Ch. 5: "I'm Already Fed Up"
The blades reflected the red evening light…-.
OO: “Zero…!”
I immediately jumped in front of him.
Zero: “OO…!”
Zero grabbed me from behind.
Zero: “…!”
I nervously opened my eyes, which I had closed immediately before.
Blood flowed from Zero’s shoulder.
OO: “Zero…!”
I paled and he concealed me behind his back, his breathing rough as he glared at the men.
Zero: “Do you know what you’ve just done? This is Princess OO of the Traumere Royal Family.”
Men: “Princess OO…!?”
Zero: “Do you really think you can get away with getting her mixed up in this little country’s power struggle!?”
Man 1: “…we’ll retreat for now.”
The men disappeared without a sound, just like they’d appeared.
Making sure they’d left, Zero let out a deep sigh.
OO: “Zero! Are you alright!?”
Zero: “It’s just a scratch. It isn’t that bad. More importantly… …I told you to run away. You really are unpredictable.”
He chuckled as if nothing had happened while I tied a handkerchief around his wound.
OO: “Who were those people…?”
Zero: “Aah, there are a lot of princes in this country. Their associates are in dispute over who should lead the country. I’m already fed up with it.”
OO: “Zero…”
I couldn’t see the expression in his eyes behind his glasses.
He smiled faintly, as if worried about me, and it made my heart ache.
Ch. 6: "Your Rules"
The sunlight filtered through the breaks in the tree foliage…-.
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Zero: “I’m already fed up with it.”
————————
OO: “Zero…”
(To think his situation was so dire. I couldn’t find the words for it…)
I gently reached out my hand to Zero, whose shoulders had dropped.
As soon as I was about to touch his hair…-.
Zero: “…”
Zero lifted his face and for a short while we just looked at each other.
Zero blinked slowly.
Zero: “At times like this, what kind of conversation should we have?”
OO: “W-well…”
(For some reason I feel embarrassed now…)
Zero: “Should we talk about the sky again?”
OO: “Eh…”
Zero let out a huff of laughter… and we both smiled at each other.
Zero: “This really is difficult.”
Zero spoke quietly as he adjusted his black-framed glasses.
OO: “But earlier, you were talking about yourself. The attack, and being afraid… plus I don’t know how you were able to talk about competing with your siblings. But I was able to learn a little about you.”
I readily expressed my feelings as I looked him straight in the eye.
Zero: “…so? Does this mean we’re on good terms then?”
OO: “Huh?”
Zero: “You wanted to have a conversation with me so we could get to know each other better, right?”
Saying that, his face slowly came in closer…
OO: “…”
Shyly, I tightly closed my eyes.
Next, I heard laughter, and a faint weight on my shoulder.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw Zero had placed his head on my shoulder.
Zero: “I figured out one of your rules.”
My heart was beating so loud I could barely hear what he was saying.
Zero: “When I bring my face close to yours, your face turns red.”
OO: “U-um, Zero…”
Zero: “What?”
He looked up at me, still leaning against my shoulder.
There was mischief there as he looked at me over his glasses.
OO: “…”
(When I see his eyes like that…)
I found I couldn’t continue with what I had been saying.
Zero: “…someday. Just like this, I’ll steadily get to know you. It’ll be interesting to discover all the rules that lead to you being happy. Not with statistics, but with the rules that only apply to you…”
He gently touched my cheek with his finger.
I recalled his words from earlier as I looked out at the beautiful world covered in the evening glow.
————————
Zero: “So the reason the sky is the color it is right now is…”
————————
His face came close.
I quietly closed my eyes.
END
Secret Story: Our Rules
After driving off the men that had attacked us in the castle courtyard…-.
OO: “Who were those people…?”
Zero: “Aah, there are a lot of princes in this country. Their associates are in dispute over who should lead the country. I’m already fed up with it.”
(I really am…)
Apart from the wound in my shoulder, my heart was throbbing.
OO: “Zero…”
I suddenly looked up and met OO’s eyes as she reached her hand out towards me.
(…I’ve made you listen to a boring story.)
After that moment of self-deprecation, I blinked slowly to cover up my own feelings…
Zero: “At times like this, what kind of conversation should we have?”
OO: “W-well…”
Zero: “Should we talk about the sky again?”
OO: “Eh…”
Seeing me huff out a laugh, OO smiled too.
Zero: “This really is difficult.”
OO: “But earlier, you were talking about yourself.”
(Eh…?)
I looked at her pointedly through my glasses.
OO: “The attack, and being afraid… plus I don’t know how you were able to talk about competing with your siblings. But I was able to learn a little about you.”
(About me…? …I see. I didn’t think you’d say something like that. You really are unpredictable. But that’s why…)
Zero: “…so? Does this mean we’re on good terms then?”
OO: “Huh?”
Zero: “You wanted to have a conversation with me so we could get to know each other better, right?”
(I want to become closer to you too… I want to know more about the unpredictable you.)
Slowly, I moved myself closer to her.
Then, she tightly closed her eyes…
(…I see, now I understand.)
While laughing, I rested my head on her shoulder.
Zero: “I figured out one of your rules. When I bring my face close to yours, your face turns red.”
OO: “U-um, Zero…”
Zero: “What?”
I looked up at her, my head still on her shoulder.
OO: “…”
(Apparently, you become even redder when I look at you from up close like this. And your heartbeat…)
From where we were touching, I could hear her heart pounding like a drum.
(But… I can’t say it’s a rule without verifying it happens more than once. That’s why…)
Zero: “…someday. Just like this, I’ll steadily get to know you. It’ll be interesting to discover all the rules that lead to you being happy. Not with statistics, but with the rules that only apply to you…”
I gently reached my hand towards her cheek.
Then after a gentle kiss…-.
Zero: “…I’ve learned a new side of you. When I touch your cheek and move in closer…-.”
OO: “…Zero!”
Zero: “Sorry, just kidding.”
I found myself smiling again as I saw OO was red up to the tips of her ears.
Then…
OO: “…I figured out one of your rules too.”
Zero: “Eh?”
OO: “When on good terms with someone, you’re surprisingly mean.”
Zero: “…”
My eyes went wide at her words.
But only a short time after…
Zero: “I see. Now that you say it, that’s probably true.”
We once again laughed together.
Then…
Zero: “I want to learn even more about you. And I want you to learn more about me. And once we’ve done that for a while… I think it would be nice to figure out all the rules that apply to just us.”
I placed my hand on OO’s cheek and slowly came in closer.
Then, just like earlier, she quietly closed her eyes…
(…from now on, no matter what happens, I’ll be the only one who knows of these rules.)
As I felt that conviction deep in my heart, I placed my lips against hers.
END