I hope I didn’t worry Leo too much…
Aki sighed, releasing the tension from her shoulders as she waited for Leo to return to his room.
I love Elias…
It took losing him to realize just how big of a place he took up in her heart. She discovered how much she adored the gentle voice he reserved for her, his soft smile, and the broad back that always protected her from danger. But that realization was accompanied by another: just how much she had come to rely on him without doing anything in return. He was so hurt and depressed, and she failed to console him.
Somewhere in her heart, she had come to depend on him to make everything all right, even though she believed they were in an equally giving relationship. After seeing his lack of confidence, she noticed the heavy burden she was unconsciously pushing on him.
Elias had lived his whole life meeting the overwhelming demands placed on the Hero. This time, his hidden powers betrayed every expectation HE put on himself and trying to cope with it was driving him down a dark and spiraling thought process.
It’s my job to lighten the burden on him… I was so stuck thinking about myself, I ended up relying on him without supporting him back.
She wished she had more power to share the burden with him and not become a part of it.
I’m not qualified to be with him when I’m such a weakling…
As Aki sighed for the hundredth time, she heard Leo’s voice just outside the door.
“Hey, Aki, can you open the door? My hands are full.”
“O-Oh, okay. Sorry I didn’t notice sooner, Leo!” Aki hurried to the door and opened it. A sweet aroma reached her nose first before Leo strolled into the room with a wooden tray.
“Sorry for the wait, m’lady. Your order has arrived.” Leo picked up one of the cups and passed it to her, adding, “Be careful, it’s hot.”
“Thank you.” She accepted the cup with both hands and peered down at the pretty dark brown tea swaying inside it. The sweet smell of honey wafted off the steam.
Leo’s kindness filled her embittered heart with joy and it showed on her face as she looked up from the swirling tea and made eye contact with him.
He held her gaze for a moment before shyly looking away.
That reminded her of Leo’s love confession in the cavern. Aki’s heart raced and she darted her eyes around the room, unsure of how else to react.
Leo said nothing as he placed his cup on the table and flopped back on the edge of the bed again.
An awkward silence followed.
Perhaps she should have gotten right to it. He invited her to his room to hear her out. But she didn’t dare bring it up and went with an entirely different subject instead.
“…W-Was anyone else downstairs?”
Leo blinked once, taken by surprise by her abrupt question. “Yeah, everyone was,” he answered, looking at the ceiling. “Mina, Louis, Sutcliff, and Johann, that is.”
“Johann! I’m glad he regained consciousness, too!”
“Yeah. He’s not back in tip-top shape yet but seemed healthy enough. He really saved our butts this time. Not sure we coulda made it back without him.” Leo cracked a wry smile as he scratched the back of his head. Aki nodded several times in agreement.
Aki remembered Johann showing up in the nick of time to heal Leo’s fatal wounds before he presented them with a plan to seal the Solar Goddess’s power. Just thinking back on how awesome he was in their time of need got her adrenaline pumping again.
I wonder what would’ve come of us if Johann hadn’t been there. We owe him our lives. He really was cool. That reminds me, I never did thank him for comforting me. Aki decided to thank Johann as soon as she saw him.
“…How are you feeling now, Aki? A little calmer?” Leo asked in a gentle voice. His smile was so kind it made her heart skip a beat.
Leo’s waiting for me to talk… I can’t make him worry forever. Keeping it pent up inside isn’t going to change anything anyway. Everything Elias said was true after all.
“…Um, Leo, I’m not sure how well I can explain it, but…” Once she started talking, her entire conversation with Elias flashed forward. She buried her hands into her dress and bit her lower lip.
Once she mustered the courage, she explained what happened with Elias, occasionally tripping over her words along the way. Talking about it only made her sadder and she had to speak around her stifled sobs.
Leo listened quietly. He was letting her know that she could say anything without reservation. Before long, she was crying again.
“…It just hurt too much, I couldn’t think anymore… I couldn’t say a-anything to Elias…” Aki finished, dropping her gaze to her balled fists.
Even though she tried desperately not to cry, the tears poured forth without obeying her and dripped onto the back of her pale hands.
Hating herself for being a crybaby, Aki mumbled, “I’m sorry.”
Pain twisted Leo’s expression. He waited until she stopped sobbing to quietly say, “…I’m sorry you guys went through that. Thank you for telling me.
He returned his gaze to the ceiling as if imagining the fight between them. “‘The closer the person is to me, the more likely I am to hurt them, so I want to push the closest people away,’ huh? Sounds like something he’d think up. He pretends to be strong when he’s just a really lonely guy… He doesn’t know how to interact,” he muttered with a sad smile.
Leo glanced at Aki then stared off into the distance. “Frankly, I want him to trust us more. I wish he’d get it through his head that he doesn’t have to get all worked up about keeping us safe—that he’ll realize we’re here to do the same thing for him.”
Aki wiped away her last tear and nodded. I want Elias to depend on me. I want his trust. And I’m not the only one who thinks that way—our whole Hero Party does. We all care about him. The strength he has in facing his opponents, his kindness toward others, all of those traits make everyone he meets want to support him.
What must I do to become strong enough to protect Elias? Not just physical strength, but emotional.
Leo slid off the bed and sat in the chair opposite Aki. He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his folded hands.