"Great, you're all safe!"
Cute Mita and Tiny Mita were hiding in an area where the fog was a bit lighter.
The little one—Tiny Mita—bounced happily twice upon seeing Alain and Cool Mita arrive unharmed.
But after noticing how intimate the two seemed, Tiny Mita asked in confusion,
"When did you two get so close?"
"I-I-I just got injured, so Alain is carrying me, that's all!" Cool Mita quickly explained. "Right... yeah! He's only carrying me because I'm hurt!"
But then she grew dejected. "Yeah... it's just because I'm injured..."
Alain listened to her soft murmur from behind. For Cool Mita to depress herself like this... she was quite the talent.
"Alright, if you want to stick close in the future, you can always come to me."
"Oh, oh..." She responded softly twice, then realized the teasing in his words. "What do you mean 'stick close'? This is perfectly normal—"
"Fine, just say yes or no."
"...Yes." She turned her head away, her voice as faint as a mosquito's, but she accepted the offer honestly.
"...And you say you're not close?" Tiny Mita saw right through their dynamic.
If their relationship before had been that of proper comrades or friends,
Now, there was clearly a hint of ambiguous sweetness between them.
Yes, the sour-and-sweet romance that only appeared in TV dramas or romance novels.
Alain, of course, had no idea where the little one's thoughts had wandered off to.
Once they reached safety, his attention stayed fixed on Cute Mita.
Alain chatted with Tiny Mita while observing Cute Mita out of the corner of his eye.
From her appearance, there were no flaws—she looked like any ordinary Mita. Her expression...
Alain noticed that ever since he arrived, her gaze had been locked on him.
Quietly, without saying a word, just staring at him. As if pondering something, observing something about him.
"You're all okay, that's what matters." After a moment, Cute Mita spoke up with concern.
Alain nodded lightly and turned to Cool Mita. "Can we rest here for a bit?"
"Oh, oh... sure." His politeness made the girl a little embarrassed. "Don't talk to me like that... just chat like we normally do."
Alain set her down gently, as if handling a delicate work of art, steadying her firmly on the ground.
He glanced at her slightly messy high ponytail and shoulder guard, then tidied them up methodically before feeling satisfied.
Cool Mita held his hand, her cheeks burning...
Alain... he was definitely doing it on purpose! He knew she wasn't used to this intimacy yet, but insisted on treating her like a pampered young lady...
[90%]
Alain watched the progress bar popup increase. Last check was 75%; it must have jumped after saving her and teasing her a bit, reaching 90% now.
After settling Cool Mita, Alain walked straight toward Cute Mita.
"What's up?" Seeing him approach, Cute Mita flashed a wide, cheerful grin.
"I want to talk to you alone."
Alain pointed to a denser patch of fog, a good distance away. Cool Mita and the others probably wouldn't overhear.
"Eh..." Cute Mita paused briefly, then smiled. "I don't mind, but..."
She glanced toward Cool Mita. "Won't Cool Mita get jealous if we're alone?"
"I'm not jealous."
Cool Mita had 'jealous' written all over her face.
"You're jealous? When I get back, we can—"
"Just go already!" Cool Mita gave him a gentle push and turned to chat with Tiny Mita.
Alain chuckled twice and led Cute Mita toward the foggy area.
They walked in silence. Alain ahead, Cute Mita behind.
Their footsteps—one heavy, one light—"clack clack"—echoed on the iron railings, the fog thickening around the trembling walkway.
Clack!
Only when Cool Mita's voice was completely inaudible did Alain stop, turning to face Cute Mita.
Since Cute Mita's identity was still just a suspicion without proof, Alain had no intention of sharing his 'guess' with Cool Mita yet.
No need to worry her unnecessarily.
Cool Mita probably suspected something too... she wasn't dumb, and Alain had asked quite directly earlier.
He was one step away from outright saying 'something's wrong with Cute Mita.'
"So, what do you want to ask?" Cute Mita smiled at him. "A confession, Your Highness?"
"Just call me by name." Alain wiped sweat from his brow inwardly.
Miluo calling him 'Sir Knight' was tolerable, but 'Prince' was overly saccharine. It made him cringe.
"I have a few questions." He stared into her eyes gravely. "You said before—how did you get to the mist version?"
"Forgot?" Cute Mita smiled back. "Through that button in the virus swarm."
"Fine." Alain didn't dwell and pressed on. "You also said you overheard Monika and Crazy Mita talking?"
"Yeah. That's why I came here—for my good friend, Cool Mita."
Her tone was flat, as if stating a simple fact.
"One last question."
Alain watched her closely, his expression impassive, lips parting slightly.
"What do you think of 'niconiconi'?"
"..." Cute Mita froze for two seconds, staring at Alain's face, seeing no hint of a joke.
"You're serious?"
"Yes." Alain nodded, striking a cute bunny pose. "What do you think of niconiconi?"
"Uh... it's a really cute phrase."
Cute Mita sweated. She had no idea what Alain was getting at, but seeing a guy over 1.8 meters tall say something so cute and pose like that...
Even she, Cute Mita, had to bow down.
"You think it's cute?" Alain pressed. "Don't you know what it means?"
"..." The girl didn't answer rashly, meeting his silence with her own.
They stared at each other in the heavy silence, fog thickening between them like a veil.
Alain silently drew his Safety Assistant greatsword, bracing for a possible sudden attack.
"You... aren't Cute Mita, are you?"
___
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