Hello, Kuma!
I had a short writer's block, but I solved it by eating lots of ice cream, Kuma!
Here's the new chapter, Kuma!
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The four heroes were transferred into what it appeared to be a temple. At least that is what Shizue deduced from all the sculptures and paintings of Teyja in the humongous building along with several women dressed in black nun clothing. As well as men wearing priest robes.
It might have been similar to every other hero summoning from all other novel except…
“Um… Teyja-sama? You bid us farewell maybe a few second ago… So why are you here?”(Sasaki).
As the Grand Mage of the heroes, Kasurou Sasaki, inquired, the others jumped when they notice that the goddess they met several moments ago came along with them to the world of Xadoya in person.
Everyone of the priest and priestess dropped down on their knees and cried out in joy at meeting their goddess.
An old man, whom appears to be an important figure similar to a pope, came up to Teyja and bowed deeply before speaking with his raspy ancient voice.
“Teyja-sama, what bring our eternal goddess to this humble temple of Love?”(old man)
Shizue focused all her attentions toward the old man and the goddess. ‘It seems I can get more information about this place by just listening on their conversation.’ She thought while learning the name of the temple.
“Rejoice head priest, for I, the great goddess of love, night, and light has brought forth her champions to fight the demon lords!”(Teyja)
Speaking while brimming with pride, the goddess stuck out her already too large pair of mountains. This in turn made all the male priest, no no, the entire group of priest and priestess to blush at the majesty of her beauty.
Of course, the only exception to this was Yosai, whom did not care a zit about the goddess’ beauty.
Looking troubled by Teyja’s statement, the head priest spoke again.
“Benevolent Goddess-sama, if I remember correctly… humans and demons are at peace right now… Does goddess-sama not remember marrying Ycuna-sama and in turn destoryed the hostility between the two races?”(old man)
“…”(Teyja)
“…”(Heroes)
“…”(old man)
The whole temple became silent and the atmosphere quickly became very awkward. In anime, this would have been a moment when the only sound in the room be dead silence from the characters and chirping from the cricket.
Oddly enough, the cricket was singing rather loudly while no one in the temple had the nerves nor any sensible things to say…
“Oh yeah~ I did marry Ycuna… I always did like women better than men so that make sense… Note to self, never take action after slumbering for several hundred years until I become fully awake.”(Teyja)
Palming her forehead, the goddess gave an apologetic smile.
“Hahaha… Well I guess you four can just enjoy your lives in Xadoya. I guess the head priest could take you to the king to be introduced as heroes summoned by me… You won't have to fight any demons, but maybe the Devils in this world…well bye!”(Teyja)
Everyone in the room stared dumbfounded as the goddess disappeared with a “poof” leaving behind small pink cloud. None of the heroes could think of what to say.
After several minutes of painful silence, the hero assigned the job of Flame Knight, Shiori Matsumoto, asked a question that was in the mind of all four heroes.
“Hah~ that was really confusing and anticlimactic. I thought the divinity known as Ycuna was a goddess. Healer-San, I didn't hear her wrong when she first summoned us, right? She did say Ycuna was the Goddess of Evil, no?”(Matsumoto)
“I think that is what she told us”(Yosai)
“Is the goddess a Yuri?”(Matsumoto)
“I really don't wish to know Shiori-San(referring to Matsumoto’s family name).”(Sasaki)
“Hahaha, just call me Matsumoto, after all we are comrades from the same world.”(Matsumoto).
“Then please call me Sasaki”(Sasaki)
“You can all call me Yosai, and this is Shizue.”(Yosai)
While the self introduction was being properly made, Shizue hid behind Yosai and peeked out sneakily staring at the two other heroes.
Unlike when she is alone with Yosai, her expression stayed emotionless but her eyes had a glint of doubt but also curiosity. She still did not trust others and locking herself in her room for a year did not help much either.
She had no idea how to speak with others. One year of confining herself, it shouldn't be so hard to speak again, but her distrust in men in general with exception of Yosai was still present in her damaged heart.
After all, the longest conversation she had with even Yosai was pretty short. Only time she really spoke out was when they confessed their love for each other while dying. ‘I guess I still have a wall between me and others.’ Shizue smiled bitterly in the inside but stayed motionless on the surface.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Looking back, Shizue did not trust anyone except Yosai, who persisted no matter how long she stayed silent and ignored everyone. Her parents and friends gave up on her, but Yosai never gave up and visited her without a fail.
She remembered that even when Yosai was sick enough to prevent him from going to school, he still came by in the morning.
One time, he even fainted in front of her door due to being very feverish. Her parents went off to work that day as Yosai visited.
-flashback-
He sounded very sick while he put efforts to sound healthy and cheerful. Why does he come when he is so sick he could barely voice his words?
Shizue did not understand why he would be so persistent. Usually Yosai left after staying around for around ten minutes but instead of foot steps taking the stairs back, a large thump resounded through the house.
Her cold frozen heart began to stir when she heard a hard thump on the floor.
Shizue panicked as she understood that Yosai had passed out because of his cold. What should she do, should she call the ambulance and let them take care of him while she stayed? Or is there another answer?
She resolved herself and opened the door to find Yosai collapsed on the floor while his chest rose up and down frantically. His breath was rapid and irregular and his face was flushed. Placing one hand on her forehead and one on Yosai’s, Shizue flinched in surprise. His forehead was burning up like fire.
Shizue, using her thin weak arms that were once athletic, somehow managed to drag him inside her room and placed him on her bed. After placing him on the bed, she proceeded to take action.
First she went down stairs to get a basin of cold water and put ice inside and brought it back to her room. Next she got a small towel and soaked it into the basin. After squeezing out the water by wringing out the towel, she placed it on Yosai’s forehead.
Next, she got another towel, this one was a dry one, and proceeded to dry the sweats covering Yosai’s body. Her arms went inside his shirt as she wiped his upper body.
Shizue flushed from embarrassment but proceeded to take care of him.
‘He needs to eat when he wakes up.’ With that thought in mind, Shizue went down stair and cooked rice porridge.
It was around evening when Yosai woke up. He felt disoriented from the sickness, and did not recognize his surrounding. As if realizing what happened, he opened up his eyes wide from the surprise.
Shizue was sitting in the corner of her room opposite side of the bed while staring at him. Next to him was a bowl of rice porridge and on his forehead was a wet cold towel.
Shizue came up to him while shaking like a leaf while silently picking up the bowl of porridge and silently picked up the spoon. She slowly began to feed Yosai, who was still weak from the cold. Without resisting, Yosai ate the porridge, which made Shizue happy.
However, Shizue still denied her feelings that was budding, convincing herself that she is just helping a sick boy and send him away as soon as he recovered enough.
Shizue was still afraid of men, and still distrusted every single human being. But she just couldn't stop herself from helping this boy who always come to visit her.
After the meal, she went back in her corner while grasping her arms around her knees in a fetus position. Yosai thanked her and told her he will come back tomorrow.
This was the first moment when Shizue's thick inner wall started to crack. It would take several month for it to crumble. And it would not do so until that fateful day when they both die.
Not knowing the death that will approached them in the next few months, Yosai smiled gently toward her and left the house.
-flashback ends-
Reminiscing the old memory, Shizue realized that she fell him love with him at that moment. Maybe she should have noticed earlier in a hindsight.
‘Well, no need to regret about past actions.’ Shizue dismissed it and listened in on the conversation. The three male heroes were still introducing each other and getting to know each other more.
She listened enough to learn that the two boys Yosai was talking to died during a terrorist attack in Tokyo. Apparently, they were friends from the same school on a field trip and they recklessly attacked the terrorist group, grabbed their guns, and shoot them before they themselves were shot.
It sounded traumatic but they came out to be heroes, unlike Shizue who has been a victim.
After the introductions, which the old priest attentively listened in, he told the group that the king is ready for his audience with the heroes.
Resulting themselves to meet the most influential person in this kingdom, the heroes followed the head priest out of the temple.
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Yay, Teyja is a yuri, Kuma!
*Bear Nod* I approve, Kuma!
See you all next time, Kuma!