"Nuh uh!" She stuck her tongue out, a grotesque parody of childishness.
Help! I need an adult! I NEED AN ADULT!
"Do you think I'm stupid? Better yet, don't answer that. I know what you people always talk about in front of me."
Shouldn't that be talked about behind you?
"Anyway! Tell me this. If you are his girlfriend, Clara..."
"Laura!" With utter annoyance, I stressed. "L-A-U-R-A!"
"Farquad. Whoever you are, what about her? And her? Don't tell An they are his girlfriends too?" That red-haired goblin pointed with her free hand at Rachel and then at Kurokawa. "What are your relationships with him? Don't tell me you're all his girlfriends, it's dumb even for my standards." An tilted her head in a rather condescending way, her voice mocking.
Rumble
It was then, for the first time since the beginning, that silence fell upon us as we got our eyes focused on C, waiting for a definite answer. Even the previous conflict had become almost insignificant, as something more important was being revealed right before my very eyes. Unfortunately for C, but so fortunate for the rest of us, his lies would not count, all thanks to his passive abilities, which we tried so hard to hide from him.
It was a Pandora's box that was opened, something everyone was desperate to know but never really had the guts to say out loud, the elephant in the room that everyone had silently acknowledged but never dared to name. Now it was out. All because of a ginger-headed weirdo.
On one hand, I hated that brat with my guts. On the other hand, I appreciated An for daring to ask something like that. It was difficult for me to put something like that out there unless I wanted to break the fragile balance between us.
My curiosity grew as C visibly became shaky, snowballing into something massive. I wanted to know my position in C's heart, as well as the others', too, especially after what he had with the two initial heroines - Rachel and Kurokawa.
Oh, put your fingers in my asshole and rip it twice as big! What kind of question is that?! I know I absolutely do NOT want to see you girls battle it out in a war of wits and strength, but me next?!
"Uh...a ha ha... Well, uh... I..."
Trying to laugh it off was a classic way to dodge the question. However, it was just a matter of time until his inner voice leaked out. What would he say about me? About the rest of the group? About... An?
"An." C took in a deep breath, then turned his now not-so-featureless face toward the tiny, feisty girl. "Let me introduce you to these girls."
I guess I owe them a heart-to-heart confession. I just never knew it would be this out-of-the-blue, this sudden. But... sheeesh, man! How am I going to explain everything to everyone about what I saw? It is not like they are going to murder me, but who really knows?
C started taking deep breaths, as if the thing he was doing was about to drain everything from his body: "So, everyone, this is An. Uh, An, this is everyone."
My work here is done. Phew!
But you did not explain a single thing, love?
"Greetings, followers of C. This is our first time meeting now." The ginger girl stepped in and scanned each of us, her eyes stopping at Kurokawa. "An is An. C's one and only priestess. An does whatever C desires since he is An's God." Her voice was sweet but cold.
An is supposed to be Han's worshipper, but this iteration just had to say nooooooo and fuck me in the ass for the last time. At this point, being surprised is no longer even on my list.
"I'm Laura. C's girlfriend." There was no handshaking. Something like that was utterly unnecessary. I had no intention of getting friendly with anyone else, especially that tiny piece of ginger dwarf.
"Hah!" An scoffed, "We'll see about that."
You little twat!
An then shifted her demeanor into adorable girl-next-door mode, adopting a cutesy tone as she called out to C: "Is it true?"
My boyfriend looked at me with a warm smile and nodded, which calmed my temper a little bit: "It is." I adored that smile of his to death.
"Hmph!" An was immediately dissatisfied with the answer, yet did not retort. Instead, she aimed her next attack at blondy. "And what are you supposed to be this time?"
"I'm his lover." Rachel blankly stated, with a hazy pink flush. "Was, is, and will always."
Please do not ask me anything. Please do not ask me anything. Please do not ask me anything. Please do not ask me anything!
"You gigantic pervert!" Words could barely climb through my teeth.
"Thanks, Laura." The housewife proudly nodded. "You know me well."
Please do not ask me anything! Please do not ask me anything! Please do not ask me anything!
"That's not a compliment, Rachel, and you know it."
Please do not ask me anything! Please do not ask me anything!
"C, is she telling the truth?" An, once again in that insanely annoying high-pitched voice, grabbed onto C's shirt with puppy dog eyes.
Can I just slam my head onto the street and be done with it? I do not want to lie to Laura or disappoint Rachel. Wait... This line of thinking makes me a scumbag?! When did I stoop this low?!
"The truth is..." Rachel's aquamarine eyes focused intensely on my boyfriend. Even though her face did not show any apparent emotion, I noticed she had her hands clasped together in front of her chest. They were shaking, a sign I never thought would be coming from the one and only barbarian Rachel. In a way, even if she got the past in her head, I believed this was the first time she was the one coming at him, not vice versa.
Look at Rachel. She deserves it, C. Tell her. Tell them the truth. They deserve at least that.
"...Somewhere, deep within me, thinks it is true."
I sighed. Racheld had tears in her eyes. Over at Han's place, the guy was saying: "C, my master, you are truly the GOAT."
"I know this makes me sound like a complete dick head, but I'm not going to deny it because I would be lying to myself if I did."
Here it comes.
"I... saw a life with Rachel." C glanced over at the blond-haired girl. "A world of broken and ruined, of dust devils and thunderstorms. I was indeed her lover until that world collapsed into itself. It was so real that I felt like a piece of that version of me got stuck inside my head."
"C..." Rachel quietly whispered his name while I felt a sharp pang of loneliness. I had to get a kiss from C. I wanted him to look at me the same way he was directing his attention toward the housewife.
Rumble
Thunder began to rumble suddenly. And above us, the blue sky vanished, replaced by clusters of dark clouds. The sun was shining brightly seconds ago, yet now it was completely hidden. The weather itself was a stark contrast to the atmosphere around us, especially Rachel. The wind seemed to have a grudge against us, as its breeze was no longer tender, blowing dust into our hair and eyes.
I shivered.
"I'm sorry, Laura..." C reached out to me, and I took his hand. His voice was clearly filled with shame and guilt.
"Don't be." I caressed his fingers. Interestingly enough, An, despite frowning like a spoiled child, did not hurt me or do anything like Rachel did when she was about to touch her. "You couldn't help it, right? Not your fault."
"It's this world's fault." A soft, hesitant murmur finally broke from the corner. All heads turned. Kurokawa, who had been a silent statue since this whole confrontation began, finally spoke.
"Kurokawa?! What's going on? Are you feeling okay?!" Immediately, C sprinted toward Kuro.
"I'm fine." Replying, Kurokawa's gaze remained on An.
At this point, the bookworm's face had become so pale that her red scar was almost the same color as her usual skin tone. Her shoulders shook slightly every now and then, and her arms crossed tightly over her stomach. Her usual composure had shattered, replaced by a raw, brittle vulnerability I had never witnessed before. Even when facing C with all her insecurities back in the hallway, she did not lose composure like she was right now. She looked like a wild animal caught in a hunter's snare, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and something else...
I knew what that something else was. Rachel had the same emotion when she was still tied down by the system. It was the darkness when all lights were gone, the immense dread when no choice was available, the despair when your efforts became naught.
Hopelessness was the name.
My anxiety proved to be true. It was not because of An that I felt the anxiety at first. The origin of my fear was larger than that. Much larger.
"Laura, p-please help Rachel." Kurokawa looked at me. She was sobbing.
What is going on? Why is Kuro crying?
"And Rachel." Kurokawa grabbed C tightly and pulled him to the side, back facing the rest of the group.
"Yes~?"
"Hold on? Kuro? Why are you pulling me away? Ouch ouch! Okay, okay, I get it!"
I grabbed the space in front, and a knife manifested in my hands.
"Kill her."
Boom!
Thunder struck again.