Chapter 4: The Duel
Part 3
While walking along the mountain path, Eri was lecturing Kasumi.
“You see, offence is important. You won’t get anywhere with just defense. You have to push hard, you know.”
Kasumi, listening to Eri, nodded. She occasionally got so engrossed in what Eri had to say that she almost fell off the cliff to her left.
“What I’m getting at is, does Jun seem like the type of guy who could confess his love himself?”
“Ah&h.e.l.lip; Hm&h.e.l.lip; Uh&h.e.l.lip;”
“He isn’t. He most definitely isn’t. Even if you wait, it won’t mean anything. &h.e.l.lip; Kasumi, you like Jun, right?”
“I&h.e.l.lip; think I like Jun&h.e.l.lip; probably&h.e.l.lip;”
When she thought of him, her heart ached. Just before they separated, her heart was beating fast. It excited her. It was obvious from the look of her face.
Surely she was falling in love.
&h.e.l.lip; and she realized that this was the first time Eri mentioned it.
“Eri-chan, you’ve got quite the discerning eye.”
“Nah, actually, I’ve noticed it for quite a long time now.”
“Huuuuuuhhhhh!?”
Eri responded, scratching her head, “Are you really that surprised?”.
Kasumi stared at her, admiringly.
“Should I pray to the G.o.ds of love?”
“Stop. Pardon me. I haven’t had any experience going out with anybody yet.”
“But, you’re so well-versed on this topic&h.e.l.lip;”
“I’m just a young woman that knows a bit here and there about this stuff. Besides, aren’t you older than me? ”
“Eri-chan, wasn’t it you who said that age is irrelevant in Sky World?”
“Nice job remembering something from that long ago. &h.e.l.lip; It does matter in games. You and Jun still are two years older than me! How am I, a middle schooler, supposed to talk about these things?!”
Kasumi giggled and watched Eri attentively. Her unintentional explosion of emotion was coupled with hand swinging.
“Eri-chan your vigor and positivity are quite enviable.”
“I’m not being positive at all! Sheesh, it’ll get awkward if you’re gonna be like this. I don’t know what’ll happen to the fragile balance keeping our group afloat.”
“Hey, I’m not someone with a lot of friends like you, Eri-chan&h.e.l.lip;”
“Ah, you might have a lot of friends, but you don’t have anybody like Jun.”
Eri sighed. This time, her face looked a bit depressed. She was a person with intense emotions. Eri’s control of her emotions to be able to either freely express them or act stoically at will was quite admirable . .
Come to think of it, Sakuya-chan also was the kind of person to have intense emotions. Kasumi missed that friend of hers who she had been separated from.
Kasumi looked up at the blue sky, thinking of where she could be at that moment.
(Sakuya-chan, wait for me. I’ll be off this island soon. I’m coming with some new companions to meet you.”
“&h.e.l.lip; Right, Kasumi, you have friends.”
She did not know herself what kind of face she was making. Eri smiled, seeming a bit lonely.
“I’m jealous. You’ve been better at making friends than me all along.”
Kasumi shook her head slowly.
“I also think of you, Eri-chan, as an important friend&h.e.l.lip; even though you might use what I just said to make fun of me. I want to leave the island with both you, Eri-chan and Jun-san. I want the three of us, all together, to go meet up with Sakuya-chan.”
Then she prayed, first for the three of them, and then for Sakuya’s group. For everybody.
She wanted to clear this game together with everybody else.
That was Kasumi’s current modest &h.e.l.lip; or actually, outrageous wish.
Eri responded, turning away, “&h.e.l.lip; Mmm, thank you.”
Her cheeks were flushed. She was definitely feeling shy.
Kasumi giggled.
It would be okay. Surely, her wish would come true. She believed in it.
However, a wish could only come true with a lot of effort and faith.
Just wishing for something to come true would not result in anything. Taking an action, making progress. Only those things could make a wish come true. She would need to be motivated by someone&h.e.l.lip;
That person was no other than Eri Inui, who was right in front of her.