kscans

Chapter 26 - Zero Distance in Two Days? The Cramped Tent and the Suspension Bridge Effect

When I woke up, we were just a little bit closer to each other. Well, it couldn't be helped. The tent wasn't that big. ...It was almost a shame we hadn't been properly cuddling.

Mireille's head was resting on my chest, and my hand was, for some reason, wrapped around her back. That was all.

--Hm?

This position...

Isn't this what people commonly call an "embrace"!?

I closed my eyes for a moment to think calmly. An embrace, what surface area exactly qualifies as an embrace? My hand was around her back, her head was on my chest... surely this qualified as the past tense of 'embraced'?

Maybe I should just pretend to be asleep and increase the 'surface area' a little more.

...No, wait. If I was going to go that far, I had to properly ask her to be my girlfriend first. After only spending two days together. With our age difference, confessing in this environment... wouldn't that just push her further into a corner?

Impossible. This was a side effect of not being used to women and crossing a suspension bridge together for two days.

Ah... I wish I could be like Kyle, who could just go for it so naturally.

---

When Mireille woke up, Leonhard was already gone. But his scent still lingered in the tent.

--Ah, I did it. Yesterday, I was so tired I fell asleep while he was holding my hand.

I scrambled up and pulled out Leonhard's half-mended shirt. The tear was large, and it seemed impossible to restore its magical resistance. I should at least patch up the hole.

I ran the magic thread through the fabric, tying a neat knot at the end. The cloth was still stained with blood, and a dull ache spread through my chest.

When I stepped out of the tent, Leonhard was gathering the materials he had butchered and preparing for our departure. His toned upper body was on display. The All-Purpose Bandage was still wrapped around his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, the tear was too big... I couldn't restore the magic resistance."

"No, just sewing it up helps a lot." He took the shirt and, without hesitation, put it on right there.

"Let's pack up while the recognition-inhibiting effect is still active. We both need to wash off this monster blood sooner rather than later. I've packed everything but the tent."

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep..." My ears grew hot. I hastily turned the valve, and the tent deflated with a shuu sound.

On the way back to the tower, we rang the Monster-Repelling Bell.

"How many of those do you have left?" Leonhard asked.

"I started with about ten. But yesterday, I made some monster-repelling paste while butchering, so I can make quite a lot more of these bells. They only last for an hour and can only be used five times, though, so I'd like to improve them."

"As long as we have a few, that's fine. ...Yesterday's incident showed me that there are more monsters prowling around than I thought. They'll be essential from now on."

"Yes."

The moment we passed through the tower's door, the tension seemed to drain from both our shoulders.

"...We finally made it back," Mireille said, lighting the Magic Core Stove and starting to boil water. Leonhard glanced over and took out the coffee beans he had brought.

"Do you take sugar?"

"Yes, just a little... please."

As the hot water was poured, the aroma of coffee filled the room. Just that scent was enough to feel my tense body gradually unwind.

--Why was it?

Was it because Leonhard had become conscious of his feelings? Was it because Mireille had given him the potion mouth-to-mouth? Or was it because they had spent the night embraced in that tiny tent?

The reason was unclear. But the distance between them was certainly shorter than it had been yesterday. ...Even if they themselves hadn't realized it.