Ah… I overdid it…”
After rejecting Arcelia and walking for a few minutes, I finally calmed down and scratched my head, realizing that I had gone too far with her.
“It’s rare to see you angry, Kraze. Actually, I think it’s the first time.”
My older brother, who was walking beside me with a carefree expression, spoke as if recalling something.
He’s right. I’ve never openly expressed anger in this life.
What happened earlier was the first time.
“I guess I was more short-tempered than usual because I’m tired.”
“Ah, I see. Well, it can’t be helped, then.”
My brother seemed completely unbothered. Despite Arcelia insulting him so harshly, he didn’t seem to care at all.
The person involved doesn’t get angry, but here I am, his younger brother, losing my temper.
It felt a bit off, but I didn’t think I was wrong, so I let it go.
“So, Kraze, are you really going to cut ties with her?”
The word “cut ties” made me pause and think.
To be honest, nothing good has come from being involved with Arcelia.
On top of that, I had strayed from my original goal of challenging monsters with just a sword.
It’s true that I was the one who initially showed interest in her.
But I never imagined things would go this far.
“… For now, I have no intention of associating with her until she offers a sincere apology.”
“Oh? So, you’re not saying you’ll never interact with her again?”
“She’s only fourteen… She can still change, right? Plus, I’m partly responsible, too. So I’ll see how things go.”
While I had been genuinely angry at the time, now that I was calm, I realized I didn’t hate her.
So, if Arcelia were to properly reflect and apologize, I’d be willing to forgive her.
“Yeah, that sounds reasonable. What do you think, though? Do you think she’ll apologize?”
As we exited the school building and walked through the academy grounds, my brother asked.
Would Arcelia apologize or not?
It had been four years since we met, but we hadn’t spent even thirty days together, so I didn’t know everything about her.
Thus, I couldn’t really predict her actions.
“… I think she might offer a superficial apology.”
“What do you mean?”
“She has a lot of pride… But I feel like there’s more to it than just that. Though, it’s all just my guess.”
Someone with just a high sense of pride wouldn’t cling to me like that.
It’s a bit of a bias on my part, but I imagine someone like her would prefer to stay alone, not mingle with anyone.
But Arcelia was different.
Maybe it was because I had brought out her true self, but she had become strangely fixated on me.
That’s where she differs from someone who’s simply prideful.
That’s why I wasn’t sure what kind of actions she’d take.
“Whatever the outcome, isn’t this a good opportunity? You need time to focus on yourself, right?”
“Yeah, by chance… but you’re right. This is a good opportunity.”
Looking back, ever since I entered the academy, I’d been constantly dragged around by Arcelia and hadn’t had much time to focus on myself.
I was able to train alone, but in other areas, not so much.
I’m fundamentally a person who enjoys solitude.
So while this situation was troublesome, it was also a welcome chance.
“Plus, sometimes a clash is necessary.”
My brother muttered to himself.
At this moment, I was feeling pretty optimistic about the whole ordeal.
