Chapter 43. A Heart-Pounding First Time, a Fluttering Realization.
Chapter 43. A Heart-Pounding First Time, a Fluttering Realization.
'Of course, no matter how oblivious he might be, it would be hard for him to just ignore this kind of atmosphere.'
Clearly, he must have noticed too.
That, despite having come out into town with a light heart, the gazes of countless people were fixed on the two of them.
And if he had realized she was the reason for it, how exactly would he act?
"There are a lot of people in town today."
The answer came soon enough.
Exactly as she had expected.
"I'll walk ahead. I'll clear a path, so make sure you follow closely."
Dave quickened his pace and positioned himself ahead of her.
Noticing the hand he subtly extended behind him, Ymir reflexively grabbed hold of it.
With confident strides, he forged a path through the crowd.
The moment he took the lead, she felt the prying eyes that had been on her just moments before simply melt away.
There were so many people around that merely walking in front of her was enough to conceal her presence.
Even if some still recognized her, their attention was focused not on her, but on the man holding her hand and leading her onward.
"Hey, look. That woman there...."
"Is she dating that guy?"
"Lucky bastard. Getting to walk around with a beauty like that."
Rather than being the object of lust and jealousy herself, she became the reason for the envy and admiration directed at the man escorting her.
Of course, even that could have felt burdensome, but Dave paid no mind to their stares, focusing solely on navigating the streets.
'...He's just being considerate.'
Even the hand holding hers practically radiated that consideration.
So much so that she felt a bit awkward herself....
'Is this his idea of being considerate on a date?'
The thought pricked at her conscience, leaving a tingling sensation on her lips.
'Must be nice, getting to keep someone like me all to yourself, unlike those other men.'
A sarcastic jab born from a twisted disposition, or perhaps a quip she'd consider half a joke....
Normally, she might have blurted it out without a second thought, but today, for some reason, she didn't want to say something like that.
No, it wasn't just because of today.
It was because the man leading her was this very man.
"...Miss Ymir?"
Yes, she didn't want to say those things to a man who was still watching out for her even in a bustling moment like this.
"Are you alright? You've gone quiet...."
"...Have I?"
Afraid her true feelings might show, she averted her gaze and replied nonchalantly.
"Well, the surroundings are quite distracting. Maybe it's just that."
"Ah, yes. It is, isn't it? Even holding a conversation here is a bit... Huh?"
At that moment, a hand reached out, taking Dave by surprise.
Ymir still had her eyes averted, but her actions were unreserved.
"It's because the road is narrow. Isn't this more comfortable if we're trying to get through?"
"B-But...."
"What, do you have a problem with me clinging to you?"
She went beyond just holding hands, using both arms to close the distance.
When they ended up linking arms, Dave's face flushed as his voice began to tremble.
"N-No, it's not that.... We're, well, touching quite a bit...."
"Ah~ Now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little peckish."
Brushing off his fluster, Ymir clung even closer.
The cleft of her breasts, which even her school uniform couldn't fully hide, pressed deep into his arm, but in the end, he didn't pull away. Instead, he simply continued pushing through the crowd with rigid steps.
"Now that I think about it, I didn't eat all that much this morning.... Should we pick up some snacks along the way?"
"Co-Come to think of it, there's a place that makes really good fried food nearby. Would you like to try some?"
"Anything's fine with me. I'm not exactly picky about what I eat."
"Okay, th-then let's go straight there."
He's definitely conscious of it, after all.
The indifference he showed during their first meeting was just an act. When he saw her naked body before, and even this morning when she made him grope her chest, he must have felt the same things as other men.
But there was a fundamental difference between him and them.
At the very least, he didn't prioritize his own feelings.
His actions were never driven by his own desires, but always by consideration for the person next to him.
"Here you are."
"Thanks."
That much was also clear when they bought food from a street stall afterward.
After handing over the food, he didn't immediately start eating his own. Instead, he simply watched Ymir silently until she took her first bite of the fried food.
"Is the taste alright?"
His mouth didn't open again until after she'd swallowed. Even then, the hand holding his plate hadn't so much as flinched.
Despite the unique aroma of the fried food surely filling his nose by now.
"......Who knows. I can't really tell. I'm not the type to eat specifically for flavor."
"Ah, is that so?"
A slightly disappointed face.
It was only natural, since he must have thought his recommendation had earned a poor review.
Noticing his expression, Ymir brought a piece of fried food to her mouth and continued speaking.
"Well, it's not inedible, so there's no problem."
Her brusque tone was the same as always.
But the gesture of bringing the food to her lips was completely unreserved.
She just showed him that she was eating it quietly, the only sound being the distinctive crunch of the fried coating.
Only after she'd done this for some time did Dave's expression relax, and he finally started to eat his own share.
Right, actions speak louder than words when it comes to reviewing food.
Whatever it is, eating it without hesitation and looking like you enjoy it is all that matters.
"Honey~, open wide~"
How long had they been eating in silence?
The sound coming from nearby the place they'd settled perked Ymir's ears right up.
A voice that bordered on coquettish rather than just aegyo. Along with it, a woman offered a bite of food on her fork, and the man opposite her beamed brightly as he accepted it.
"Mmm~~!! It tastes so much better when you feed it to me!"
"Does it taste that good!?"
"It tastes that good!!"
'...Wow, people like that actually exist.'
A lovey-dovey couple trapped in their own little world, giggling happily despite being in a public space.
Feeling strangely put off by their presence, she became aware of something reaching right in front of her face.
"Ah, you got some on you. Wait just a moment...."
The man eating fried food opposite her. By the time she noticed him, his hand had already brushed across her lips.
He must have picked off a crumb that she hadn't noticed was stuck there because she'd been distracted.
"That's the trouble with fried food. No matter how carefully you eat, crumbs and grease get on your mouth...."
Saying that, Dave brought the crumb stuck to his own finger up to his mouth.
As if he had no idea how that action looked to her, he maintained his characteristically gentle smile and began to reach into his pocket.
"Ah, do you need a handkerchief? Let me know right away if you do. There's a fountain nearby, so I can wet it and bring it for you."
"......."
"...Wh-What's the matter?"
Without a word.
And as soon as she glared at him with half-lidded eyes, Dave's shoulders stiffened up.
At his reaction, Ymir let out a scoffing laugh.
"You just ate it right away."
"Huh?"
"You just brought the crumb that was on my mouth straight to your own lips."
It was something that stood out even more because of the lovey-dovey couple beside them, who were wholeheartedly occupied with sucking each other's faces.
To the people around them, she and Dave likely looked no different from them.
"Ah, uh, i-it was just out of habit...."
"That's no good. Snatching someone's share right in front of them."
While he panicked, belatedly realizing his own actions, Ymir swiped a piece of food from the plate he was holding as his share.
A piece he'd just taken a bite from and placed back down.
"You took mine, so I'm taking one of yours."
"Wait? That's...."
Before he could say anything, Ymir bit into the fried food.
Without any hesitation, starting right from the spot he'd first bitten into.
"......It's delicious."
Anyone paying attention would call it an indirect kiss.
Yet Ymir didn't pay that fact any mind, simply savoring the taste as if it were nothing.
"Yeah. It's really delicious."
Or at least, that's how it looked on the outside.
-Thump-thump.
The pounding of her heart grew so intense she became aware of it the moment she put the food in her mouth.
She savored the rest of the fried food without letting it show, and after that, Dave asked her cautiously.
"Are you, feeling okay?"
A question containing many meanings.
Was she okay with eating something he'd already started? Was she bothered by the slight attention they were getting?
Even after realizing all that, Ymir simply continued in her characteristic shameless tone.
"Yeah, you rascal. It's not fair, being the only one eating something this good. When you bring someone to a good food spot, you should introduce them to things like this too."
"...It's the exact same menu, though?"
"Was it?"
She chuckled, then brought the remaining half of the fried piece to her mouth.
"Who cares, as long as it's delicious."
Isn't it strange?
It tastes different, even though it's clearly the exact same menu, as he said.
What's more, this was coming from someone who had never once in her life eaten something specifically for the flavor. That's why this particular sense of specialness hit her even harder.
'...No, it's different.'
It was a sensation she'd initially dismissed as merely novel.
But it didn't take her long to realize it wasn't an illusion.
'Because it was the one he was eating.'
Dave.
A man who suddenly barged into her life and brought an end to the journey she'd been racing down.
And who, even after that, chose not to leave her side, instead staying to open a path for her when she'd lost her way.
'It's because he's special.'
She could feel his presence within her growing steadily. As if the countless crowds around her, the moment she became conscious of that feeling, began to fade like dust before the wind.
"Well then, now that we've had a bite, shall we get going?"
Seemingly oblivious to her state of mind, Dave stood up and began preparing to leave.
There was nothing special about that, but where he was standing happened to be on the side of the road where carriages passed.
Naturally, so that she could be on the side away from the street.
-Neeeigh!
That this was also part of his consideration stood out even more because a carriage happened to charge past roughly and at high speed just then.
Was it a habit he'd unconsciously developed? Or did he just think acting that way was the obvious thing to do?
"...You don't know any more places?"
"Hm? Places...?"
"I mean, we came all the way out here, it's fine if we see a few sights before going back, isn't it?"
Whatever his reasons were, she found that she didn't dislike such small considerations. Thinking that, Ymir wrapped her arm around his again, just as before.
Dave tensed up considerably at the linked-arm posture. But in the end, without getting flustered, he accepted Ymir's arm and walked on.
-Thump, thump.
Even so, her heart inside her chest continued pounding away.
She could feel her body temperature rising from his nearness, but a sense of cool reason still occupied her mind.
Unlike this morning, when each of his words, each of his smiles, had caused her confusion.
'I think I'm starting to understand. Why I'm acting this way.'
Right. It only felt unfamiliar because it was her first time.
As time passed, she was rapidly realizing just what her feelings toward him were.
'To think excitement and composure can coexist... The human heart is truly a strange thing.'
The more unfamiliar something is, the deeper it resonates.
The Grand Archmage, who stood at the pinnacle of humanity, only realized in this very moment how incredibly important and precious the concept of a "first time" really was.