Two days later, in the dorm.
Renee let out a deep sigh as she leaned over to the hands of the attendants. It’s because I remembered a quiz from Teresa.
‘It’s difficult… .’
For the past two days, I’ve been thinking about it with my head tight, but I still haven’t figured out the answer to the quiz.
It was impossible to ask anyone for help.
… No, I didn’t have the courage to save it.
Asking someone for advice on the answer to this quiz, in other words, means that you have to share your concerns. How would you go about asking for advice on that?
Renee didn’t want anyone to know that she was getting weird because of Vera.
Aren’t you ashamed of something? I can’t say for sure why, but there was definitely a sense of shame that came to mind when I thought of telling him about it.
Due to such personal shame, in the end, I had to bear the troubles alone, and the result was this.
Renee still didn’t know what Teresa was talking about.
“It’s done.”
The words I heard while I was thinking.
At that, Renee got rid of the thoughts he had been doing before, and got up with a stick.
“thanks. Everyone worked hard.”
“I think you should leave right away. Vera is outside.”
Startle. When Vera said he was waiting, he got out of control again and his body began to twitch.
Rene remembered that she had a fever for some reason, then nodded and walked slowly.
*
A bench in the flower bed in front of the hotel that gets the most sunlight.
Vera, who stood by Renee’s side, thought, where Renee would take a break on days when there was no other schedule.
‘You have a bad complexion.’
To be precise, Renee’s condition was strange. The strange look that had been seen little by little since leaving Remeo has only gotten worse in recent years.
Naturally, concern crept into Vera’s mind. His eyes were staring intently at Renee’s face.
Rene, who had been neatly dressed, was a girl with a mysterious atmosphere that anyone could see as beautiful, but Vera, who had seen her every day, could feel her condition through the slightly drooping corners of her eyes and protruding lips even among those beauty.
“Lady. Do you have any uncomfortable places?”
“yes? Oh, it’s not like that… .”
A look of surprise appeared on Renee’s face.
I wondered if my insides were clearly visible right now, and the words that followed were in the form of numbness in my feet.
“Wow, homework! I have a lot of trouble because of my homework!”
words that follow quickly.
“Oh, is it about Theresa-sama’s class?”
“yes! He gave me a quiz, but I can’t remember the answer… .”
Vera shut his mouth for a moment, contemplating on Renee saying that with a shy face, and then uttered those words.
“… Can’t you tell me?”
Words made out of the desire to help.
At that, Renee jumped up in surprise, then hurriedly uttered the words of refusal.
“… it’s okay!”
Vera lowered his head, feeling annoyed at the sight of René turning his head away from me.
“sorry. You said something off topic.”
“No, why is that again… .”
Renee’s embarrassment deepened.
That was when Vera realized he was about to start another ‘sorry bombardment’.
It’s just a matter of saying don’t be sorry, but… It is not easy to say that now.
Unlike before, Renee was clearly aware that Vera was the reason why her feelings were shaken.
In other words, every word you say to Vera has become more cautious than ever before.
“The saint must have thoughts too, but I uttered the words without considering him. Please punish this stupid bastard.”
“Oh no, that’s… .”
It was frustrating to the point of going crazy.
It felt like my head was spinning.
Renee hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to do, then closed her eyes tightly and spoke.
This, too, was uttered out of embarrassment.
I was just throwing out anything that came to mind when I first thought I had to stop Vera.
“Go, it’s a quiz about emotions! Find out what kind of feelings Theresa-sama explained… .”
drop-.
As he continued to speak, René, who remembered his disappointment later, shut his mouth.
‘… Silly!’
If that’s the case, I’d say, ‘I’m upset because of you’.
A grievous heart swelled up within him at his own stupid behavior.
Vera raised his head at the words he heard and looked at Renee, who had a strange frown on his face.
‘About emotions.’
Vera quickly shook his head. It’s because I thought I should be able to help. How could it be called impatience?
In the meantime, what have you done since you swore to live for Renee? What did you do after returning to the Holy Land?
Aside from the fact that I had a lot of free time right now and didn’t have to do anything big, all I had to do was stand next to you and follow you, so shouldn’t it be helpful even in times like this?
‘It was called a quiz.’
Judging from Rene’s reaction, it doesn’t seem like the content of the quiz will be told, so I had to infer as much as possible from the given clues.
Quiz. emotion. Theresa.
Vera, who was contemplating an answer that could tie him together by combining limited clues, was able to infer the answer more easily than expected.
“Lady.”
“Yes Yes!”
Renee shook his head and answered Vera’s words. Cold sweat was running down the back of his back.
“I wonder if the answer to the quiz is ‘love’. Theresa-sama is the apostle of love, and the quiz is also about emotions, so I think it’s reliable.”
drop-.
Renee stiffened.
love.
As soon as that word was put in my ear, all my thoughts stopped and did so.
“He, uh, uh… .”
Renee squeaked out words like a broken machine.
After a while, the last words he uttered were stupid words that reminded him that he couldn’t be any more foolish than this.
“Sa, it wouldn’t be love.”
cover up and deny it. I wasn’t even sure. It was a word that he said while giving himself a momentary ‘boom’ and pounding his body.
“… Is that so. Sorry for not being of any help.”
“no… .”
Renee’s head bowed.
What followed was a silence filled with awkwardness.
*
The uncomfortable silence continued for over an hour.
Normally, Renee, who could not stand the atmosphere, would have spoken out loud, but now Renee didn’t have that kind of room.
love.
Feelings that might be the answer to the quiz Theresa gave you.
It was because I had no time to think of other thoughts because I was thinking of him.
I deny that this is not the case, but no matter how hard I tried to think of other emotions, Renee’s thoughts could not get away from the word ‘love’.
His face was getting hot all over, and his stomach was shaking so badly that he couldn’t control it.
In the meantime, if I had to say that René had done anything, it was only fitting her actions so far with the word ‘love’.
Even if I try not to remember… If you think about it, it was.
The palpitations that came to mind while holding hands, or the nervousness that came to mind while talking. He is still applying the word ‘love’ to the moments in the conference room that make your thumbs up every time you think of it.
The thought of ‘what if’ keeps coming up and he can’t stop him.
Even though they are doing that, there is still no answer, and if I ask the reason, it must be that for René, love was someone else’s story.
René didn’t know love because she had never pictured herself in love with someone before in her life, and it was a very desperate past to recall such a thing.
There was no time for love because it was more important to learn the way of the village than to paint the dark world in even a little detail.
The confusion that arises from that.
As Renee moaned for a long time at him, Vera’s words covered the space.
“Lady. Would you like to come in?”
“yes?”
“The sun will set soon.”
Renee’s whole body trembled at the words spoken.
Without realizing it, I had a thought like that in my head.
‘… no.’
not now I’m so confused right now, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep if I go in like this.
I still had to think more.
The accident quickly became an excuse.
An excuse to be able to be together more, to create an end to calm the confused mind.
“I… !”
Renee vomited out his head and waved his hand to grab Vera’s arm.
Awkward-.
The hand holding the collar was full of strength.
“… Can I walk in for a bit?”
Fortunately, this excuse turned out to be plausible.
Vera’s answer came out as Grine continued to sigh in relief.
“… as you wish.”
*
Flower beds surrounding the outdoor garden.
Renee walked there with a blank expression.
He held a staff in one hand, and Vera’s hand in the other.
Hard, rough hands. The warmth transmitted through those hands.
Renee, who felt that all her nerves were taken away by the warmth, wanted to shout ‘Peace’ in her head, which only became more confused as time passed.
Without Vera by my side, I really wouldn’t have. It was so boring.
It was because I didn’t quite understand myself who kept thinking of the word ‘love’.
Suddenly, Renee remembered that Vera hated him.
Still, my stomach, which was disturbed by Vera, is becoming more disturbed by those words.
Aren’t you hurting yourself by saying something stupid?
Awkward-.
As the thoughts that came to mind, strength was pouring into the hands that were holding each other.
As the warmth grew, my heart was beating more strongly.
It was.
The body continues to react even when you are in denial.
It was impossible even if I tried to ignore it.
No matter how much I shout, I can’t deny that my stomach is tightening all over and saying it’s right.
“Ugh… .”
A long breath escaped his mouth.
to him.
“Lady?”
A voice that always protects itself followed.
thud. And my heart started beating wildly.
“it’s nothing… .”
barely vomited words.
After saying that, Renee closed her eyes tightly and thought.
This was a trick of awareness.
Ever since I thought of the word love.
After becoming aware of it, all actions started to take a consistent form according to the word.
yes, I admit
If you put the word ‘love’ in your condition, everyone could understand it.
The curiosity about Vera was of interest.
The beat that grew stronger during the conversation was excitement.
The heat that came up every time we held hands was sadness.
With the same but different names, they all pointed to one emotion.
Even thinking about it was turning into an embarrassing name.
In a name that takes away my heart.
Dare to name like that.
… in the name of love.
This heart, which had been in it since some time, was calling itself by that name.