Volume 3 Chapter 44 Confession
When I asked about Ms. Alium's hospital room at the reception, I was told it was the room at the very back on the first floor.
As we got closer to that room, I could see Suisen's tension gradually increasing.
Eventually, we reached the intended room, and the door was already wide open, revealing a somewhat small interior.
There was a bed and a small dresser, and nearby were a window and what seemed to be a guest chair.
Sitting on the bed was Ms. Alium, who appeared to have regained consciousness, gazing out the window.
"..."
Seeing her like that again made Suisen bite s lip in pain.
Ms. Alium's body showed signs of treatment in various places.
It's no wonder he was tormented by guilt.
Then, noticing us, Ms. Alium greeted us with a voice that was surprisingly sharp, as if she didn't feel any pain from her injuries.
"Oh, Suisen Pride. ...And you must be Roezé Fullō, right?"
""...""
Caught off guard by her unexpected words, both Suisen and I were momentarily bewildered.
I remembered that I had had no contact with Ms. Alium until today.
So why did she know about me?
When she worked as a receptionist at the guild as an adventurer, I always asked Ms. Terra for help, and I probably never even spoke to her...
"D-Did you know about me too?"
"Ah, I heard from Terra that she had seen you as an adventurer. Plus, she talks about you all the time, so I ended up remembering you well."
"I-I see. Ms. Terra..."
It's certainly not strange that she would know about me through that connection.
Still, what kind of stories could she possibly be telling about me?
I hardly have any topics to share.
As I pondered this, tilting my head, Ms. Alium eventually invited us in, and we cautiously entered the hospital room.
There, she asked us again.
"So, what brings you two here? It seems like a rather odd pairing for a visit. Or are you two acquaintances?"
"Well, yes. We just met because of work..."
As I briefly explained how we met, Suisen immediately jumped in to apologize.
"Ah, um! I came here today to apologize to Ms. Alium...!"
"Apologize?"
"About last night, when multiple attackers came after you. Ms. Alium was attacked because of me. It's my fault that Ms. Alium had to face such danger...!"
"..."
Not knowing the full details, Suisen sadly revealed everything to Ms. Alium.
He talked about the people who attacked her, the circumstances of her being taken, and his relationship with Sianna.
To hide his feelings for her, he said that Ms. Alium was targeted because 'she was close to Suisen.' Throughout it all, Ms. Alium listened quietly, and I continued to watch silently by his side.
Once Suisen finished explaining everything, he quickly bowed his head.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Alium. Because of me, you got hurt like that. How can I make it up to you?"
His guilt-ridden apology echoed quietly in the room.
Ms. Alium remained silent, and a strange tension filled the air until she finally smiled.
"You don't need to be so down, Suisen Pride. There's no reason for you to feel responsible."
"..."
Hearing that from Ms. Alium, Suisen's eyes widened in surprise.
I, too, almost let out a huge sigh of relief.
I thought Ms. Alium would blame Suisen, but hearing those words from her directly was very reassuring.
"Besides, this is also my fault for being inexperienced. It's ridiculous for a former Rank 1 adventurer to lose to that many people. I still have a long way to go."
"N-No, that's not true...!"
As soon as Suisen tried to follow up with Ms. Alium, he was caught off guard by a surprising remark from her.
"And those ruffians, you confronted them, right? I wasn't fully conscious, but I vaguely remember that moment."
"Eh...?"
"You bravely stood up to the adventurers who tried to harm me out of lust. You tried to help me with courage. I thought it might have been a dream since my consciousness was hazy, but it seems I wasn't mistaken."
It seems she remembers a little bit of what happened back then, even if she doesn't grasp the details of the conversation.
Still, Suisen's brave figure seems to be etched in her mind.
"It might indeed be true that you were the reason I was attacked. However, you resolved it with your own strength, so isn't that enough to make amends?"
"Ms. Alium..."
I can feel the tension in Suisen slowly easing.
The guilt that had been weighing on his heart is clearing up like the sky after rain.
Suisen, wanting to confirm once more, asked Ms. Alium.
"Then, from now on, can I still call out to you, Ms. Alium?"
"There's no need to hold back. Just feel free to call me whenever you want to talk."
"Even if something similar might happen again, won't it be a bother?"
"It won't be. I'll still come to talk to you whenever I see you. I'd be happy if you continue to treat me the same way."
"..."
Suisen, savoring Ms. Alium's words, clenched her hands and slowly bowed her head.
"Thank you so much...!"
He was told it wouldn't be a bother.
He received permission to keep talking to her as before.
Suisen's worries turned out to be unfounded, and it seems their relationship didn't crack after all.
I also let out a sigh of relief beside her.
"Still, I never thought you would surpass me so soon. I said, 'You can still get stronger,' but I didn't expect your growth to be this fast. I'm really looking forward to your future achievements."
Ms. Alium showed her surprise at Suisen's rapid growth and then tilted her head in confusion.
"By the way, is that the end of the conversation?"
"Ah..."
When asked again, I instinctively glanced at Suisen beside me.
Suisen had cold sweat beading on his forehead, and his face was stiff as stone.
The tension that should have eased was coming back, stronger than before, along with a sense of fear.
This was more than just an apology for causing trouble; it required a significant resolve.
So, Suisen looked at me with anxious eyes, swimming in uncertainty.
Should he confess his feelings now? And what if he failed?
I sensed his emotions through his gaze and quietly patted his back.
"――!?"
"...It's okay, I'm here with you."
Choosing not to confess right now was also an option.
Ms. Alium had given her forgiveness, and they could continue their unchanged relationship.
For Suisen, that might be enough.
So, there was no need to force a step forward.
In fact, if he pushed too hard now, he might end up breaking the bond they had just established.
Yet, I encouraged him to take that risky step.
I could have settled for the idea that today was enough, but I wanted him to take the chance.
Because I knew that if Suisen backed down now, he would deeply regret it later.
And it seemed that Suisen also didn't want to have any regrets.
"Ah, Ms. Alium! I have something important to say!"
"Something important?"
Suisen took a hesitant step forward, forcing his cowardly feelings back.
With his heart racing, he finally revealed the feelings he had kept inside.
"I'm not confident in myself. I always worried about how others saw me, trying hard to be liked. Even so, many adventurers hated me, and I started to dislike myself even more. It was during that time that Ms. Alium reached out to me!"
These weren't words wrapped in falsehoods like when he wore a mask.
His true feelings echoed in Ms. Alium's hospital room.
"'Don't worry about what others think.' I was really saved by those words. And at the same time, I started to have special feelings for Ms. Alium. You have a strong heart, the complete opposite of me, and you truly are my ideal person. I want to keep watching over Ms. Alium from the closest place possible. And just as you saved me, I want to support you now."
"..."
As Ms. Alium listened quietly, Suisen continued with strength.
"So...!"
He packed all his feelings into just one word... and sent it directly to Ms. Alium, whom he had been thinking about all along.
"Please go out with me!"
A straightforward confession without any embellishments.
Suisen, the Charmer, spoke genuine words of love without relying on his charm.
Even Ms. Alium was a bit taken aback by this confession, blinking repeatedly.
A moment of silence enveloped the hospital room, and I felt cold sweat starting to form on my palms.
As Suisen stood there, Ms. Alium eventually asked.
"...Just to confirm, when you say 'go out with me,' you don't mean 'join me for training' or 'come shopping with me,' right?"
"...Yes."
"You mean in the context of a romantic relationship. Is that correct?"
"...Yes."
Perhaps to avoid any misunderstandings or mishearings, Ms. Alium made sure to clarify the meaning of the words, taking a moment to digest it.
Naturally, our tension increased.
How long did that silence last? It probably didn't even reach 5 seconds, but it felt like several minutes.
Finally, Ms. Alium responded in a calm voice.
"I never expected to receive a confession from you. However, unlike other adventurers, your feelings come through as incredibly strong. In that case, it's only polite for me to face this seriously."
She then stood up from the bed and faced Suisen directly.
"It's reasonable to take this kind of conversation home and think it over before giving an answer. However, since we both work in the adventurer industry, we never know when the worst might happen. So, I'll give my answer right here."
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