Of course, what he enjoyed most was the sweet time spent "training"—ahem, instructing—Mai Shiranui and Yuri Sakazaki every day.
During the day, he'd guide the two beauties in "underwater pressure resistance training" by the pool while they wore skimpy bikinis, claiming it was to "feel the flow of water and comprehend the true meaning of softness."
At night, he'd pull them into the home theater to watch classic martial arts films, analyzing each technique from "physics" and "ergonomics" perspectives.
Life was truly "simple and mundane."
This particular afternoon, Cloud was lounging on the couch, enjoying grapes Yuri had personally peeled for him while Mai's long, beautiful legs casually rested on his lap. He felt he'd reached the peak of existence.
Just then, his "battle-worn" Nokia rang at the worst possible moment.
The caller ID showed an international call from Japan.
Cloud answered. A voice as sweet as heavenly music came through the receiver, tinged with barely contained excitement.
"Cloud? It's me, Athena!"
"Well, if it isn't our big star." Cloud replied lazily. "What brings you to call a commoner like me? Tour over?"
"Not yet." Athena's voice carried a hint of fatigue but more excitement. "The South Town show was a huge success, thanks to you. By the way, I'm heading back to Japan next week to prepare for my final concert at Tokyo Dome."
"Congratulations in advance, then."
"Um... actually, I called because... I wanted to ask a favor." Athena's voice suddenly became bashful.
"A favor? What could I possibly help with? Want me to sell tickets? Don't worry—with my connections in South Town's underworld, I can push a few thousand tickets easy."
"Pfft..." Athena laughed on the other end, then said seriously, "No, it's not that! I... I want to invite you to be a special guest at my concert!"
"Huh?!" Cloud nearly choked on a grape. "Lady, you sure about this? I'm tone-deaf with two left feet. You want me to perform stand-up comedy or break bricks with my chest?"
"You don't have to perform anything!" Athena quickly explained. "It's just... I want to sing a new song at this concert. But my producer's written several versions and none of them feel right. Something's missing. And then... I thought of you."
"Thought of me?"
"Mm," Athena's voice grew smaller, carrying a girlish shyness, "I think you're a really special person. There's something unique about you. More importantly, I feel like you're incredibly talented. So I was wondering... could you... write a song for me?"
Cloud: "..."
Wow, being an idol is this competitive now? Not only singing and dancing, but finding your own songwriters too?
But writing songs?
Cloud's mind instantly flashed through Earth's vast library of classic hits.
This... this is a freebie question!
"Writing songs? No problem." Cloud cleared his throat, instantly entering "flexing" mode. "But my songs don't come cheap."
"No problem! Just name your price for the rights!" Athena sounded excited.
"I'm not interested in money." Cloud spoke with practiced nonchalance. "I just need you to agree to one condition."
"What condition?"
"When I come to Japan, you have to personally take me through all of Akihabara and buy every figure and model I want!"
Silence on the other end for a moment, then Athena's exasperated voice: "...Fine, deal."
"Done!" Cloud snapped his fingers. "What style do you want? Rock? Ballad? Or... sweet romance?"
"I..." Athena hesitated, then said quietly, "I want a song that expresses... um... you know, that special feeling when you first start having feelings for someone."
First time having special feelings?
Cloud's mind instantly locked onto a classic song—the quintessential "confession anthem."
"Got it." He smiled. "Listen up. I'll hum a bit of the chorus for you."
He cleared his throat and began singing in a voice that wasn't professional but was unusually warm and tender:
"The first time I said I love you,My breath caught, my heart wouldn't stop trembling,The first time I held your hands,I lost direction, didn't know where to go.That was the reason we fell in love,That was why we stayed together..."
He only sang a small part of the chorus, but those simple, straightforward lyrics paired with the gentle melody instantly pierced the heart of the girl on the other end.
This was Michael Wong's "First Time"—and in the KOF world, it had of course become another Cloud "original."
Athena felt her cheeks heating up at visible speed.
This... this song...
These lyrics are too... too bold, too direct!
"Say I love you," "hold your hands," "stay together"...
This isn't expressing "special feelings"—this is a blatant confession!
"So... how is it?" Cloud asked deliberately after finishing.
"Um... it's... it's beautiful..." Athena's voice was barely audible. She felt like her heart was about to leap out of her throat.
She could already imagine the fans going absolutely crazy if she sang this at a concert in front of tens of thousands of people.
More importantly... he wrote this song.
Just thinking about it made her heart feel like it was soaked in honey.
[Ding! Target "Athena Asamiya" affection change: +40 → +50 (Is he... is he hinting at something with this song? My heart won't stop racing!)]