Holding hands...

While Veru was mocking the black-haired girl wholeheartedly, Hina looked at and scolded. "Stop Veru. You are being rude to her."

"....."

The laughter on his face faded away as he heard the girl protested.

Veru who lived with little to no comforts apart from the three meals he got daily, couldn't understand the reason. For him, it was a stupid joke as he spent his every night in darkness, sometimes with the white-haired girl while sometimes alone; he never was ever scared by the darkness, and neither was Hina. 

The only thought that ran into his mind was, 'why Hina is saying that I am bad?'

He couldn't relate to Hina's word.

"You know she is just wasting our time, don't you?" 

His anger filled glare looked at the red-eyed girl. "Stop wasting our time, and go alone. Hina is going to help me find those shells, right Hina?"

The black-haired girl snuggled into her chest, hiding her face into them. "Please…"

Hina looked at Veru.

"No. First, we need to help her. Look how scared she is."

Veru looked at Sanim and frowned. "Get up, and leave her already. We are going to take you to your home safely in the darkness.

The red eyes looked at the white-haired girl, and then at Veru. " Really?"

Veru, still not happy with it, grabbed her hand and pulled her away from Hina.

"I don't have much left, so hurry up and tell me where your home is."

Sanum flinched as her body trembled.

Hina went towards her and consoled her. 

"Don't worry, he is just like that. Can you please tell me where your home is?"

It took a while for Sanim to return to normal.

Meanwhile, the white-haired girl couldn't understand the reasons why the green-haired boy was being so rude to the newcomer.

On the other hand, Veru was fuming with anger; the newcomer was wasting his and Hina's time, which he could have spent together with her alone.

In the first place, the only reason he dived into the sea with no hesitation was to only impress her, and nothing else.

Although he managed to complete his task, the newcomer was being exceptionally annoying to him and he wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible; for he wanted to waste no time which he could be spending with the white-haired girl.

The girl got up on her feet as she grabbed Hina's hand.

Veru, when he looked at the girl holding Hina's hand, quickly grabbed her hand, removing Hina's grip from her. 

Hina looked at him and pouted. "Why are you so weird today?"

Veru flustered as he scratched his face, thinking of an excuse. "How will you even guide her? Do you even know the outside? I bet you don't know, right?"

Hina slightly raised her head towards the right as replied in an agreeing tone. "You are right, but it doesn't matter. You would guide us even if you don't hold her hand."

Veru sighed in annoyance.

In spite of him being the muscles, and Hina being the brains, sometimes he would doubt her activeness.

"What if she gets scared and runs off somewhere? I don't want her to get separated during the way, else who knows how long it will take for us to find her?"

"Hmm…" 

Hina looked at the green-haired boy and chuckled. "How could I not think of that? You know what? You are acting very strange today. Did you eat anything weird?"

"Aren't you getting late? Show us the way."

Veru asked the girl, avoiding the question.

Sanim holding his hand marched towards her way to her house.

Veru while the entire road kept sneaking glances at Hina, which she hardly even noticed.

"Veru, don't you think you are being too close to her?" Hina grinned, looking at him mischievously. 

"....." 

Veru sneered at her sudden comment. "What? Don't get any wrong idea. I am just keeping her on the check so she doesn't end up getting lost."

Hina moved her hands behind and folded them. "Veru is being too good today. Is something the matter? Please tell me, I am dying to know."

Barely holding his reactions, Veru turned his gaze away from the white-haired girl and moved towards the black-haired girl.

"Don't leave my hand, " Veru had repeated this line several times the entire time.

'It would be bad if she ends up getting too close to Hina. It's better for me to keep her as far as possible from Hina.'

Veru continued to walk his way towards the girl's house when the area came, which made the girl tremble in fear; she clutched his hand tightly, afraid of getting lost in the darkness. 

Veru looked at Hina who barely gave any reaction to the darkness, and continued to move forward with little hesitation.

'No one can pair up with Hina.'