Chapter 158 - One Unseen, One Seen
"Well then, um... um, it was an honor to meet you...!!"
"Fufu... You're exaggerating. You're always welcome, so please don't hesitate to visit again."
"With Haru-kun, or by yourself," Ui-san said with a smile as she took Sora's hand.
Sora's eyes were spinning as she flustered about, her once-calm emotions likely overflowing again. Seeing her back to her usual self, I felt a sense of relief.
In the end, about an hour had passed since then.
Whether she noticed Sora's slight shift in demeanor midway through, I couldn't say. But the Sword Saint, a wonderfully skilled conversationalist, took control of the tea party with an overwhelming aura of tranquility.
With the two of them—one an incarnation of 'calm' who easily captivates her fans—I relaxed with a cup of the Sword Saint's homemade tea while Sora was completely engrossed in conversation the entire time.
—And so.
As for Ui-san, she seemed to find the innocently affectionate Sora completely adorable. The two women, their feelings now mutual, looked like they could go on for hours... but of course, that wasn't possible.
Though she'd set aside more time than usual, it was still limited. The current real-world time was just past 6:00 PM—it was about time for both Sora and Ui-san to log out.
I should probably log off for dinner, too... I have to go hunt that bird tonight.
If I don't deliver the additional materials soon, I can't predict what mood the blue-haired girl who cut off contact after a mysterious insult will be in. Just how much is "a lot" anyway...?
"Haru-kun."
"Whoa, yes."
Just as I was thinking about checking with Nia again, the Sword Saint, having seemingly wrapped up her conversation with Sora, called out to me.
As I walked toward them, my partner, looking as if her HP had hit zero, came flying over to me as if to escape. She hid behind my back, trying to conceal her blushing face, and Ui-san and I exchanged a pleasant smile.
"Regarding training from tomorrow, it's just as we discussed yesterday. Whenever you have the time, Haru-kun, just come by, and I'll be ready for you."
"...Again, thank you so much for this."
When I bowed, she returned the gesture with a "The pleasure is all mine." Man, I wish I had something to offer in return... At the very least, to repay her kindness, I'll give it my all to learn from her.
"Well then... Haru-kun, one last thing."
Outside the already open gate, as a final word before seeing us off, Ui-san approached and beckoned me closer.
From the distance and gesture, she clearly wanted me to lend her my ear.
Sora is clinging to my back, so is there really any point in whispering?—I thought, but still bent down to bring my ear closer to the petite Sword Saint's mouth.
"—You were concerned about how the match ended, weren't you?"
"Hk..."
More than the feeling of her breath near my ear, the content of her whisper made me gasp. It was the very thing that had been clouding my mind this whole time...
Her impression after seeing that, the one who would be teaching me starting tomorrow. I tensed up, anticipating her answer, but—for whatever reason—Ui-san simply smiled gently.
"I, for one, found it quite favorable."
"...Huh?"
Given her personality, I hadn't expected to hear words of genuine disappointment. Still, I couldn't immediately process the affirmation she gave me so easily.
Watching me, Ui-san tilted her head playfully and continued.
"If you'd like to hear the details, we can talk about it another time. But more importantly, try asking Sora-chan."
The moment her name was mentioned, I felt a twitch from my back—well, yeah. At this distance, of course Sora can hear, too.
Wait, Ui-san? You did this on purpose, making it look like a secret so she'd overhear, didn't you? I've already figured it out, you know. You're a 'master' in more ways than just martial arts.
"...Out of curiosity, what should I ask her?"
With a wry smile and a sigh, I sought guidance from the woman who made me feel "outmatched" in every sense of the word—
"Let's see... How about asking her—for her thoughts on her first match?"
The Sword Saint said, offering a gentle smile.
◇◆◇◆◇
"So, Sora-san, what were your thoughts on your first match?"
"Isn't there supposed to be an interval...?!"
After being seen off by Ui-san, we were walking back through the bamboo forest—or rather, we'd been walking for less than a minute.
Perhaps she hadn't expected such a quick, direct question. Her reaction was one of bewilderment... but I mean, come on. You heard it too, Sora-san.
It must be tough to keep feigning ignorance when you know perfectly well I was going to ask, right?
If we have a topic, I'm not going to hesitate to bring it up. Besides, something else has been bothering me, so I'd appreciate the distraction.
It doesn't take much thought to figure it out—that topic that made Sora's expression change must have some circumstances behind it to warrant such a reaction.
And no matter if we're partners, I have no right to pry into her personal affairs. What's more, I have no intention of investigating it myself.
We're just partners, but we're still partners. If she needs to tell me—or if she wants to—Sora will tell me herself.
I'll allow myself to be conceited. I believe we've already built that much trust.
That's precisely why I need to focus on this, not that.
"Well, I wasn't going to bring this up again myself... but since the master told me to, you know?"
See, I'm the type who generally follows the teachings of my predecessors.
Unless, of course, my established values get punched in the face with things like "Don't specialize in AGI," "Normal people should wear armor," or "All-weapon aptitude is trash." Then we'll need to have a discussion.
At my words, Sora-san muttered, "Master..." under her breath, not even trying to hide the envious look in her eyes... I get how you feel, but is that really the first thing on your mind?
Having been told "I don't think I can be your master, Sora-chan" because their fighting styles are too different, my partner didn't try to hide her jealousy, calling me unfair.
"She also said she's up for a spar anytime, right? You'll get to experience the Sword Saint firsthand soon enough, Sora-san—so?"
I pressed my lingering question again, seeking an answer. As if to say "I was changing the subject because it's hard to answer," Sora turned her face away with a troubled expression.
"............I think... I might not be very good at PvP... fighting people."
So, she was going to answer after all. The girl spoke hesitantly—but, uh... for her to say she's not good at it after that performance puts me, the one who was thoroughly cornered, in a very awkward position.
She didn't get to use them this time, but on top of all that, she also has that broken support magic, [Scareless], and recovery magic, [Qualia Veil].
Furthermore, her equipment is all pre-upgrade. Her skills are mostly unchanged from a month ago. To be honest, I had a massive advantage in terms of conditions, and that was the result.
I've thought it over and over, and my opinion hasn't changed.
Sora is far more 'special' than I am.
"D-don't stare at me like that...!"
"My apologies."
I must have been staring too intently. She shot me a quick glare before lowering her head even further—I sensed what was coming and held out my right hand, and Sora, who had been reaching out with her left, stopped in surprise.
"Hk—... hk...?!"
Her hand froze, inches from mine, and her face flushed red with confusion. It's not that I don't have my own feelings about casually touching her, but when it comes to this with her, I've already settled it in my heart as a "sign of trust."
With this, at least, I won't hesitate anymore.
This might be the first time this has happened while we were both calm—I reached out and took Sora's hand, which had stopped midway.
"H-Haru...?!"
"—A n d?"
I pulled on her hand, getting her to walk again. Keeping my gaze fixed forward, I walked half a step ahead and prompted my partner to continue.
After that, we both remained silent. For a while, the only sound was the rustling of the bamboo leaves in the wind—
"...I guess only I would have noticed this."
When the silence was finally broken, those were the first words Sora spoke.
"Noticed...? Sorry, what?"
Confused about her meaning and how to respond, I tilted my head. I felt the grip on our joined hands tighten ever so slightly—
"—I wasn't able to attack you a single time."
"Hm—... huh?"
Genuinely not understanding her meaning, I couldn't help but turn back to look at Sora.
Her head was still lowered—how should I describe it? The girl wore a strange expression, neither positive nor negative.
"In the end, I wasn't 'attacking' at all. It was no different from before—I was just 'showing' you. I realized it then... at the end, when you hesitated, Haru."
"...Yeah, I guess you'd figure it out."
I was prepared for it, but hearing it from her directly still stings...
"...Don't make that face. It was the same for me."
I felt a tug on my hand and stopped walking.
"It's not that I was able to swing my sword at a person. It's because you were my opponent, Haru—somewhere in my heart, I think I believed 'I'll never actually hit you.'"
She said, smiling shyly.
I was relieved to see no self-deprecation in her expression... but because of that, I understood where this was going, and a certain feeling welled up from the pit of my stomach.
"So, um—aren't we two of a kind? Because, I'm sure..."
That feeling was, namely—
"—I could never point my sword at you for real, so..."
—nothing but pure embarrassment.
"............"
Why did the wind have to stop at such an inconvenient time?
Speechless in the silence, we could feel each other's emotions all too clearly from the warmth of our joined hands—and without a word, we both started walking again.
While walking through the deep green forest... neither I, nor Sora, of course...
...could meet each other's gaze for the rest of the way.
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