A Subtle Change

The second those words left my mouth was the second I truly realized the way I felt.

These weren't just mere words or was just an ace that I prepared.

They were much, much more than that.

It turned out that I was just so pathetic, falling so head-over-heels with Asu when it was supposed to be the opposite.

But this feeling isn't so bad. I can be as pathetic and stupid as Asu allows. As much as she wants. As long as she is ok with it.

I held my breath, waiting in agony for Asu to say something.

What will be her reaction? Will she become bashful and just stand there, her face blushing crimson? Or will she bury her head into my arms out of embarrassment? Maybe she'll be so shocked at my confession that she can't speak? Perhaps she'll be touched to the point of tears?

I almost chuckled at the thought.

I initially wanted to restrain my gaze, but overwhelmed by the myriad of possibilities, my eyes desperately searched for hers.

Hmm? She had bent over, her arms wrapped protectively around her knees, with her long blonde hair sprawled across her back.

My heart almost stopped at the sight.

"ASU!"

Before I knew it, I kneeled down beside her, shaking her shoulders in panic.

What was wrong? Did I make some sort of mistake?

Did the 'ace' backfire after all?

No, it can't be. Doesn't Asu love me back?

But her tear-stained cheeks hidden in her long, pale fingers proved to me how wrong I was.

"Asu… What's wrong? Tell me. Please. Asu! Oh, don't cry… Can you still stand? L-Let's go back to the school first." If it causes you so much pain, I'll take back my words from before.

You can just ignore whatever I said. I'd rather stay a common simp than to see you cry so miserably.

But even though I silently promised such grandeur, they would remain forever in the silence. After all, how could I bear to say it aloud?

If we truly only stayed as friends, my love, and my mission… they would all become lost causes.

With nothing to say, the atmosphere settled into an awkward pause, save for Asu's cries. With nothing else I could do, I merely patted her back rhythmically while utilizing magic to appear alright.

Suddenly, just when I had settled down in my thoughts, Asu leapt up from her position, throwing me off balance.

What's wrong? Don't tell me… she doesn't even want to receive my pats anymore? I instinctively cowered, not daring to look up at her, for fear that I could no longer control my facial expressions if I did.

However, what I had feared did not come.

"Lancera, let's go take a walk, shall we? After I've calmed down enough… we can go back to the academy. I have a free period next anyway." Her voice was commanding and had a hint of unbridled arrogance.

Stunned, I wasn't able to react in time and for a split second, it revealed the expression that I cleverly veiled.

Thankfully, Asu didn't seem to notice; she was beaming, her watery sapphire eyes sparkling in the sunlight overhead.

At that moment, I intuitively knew that something had changed subtly between us, but I couldn't pinpoint what.

All I knew was that even though this change had occurred, Asu would still enjoy my pats in the future, and I could continue to chase after her.

And it also felt like the chances of our romance had increased, against all the odds.

Whether it was because of relief or simply impulse, I stood and pulled her into a tight embrace, thankful that I hadn't taken back my words.