The Assistant Instructor (2)
After the conversation at the teahouse, Tiar started avoiding me. I regretted it. I had given her what amounted to shallow advice without properly understanding the kind of wounds she carried. No matter how well-intentioned, there must have been a better way to say it than speaking so bluntly. I had been clumsy.
“Why would Mister Taron ask me to do this when he knows my personality so well….”
This time, perhaps his judgment in entrusting me with the task had been wrong. But the water had already been spilled. I needed to apologize to Tiar for what happened that day.
Once I had organized my thoughts, rain began to fall outside and the sky grew dark. They say it’s best to strike while the iron is hot, so I grabbed a raincoat and a lantern and headed for Tiar’s house late at night.
Plop. Plop.
The sound of raindrops hitting the ground echoed around me. On nights like this, strange sentiments always crept in. Wasn’t it all in the past? There was no need to dwell on it. I cleared the thoughts from my mind and, upon reaching Tiar’s house, carefully knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
The wooden door produced a clear sound. The rain grew heavier. Worried she might not have heard it over the downpour, I knocked again.
Knock, knock, knock.
‘Is she asleep? If so, I’ll leave her be and apologize tomorrow.’
Just as I was about to turn away—
A somewhat damp-sounding voice came from inside. I cautiously opened the door and stepped in. I folded the wet raincoat neatly and left it outside, placing the lantern beside it.
Tiar was in her nightclothes. It looked like she had just washed her face; she was drying it with a towel. Once she finished, she glanced at the scarlet lantern sitting in the middle of the table, then stole a quick look at me.
Her tone lacked its usual roughness and defensiveness. I knew this voice well. It was the one that emerged when she had collapsed from exhaustion and nothing remained but sorrow.
I cleared my throat once and apologized to her.
“…….”
Tiar stared at me with widened eyes, as if she hadn’t expected an apology. After gazing at me for a long moment, she walked to the table and tapped the spot in front of it.
Tap. Tap.
“!”
This time my eyes widened. It was the first time Tiar had called me by my name, and her voice carried a gentleness I had never heard from her before.
Creak.
I pulled out the chair as she suggested and sat down. She took her seat as well, and for a moment we simply looked at each other across the softly glowing lantern. Tiar spoke first.
“…?”
“…….”
“…….”
I listened to her confession in silence.
Tiar, who had been calmly continuing her confession, suddenly stopped.
“Huh?”
At that moment, lightning struck violently nearby.
Boom!
Tiar seemed greatly startled. She tumbled from her chair, wrapped her arms around herself, and trembled violently. In a shaking voice, she said to me,
Shiver, shiver.
But her trembling only grew worse. The pitiful sight moved me to stand and approach her. I spread out the cloak I was wearing, draped it over her, and sat beside her. Tiar looked startled.
“…What?”
Boom!
Lightning struck hard once more. I placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from shaking further and tried to calm her.
Tiar’s voice grew small, as if embarrassed. I nodded.
Tiar looked at me.
“Really? Then I’m glad. In the old days, I was always drawing maps. I had to finish the laundry before Doren saw it. Katia would eventually run over and help me.”
Yet when I glanced at her, I could see a small smile forming on her lips.
“Katia couldn’t handle spicy food well. One day she declared she would eat it as well as I did and dumped a mountain of peppers into her dinner. That night we heard her running to the outhouse so often that neither of us slept. After that day, Katia wouldn’t even look at spicy food.”
“And then there was the time…”
The story of how Katia and I got scolded for giving Doren alcohol as a birthday present. The time we ran away from Taron’s sword training, got lost, and cried. The eating contest where I choked and Katia saved me… and so on. I told Tiar every embarrassing story about Katia and me that came to mind.
Tiar became absorbed in my stories and kept bursting into laughter. I removed the arm I had wrapped around her shoulders and said,
“Yes? What?”
“…Huh?”
She shot up and looked toward the window. The rain was still pouring heavily.
I gave Tiar a gentle smile.
I stood up as well and patted her shoulder comfortingly.
“……Ah.”
Tiar gazed at the moon visible between the clouds and quietly shed tears.
She cried quietly, then smiled at me. It was the brightest smile she had ever shown me.
“…….”
She had just gained an important realization. If she could now combine that with the venom and competitive spirit she already possessed, her growth would soon surpass even what I could predict.
Tiar tilted her head and looked at me.
“…….”
When I heard Tiar’s question, no particular answer came to mind. Wasn’t wanting to help someone who looked pitiful a feeling anyone would have? It wasn’t something only I could do. It wasn’t anything special. I scratched my cheek and said,
Tiar answered as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Huh? No?”
“I-is that so?”
I had never really thought about it, so I wasn’t sure. But since it seemed like she was trying to compliment me, my cheeks began to itch again.
After sharing such a long conversation, the rain finally began to let up. I put on the raincoat I had left outside and prepared to leave.
‘Thank goodness. The talk went better than I expected. Tiar seems to have regained her energy too.’
“…….”
Just as I opened the door to leave, Tiar came up behind me and gently tugged at my raincoat. When I turned around, she was looking down with a flushed face.
“Really? Well, whatever is comfortable for you.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper. I nodded and left Tiar’s house.