「12:01| Tuesday」

“Oh thank you for the bread. They look tasty. Thanks Elizabeth.”

“You're welcome miss.”

Eli-chan smiles at the auntie who received a bag of her baking.

“Good bye po auntie~ Have a very nice day~”

I grab Eli-chan's hand where she tries to resist but can she?

“Oh thank you uh... Mark right? Please take care of our village's Elizabeth.”

She sees us off her gate.

“I will. She's my little girlfriend after all fufufu~”

Eli-chan blushes while glaring at me.

Fufu.

I miss this reaction.

“She looks kind.”

“Ah yes she is... But.... Err... Can you please.. um... let go of my hand now...?”

“No. We're couples so why are you being embarrassed?”

“N-No... We're not coup...”

She's talking in whisper.

“What? Louder your voice.”

“.......”

“Why did you instead stop talking?”

“........”

Whatever.

“Anyway, the last batch is for nanay Maria.”

I also bring her tupperware with me. It's washed very well and there's no lingering scent of the caldereta.

I'm such a good dishwasher fufufufu.

*Ding~ Dong~*

I press on her door bell.

“Who is it? State what you need. You're disturbing me.”

What a very warm welcome.

“Nanay Maria, it's Mark po! I'm also with Eli-chan.”

“........”

There's no response but the door opens. And an old lady comes out slowly.

I pull Eli-chan and walk towards nanay Maria.

“What are you two doing here?”

I offer her the clean tupperware.

“Well, here's your tupperware po nanay. The caldereta was very rich in flavor. So hank you for the left over fufufufu.”

She takes the tupperware from me roughly.

“Hmmp. Flowery words. You better make sure this tupperware is clean or else.... hmmp! So? What else do you need?”

I glance at Eli-chan who's looking a nanay Maria unblinkingly.

Nanay Maria notices her. She just stare back at Eli-chan as well.

“What are you looking at?”

“Here. Please stop giving me your left overs. I'm not a dog.”

Eli-chan hands the bag of bread she baked towards nanay Maria.

“Hmmph. Then who am I supposed to give it to? There are so many people who can't afford to eat. I can't waste food. And whatever is that, I don't need it. What if it's poisoned?”

You're so distrustful po nanay.

“Just take it please.”

Eli-chan insists.

“I refuse! I don't want anything from you. Hmph. You two should leave—”

Nanay Maria tries to go back into her house. But Eli-chan breaks free from my hold and blocks nanay Maria from getting inside.

“No. Take this first.”

Eli-chan pushes the bag to nanay Maria.

“I said no. I don't want that!”

Nanay Maria push Eli-chan's hand away. But Eli-chan is strong so nanay Maria can't do much.

“No! Take this!”

“You're so stubborn girl. Just go with your stupid boyfriend!”

What? Why am I stupid now? And you're just as stubborn nanay Maria.

“Don't call him stupid! You don't know anything about Mark.”

“So? His face is enough for me to know his level of intelligence.”

Hey there nanay Maria.

“How dare you... Don't say nonsense and just take this!”

Eli-chan pushes the bag to nanay Maria with great force.

“Well, calm down ladies.”

I get in between them so Eli-chan hit my chest instead of nanay Maria.

Agh. That force could knock nanay Maria away.

Fuu~

Seriously... What's with these two?

“Hmmp. You should tell that to her. How dare she be so rude to an old lady like me with one foot in the grave.”

“Don't say that. You'll live a long life nanay Maria.”

I face nanay Maria.

I smirk with squinted eyes.

“And Eli-chan just really love me so much.”

“Wha—”

I hear Eli-chan's flustered voice behind me.

“Of course she can't bear to hear her beloved boyfie get badmouthed by others.”

“W-W-Wha— T-ta— W-what are you saying Mark?! I don't love you!”

*Slap!*

She slaps my back. Well, that stings.

“Fufufufufufu.”

“Hmmp. Flirt somewhere else! You'll go somewhere right? Leave now. Nobody wants to see your public display of affection.”

Nanay Maria walks pass us.

“Because you are begging me so much, I'll be taking this.”

She takes the bag from the blushing Eli-chan.

“Make sure to to look left and right when crossing the road. Funeral is expensive.”

Funeral immediately? No hospitalizations first?

Fufufufu.

Nanay Maria walks into her house before closing the door.

*Bam!*

“Fufu. Eli-chan's breads are very delicious nanay Maria— Agh!”

Eli-chan elbowed me when I shout a compliment fufufufufu.

“Well.... Shall we go now?”

“Go home?”

“No. Of course not. We'll pick dad up— Wait! Where are you going? Agh. Stop struggling.”

She was about to run so I immediately grab her arm. But you already know it, she's strong so it's kind of pain in the ass.

“C-Can't I just stay home...?”

“No.”

“I'll just go to your house later. I-I'll bake more cake!”

“What we're having in my bag is enough.”

“But—”

“No. You dress beautifully as well. It will be a shame to not show you off to my dad.”

She's wearing a pink crew neck t-shirt and a black knife pleated knee length skirt. It's tight so it shows her curvature and breasts.

“I-I-I am not beautiful!”

You are.

But now that I talk about it, Eli-chan isn't wearing her belly band customized for her dagger but I'm sure she's currently armed.

Where is it hidden?

The only place she can hide it is under her skirt. I wanna see.

“Don't stare at me like that! It's embarrassing...”

Eli-chan blocks the view from mee.

“Fufufufu. You're so pretty Eli-chan.”

“I-I-I-I'm not..!”

“Is that so? Let's go now though.”

“No— ah! Let me go!”

I drag her forward but she's against it so it's pretty hard. I'm sweating already.

“Are you listening to me? Please let me go!”

“Fufufufu.”

“Eli-chan, if you keep struggling, I'll shout: ‘I'm going to introduce my cute and clingy little girlfriend— Elizabeth Hecate personally to my dad for the first time! Please congratulate us!’”

“What? No! Y-You can't scare me... I don't care if you shout! Leave me alone!”

“Alright.”

I inhale sharply.

“!!”

“I'm goi—mmpff! Nguff mmpff fuff!”

Eli-chan covers my mouth and I feel like my jaw will break.

“S-Stoooop~! Fine fine. I'll come okay?”

“Hm-mmpff!”

I nod at her.

“No shouting okay? I'm going to let go. Okay?”

“Mmpff.”

“You won't shout right?”

Yes bloody hell. Ah! My jaw clicked! It hurts.

“Mmpff.”

“Really?”

“Mmpff.”

“Alright. I'll believe you. I'll let go now—”

“Yiiiiiiiiiieeee~”

“!!”

A young girl probably three or four years old is looking at us with shining eyes.

“A- A- Ta- Ta- N-No— Th-This.. Ah-”

“Stay strong po ate and kuya~ hehe~ I'll be going now. Mommy is calling me hehehe. Please continue~”

Then she run away.

“Wait! I-I-I-It's not what you think—”

And Eli-chan tries to follow her but I stop her.

“Where are you going?”

“She misunderstood! I need to make things clear.”

“Why? We're couples anyway.”

“We're no— Agh~! This your fault!”

*Swish~*

She punches me to the head but I dodge it by hairsbreadth.

A roundhouse kick this time huh.

*Swish~*

Of course I dodge.

“Calm down. I apologize alright? We really need to go now!”

Another kick.

*Swish!*

She's not listening. She's being cute while blushing though fufu.

However...

Fuu~ I wonder how long will it take for her to calm down.

I'm worried about the cake in my bag though. That's why I can only move gently.

Can't dodge everything so I block it instead. However, it hurts.

She's strong...

—Naga Airport.

Although it's called「Naga Airport」named after our city, it is actually located in the provincial capital, Pili.

That's why we rode a jeepney for more than an hour towards Pili and due to Eli-chan hitting me for like 10 minutes straight, I hope we haven't missed dad yet.

I plan to surprise him so I didn't inform him beforehand. For him, because me and Crystal are in school and mom is at work, nobody will come to pick him up.

Yes. Very sad.

That's why he should feel warm if I suddenly come in front of him right with my—

“Mark, I want to pee so can you wait for your dad yourself?”

—little girlfriend who's totally anxious and is looking for a way out.

“No. Endure it. Dad should be here in any moment.”

I look around and can't find any familiar faces among this pack of people.

“We probably missed him already so w-we should just wait for him at your home... right...?”

“No. Eli-chan calm down. Dad won't eat you.”

“But what if he doesn't like me?”

“I doubt that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes—”

Agh. Speaking of...

“Mark.”

The surprised failed I see.

“Welcome back dad. Have you eaten lunch?”

A tall and slender pale man wearing a black leather jacket and pants with a backpack on him stands looking serious and cold in front of me.

He have a dark purple hair and dark violet eyes.

He is my dad— Herald Reverren.

“I had a light lunch. But why are you here? And who's this?”

“Dad, Meet Eli-chan my litt—”

“Ahh~ Uncle, hello. I'm Elizabeth. Please call me Eli-chan! I'm Mark's girlfriend~”

She winks adorably.

Eh...?

What...?

What the fuck is going on?