"Hmm?"
"Silver Wolf, what are you doing?"
Kafka, who had just returned, saw Silver Wolf crouched outside Clara's room door, ear pressed tightly against it as if eavesdropping.
"Shh! Keep it down. I found something way more fun than any game." Startled by the sudden voice, Silver Wolf turned and relaxed upon seeing it was Kafka.
She then placed a finger over her lips, signaling for quiet.
Kafka: ?
Watching Silver Wolf's actions, Kafka was puzzled. So this 'fun thing' you mentioned…
Is just pressing your ear to a door, spying on someone?
"Silver Wolf, eavesdropping isn't a good habit, you know."
Though Silver Wolf wasn't really her responsibility, this sort of behavior wasn't proper.
Kafka thought maybe Silver Wolf had met some shady character while gaming and was being led down a bad path.
To stop her from straying further, Kafka decided to give a little warning.
"And you're eavesdropping outside Clara's room. Aren't you afraid she'll catch you and give you a good scolding?"
Hearing this, Silver Wolf showed no trace of fear. Instead, she waved a hand, beckoning Kafka over.
"Relax, it's fine. Clara's… busy right now~ No time to bother with me."
"Come here, Kafka, listen too."
Kafka: ?
Kafka had only intended to say a word to Silver Wolf and leave, but seeing her like this, curiosity got the better of her.
The Silver Wolf she knew was all about gaming, missions, or challenging prodigies.
Now here she was, ear glued to a door, listening in on a room.
It made Kafka curious too.
Kafka walked over and pressed her own ear against the door.
"Mmm… Clara…"
"Hn… Firefly, I…"
Kafka: ?
Hearing the fragmented sounds from inside, Kafka's expression turned strange.
"So? Way more fun than games, right?" Noticing Kafka's changed expression, Silver Wolf said smugly.
"Firefly… why is she in Clara's room?" Kafka pulled her ear away from the door, asking Silver Wolf in confusion.
"Beats me," Silver Wolf shrugged, indicating she didn't know either.
"I got tired from gaming and came out for some water."
"Then I saw Firefly knocking on Clara's door, over and over."
Silver Wolf withdrew her ear from the door, recalling the scene as she spoke calmly.
"I didn't think much of it at first, figured Firefly had something to discuss with Clara."
"But…"
Remembering what she saw, Silver Wolf's expression grew odd.
"Wearing kawaii pajamas and holding a pillow."
"Sure didn't look like she was there to talk business."
"Hey… you think maybe…?"
Recalling what she witnessed earlier, Silver Wolf felt more convinced of this possibility.
"Clara and Firefly have something going on."
Kafka: ?
"Oh?" Hearing Silver Wolf's words, Kafka understood what she was implying. Her wine-red eyes filled with contemplation.
"Hmm… Thinking about it, the way Firefly treats Clara… it really could be that sort of feeling."
"But as for how Clara feels about Firefly~"
"Who knows."
"Who knows?" Silver Wolf shook her head and pressed her ear to the door again.
"Listening to these sounds, I'd say they've probably done everything they should have, and maybe even what they shouldn't have~"
Recalling things she'd seen in certain booklets, Silver Wolf couldn't help but let out a soft hehe.
"Huh?" With her ear against the door, Silver Wolf made a confused sound.
"Strange, why can't I hear anything now?"
"…"
Hearing this, Kafka said nothing, just silently took a few steps back.
Watching Kafka retreat, Silver Wolf asked, puzzled:
"Kafka, why are you… Ah!"
Before Silver Wolf could finish, the door suddenly swung open.
Caught off guard, Silver Wolf tumbled forward, falling flat.
…
(A/N: Significant edits were made to this entire segment, so there might be some disjointedness with later plot. My apologies/(ㄒoㄒ)/~~)
A few minutes earlier, inside the room.
"Clara…"
Firefly called Clara's name, her gaze filled with infinite affection.
Perhaps, from this moment on, in Firefly's heart, Clara had already accepted her confession.
And among the intertwining threads between them, another red thread named 'love' had been added…
This red thread would not break, would not vanish, would exist forever, connecting the two eternally.
"If you're asking whether I like you or not… I definitely wouldn't say I like you…"
Clara's face was flushed, her fingers fidgeting slightly. Hearing Firefly's words, she muttered softly.
"But… but whether I actually like you or not…"
"Isn't the answer already in your heart?"
Clara turned her head away, mumbling quietly.
It seemed like she was talking to herself, yet also seemed to be telling Firefly the answer in her own heart.
"Yes, you're right." Firefly placed her hand over her heart, a full smile on her face.
"Your answer… I already know it…"
"It's the same as my own."
Firefly lifted her face, looking directly into Clara's eyes with a serious expression.
"Clara, I love you."
"Mmm…" Hearing Firefly's blunt declaration, Clara's red face seemed about to drip blood.
"I love you too."
Feeling Firefly's gaze, Clara quickly turned her head away, her face crimson as she whispered her reply.
Though Clara's voice was very soft, to Firefly's ears, it rang clear and loud.
"Mhm!" Firefly gave a soft hum, then suddenly pushed Clara over in the bed, as if to take the next step.
But before she could get very close, Clara raised a palm to stop her.
Under Firefly's confused and slightly hurt gaze, Clara spoke slowly.
"Someone's eavesdropping at the door."
Firefly: ???
…
A/N: Just to reiterate, this segment was rewritten, so there's a sense of disconnection from later plot. Please bear with it/(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
…
2 Chapters Per Day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.