Volume 1. Chapter 20: The Road to the Western Temple. Part 1

Early morning bathed Lily’s house in a soft light, and a faint warmth touched the bedroom where Ken was resting. Lily quietly entered the room, carefully approached the bed, and paused, watching his face. He slept peacefully, but even in sleep, he still wore that signature playful expression, as if he was ready to tease her at any moment - even in his dreams. She sighed softly and reached out, gently touching his shoulder.“Ken… wake up,” she whispered, trying to speak as softly as possible.Ken smiled slightly without opening his eyes and, to Lily’s surprise, mumbled:“Lily… stop… That’s adult stuff… We don’t need to rush…”Lily jerked her hand back, her face lighting up with a fiery blush. She didn’t know what to say - whether to back away or laugh at his words.“Um… Ken, what are you even…?” she started, unsure if he was serious or just teasing her.He opened one eye, a mischievous sparkle glinting in his gaze.“Oh, good morning, Lily,” he said with exaggerated sincerity. “How wonderful to see you first thing in the morning. Isn’t this true happiness?”Lily blushed even deeper, squinting her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.“Ken, you… you’re teasing me again!” she accused, trying to look stern, but the corners of her mouth twitched, betraying her embarrassment.Ken smirked, stretching and finally sitting up in bed.“What can I say? You’re just too cute when you blush. How could I resist?” He smiled at her and immediately noticed her face turning bright red again.“You’re… impossible! I came to wake you up, not to hear all these… ridiculous jokes,” she mumbled, refusing to look away.“Thanks for caring, Lily,” he replied more gently, meeting her gaze. “Honestly, it means a lot. But still,” he added with a grin, “you look amazing - even when you’re mad.”She sighed, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.“Come downstairs, we need to get ready,” she muttered before turning quickly and leaving the room - before he could see just how red her cheeks had become.When they both came down to the living room, Lily had regained her composure and pulled a small pouch from the cabinet, holding it out to Ken.“This is a magical bottomless pouch,” she said proudly, handing it to him. “It’s super light and can hold an incredible amount. Of course, it won’t fit the whole house, but an entire room’s worth of stuff? No problem.”Ken stared at the pouch in fascination, carefully taking it into his hands like it was some fragile treasure. He tossed it lightly a few times, amazed at how weightless it felt, and broke into a grin.“This is amazing!” he exclaimed. “With a bag like this, we can bring anything without worrying about the weight!”Lily nodded, pleased by his reaction.“It’s really useful for traveling. With this pouch, we can bring food, water, blankets - everything we need for the journey. And you’ll barely even feel it.”Still impressed, Ken looked at her with genuine gratitude.“Lily, you’re a miracle. I have no idea how I’d manage without you. You always think of everything.”Her face flushed again, and she turned away, trying to hide her embarrassment.“I… I just want our journey to go smoothly. And… it’s not that rare of an item,” she said, shrugging modestly.Ken laughed, watching her flustered face.“Come on now, don’t be modest! You really are a miracle.”