Opponent Color (4)
“Ughhh…”
Sometimes it happens. People who repay kindness with resentment.
I know full well that Helena deserves thanks for taking the hand of someone like me—a total newborn to city life, clueless about shops or necessities—and leading the way without hesitation. Especially since she even opened her wallet without a second thought, considerate of my guilt over unnecessary spending.
But there are procedures in this world. If you're going to mentally torture someone, you build a scary atmosphere first... If you're asking someone on a date, you suggest a movie or dinner beforehand... basic common sense!
So yeah, I figure I've earned the right to get a little mad at her now...
“Phew... I think we've bought everything that comes to mind. How about grabbing dinner and calling it a night?”
“...I'll cover dinner.”
“...Cheeky. For a little sister.”
...How could I possibly get mad at her?
Just looking at her face fills me with a sense of relief I didn't even know I needed, like the North Star steadying my shaky footing. My star.
I took a moment to watch my luggage fly off a day early to Helena's place via the perfectly synced drone delivery service (drone: unmanned aerial vehicle with autonomous navigation).
Then we kept moving. The sales clerk's brutal clarification that tank tops and hot pants aren't underwear still echoes in my ears. Forgetting the embarrassing terms “sports bra” and “sports panties” for a second doesn't warrant that pitying look...?
In the end, I had to swallow my shame and pick them out myself. So...
Someone, please just shoot down my luggage.
I hate to waste the towels and sundries packed inside that Helena picked out, but... anything with frills on the underwear? I never want to face that again.
Clunk... clunk...
“Whoa...”
“? Asha, don't just stand there spacing out.”
She led the way confidently, as if she already knew a good spot for dinner, and soon we reached the massive pillar at the center of this giant shopping center.
A pair of endlessly long escalators twisted around it in a double helix, swarming with countless people coming and going for their own purposes. Even for one of the city's largest buildings, it was just a shopping center—part of everyday life. But designing it like an assembly line on a conveyor belt for peak efficiency... it was downright awe-inspiring.
...Safety concerns? No bloodstains in sight as I followed Helena onto the escalator. Whether it's safety measures or just good cleaning... I'll find out if I witness it firsthand.
“So, what restaurant are we heading to? Don't tell me...”
I barely swallowed the words on the tip of my tongue. Asking a silver-haired European beauty if she knew any Korean places? Even I'd call that overkill.
“Huh? The food court, obviously. I don't know what you like yet, so we'll figure it out bit by bit.”
“...Food court?”
With the center's overflowing crowds, it wouldn't make sense if there wasn't one. Food's one area where people tend to splurge regardless, so not a bad choice. But the way her eyes lit up at “figure it out bit by bit”... she seemed more excited about the chance to talk than the dinner I was supposed to treat her to.
That... might actually be a relief. I had plenty of questions myself.
Clunk...
We'd reached the target floor—obvious even without knowing the layout or Helena pointing it out. The mouthwatering aromas wafting everywhere made it impossible to miss.
The food court took up nearly an entire floor, and the first impression? Kinda like a cafeteria. One where the actual cooking process was hidden away, though.
The floor-to-ceiling glass walls gave a huge sense of openness, like you were dining amid the city's neon glow. But the food stalls were completely walled off except for the pickup counters. Endless hisses of steam and mechanical whirs from inside... yeah, I get who's doing the cooking. As for ingredients... uh... better not to know?
Beep!
Before Helena could pay again on her own whim, I linked my barcode to the ordering panel.
Quality and authenticity aside, hundreds of pages and thousands of menu options popped up—enough to paralyze anyone with choice paralysis. Luckily, something familiar caught my eye, so I ordered without hesitation.
“What do you want, Helena...?”
Before I could finish, a hand reached over my shoulder and firmly tapped her choice, adding it to the order.
...The synthetic meat steak set quantity jumped to two.
“......”
A slight turn of the head met her eyes... and without needing to decide who went first, we both snorted in laughter.
Even without a drop of shared blood, we sisters apparently share some memories after all.
Pssshhh—!
Pickup was almost instant after ordering—no, paying. We grabbed the food from the counter and headed to the least crowded table.
But the conversation I expected to kick off right away wasn't that urgent.
“......”
I cautiously cut a piece of meat, chewed, and swallowed. Would she light the fuse first...? Maybe I could sneak in my questions... I focused every sense on reading the mood.
Not fidgeting anxiously. Helena Valentin's presence was too overwhelming to let nerves or worry take hold. Just... the source of her kindness wasn't clear, so I worried I might screw up.
“...You really are like a cat.”
“Cough cough! ...What do you mean?”
Those jewel-like eyes, demurely lowered toward the table, now fixed on me.
“Chomping away diligently, but ride a few gentle strokes and you follow right along. It's too cute.”
“?!”
Does she have no idea the profound butterfly effect her words might unleash? My neck's stiffening up.
“Such a weird kid... that's you, Asha. You latched on without even knowing who I was, full of inexplicable confidence in odd spots despite knowing nothing.”
“That's...”
Relationships go both ways. The more you peer in, the more you're peered back at. With no monitor between us anymore, she'd clearly been observing me carefully too.
“At first, I was just curious about this sweet, cute kid new to the city who seemed too naive to leave alone... Now I'm too invested to back out.”
“Wh-what, why...!”
Correction. Jitters and anxiety just bloomed inside me.
Hard to tear my eyes from her tongue licking sauce off her lips, or those glowing red eyes.
...No, I won't look away. Prey doesn't ignore a predator's gaze.
“...This girl called Anastasia Valentin. Where did she come from to meet me, and why does she keep gazing at me with such wistful, honey-sweet, bashful eyes...? I want to know.”
“?!?!?!?!?!”
Clang!
My breath hitched, a ridiculous noise threatening to escape, so I clamped my mouth shut and bolted up from my seat. Fork and knife clattered to the floor, but a cleaning bot swept through, detecting the mess—no change in the situation.
We weren't real sisters for familial warmth to cover this. Helena Valentin had already bared her heart.
The problem? My questions topped out at “Why are you a cop?” while hers dug disastrously deep.
“No... no! It's not like that...!!”
“......”
I babbled whatever came to mind without properly explaining. Misunderstanding. Wrong impression. Not that, anyway not that. Mistake. Desperate excuses poured out as she listened quietly, elegantly finishing her meal before looking up.
“...If you're so sure, want to test it? Head back to the hotel like you want...?”
“...Huh?”
She hooked her arm through mine—softly, but with unrefusable resolve. Not holding hands or carrying me, but escorting an equal.
We exited the long escalator, hopped on the autobike she'd remotely summoned to wait outside the center. From shopping center to upper-floor hotel, lobby to my room. No time to fear the insane speed.
The runaway locomotive of a bike never met my eyes once, ignoring my desperate pleas.
“Eek?!”
Beep!
Card key recognized, Room 701's door slid open slowly. All my nerves on Helena, the tiny electronic chirp made me yelp shrilly.
She, stuck close naturally, flinched and passed on her surprise...
“...Pfft! Ahahaha! Asha, honestly... Scared and shrinking because big sis was joking?!”
“...Wait, what?!”
She burst into the laughter she'd held back. My jaw dropped. Mouth wouldn't close. Must look hilarious from her view.
Helena strode in first, laughing heartily. Chatting lightly about the view from the upper floors being different, actual water shower instead of air cleaner...
...What about my rattled brain?!
“Asha...?”
“!!”
Bang!!
Ignoring her soft call, I slammed the bathroom door and barricaded myself inside. Intense self-loathing stabbed my face. How'd I fall for such a prank? She acted too convincingly un-jokey, but my brain jumping straight to that direction shares the blame.
Glare at the mirror, and the flushed girl glares back.
...Idiot.
...Yeah, whatever the contents, this body's a woman's. Helena's a captivating woman too. So that unproductive stuff... wouldn't happen...?
Huh...?
“...Hold on.”
...In Neo Haven, is it impossible for the protagonist—female gender—to hook up with Helena?
Haven't I cleared every possible route as 'Anastasia' already?
And Helena making such a silly joke? If anything, she might've hidden real intentions in her words...!
Why's this obvious fact hitting me now?
Because... I'm not the protagonist anymore...?
“Ugh...!”
Recalling her words set my brain ablaze. And the room's too quiet. She's definitely waiting outside for a reply. Just fumbling late because I'm clueless.
I gripped the smooth bathroom tiles, hauling my slumped body up.
...If I've made her this considerate from my side, that's enough. At least face real feelings with real ones—boldly. That's what makes a man.
Resolved, I opened the door.
...To her side.