Chapter 54: Great of the Rounds ⑪
The exhibition match ended.
As I stood up, Emi-san spoke to me.
“Hey, I’m counting on you with Mineha.”
“Eh, ah… yes.”
For now, I should go check on Mineha-san.
But she wasn’t in the arena’s waiting room.
“Oh, Wof-san.”
Ruriha-san appeared, in her large form.
She had removed her armor and was in a lightly dressed white gown.
I hadn’t noticed before, but her height was about the same as mine.
“Ruriha-san… where’s Mineha-san?”
“…I don’t know. But you should know.”
“Me?”
“Yes, so go to her.”
Ruriha-san gave a small, somewhat lonely smile.
Only I might know—perhaps.
“Understood. But, are you alright, Ruriha-san?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I expected this.”
“You’re not fine, are you? You look like you’re about to… almost cry.”
It felt like she could collapse any moment.
She forced a brave smile.
“…Oh, don’t say that.”
“I don’t want women to cry. I don’t want to make anyone cry.”
At that, Ruriha-san looked slightly surprised.
I wonder why.
“Oh my, Wof-san… you shouldn’t say such things carelessly.”
“But I… why are you so sad, Ruriha-san?”
It was Mineha-san who challenged her. She won and even gave advice.
So why does Ruriha-san look sad, as if she lost?
“Sad… yes. I… I wanted to praise her. For becoming an explorer by special exception. For obtaining a new OOPArts Spinner. For becoming… so beautiful. I wanted to praise her a lot, hug her, and praise her.”
“Then why not just praise her?”
Why is she hesitating over something like that?
She’s the mother. Mother and daughter. Parent and child.
“But I fought her and defeated her.”
“That can’t be helped.”
“There should have been another way. There should have been… but I didn’t seek it. Also… you know I’ve always been called ‘Mother,’ right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“I wanted her to call me Mom. She never did… When she was little, I wanted Mineha to grow up as the daughter of the Fairy Realm leader, so I was strict. And that has continued within her until now… I don’t know what to do. And ‘Mother’… has a certain wall. So I want her to call me Mom.”
“Then why don’t you just say it? Mineha-san will listen.”
“…Yes, she’d probably force herself to say it. Force herself to say ‘Mom.’”
“…That’s… Ruriha-san.”
Ah… they really are mother and daughter.
“I’m hopeless.”
“Ruriha-san!”
I instinctively grabbed Ruriha-san’s shoulders.
“Hyaa!? Ah… nn… Wof-san…?”
“…Still, Ruriha-san, I think you should express your feelings. Tell Mineha everything that’s in your heart.”
“T-That… now?”
“Now or never. If you don’t say it, she won’t know. The wall remains. It doesn’t matter if it’s embarrassing or clumsy. She might be surprised or exasperated. But it’s fine. Your feelings for Mineha will definitely reach her. And Mineha-san will understand. She will.”
Mineha-san will definitely understand. That’s the kind of girl she is.
“Th-That… how can you speak so honestly… why you…”
Ruriha-san looked at me with tearful eyes mixed with fear and doubt.
Somehow, it looked like she was glaring.
Being honest… that’s easy.
“Because I believe in her.”
“….”
Ruriha-san shed a single tear while staring at me.
“Ruriha-san!?”
Oh no… did I make her cry!?
“Unfair.”
Suddenly, Ruriha-san hugged me.
“Eh?”
“Unfair… so unfair… what… what… we just met… and yet… like a child… your shoulder is easier to sit on… it’s been a while since I sat on someone other than my husband… I’m close to Mineha… or rather… very close… and yet with the witch, Shiro, Chive, and on top of that Munieka… others… I’ve heard so much… and yet… unfair… unfair unfair unfair unfair… unfair.”
“Uh, Ruriha-san?”
“Unfair… idiot.”
“Uh…”
“Idiot.”
“Ah, um…”
“Idiot.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Idiot.”
“…Excuse me.”
“Idiot.”
What is this?
Ruriha-san is pouting like a child, hugging me.
No matter what I say, she only says “idiot.”
“Uh… if you want, shall we go to Mineha-san together?”
“Idiot… fine, but take me like this.”
“Like this… surely we can’t go like this…”
“Then kiss me.”
“Eh, eh, w-what?”
What!?
“Kiss me.”
“Um….”
“Do it.”
“….”
I understand what I’ve done to her like this.
I’ve probably done something critically fatal.
I don’t even know what it is.
But memories from my previous life are telling me: you must not do this to an adult woman.
It’s already too late. What have I done?
I always… always mess up.
Why? I’m only doing as my uncle said.
When I was little, my uncle told me:
“Listen, Wof. Remember this above all: never make a girl cry. Never make a girl sad. Got it? No matter what, never forget this.”
“Okay. I understand.”
That’s right. I strongly agree, so I try my best not to.
But still… somehow… sometimes I fail.
Even so, I can’t leave a girl who is sad or on the verge of tears.
I must not.
I want everyone to be happy. I want everyone to smile.
So… with Ruriha-san, since kissing her lips would be too much, I pressed my lips gently to her cheek.
“Mm…”
“Is this okay?”
“A gentle kiss, huh.”
Ruriha-san pulled away from me.
When she had hugged me, it had felt nice, and she smelled good, so I felt a little reluctant to let go.
“Let’s go. To Mineha-san.”
“Yes.”
Ruriha-san kissed my cheek and smiled.
Too sudden.
My home. The lookout tower.
At the very top, Mineha-san was there.
“Wof… Mother…”
Mineha-san was sitting, still in her large form.
She looked surprised to see us. Her gaze landed on Luriha-san sitting on my shoulder.
Ruriha-san was in her Fairial form.
“Mineha.”
“…”
“Ruriha-san.”
I gestured, and Ruriha-san flew over to Mineha-san.
“Mother…”
“Mineha. Let’s talk. I have so much I want to tell you.”
“You, Mother… to me?”
“Yes. You see… Mineha, I love you very much.”
Ruriha-san embraced Mineha-san warmly.
I quietly stepped back, not to get in the way.
A smile naturally spread across my face.
Mother and daughter… it’s really something.
I guess it’s about time. I’ll rest in my room for the first time in a while before going up to the lookout tower.
I hear voices… they’re still talking.
Good. That’s a nice thing. I wonder what fun conversation they’re having.
“This damn old woman! What are you saying at your age?!”
“Then you deal with it with your own erotic charm!”
“What did you say?! Saying that to your ten-year-old daughter!”
“You! You’re even more erotic than Jewel, the top-class courtesan of the royal city! Totally filthy! There’s no way you’re really ten!”
“There’s no way it’s a lie! Questioning your own daughter’s age?! You’re senile!”
“What did you say!!”
“What the hell!!”
Uh… what is this… what’s happening?
Ruriha-san and Mineha-san were yelling and grappling with each other.
Why…?