question, another one followed.
"When are they going to promote you to the second year? I heard it’s not based on how much time you spend at the academy, but on your progression. Is that true?!"
Kalon let out a sigh.
It looked like he would be there for a while.
...
After spending about five minutes answering the children’s questions, the rain had already stopped.
By the end of the conversation, they had all followed him for a while and posted online about how kind he was in person.
Kalon’s follower count now sat comfortably at over 73,000 despite him not having made a single post.
Everyone was waiting eagerly for him to accept a sponsor and join their organization.
Except none of the offers he’d received felt right yet.
...
Kalon arrived at Finsbury Gardens ahead of Thea.
The location was a beautiful grassy field with numerous flower gardens spread throughout it, as well as a large fountain at its center.
The open patches of grass between the flower beds were commonly used by amateur fighters for light sparring. After all, professional fighters trained in secluded locations so their opponents couldn’t study their abilities.
...
After waiting for a while, Thea Bluegale arrived.
When Kalon saw her, he was taken by surprise.
She was dressed in her academy training uniform, an all-black jumpsuit that clung tightly to her body. However, she wore a black trench coat over it because she felt uncomfortable being dressed that way in public.
Thea joined Kalon on the grassy field and set her trench coat aside.
Kalon’s gaze instinctively traveled down her body. The tight black jumpsuit hugged her figure in a way that made it difficult not to notice her chest.
"What exactly are you looking at?" Thea suddenly asked.
Kalon’s cheeks immediately flushed.
Shit...
"Nothing, nothing..." he said before clearing his throat. "Thanks for coming, by the way."
Thea placed a hand on her hip and looked across the field at him. Her blue hair was tied back into a sleek ponytail.
"Anytime. This is helpful for me too, after all. I get to learn more about your flames."
"Ah, about that," Kalon replied. "I won’t be using my fire, but I do want you to use your water."
"..."
Thea tilted her head.
"Do you think I’m weak?"
"No, it’s not that, I promise. It’s just... the only skill I have is really strong."
Like, SSS-Rank strong...
Thea stared at him for a few moments. Her face tightened in frustration.
Eventually, she let out a sigh and accepted it. After all, she had seen firsthand what the skill could do.
She just wasn’t aware that what she’d seen during the mock battles was only a small fraction of its true power.
"Fine. But because you’ve annoyed me, I’m not going easy on you."
Thea widened her stance, and a mischievous smile spread across her face.
Kalon scoffed and settled into his own stance.
"I’d have it no other way."