Huge thanks to Yasmin D. and Wojciech R. for the tip!
8th Story:
A Sunny Day
Two days later, Alfred returns to school. Even the most severe injuries are completely healed.
He's truly the future Hero. His frightening resilience is different from ordinary folk's.
When Dil catches sight of him, he screams and runs off into the distance.
…Well, I wonder if that's better than the two of them quarreling.
The day is wearing me down and filled with so many things to do. However, now there's someone who understands my situation and can offer a.s.sistance. Thanks to their backing, I feel like I'm floating through the air, slowly rising into the sky. With this, my stress-induced chronic gastritis seems to have improved—
But it's not completely gone yet.
Right now, it feels like there are knives stabbing into my stomach.
I move to the intermediate magic technique cla.s.sroom. Alfred's eyes have been glued to my back all day. Moreover, he's expressionless.
So scary! I can't read his thoughts at all! But I'm afraid he'll hear me even if I can't hear anything from over here!
'Half-dead?' No, 'hedgehog¹?' What can I even call this situation?!
I sigh. The hallway is empty leading to the building where the special cla.s.s is held. The three brats are taking the farm exam (試験農場) at the back of the school.
So right now, it's only me an Alfred here. He's following right behind me.
Why, why is he following? Please move away from me! You're too close! This delicate sense of distance is too unpleasant!
"…Hey."
I manage to hold back from screaming. He finally said something. Because the cla.s.srooms ahead are all locked, there's no place to run.
"W-what?"
Alfred leaves some s.p.a.ce between us, mouth slightly open. "You… The day before yesterday…"
"Oh… I went straight home that day! Seriously! Didn't even visit the library!" I answer without break with the lines I’ve prepared, flipping around in the process.
That's right. I'll keep saying "I went straight home the day before yesterday" no matter what. Luckily, there’s no proof I was with him. Plus, I had everything taken care of.
No one told Alfred the truth. It’s the perfect crime. Well, it’s not like it’s an actual crime…
Alfred's silent. I wonder if he believes what I said.
With this, everything will go back to normal—
His hand shoots out like a rocket, latching on to my own.
"Ahh!"
His grip stops me in my tracks, my arm pulled in back of me.
"W-what—"
He draws it close to his face and studies it, blue eyes unblinking. Tilts and rotates my arm. It seems like he's searching for something.
"…Two days ago, it felt like I was lost in a complete nightmare…" Alfred mutters, eyes lowered. "My memory of what happened the day before yesterday is still blurry. However… It was like I was dreaming the whole time… A lucid dream… Which part was a dream and which was reality… I'm still not sure…"
"H-huh… Really?" I bring a hand to my chest, brushing it gently, trying to calm my heart.
Alright. Good. He doesn’t appear to remember much of what occurred back then. Well, naturally he doesn't! He was unconscious through all of it!
"But… There was a hand holding mine the whole time… A warm hand. 'It's okay,' someone said to me…"
I hold my breath.
"The hand was small and the fingers were so, so thin. Kind of like yours." He squeezes mine as though to confirm. As he does this, my heart thrashes against my chest.
This is bad. This guy's memory is too good!
One way or another, I have to manipulate this situation to my benefit.
Up until now, I managed to follow the story of the 'Starting Village arc' to a T. If the plot diverges from here on out, I'll have no clue what to do in four years. That's why, I need to bring it back on track.
"T-that's… Yeah, that's it. You had a realistic dream that didn't seem like a dream!"
"A realistic dream that doesn't seem like a dream?"
"Exactly! Can't you tell the difference between reality and dreams that seem so close to being real? When you're tired, can you properly process what you see? Look, look. I'm also looking. It's the same for both of us. Well, whatever you saw in your dream has nothing to do with me!"
That's right. It's a dream. It's definitely a dream. So let go of my hand already. Why is he still checking my fingers one by one?
This b.a.s.t.a.r.d… Maybe he doesn't believe me after all I've said… Still searching for a clue?
Try poking holes into my airtight alibi!
Phew… But too bad. I've predicted this as well. My alibi is perfect. It won't be destroyed by someone like you.
"…I squeezed your hand so hard I thought I definitely crushed it."
No really?!
Back then in the coach, the fingers in my right hand were red and swollen, too painful to move! That crazy grip might have cracked bone. What an absurd strength. It seriously hurt so much I was brought to tears! Well, since I treated it with a high-grade recovery item, it healed without leaving a trace.
Is he perhaps worried that he injured me just now?
Even if he isn’t, my fingers are already healed.
"Poor me," I say. "The person who did this was terrible. It was really painful"
Alfred's eyebrow twitches.
I sigh. "I mean, let go of me—"
"Ah."
"Eh?"
W-what is it? He's staring at the back of my wrist. He lifts my hand again, draws it closer to his face while staring.
"W-what?" What's he looking at? I'm scared.
"There are a scratches."
"Eh?!"
He unb.u.t.tons the cuff of my shirt and rolls it up to my elbow, my jacket also caught in the motion.
Hey. What do you want? Will this wrinkle my clothes? These are expensive!
Then Alfred nods once, presenting my own arm to me proudly.
"Look."
"What is it now… Oh."
There are seriously scratches. Surely enough, there are two red lines resembling earthworms on my skin. I didn't realize I had them. Now that I think of it, when that part of my arm came in contact with the bath two days ago, it seemed to sting a bit. Because the soap contained peppermint, perhaps it irritated the wounded skin.
But I wonder where it came from.
Maybe it was when he had grasped my arm and refused to let go. Somehow, they resemble finger marks.
This is seriously bad. There's no way to pull myself out of this one if I keep denying the wounds.
"Eh, maybe I got it from rubbing against something without knowing, like a branch or whatever."
"A branch…?"
"Yep! That's exactly it! It's probably from this tree in my garden!"
"Your garden."
"That's right. The garden at my residence is s.p.a.cious. I jog there every morning. I may have scratched myself during my daily routine."
Alfred has no way of knowing it's a lie. For this reason, he can't use the red marks as evidence for his own claim.
I tilt my chin upward slightly, narrow my eyes, and flash a triumphant smile. Looks like I'm the winner.
"…This." He points to the blemishes. "Are they no longer painful?"
"Completely painless. Didn't even bruise. They don’t require a recovery item. A lick can probably heal them just fine."
Whether or not he's convinced, he shoots me an indifferent response. Still not giving up on staring at my arm, Alfred takes hold of it again.
Then. He. Licks. The scratches.
I'm stunned. My brain shuts down; my body freezes. I can't understand or predict his actions.
Flicking a sidelong glance at me, he gives the marks another lick. From near the elbow to the wrist. I feel something warm and wet trace the side of my arm hidden from view.
W-what the h.e.l.l are you doing?!
Alfred raises his face, narrowing his blue eyes as he takes in the sight of me. For some reason, a wicked smile slides its way across his lips.
"You told me it would heal by licking, so I thought I'd help you out."
This guy! He couldn't bring down my alibi so this b.a.s.t.a.r.d decided to prove me right instead! Oh no, I was such a child! d.a.m.n it!
"A-a-are you a fool?! That was just an example!"
"Your face is bright red."
"You're n-noisy! L-let go of me!" I try my hardest to pull my hand away, but his grip is vice-like. He appears to be having fun, grinning at me.
b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Am I being bullied? No, that's supposed to be my role!
p.i.s.sed off, I summon all my strength to kick below his knees . How's that feel? The contact gives off a loud noise.
"Ouch."
Truly the future Hero! A kick inflicted on the weak point of all men only triggers a small groan! Even heroes should be crying!
His grip on my arm loosens. Wasting no time, I shake off his hand.
"You r-reap what you sow, idiot! Stupid! Pervert! Fool! A walking ball of negative common sense! s.e.xual hara.s.ser! You're, you're going to be late! Eat the failing mark and take the supplementary lessons alone!" Letting loose a barrage of every insult I can think of, I dash off like a rabbit, leaving Alfred to rub at his shin.
He's such a fool. Although he's the future Hero, he still s.e.xually hara.s.sed me! You, there's plenty of girls you can flirt with! Ah, well you'll be marked and despised as a certified pervert. Yes, I may even sue you.
He suddenly licked me—
Nonono. It's useless. I'm so embarra.s.sed. What kind of public play is that? Rejected.
Right. Now you see it, now you don't. It's deleted from my memory.
That's the best course of action. d.a.m.n it, am I feeling exhausted after everything that happened?
Ah, that guy is too impossible for me. I should have hit him one more time, preferably at the head or abdomen.
Someone needs to teach him some common sense.
Ending notes:
hedgehog¹: I'm not sure what 針の鼠 (hari no nezumi) means. I'm guessing it’s supposed to be ハリネズミ(harinezumi), which is hedgehog. Either way, it still doesn’t make sense to me in the context of the sentence, so if any native j.a.panese speakers are here, please let me know.
Pure fluff here haha. And is it just me, or is Al getting really playful?
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