In an instant, my body temperature surged past a thousand degrees. My blood turned into molten lava, roaring through my veins. My pupils locked, and my face flushed a violent, searing crimson.
Sensing the disaster, the girl scrambled off me with lightning speed, crouching a few feet away. Terror filled her eyes.
"Oh Goddess! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
she cried out, her voice frantic.
But her words never reached my conscious mind. The world flipped upside-down. My lungs refused to pull in oxygen, and a lump of burning air sat like a stone in my throat. The lingering scent of her and the ghost of her touch threatened to snap every nerve fiber in my brain.
My vision blurred into a gray haze, the sound of the rain fading into a distant hum. Absolute darkness swallowed me whole, and I collapsed lifelessly onto the cold, wet pavement.
CRACK!
The sudden memory of the seminar jolted my subconscious like an electric chair. My eyes snapped open, and I bolted upright. Seeing the impossibly beautiful girl still standing there triggered my primal phobia once again.
Instinctively, I recoiled, scuttling back several feet until I hit with something.
As my vision cleared, her silhouette came into focus. Her brown hair, dampened by the spray of the rain, clung to her shoulders. Her deep blue eyes looked like the shimmering reflection of a 'Blue River.' She wore a white uniform with blue stripes, cinched by a wide brown belt, and bright earrings that caught the dim light. A blue ribbon tied in her hair fluttered defiantly in the breeze.
She looked to be my age—perhaps a year younger.
"Who... WHO ARE YOU?!"
The words came out as a pathetic, raspy croak.
The girl knit her brows, her expression one of pure innocence. With a gaze sharp enough to disarm anyone, she muttered a confused, "...Huh?"
My brain was malfunctioning, but a sudden spark of stubbornness ignited within me.
How much longer am I going to hide in a hole every time a girl looks at me?
Growing up without a mother or any female presence was likely the cause of this phobia, but today, I had to conquer it. I forced myself to take a deep, steadying breath.
I looked her straight in the eye.
"Why... Why were you running like a maniac? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
My voice sounded foreign to my own ears—firmer, somehow. But it was a start.
She tilted her head like a confused child.
"...To get out of the rain," she replied bluntly.
The first time I ask a girl a question in my entire life, and it's the most moronic question possible. I covered the lower half of my face with my palm, burning with shame. She had to be laughing at me internally.
"Wait, are you… "
My eyes caught the bag slung over her shoulder, "Are you trying to join the Quad Corps?"
The girl nodded vigorously, her eyes sparking with ambition.
"Yes! And I will be prime soon!"
Unbelievable.
I had just found a beautiful rival before the journey had even begun. She was certainly a better sight than Noah. If it weren't for this cursed phobia, I would have probably fallen for her right then and there.
A thought struck me.
If I kept talking to her, maybe—just maybe—this fear would finally wither away. It was a golden opportunity. But what was I supposed to say?
Every word out of my mouth felt clumsy and forced. I had zero experience in the art of conversation.
What would Noah say?
No—forget Noah. If I tried his style, she'd probably slap me into the next century.
"What are you thinking about? You look so serious," she asked suddenly.
"Nothing! I... I was just thinking that I want to be a Prime, too! That makes us rivals."
She lit up at that.
"Oh! You too? Don't worry, I'll be a very tough opponent for you. The competition will be fun! ...But why are you sitting here instead of being at the seminar? The rain only just started, and an Omnibus just left the station. I saw you from a distance—you didn't get on. Why?"
I scratched the back of my neck, looking away in total embarrassment.
"...I... in my hurry, I forgot to bring any coins. I don't even have a single Buck's on me."
Her shoulders slumped in disappointment.
"You're in the same boat as me then! I'm not used to carrying money myself; today was my first time heading out alone. Now what... especially with this ungodly rain!"
Suddenly, she looked up. Her gloom vanished, replaced by a radiant, tinkling laugh.
"We're both just a couple of idiots, aren't we? Hihi!"
For the first time, her laughter didn't trigger fear. Instead, the sound of her innocent joy made my heart skip a beat—not from phobia, but from a strange, nameless new feeling.
Without thinking, I started laughing too. The anxiety, the stress of the seminar—it all seemed to dissolve into the sound of the rain.
"Hahaha...!!!"
Our laughter rose above the downpour. We laughed until the tension broke, and for a fleeting moment, it didn't feel like we had just met. It felt like a deep, ancient connection—as if we were tied together by the Red Thread of Fate that the old legends spoke of.
As we laughed, the rhythm of the rain began to falter. The war drums on the tin roof faded into a soft murmur, and then, silence. The heavy, coal-colored clouds parted, revealing an expanse of brilliant blue.
The sun burst through the mist, its golden rays piercing the smog of Quad City. As the light hit the wet streets, the city seemed to be draped in diamonds. The distant Quad Tower shimmered with an ethereal glow in the new light.
We both stood in silence, soaking in the warmth. The heat of the sun on our damp clothes was a soothing balm. The frantic urgency of the morning seemed to wash away.
"Oh! The rain stopped! Let's go!"
Her blue eyes sparkled like jewels in the sunlight. There was no worry in her gaze, only the burning desire to move forward.
"Yeah, you're right," I agreed, but dark clouds were already gathering in my mind again.
It was already late. The speaker had likely already taken the stage.
And Noah?
Knowing him, he was probably causing trouble rather than taking notes. But what about me?
My brain began to race. Should I go home and get money?
No—waiting for the next Omnibus would take too long.
Headquarters was far; 15 minutes by bus, at least 30 on running.
Then, my father's voice echoed in my head like an omen:
'I have to leave for urgent work!!'
I reached into my pocket, and my heart stopped. Just as I feared—no house keys. If I went back, I'd be standing in front of a locked door until evening. By then, the camp transport would have already left.
No keys, no money, no time.
I was a soldier who had lost his weapons before the war even started.
"What am I going to do!!!"
The scream stayed choked in my throat.
"Are you worried about something?"
I looked at her, and my logic crumbled. Why did her presence make all my problems seem so small?
Was her beauty actually the cure to my lifelong phobia?
Frustrated with my own thoughts, I slapped my own cheek hard.
She jumped back, startled.
"Hey! What are you doing?? Why are you hitting yourself!!!"
"How are we going to get there?!" I growled through gritted teeth, my cheek stinging.
"We have no time, and it's a massive walk!"
She paused, a mischievous glint entering her eyes. She pumped her fist. "Let's run for it! Let's see who gets there first!"
"HUH!!?"
My head spun. Was this a movie?
Was she mocking our life-or-death situation?
"What's there to think about? We have to get to the seminar!" she said, bracing herself to stand up. But the moment she put weight on her foot, her face went pale with pain.
She let out a sharp cry and collapsed back onto the floor.
"AGH!! ...Oh Goddess, my foot! I think I sprained my ankle!"
I watched, frozen. Her eyes filled with tears, her lips trembling. Running was out of the question; she could barely stand. Time was slipping through our fingers like sand.
Now, I faced a choice.
A war broke out between my conscience and my career. Could I leave her here, helpless on a deserted street, just to save my own future?
Was that the kind of blood that ran in my veins?
No—I couldn't become a Prime if I failed as a human being.
But the alternative was terrifying. My nerves revolted at the mere thought. I, who couldn't even stand in the shadow of a girl, who felt like he was burning alive at a single touch—was I going to have to carry her?
Could I survive the distance with the weight of her body against mine?
Her breath on my neck, her warmth spreading across my back... would my heart hold out, or would it simply stop mid-way?
Caught between fear and duty, I looked at my trembling hands, and then at her face, twisted in pain.