Peach-Scented Promise
Noah’s head began to sway left and right as she chewed her jelly with determined focus.
“Noah…? Don’t tell me you’re drunk…?”
“Uuung…? Do I look drunk? I’m toootally… not drunk at aall… Hehe…”
The rigid expression that had frozen her face only moments before melted into a silly, slack-jawed grin, and her cheeks flushed a vivid scarlet…
Anyone could see she was completely wasted.
“Rubiaaa…”
“…Yes?”
“There you are…!”
Noah flailed her arms wildly, searching for me; the instant she heard my voice she sprang toward me with a little hop.
“Eut…”
“Huuu… Fresh Rubia smell… The pillow’s scent was all gone… It made me so sad… Hehehe…”
She burrowed into my arms, clutching the collar of my clothes and burying her face against me to breathe me in.
But… a pillow?
“Uh, um… Sorry… I bought the drinks hoping you two would make up and talk things out… I never thought it would turn out like this…”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s fine. Besides, I never expected her to be this much of a lightweight either—”
“Huuung… Smells so gooood…”
“Sh-she didn’t seem to know it herself…”
“Right… Ha, haha…”
I tore my eyes away from Noah, who was deep in her drunken rambling, and glanced back at the spot where we had been lying.
Hepais’s pillow was still in its place, but mine had been dragged over and crumpled into the space Noah had occupied.
Had she been hugging my pillow…?
“Noah, um… Haa…”
“Yeees…?”
Honestly… there was a mountain of things I wanted to ask her right now.
But I didn’t want to hear her true feelings while she was this drunk.
It would have felt too cowardly of me.
So I only moved my lips soundlessly, stroking Noah’s hair, when—
“Rubia Unni, I’m going to my own room. You two talk… as much as you want!”
Hepais had already risen, gathered her things, and was heading for the door.
“No… You can stay here.”
“I have to get up early tomorrow! And it might be awkward if I’m around! Sleep well, see you tomorrow!!”
“…All right. Thank you. Good night.”
Hepais flashed a bright smile, quietly mouthed “Fighting!” and slipped out of the room.
For an eighteen-year-old… she was remarkably quick on the uptake.
“Rubiaaa… Why’d you stop talking…?”
Whether Hepais left or not, Noah wriggled against me, tickling my thigh with restless little movements.
“…Noah.”
An innocent face looked up at me.
Was it really all right to talk while she was this drunk?
Wouldn’t the alcohol pry out feelings she never meant to share?
My thoughts tangled into a knot.
“Want some jelly?”
“Huk… Jelly…!”
Drunk or sober, that part never changed.
I smiled softly and held a piece of jelly to Noah’s lips.
She opened her mouth wide, as if she meant to take my fingers along with it.
I caught a glimpse of her small, even teeth.
And a cute pink tongue that matched the size of her tiny mouth.
My eyes snagged on it.
“Why… aren’t you giving me the jelly…?”
“Ah, here.”
“Uuum… Peach!”
I poked Noah’s cheeks as they worked busily around the candy.
“Noah. Since I gave you jelly… may I ask one question?”
“Rubia… can ask questions even without giving me jelly…!”
“…Is that so?”
“Uung. Of course… Because Rubia’s my friend…!”
Noah’s bright, carefree answer made me happy…
and at the same time left a strange, uncomfortable ache somewhere deep inside.
“Friend… Yes. Because we’re friends…”
I wet my dry lips with my tongue and continued.
“Then I’ll ask as a friend. Earlier… were you lying down hugging my pillow?”
“Eek… How did you know…?”
“Why… did you do that?”
“Because Rubia wasn’t next to me… Without my greatsword I… can’t see anything… Hup… Th-this is… a se-secret though…”
Noah hurriedly clamped both hands over her mouth.
Right now…
Did she think Hepais was still here?
“Is it because of Hepais?”
“Uik… Ru-Rubia and… me… it’s our secret… Wh-what do I do…?”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Something I had said half in jest… she had taken so seriously.
“It’s all right. Hepais got sleepy and went to bed.”
“R-really? Then… can I tell you…?”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
I slowly stroked Noah’s hair.
How…
How could she be this adorable?
“When I woke up… the greatsword was gone… and Ru…bia was gone too… Do you know how lonely I was…?”
Noah pushed herself up and gently looped her arms around my neck.
“But… even though I’d gotten mad the day before… if I looked for Rubia just because I didn’t have my greatsword… Hic— I was scared Rubia would hate me…”
Her waterlogged voice soaked into my ear.
“So I just… held it in and held it in… and at least wanted to smell… Rubia’s scent… Ugh… It’s creepy, right…? I-I’m sorry…”
The arms around my neck slid limply away.
Noah’s trembling body began to pull back.
I lifted my arms and wrapped them around her waist.
I drew the retreating body even closer, holding her tight against me.
“Ue…?”
“It doesn’t bother me.”
“I-I… did it in secret though…?”
“Yes.”
If anything, knowing that in a situation like that…
she had still searched for me that desperately…
made me happy.
“Really…?”
“Of course. If anything, I’m the one who’s sorry. I left you alone even though I knew it would be like that.”
Noah’s arms wound around my neck once more.
Her heartbeat reached me clearly.
Small yet distinct, it blended with my own.
The breath she exhaled was hot.
I had to stop now.
Close my mouth.
Pull away.
“Noah.”
I knew I should.
“Yeees…?”
But this atmosphere…
the feel of Noah’s breath against my ear…
the sensation under my hands…
the pulse traveling through my body…
the deeper, richer red…
made my mouth move on its own.
“Noah… why do you want to protect me?”
It toyed with my heart however it pleased.
“Why… why did you say you would protect me for the rest of your life?”
“It’s so hard. I feel like… like I’ve become a terrible person, like I won’t be able to control these filthy feelings and I’ll end up hurting you, like that will drive us apart… I’m scared. But… but Noah, why do you keep…”
It’s not your fault.
It’s my problem.
And yet.
Cowardly.
Foolishly.
Pathetically.
Stupidly.
I was blaming her.
“Why… do you make me feel these ugly emotions?”
Words I could never say to her sober…
I was pouring out onto her while she was drunk.
“Why don’t you… push me away, and instead…”
Noah’s arms loosened.
“…Because.”
The hands that had slid from my shoulders down to my chest gently unwrapped my arms and pushed me back.
“I like Rubia.”
“…What?”
The voice that reached me was nothing like the slurred drawl of a moment ago.
It was clear, steady, full of strength.
“I like Rubia, who was similar to me yet walked a completely different path.”
The warmth that had gathered between our bodies scattered.
The sweet scent of jelly rode away on the bitter tang of alcohol.
“Endlessly radiant, and beautiful.”
Her eyes met mine.
“Only a Rubia like that… can save me.”
Eyes redder and deeper than my own feelings reflected me.
“Only Rubia… can give me the answer.”
Noah’s pure white smile…
“That’s why I protect you.”
…flowed into the deep crimson settled in my heart.
“That’s why I like you. Rubia.”
It mixed.
Blended.
Merged.
And grew pale.
“So don’t worry.”
On the last day of August.
Beneath the sweltering tropical night.
“There’s no way I could ever hate you.”
The deep red…
became a dazzling pink…
“For the rest of my life.”
…and left the fragrance of peach upon my lips.
“Uuuuugh… M-my head hurts…”
The moment consciousness returned, a searing heartburn flared in my gut alongside a monstrous headache.
What on earth happened yesterday…
Ah.
I ate the spicy skewers, then drank… alcohol.
But I only had one cup, right?
Why is everything after that a blank?
“Kkeuuu…”
Don’t tell me… I got drunk off a single drink?
Enough to lose my memory?
Aaaagh, I don’t know…
My stomach burns and my head pounds so much I don’t even want to think…
“S-somebody save meee… Water…”
I twisted, trying to roll onto my stomach.
But I couldn’t move.
“Uuung…?”
I stretched out a hand to check my surroundings.
Something… soft and enormous filled my palm.
“Eut, ung…”
“Rubia…?”
The strange little sound Rubia made snapped me fully awake.
My body was pinned by Rubia’s arms and legs.
And.
My hand.
My hand was…
“Noah… What am I supposed to do if you start groping my chest first thing in the morning? I haven’t given you permission for that yet…”
“Heh, heuu… I-I didn’t… mean to… I-I swear…!”
I yanked my hand away in a panic.
Then tried to turn my back on her.
But Rubia’s legs locked around me, refusing to let me go.
“Where do you think you’re going… Come here.”
And as if driving the point home,
her arms pulled me in with sudden force.
“Et… Uwa…?”
Suddenly… why was Rubia acting like this all of a sudden?
I’m sure… until yesterday things had been incredibly awkward…?
“Does your head hurt?”
“Y-yes, it hurts…”
“And your stomach?”
“It burns…”
“Huhuhu.”
A sweet fragrance tickled the tip of my nose.
“Ru-Rubia… Did you eat jelly… by yourself?”
“No?”
“But… I’m sure… I smell jelly…”
“What kind of scent?”
“P-peach…”
“Peach? Puhuhut… Is that so?”
Rubia gently eased me away.
“What should we eat?”
Why… did her voice sound so sweet…?
“I-I don’t know… My stomach hurts too much…”
“Hmm, then some warm soup would be good. I’ll go get it.”
She patted my back a couple of times, then rose and stretched with a series of soft cracks.
“Uuuugh… My back.”
And then came the soft rustle of fabric…
“Ru-Rubia… Clothes… Are you putting on clothes?”
“Yes.”
“Why…?”
“I can’t exactly go out naked, can I?”
“Ah, uh…? No… Th-that’s not what I…”
“Something simple… bread would be nice too.”
“Not bread… Ru-Rubia? Why… why are you and I both… undressed…”
No.
I was still wearing clothes…?
“I’ll be right back.”
The door opened with a soft creak.
“Just hang on a little longer.”
And Rubia left.
“…Eh?”
Because I couldn’t see, I could hear all the more clearly.
Just now.
Rubia’s voice, laced with laughter,
“P-pink…?”
had carried a heat…
and the color pink.