NOVEL WEB Arc 2, Ch.13: I- (Part 2)
A simple reply, not even overly emotional, just a word said in that tone I hadn't heard him use before. The thought, that the tone was maybe reserved for me, managed to calm my stomach down instantly.
The rushing sound within my ears quieted down, my vision stopped blurring. I wanted to sob, just too exhausted, too overwhelmed by everything and needing an outlet. Instead I let my shoulder slump, not wanting to keep them up any longer.
All of it wasn't really that romantic, although it probably was a sappy conversation. The sun set over the river to our side, the breeze caressing my skin, lowering that disgustingly hot, tensed temperature of it gently.
I answered in a sigh, my lips trembling because of how hard it was to keep them in a smile right now.
“Alright. That’s good.”
The smile slowly faded from Mizuki's face, not because he was unhappy. It just faded as something he found too hard to hold, muscles he didn’t use overly often, but it stayed in his eyes and that was enough for me.
In a weird way, I felt the both of us just being exhausted.
“See you tomorrow?”, I said, probably the most unromantic thing I could say in this situation. Still, it was a sentence that made me absolutely happy. Tomorrow, if I can see him again tomorrow.
“See you tomorrow”, he agreed with a nod.
A simple sentence, a maybe not so simple confession.
I looked at him for another few minutes, just to take in the sight of him in this setting, of him looking incredibly pleased despite his face not showing it too much. He didn’t move at all, which surely must have looked weird.
Two young men, just standing in the park, staring at each other for half an eternity without saying a word, but he let me stare and stared back.
Maybe it had actually just been a few seconds, maybe really minutes. I didn't count and my mind was empty. Sometimes stories talked about people wanting to carve memories into their brain, and I felt like I was trying the same thing.
“See you tomorrow”, I heard myself whisper, because I didn’t want to say it only as a question. I turned around slowly, my body swaying a bit as I walked, as if I couldn’t find my balance.
I glanced back to see him walk away slowly as well, then suddenly stop to look over his shoulder at me, making my heart skip another beat.
I forced my eyes away and continued to walk.
We had gone separate ways since I’d meet up with Haru, whose shift should have just ended and that wasn’t the same direction he’d go.
Is what I was telling myself, but to tell the truth…
I walked for a while, until I reached a corner of the park near the street. I stopped at a wall, leaned against it, and slid down.
“Ehehehe…” I felt the creepy giggle well up to my throat and tried to smother it. That’s bad, I’m grinning way too broadly, aren’t I? How do I breathe again? My heartbeat’s running away, can I even catch up with breathing?
After feeling so overwhelmed I could cry, my brain had gone into overload and made me giggle. A pause to order itself, so to speak, but it was weird to look at and I wanted to stop it.
I called Haru.
“Just in time. Will you come over?”
I giggled stupidly, the vibrations causing my words to hitch. “No, ca-an you come fe-etch me?”
“What, why do I need to play taxi? Come over here yourself.”
“I can’t”, I complained, rubbing over my grin in hopes of lessening it. “M-my legs are too wobbly…”
It is an actual thing, where your brain makes you laugh because it overloads. When your brain desperately needs time to sort out the situation, it makes you laugh to gain a few seconds.
I giggled again.
There’s no way I could walk another step. My legs wouldn’t carry my body any farther. They felt like jelly.
I drew my knees to my chest and wrapped my free arm around my legs. My sister’s semi-worried voice was incredibly calming in this weird situation. Five minutes, just five minutes had left me completely out of my mind.
What had just happened? Had that really happened?
“Tell me where you are, then, I’m coming.”
Haru was nice enough and came by to get me. When she saw me sitting on the ground she was worried at first, but then just curiously crossed her arms when she saw me greet her with a mindless, overjoyed laugh and wave.
I’m not sure how I managed to get into the car at all, but the moment she had started driving, she began to press me.
“Spit it out. What’s going on? I know you’ve been weird since yesterday, but what’s with you leaving for… what, half an hour? You made your way to the park just to stay for half an hour?”
“It was important”, I complained, fiddling with my phone. I wanted a text message where Mizuki would say he was my boyfriend now, anything written down. Written down so that I could read it and make sure I didn’t just mishear or misunderstand. Like a contract.
“Aaaand what was so important?”
My answer was very quiet. I fiddled with my fingers like a little girl, shyly fidgeting in my seat. I bet it was a rather disgusting sight, but I couldn’t care less.
“Asking Mizuki to go out with me.”
The car did a jolt as my sister hit the breaks but released them immediately, realizing that we were still driving. Behind us, another car honked in loud complaint.
“You what?!”
She was shouting, something that didn’t really matter cause we had the windows closed.
“I asked him out. He agreed.”
“You, the nervous wreck, asked someone out?! Moreover, Mizuki?!” She made an exasperated gasp. “I’m not surprised he agreed because I kinda expected that and hoped for it, but you confessed?”
Hmm. Well. “Not… quite confessed. But asked out.”
“So no heartfelt ‘I love you’? Okay, that sounds more believable.”
She sure knew me. I hadn’t actually told him that I liked him… I just asked if I would be allowed to. Same for him, he hadn't said he liked me, just agreed that I could like him and that he'd go out with me.
“Sorry, give me a minute.”
I was too nervous after all. I hurried to write a message to Mizuki in the text message app.
‘Are we going out now?’
Man, do I sound confident.
The response was immediate, as if Mizuki was holding his phone with his app open right when I wrote.
‘I would say so?’
I heaved a sigh.
‘Okay. Great. Just wanted to make sure. Sorry for bothering you.’
‘No, it’s perfectly fine. It’s better to be on the same page.’
“What what? Read it out! What did you just write?”
I read out our short conversation and Haru laughed in delight.
“God, you two really are awkward. Who does this right after confessing? This is just too cute. It will be fun to see how your relationship develops. What does the system say about it?”
System?
Ah! My system! Right, it’s-
Ding
[Congratulations! Points reached 90/100.
Relationship status changed to: Boyfriend
Target successfully acquired.
Be faithful, kind and love your target to keep him by your side. This kind of fateful encounter happens only once in your life.
This servant shall accompany you until your relationship is solid enough to never break.]
This servant, you say? Have you read too many novels? Isn’t it a bit too late to act all submissive? You asshole leave in the most important moment and then come back, talking all like you're being kind and nice?
No, isn’t it a bit too late to finally reveal that you’ve got a sense of self, ah?!
[The function to communicate with this servant has only unlocked with the acquisition of the intended target.]
Don’t try to act! You forced me to do all kinds of stuff already, how wasn’t that a way of communication!
Where were you even! How dare you leave me alone!
[The host had to go through that situation on his own.]
Say the goddamn system who
always
made me do things I
didn't
fucking
want,
aaaalways!
Interfering!
With!
Everything!
…
Silence.
Stupid thing!
