"Hey hey, what's wrong?"
His voice was light, as if teasing.
But at the same time kindness dwelled in its core.
"…Because… I was scared…"
What seeped from the edges of the words was a weakness she had been holding down.
Unease she could not suppress leaked into that voice.
Rigel's hand gently stroked Char's head.
Every time his fingertips combed her hair, her trembling quieted little by little.
"What's scary? Try saying it."
"That you might have gone somewhere, Rigel-san…"
"Me?"
"…Yes. Because… when I woke up, you weren't there… I thought maybe everything from yesterday was a dream…"
Char's voice was small, yet earnest.
As if confirming, as if wishing.
Receiving her unease, Rigel said quietly.
"Sorry for making you uneasy. But don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. And of course I have no intention of letting you go."
"…Is that true?"
"Yeah."
"That's a promise, okay?"
"Of course."
It was a short exchange, but the weight of those words sank deep into Char's chest.
