Akemi decided to stay alone for a little while after we stepped back into our world. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed during the time we were in the dragon’s realm but right now, the sun was slowly setting as the girls were preparing the place near here for camping.

Compared to the first time we arrived at the top of this mountain, everyone felt more relaxed than before. Thanks to their endurance being increased, they were not that bothered by the thin cold air.

“Actually… I feel bad that Akemi has to go through this on her own. I wish we could do something to cheer her up.” Hina said as she was helping Chloe prepare food while everyone else was chilling near the fire camp.

“I feel the same… but right now, she wants to spend some time by herself. And as part of our family, I can land a shoulder to cry on whenever she wants.” Chloe replied back to Hina while she was cooking the meat.

“...a family, huh…?” Hina was delighted as she whispered those words to herself. Her face was more relaxed than usual and she didn’t feel tense anymore around us.

It didn’t take long before they finished setting up dinner for tonight, I won’t deny that it looked really appetizing from the way it was cooked by Chloe and Hina. There was this smell that made the rest of the girls really hungry, especially Shiro.

While she’s been trying to act differently this whole time, I could see saliva dripping from her mouth as she was staring at the food in front of her. Most of the time, she would suck my blood whenever she felt like it, but recently she has been eating human foods just like the rest of us. After I had finished eating my portion of food, I felt quite satisfied as I was looking at everyone else enjoying their time together.

Then at that moment, I saw Chloe coming towards me. She sat next to me, relaxed her body after finishing eating, then she let out a sigh.

“Go talk to her.” She said as she looked at Akemi who was sitting near a cliff nearby.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you talked to her? Besides, I don't know what to say to her.”

Chloe gently giggled as she was looking at me. The camp’s fire was being reflected on her eyes as the sky was becoming much darker.

“You big dummy, there’s no need to say anything to her. Just go and sit next to her, and give her some company. I’m sure she'll feel much better if you were with her right now.” Whatever the situation was, and no matter what kind of time it was… Chloe’s kindness had no end... no matter who it was.

Sometimes, I wonder how she acted while being trained to kill humans as an assassin. Did she hesitate or was she against the idea of killing another human being?

What I felt from Chloe, were the feelings of someone who truly cared for me and everyone in here. When I got up and started walking towards Akemi, Chloe had a warm smile on her face as she was looking at me.

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Akemi was sitting at the edge of the cliff while holding her own knees, and had her head between them. Her hair was slightly waving from the wind, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by that. I didn’t know what kind of face she was making right now, but she still must be down about the dragon’s realm.

Without saying anything to her, I sat down next to her and looked at the view that was in front of me.

The scenery right before my eyes was astonishing to look at, especially during the night. The full moon was slowly rising, making light for everything around this area. A lot of other mountains, rivers, lakes and millions of trees could be seen from here. This made me question myself if this was what the beauty of nature really was.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?” Akemi suddenly said to me after a moment of silence. Her voice sounded a bit deeper than usual as she said that at the same position.

“Not really…” Just as I said to Chloe before, I didn’t know what exactly to say to Akemi. I understand that right now she needed to hear the right words to cheer her up. But that's when I asked myself whether I was the right person to do that or not.

“Heh… so even at times like this, you barely express yourself….” She said as she raised her head a little in order to see the scenery in front of us. “...How do you do that?” Her eyes looked really calm, but somehow I immediately realised that she had the same eyes I used to have long ago.

“...I was born like this… It’s not like there’s a trick to how to become like me…” She clenched her clothes when I said that to her.

Even though I didn’t give the answer she wanted…. I gave her an answer however I felt at that exact moment.

There is a chance that none of my family members are alive, so I know how Akemi feels right now. The feeling of being all alone and not having anyone who genuinely cared about me. But even at times like this, there is at least someone who cares about her.

“...but… if you feel like that you no longer have anyone to rely on, then you’re wrong.” I felt her eyes looking at me as I was saying that to her. “There are five girls back there that really care about you. and you already know that. That's why even if you are at your lowest, try to act strong with a smile on your face for those who love you.”

Her face showed a smile as she raised her head after taking a deep breath.

“At times like this, you really know how to make a girl’s heart throb.” But after taking a good look at the rising moon in the sky, she had a serious look on her face as she turned her head towards me.

“But if you really want to cheer me up…” The moon’s light made her face much clearer to see and I could tell that she was about to say something important.

“...will you kiss me?”

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