Chapter 790 - Couple (Future Tense)
“—Welcome… back? Hey, what’s wrong?”
After about an hour of getting acclimated, I returned once more to the Round Table. When the dazzling light of the teleport faded, I found a lone figure waiting to greet me, just as I’d pretty much expected.
I had no doubt she would be waiting. And the fact that no one else was around was probably their way of being considerate.
Well, if it's just this level of meddling, I suppose I should graciously accept it.
“Don’t cling to me. Not yet,” I said.
“Huuuh? What’re you talkin’ about? We’ve always done stuff like this…!”
“These things can easily get out of hand. We shouldn’t blur the lines.”
Her earnestly trotting over to me was fine, but her attempt to leap into my arms was not. Trusting in a physical strength that, while that of a mage build, was nothing like her real body’s, I caught her head in mid-air. What followed was not a scream, but a complaint.
A complaint… and a smug grin.
“Huuuh? So you’d let things get out of hand, would you? I see, I see. So even you would let things get out of hand, Irorin? Hmmmm?”
“Your capacity to annoy has evolved…”
Still, I had decided not to deny such teasing.
The only reason she’d been able to keep her feelings hidden for so long wasn’t just that Irori’s acting was superb, but also because my own nature was difficult to read to begin with.
Therefore…
“Don’t you dare underestimate a man. You’ll be the one who ends up crying.”
…when I issued a frank and honest warning, it was a one-hit knockout.
“Ah, y-yes… I understand.”
Whatever in the world she was imagining, her smile vanished, replaced by confusion and a myriad of other emotions.
Her head, still in my grasp, was starting to feel hot, so I let go. Mi-na landed safely and scurried back to the safety of her own seat.
Utterly adorable, I thought. And with that, our little exchange came to a momentary close.
“A-Anyway! What’s up? You’re making a weird face.”
The question she threw out to change the subject was the same as before. The fact that she could read me even when I thought I was hiding it well meant that the news I’d received must have been a bigger shock than I realized.
“No, it’s nothing… An elementary schooler. On par with an elementary schooler, huh…”
The fact that I had unconsciously let the words slip was proof of that.
“Huh? Elementary… —Wait? What? You wanna fight?”
“You fool. I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Stop saying that ‘you fool’ thing!!! When you say it so coldly with that dead-serious face, I actually start to think I’m an idiot!!!”
“…?”
“What! Why did you tilt your head!?”
“You’re not a moron, but there’s no doubt you’re a fool of some sort.”
“What’d you say, you jerk!!!”
“In other words, we’re a pair of fools. A perfect match. Just leave it at that.”
“Wha—!? You’re so infuriating!!!!! What is with this guy?! He just says things like that so smoothly now! Stop hitting all the right notes at lightning speed!!”
And so, I parried the next round of banter that arose from my slip of the tongue.
Thinking about it now, what my junior had called a ‘fact’ made perfect sense… As I mulled it over, I couldn't help but recall events from the recent past.
I don’t know.
I have no idea what will happen, but—
“Is this less a ‘debt’ and more a ‘sin’… I wonder.”
“YEAH, I’D SAY SO! GLAD TO SEE YOU’RE AWARE OF IT! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT!?”
I set aside the adorable little pipsqueak currently assailing me for a moment.
I had thought she was an adult. But upon reflection, she was not much different in age from him. Looking back, she had indeed always possessed a certain innocent, childlike quality.
I had to wonder if that girlish woman had correctly interpreted that as a confession. And if she had—
—wouldn't both he and I undergo an unexpected transformation?
“How careless of me…”
“Look at me! Pay attention to your future girlfriend!!!”
For once, Irori let out a sigh born from simple guilt, witnessed by only one person.