16. Failure

16. Failure

“Let’s make them kiss first.”

As I spoke, Golden Sun and Priscilla froze. They looked as if they would crack like ice if someone tapped them.

Priscilla was stammering with her round, red eyes wide open, and although I couldn’t see Golden Sun’s eyes due to her hair, her overall posture indicated she was greatly flustered.

“No, um, I, uh, yes?! Skadi?!”

Priscilla, who had put down the cutlery in her hand and finally managed to speak, only uttered a jumble of words whose meaning was incomprehensible.

Kissing between sisters is common, so why are they acting like this? Just look at my sister; she kisses me on the cheek, forehead, hands, arms, collarbone, everywhere.

She probably feels embarrassed because she’s very shy. Priscilla has always been very shy since we first met.

I gently soothed Priscilla in a soft tone to help her calm down.

“Priscilla. I told you before. It’s normal for sisters to kiss each other.”

“B-but…”

“It’s not like a real kiss, just a peck on the cheek, so why are you so embarrassed, Priscilla? Haven’t you ever received a kiss from your parents?”

When I was a baby, my mother used to kiss me on the cheek. However, after I learned to walk, my mother’s health deteriorated, so I couldn’t do that anymore.

Priscilla replied with a slightly gloomy expression.

“I haven’t…”

“Oh…”

W-well, that could happen. If it’s a slightly strict family.

I quickly continued, feeling a bit flustered.

“Ah, anyway. Priscilla, what I mean is, go and try kissing. If you normalize these ‘trivial’ things little by little, your relationship will eventually become normally good.”

“Is that… so…?”

“Yes. You don’t want to remain estranged from your sister, do you?”

Priscilla was slowly opening up to my persuasion. When I felt like I just needed to coax her a little more, someone next to me spoke.

It was Golden Sun.

“Wait, wait. What do you mean it’s normal for sisters to do?”

“Kissing each other. You don’t know because you’re an only child, right? It’s very common for close sisters to do that. Right, Priscilla?”

“Yes, yes. That’s what she said… O-or is it not?”

Golden Sun stared at me silently for a moment, as if she was speechless. When I gestured to Priscilla with my chin, Priscilla stammered slightly and asked Golden Sun.

Then, Golden Sun seemed to ponder something for a moment, and then affirmed our words.

“No, it’s common. Of course, it is. ‘It’s common sense for sisters to kiss each other.’ Pfft…”

Alright, now that the plan is set, let’s go find Priscilla’s sister and make her kiss her.

I don’t know where Priscilla’s sister is… but she said she would come to find me, so I should be able to meet her by wandering around the Academy.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yes, yes….”

So, I took Priscilla and Golden Sun and started wandering around the Academy. As we passed students who seemed to tremble every time they saw me, and wandered endlessly around the Academy…

“…Is this the right way to search?”

“Probably?”

“This way, it feels like it will never end…”

Priscilla complained that her legs were hurting. I recalled how long we had been walking and tilted my head.

“How long have we been walking?”

“We’ve looked at almost the entire Academy grounds, so how long do you mean!”

“Walking this much is part of daily life.”

“That’s not true at all?!”

What? Are people in this world not used to walking this much easily?

I looked at Priscilla with trembling pupils. Golden Sun chimed in from the side.

“I’m a little tired too.”

“Really?”

“We’ve been walking continuously for several hours now. It’s strange if you’re not tired.”

Hmm… Then what should I do?

This was completely unexpected. My father, let alone, but after I started training, I thought everyone would be the same since walking this much was nothing to me.

After pondering for a moment, I suddenly had a great idea, and interrupting Priscilla, who was about to say something, I presented my perfect alternative.

“It’s probably better to just go back today and look for your sister tomorrow…”

“I’ll carry you, Priscilla.”

Unlike me, who is strong, my sister inherited my mother’s weak physique from birth. Because of that, whenever we had to go somewhere far, I always carried my sister, and the situation is no different now.

If Priscilla complains that her legs hurt, isn’t it natural for me to carry her?

Priscilla froze in the exact posture she was in when she heard my answer, and I asked her again.

“It’s okay, right?”

“Yes? Huh? Oh, wait…!”

If she doesn’t deny it, it means she agrees. I immediately raised both my arms and lifted Priscilla. I felt a familiar, heavy weight on my arms, similar to my sister.

Priscilla, resting in my arms, shouted, wrapping her arms around my neck, as if afraid of falling.

“W-wait a minute! Why are you holding me like this!”

“This is how you’re supposed to hold someone.”

“Who said that?!”

“My sister.”

The pose I’m in with Priscilla now is what was commonly called ‘princess carry’ in my past life. In my past life, it seemed like a pose filled with various romantic notions, but according to what my sister taught me, this is a very common way to hold someone in this world.

Golden Sun, who was watching us from the side, let out an “Oh.”

“W-wait a moment, please put me down. I-I can walk on my own! Um-“

Priscilla, blushing, shouted from my arms. However, no one would put down Priscilla, who had just complained about her legs hurting.

I immediately kicked off the ground in that position.

“Let’s go.”

“Kyaaak?!”

——

It was only after I had run quite a distance that I realized I hadn’t brought Golden Sun with me. I apologized to her in my heart for leaving her alone and ran.

I’m sorry, Sun. I’ll bring you next time.

Still, it was worth it to run through the wind, and soon I was able to find Priscilla’s sister.

My feet stopped precisely in front of her with a whoosh of wind. A single leaf, flown from somewhere, fluttered between her and me.

Priscilla’s sister, who watched us for a moment as if trying to understand the situation, then uttered a dumbfounded voice.

“…Priscilla?”

“Oh, Sister.”

I tidied Priscilla’s hair, which had been disheveled by the wind, and then set her down on the ground. However, Priscilla couldn’t stand properly and stumbled, so I had to support her again.

“W-what is this.”

“Uh, well…”

The atmosphere became awkward and stiff, perhaps because my appearance was too sudden. A cold wind swirled between us.

But the atmosphere doesn’t matter. I urged Priscilla, who had somewhat regained her composure.

“Priscilla, go.”

“Yes?”

“Come on, quickly.”

I nudged her back. Priscilla and her sister’s faces drew closer. Finally, the two red-haired figures faced each other at close range.

One of them had a hint of annoyance on her face, but it was clear that this unpleasantness would quickly dissipate after Priscilla’s kiss. Affectionate gestures are like that.

I watched them with a satisfied expression.

“…What are you doing right now?”

“No, um… uh…”

Priscilla, perhaps remembering what she had to do, blushed and flustered. Her sister said in a cold voice.

Come on, Priscilla, don’t hesitate and kiss her quickly!

“Uh, ugh… Ugh…”

Priscilla, who had been rolling her eyes and avoiding eye contact, finally turned her head slightly and met her sister’s gaze. Their red gazes met, and their breaths intertwined.

Her sister asked coldly.

“I’m asking what you’re doing. Can’t you hear me?”

Finally, Priscilla closed her eyes tightly, took a step forward, and rose on her tiptoes. Her pink lips trembled.

Kiss!

Quickly!

I clenched my fists and watched Priscilla with a pounding heart. Her sister stared at her intently, as if to see what she would do, and then Priscilla’s lips slowly parted.

“Mo…”

“Mo?”

“I can’t do ittttt!!!!”

Priscilla, shouting loudly at her sister-or perhaps at me-closed her eyes tightly and ran away at an astonishing speed, disappearing from the spot.

Her speed was astonishing, considering she had complained about her legs hurting just moments ago.

“…”

“…”

The square was left with only Priscilla’s sister and me. In that awkward, even more awkward moment of silence, I pondered for a moment and finally made a decision.

“Bye bye.”

I decided to run away, following Priscilla.

Taa- I kicked off the ground. My perspective shifted.

I think I heard an exasperated sigh from behind me, but I had intentionally folded my ears, so I didn’t hear it.

Hmm.

It seemed a long way off before Priscilla and her sister would get along.