Chapter 49

Holding a woman’s hand.

I have lived a life avoiding holding hands with women who are not my girlfriend.

But then.

Was it because it felt too comfortable, or was I too grateful?

I ended up holding the hand of a woman who was not my girlfriend.

At that moment.

“Ha-euk!”

The strange groan of Hiresia that I heard for the first time.

I saw her pointed ears twitch.

A reaction that comes out when one is really embarrassed.

Her face turned red, perhaps because she was embarrassed by the strange sound she had inadvertently made.

The blush stood out more because of her silver hair and eyes.

I too became extremely awkward at the unexpected reaction.

It would have been much less awkward if she had glared and slapped my hand away.

“Ah… Thank you…”

I awkwardly glanced around and lightly let go of her hand.

The warm temperature was still lingering… This is not the time to think about that!

“Yeah, well…”

The atmosphere seemed awkward for her too.

Her response was hollow.

‘Why would she react like that…’

I muttered inwardly.

Surely, it was my first time holding her hands.

But the touch was not the first.

There had been several physical contacts while she taught me archery.

Especially when receiving life energy infusion.

There was no problem at all then, but suddenly this reaction.

That means.

‘…It’s because of that.’

I’m not a fool.

The message earlier that a little bit of affection for me had sprouted in her heart.

So, she also consciously recognized me as a man for the first time today.

That’s why such a different reaction popped out.

In the end, I added fuel to the weird atmosphere.

‘I made a mistake.’

Even though I became conscious of Hiresia as the opposite s*x, I had not yet decided what to do with our relationship.

It was just better to be friendly.

That didn’t mean it was a romantic relationship.

It was uncertain how close it could be on a romantic level.

As the protagonist, I had only experienced failure.

So I was more cautious.

At least I would try to progress the romantic relationship after my feelings were certain.

In such an ambiguous state of mind, it was neither here nor there.

It wasn’t even courteous to the other person.

“Ah, um…”

Just as I was about to speak to fix the situation.

“That… just forget it.”

Hiresia also started speaking with an awkward glance.

Seemingly referring to the somewhat embarrassing groan ‘Heuk!’.

Honestly, I felt it was cute, but… it was right to just accept her words here.

“Of course. I’ve already forgotten.”

“How could that be?”

“It’s true. I was a little surprised too…”

It was true I was surprised.

“Sorry, senior, I was trying to show my gratitude without realizing…”

“No, no, it’s okay. That can happen.”

A standard apology and response.

Finally, the awkward atmosphere seemed to loosen up a bit.

I turned my head towards the window.

“The rain has let up.”

“That’s right.”

“It looks like it will stop soon.”

My gaze shifted to the canvas painted with a landscape.

“Let’s bring the canvas to the dorm room first. The rain might stop and start again.”

“Let’s do that.”

If the rain stops now, it seems like I could go back to the dormitory and end today’s happening… That’s not it.

After fulfilling her request, it was supposed to be a day to rush into archery special training.

It was too precious to let the day go by.

“Even though I couldn’t finish the painting, is it okay to think that I’ve fulfilled your request?”

“I didn’t plan to finish it today anyway. You did a good job of heeding my request.”

Hiresia’s praise of being excellent.

It was the first time hearing it, besides when she was given meat.

Clearly, today’s event was not just a light happening for her.

Could it be that it was an event that would become a turning point in her relationship with me?

Could it lead to something good if I help her?

That strange phrase from the description of the sudden quest.

Perhaps the good thing written there meant the progress of the relationship with her.

‘It’s difficult, so difficult.’

The relationship with the heroine, which I didn’t fully understand, made it even more so.

Anyway, I had to take care of what needed to be taken care of.

“What? It was just a small favor. And with that said…”

I continued speaking.

“Then, may I ask you for special archery training starting today?”

“Of course, I must keep my promise.”

Hiresia nodded.

Then she blurted out.

“Work yourself to death.”

“That’s natural…”

“If you, who I personally teach, receive poor marks, it lowers my status as well. That’s unacceptable.”

Wasn’t she completely uninterested until yesterday…?

Suddenly, why does this feel so burdensome?

Of course, such feelings didn’t just appear suddenly.

It wasn’t a relationship worth expressing until now, but due to today’s happening, it seems to have crossed that line.

Anyway, because of that, I had even more reason to do well in the archery evaluation.

If I disappoint her, the slight affection that had just sprouted would be….. needless to explain.

“There won’t be such a thing.”

———————————————-

Hiresia was staring blankly at the canvas leaning against the wall in her room.

The beautiful landscape beyond the lake was there.

It was worth mustering up the courage.

In her homeland, the Forgotten Forest, there were neither seas nor rivers or lakes.

There’s a saying that in the human world, one can live on just dew, and strangely, that fit the High Elves perfectly.

Because they could live just by drinking the dew on the leaves of the World Tree, their mother.

That’s what High Elves were.

It was just that she particularly loved meat.

Anyway, the only water she had encountered in the Forgotten Forest was rain or dew.

The lake was something she saw for the first time in the human world.

It was very beautiful.

But at the same time, it was scary.

Deep, deep water where the bottom could not be seen.

Because it was the first time she encountered such water.

That’s why she usually did not approach it.

But in her heart, there was always a strange attraction to it.

That must be why.

She chose Aria Lake as the place for the art assignment.

But there was a problem.

She couldn’t go alone.

She pondered.

The conclusion after much thought was to ask Max celtrine for help.

Because he was the only human who knew her bare face, she felt comfortable with him.

It just happened that he also had a request for her, so she was able to easily agree under the guise of a condition.

Up to there, there were no problems.

“Sigh…”

Hiresia put her hand on her forehead and sighed with complex emotions.

The lake they entered by boat.

It was scarier than she imagined.

It was enough to make her think of just turning back.

But she tried not to show it and endured it.

Because it was embarrassing.

Still, having Max next to her turned out to be more helpful than expected.

For some reason, having him near made her feel at ease.

That’s how she managed to reach the middle of the lake.

The emotion she felt then.

She thought it was good that she had mustered the courage.

The scenery was that beautiful.

She was in a good mood.

She painted with excitement.

But then.

“Why did the weather have to…”

Hiresia shook her head.

The approaching dark clouds.

If the painting got wet from the rain, all the courage she mustered would become meaningless.

She was really flustered at that time.

But fortunately, Max was there.

He spotted the dark clouds first and reacted very quickly.

He rowed the boat hard towards the dock.

That’s why the boat shook violently.

She felt like her heart would drop.

Her legs were wobbly.

It was hard to stand, so she ended up grabbing Max’s clothes.

Her hand trembled too.

But strangely, a sense of calm began to come over her.

Somehow, his back felt reliable.

It was then.

A strange emotion began to surface.

“Ugh.”While reminiscing about that time, Hiresia unknowingly felt her face flush with heat and cooled her cheeks with a fanning motion of her hand.

She’s lost her mind.

She’s gone crazy.

To feel such emotion towards a human.

It must have been a momentary madness.

Perhaps if it had stopped there, she might have been able to quickly regain control of her emotions.

But then.

Seeing the lunch Max had brought, and especially the one packed with lots of meat, thinking of her, her emotions had already reached a state beyond quick recovery.

Thereupon…

The moment their hands touched, she was so startled her heart almost leapt out.

Ordinarily, it would have been nothing.

But the feelings conveyed in such an emotional state were completely different.

The hand of a human man she held for the first time.

It felt rough with calluses.

An undeniable evidence of hard work.

The hands she saw when she first met him weren’t like this.

They were impeccably clean.

What kind of change of heart could have happened?

Can humans change so suddenly?

Her interest grew even more.

“Ha, I really am crazy.”

Hiresia hit her head with her fist.

These emotions were perplexing.

Suddenly becoming conscious of her rational mind.

How should she accept this?

It was even more confusing because it was an experience she had never had before.

But this is…

Is it just my feelings?

What does he think of me?

He was definitely acting strange today too…

“Ugh, stop being curious. Just stop it.”

Hiresia banged her head on the desk.

Only then did she calm down a bit.

…though a red mark appeared on her forehead.

“Ha. That’s enough. Enough. Why worry about such things. It’s not like me.”

Her eyes returned to their usual state.

“Eh, it’s already time to go.”

She stood up to keep her promise of special archery training.

——————————————————-

“Three days left, right?”

“Yes.”

“But why haven’t you mastered the basics yet? Even with my special training.”

Has training become more strict, or is it just my feeling?

No, it’s not just a feeling.

Her teaching definitely became stricter after that incident by the lake.

I wish I could turn back time.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“Senior.”

“What?”

“I think I can do it today.”

“Then prove it.”

Hiresia said coldly.

“I will.”

I was confident.

Because I realized, through numerous experiences, I was on the verge of mastering the basics of archery.

The Focus skill, which I could only use twice a day, was a big help.

Through the Focus skill, I could see the path of the arrow and learn, which improved my proficiency way beyond basic training.

‘Let’s go straight into the Focus skill.’

I concentrated and activated the Focus skill.

Countless paths of arrows appeared before my eyes.

The important thing is the wind.

The wind is the biggest factor that affects the path of the arrow.

An archer who can’t read the wind will always be mediocre.

I felt the wind and understood the changing path of the arrow.

The sense of the wind and the expanding field of vision were palpable in real-time.

Creak.

I drew the bowstring.

Whoosh!

The arrow flew, carried by the wind.

It hit the dead center of the target in an instant.

At that moment.

[Your mastery of archery basics has reached the maximum level.]

[You have acquired the mastery of basic archery.]

[Your archery growth limit has significantly increased.]

[The speed of your archery growth has noticeably increased.]

[The power of all your archery skills has slightly increased.]

[Your archery rank has risen to C-.]

“Done!”

I couldn’t help but shout with joy.

It was a decisive achievement for the first time.

I couldn’t contain the bursting joy.

“Wait, what do you mean ‘done’? Didn’t I tell you to prove it?”

Hiresia maintained her cool demeanor.

“Yes, then right away.”

I confidently nocked another arrow to the bowstring.

I didn’t use the Focus skill.

Just the basics.

The posture seemed no different than usual.

But it was completely different.

A natural posture with nothing basic wrong.

Surely, Hiresia knew that too.

Creak.

Thwack!

I released the arrow without hesitation.

It wasn’t perfect like with the Focus skill.

But it still flew impressively, landing near the center, carried by the wind.

“Did you see that?” I looked at Hiresia with a questioning expression.

Her expression was

Full of smiles as if she had never been cold.

“Excellent. Truly excellent. Now, you are indeed an archer.”

“It’s all thanks to your excellent teaching, senior.”

“Hmm, of course it is.”

“Thank you very much.”

I bowed deeply to Hiresia with a sincere face.

It felt completely different from the game.

The feeling itself of achieving through my own insane efforts,

And her, a vividly living being, sharing the same space, breathing together, sharing joy and difficulty.

Not just a character made of data.

“Why are you acting so surprised…”

Hiresia’s cheeks flushed slightly.

Seeing that, my mood also became strange.

“Senior.”

“Hmm?”

“I’ll do well.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“The archery test.”

“Oh, right.”

Why are you suddenly looking disappointed?

What were you thinking?

“Senior.”

“What?”

“Please continue the special training. I still have a lot to learn.”

“With just words?”

“This time, just meat will do, right?”

“Alright.”

Hiresia smiled.

I smiled too.

And so the special training continued until right before the archery evaluation.