Ch.260260. The Girl and the Winter Rain (3)

“Hiccup.”

When I first opened my eyes, I didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

How could I feel embarrassed when I was receiving such gentle touches, kind consideration, and warm comfort?

So I actually thought it was an opportunity. While he was asleep, maybe I could secretly do something naughty to my senior.

But… this is too fast!

To do that with my senior when I can’t even remember what happened before…

-Reni, you know you should do whatever it takes to hold onto someone you like, right?

Huh? Why am I suddenly hearing Mom’s voice from a music box?

-You have no idea how hard I worked not to lose your father, do you? If you ever find someone like that, you need to be aggressive about showing your affection!

But Mom, didn’t you and Dad start by dating first…?

You told me that when I find someone I like, I should go on cozy dates, slowly get to know their feelings, and then receive a confession.

And if that doesn’t work, you said there’s nothing strange about a girl confessing first, and that I should even stamp my lips on his first.

I did stamp my lips well, but… Mom, that’s not what I mean…!

I might have done… th-that kind of thing with my senior! Doing lewd things before we’ve even properly dated or anything—that’s just per-perversion!

If I said this, Mom would probably answer:

-Oh my. I wouldn’t know about that, hohoho.

Yeah, that’s what she’d say!

‘I don’t even know what to do in my own head right now…!’

Anyway, what do I do now…? If I really did that kind of thing with my senior here…

Should I be angry with him? Whether it’s because I just woke up or because I suddenly realized what happened, I can’t sort anything out.

“I’m sorry…!”

Amidst my complicated thoughts, my senior apologized and pressed himself flat against the floor.

When he briefly raised his head, I instinctively—

“Eek…!”

I flinched, stepping back and even hunching over with my arms covering my chest.

He kept his head down to the ground, not even daring to look up, just waiting.

What should I do?

What should I say here, and how should I navigate this conversation?

The cave was filled with an awkward, embarrassing silence.

I should get dressed first. Renias approached the clothes that had been hung to dry and touched her garments.

‘Ah, they’re cold.’

Too damp and cold to wear. By the looks of it, I’ll have to wait quite a while before I can put them on. But I can’t face my senior and have a conversation without wearing them.

Looking at the situation, Renias felt like she was missing something.

“Um… Senior. C-could you get up? But don’t look this way…”

“…Is that okay?”

“If you promise not to look…”

Rustle.

The body that had been pressed flat against the floor awkwardly straightened up.

He kept his promise not to look this way, fixing his gaze to one side—at an angle where he couldn’t see my body in just underwear.

“So you did bring me here, right…?”

“Yes, but… why?”

“I don’t remember clearly. I don’t know anything after falling asleep.”

“Hmm… I guess that makes sense… You were exhausted.”

After briefly diverting my attention with conversation, I took the opportunity to examine the sleeping bag.

‘Ugh… as I thought. I overreacted. It’s not working properly because my mana is depleted.’

He must have carried me all the way here despite the pouring rain. Then he seems to have quickly built a fire. Actually, there’s no need to examine further or explain in detail—one sleeping bag was enough.

That sleeping bag has safety features installed because it was misused in the past. So when I checked whose mana it was consuming…

It was set to consume my mana, not my senior’s.

But when I collapsed in the forest, if I’d had mana, I wouldn’t have collapsed in the first place. And even if I had enough mana left to activate the sleeping bag’s warming spell, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten into the sleeping bag.

Outside, rain is pouring down.

In this cold winter, it’s cold enough to see your breath, and it’s raining on top of that. I clearly remember being caught in it.

Considering my lack of mana, the cold winter weather, and methods to raise body temperature, this is simply a misunderstanding.

With depleted mana and an exhausted body, my magic circuits weren’t circulating. Because of this, my senior faced a double problem: a spell that wouldn’t work due to my depleted mana, and a sleeping bag that he couldn’t use on my behalf due to its safety features. That’s why he came into the sleeping bag himself.

For no one else but me, who might have gotten hypothermia.

‘Of course… my senior would never do something like that.’

Junon remained motionless, absolutely refusing to look back.

Both in conversation and behavior, he’s far from being a lecher. Even right now, if he wanted to use force or be aggressive, he certainly could have. But seeing him kneeling there silently, isn’t it obvious?

Renias stealthily approached Junon’s stiff back.

And then.

“!!”

“I’m sorry, Senior.”

With an apology, she shyly gave him a back hug.

Still, he absolutely refused to turn around. Without breaking his promise, he only asked in bewilderment:

“Why are you apologizing…?”

“I misunderstood. I should have known you’d never do something like that.”

I should have known he wasn’t the type to harbor impure thoughts, yet I made such a fuss. I felt sorry for having such strange fantasies.

But I still couldn’t bring myself to look at his face.

Partly because I felt sorry. Partly because my cheeks were flushed again. And partly because my heart was strangely pounding.

So, maintaining the back hug, I placed my hands on his knees and continued.

“Knees. Straighten them. You didn’t do anything wrong, Senior.”

“Um… but… well…”

I want to tell him it’s okay. It’s not just anyone, it’s my senior who helped me without hurting me.

I want to say that to my still-confused senior, but I still lack the courage. Instead, can I be a little more greedy?

The excuse I used during the parade might be useful now too.

“If you stay like that… I’ll catch a cold.”

“Huh? A cold?”

“…Because it’s still cold.”

“Ah, I guess that’s possible. Then… get back into the sleeping bag. I’ll stay over there and keep the fire going.”

As my senior tried to get up, I hugged him more tightly.

I didn’t care that I was only in my underwear with bare skin touching.

Senior Senia had said it. With a dense senior like Junon, you have to make the first move.

And I have a good excuse.

“The safety feature hasn’t reset yet.”

My senior let out an “Ah” of realization.

Now I can almost see what expression he’s making. He’s probably putting his hand to his forehead, running it down his face with a troubled look.

I want him to be even more troubled. Though I’m not actually cold.

“Um… hold me like before.”

Just a little longer, I want to be in my senior’s arms.

***

The cave is filled with the sound of rain, burning firewood,

And the breathing of a young man and woman.

The young man, who entered the sleeping bag first, squeezes his eyes shut and waits. To avert his gaze as much as possible from the young woman who is wearing only underwear.

And the young woman who follows has a deep blush on her face. Swallowing hard as if steeling herself, with feelings both nervous and satisfied, she enters the sleeping bag.

“I’m ready, Senior.”

A signal from the girl that he can now open his eyes and turn around.

Though he already noticed she’d entered the sleeping bag, this signal might be a life-or-death crisis for the young man.

“Hurry. I’ll really catch a cold at this rate.”

At her urging that she’s cold, he recites the national anthem in his head and barely manages to turn around.

Under one cave, a man and woman lock eyes.

And carefully extending his arms, he embraces her bare skin.

“Senior.”

“Uh… huh? What?”

“Arm pillow.”

“…Oh. Right.”

Did he make some mistake? Did some part of his body rise uncontrollably and poke Renias somewhere?

Strange speculations swirled in his head, but that wasn’t it.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“It’s just nice and warm, what’s there to be uncomfortable about?”

“That’s good then. Hmm. Ahem.”

While it was nice to be holding each other like this, Renias felt like this time was somehow too precious to waste. So she initiated conversation.

“How did you end up here, Senior?”

Surely he didn’t follow her. She wanted to know how he appeared at such a perfectly timed moment.

Junon pointed to a spot with his finger.

“Um… see that pickaxe over there? And the handle?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Remember I told you about Badlight and Elcherium being abundant here? I came to mine them.”

“I see… so…”

It meant they met here by chance. Not like a fairy tale prince appearing in a moment of crisis to help.

‘Of course.’

But.

“You… came looking for herbs because of Ronelion, right?”

“…How did you…”

“I saw it. That plant in your hand… it’s nothing more than superstition.”

Junon said in a subdued tone, as if reproaching himself.

“I should have stopped you then. If I had known you’d end up in such a terrible state… I would never have let you go.”

And with that, he accurately identified why Renias was here.

“Hic.”

Strangely, tears welled up immediately.

What is this, so childish. My senior wouldn’t like seeing this.

“Ah… I was insensitive. I’m sorry. That topic…”

“No, no… it’s not that…”

She tries to forcibly hold back her tears.

But she secretly acknowledges that these tears are different from those shed when she collapsed from exhaustion.

They’re flowing abundantly from the joy of knowing that Junon came to meet her.

‘This isn’t good…’

She didn’t want to be a burden to her senior. But what can she do when she wants to lean on him right now?

The gentle voice, the caring touch, the shoulder to lean on.

She couldn’t bear not to hold onto what was right in front of her.

“Senior.”

“Yes?”

“Can you… promise me one thing?”

“Anything. Tell me anything.”

“Can you promise… that you won’t leave my side like Mom, Dad, or Ron…?”

Don’t leave my side.

Though she said it that way, Renias was actually making a request.

Could he not leave her alone like her family had—by dying or not waking up?

Could Junon, who said she could ask for anything, grant even this promise that was close to a plea?

Renias knew he might say he was sorry, that he couldn’t do that.

But Junon, understanding her intention, pulled her close and declared,

“I won’t die. Ever.”

He declared he would absolutely never die.

“You’ve been through a lot alone, haven’t you? Having to avoid being a bad daughter, upholding your parents’ reputation, always having bad dreams, and then your family collapsed on top of all that.”

“Sob… Sen-ior…”

“That’s right. Cry. Cry all you want. I’ll listen to everything.”

With that reassuring statement as he patted her back, Renias poured out all the tears she had been holding back in the arms of the man she had feelings for.

All throughout the winter rain.

***

Rustle.

Michelle takes out the paper from her pocket again.

It was the last paper Professor Denis left before heading to the Empire.

‘It’s definitely not ordinary.’

The paper was a map with a pen-drawn route to some location.

If Professor Denis seriously told her to go there, it couldn’t be dismissed as nothing trivial. She thought it would be good to visit soon.

“What could possibly be there…”

“Hmm? Michelle, what did you just say?”

“Nothing. I’ll be right there.”

She could go after the Mirpark blockade was completely lifted and after resolving all the nobles’ rebellion. If it had been urgent, he would have told her to go immediately.

‘This takes priority for now. The assault on the central city is imminent.’

Michelle put the paper back in her pocket and headed to the front line.