[ There is absolutely not the hint of a blush after her response (spoiler: there is)... but it fades as he gives a wry smirk. ]

I actually used to hate reading.

[ With a quiet sigh, he leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees. ]

But... one of the girls who joined the guild just after me - she really liked romance novels, even though the rest of the hunters made fun of her. She always ignored them, sometimes even laughing in their face and telling them to fuck off.

[ Something distant enters his expression. ]

She left the book behind, one day. I knew one of the other hunters would probably just steal it and burn it, if they saw it just lying there. So, I grabbed it and took it home. Out of boredom, I read it...

[ There's a lengthy pause... ]

Anyway, after she broke the rules and- was removed from the guild, I wound up stuck with it. I kept the book to remember her by, and then... I read the other volumes...

[ The ghost of a whimsical smile appears. ]

Her name was Kara. She was about your age.