The rising sun marked the dawning of the new day.

Opening my eyes, I saw something extremely off.

What I mean is, I don’t remember lying down. Moreover, on the lap of the girl I met yesterday!

Her hands were wrapped around my head, and her body was bent forward with her face close to mine.

Hey…this is……isn’t this similar to a love scene?!!

I should assess the situation first.

While thinking to myself, the girl’s eyes opened. Staring at my face so closely, the girls face reddened.

“I-I’m sorry!”

She quickly stood up flustered, and let out a really cute voice.

But rather than that, what happened to your voice?!! Yesterday your voice was much more terrifying, so much more that hearing it sent shivers down my spine! Who are you?!! Are you the same person?! Impossible!

“That’s alright, Thank you. It was comfortable”

Standing up, I thanked her for the lap pillow. But…

Looking at her, she was cutely fidgeting around with her fingers and quickly shifting her gaze after a take a quick look at me.

This person… there’s no way such a cute character could be the same person from yesterday! No way! Impossible!

Unintentionally, I walked a little closer to her and inspected her face to make sure she was the same person.

As I thought, she’s extremely cute. When she gets older, she’ll definitely be a beautiful person admired by everyone.

“Awawa, wha, what are you doing?!”

Taking a small step back, her face was completely flushed. Perhaps she was a shy girl underneath.

“Sorry, you’re really cute, so I couldn’t help myself from looking”

Speaking out what I truly thought, the girls face turned beat red. As I thought, she’s definitely a shy girl after all.

“So what were you doing yesterday in the fields?”

Instantly, I regretted asking that question.

“AaaaAHhhH? YEstErDAY? sLiMEs, SLiMes yES, I wAS… I WAs DEsToryInG THosE DaMNed cReATureS!”

The girl replied in a heavy tone and began breathing loudly, panting for air.

Her sweet voice from just now changed into something completely different. Her expression changed completely! She seems like another person entirely!

“Ah, thanks for saving me yesterday. I wanted to properly thank you for it”

Immediately, her expression turned back into a normal looking one. It was the sweet and innocent looking girl that was flustered not too long ago.

“O-oh, you’re we-welcome”

She looked down at the floor answering my gratitude shyly.

This girl, she has two extremely contrasting personalities. Don’t tell me, she’s…she’s…she’s a yandere?!!

An image of her holding a knife looking from behind a wall saying “PLEASE NOTICE ME!!!” surfaced into my mind.

Alright. It’s settled. I’ll absolutely avoid this girl! Of course I still have to give her part of the reward from killing the Mimic Slime. I’m not particularly stingy with sharing loot like a lot of other players I know in POI. It’s best to split the loot and then go our separate ways.

For now, it’s probably best if I introduce myself to her.

“My name is Tetsu Tagami, Tetsu is fine. What’s yours?”

“…y…na…s…sha”

The girl who was looking down mumbled to herself.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What was it?”

“…na…s…sha”

This girl, I can’t hear her properly.

Taking a step forward, I placed a hand on her shoulder, and lifted her chin slightly with my other hand, looking directly into her eyes.

She reacted to my movements, and held onto my chest as she moved her face closer to mine.

Now then, at this distance I should definitely be able to hear her.

“One more time, what’s your name?”

“Misha, just Misha”

Closing her eyes, she stood in one spot tightly gripping the clothes over my chest on the tip of her toes with her face close to mine.

Alright so her name is Misha huh?

That’s a nice name. Though if it’s just Misha, does that mean she doesn’t have a surname? I guess there are people without one in this world.

Letting go of her chin, I placed my hand on her forehead.

“Are you ok? Your face has been red for a while now. Are you sick?”

She immediately opened her eyes and took a step back.

“N-no, I’m ok”

Completely flustered, she turned away from me facing the opposite direction.

It’s good she’s ok.

“Misha, this is part of the reward from the Mimic Sli-… err for uhh helping me out yesterday… Please take it.”

Pulling out a 1 gold coin, and 20 silver coins, I placed it in the extra bag I had inside the enchanted dragon leather pouch.

Coming up behind her, I placed a hand on her shoulder gently as I wrapped my other arm around her trying to show her the bag.

“ah…ah…umm…a-a-awawa…”

Hmm? She looked up at me with her eyes, and began mumbling again.

From behind, with the hand I placed on her shoulder, I reached down and grabbed her closest hand. After opening it, with my other arm wrapped around her, I placed the bag into her palm.

“There’s 1 gold and 20 silver in the bag”

Maybe she was too shy to take the bag. And rather than paying attention to the bag, she was looking directly up at me with a red face.

Letting go of her hand, I backed away slightly.

“Misha, thanks again. Maybe we’ll meet again someday”

Turning around, I began to slowly walk towards the inn.

“Wait!”

Misha had suddenly raised her voice after I had begun walking away. Don’t tell me… maybe she wants a little more?!! True enough, in any online game I’ve played, wizards have the most important dps role as they have tons of DOT and AOE attacks.

I turned around, expecting her to ask for a little more, but her response was something I didn’t anticipate.

“Take me with you!”

_________________________________________________________________

I wasn’t sure when I had dozed off while humming a song I heard often from my mother during my childhood. In front of my eyes was the man from yesterday. He was lying in my lap looking up at me. Our faces were close.

Immediately I stood up when I felt my face getting hot.

“I-I’m sorry!”

While apologizing, I could only think of how shameless I was.

“That’s alright, Thank you. It was comfortable”

The man stood up thanking me.

I felt my face becoming even hotter. Looking away as if to hide my burning face, I stole glimpses of him as I nervously fidgeted.

Before I had realized it, he had made his way up to me and was staring brazenly at my face while I my thoughts were swimming everywhere.

“Awawa, wha, what are you doing?!”

I couldn’t help but to let out a voice of surprise. With his face so close to mine, I took a step back in order to calm myself, even if it was only slightly.

“Sorry, you’re really cute, so I couldn’t help myself from looking”

Cute? Does this man really think so? I haven’t properly bathed in such a long time, that dirt and mud could have been caked onto my face. Not to mention after suffering from all those beatings, I wouldn’t be surprised if my face were even disfigured.

I realized it; my face must have been extremely red. I could feel the heat on my face as I looked into his eyes. His eyes were clear. There wasn’t any kind of pity in his eyes as he looked at me. This person was truly speaking from his heart.

“So what were you doing yesterday in the fields?”

Yesterday? In the fields? Ah, that’s right. Those things… those things took the only thing left that was precious to me.

Thinking about it, anger began to swallow my mind. I felt almost as if I were a different person. I could feel the anger begin to take over my body.

“AaaaAHhhH? YEstErDAY? I wAS… I WAs DEsToryInG THosE DaMNed cReATureS!”

I spoke in a voice unlike myself. I realized it, but I couldn’t do anything to stop myself. He must be thinking that I’m unpleasant. To show someone such an ugly personality, I began to hate myself. In front of me was someone who I absolutely didn’t want to offend. He was someone who after a long time had shown me human compassion. Dark thoughts began circulating inside me.

“Ah, thanks for saving me yesterday. I wanted to properly thank you for it”

His words quickly pulled me out of my dark thoughts.

“O-oh, you’re we-welcome”

When I looked into his clear eyes, I felt as if all of my hatred had vanished. I had lost everything that was important to me. But everything, I felt as if none of it mattered anymore. Instead what replaced it was my pounding heart, as I stared into the eyes of young man before me.

“My name is Tetsu Tagami, Tetsu is fine. What’s yours?”

Tetsu Tagami, this man’s name is Tetsu Tagami. The name was odd, but at the same time so were his physical features. His features weren’t at all unattractive. In fact, he was rather handsome. I’m almost certain anyone would fall in love. Comparing his features to those who lived here, it’s different than what I’ve seen in this region.

“…y…na…s…sha”

Could he be a noble from the distant eastern lands I’ve heard of? Not everyone was blessed with the name of a household. It was given to only those who were of noble peerage. While thinking such thoughts, I mumbled words even I couldn’t understand.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What was it?”

“…na…s…sha”

I answered again, but the only thing I could feel was my heart pounding as I quietly looked at the ground below me.

In just a matter of moments, I felt a hand on my shoulder. And before I could grasp what he was doing, he gently lifted my face with his other hand on my chin.

Unconsciously, I held onto his chest in his warm embrace.

“One more time, what’s your name?”

This feeling that welled up inside me, it was definitely love. I was in love with this man named Tetsu who held me in his embrace. If it was him, I didn’t mind giving him everything.

While holding onto his chest, I stood on the tip of my toes, bringing my lips ever closer to his.

“Misha, just Misha”

I closed my eyes with my red hot face. I waited for what seemed like an eternity. I waited for the kiss from my prince who had come and pulled me away from my darkness.

Betraying my expectation, he placed his hand on my forehead.

“Are you ok? Your face has been red for a while now. Are you sick?”

He was worried about me? Perhaps I misinterpreted his actions.

Thinking about what I did, I my face grew felt like it was steaming.

“N-no, I’m ok”

Completely flustered, I turned and looked away.

Shameless. I was much too shameless. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed at my shamelessness.

“Misha, …please take it”

I was completely engrossed with my thoughts, that I missed what he said.

What do I take, did he propose to me? Did express a desire for me to accept his love?

And Just moments after that, he approached me again.

This time, he had embraced me from behind.

It couldn’t be, did he perhaps also feel the same way about me?

“ah…ah…umm…a-a-awawa…”

I felt my face becoming hot again. I looked up at his smiling expression. I was too shy to express myself to him. I wanted to tell him I would accept his love with all of my heart.

As if he understood my insensible words, he gently took a hold of my hand.

“There’s 1 gold and 20 silver in the bag”

Once again, I had failed to understand this man’s intention.

He had given me 1 gold and 20 silver was it? It was true that I didn’t have any money, but was it out of kindness or pity? Or maybe there was an underlying reason? Or maybe the words I missed were the explanation for the money.

But nevertheless, to embrace someone not once but twice, maybe he also felt the same way about me but couldn’t quite express himself?

Maybe he realized I was still underage? I still had quite some time until I would be old enough to marry. Maybe this is what put him off?

“Misha, thanks again. Maybe we’ll meet again someday”

His words snapped me out of my delusions. He began walking away. Was he going to leave me here? It was perfectly reasonable, we hardly knew each other. And yet, I was unable to stop thinking about him. I couldn’t get him out of my mind.

“Wait!”

I raised my voice. As he heard me, he quickly turned around.

It was true that I had nothing left, so what was the harm in going with him? I don’t know what would have become of me if I hadn’t met this person. I was able to come to terms so easily with losing the last precious photo of my now deceased mother and father. Maybe if I followed after him, I can come to terms with my path of revenge. Maybe the two of us meeting was fate.

With all of my heart, I expressed my utmost desire towards the man named Tetsu. To fulfill both my path of vengeance, and love, I shamelessly reached out to the person before me.

“Take me with you!”