One Tiny Appointment

The sun had set entirely by the time the carriage disappeared. Many moments passed as I stood there, and I barely noticed the chill that began to creep into the evening. I finally gathered the energy to move back into the shop.

As I opened the door, I saw Akane sitting at her desk. She raised her head and asked, "Hey, Haru… is everything alright?"

"It's fine," I replied. "It was a rough trip for Ma… ahem, Miss Shinomori. I just wanted to make sure she'd be fine on her way out of town."

"I get that… It's quite rare, probably not since our first days opening up the shop, when a customer comes back with that much damage. But…"

As she spoke, I continued to my desk and slumped into the chair. I let out a more profound sigh than I intended, one I hoped Akane didn't catch.

As perceptive as she always was, Akane didn't let that slip-up of mine fall off easily. "H-H-Haru… I see you probably don't need my healing, but… you still look really exhausted. Is there absolutely nothing else going on with you? I'm just concerned…" Her tone lacked any of the cheerfulness she had a moment ago.

That was usual, dependable Akane… always able to sense when something was wrong with me. She was right, my mind was elsewhere… All that Maya said, all that she felt… Regardless of how beautiful she looked or how refined she tried to put herself to be, it was that vulnerability, that wrenching cry for help…

I knew how worried Akane felt at that moment, but I didn't think I could tell her anything that happened in the dungeon with Maya. At least, not right then…

"Akane… it's getting late. Maybe we should just close up shop for the night. I'll write up my reports for today's trips in the morning. Is that fine with you?"

Akane had been staring at me the whole time but turned her head the other way. "Sure… I'm pretty much all finished here. I'll wait for you outside."

"Thanks. I won't be long. And umm… it's a little cold outside, so don't forget your coat."

"Oh, thanks…"

After watching Akane grab her coat and walk out of the shop, I relaxed in my chair for another long moment. Although I had not a single coherent thought, I felt relieved to have even a little bit of time to myself.

So Maya is gone now… I guess everything will be back to normal as if she were never here… But why do I feel so saddened by it all? I've seen hundreds of people come and go from the shop, and not once have I ever been intimately concerned for any of them… until Maya…

Should I have just chased after her and went with her right then? No, I couldn't do that… I couldn't force everything in this shop onto Akane and leave her on her own, could I?...

But seeing Maya's smile, her desire to just be free, I want to help make that happen for her… Can I just stay here living like this and completely forget about Maya, like I've done with all the others before?

Realizing that my thoughts kept going in circles, I finally got up and placed my equipment in the back room. I already had my coat on, so I headed towards the exit and met up with Akane outside.

"I apologize for making you wait, Akane," I said as I locked the door.

"It's fine… Let's head home then."

Like any other day for the past 4 years, Akane and I walked side-by-side heading north further into the town. There were plenty of streetlamps activated with Illume to light our path, so we were in no real danger.

Akane stayed silent as we approached the fountain at the end of the path, signaling the residential district's beginning. The vibe between us felt quite uncomfortable, and I was sure Akane thought so too. I was still hesitant to bring up anything that happened with Maya, most likely adding even more to the tension between Akane and me.

All of a sudden, I remembered the little promise I made to Akane earlier in the day. "Oh, Akane, I almost forgot… I did promise I'd treat you to dinner for that little stunt I pulled. Do you want to take me up on that offer now?"

Akane initially seemed tempted by my offer, but she averted her gaze from me and said in an impassive tone, "Umm… actually… I'm not feeling too hungry right now… You can make it up to me another day… And I think I'm gonna head to the apothecary to stock up on some medicine… I'll see you in the morning. Bye…"

The apothecary was on the right side of town from the fountain, so Akane headed off. Both our homes were in the other direction, so I turned and walked off as well, slowly hearing Akane's footsteps fade in the distance.

I knew I wasn't acting like myself, and I was sure Akane was worried for my sake. I wasn't ready to tell her anything, and I just didn't want to trouble her. I had to apply some filters before sharing what I knew with Akane, even if it meant forcing some distance between us.

The trek back to my house was rather peaceful: enough lighting to feel safe, single 2-story houses adjacent to each other on both sides of the road, families enjoying dinner inside their homes. Even though Akane wasn't with me now, Kolm really felt like the place meant for me.

Yet, while I was walking back, I wondered: Could I just leave all this tranquility behind for the inevitable dangers in the journey to pursue Maya? Or, do the risks not even matter because I'd be joined with Maya in the end…?

It was 10 minutes later when I finally arrived back home. My house looked the same as the others in the district, and the same as Akane's. With my dad gone, my mom took care of the daily chores, while I worked at the guide shop during the day.

As I took off my boots, my mom said, "Welcome back, Haru! You got back just in time! Dinner's already on the table. By the way, did Akane not walk home with you tonight?"

My mom had excellent hearing, so she would know whenever Akane and I were outside. It was only natural that my mom wondered why I was alone coming back tonight. "Nah, it's no big deal," I told her. "She said she had to pick up some medicine, so we split up at the fountain."

"Okay, that's good. That girl always considers others over herself, so I'm sure she has someone in mind to help out."

"Yeah, she probably does…"

Not as thrilled about dinner as I usually was, I headed to my room upstairs and tidied up before sitting down at the dining table next to the kitchen.

As I was eating dinner, my mom asked me about my day, but all I said to most of her questions was "Nothing much" or "Nah, it wasn't a big deal." She noticed I hadn't eaten that much, though, so she asked, "Haru, is there something you want to tell me? I'm your mother, so you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Like with Akane, I wasn't ready to talk to my mom about the day with Maya, so I tried my best to run away from the situation. "Yeah, I know. I think I'm just exhausted. Is it okay if I cleaned up myself and get to bed for the night?"

"S-s-sure… I'll take care of everything down here. Good night, Haru." I was sure my mom didn't entirely believe me, but I felt relieved she let me have my way regardless.

I stood from the table, and before heading up the stairs, I turned to my mom and told her, "Thanks and goodnight, mom."

I quickly took a bath and went to bed right after. But it took a long time for me to get to sleep that night. Conflicting thoughts swirled all over my mind…

Everything in this town was so peaceful. All of the rising violence Maya mentioned about, none of that penetrated here. Kolm felt so safe and secure, and the townspeople were so kind to my mom and me. They all looked out for me, and I was grateful to them for being there for me.

And Akane… she always stood by my side, and she watched over me too. I was never able to hide much from her, and even if I could, she'd figure it out and gently nudge me to tell her. I never resisted that charm of hers, and although I viewed her as a little sister, there was some part of me that might have wanted more. But I didn't want to hurt her one day, so I was fine where we currently stood with things.

But for all the comfort and peace I enjoyed, I wasn't able to stop thinking of Maya. All that torture she went through alone… her pleas for even one person to listen to her… her cries against my back… her tears in my arms… her smile after receiving the certificate… the promise we made…

The promise we made… Maya didn't exactly promise, but she did say, "…until the day we meet again…"

What was I to do? I didn't want to abandon Maya, but at the same time, would I be able to find it in myself to leave the town, my mom… and maybe most importantly, Akane?

As the thoughts subsided, I was able to eventually fall asleep.

The next morning, and for the next three days on, everything felt like a blur. I'd meet up with Akane outside our homes in the morning, walk over to the shop, and perform our duties as dungeon guides. Yet, I never gave her my full attention at all. I didn't provide Akane more than the bare minimum of myself, whether at work in the shop or outside whenever we walked together.

I wasn't even able to recall much of the conversations I had with Akane during these few days. I remembered Akane discussing some topics about her family and herself. Still, nothing registered in my mind during the evenings whenever I tried to recall the details. I knew my mind was scattered even during work when Akane claimed she had to repeatedly call for me, as her first attempts regularly failed.

Even though Maya hadn't shown up since that fateful day, I still keep thinking about her. At times, I nearly slipped calling out Akane as Maya, but I tried my best to hold my tongue before wholly committing the mistake. Akane never displayed any hostility, but I suspected she was unwillingly forcing down her irritation, to prevent further friction between us.

Work itself was also unable to pull my mind away from Maya, as none of the trips to Helmut's Cave were very notable. It felt like the difficulty I experienced with Maya was just an aberration, and I was quite disappointed by the lack of a real challenge.

The amateur heroes were very satisfied with our services, but I felt even more disconnected from their joy. I was sure Akane noticed this too, but I was grateful she didn't inquire any further and gave me even more space.

At home in the evenings, I was able to eat a full dinner. Still, I avoided the subject of my concerns whenever my mom brought it up. I felt guilty keeping so much from her, but like with Akane, I wasn't ready to tell her what was on my mind.

Everyone had been so understanding of me during these few days, not forcing the issue of Maya from me. Although their kindness truly touched me, I still lingered around the thought of actually leaving Kolm, to pursue Maya and help her accomplish her mission.

I didn't know if I was more compelled by her beauty or her determination, but it was quite clear to me that Maya's entire being had consumed me. I wanted so much to drop everything I've had in this town and do whatever I could for Maya.

But yet, I continued to be conflicted about this resolution, the guilt of abandoning everyone I cared for looming over me. I tried to quell this conflict, but whenever I saw Akane, my mind compared her to Maya at times, and that further wrenched my heart. What really does Akane mean to me, and for that matter, what about Maya?

All these troubles continued to swirl in my mind over and over. And even as I slept on the third evening, I wasn't fully resolved on my next course of action. The leading notion was to just chase after Maya, throwing everything else aside.

On the fourth morning after Maya visited the shop, my mom mentioned that Akane left her house earlier than usual, so I made my way to the shop without her.

As I entered the shop, I gave my usual greeting, "Good morning, Akane."

"Good morning, Haru!"

She seemed in better spirits today. Maybe she was just feeling a little sick all this time?

As I sat down at my desk, I asked, "So, how's it looking for today?"

"Actuallyyyy…" she began and turned towards me. "I was able to get the entire schedule cleared for the day."

"Whaaaaat?! So why do we even need to…"

As Akane smiled, she quickly interrupted me. "Before you finish that thought, there is one tiny appointment in the notebook. Haru… you're going to be my guide for today!"