Chapter 19: 19

M3.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Someone tapped Masha on the shoulder. Masha jumped up from her seat, horrified.

 

She reflexively distanced herself and nearly ran away, but as soon as she saw her opponent’s face, her steps stopped of their own accord. The yellow, bright light illuminated her opponent’s cheek.

 

It was someone she never expected to see here. She was the one who gave her exactly the advice she had just thought of.

 

Her brown hair swayed in the wind.

 

Ei stood in front of Masha, holding a brightly lit lantern.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

The calm voice, unsuitable with the situation, rather added to Masha’s confusion.

 

What am I doing here? Yeah, what was I doing? Her mind, stiff from the tension, was still not working properly. Masha froze on the spot, then she caught a breath at the sudden memory.

 

She reflexively reached out her hand and grabbed something of Ei’s, but when she looked down to check, it was her arm. With urgency ahead, it didn’t even occur to her to let go of Ei’s arm.

 

Rather, she wanted to hold onto her forever, if she could.

 

E-Excuse me. The voice she had managed to exhale trembled mercilessly.

 

“Now, now.”

 

“Yes. Tell me.”

 

“A c-certain. A certain man came after us. The person on the village bulletin board this morning. Still chasing my friends, can’t get caught…”

 

Ramble, words that wouldn’t be sentences or words were spat out in pieces. However, it seems that it was enough to convey the situation, and the other person nodded.

 

Even at this moment, Ei’s expression was unconcerned.

 

“I see. Then,”

 

“…What should I do?”

 

“Is it that person?”

 

At those words, Masha jerked and raised her head.

 

Shrieking and whimpering could be heard, followed by giggles. The figures passing in front of Masha and Ei were definitely her friends and the man.

 

The two friends looked like they were on the verge of being caught, and the man continued to laugh as if he was enjoying the situation.

 

“It’s that person right?”

 

She was half sure, but it was a reconfirmation tone. Masha managed to nod her head in the midst of panic.

 

“Yes.”

 

Ei, who confirmed Masha’s nod, naturally lowered her waist. She seemed busy picking up a cobblestone and flinging it away from her, as if she were picking something out of the ground.

 

The moment Masha thought, what the hell are you doing?

 

“This will be fine.”

 

As she muttered that, as she straightened her posture, Ei held a stone the size of a fist in her hand.

 

Masha’s friends and the man weren’t too far apart yet. Ei loosened her shoulders, measured the distance, then tossed a stone in the air once and caught it.

 

She then threw it straight at the man’s head.

 

There was the sound of wedges cutting through the air, and the stone Ei threw flew away.

 

The flying stone fell to the ground with a dull frictional sound that could be expressed as a snap. With a man falling helplessly.

 

Masha was staring blankly at the whole scene.

 

“W-What did you do…”

 

“I just threw a stone.”

 

She didn’t even realize then that she was stuttering. Because of what just happened.

 

Ei brushed the dirt off her hands with her calm expression.

 

“I threw it to break the back of his head, but I don’t know if it worked well.”

 

“…”

 

Even though Masha was watching it all, she couldn’t understand the situation and only blinked on the spot. Only the words she said were repeated in her mind. I threw it to break the back of his head… If it worked well…

 

Masha regained her senses only when her friends, who had just been pursued, began to cry.

 

She caught Ei’s back as Ei held out her hand to her friend, who was just sitting there crying and asking if she was okay.

 

Her body trembled even more, and the moon appeared in the dark night sky before she knew it. Even the landscape, which had been frightening and eerie to her, became much better when the moonlight shone on it.

 

Her cries subsided as Ei patted her friend on the back to calm her. It was only after a series of hours had passed that all the bewilderment and fear all subsided.

 

The chill on the ground was vividly felt as she relaxed and sat down with her friends everywhere. The cold sensation awakened her exhausted mind a little and made her reflect on the immediate situation.

 

She didn’t know anything else, but she knew one thing: that it was a really dangerous situation. If even one person had been caught by that man, and if the broken bottle had even grazed one of her friends’ faces…

 

The mere thought of it made her dizzy. Masha shut her eyes tightly, startled by her imagination. She felt as if her earlier fears were coming back to her.

 

But her fear, which had taken over her effortlessly as she was being chased by the man, quickly vanished as Masha opened her closed eyes and looked at Ei. Ei looked like she was checking to see if the man had passed out properly.

 

“…”

 

What would we be like if she hadn’t come? As soon as such a question was raised, a fireball seemed to rise up in her chest.

 

Masha looked at the man lying on the ground, then she looked back at her. Her mood continued to rumble. In the place where her anxiety disappeared, her sense of relief and strange feelings of unknown identity came to her, and they made Masha feel dizzy.

 

Her heart felt like it was going to explode and her eyes were burning, as if she was holding something back.

 

Before she knew what it was, Ei looked up at her. As usual, her calm brown eyes turned to Masha.

 

It was a warm color. Very much.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

And the moment she heard that, Masha burst into tears.

 

***

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Shortly thereafter, Masha heard that the villagers had all come out because she and her friends hadn’t returned until late at night.

 

After confirming that Masha was safe, her parents slapped her on the back and severely scolded her, but even their angry expressions were filled with a sense of relief that couldn’t be hidden.

 

The relief they couldn’t express for their child went to the one who deserved her thanks.

 

“Thank you for coming out this late at night, Miss.”

 

Even though they were able to find the girls who were being chased in the woods because of Ei, she didn’t express the slightest bit of pride. She just shook her head and said she was glad she was able to find them safely.

 

Masha pouted as she saw the calmness. It would be nice if she were even a little proud, but why did she look so casual?

 

Wouldn’t it be embarrassing for one to express gratitude?

 

While hesitating to talk to her because of her shyness, Ei, who was constantly receiving thanks, turned around.

 

Is she going back now? Before she could think of anything else, Masha grabbed Ei’s hand and, like it was normal, her eyes met with a puzzled look.

 

“Why?”

 

“That, earlier.”

 

When she got hold of her, she didn’t know what to say. Masha sighed and rolled her eyes, but as if Ei noticed something, she said, “Ah.”

 

“Are you looking for Dante?”

 

“What?”

“He helped find the rest of your friends earlier. He said he had to leave early tomorrow morning, so I sent him back quickly.”

 

What kind of nonsense is she talking about all of a sudden? Masha had a hundred or so questions of hers above her head, but it was too late for her to realize why Ei was doing this.

 

I guess it’s because I keep looking for Brother Dante every time I run into them… Her head dropped by itself at her shame.

 

“…I wasn’t trying to find Brother Dante. I didn’t even know that he came and went.”

 

“Um, is that so?”

 

Ei didn’t seem to believe much, yet at that moment Masha was perfectly sincere.

 

Of course, all the while she liked Brother Dante excessivelyㅡBrother’s face, to be exactㅡshe didn’t think about him at all until he was mentioned.

 

Rather, she was only thinking of how to say thank you!

 

“Then why did you call me?”

 

…However, she was also speechless when she heard such a question.

 

Masha was restless for a long time, then she said something, as she didn’t know.

 

“You were good at throwing stones.”

 

“…”

 

Masha couldn’t bear the silence that flowed at that moment. She was embarrassed to death, but she thought she couldn’t let Ei go until she thanked her.

 

She didn’t think she’d ever say it again after that day.

 

“I’ve never seen anyone throw stones so well in my life. That guy just went right out. Do I have to say that the scene still shimmered in my mind? Yes.”

 

“Uh… Really?”

 

Ei looked uncommonly flustered. Wait, is she confused? It’s also surprising that there is a change in her expression, but it’s visible to my eyes?

 

Masha opened her eyes wide in disbelief as she looked at Ei, yet her slight bewilderment didn’t dissipate.

 

“Thank you for the compliment. It’s the first time I’ve heard praise for throwing stones well… Mm.”

 

Ei paused for a moment, as if she had something more to say.

 

“I was just trying to get his attention in a hurry, but it was fortunate that he passed out after being hit.”

 

“…Yeah.”

 

“And more than anything else, I’m glad I caught you before you get hurt.”

 

Saying that, Ei’s face was filled with a faint sense of relief. As if she wasn’t just accepting the situation calmly.

 

After she saw those feelings one after another, the thing she couldn’t bear to say because she was ashamed came out of her mouth.

 

“…Thank you for saving me earlier.”

 

Hearing that, Ei opened her eyes wide, then smiled faintly. The corners of her eyes creased slightly, and her expression softened.

 

“I guess you grabbed me to say that.”

 

“…”

“I’ll accept your thanks. It must have been hard today, so hurry up and get some rest.”

 

Her affectionate tone tickled her ears without a doubt. At that moment, Masha felt her hatred for Ei melt in her heart.

 

“Then see you tomorrow.”

 

As if the situation of the morning was repeating itself, Ei left her greeting and disappeared.

 

Masha didn’t leave until Ei’s back disappeared into the distance. For quite a long time, as her parents called Masha over and over again.

 

There was no doubt that today would remain vivid in Masha’s mind for a long time. It certainly wasn’t for good reasons, but the fact that she would remember this day didn’t make her feel bad.

 

Because a day that could have been the worst ended safely with someone’s help.

 

Masha’s steps were light on the way back to her house.

 

She seemed to somehow understand the feelings of her friends who wanted to be close to Ei.

 

***

 

“This bread is so deliciously baked, though? I need to bring some to Ei.”

 

“What. Did you not really like Sister Ei?”

 

“When did I.”

 

“No, look at her. You definitely did that last time. You said she doesn’t know the limits of being indifferent.”

 

“That’s her charm, but I didn’t know about it. Shall I tell you when I recognized that charm? That day was an unlucky day since the morning…”

 

“Here we go again.. Someone shut her up!”

 

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