“Miss, are you sure I shouldn’t accompany you?”
“Yes. I’ve told you already, Ahrin. It’s fine. We’re just going to the usual area near the academy. And Emelly will be with me, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“…But I’m your lady’s maid! Something could happen… I should be there to protect you!”
“No. I promised Emelly that we would spend time together, just the two of us. Bringing you along would be breaking that promise. You wouldn’t want me to be a liar, would you?”
“Couldn’t I follow you discreetly, without Emelly knowing? That way, I wouldn’t be in the way…”
“That would be pointless. Besides, even if Emelly didn’t know, I would. I wouldn’t be able to relax knowing you were following us.”
“But…”
Ahrin seemed different today. She was usually more agreeable, not this insistent. Did she not trust me? I wasn’t a child; I didn’t need constant supervision. I wasn’t some sheltered noble lady, oblivious to the world. And even if I were, I would be with Emelly, and we both had magic. There was absolutely nothing to worry about.
I needed to get Ahrin off my back; I didn’t want to be late.
“Ahrin, do you not trust me?”
“What?”
“Why else would you be so insistent on accompanying me, under the pretense of protecting me?”
“That’s not it at all! I trust you completely! I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself!”
“Well, thank you for the compliment, but… then why are you acting like this?”
“Well, that’s… because… Ugh…”
“I understand your concern. Anything could happen. But it’s broad daylight, and we’re not going anywhere remote.”
Surely, she wouldn’t argue further. I hated being late, and I didn’t want to keep Emelly waiting, so I had prepared to leave early. I had lost a few minutes with Ahrin, but I would still arrive before the agreed time.
“I have to go now. Enjoy your free time, Ahrin. You must be tired after attending to me constantly. Do something you enjoy. I’ll see you tonight.”
I turned to leave.
“Wait, Miss…!”
“Yes?”
Ahrin’s voice, though not loud, was urgent. I stopped and turned back. She had her head lowered, as if hiding her expression. But I could see her ears were bright red.
“I… You’ve been busy lately, and we haven’t spent much time together… I just… wanted to be with you, even for a little while… I’m sorry for being so insistent.”
Oh. Was that it? Now that she mentioned it, we hadn’t spent much time alone lately. There was the sparring practice with Ryu Sowol, and I had been spending more time with the others as well. I had been coming back to the dormitory late, showering, and falling asleep almost immediately.
It had been a while since I had a proper conversation with Ahrin.
The last time we had spent quality time together was… that time, wasn’t it? It had been a while. Thinking about it made me blush… Anyway, Ahrin was always by my side, devoted to me. I had been neglecting her lately. I needed to make it up to her.
“You’re right. I’m sorry for neglecting you, Ahrin.”
“No, Miss. I’m the one who should be sorry for bothering you.”
“No. I’ll make time for you next week.”
“Really?”
“I already have plans this weekend, but next weekend, let’s go out to the city together, just like we used to.”
“Miss…”
Her expression was on the verge of tears. It was a little embarrassing. We had shared that intimate moment, and I had been neglecting her. I still wasn’t sure about Ahrin’s feelings, or even my own, and I didn’t know what to do. But regardless of what the future held, I wanted to maintain our current relationship. I definitely didn’t dislike Ahrin.
She still looked touched. Was it really that big of a deal? I didn’t understand. But if it made her happy, that was all that mattered. I should really get going now.
“Oh, Sayo! You’re early!”
“You’re early too, Emelly. I thought I was being quick.”
Dealing with Ahrin had taken longer than expected, but I had still arrived five minutes early. Emelly was already there, waiting for me.
“Hmm…”
“What is it?”
“I’ve only ever seen you in your uniform. You look… different in casual clothes. Pretty!”
“…Thank you. You look lovely too, Emelly.”
I had just thrown on some unremarkable clothes, so her compliment made me blush.
I had only ever seen Emelly in her uniform, so this was a refreshing change. She proved that beautiful people looked good in anything. Her clothes were simple, befitting her commoner background, but her beauty made them look elegant and charming. It was quite… appealing.
“Shall we get something to eat?”
“Yes. I know a good place.”
“No, you’re doing me a favor today, so let me escort you. Just follow my lead.”
Emelly’s smile was reassuring. Perhaps it was because I had known her, the protagonist, for so long.
“Here.”
“Huh? What…?”
Emelly suddenly held out her hand. What was this? Did I owe her something? I racked my brain, but nothing came to mind.
“Well, this is awkward… are you going to keep me waiting? Aren’t you going to take my hand?”
“Ah… you meant… that.”
I thought she was asking for something. She just wanted to hold hands. Wait… hold hands?
“You want to… hold hands? Just like that?”
“Is that weird? I just thought we could hold hands.”
Emelly looked genuinely confused. Come to think of it, girls often went to the restroom together, held hands, and linked arms. It wasn’t strange at all.
I was the one overreacting. But I still wasn’t used to physical intimacy with other girls. I knew I should be by now, but the memories of being a man were still stronger.
I was comfortable with Ahrin, having spent so much time with her, receiving massages and such. And after the… incidents with Nell and Euru, though not entirely by choice, I had become somewhat desensitized to their touch.
But this was the first time Emelly and I were holding hands. It made me nervous… and it felt unfamiliar. And unlike the others, Emelly wasn’t initiating the contact; she was waiting for me to take her hand.
We were still a little awkward around each other, so this felt… pressuring. I didn’t think I could be as proactive with physical intimacy as the other girls.
“Well?”
“…Okay.”
Holding hands shouldn’t be that difficult. I had been through enough to handle this without getting flustered.
I cautiously reached out and gently took Emelly’s hand.
Her hand was warm and soft, a pleasant contrast to the slightly chilly air. It was a little embarrassing, but… it felt nice.
Would people seeing us think we were close friends? We weren’t there yet, but I felt like today would be a big step forward in our relationship.
“Let’s go, Sayo.”
“Yes. Let’s have a good day, Emelly.”
And so, hand in hand, we started walking.