Chapter 53 – Ursphere (7)

As Noah continued to chew on her jelly, her head began to sway from side to side.

“Noah…? Are you… drunk by any chance?” I asked, concerned.

“Uuuuh…? Do I look drunk? I am sooo not drunk… Hehehe…” Noah giggled, her once tense face now relaxed, and her cheeks flushed bright red.

It was obvious to anyone that she was, indeed, drunk.

“Rubiaaa…” Noah called out, flailing her arms as if trying to find me.

“…Right here,” I replied cautiously.

“There you are…!” she exclaimed, pouncing forward into my arms.

“Mmm… Fresh Rubia smell… The scent on the pillow faded… I was so sad… Hehehe…” She clung to me, burying her face in my clothes, and began to sniff at my collar.

Wait… pillow?

“Uh, well… sorry. I just thought you two might reconcile if you had a little drink and talked it out… but I didn’t expect this to happen,” Hephaestus apologized, looking somewhat guilty.

“No need to apologize. I didn’t think she’d get drunk after just one sip either,” I said, glancing back at the bed. My pillow had been squished into a ball where Noah had been lying. She had been hugging it all along…

“Noah, um… sigh…” I hesitated, running my hand through her hair. There were a million things I wanted to ask her, but I didn’t want to hear the truth from her while she was drunk. It felt… cowardly.

As I deliberated, Hephaestus stood up and grabbed her things. “Rubia, I’ll head to my room. You two should have a nice talk,” she said, giving me a sly smile.

“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to leave.”

“I have to get up early tomorrow anyway! Besides, I don’t want to make things awkward. Sleep well, and see you tomorrow!” she called as she headed for the door.

For someone only 18, she had a remarkable sense of when to leave.

“Rubiaaa… Why’d you stop talking…?” Noah asked, oblivious to Hephaestus’s exit, wriggling around as she clung to my leg.

“Noah.” Her innocent face looked up at me. Was it alright to have this conversation while she was like this? Would she say things she didn’t really want to say because of the alcohol?

“Do you want some jelly?” I asked, trying to steer things away.

“Gasp… Jelly!” she cried, her eyes sparkling.

I chuckled softly and held a piece of jelly up to her mouth. Noah opened her mouth wide, as if she intended to bite down on my hand too. Her small, neat teeth and her tiny, pink tongue caught my attention.

“Noah, since I gave you the jelly… can I ask you something?” I ventured.

“You don’t have to give me jelly to ask a question…!”

“…Really?”

“Of course! We’re friends, after all!”

Her innocent reply made me feel happy… and a little uncomfortable. “Friends… Yeah. Because we’re friends,” I said, licking my dry lips nervously.

“As a friend, I want to ask… Were you hugging my pillow earlier?”

“Eek… How did you know…?”

“Why were you holding it?”

“Well, Rubia wasn’t there… And when I don’t have my greatsword, I can’t see anything… Hic… This is… a secret, though…” Noah quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.

Wait, does she think Hephaestus is still here? “Is this because of Hephaestus?” I asked, curious.

“Ah! This is supposed to be a secret between me and Rubia… What do I do…?”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly. She’s been worrying about such a small thing this whole time? “It’s fine. Hephaestus already left to sleep,” I reassured her.

“Really? Then… is it okay if I tell you?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

I gently petted Noah’s head. She’s… just too cute.

“When I woke up… I didn’t have my greatsword… and Rubia wasn’t there either… I was so lonely…” Noah sat up and wrapped her arms around my neck, snuggling close. “And then… since I got mad the day before… I was scared that if I called for Rubia because I didn’t have the greatsword… Hic… I was scared Rubia would hate me…”

Her voice trembled as she spoke, the sound soaking into my ears.

“So I just… kept holding it in… trying to smell your scent… It’s weird, right? I’m sorry…” Noah’s arms started to loosen as her body began to move away.

But I didn’t want her to pull away. I gently wrapped my arms around her waist and held her close.

“I don’t think it’s weird.”

“Even though I did it secretly…?”

“Yeah.” In fact, the fact that she sought me out like that… It makes me happy.

“Really…?”

“Of course. If anything, I should apologize. I knew how you’d feel, but I left you alone.”

Noah’s arms tightened around my neck again. I could feel her heartbeat reverberating against me. Small, but strong. Her heartbeat blended with mine.

My breath felt warm. I should stop now. I should let go. And pull away.

“Noah.”

I should.

“Yeah…?”

But this atmosphere. The feel of her breath against my ear. The sensation of her in my arms. The pounding of my heart. It’s all…

“Why… why are you trying to protect me, Noah?” I couldn’t stop myself. “Why did you say you’d protect me forever?”

My emotions were unraveling on their own. “It’s too much. I feel like a bad person… like I’m going to let these dirty feelings consume me, and I’m scared that if they do, it’ll ruin what we have… But… But Noah, why do you keep…”

This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. But pathetically, foolishly, I’m pushing the blame onto you.

“Why… do you make me feel these ugly emotions?” Words I could never say when you’re sober. Now spilling out because you’re drunk. “Why don’t you push me away… Instead, you…”

Noah’s arms loosened. “Well, because…”

Her hand slid from my shoulder down to my chest, gently pushing me away.

“Because I like you, Rubia.”

“Huh…?”

Her voice, so clear and strong, was nothing like the tipsy slur from before.

“I like you because you’re like me, but you’ve taken a different path.”

The warmth between us faded. The sweet scent of jelly was carried away by the bitterness of the alcohol.

“You shine so brightly, and you’re so beautiful.”

Her deep red eyes locked onto mine.

“Only you, Rubia, can save me.”

The pure white of her smile seeped into my heart.

“That’s why I’ll protect you.”

The deep red in my chest grew softer.

“And that’s why I like you, Rubia.”

It mixed. It swirled. It merged. Until it lightened.

“So don’t worry.”

On the last night of August. Beneath the lingering heat of the summer night.

“There’s no way I could ever hate you.”

That deep red turned into a soft pink.

“Forever.”

And it left a peachy taste on my lips.

***

“Uuugh… My head hurts…”

As soon as I came to, I felt the intense burning in my stomach, followed by a splitting headache.

What… happened last night?

Oh. I ate a spicy skewer and drank some alcohol… But wait, didn’t I only drink one glass? How do I not remember anything after that?

“Ughh…” Did I really get drunk off of one drink? So drunk that I lost my memory? Ugh, I don’t even want to think about it… My stomach’s burning and my head hurts so much…

“Help me… I need water…” I groaned, trying to roll over. But I couldn’t move.

“Huh…?” I reached out and felt something soft and warm beside me.

“Hm… Mmm…”

“R-Rubia…?”

Rubia’s soft, sleepy voice snapped me back to my senses. Her arms and legs were wrapped around me, holding me in place.

And then. My hand… My hand was…

“Noah… It’s not nice to grope someone’s chest first thing in the morning, especially without permission…”

“Huh?! I-I didn’t… I didn’t mean to… I-I swear…!” I quickly pulled my hand away. I tried to turn over, but Rubia’s leg kept me locked in place.

“Where do you think you’re going? Come here.” Before I could escape, Rubia pulled me back into her arms, holding me tightly.

“Eh… Ah…?” Why is Rubia suddenly being like this? She was acting so awkward just yesterday…?

“Does your head still hurt?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“And your stomach?”

“It feels awful…”

“Hehe…”

A sweet scent tickled my nose.

“Rubia… Did you eat jelly by yourself?”

“No?”

“That’s strange… I’m sure I can smell… jelly…”

“What kind of scent?”

“P-Peach…”

“Peach, huh? Hehe… Who knows?”

Rubia slowly let go of me and stood up. “What should we eat?”

Why is her voice so sweet…?

“I-I don’t know… my stomach feels too upset…”

“Hmm, then maybe some warm soup would be good. I’ll go get some.”

Rubia tapped my back gently before cracking her joints and getting up.

“Ugh… my back…”

I heard the rustle of fabric.

“R-Rubia… Are you putting on clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Why…?”

“Because I can’t exactly go out naked, can I?”

“Oh… Uh… Wait… Are you saying… we were… um…?”

“Noah.”

“Huh?”

Rubia chuckled softly as she walked toward the door. “I’ll be back soon.”

With that, she left the room.

“Huh…?”

I could hear it so clearly. Even though I couldn’t see it. The soft laugh Rubia had just now.

It was tinged with the color pink.