Chapter 4. Flight and Service (12)

Before going into any more detail, I went up to the rooftop with Ria.

The Association building also served as both office and rest area. It wasn't an enormous building, but it had lounge spaces and a cafeteria inside.

And the rooftop wasn't just a bleak space with air conditioner units and vents, either. It had the feel of a small, nicely arranged garden.

Had Magic been used on it?

Glaria seemed to want to have a more practical conversation with Ria's uncle, Kim Hyeon-gang, and Lee Si-yoon and Han Yu-ri had gone back to the training grounds, so that was a relief. Well, the whole mood in the Association had gotten stirred up because of me, so even if Glaria had been there, I doubt anything would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have happened.

An idol...... no, not that. If I had to put it a certain way, the mood was like citizens greeting a politician they truly, enormously respected.

It's not like I'm going to get involved in politics or anything, but if I'm not careful, this could lead to pointless misunderstandings. I should be careful.

Whoosh. A somewhat chilly wind swept over us.

Shivering slightly, I thought that the green plants in this garden had definitely been grown with Magic. It was about the season for new sprouts to come up, but not the season for them to be this green.

Rustle, rustle. I walked across the grass to the rooftop railing and leaned lightly against it.

"It's nice here."

I murmured it to no one in particular.

We were still in the middle of the city, and the rooftop was a little too low to call an observation deck, but the road spread out in front was very wide, and a fairly large park was attached right beside it, so the view was wide open.

It was a weekday afternoon, so the atmosphere was somewhat quiet, but that quietness had its own charm. If anything, the people moving around below seemed very relaxed.

Hunters, well, usually fight for money. But even so, it's not as if they have no desire at all to protect the sight below.

In the middle of the park stood a large black monument. I couldn't see it well from here, but the names densely written on it were the names of the victims of the disaster that had happened here.

At a glance, the monument rose so high that you might think it would topple over if someone shoved it hard, but in truth, it was also driven very deep into the ground. And it was solidly reinforced on the sides, so I'd heard that even a fairly large earthquake wouldn't budge it.

The reason the monument was built so solidly was also a pledge that such a thing would never happen ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠again. A pledge to prepare thoroughly and respond immediately before such a catastrophe could occur.

And the most comfortable rest area in this building had been made in the spot with the best view of that monument. Somehow, I got the feeling that wasn't just a coincidence.

"......."

And I had seen people get hurt and die to keep that pledge.

"Here."

Ria handed me a canned drink.

"Thanks."

When I took it, it was warm. She's quick on the uptake.

It wasn't so cold that I couldn't stand it, but my hands were a little chilled, so I didn't drink it right away.

We leaned against the railing side by side.

There were no other Hunters visible in the rooftop garden. Had they cleared out after hearing we were coming up? If so, I felt a little bad about it.

From beside me came the sound of a can opening.

Ria took a sip of the warm cocoa. Her expression looked like she was lost in thought.

It was an expression I often saw on Ria, but somehow I got the feeling that today's expression was because she had seen me like that.

That power isn't mine. I've thought all along, up until now, that that power isn't mine, and so there's nothing for me to show off.

That feeling hasn't changed even now. To be honest, while I was getting excited from hearing praise, I also felt a little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠uncomfortable. Because it felt like I was receiving praise that someone else should have received.

Somehow, I didn't want Ria to see through those thoughts. Was it childish bravado? Maybe it was because we'd spent so long bickering while sharing a room.

At the very least, she was the person I'd talked with the longest, in the closest proximity, since coming to this world.

"Why?"

To lighten the mood a little, I deliberately said something like that.

Closing my eyes, chest pushed forward,

"Do you finally see now that I'm kind of an amazing person?"

......There was a lot to object to in that statement. After all, I'd already told Ria several times that that power wasn't mine and that I wouldn't use it for myself.

I thought a comeback would fly at me right away—

But Ria was just silently lost in thought.

"......."

I watched Ria with a pout and moved to poke her in the side...... but couldn’t bring myself to do it.

......I mean, this can't be helped.

I've lived in a woman's body for quite a long time, and I've adapted in my own way. By now, I'm confident I could just shrug it off even if another woman changed clothes in front of me. Though I still couldn't look straight at her.

But, even so, there's one part that hasn't changed at all.

I...... how should I put it, well, I like women.

That, at least, hadn't changed easily. I probably could never love a man.

But that doesn't mean I can just go around talking about that in this world.

Even by modern standards, this could be called the near future, but when it comes to sexual matters, it isn't much different from reality.

On top of that, I live in a convent.

In this world's religion, that sort of thing is taboo for many people. Especially inside a convent, even more so. If we aren't careful around each other, things will obviously get incredibly awkward.

If anything, if Ria had properly shown even a hint of that kind of atmosphere in the original work, I might have been less hesitant. But in the original, Ria had liked Lee Si-yoon.

Apart from wanting to interfere, I already know Ria's sexual orientation for certain.

If you revealed that kind of thing between people of the same sex, the relationship could fall apart. Rationally, you might think that revealing it and “liking me” were separate issues, but people tended to be more wary than usual of things they weren't accustomed to.

The thought that women sometimes have: "What if she likes me?" That could end up being applied to the entire orientation itself.

......Ironically, the reason Ria can poke my side, grab my hand or wrist, or stroke my head is precisely because she isn't conscious of me sexually to that extent.

Conversely, I...... couldn't look at Ria with such indifferent eyes.

"......."

In the end, I just folded my fingers back.

That's right. I was a coward.

What could I do? I'd never even had a proper romance in my Past Life.

Back in college, I couldn't even hold a proper conversation with female classmates, seniors, or juniors. No matter how close I'd gotten to my roommate, doing something like that so openly to someone with such an attractive appearance was a bit overwhelming.

Just as I was about to let out a deep sigh, Ria spoke.

"Do I...... treat you too roughly, usually?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Fortunately, Ria's words were stupid enough to blow away all of my rather deep worries in one shot.

"No, well, I mean."

Apparently my utterly dumbfounded reaction landed like an attack on Ria, because she glanced around awkwardly as she spoke.

"If you saved that many people, then in and of itself, that makes you a Hero. But you don't usually try to show off openly, and, well, in a sense, doesn't that make you fit the word 'Hero' even better? So I was wondering if I've been treating you too roughly...... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ugh."

Being praised is a pleasant thing. Having my head stroked, well, if it's done by a beauty like Ria, I can accept it.

But being hyped up so openly like this makes me cringe in return. Is she doing it on purpose?

"What are you talking about, bringing that up now? Who in the world pokes the ribs of someone they think is a Hero with their finger?"

"No, I......."

Ria started to say something, then paused in thought for a moment and lowered her head slightly.

"Sorry......."

And she said it in a voice that was barely audible.

You know what? No matter how much a person tries to see someone's inner self, the damn bias about their appearance doesn't easily go away.

Ria looked every bit like a heroine to me, and that actually left me speechless.

Suddenly, irritation surged up.

So Lee Si-yoon had made a girl like this fall for him? Fall for him enough to even have a "first kiss"?

Knowing Novelpia, there had definitely been chapters rated 19+ too.

But I quickly shook off those thoughts. No matter how I thought about it, this wasn't the situation for that kind of thinking.

"Well, it's not that I have no complaints."

I opened my mouth.

"But don't apologize that much. Are you trying to suffocate someone to death?"

"......Uh, no, that wasn't what I meant."

"And don't try to apologize again. What's wrong with you? Did you eat something weird today?"

"No, I was just thinking again."

Feeling a little frustrated, I shoved my face right up to Ria's. And then quickly pulled back. Wait, what had I been thinking?

Oh, right. That's right.

"Let's not forget what we set out to do, okay?"

"Original plan?"

"The Church is just my refuge, right? I'm only staying until the stalker problem is resolved. Becoming a Saintess or whatever can be put off as long as possible, and before everything gets decided, we need to make a quick escape."

"Ah, yeah."

Ria looked a little put off by what I said, but I honestly preferred that.

Right. It's a refuge. The Church.

When I first came outside, even if receiving praise like this felt good at first, I was obviously going to feel suffocated soon.

To me, it might just be volunteer work I started with a light heart, but at some point, for someone, that...... becoming their only salvation is something I can't handle.

"While I'm at the Church, I'll do this and that volunteer work, but once I escape, I plan to live properly for myself. An Atheist only gets one life, after all."

"Is that so......."

Toward Ria, who answered a little deflated, I pointed my finger at her with a flourish.

"So, once we start cooperating, let's cooperate properly with each other until the end. Got it? Don't go having weird thoughts. Good grief, a Hero? Are you trying to make someone into a Saintess?"

"Huh."

Ria let out a sound like she was briefly dumbfounded—

"Ha, hahaha!"

Then she burst out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠laughing, clutching her stomach.

"What? Why are you laughing? Is what I said funny?"

"Huh? No, no, it's just, this situation is funny."

Ria let out a long breath—

And placed her hand on my head.

Then she lightly stroked it.

"Yeah, that's the Anna I know."

"What exactly do you mean by ‘that’s so me’?"

"Well, several things."

Ria lowered her hand again.

I really didn't like how I felt a little disappointed seeing that.

Only then did I realize I still hadn't opened the can in my hand, and I opened it.

Ria waited leisurely until I finished the cocoa.

In that attitude, I didn't feel much of the anguish from a moment ago.

I thought that was a relief.