Volume 3
Chapter 4
(W-where did everyone goーーーーーー!!)
I'm so nervous I feel
like I'm about to die. My heart is also shouting loudly, "Help me, help
me!"
(W-why am I alone with
Mars-kun all of a suddenーーーーーー! Not only Ai and Somia-chan who were next to me, but Nozomu-kun and
Ena-chan have also disappeared without me noticing! Why! How!!)
Honestly, I don't know
what to do!! I'm screaming my lungs out in my head, but in reality, I can't say
anything, and I've become stiff as a board from nervousness.
"What happened to
Nozomu and the others? They disappeared without me noticing... Did we get
separated?"
"Y-yeah, I
th-think so…………"
I managed to answer in
a small voice, but it cracked with nervousness.
(W-what should I talk
about! ...I've never talked to a boy alone like this before.... Ai! Help meーーーーーー!!)
I mentally called for
help from my best friend who wasn't here. I had never walked around town alone
with a boy like this before. When I went out, it was always with Ai and
Somia-chan, and although I had been confessed to by boys, I had never dated
anyone, so I had never been on a date.
"This is
troublesome. The roads around here are complicated, so if we get separated,
it'll be hard to find them.... Alright, if we don't find them after walking for
a while, we'll go back home and wait. Okay?"
"Y-yes.
Please…………"
Saying that, Mars-kun
started walking, and I followed him a few steps behind.
"……………………"
"……………………"
We walked in silence
for a while. I honestly didn't know what to do, so I kept my face down, peeking
at the boy walking in front of me.
When I first met him,
he was very scary. He suddenly glared at me and intimidated me. My legs were
shaking, and if Ai hadn't been there then, I might have collapsed.
The next time I met
him was at Somia-chan's birthday party, and he was with his younger sister.
When we were waiting for Nozomu-kun and the others at Ai's house, he was still
scary, but that was until I saw him arguing with his younger sister in front of
Ai's house.
The two of them were
having a big fight in front of someone's house, attracting the attention of
everyone around them. Moreover, even though they had been fighting just a
moment ago, as soon as they noticed the crowd of people, they completely
ignored their own behavior and, as siblings, questioned Nozomu-kun, "Why
didn't you stop us?"
When I saw that scene,
my nervousness naturally disappeared, and I chuckled without even realizing it.
And then that incident
happened.
To help Somia-chan,
whose soul was about to be extracted due to a past contract, I captured the
contract's familiar with my strongest binding magic, but Rugato-san wouldn't
leave me alone, and I was about to be attacked by his magic.
It was Mars-kun who
saved me.
I never thought he
would save me, and I was completely stunned when he said to me,
...What are you
spacing out for? Concentrate on your magic. I'll deal with that old man's
magic.
Saying that, Mars-kun
turned his back on me and faced Rugato-san.
Even though he had
never tried to hide his irritation towards me until then, at that moment, I
clearly felt that his feelings and mine had become one.
"…………Is something
wrong?"
"N-no! It's
nothing!"
"……I see……"
Perhaps noticing my
gaze, Mars-kun stopped and turned around to talk to me. I replied that it was
nothing, but it came out stiff and awkward due to my nervousness. Silence fell
between us.
"……………………Sorry
about that time..."
"…………Eh……"
"Well... when we
first met, I glared at you, didn't I?... I hadn't properly apologized
yet..."
He scratched his cheek
as he apologized for what happened when we first met. He was still worried
about that time, his expression was a little dark, and he was looking slightly
down, perhaps feeling awkward.
"I-it's okay! I
don't mind anymore! Besides, you saved me..."
He had a subdued
appearance, different from Ai's dignified demeanor and also different from his
usual confident self, which surprised me. I myself knew that he wasn't someone
who was liked by everyone like Ai, but I thought that he, like her, was someone
who could make decisions about his actions with confidence.
Besides, Mars-kun
seemed worried that he hadn't apologized to me, but I myself hadn't thanked him
yet...
I was always lacking
in courage and hid behind Ai. Even during lunch break, I couldn't thank him
properly myself and could only do so by following Iris.
But now, I felt like I
could face him and thank him properly. My heart was still pounding, but I
mustered my courage and raised my downcast face.
"I-it's me who
hasn't properly thanked you yet.... Um, back then, if Mars-kun hadn't protected
me, I don't think I could have saved Somia-chan."
"O-oh…………"
Mars-kun looked a
little surprised, but I didn't notice because I was so nervous. My voice
cracked, and I probably sounded like a very strange person, but I just blurted
out the words from my heart.
"S-so... um...
thank you…………"
I was finally able to
convey my own words in my own voice to him.
***
Tima raised her
downcast face and said to me, "Thank you." The expression on Tima's
face after saying those words was not the dark, insecure, and gloomy one I had
seen before, but a natural smile of heartfelt relief. It was directed entirely
at me.
………………I don't know why, but
my face feels hot. I can't look at her face properly.
"………………"
I moved my mouth as if
to say something, but no sound came out at all. I looked like a fish gasping
for air, about to suffocate.
"…………Mars-kun?"
Perhaps noticing that
something was wrong with me, Tima's expression gradually darkened. D-damn it, I
have to say something!!
"O-oh, I
see………………"
(That's not it! What
is this!! That's not a proper reply!! Why at a time like this!)
As I frantically
searched for the next words while panicking inside, Tima somehow smiled even
more deeply with a relieved expression.
It was the first time.
It was the first time I had seen her heartfelt smile.
(……………………………………………)
This time, even my
thoughts stopped. This time, not only my face but also my chest felt hot. At
the same time, a shock like being struck by lightning ran through my entire
body, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I myself knew that something was
wrong with me, and I turned my back on Tima, not wanting her to notice. But
contrary to my actions, I was still concerned about the girl in front of me.
"? Is something
wrong??"
"...N-no. It's
nothing. …………L-let's go."
"Ah,
y-yes……"
As I started walking
with my back turned, trying to hide my feelings, Tima hurriedly followed after
me.
Once again, we
continued walking in silence. However, unlike before, Tima wasn't just
following behind me. She was walking alongside me.
Thank you.
How long had it been
since someone had said that to me...? Maybe it was the first time.
Ever since I was a
child, I had been strong, and when I fought, most of the kids my age would run
around crying. At that time, the adults around me would scold me harshly, but
as I grew older, fewer and fewer of those adults would scold me directly, and
both children and adults would gossip about me behind my back instead of saying
anything to my face.
That annoyed me even
more. I couldn't stand those who couldn't say anything to my face but whispered
behind my back, those who fawned over me, trying to read my mood, and those
weaklings who couldn't retort against such scum. I hated everything.
So, I just wanted to
become strong and vent my frustration on those around me. I knew it bothered
Ena and Del, but I just couldn't accept the weakness of the others, and I
couldn't bring myself to acknowledge it.
Perhaps I went too
far, even for the meritocratic Solminati Academy, and I was dropped to the
lowest class, but even then, I couldn't bring myself to admit that weakness.
But what was this? At
first, I was just as irritated with Tima as I was with the others, but now,
just the word "thank you" she had said made the uncontrollable
irritation inside me disappear as if it were a lie.
Not only that, but
somehow…………………
I glanced sideways at
the girl walking next to me, trying not to let her notice. Her bangs, which had
been hanging down and hiding her face until just now, were no longer covering
it, and she was exposing her bare face to the sunlight.
A small face with
large eyes, a well-defined profile, and a white nape visible from under her
neatly trimmed shoulder-length hair.
The lightning-like
shock that had run through my whole body just now was gone, but now a
"thump, thump" beat echoed in my ears. I didn't know why, but my
heart seemed to be beating faster and hotter than usual.
(W-what the hell is
this...?)
"B-by the way, do
you have any siblings?"
I continued to be
overwhelmed by emotions I didn't understand and, trying to do something about
it, spoke to her as if making it up on the spot. I just wanted to somehow deceive
this unfamiliar feeling by doing something.
"Y-yes, I have
one younger brother..."
Tima went along with
my random, uninteresting story. Somehow, she also seemed strange. Her face was
unusually red, and her movements were even more jerky than usual. She looked
like a poorly made golem.
"I-is that
so."
Speaking of which, I
was strange too. No voice came out, my legs were heavy, and my heart wouldn't
stop (well, if it stopped, I'd die), but everything was just weird.
We walked towards the
main street with strange movements, but in the end, my heart wouldn't calm
down.
***
The main street of the
commercial district. This road led directly from the outskirts of Arcazam to
near Solminati Academy in the center, and it was one of the busiest streets in
the commercial district with many shops lining it.
Two girls, Somia and
Ena, were walking side by side along this main street when many shopkeepers
called out to them. Both Somia and Ena had looks that could be called
beautiful, but it was mainly Ena they spoke to.
"Hey, Ena-chan.
Are you off today? Eat this and cheer up." "Ena-chan. I have some
good meat, why don't you take some?" "Yo, Ena. Thanks for keeping an
eye on Mars. Here, take this, and please continue to look after him!"
The people who spoke
to them gave them various things, and before they knew it, the two girls' small
arms were full of souvenirs.
"Wow~~~. This is
amazing. To receive so much..."
"Well, my brother
always goes on rampages, and I've been stopping him, and I've been helping out
at various shops, so it just happened..."
As for helping out, in
her case, her role as a stopper for the rampaging Mars was also significant. As
one of the few people who could stop her older brother Mars, Ena was relied
upon by the people in the commercial district.
"But was Mars-san
really that violent? He seemed difficult, but I thought he was a kind person at
heart..."
"Well, Somia-chan
hasn't seen my brother go on a rampage... We've been seeing him since we were
little, and he's been picking fights with all sorts of people everywhere. I
wonder why he became such a ruffian... I hope he hasn't done anything terrible
to Tima-san."
Knowing Mars's past
behavior, Ena was worried about Tima, who was with him, but Somia wasn't too
worried.
"But I don't
think he'll do anything that terrible now. He seemed to care about Tima-san in
his own way."
"That's true,
but…………"
Ena had noticed that
Mars cared about Tima, but she still couldn't shake off her unease.
At that moment, a wave
of people rushed towards them with a loud shout. The two hurriedly took refuge
on the side of the road.
"W-what is
it!!"
"W-waaaaaaaah!"
The rushing people
fled as if they were rats who had foreseen a major earthquake, each trying to
get away first.
"Sorry, move
aside!!" "Kyaaaaaaaa!" "Ah! My shop!!"
Sweeping up the
stalls, goods, livestock, and even the packhorses on the road, the human
tsunami ravaged the main street.
Before they knew it,
no one was on the main street, and not a single open shop or stall remained.
***
Mars and Tima had
reached the main street while passing through the complicated side streets like
a spider's web in the commercial district.
As it was the
commercial center of the town, lively shops and stalls lined the streets. The
bustle was such that even Tima, who had lived in this town for several years,
felt somewhat overwhelmed.
"It's amazing
after all…………"
"For now, let's
go back to Ox Head Inn via the main street. If we're lucky, we might meet up
with Nozomu and the others along the way. Besides, Irisdina and the others
stand out. Someone might have seen them."
As Mars took a step
forward, he made eye contact with a shopkeeper in a nearby store.
"M-Mars…………
S-sorry. We're closing for today!!"
The shopkeeper who
made eye contact with Mars suddenly said they were closing and began to shut
the store. Hearing that, other shops also hurriedly began to close one after
another.
"Sorry! We've run
out of goods for today, so we're closing!!"
The old woman at the
general store began to close even though there were still many goods on the
shelves.
"W-woah, there's
a hole in the bottom of this pot! Who would buy such a defective product!!! So,
we're closing!"
The blacksmith's old
man, who seemed to have found a hole in a pot that didn't look like it had one
at all, retreated into the back of the shop.
"O-ouch! My
stomach hurts! Looks like I sold some rotten goods... so we'll be closed for a
while!!"
The butcher, uttering
words that would likely cast a shadow over his future business, disappeared
from the shop at a speed that didn't seem like someone who was sick.
The strange behavior
in the surroundings wasn't limited to the shopkeepers...
"Ah! I just
remembered something! I have to hurry home!!" "T-that's right! It's
my sister's wedding today! I have to hurry home!!" "Come to think of
it, I have a date right now!" "I have a bad feeling about my grandma!
I have to go home!!"
The customers who had
been diligently shopping at various stores until just now suddenly began to
flee as if their lives depended on it. Tima was completely dumbfounded by the
sight. People disappeared from in front of them as if the tide was receding.
The only difference from the crashing waves was that the people who disappeared
wouldn't be coming back.
Mars walked towards
one of the shops.
"Awaawaawa! I-I
have to hurry... oh no!" *CRASH!!*
Perhaps he was taking
too long to close the shop, as the shopkeeper hurriedly tried to put away the
goods but ended up knocking them over. He frantically tried to put them back,
but by then, Mars was already right in front of the shopkeeper.
"...Hey,"
"A-aaaaah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!! Please don't break my shop!!"
"...Listen to what people are saying..."
The shopkeeper pleaded
loudly, interrupting Mars's words. Mars was completely taken aback by his
desperation.
Just then, a clear
voice spoke to them.
"What are you
doing, big brother?"
"Huh? The shops
suddenly closed, but what happened?"
It was Ena and Somia
who had arrived. For some reason, the two of them were carrying their arms full
of sweets and food. The shopkeeper, seeing Ena's figure, looked like he had
seen a savior. It was a far cry from the desperate look he had just had.
"…………Big brother.
Did you do something again?!"
"Haaah... I
didn't do anything... I was just going to ask if they saw you guys who got
separated..."
Ena, looking back and
forth between Mars and the shopkeeper, thought that Mars had done something
again and began to question him, but Mars's reaction was indifferent. Usually,
he would snap back, but today he was strangely docile and obedient.
Ena looked at Mars
with a suspicious face, finding him too strange.
(Somehow, big brother
seems different than usual.)
"…………What's
wrong, big brother? You seem strange?"
"Is it that
strange that I'm answering honestly...?"
Even his own younger
sister called him strange, and Mars, finally feeling defeated, dropped his
shoulders heavily.
"Considering what
you've done until now, the townspeople's behavior is only natural. How many
shops do you think you've rampaged through and destroyed?"
"……………………"
Mars couldn't say
anything to Ena's words.
"………………It's not
like I intend to do anything..."
Mars muttered with a
hint of melancholy. For him, the irritation in his chest had disappeared, and
he was now facing this treatment in a calm state. Honestly, he was belatedly
feeling the weight of his past actions and was depressed.
"…………But for big
brother to be this obedient..."
Ena muttered, making
sure no one around could hear. Her gaze was directed at Tima, who was looking
at them worriedly, and Somia, who was standing behind her with her chest puffed
out, as if saying, "How about that!"
"Hmm, what is
it?"
"N-nothing, it's
just... it's almost dinner time, and I have to help at the shop..."
Mars looked at Ena
with a suspicious face, but Ena shook her head and said it was almost time.
Indeed, the sky was turning red, and the wind was gradually getting colder.
"That's right...
but Nozomu and Irisdina are still—" "Ah, Onee-sama!!"
"W-wait a minute! Somia-chan!!" "...Looks like they found them
over there too."
When Mars looked in
the direction of Somia's gaze, who was waving her hand wildly, he saw Nozomu
and Irisdina walking towards them from across the main street.
Mars dropped his
shoulders as if to say, "Oh well," and sighed. Then, his eyes met
Tima's, who was smiling at Somia. Tima's eyes met Mars's, and she looked away
for a moment, but then she looked back and smiled at him again. A natural smile
appeared on Mars's face as well.
Somia, who had started
running towards her sister, and Ena, who was chasing after her, Mars and Tima
looked at each other once more, and then, smiling at each other again, they
started chasing after the two girls.
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