...
I'm the type of person who can't live for someone else. That's why I'm alone more often than I'm with anyone.
There isn't any special reason for that.
It's not just that I'm bad at relationships—I avoid them whenever possible.
It's because… I feel burdened when I'm connected to someone.
All sorts of things—expectations, hopes, responsibilities—they feel binding to me.
And I don't really want to disappoint the person I'm connected to, either.
At the end of the day, I simply think relationships are troublesome. That's all it really is.
But right now… I'm not even sure anymore. After all, I've already grown close to someone.
And ending a relationship one-sidedly… that would be cruel, wouldn't it?
So maybe I'll just go along with it—and see how far it lasts.
…
(Morning)
I woke up in the morning as usual, though I felt a little reluctant to get out of bed.
Eventually, I managed to pull myself up and began getting ready—washing up, changing clothes, and preparing my equipment.
After finishing everything, I left my room, went down the stairs, and quietly stepped out of the inn.
-
"Haaa…" I inhaled the refreshing morning air.
Then, as usual, I started walking toward the guild.
And just like always, the city streets in the morning felt quiet—though I have no idea what they'll be like in the future.
Maybe a few years from now, this city will become more crowded. That's not an impossible possibility.
But a possibility will remain a possibility until it actually happens. And besides, who cares?
Well… maybe I do. After all, I live in this city now. Technically, that makes me one of its residents.
Even so…
A faint smile formed on my lips.
For now, I'll just focus on the present. As for the future, I'll leave that to the me who lives in it.
Yeah. That's good enough.
-
It didn't take long for me to arrive at the guild building.
From outside, I couldn't hear the usual liveliness—but that was understandable. It was still too early.
Without hesitation, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The atmosphere in the guild was completely quiet at this hour.
Though it seemed someone had arrived earlier than me.
Behind the counter, she appeared to be preparing a few things.
I decided to approach and greet her.
But it seemed she noticed me first.
"Good morning, Clement-san. Just like always." A friendly smile spread across her face.
I nodded and returned an awkward smile. "Yeah… something like that."
"So, Clement-san, are you going to take on a quest right away?"
I nodded again. "Yeah, that's the plan. I don't really have anything else to do this early in the morning."
"I see. By the way, why don't you do quests with your party? Didn't you just join Party Herald?"
"Well… it's not that I don't want to. It's just that our party has certain rules regarding that."
"Oh? Then why not invite Viola? You two seem pretty close."
"Huh?"
Honestly, her suggestion caught me off guard.
Even though our relationship had improved, that didn't mean I could just casually invite her. Especially since I'm the type who waits to be invited, rather than doing the inviting.
"Hm? Is something wrong, Clement-san?"
"No, it's nothing." I shook my head.
"I see. So are you going to invite her?" she asked enthusiastically.
And honestly, I didn't know why she was acting like this. Was it just coincidence, or was there some intention behind it?
"Well…"
…
Huh. In the end, I really am bad at refusing things.
"So… what should I do now?" I muttered as I stood right in front of Viola's house.
At this hour, she was probably still asleep. If I knocked, she might wake up—and I didn't want to disturb her.
You might say I'm making too many excuses. But they're necessary.
With that in mind, I decided to sit on her porch and wait for her to wake up on her own.
…
After some time, I heard the sound of a doorknob turning.
I stood up and turned toward the door just as she stepped outside.
"Eh? Clement—?"
From her expression, I could tell she was surprised.
"Y-yeah, hi, Viola." My usual awkward smile appeared.
"What are you doing here, Clement-san?" she asked curiously.
"Well… I was just waiting for you. No particular reason."
"I-I see…"
I nodded. "Y-yeah, something like that."
And somehow, whenever we talked, it always felt awkward. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe it really was that way.
"So, Clement-san… is there something you need from me?" she asked.
This was the moment to say the answer I had prepared while waiting for her.
"Well, it's nothing special. I just wanted to ask if you'd like to take on a quest together."
"Eh? A quest? With me?" she said, pointing at herself.
I nodded. "Yeah. I feel like doing something a bit difficult, but I don't think I can handle it alone. So I decided to ask you."
Even though that was just another excuse.
"O-oh… I see." Viola suddenly smiled brightly. "Mm, okay. I'll go with you."
And with that, the two of us walked toward the guild together.
…