Chapter 16
Morning sunlight slipped through the curtains and landed directly on Haru's face.
"Mgh..."
He sat up, hair a complete mess, and dragged himself out of bed.
"...What a week."
He shuffled toward the kitchen, yawning.
"Morning..."
"Good morning."
Haru stopped.
He backtracked two steps and peered into the kitchen.
Elara stood by the stove, wearing one of his oversized shirts with the hem nearly reaching her knees. Her scarlet hair was tied back, and she was stirring something in a pot with complete concentration.
Haru stared.
"...You're still here."
Elara glanced over her shoulder. "Where else would I be?"
"I don't know. I half expected to wake up and find out the last few days were a fever dream."
"They were not."
"Figured."
He walked over and peered into the pot. "What is that?"
"Porridge."
"...Just porridge?"
"I attempted something more ambitious yesterday," Elara said, her tone carefully neutral. "I have decided to be humble today."
Haru snorted. "Smart."
---
The bedroom door creaked open.
Mika shuffled in, still in pajamas, her hair somehow defying gravity in three separate directions.
"Morning."
"Morning," Haru said.
She squinted at him. "Why do you look so awake?"
"I've been awake for ten minutes."
"That's ten minutes too many."
She slumped into a chair at the table.
Elara set three bowls down. "Eat."
Mika stared at the bowl. "...What is it?"
"Porridge."
"...Just porridge?"
"Why does everyone keep asking that?"
Haru sat down. "Because yesterday you fed us a pancake that changed color halfway through."
"That was a technique."
"It was terrifying."
Mika picked up her spoon. "Okay. Porridge. Simple. Nothing weird."
She took a bite.
Chewed.
Her expression went blank.
"...Elara."
"Yes?"
"What's in this?"
"Oats, milk, and honey."
Mika chewed again. Slowly.
"...And?"
"And a small amount of cinnamon."
"..."
Haru watched her. "Why do you look like you're solving a puzzle?"
"Because it tastes like it's missing something, but I can't figure out what."
Elara tilted her head. "Should I have added more honey?"
"No. It's not that."
"Salt?"
"No."
"...Spinach?"
"Definitely not."
Haru took his own bite.
Chewed.
His expression went equally blank.
"...Huh."
Elara looked between them. "Is it bad?"
"No," Haru said slowly.
"It's not good either," Mika added.
They looked at each other.
"It's just... porridge," Haru said.
"...Yeah," Mika agreed. "It's just porridge."
Elara stared at her bowl.
"...I do not understand this world."
---
After breakfast, Haru headed out to the garden.
The morning air was cold enough that his breath fogged in front of him. He pulled his jacket tighter and knelt beside the vegetable beds.
The tomatoes looked good. The spinach looked suspiciously good, as always.
"You stay in your corner," he muttered.
He started watering the lettuce.
A cold breeze swept through the yard.
"Achoo!"
He wiped his nose and kept working. His fingers were already starting to go numb, but the vegetables needed him.
"...Worth it."
---
He was on the last row when he heard footsteps behind him.
Mika stood on the veranda, holding two steaming mugs.
"Morning, champ."
"Morning."
She looked him up and down. "You're insane."
"I've been told."
"You couldn't pay me enough to water plants in this weather."
"Then it's a good thing I don't pay you."
She walked over and handed him a mug. He took it with both hands and immediately pressed it against his chest, letting the warmth soak into his frozen fingers.
"...Oh, that's good."
"Cocoa."
"You're amazing."
"I know."
He closed his eyes and just breathed in the steam for a moment.
Mika watched him. Then she noticed his hands.
"...Let me see those."
"Hm?"
She grabbed one of his hands before he could react.
Her eyes widened.
"...These aren't hands."
"What?"
"These are ice packs."
Haru laughed through chattering teeth. "Yeah... it's a little cold."
"A little?"
She wrapped both her hands around his and squeezed.
Haru froze.
"...Mika."
"Hm?"
"Your hands are really warm."
"That's because I haven't been standing outside like an idiot."
"...No, I mean..."
He trailed off.
Mika looked up. "What?"
He didn't pull away. He just stood there, letting her warm his hands, and something in his expression made her throat tighten.
"...Haru?"
"Five more minutes."
She blinked. Then laughed.
"You're ridiculous."
"Maybe."
She tried to pull one hand free. He tightened his grip.
"Nope."
"I need that hand."
"Find another one."
"I only have two."
"Then you're out of luck."
Mika groaned, but she was smiling. "You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
She shook her head and let him keep holding her hand.
Then, after a moment—
"There."
She pulled away, picked up the second mug, and pressed it into his hands.
"Second cocoa. For the road."
Haru looked down at the mug.
Then up at her.
"...Mika."
"Hm?"
"Your hands were warmer."
She stared at him.
Then she turned bright red and spun around.
"Drink your cocoa."
"...You're blushing."
"I'm not."
"Your ears are red."
"It's cold!"
"It's not that cold."
"DRINK. YOUR. COCOA."
Haru laughed and took a sip.
It was good.
But he still thought her hands had been better.
---
He didn't say it out loud.
He wasn't that brave.
---
They headed back inside.
Elara had already finished cleaning up and was sitting at the table, looking through the clothes Mika had picked out for her.
"Hey," Haru said. "So I've been thinking."
"That is a dangerous pastime," Elara said.
"I'm serious."
She looked up. "What is it?"
"The Wild Hunt event is coming up in two days."
Elara tilted her head. "Wild Hunt?"
"It's a big guild event. A lot of players, a lot of rewards." He sat down across from her. "And I was thinking—we should introduce you to the guild properly."
Mika, who had been half-asleep in her chair, suddenly sat up. "Oh! That's a great idea!"
"Right?"
"I've been waiting for this!"
Elara looked between them. "The guild... Sir Haru's companions?"
"My guildmates. The Chaos Purgers." Haru grinned. "You've already met some of them during the dragon fight, but you were kind of busy."
"And you were unconscious for part of it," Mika added.
"That too."
Elara frowned thoughtfully. "I would not mind meeting them properly."
"Great. So here's the plan."
Haru leaned forward.
"Karaoke. Tomorrow night."
Mika froze mid-stretch.
"...Karaoke?"
"Karaoke."
Her eyes lit up. "I love karaoke."
"I know."
"I'm going to destroy everyone."
"Please don't."
"I'm going to sing three songs in a row and no one can stop me."
"I'm definitely going to stop you."
"You can't."
"I will."
"You won't."
Elara raised a hand. "What is... karaoke?"
Haru and Mika looked at her.
Then at each other.
Then at her.
"...Oh," Haru said. "Right. You're from another world."
"It's a device that plays music," Mika explained, "and you sing along to it. With a microphone. In front of people."
"...You sing in front of people? On purpose?"
"Yes."
Elara looked horrified.
"At length," Mika added.
"...Willingly?"
"Very."
Elara looked genuinely shaken.
"You will be joining us," Haru said.
"That was not a question."
"It wasn't."
"You are evil."
"Thank you."
---
Later that morning, Haru walked into the living room to find the bathroom door blocked by two bodies.
Elara stood on the left, arms crossed.
Mika stood on the right, arms crossed.
Between them, the bathroom door looked like it was praying for a swift death.
"...What is this," Haru said.
"It has come to my attention," Elara said, "that there is only one bathroom."
"Correct."
"And that some of us take very long showers."
"Also correct."
Mika narrowed her eyes. "Are you calling me slow?"
"I am calling you glacial."
"I'm not glacial."
"Yesterday you were in there for forty minutes."
"I was conditioning."
"You were bathing."
"Conditioning is bathing."
"No, it isn't."
"It is."
"It's not."
Haru raised both hands. "Okay, okay. I have a solution."
They both looked at him.
"Rock, paper, scissors."
Mika stared. "...That's your solution?"
"It's been my solution since elementary school."
"That's not a real solution."
"It's the oldest solution known to man."
"Haru, it's literally a game."
"It's a fair game."
"You're only saying that because you always win."
"I don't always win."
"You literally always win."
"I don't always win."
"Haru."
"I don't always win."
He lost the first round.
Then the second.
Then the third.
"How are you this bad at rock paper scissors?!" Mika shrieked.
"I DON'T KNOW!"
"You said you always win!"
"I LIED!"
"WHAT?"
"It's a bluff! I bluff!"
"That's not how rock paper scissors works!"
"IT SHOULD BE!"
Elara won the fourth round by accident.
She stared at her hand.
"...Paper is superior?"
"In this round, yes," Mika said.
"I see. This world's combat is most unusual."
---
The girls headed into the bathroom.
Haru stood in the hallway for a moment, staring after them.
"...I'm going to be late for school."
"YOU'RE ALREADY LATE!" Mika yelled from inside.
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TOOK FOREVER!"
"WE JUST WON THE BATHROOM, THIS IS OUR TURN!"
"YOU'RE IN THE BATHROOM, YOU'RE USING THE BATHROOM!"
"IT'S NOT THE SAME THING!"
Elara's voice echoed from inside, calm as ever.
"I believe we are wasting valuable time."
---
Haru sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall, and waited.
It was actually kind of peaceful, in a weird way.
He pulled out his phone.
A notification was waiting for him.
[WILD HUNT EVENT: 2 DAYS REMAINING]
Guild Registration Confirmed.
Additional Member Slot: PENDING.
He stared at the message for a long moment.
Additional member slot.
He thought about Elara.
Then he thought about the dragon.
Then he thought about the fact that he'd transferred combat data to her during the fight, and she'd done something with it that he still couldn't explain.
His thumb hovered over the message.
"...We'll figure it out."
He pocketed the phone.
---
The bathroom door opened.
Mika emerged first, her hair tied up, wearing her school uniform.
"Bathroom's yours."
Haru stood. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me. Thank Elara. She negotiated a ceasefire."
He stepped inside.
Then—
"Haru!"
He poked his head back out.
Mika was standing in the hallway, holding his tie.
"You forgot this."
"...You're telling me the one thing I forgot was the one thing I always forget?"
"Every single time."
She walked over and looped it around his neck.
Her fingers brushed against his collar as she tied it.
Haru stood very still.
"...You're good at this."
"My dad taught me."
Her voice was quieter than usual.
Haru didn't say anything.
He just let her finish.
"There."
She stepped back.
He touched the knot.
"...Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
She turned and walked away.
---
Elara was waiting by the door, dressed in her uniform.
It was wrinkled again.
Haru sighed.
"Elara."
"Yes?"
"You slept in the uniform again."
"...I did not."
"You did."
"I slept in it, but I also ironed it."
"That's not what that means."
"It is what it means to me."
"...I give up."
She smiled proudly.
"The battle has been won."
"It was never a battle."
"That is what losers say."
---
They reached the train station with ten seconds to spare.
The three of them squeezed through the doors just as they began to close.
Mika laughed breathlessly. "We made it."
"That was too close," Haru said.
"That's what you always say."
"Because it's always too close!"
Elara smoothed down her wrinkled uniform.
"It seems the metal serpent favors us."
Mika snorted. "The metal serpent?"
"That's what she calls the train," Haru said.
"That's adorable."
"I'm trying to use the correct term," Elara said, slightly offended. "It is difficult."
"You're doing great, girl."
Elara smiled. "Thank you."
---
They split up at the academy gates.
"I'll see you guys later," Haru said.
"You better," Mika said. "If you're late again, Ms. Georgia will have your head."
"She likes me."
"She tolerates you."
"That's basically the same thing."
"It's really not."
Haru turned to head toward his class.
He rounded a corner.
Thump.
He walked straight into someone.
"...Sorry—"
He looked up.
Crimson eyes looked back at him from behind a thick book.
"..."
"..."
"Yukiko."
She lowered the book.
"...Haru."
"Morning."
"..."
She stared at him.
He stared at her.
"...Are you okay?"
"I am fine."
"You're staring at me."
"I am observing you."
"That's still staring."
"That is a human concept."
Haru laughed.
"...You know, I'm starting to think you're a little weird."
Yukiko's eye twitched.
"I am not weird."
"Okay."
"I am exceptional."
"That's worse."
"It is better."
---
She fell into step beside him.
"Haru."
"Hm?"
"I have been thinking."
"That's dangerous."
"...Excuse me?"
"Nothing. Go on."
She hesitated.
Then reached into her bag.
Pulled out a small, neatly wrapped box.
"...What's that?"
"..." She held it out.
"It's for you."
Haru blinked.
"...For me?"
"Yes."
He took it.
"...Why?"
"I... wished to express gratitude."
"For what?"
"For..."
She looked away.
"For not dying."
He stared at her.
Then laughed.
"That's a low bar."
"It is an important bar."
"Okay, fair."
He opened the box.
Inside was a small charm.
A simple silver pendant, shaped like a star.
Haru stared at it.
His chest tightened.
He didn't know why.
But it felt familiar.
"...Yukiko."
"Yes?"
"This is..."
He stopped.
She was watching him.
"...Beautiful," he said finally.
Her shoulders relaxed, just slightly.
"...You are welcome."
"You didn't tell me what it's for."
"You don't need to know."
"That's ominous."
"It is mysterious."
"It's the same thing."
"It is not."
He put it on.
The pendant rested against his chest.
It was warm.
"...Thanks, Yuki."
She turned bright red.
"...You're welcome."
---
The academy doors closed behind them.
Somewhere deep beneath the school, in a laboratory lit only by the glow of a single monitor, a man watched a screen.
On the screen, a small indicator had started to blink.
[ANCHOR TRACE: ACTIVE]
[TARGET: ELARA VALENHEART]
[PROXIMITY: ASCENT IMMINENT]
The man leaned forward.
"...Finally."
He tapped the screen.
"Phase two begins."
— END OF CHAPTER —