36. Cuddling Under The Rain.

She's talking about the scar on my cheek, caused by one of the wolves when I didn't expect its surprise attack at the time.

"It's fine, I guess. I just have to get the potion as fast as I can now, and I'll be good as new,"

"Do you still want us to work together?"

"..."

"I know my method might have been a bit too extreme, but I just wanted to help you level up fast, and I thought having you face against nine, ten monsters at once would help accelerate the process,"

Oh! So, that's why she provoked more wolves towards my way, while I was still occupied with the wolves I fought against.

I guess this explains a lot.

"Yeah, I guess your method was a little too extreme,"

I chuckled a bit and soon after, silence reigned between us once again.

After a brief moment, Jasmine drifted my attention towards her again.

"Um Ace,"

"Yeah,"

"Let's become a couple?"

"What?"

Woah! What's going on? How did things escalate between us so fast?

Aren't things between us moving too quickly?

We barely know each other.

"Um, You want us to get married?"

"No silly. I'm talking about something else,"

" Oh,"

Am I missing something here?

"I'm talking about a power couple,"

"Oh, I see,"

Oh! I get it now. A power couple, huh?

So, she wants us to complement each other's strengths.

Putting the kind of alternative weapons we desire aside, She did say she aims to get her hands on a Katana. A close combat weapon.

And I wanted a long-range weapon. So, I guess I can understand the logic behind her words.

"So, what do you say? A power couple sounds fun, right? It will be you and me against the world,"

Woah! Woah! Slow down! What nonsense is she sprouting out now?

She continued. "Then how about being my boyfriend then?"

Woah! That's it. This has to stop.

"Alright, that's enough for the night. You're drunk, go to sleep,"

"Huh? How can I be drunk when I didn't drink,"

"Then you're intoxicated. Go to bed,"

" It's still the same thing,"

" Who cares. Go to sleep,"

She chucked a bit, then wrapped her arms tighter around mine, sandwiching my arm between her bosom.

"I'm just kidding," she giggled yet again.

Well, I knew that. Who would believe that in the first place?

Not this guy.

He-he...

"I just thought you needed to lighten up a bit. You've been quiet since we entered the truck. You've got to loosen up a bit and have some fun, you know,"

Honestly, with our lives at stake 24/7. I'm certain the only one having fun right now, is you.

"I know you don't have to talk about your past if you don't want to, but since you're here and alive right now. Don't you think it's for a particular reason? To start over and live the life you've always wanted. A life far better than the one you left behind,"

She added. "Just because the Celestial elves brought us here against our will, it doesn't mean they get to dictate what we do here as well,"

I guess she does have a point.

Hearing her say those words, I can't help but recall Sophia's image right now.

She used to say something similar to that as well.

Urging us to live happily and smile wherever we go, even though we knew we lived with a monster we call a father.

"What is this?" Jasmine pointed towards the scar behind my right hand.

In actuality, it was more like a series of ten scars with an equal length of one centimeter, arranged horizontally on top of each other.

"It's one of the few 'rewards' my father carved on my body for being stubborn,"

"Were you always disobedient towards him?"

I chuckled a bit at her words.

"If fighting for what is right makes me disobedient, then I guess I was,"

"Your sister and mother?" She's asking if Derek maltreats them.

"Yeah,"

"And he does this to you whenever you stand up for them?"

"I guess so,"

"I knew you were kind,"

Really? Does she think so? It is unclear to me why she would think of me that way, but....oh.

She still thinks I intended to save her from the Minotaur.

Honestly, I didn't come back to save you, but your key was what I wanted.

Oh well, it's all in the past now.

"So, your father? Is he um…"

"Dead?.. Yeah,"

"Um..... D…did you do it?"

"Yeah… I killed him,"

"That's what got you arrested?" I nodded in response to her question.

"It must have been tough growing up,"

"I guess,"

"Your back as well. Was it his doing?" Aside from my arm. I had the same line of scars across my back, directly on top of my spinal cord.

The scars were either pricked with a sharp object or made directly with a knife, then plastered with a tomato sauce to hear me scream.

He was an s.a.d.i.s.t who loved to see us wail before him.

The scar on my back was sixty, which tallies the number of days I had been too stubborn for Derek to handle.

When he noticed, I had grown accustomed to the pain in my hand, he migrated the punishment towards my back.

I'm guessing she noticed my back while I was recuperating in the cabin.

Right after she heard my story, Jasmine just tightened her arms around mine before falling asleep.

I'm glad I didn't have to go into detail to explain a lot, Jasmine is pretty smart to connect the dots, making it easier for me to explain.

That night, we took turns sleeping.

_______

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