The wind picked up. Night fell, and the forest grew increasingly eerie.
Cold Cry slowly opened his eyes. Perhaps due to the oppressive atmosphere, he had unconsciously maintained Total Concentration Breathing: Constant even in his sleep. The steady rhythm only broke the moment he awakened.
He was also keenly aware that Noe was still asleep—on his lap.
At this point, his leg had long gone numb.
Yet this strange girl showed no signs of waking. She had confidently said, "I'll keep watch for you," only to fall asleep more soundly than anyone else. It was almost unbelievable how little sense of danger she had.
Cold Cry raised his hand and lightly patted her cheek.
After a few gentle taps, Noe smacked her lips and mumbled incoherently.
"Wake up. Stop sleeping."
He tapped her a few more times. Though she talked too much and could be annoying, her soft cheeks were… unexpectedly comfortable to touch.
"Hm…? Is it time to eat?"
Noe sat up groggily, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She rubbed them and turned toward Cold Cry, only to see him staring at her coldly, a trace of irritation on his face.
"Cold Cry, you're awake." She grinned brightly.
Cold Cry couldn't understand her at all.
Did she have no worries? Why was she always so foolishly cheerful?
No wonder others disliked her. Her timidity was one thing—but this carefree, almost oblivious happiness was another.
"It's getting dark. We need to prepare."
Noe looked up, scanning their surroundings. The sky was dimming rapidly, almost visibly, and even the air had changed—thick, metallic, and dangerous.
Her expression finally grew serious.
…But only for a moment.
The tension quickly melted into her usual smile, leaving Cold Cry momentarily speechless.
He lowered his head slightly.
"Let's eat first. Once the fighting starts, we won't have the time—or appetite."
He reached for the bag behind him.
But as he did, his gaze accidentally caught something—
A flash of white.
Upon closer inspection, it was unmistakable.
At some point, the front of Noe's uniform had come undone, exposing a considerable portion of her chest.
Cold Cry's face flushed instantly. He snapped his head away in panic.
In his haste, he slammed his nose into the stone wall beside him.
Pain shot through him, bringing tears to his eyes.
Noe, completely unaware of what had happened, blinked in confusion. Seeing him act strangely, she stood up in concern.
"Are you okay?"
Cold Cry squeezed his eyes shut and waved frantically.
"D-Don't come closer! It's… it's exposed! Hurry and fix it!"
"Exposed?"
Noe tilted her head, then glanced down.
Only then did she notice.
"Huh? Why did it pop open again?"
Again?
Cold Cry froze.
What kind of person casually says "again" in this situation?
Every hair on his body stood on end.
He genuinely felt like digging a hole and hiding.
Meanwhile, Noe calmly buttoned up her uniform, completely unfazed.
"All done."
She even let out a small sigh, as if finishing a chore.
Cold Cry stared at her, utterly speechless.
He cautiously glanced back, confirming that everything was properly covered this time. Only then did he turn around fully, his face still red.
"You're a girl! How can you have so little awareness? If your clothes keep doing that, why not wear something else? Do you have any idea how much trouble that causes others?!"
His voice carried a mix of embarrassment and frustration.
Noe's bright smile instantly faded.
She lowered her head, looking like a scolded child.
"I… I'm sorry. I don't have anything else to wear. I… ran away from home."
Her voice was soft, almost trembling.
Cold Cry paused.
The anger in his chest dissipated almost immediately, replaced by guilt.
Running away… that meant she likely hadn't prepared anything—not even food.
He glanced at her again.
Aside from the standard Nichirin blade issued for the Final Selection, she carried nothing.
Cold Cry sighed inwardly.
He had no intention of prying into her past. Whatever her reasons were, they had nothing to do with him.
After all, once the Final Selection ended, they would part ways.
There was no need to get involved.
He opened his bag.
Inside were neatly packed meat and vegetable pancakes, along with a few bottles of water.
Clearly, they had been prepared with care—most likely by the attendants of the Butterfly Mansion.
Cold Cry couldn't help but feel a slight appreciation.
"Eat."
He handed one to Noe and placed the rest between them.
"The selection has just begun. Eat while you still can. For the next six days… you might not even feel like eating."
Noe stared at the food, her eyes lighting up.
She hesitated at first, clearly embarrassed, but her growling stomach betrayed her.
In the end, she reached out, took one, and smiled shyly.
"Thank you…"
She began eating happily.
Cold Cry watched her quietly.
Women… were truly strange. Completely incomprehensible.
"Where are we going next?" Noe asked between bites.
"We're not going anywhere. We stay here."
Cold Cry's tone was firm.
"We don't know this forest. Moving blindly is dangerous. Those two girls said we only need to survive seven days. They didn't specify how. Even if we hide the entire time, as long as we're alive at the end—we pass."
Noe nodded obediently.
"I'll listen to you."
After a pause, she asked,
"Then… why didn't you join that group earlier? The one led by Kimura? They seemed to like you."
Cold Cry frowned slightly.
"Why should I? Whether they like me or not has nothing to do with me. I don't even know them."
Noe thought about it seriously.
It made sense… but somehow, it didn't.
"If they had invited me," she said softly, "I would've been really happy… but they didn't want me."
"Hmph. They were right not to."
Cold Cry snorted.
"Not everyone is as foolish as you. Honestly, how have you even survived this long?"
But Noe didn't get angry.
Instead, she smiled.
She understood.
The fact that he could speak to her like this meant he had accepted her, at least a little.
She shrugged lightly.
"That's why I have to follow you."