"……I mean, saying I’d repay you isn’t really just an excuse, but I thought if I had a reason, I could see you again…."

"W-what… what are you saying, you…"

"Refréa. Call me that."

She giggles shyly, looking as though she can see nothing but me.

The old man from the black market smirks, amusedly watching us.

"H-hey, let's move somewhere else."

"Ah!"

"Don’t make weird noises."

Roughly pulling her hand, I lead her to a less crowded spot.

I never thought someone so beautiful could be this infatuated.

Or is she just teasing me?

…No, that wouldn’t be possible if she’s this sincere.

"So… you’ve been following me because… you’ve fallen for me…?"

"I just really wanted to see you. I know it's weird, even I think so… but I couldn't help myself." Her quick

, sideways glances made her look just like a girl truly in love, and I felt my heart tremble. Would I say I

wasn't happy about her affection? Of course I was. Being loved

by someone so beautiful… well, I've never even been liked by anyone of the opposite sex

before. Saying I wasn't happy would be a lie.

But I hated how simple-minded I was feeling. Still

, I had no intention of accepting her. "I don't understand why

you're so interested in me… but I'm just a moldy old thing stuck in this labyrinthine street. I did help you back then, sure, but that was just chance. You shouldn't overthink it. Besides, people like you are just too dazzling for me."

Just as I found myself drawn to her—so completely different from me—perhaps she, too, was intrigued by me, someone so unlike herself.

But it must just be a passing fancy.

My brain, temporarily confused after being saved from death, is probably just playing tricks on me.

"It's not a misunderstanding. I've never felt this way before... And... I have to leave the city soon, so I just wanted to say thank you one last time."

"S-so that's it?"

"……Yes."

I jumped to conclusions.

She probably intended to just say her thanks and leave without saying anything about her feelings.

I was the one who stubbornly forced it out of her.

She's not some Japanese student, after all—relationships don't always follow that kind of cliché. I just kept imagining that sort of thing.

It's embarrassing, really."...I get it. So I should just accept this so-called thanks, right?"

"You're really going to accept it?"

"Yeah, I was being too stubborn before. I'm sorry."

"Then, how about we go get something to eat first? Do you have any foods you dislike?"

"Eat?"

It was an unexpected invitation.

I thought she'd give me some kind of gift as thanks, but apparently that wasn't the case.

A meal won't take long.

It's already dusk. In this darkness, I won't stand out.

Besides, rejecting her feelings any further would hurt too much.

Even though I have my own reasons, it's also true that she waited for me right in front of the labyrinth, or at the shadow market.

I don’t really understand the conventions of this world. If someone saves my life, I must absolutely repay them—maybe that’s how it works. Since Reflair kept postponing her departure from town, it must be because I insisted so strongly that she had to delay her plans.

Suddenly, the viewers come to mind.

But even if Reflair is beautiful, just sharing a meal shouldn’t cause viewers to increase—surely it would only be a temporary spike, which would make things easier to bear.

"If you don’t have anything you dislike, leave it to me. I know some great restaurants."

With a proud chest and cheerful energy, Reflair takes my hand and leads me forward.

I’m dragged along as I walk.

◇◆◆◆◇

I stared at the platinum blonde—something I'd only ever seen on TV or in photos—walking slightly ahead of me.

I was wearing dark hair, cheap black clothes, dirty boots, and wasn't particularly tall, making me look completely mismatched.

(A princess and her attendant, just like that.)

She was so otherworldly beautiful that I couldn't help but think it.

Or maybe it was just because I was Japanese—how many men could look at someone resembling a fantasy game character without feeling inferior?

There was no sense of superiority in walking beside a beauty like her.

I only felt deeply uncomfortable.

(She said she likes me...? Is that really true...?)

I gazed at Refreia's swaying hair, my thoughts drifting aimlessly.

For me, a high school student with a record of zero romantic relationships equal to my age, this was nothing short of a bolt from the blue.

It was just as unreal as being transported to another world.

...Regardless of the circumstances, she was leaving town.

Then, this encounter with her would be nothing more than a fleeting moment today, right now.

I'd better not think too deeply about it.

The restaurant we were brought to by Refreia wasn't a fancy place—it was just an ordinary eatery.

A stone-built building, rough wooden tables, and a modest cafeteria run by a father and his wife.

I'd been nervous, expecting a fancy place since Refreia, so regal in appearance, had brought me here. So, honestly, I was relieved.

"Please, sit over there. ...Don't run away again, okay?"

"I'm not going to run off after coming this far."

Reflia finally released my hand.

I idly rubbed the warmth lingering in my hand as I sat down on the chair.

Reflia casually ordered various things from the landlady who came to take our order.

(Come to think of it, this was actually my first time entering a restaurant to eat.)

Back in the forest, we’d only eaten fruit, and since arriving in town, I’d always just eaten from street vendors.

Inns don’t serve meals, and besides, I didn’t have the courage to enter a foreign world’s restaurant all by myself.

The inside of the shop was quite dim, lit only by candles, and the few customers around us glanced at Reflia first—then at me—but such attention was tolerable.

After a while, our drinks arrived.

I hadn’t said anything about preferences, but she seemed to have ordered on her own.

Well, I said to leave it to you, so this must be how things are in this world.

"Then, once again, thank you for saving my life. Cheers!"

"C-Cheers!"

With clumsy hands, clinking the glasses together, and sipping a drink resembling orange juice.

(Hmm!?)