Bonus 4: I’m Uneasy, So I Consult

That day.

It had already been three months since I confessed my feelings to Raiga.

“…Something’s off.”

He hasn’t touched me even once since then.

Of course, we come into contact when doing chores like laundry, going to the bathroom, or carrying dishes, but that’s about it.

It feels like just the bare minimum necessary.

Right now, Raiga is out hunting.

Lately, it seems like he’s been going more frequently.

It’s not like I’m complaining or anything, but…

“Hmmm…”

Feeling this vague unease, I desperately try to figure out the cause.

After much thought—no conclusion.

At times like this,

“All right. I’ll ask for advice.”

I’m different now than before.

I’ve learned to rely on others. If I don’t understand something on my own, the best is to seek the wisdom of those who have been there.

“So that’s the situation.”

After explaining, I took a sip of my tea to soothe my throat.

The place I went to was the house next door—

That of a newlywed couple.

Apparently, they got together at the feast held the day before we left Elna Village to hunt the “Magic Dragon.”

My advisor this time was a woman named Marufa.

By appearance, she looked just a little older than me, but as an elf, her actual age was surely at least ten times greater.

She had a gentle air about her and had helped me many times since I arrived in the village whenever I didn’t understand something.

To the long-lived elves, people like us were like children—something to smile at fondly.

Maybe that’s why everyone treated us well, making sure we wanted for nothing.

“Hmmm… What exactly is it that you’re dissatisfied with?”

“Huh?”

I didn’t expect her to ask back, so a dumbfounded sound slipped from my mouth.

Dissatisfied…?

“Well…”

“If you feel restless, there must be some desire. That feeling arises because it’s not being fulfilled.”

Marufa said this plainly, in a tone unlike usual.

Was she really like this?

“There must be something specific, right?”

Her gaze was sharp as she pressed me.

“Ugh…”

Her slightly teasing look made a groan escape my lips.

I thought about it over and over.

Unfortunately, there was only one thing that came to mind, and my cheeks grew hot.

“…I want to be touched.”

“Where?”

“W-where else but…”

“Just say the first place that comes to mind.”

Her relentless questioning continued.

Feeling my blush deepen, I struggled to squeeze out the words.

“Well… my hands. I want you to hold them. And if I’m greedy, I want you to hug me…”

“Oh. Is that all right?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“For example, lips, chest, or—”

“Wait, wait a second!”

I thought that was something a woman shouldn’t say.

I hurried to cut her off.

“You like him, right?”

“Yes, well…”

Though I hedged my words, I was definitely in a bad state now.

During our journey, I held back because I might lose my life, but now those feelings had burst out, making things strange.

“That’s natural, I think. So, Yuto-chan, what do you like about him?”

Prompted by Marufa, I roughly explained how sincere Raiga had been during our travels.

I left out the part about the goddess, but I think I got the gist across.

I took another sip of tea.

…Yeah, talking about it helped me regain some calm.

“Hmmm. Somehow, Yuto-chan, I think you’re overcomplicating things.”

“Overcomplicating?”

I tilted my head, unable to fully understand what Marufa meant.

Four reasons seemed more than enough to me.

“Do you feel like because someone did something for you, you have to respond in kind?”

“No, that’s not it!”

I felt like I absolutely had to deny that, and my voice came out louder than I expected.

Hearing that, Marufa didn’t seem surprised—instead, she looked pleased.

“So then, how did you confess?”

“That was Raiga who…”

“Then tell me what he said back.”

As she requested, I reproduced the words I spoke to him the day we arrived in the village.

‘I’m fine with it. You have the right to do whatever you want with my body.’

My face must have been burning red.

If there was a hole to hide in, that’s where I’d want to go.

“Right now, you want him to make the move, yes?”

“…Yes.”

“That’s the real feeling you have, I think. If so, you have to properly express the feelings that well up in your heart. Saying ‘do whatever you want’ just won’t cut it.”

“Is it really like that?”

“You can’t just expect someone to act without telling them how you feel. It’s not that easy.”

Strangely, her words resonated deeply with me.

I felt a sudden relief.

“Thank you. I don’t know if I’ll do it well, but I’ll try.”

I bowed my head and said so.

“The thanks should come from me.”

Marufa answered.

…I didn’t understand. Clearly, I was the one who had received so much help.

“That’s understandable. This was back when the ‘demon Dragon’ existed… At that time, you coming to help was truly our hope.”

“…That was Raiga and the others. I was just watching.”

I thought she was overestimating things.

What I did was just send them into a death zone.

Yet she smiled warmly and continued.

“No, no. Back then, you became the decoy for the village, right? Actually, we were just watching. Seeing you like that made me think I had to do my best too. That’s why on festival day, I confessed to him.”

She must have meant her husband.

So that’s what happened.

“I don’t know exactly what happened to you two, but don’t forget there are people who were saved because of it.”

Noticing my vision was starting to blur, I struggled to hold back tears.

“…I’ll do my best.”

“That’s right. Wait just a moment.”

Marufa stroked my head, then headed toward the kitchen.

When she came back, she took out a small bottle about the length of a pinky finger.

Inside was a glossy deep crimson liquid.

“What’s this?”

“Hehe, it’s a medicine to help you be honest… If you really can’t say it, try drinking this.”

“I’ll gratefully accept it.”

I don’t want to rely on something like this if I can help it.

But if it’s a once-in-a-lifetime gamble, maybe a secret weapon like this is important.

When I was leaving, Marufa said,

“Boys tend to be shy in times like this, so girls have to take the lead, okay?”

…Ouch, that stings.