Chapter 19: Slacking Off

Your consciousness slowly drifted back into place. You turned over, then suddenly remembered something.

It seemed like... before you fell asleep, you were sitting on the floor, held in Kaiser’s arms?

But you were clearly lying down now. You were sprawled across the soft, large bed in the bedroom.

...Did Kaiser carry you over while you were asleep?

You fell into deep thought, convinced that you weren't usually such a heavy sleeper.

Your sleepiness vanished completely. You sat up and ruffled your messy hair.

Kaiser immediately came into view—he was sitting at the round table eating breakfast.

"Morning. Want some breakfast?"

Kaiser’s face, which had looked slightly haggard yesterday, was brimming with vitality today; even the red at the corners of his eyes looked particularly striking.

However, his words reached your ears as nothing but incoherent mumbling.

You rubbed your eyes and began searching for your headphones. You assumed you had fallen asleep wearing them and they had slipped onto the bed, but even after feeling under the pillows, you couldn't find them.

Kaiser opened his mouth as if to say something, but eventually, he stood up and walked over.

The headphones were sitting on the nightstand; you hadn't noticed them at all. He picked them up and handed them to you. You thanked him and put them on.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

Kaiser handed you the hotel’s ordering tablet and added, "I’m going to the gym to train in a bit. You’re coming with me."

"...Huh?!"

Seeing the pace Kaiser was setting on the treadmill, you couldn't help but click your tongue.

Is this what one expects from a top-tier Sentinel who plays soccer? His endurance and speed were truly terrifying.

You didn't have the energy for that, but thinking that since you were already here, you might as well get some healthy exercise, you started walking on the treadmill.

You took out your phone to ask Starlight about the doubts you had yesterday.

Although it had been mentioned in passing, it wasn't until you were actually in the situation that many questions arose. You needed to be clear on everything before you dared to try anything.

—As long as you don’t stay in the mental landscape for too long, it won’t trigger separation anxiety~

Starlight replied quickly, and her answer made you breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed you could challenge yourself to pluck a rose from Kaiser’s mental landscape to keep him in check. Suddenly, your career as a Guide felt full of hope.

—So, how long is this "staying" duration?

The chat box remained silent for a long while, as if she were carefully choosing her words.

—For me, it’s five seconds, but that only applies to Shiguang Qingzhi, and it’s something I tested over and over again. You know that under normal circumstances, a Guide can only match with one Sentinel; I’m not sure if the threshold for all Sentinels is five seconds. If you want to turn this into a warning method that doesn't trigger anxiety, you had better ensure that your time inside any Sentinel’s mental landscape does not exceed five seconds, and the faster, the better. As for how to reduce the time spent... you’ll need at least one "guinea pig" Sentinel to practice on repeatedly [fingers-twiddling emoji.jpg].

The more you read, the tighter your brow furrowed. By the end, you were completely speechless.

Given these rigorous data points, you could only imagine how many times Shiguang Qingzhi had been forced to endure separation anxiety. You immediately felt a sense of awe for the spirit of exploration and self-sacrifice those two possessed.

As for this "guinea pig"...

You mechanically turned your head to look at the only person present who could possibly serve as one—Kaiser, who was sprinting on the treadmill.

The radiant Sentinel noticed your gaze and, with great naturalness, turned his head to give you a charming wink.

"............"

You looked away, thinking that perhaps you shouldn't practice this after all.

After all, separation anxiety was quite tormenting for both parties...

After emphasizing that you must absolutely not leave while he was away, Kaiser finally entered the gym’s shower stall.

Listening to the patter of water inside, your mind had already entered a state of void.

Given the current situation, you felt that you were the one who needed mental counseling more.

You even felt that if you hadn't promised him repeatedly, this German man might actually have gone so far as to make you watch him shower...

Sigh, it was the second day; just hold on a little longer.

You repeated it to yourself in your heart: tomorrow is the third day, and once you get through it, you can return to Blue Lock.

When Kaiser finished his shower and came out, he sat down right next to you again, not even bothering to dry his hair.

You shifted your bottom, your expression one of resignation. "...What is it now?"

"Your scent has faded a bit. I’m topping it up."

He explained in all seriousness, his hand covering yours.

"............"

You curled your fingers; the physical contact made you feel a bit restless.

As if sensing you hovering near his mental pathways, a faint, excited flush appeared on Kaiser’s face.

"Want to enter my landscape? I wouldn’t mind extending the anxiety period by a few days."

You pulled your hand away instantly.