The west wind began to blow past my ears once more. I stood still as I held the bag of candy.
“What just happened…?”
I felt like I had been daydreaming. I had already lost sight of the candy grandma. I had been so sure she was there just a moment ago.
Really though, what was up with that? In the end, the only hearts I managed to capture in the town of Tibar were that grandma and Teru. Ah, well, I might have been one step short of making Old Dancy from the bookstore fall for me.
B-but, that’s…just a little, um, like…
Just once, I wouldn’t mind getting somewhere with a totally average woman around my age. What exactly would I need to do to have that wonderful encounter and begin my love story? I was deprived of romance. I just kept running into little girls and grandmas. Was there possibly something getting between me and available women?
As I thought through this deep philosophical quandary, I took a piece of candy from the bag I had just received. I carelessly let it slip from my hand, and it tumbled toward the ground.
It never landed. A beautiful white palm extended out from beside me and caught the candy with ease. The owner of this white, nigh transparent hand quietly, softly, and gently pushed the candy against my lips with her fingers.
“Thanks, Gol.”
As Gol pushed the candy into my mouth, her fingers brushed my lips as if tracing their shape. Since I’d thanked her and smiled, her long ears fluttered with delight.
Hey, partner. What do you think? Do you think I’ve been accidentally snapping my own romance flags with women my age…?
While I posed this question in my heart, Gol continued tracing my lips. She had been playing around with my face for some time now, but I guess she didn’t get bored.
As I studied her satisfied face and long ears, I suddenly remembered. “That reminds me. When it’s just the two of us, the angle of your ears lowers.”
Whenever we were alone, Gol’s lovely elven ears very faintly lowered, as if she were relaxed. Though, saying that, it was really only a few millimeters’ difference, so I didn’t think anyone but me would even notice.
As I pointed this out, Gol lowered her face as if bashful. Her gleaming crimson irises reflected the morning sun and gave off a pale shine. I was sure her reaction meant I was right.
I had appeared in this other world in my lame pajamas before I knew what was happening… But it didn’t seem like a chance encounter and love story with a wonderful woman would begin anytime soon. On the other hand, the strength of the mutual understanding between my silent partner and myself was steadily progressing each day.
“Shall we go?” I asked.
Together with my partner, I resumed my journey down the road to the west as I lightly rolled the candy around my mouth with my tongue.
The distant sky was a refreshingly clear blue while the wind waved the green fields extending before me. A strange, gentle sweetness spread through my mouth, tasting faintly of a nostalgic fruit.