Ch. 1: Waiting Impatiently for a Princess
This story takes place after the group visits Kaiten and stops at a small town in a certain country…-.
The square was filled with the lively voices of people, and Rufus stood there, still as a shadow.
A gentle breeze stirred Rufus’ hair.
Rufus: “……”
Seemingly bored, he fiddled with a book he held at his side, paying no attention to the cries of joy from the nearby children.
Perhaps curious about Rufus, one of the boys rushed over to him.
Boy: “Hey mister, what are you doing?”
Rufus: “Waiting. For a princess.”
Boy: “A princess!?”
Rufus: “That’s right, I’m waiting to see if a princess who is SO nice, she can’t HELP but stick her nose in other people’s business shows up.”
Boy: “Huh~? She’ll come! Because you said she’s really nice, right?”
Taking in the boy’s innocent expression, Rufus let out a huff of laughter.
But his smile suddenly twisted into something else…-.
Rufus: “Then let’s play a game. If the princess shows up, you win.”
Boy: “Yeah! She’ll definitely come!”
Rufus: “Now, let’s see. But if you lose…-.”
Rufus put his hand on the boy’s head and ruffled his hair.
From his fingertips oozed flickering black shadows…-.
…
My heart eased a little with the tranquil atmosphere of the town.
Shaking it off, I went in search of Rufus.
(Where did Rufus get to?)
I knew he’d become one of our companions, but I still ended up feeling anxious when he wasn’t in sight.
At that moment…-.
Boy: “Yeah! She’ll definitely come!”
I heard an energetic shout and turned towards the sound.
There I saw Rufus smiling at a young boy.
OO: “Rufus?”
As I called out to him, Rufus’ eyes crinkled in delight.
Rufus: “Ahaha… too bad, I lost.”
The wind caused the nearby greenery to sway violently, and in that moment…
I was certain I saw a faint shadow lingering in the air.
Ch. 2: Apology Date
Rufus: “Ahaha… too bad, I lost.”
The sunlight coming through the trees shifted in the wind and I couldn’t read the expression on Rufus’ face…-.
(I’m pretty sure I just saw a shadow…)
But even as I looked closely, I could see nothing but the pure sunlight from above.
Rufus: “Go on, you better get going.”
Rufus whispered to the boy then pushed him on.
Boy: “See ya!”
The boy ran by me and joined the group of children.
OO: “Who was that?”
Rufus: “Who knows? He just came up to me. I figured I’d kill some time by playing a game with him.”
(Rufus playing with children…)
That surprised me and I watched the energetic children as they ran around.
OO: “That’s surprising…”
My real thoughts slipped out before I could stop them…
Rufus: “Is it really that strange considering I have three younger brothers? Though I don’t really remember us playing together.”
OO: “What kind of game?”
Rufus: “A game where someone’s dreams would have gotten eaten if the princess hadn’t shown up… or something like that?”
OO: “!”
Rufus seemed to be enjoying my reaction, his eyes pulling up with his smile.
(I wonder what he’s thinking…)
I stared at him, wanting to know what was in his heart…
Rufus: “So? Did you come here to keep an eye on me?”
OO: “! Th-that’s not what I…-.”
My excuse faded away and Rufus was suddenly very close.
OO: “Um… I didn’t see you anywhere, so I wondered if something had happened…-.”
Rufus: “Did you think I was off happily attacking someone? Your words hurt me, Princess. You even said I was one of your companions.”
OO: “I’m sorry…”
I apologized, feeling guilty, and Rufus wrapped his arm around my back, pulling me in close.
Rufus: “Since you hurt me, go out with me.”
OO: “Huh…?”
Rufus: “It’s only fair. You get worried when I’m not around, right?”
His long finger slowly traced my lips.
OO: “L-let me go…”
I frantically tried to pull away, but Rufus didn’t seem fazed…
As I stirred, Rufus’ lips quirked up into a smile.
Rufus: “If that’s the case, stick by me. If you don’t want to lose sight of me, you have to grab hold of me like this.”
With each word he spoke, I felt his warm breath against my cheek.
I reflexively looked away and spotted a book tucked into his waistband.
OO: “That’s…-.”
Rufus: “……”
(It’s Tell’s book…)
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Avi: “Rufus, take this.”
Rufus: “! This book… come to think of it, didn’t you say you read it?”
Avi: “I have a message from Tell: I’ll wait for your thoughts on it.”*
————————–
OO: “…were you reading it here?”
Rufus: “Come on, let’s go.”
Without answering my question, Rufus walked off.
It was as if I’d never been tangled up in his embrace in the first place…
He pulled me along by the hand, surprisingly gentle.
Ch. 3: Searching for Something Beautiful
As Rufus pulled me along, we walked down a road lined with street vendors…-.
We passed by their lively shouts, walking without any goal in mind.
OO: “Rufus, how far are we going?”
Rufus: “Hm, who knows? If I’m with you, Princess, I’ll take you anywhere.”
(He’s dodging the question like that again…)
Without realizing it, I tightened my grasp on his hand…
Perhaps he was unhappy about that, because Rufus looked at me over his shoulder.
Rufus: “Oh, I know. How about we hunt for something beautiful?”
OO: “You want to look for something beautiful…?”
(That’s something that was mentioned by the character Lorence in that book by Tell…)
————————–
Gerald: “Oh demon, I swear I shall find something more beautiful than that maiden!”
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OO: “Did you finish Tell’s book?”
Rufus: “Pretty much. But I didn’t get it at ALL. I mean, loving someone so much that you’re happy until the day you die? Is that even a real thing that happens?”
OO: “For Lorence, I don’t think he was quite THAT happy. But there’s no substitution for the happiness you feel at being with the person you love…”
Rufus: “…and that’s honestly something people are willing to go to the ends of the earth for?”
Rufus smiled bitterly as if he’d just been reminded of something.
(Why does he look like he’s in pain…?)
I watched Rufus, traces of agony in his expression…
Rufus: “Oh? Sweet, they sell chocolate!”
As if trying to change the topic, Rufus pulled me across the street to one of the stalls.
Rufus enthusiastically started to compare the glossy chocolates lined up on the shelves.
Rufus: “Whoa, I had no idea there were this many types. This is the best! There’s nuts, and milk chocolate… Are these all different flavors?”
Shop Keeper: “Yes, try a sample, they each have their own flavor.”
Rufus: “Seriously~ …when you put it like that, I wanna try ‘em all. There’s a chocolate drink too! Oh man… I just wanna live here.”
Seeing the way Rufus’ eyes sparkled in front of the chocolate…
OO: “Rufus… you’re kind of cute.”
Rufus: “…that’s the first time anyone’s said THAT to me. Though I don’t think any guy in the world would be happy to hear that.”
OO: “Haha… you’re like a little kid.”
Rufus: “Is that something you’d normally say to a person, regardless of if you were thinking it? You really know how to hurt a guy.”
Rufus scowled awkwardly.
But I saw embarrassment in his expression as well.
(So he can make that kind of expression too…)
I’d never seen this side of him before, and I found myself staring.
Then…
Rufus carefully selected one of the sample pieces and pressed it to my mouth.
OO: “……!”
Rufus: “Here, open up. Say ‘Ah’.”
He pushed the piece of chocolate into my mouth with a finger and the sweetness spread across my tongue.
He wiped his finger across my lip to get a stray bit of chocolate, then deliberately licked it off.
Rufus: “This is my favorite flavor ♪”
OO: “Rufus…!”
Rufus: “Ahaha, it’s super tasty.”
(Geez…)
I couldn’t get mad at him when he smiled like that, clearly enjoying himself.
I simply tasted the sweetness left by the chocolate.
Rufus: “Ah, maybe this is our first ‘beautiful thing’ then?”
Rufus held one of the gleaming chocolates above his head.
OO: “…yeah, I’m sure it is.”
I replied easily in the face of that blindingly beautiful smile.
Rufus: “Hey, Princess. What’s one you think is beautiful?”
OO: “Me?”
At the sudden question, I…
I pointed to a red chocolate heart that stood out to me from the pieces on the shelves.
OO: “This heart chocolate… I guess?”
Rufus: “Hmmm… would that heart chocolate be better? Does it give the impression of my overflowing love?”
I looked around and spotted a jar filled with sparkling hard candies at another shop.
OO: “I guess those candies that look like marbles… they’re pretty?”
Rufus: “Hmmm… then should I feed you some of those? I’ll go nice and slow till they dissolve.”
OO: “…I thought we were talking about beautiful things?”
Rufus: “Ahaha, yeah, you’re right.”
I went to cover my heated cheeks with my hands, but Rufus grabbed my wrist.
In that position, he once again drew closer to me…
Rufus: “Show me more. The things that you think are beautiful, Princess. I want to feel that affection through your actions, ‘kay?”
I found myself caught up in his joyful eyes which shone bright with a brilliant luster.
Ch. 4: Two People Who Can't Agree
Rufus: “Show me more. The things that you think are beautiful, Princess. I want to feel that affection through your actions, ‘kay?”
After Rufus said that, we walked all around town looking at things.
(I know he said to show him what I thought was beautiful, but…)
Rufus: “Come on, don’t lag behind, hurry it up. Or are you just the type who likes to tease?”
Those words tickled my ear, accompanied by his hot breath, and I felt my cheeks heating up.
(He’s definitely teasing me…!)
Holding tight to my feelings, I looked up to put myself back in order.
Then, I saw a bunch of flowers blooming in different colors on the opposite side of the street.
OO: “Ah…”
(They’re beautiful…)
Rufus: “I figured that kind of thing would be something the Princess would find beautiful.”
Rufus laughed in amusement when I pointed at the vibrantly blooming flowers.
(He knew what I was going to say…)
I kind of regretted it, and hurriedly looked around the area.
Shops of different sizes seemed to continue down one of the streets.
OO: “Let’s try going this way…!”
Making my choice, I willingly pulled Rufus along by his hand.
Rufus: “Ahaha, well aren’t you all assertive now.”
Even though I felt embarrassed from his teasing, I headed for a row of shops.
Suddenly, I found myself captivated by a shop with lamps that shone brightly, one of them casting shadows in all the colors of the rainbow.
(Beautiful…)
OO: “Rufus. This… this is beautiful.”
I was fascinated by the magically flickering lights when…
Rufus: “That? I like this better.”
Rufus was pointing at a lamp near me that was colored purple.
OO: “That one’s pretty too, but if you ask me to pick one…”
Rufus: “Yikes, we really don’t have the same taste. That last time must have been a fluke.”
Rufus raised his voice in displeasure, and I searched for something else that was beautiful…
OO: “That golden one with the sun is beautiful too.”
Rufus: “I like the silver one better. It fits my fashion style too.”
OO: “Here, this lace is pretty… if you look closely, it has a fine flower pattern embroidered into it. It’s really intricate.”
Rufus: “You’re right, it’s really pretty. But I like the pattern on the one next to it better.”
(We really aren’t agreeing on anything…)
We didn’t seem to agree, no matter what we said. I glanced at Rufus and once more set off to search the town.
OO: “…what about the way those vegetables are lined up, isn’t that pretty?”
I looked at Rufus as I pointed to the shop across the street with its rows of fresh vegetables.
Rufus: “If it’s just something anyone can put their hands on, you’re not being very persuasive. Besides, eating those would be better.”
OO: “It’s not just anything…-.”
Rufus: “Ahahaha! Our tastes don’t line up so much it’s almost devastating huh.”
As I watched Rufus laughing and enjoying himself, I felt my shoulders relax and found myself laughing too.
OO: “But it’s kind of fun learning that we don’t line up… maybe.”
Rufus: “Oh Princess, you’re so optimistic.”
Once more, our laughter overlapped.
It sounded so very full of delight in that moment…-.
…
……
The sky was turning vermillion as bubbles floated above us.
Rufus: “You look like you’re going to say those are beautiful too, Princess.”
OO: “Yeah. I mean, they’re so pretty…”
Rufus: “Then I DON’T think they’re pretty.”
I found myself smiling at his response, and I saw hints of a smile on Rufus’ face too.
Reveling in that gentle atmosphere, I didn’t know how long we stood there watching the bubbles float up into the air.
Ch. 5: A Suddenly Revealed Past
The evening sun cast deep shadows, and night slowly encroached on the town…-.
The two of us continued walking and, perhaps eager to get home, a group of children ran past us, laughing.
Rufus: “Before… we used to chase each other around. Yzak and me.”
OO: “Huh…?”
Rufus: “Well, it was really just me teasing Yzak and then running away from him. I used to hide, waiting to see what kind of face he was making when he came after me. It was fun.”
Rufus spoke each word slowly one after the other as he watched the children run off.
OO: “Then what happened?”
Rufus: “What do you mean?”
When Rufus repeated the question, I remembered Yzak.
(Because I think Yzak was really worried about Rufus and the others…)
OO: “Did he find you right away after you hid…?”
Rufus: “Well yeah, that was the plan. I always picked spots Yzak would be able to figure out fast.”
OO: “Did he get really angry?”
Rufus: “Yeah, he’d get pretty mad about it.”
OO: “…then what?”
Rufus: “…I would hide, alone, until it got dark.”
OO: “What about Yzak…?”
Rufus: “He was usually in the house. He didn’t have much to do with me. Mom was sick in bed, and Adam’s health was always bad… well, I knew that’s how it was. I just hoped a little.”
Rufus spoke calmly enough, but he wore a smile that looked plastered on…
Rufus: “It was a boring game anyway.”
(If he knew that would happen, then why…)
OO: “Did you try anything else…?”
Rufus: “Try… what?”
OO: “Oh, um… I just wondered if there was anything else you did that made them worry about you.”
As I tried articulating what I meant even though I didn’t fully understand myself, I suddenly remembered something.
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OO: “There’s no substitution for the happiness you feel at being with the person you love…”
Rufus: “…and that’s honestly something people are willing to go to the ends of the earth for?”
————————–
OO: “Chasing after it yourself…”
As I murmured those words, Rufus suddenly stopped walking.
OO: “…Rufus?”
Rufus: “Aaah… me, of all people, acting like an idiot and talking about weird things.”
OO: “What?”
The setting sun cast his face in shadow, hiding his expression.
Rufus: “Princess, forget what I just told you. I just HATE when people pry into my business.”
OO: “……!”
Suddenly, black shimmers of shadow rose from Rufus’ body.
OO: “Rufus…? What’s wrong? Did I do something?”
Rufus: “…not in particular? I’m just pissed off, so I’m going to go have some fun…-.”
(What…?)
At that moment…-.
From the road, I heard one of the children scream.
OO: “Rufus, that voice…-!”
But when I turned around, Rufus was gone…-.
OO: “Rufus?”
Black shadows lingered where he’d been, and a chill ran down my spine.
(When he said ‘fun’, he didn’t mean…)
I got a bad feeling as I heard the piercing cry of the Dream Eaters.
OO: “Rufus!!”
Trying to control my panicked heart, I ran off in search of Rufus.