kscans

Chapter 777 - Re: Lined Up in the Night's Silence

"────Alright, see you later. Don't you dare be late."

"Underst—whoa, that was fast…"

Before I could even reply, Irori-senpai was gone, enveloped in the light of a teleport. And so, a somewhat lonely silence fell upon the home that had, until a moment ago, been so lively.

Once we were done sharing information, there was unfortunately no time to waste. Everyone had things to prepare and tasks to attend to, so the [Azure Sky Clan] quickly disbanded, each member diving into their own duties.

My master… went off to engage in some otherworldly training, aiming to surpass the pinnacle of her strength by integrating the benefits of equipment and skills she'd never used before.

As for Tetokana… it seems Kanata is getting a crash course from Tetra on how to handle his new armaments, so the two boys headed off somewhere together.

And Nacchan-senpai, well, I had some business to take care of, so she agreed to be on standby for about an hour. It was a sudden change of plans that came from checking a certain message, and she was kind enough to approve, so my life would probably be forfeit if I were late.

…And so.

So why, you might ask, wasn't I rushing off to my 'business'? Why was I still frozen on the couch in the common area, wrapped in silence? The reason was extremely simple.

"This one was fast, too…"

"………………"

The instant Nacchan-senpai left the space—the very moment all presence other than the two of them had vanished—my cute partner had stuck to my side as if drawn by a magnet. It was all her fault.

Just a moment ago, Sora-san had been pointedly looking away, glaring at me without a word, pulling a tsundere act that, while not quite on the level of a certain cat-eared senpai, was impressive nonetheless.

It was a strange feeling, but this had been the norm for the latter half of our trip yesterday and today, so I'd gotten used to it. All I could do now was simply accept it.

In front of others, she's aloof… or rather, she keeps a slight distance. The second we're alone, it's instantly like this. It was an extreme version of our usual pattern, but with one distinct difference.

"………………………………………………………………………………"

This. Sora-san was absolutely, completely, not saying a word.

Even the way she clung to me was a little different, a revolutionary departure from her usual lovey-dovey mode… And what was so revolutionary, you ask? It's obvious, isn't it? The sheer destructive power it had on my psyche. Are you kidding me?

Her hand reached out as always, but this time it only brushed against mine. The weight she leaned against my shoulder was also considerably lighter, more reserved. It was a familiar distance, yet undeniably different, one that couldn't help but reveal a storm of inner feelings.

And then, the finishing blow.

"Sora-san?"

"…………Yes."

"…………Hmm… Haha, still no good, huh?"

When I peeked at her face, which was turned away, and gently forced our eyes to meet… she would invariably look away shyly, her movements utterly adorable. That was the current situation.

In other words,

She's being too self-conscious.

She's too cute.

And I'm a dead man.

"…It's your fault, Haru!"

"Yeah, you're absolutely right."

And so, the reason for her change in behavior was crystal clear. Just as I'd thought, that 'incident' had apparently been a little too stimulating for a pure, fifteen-year-old maiden.

She was getting better, little by little, so all I could do was sincerely and quietly accept her, along with my list of crimes. All I could do was silently watch over the growth of a young girl who was beginning to search for the proper distance to keep with a 'man'.

Of course, I'd also keep silent about the fact that our current situation was far from a 'proper distance'. It was truly, truly too late for that now; pushing Sora away was fundamentally impossible for me.

All in all, I was sure it was a good change.

As for the suspicion that I had, as a result, put a noose around my own neck—I was already prepared to struggle for my life until I couldn't breathe, so it was a non-issue.

"Anyway."

Steeling myself, I slipped out of the absolute restraint of her light touch. With my freed hand, I gave my partner's head a pat as I stood up. Her crestfallen sigh of complaint was super effective on me, so I sincerely wished she'd stop, but this was a virtual avatar, so I could be a bit less reserved.

"Wha— Hey, wait…!?"

Besides, unfortunately, there was no time. I couldn't have the two of us creating our own lovey-dovey world while our clan members were all working hard. I was sure that ruffling her silky hair to deliberately break the mood was a necessary evil for which I'd be granted a full pardon.

And with that,

"Let's go. Nacchan-senpai is one thing, but it looks like it'd be bad to keep the other party waiting too."

"O-Okay…!"

I briskly pulled my partner to her feet, and we headed out of the house.

As for the criminally cute someone who immediately and diligently chased after me, catching my hand again as if it were the most natural thing in the world… well, I guess I'll turn a blind eye and call it overtime.

◇◆◇◆◇

A few minutes later, after a long-distance jump via the [Alv Portal], we arrived in the city of [Frontier], the second major player hub after the [Safe Area].

The public opening date, which had been repeatedly pushed back, was now officially set for after the [Green Connect] raid battle. The countdown had begun for this place to be filled with a truly countless number of people.

Right now, the sight of only a few early arrivals felt almost unnatural in the completed city. And there, at the edge of town, in a quiet place we had visited once before…

"────Have I kept you waiting?"

"……, …………. Nah, you're not late."

We exchanged a similar pleasantry as last time, and a 'silver' that shone with serenity in the night's darkness looked at me. It looked, blinked once, twice, and after a few seconds,

The beautiful person's gaze left me, and he—or she—looked up at the sky.

"Did you enjoy your little vacation, you damn cheeky junior?"

"You bet. I'm in top form, thanks to you. You damn annoying senpai."

"………………"

"You bet. I'm in top form, thanks to you. You slightly annoying senpai."

"If you were just gonna rephrase it, you should've held back the first time. Idiot."

Sorry about that. My mouth just slipped—or so I kept the playful excuse to myself. Just as I was thinking I needed to be more respectful next time after that one incident, [Screen] looked so calm, so… in a good mood, that it made me cast aside any 'needless reservations'.

As a junior, and as a person, I hesitated for a few seconds on whether to apologize for my rudeness the other day, but in the end…

"I'm sorry… for talking so big."

I ended up voicing a straightforward apology.

And then, without even looking at me, just listening to my voice.

"Hah."

A light, almost frivolous laugh echoed in the silence, yet there was a certain softness to it.

"That's not it, is it?"

"Yeah. Of course, it's not."

I'm glad they understood me correctly. Those words were by no means an apology for challenging their 'selfishness' with my own 'selfishness' and cheekily kicking it head-on.

"I wasn't able to make you say it was 'death-defyingly fun,' unfortunately."

That was the boast I'd made at the very, very beginning of our battle. A declaration that, after a fierce and winding fight, I ultimately admit I failed to fulfill.

It was nothing more than the one small regret I'd carried with me from that battle.

"…………"

The 'silver' gaze descended from the sky to look at me again. The one visible eye, peeking from behind their hair, looked at me as if observing something utterly ridiculous.

"────How old are you?"

"…Eighteen. I'll be nineteen in about half a year."

To the completely unexpected and incomprehensible question from [Screen], I threw back my true answer without much surprise or thought.

It goes without saying, but this was a complete breach of etiquette. In a virtual world where protecting one's real-life information is arguably even more crucial than in an analog (digital) online game, asking a player for their real-world profile was beyond inconsiderate.

But, just as I had casually forgiven it…

"I see. …I'll be twenty-four at the start of next year."

…it was because I felt that they, too, had forgiven me for quite a bit.

"In that case, my apologies as well. I'm sorry for giving a kid such a childish lecture."

"Don't call me a kid. I mean, I know I am, but when someone else says it, it's just a plain insult, you know?"

"What, you're self-aware? You're smarter than I thought."

And so, unexpectedly.

I couldn't possibly claim that we understood each other yet. I had no way of knowing what turn of heart had led to the expression they wore now.

And that's why, unexpectedly.

"────Haru."

The smile felt like the first I'd ever seen from them—so clumsy it was almost heartbreaking.

"That fight with you… even if it wasn't death-defying, I did have a little fun."

"…Well then, I'm glad to hear it."

Somehow, I couldn't look at them directly, and now it was my turn to look up at the sky.

---

Spring sways gently.