Chapter 402: Claim your gift

"Ethan?"

"Yes?" Ethan flinched at the sound of Clara’s voice and turned toward her, realizing a moment too late that she had been speaking to him for some time.

The concern etched across her face made it clear that his inattentiveness had not gone unnoticed.

"I’m sorry. My mind has been a little occupied lately." He offered an apologetic smile before leaning back in his seat, hoping to brush the matter aside.

They were sitting in a cafeteria outside the base, a place the two of them often visited after missions.

Clara leaned forward, her pink hair falling slightly over her shoulder as she studied him. "If something is weighing on your mind, and you don’t mind sharing it, please let me know."

She had been growing increasingly concerned about him lately. His sudden change in personality had initially caught her off guard, but she had eventually put the cause of it to the loss of his mother.

It was only natural for such a tragedy to leave a lasting impact, and she had given him the space he needed to come to terms with it.

However, the past two days had been different.

Ethan had grown unusually quiet, barely speaking unless they were out on a raid. Once their work was done, he spent most of his time in the gym, pushing himself through one training session after another.

Even when someone tried to strike up a conversation, he offered little more than a few words before returning to whatever occupied his thoughts.

His behavior had become so unusual that even Layena, who rarely paid attention to what others were doing, had asked him whether he was feeling alright.

Ethan had assured everyone that he was fine, and physically, there was nothing obviously wrong with him.

He continued to perform his duties without complaint, led their raids with the same efficiency as always, and showed no signs of lacking that might explain his sudden obsession with training.

Yet Clara knew him well enough to recognize that something was troubling him.

"Well, it’s not something I’m supposed to reveal, but just to ease your worries, let’s say I’m going through a phase right now," Ethan explained after a brief pause. "A phase of disappointment, I suppose. I’m quite dissatisfied with where I stand right now."

Clara blinked, caught off guard by his admission. "Disappointed? Ethan, you’ve been promoted to the first rank in such a short time. You’ve been leading all our raids, and we barely suffer any injuries under your command, let alone casualties. The Commander holds you in high regard, and the rest of your teammates respect you. What exactly is there to be disappointed about?"

She shook her head and settled against the backrest, unable to make sense of his reasoning. From her perspective, Ethan had accomplished more in a few months than most hunters managed in years. If anything, he should have been proud of how far he had come.

"I can’t think of a single thing that could have pushed you into this state," she muttered, still searching his face for an answer. Then, as a sudden possibility occurred to her, her eyes widened. "Unless it’s something more personal."

Ethan stared at her for a moment, his expression utterly blank.

"No, Clara. I’m not suffering from premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction."

Clara’s face turned as red as a setting sun. "I wasn’t thinking that! I swear!"

Her voice rose several notches higher than intended, drawing curious glances from the people seated around them.

A few diners even turned their heads to see what had caused the sudden outburst, but Clara was far too mortified to pay them any attention.

She could only stare at Ethan, wondering how on earth he had managed to twist her words into something so embarrassingly specific.

"It’s nothing to worry about, though. I have a way to overcome this."

Ethan was confident that he would eventually surpass his weakness and achieve what he had been striving for all this time.

He might not know how long it would take, but giving up was never an option. He had come too far to settle for his current abilities, especially when he knew exactly what he was missing.

Spark.

That was the only thing standing between him and the heights he wished to reach, the final piece he needed to become someone who could be of greater use to his master.

Until he acquired it, no amount of training or hard work would be enough to satisfy him.

"Well, if you ever feel like talking, just know that I’m always here for you," Clara offered, her voice softer than before.

She wanted to do something for him, anything that might ease the burden he was carrying, but she couldn’t help someone who refused to share his troubles.

Just then, she remembered something and hesitated briefly before asking, "Um, do you have some time this evening?"

"No." Ethan answered immediately, without even giving the question a second thought.

Clara blinked, momentarily stunned by his blunt response. She had barely worked up the courage to ask, and he had rejected her so quickly that she wasn’t even sure how to react.

Noticing her expression, Ethan hurried to clarify. "I have something important to take care of this evening, so I can’t make any other plans. But did you have something important to discuss?"

Clara lowered her gaze, a helpless smile slowly forming on her lips.

She remembered how she had finally gathered the courage to confess her feelings to him, only for him to never show up that day. She had waited, growing more anxious with every passing minute, before eventually learning that he had been sent on a mission by the Commander.

She had been disappointed, of course, but she understood that his duties came first and decided to wait for another opportunity.

And today, she had prepared everything once again, determined not to let her courage falter at the last moment. She had spent time making arrangements, carefully considering how she would approach him and what she would say when the moment finally arrived.

Yet, just like before, Ethan wouldn’t be there.

"I understand..." she murmured, keeping her eyes lowered as she forced her smile to remain in place. "And it was nothing important."

Clara was saddened, yes, but she wasn’t defeated. If she couldn’t confess her feelings today, then she would find another opportunity.

She had to do it, after all...

I don’t have much time left...

The thought brought a faint, sorrowful smile to her lips. She had no intention of letting her limited time stop her from pursuing the things she wanted, even if the thought of what awaited her in the future sometimes left her feeling helpless.

As she watched Ethan push his chair back and rise to his feet, she prepared herself to let the matter go for another day.

But just as she thought their conversation was over, Ethan paused beside the table and turned toward her.

"Clara, would you mind going out with me?"

She flinched, her heart skipping a beat as she stared at him. For a moment, she genuinely wondered whether she had heard him correctly.

Hesitantly she asked, "Huh? Go out? You mean, do you want to go somewhere with me?"

Ethan shook his head. Perhaps realizing how easily his words could be misunderstood, he decided to be more direct.

"I have feelings for you. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Silence descended upon their table.

For a long, long moment, Clara simply stared at him, her mind seemingly incapable of processing what she had just heard. She had spent so much time worrying about how she would confess her feelings that the possibility of Ethan making the first move had never even crossed her mind.

And then, as the realization finally sank in, her face lit up.

"KYAAAAH!"

Her shriek rang through the cafeteria, drawing the attention of practically everyone inside.

Conversations came to an abrupt halt as diners turned toward the source of the commotion, only to find a pink-haired girl practically bursting with happiness in her seat.

Ethan could only stand there and watch as the situation unfolded, wondering whether he should have chosen a more private place to ask the question.

....

Back at Kyle’s new residence, Kyle was busy tidying up the place while thinking on the meeting he had arranged at Ethan’s residence later that day.

He had invited quite a few people, most of whom he had never met in person before. Their presence, however, was necessary for the preparations he had in mind, and he intended to make sure everything proceeded according to plan.

There were still a few things he needed to take care of before the evening arrived. In particular, he would have to contact his ’viewers’ and confirm that the guests he had invited would actually show up.

Just as he was considering when to contact them, a notification chimed from his phone.

Ding!

Kyle glanced at the screen, and a smile immediately spread across his face when he saw who had sent the message.

It was from Amanda.

You may come in and claim your gift~

For a moment, all thoughts of preparations, invitations, and the people he needed to contact vanished from his mind.

Whatever important business he had planned could wait a little longer. After all, for now, his lovely girlfriend needed his attention.