“I hate you, Hakura! Go away!”
None of the kids gathered there were related by blood, but as I was relatively older than most, they looked up to me like an older brother.
The girl in front of me had gray hair, reddish-brown eyes, and her cheeks, puffed out like two ripe tomatoes, expressed her discomfort.
She was only a kid, but so was I. She had shouted at me, so I remembered that I shouted back: “Well, I hate you too.”
It was as if those two tomatoes were suddenly crushed—tears started pouring down her cheeks as she began to wail.
I couldn’t remember exactly what I said back then, but I could still remember her crying face.
“Hakura.”
Soon enough, they came. They had smooth black hair, deep-blue eyes. With a concerned look knitting their brows, they laughed in exasperation, sat down beside me, and gave a look that asked if I’d made this kid cry again. It was so long ago now that I couldn’t remember what the reason was. All that I could remember now was that something happened, their expression, and how I felt.
Arguments were all too common, and because I was older and taller, I often made her cry. It was something that just happened, so I could never find myself being honest.
“Well, whatever happened, there’s only one thing to do, Hakura.”
Whenever I made someone cry, they would come in between us and create an opportunity for me to apologize.
“If you made a girl cry, then you need to give her a proper, sincere apology.”
They were a friend, a sibling, a confidant, a family member.
“After all, what comes next is scary.”
They always were popular with the girls.
✦ ✦ ✦
I wasn’t fond of reminiscing on my past, but the reason my thoughts drifted was because I was in quite some trouble. Maybe one of the top five worst situations across my whole life. Human instinct pushed you to find a solution, any solution, during times like these, so that was probably why I’d been thinking of the past.
The situation? I’d royally pissed Leen off.
It happened last night. Erifell had given us a quest to bring back a gryphon egg from its den, a quest that even most seasoned adventurers would find difficult, and we had just returned to Esma. Leen was in good spirits—she’d even been humming a little tune on the way back—because of the huge payout. As usual, she’d eaten a shocking amount of food, even devouring some dessert. She was sitting in a sleepy postmeal daze. My mistake was probably exacerbated by the fact that there had been a little alcohol in the cooking.
Right now, Leen and I were staying in the same inn, but, naturally, we had separate rooms. As I watched her eat, I’d feared that if she kept up this pace, I’d end up having to carry her back. Then I’d have to endure the knowing smile of the reception lady. I wanted to avoid that at any cost.
I’d been just as full and sleepy as Leen after our feast. Yet after every quest, she was the one who got to lazily droop her head and fall asleep at the table. My annoyance had been stockpiling over the past days, which had led me to pull a little prank. I’d only intended to surprise her. Honest to goodness.
My blunder had been made even worse by the fact that her golden hair was just dangling there, touching the table while avoiding any of the plates.
I was well aware that this sounded like an excuse, but I honestly wanted to just lightly tug on her hair, give her a little shock. I swear on the goddess, or whatever, that I did not put much strength into that tug.
But...but...
I’d heard a terrible ripping sound.
Leen yelped as she shot up straight. She looked at me and saw in my hand—small though it was—some of her hair. Her expression froze, and she silently stood up. She then silently paid the bill, then silently walked back to the inn. I followed her, feeling awfully guilty, but I didn’t manage to speak one word to her.
The next morning, I knocked on her door. It then flung open, so soon after I’d knocked that I thought it was broken. Leen appeared and threw her slime at my face. It ricocheted off of me, bounced off the walls, and floor to hit me again for a painful combo.
“Hakura, you ASSHOLE!”
She yelled, and then slammed her door on me, making an explosive sound, and locked it behind her.
That was the long and short of how I’d angered Leen.
It was clear to me that there was no room for excuses. I wasn’t sure if Leen’s anger would subside or get worse if I let things be...
“This is a warning based on my experience, lad. If you don’t show some sincerity before evening, your life is forfeit,” the slime said, hopping back toward me.
I couldn’t stop a sigh from slipping out of my mouth.
“I bet...”
“My lady is a selfish one, but she isn’t petty. If you offer a genuine apology, then I believe a conversation will be possible.”
“What a pain...”
I was well aware that I was in the wrong, so that made it harder to confront her honestly. It was true that Leen’s guard had been fully down in the restaurant last night, but I could’ve just shaken her shoulder to wake her up or something. My impudence was eighty percent at fault here.
“Slime?”
“Yes?”
“How do I...fix Leen’s mood?”
“If she is only mildly upset, food will satiate her, but judging how she seems after a night’s sleep, words alone will not remedy the situation.”
“Meaning?”
“You need to physically show your apology. In other words, you need to get her a present.”
I couldn’t reply. I was screwed. I’d never bought a girl a present in my life.