kscans

Chapter 472 - Parallel Arrows

The star-dusted gaze watches over a memory.

The night has passed, yet the searing, unfading crimson remains.

Viewed from the far heights, cloaked in darkness, a resplendent white.

Is he the one who seeks—no.

Is he the one who is worthy—no.

Is he the one who cannot attain—no.

Is he the one who shall not cross—no.

He is the one who bears the stars. Not the one who seeks, but the one whose radiance is sought.

If so, then the time has come to spread the great wings, frozen in eternity.

For what this starry shadow desires is but a single host—one who aims for the end.

◇◆◇◆◇

"Heehee, you're staring."

"...You got a problem with that?"

How many times has that teasing remark been thrown at my back during this event?

I'm so past being annoyed that I've gotten used to it. When I turn around with a 'complaint' of my own, I see an orange-haired girl with a beaming smile beside me.

It's frustrating that my scowl and low voice have absolutely no intimidating effect, but I know this is my own fault, so I can't even get angry. It's a real problem.

It can't be helped. Even though my heart is screaming about what others will think, my eyes and body are drawn to him on their own.

I had geared myself up to be so cloyingly sweet that I'd be crying and apologizing—and in the end, I ended up being ten times more pathetic than I'd planned. These are the seeds I've sown.

It can't be helped. My brakes have been gone since that day.

"You've gotten friendly with your 'partner,' so I was thinking it's about time. I'd like to ceremoniously begin our love-talk now."

"No. Don't. Go home."

"'Go home' is a little harsh, don't you think?! It's a ten-second walk!"

"Oh-for-the-love-of—you're so loud, stop clinging to me...!"

As soon as we finished our walk and returned to the base, my popular 'partner' was whisked away by the guys, and our trio of ladies disbanded. Now, as I watch him from afar holding another one of his suspicious seminars, I push away the friend who's practically draped over my back.

"Come oooon, Nia-chan, you've been stuck to Haru the Acrobat's side this whole time, and even though we had an ultra-miracle event encounter, we haven't gotten any skinship at all, so Nonomi-san is so, so lonely, I'm telling you, really—"

"Gah, you're heavy, heavy, heavy! Stop being so clingy!"

"Ahaha, that's a huge boomerang, you're making me laugh!"

As we wrestle on the giant tree stump we're using as a chair, I sense more than a few gazes turning our way from the all-inclusive 'Acrobat Seminar.'

I'm aware that since the group's formation, we two ladies have been receiving gazes as if we were idols... or mascots. With such a skewed male-to-female ratio, it's inevitable that we draw attention, but I've never been good with male attention, so it's a little uncomfortable.

In this virtual world, the male players are surprisingly gentlemanly and know their boundaries, so I've never had a scary experience like I have in the real world, but—

"Okay, let's start with the classic. 'What do you like about him?' Let's start there, 'kay?"

"What do you mean 'start'? I'm rejecting the love-talk in the first place."

"You're rejecting it, but you're not denying that it's a matter of romance, so that part's confirmed, right? I mean, I'd burst out laughing if you denied that anyway."

At any rate, this one knows no boundaries and shows no mercy.

With my 'Combat Power: None' shut-in build, I can't resist a sunny-sider with 'Combat Power: Minimal.' The best I can do is shoot a sullen glare, but she parries it with a cool expression.

They're staring so much. It's really embarrassing, so I wish you'd stop—

"...!"

"Ah. A-a-and your eyes met and your heart went thump-thump, didn't it? You're so cute!"

"I'll bite you."

"Don't!"

He must have heard us starting to make a racket, just like the guys.

My gaze collides with his blue eyes as he turns to look at me, and I freeze. In my shame at being called out, I bare my teeth and threaten her, but the arms wrapped around me don't let go.

It's been this way since we met, but I just don't understand why her affection for me is so high.

Originally, it was her fault for stubbornly refusing to accept my thanks... but even so, all I've ever given her is a curt, cold shoulder.

"...You're all about me, but what about you? Who's Ittetsu-san? A member of your guild?"

"Hm? Yeah. He's a former solo chef who joined about half a year ago."

We hit it off naturally since he was a friend of a friend, but this was my first time meeting the young man, and I still have no idea what his relationship with her is.

But if she's saying, "it's about time," then the same goes for me. Time to do some questioning of my own.

"I was pretending not to know, but seeing you, Nonomi-chan, hanging out with a guy was actually pretty shocking, you know? What's the deal? Aren't you the one with something going on?"

"Heehee, too bad. When it comes to romantic relationships, we're not each other's type at all."

"...Wasn't your type 'the silent professional' or something?"

As I point out that he seems to be exactly her type,

"Oh, that's old, old news, Nia-chan. My current trend is 'a fun, cool, and reliable younger man,' so you better remember that."

"You are so infuriating...!"

She shoves her ridiculously triumphant face right up to mine, and the fact that I have no idea what she's being triumphant about makes it all the more infuriating. The condescending 'big sister' act she's putting on for teasing purposes is also an irritation point.

And yet, I've opened my heart to her enough to forgive her, and the fact that she knows that full well is what's truly insufferable.

Really, why is she like this in her daily life?

As an artisan, she's cooler than anyone.

"W-What's with that 'fun, cool'— you said that while looking in one specific direction, didn't you? Are you trying to pick a fight?!"

"If you don't want a fight, you should just confess your lovey-dovey feelings! Come on, spill it, tell your big sister everything, what do you like about him, come on, come on, come on!"

"Ngaaahhhhh...! First of all—HIS FACE!"

As the relentless assault continues, I scream back in desperation, thinking, to hell with it all. My unexpectedly direct answer seems to have caught the 'enemy' off guard, as she chokes out a, "Nguh...!"

Even as a counterattack, it was far too self-destructive—and it was an event that occurred just three seconds before Nia herself went down in flames.