“If I say I like you, what will you do?”
“...”
Raphael stood underneath the shining fireworks, each glowing colorfully in the crisp night sky. For a moment, he thought he misheard, a dream, but with each exploding firework, reality began sinking in. Standing above the leftover snow, now only around one to two centipebs in thickness, he looked up at the sky, his childhood friend Carol standing behind him. He waited for her to elaborate, but he didn’t hear her follow-up words. Instead, he only heard the sound of distant explosions followed by crackling noises. A trail of colorful lights rose to the sky, exploded, and floated back down, before disappearing into the darkness.
Raphael leaned his left on the side of the bus stop, located a distance east of the city, close to the foot of Mount Moluart. The bus station remained empty, a secret firework viewing place for the two of them, one even their close friends didn’t know.
Raphael glanced toward Carol, keeping his face toward the town but his eyes on her face. Like him, she looked straight to the town, both face and eyes alike. She clenched her fist, keeping them down next to her hips.
“...”
He wondered if now was the time. Time continued ticking, the seconds passing. He always found himself scared of losing her, of stepping across the line, never finding the courage to say those words himself. But now, it felt as if Carol was the one pushing for it, handing the chance to him on a silver platter.
The longer he waited, the farther away the chance slipped from his grip. He needed to act now.
“I… love you.”
“...”
There was no reply. He could only assume that he messed up. All he could wish for now was that this didn’t become the end of their relationship. He shouldn’t have asked for anything more.
The next moment, he felt her soft skin reaching for his hand. Carol walked past him and appeared in front of him. She brought her hands around him, her head on his chest, warm tears dripping from her eyes. She didn’t say a word, clenching him tightly, refusing to let go. His brain went poof, not understanding what to make of this situation. Had his feelings been reciprocated? Or did this have some other meaning?
The fireworks intensified, their glow reflecting off the bus stop’s wooden walls. Their sound felt distant and silent. Raphael brought his hand to her head and started ruffling her hair. He wished this moment could last forever, even if he wasn’t entirely sure of the true meaning of this. He hoped that he wasn’t mistaken, he hoped that he was reading this the way she intended. But until those words came out of her mouth, he couldn’t help feeling a tinge of doubt.
Yet he wanted it to continue. He wanted her to be in his arms, her head in his chest. It was adorable, yet charming. Seeing her like this filled him with some kind of warmth.
“...”
She pulled herself away, her black eyes looking into his light blue. They were beautiful, they always had been. It felt as if time had stopped, the sound traveling through the air drowned by his own heartbeats.
Carol closed her eyes, inching her head closer to his. She brought her hands up to his cheeks. They were warm, really warm. Holding her hands, he brought his face closer. Closer, and closer. The warmth of his breath on his face.
The sides of her eyelids were wet, tears leaving a trail on her beautiful face.
He closed his eyes, inching even closer.
He felt her warmth through his lips.
The distant thunder no longer audible, the cold replaced by warmth.
From that moment onward, Carol became the center of his mind.
* ••
The two parted their lips, staring at each other’s eyes. The firework had ended, leaving them two at the unoccupied bus stop. A single light bulb shone above them, lighting up its surroundings.
In the center of his mind was Carol and Carol alone. Nothing else mattered. Raphael brought his hands to her cheeks and wiped off the trail the tears had carved on her beautiful face, feeling her warmth. She inched closer and gave him another kiss, this one shorter compared to the one before. She then stepped backward, bringing her index finger to her lips. She traced their shape, her face turning red.
She glanced toward him before looking away at the town of Kaleya that stood beneath them. Now that the celebrations had ended, people probably started leaving the crowd centers like the shopping district and Kaleya Seaside Village. She stood there, unmoving, looking out to the west.
“... Carol?” he called out to her, prompting her to look back at him. Carol brought her hands to her back and stepped toward the chairs at the bus stop. She sat down and tapped the chair on her right.
Reluctantly, Raphael sat down. She moved closer, their hands touching. Her fingers went around, searching for his. She held them, sharing their heat through their intertwined fingers. She brought her head to the side, resting on his shoulder.
“I love you too. Please go out with me.” Came the reply Raphael waited for. It should’ve filled him with relief, but her head resting on him did little to ease his mind. Still, he felt grateful.
“Of course. I’ll be in your care.”
* ••
The moment Raphael finished recalling those memories, Carol went red.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
“It’s- That’s! Why would you bring that up now of all times!?” Carol gave him light punches, careful to not actually hurt him. Raphael reeled back, trying to dodge while holding out his arms, stopping the cute little punches she did.
“No, it’s just…” he searched for an explanation, not wanting to anger her. He knew just how powerful she could be if she was serious, and her face was bright red anyway, it wouldn’t do them any good if he pushed that particular matter further.
“Speak, if you want to avoid punishment!” Carol glared at him.
“I mean… You just sounded so serious, I couldn’t help but feel something was bothering you.”
Carol stopped punching and let out a sigh.
“I thought you returning here would mean more time together, but alas…” Carol shrugged.
“So you want me to stop making medicine?”
“Of course not, that’s the if part. I just want you to reduce the output, that’s all.”
Anton spent nine to ten hours every day making medicine, even on weekends, much more than average, especially when compared to the work hours in Kaleya where things tend to be more laid-back. It did seem excessive, but at the same time, every hour he cut from his schedule meant six fewer medicines for people who needed them.
“Well, just look at all the stock you have lying around.” Carol read his mind.
“But that’s because the apothecary didn’t take them all.”
“That’s great, isn’t it? It means fewer people are sick.”
“I guess. But what about the people outside town?” he asked, prompting Carol to glare at him. He could guess the meaning behind her eyes.
“I can’t force you to choose, can I?”
“I wish there was a way to produce them more efficiently.”
He would rather not make that choice, between strangers and his own girlfriend. He never asked for this. When he first came to this world, he didn’t choose to be someone so gifted at making magic. He knew that he couldn’t help everyone. He also knew that the medicine he made could only be categorized as a ‘super’ over-the-counter kind of medicine. The chances of them saving someone’s life were quite low. His medicine didn’t have the power to cure all diseases, despite the illusion it created.
“Maybe I had yet to accept the fact.”
“The what?”
“I was just wondering, maybe I still think of myself as some kind of superhero that looks down at humans as something needing saving.”
“If humankind relies on that kind of superhero, we’ll be extinct by now.”
“I know.”
“I’m not asking you to stop or anything, just reduce the pace… like willing to make some changes to the schedule, something of that kind.” Carol thought about better words to use. Raphael looked at her. To him, her looking for words looked adorable, despite the contents of the conversation itself.
He wasn’t willing to trade her for anyone.
“It’s just, we’re going to get married soon, right? I’m just worried we won't have time together after we live together- hyaah!”
Not being able to hold himself, Raphael reached out and patted her head, shaking her left and right. Raphael suddenly remembered that they were in a public parking lot. He stopped rubbing her hair, much to her dissatisfaction, and looked around. Not finding anyone, he continued rubbing.
“I understand. Don’t worry, I promise to spend more time with you,” he said, fully committing to his words. At the end of the day, Carol was worth more to him than thousands of people, as egoistic as that sounds.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Still letting him rustle her hair, Carol took her phone and sent a chat message. The recipient replied in an instant.
“The Rangers will help with distribution around Moluart, so bring the extras to the base tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
Carol sighed and strapped in the safety belt, reversing away from the parking lot.
* ••
“Hiyaaah!” With a loud cry, Carol’s sword stabbed into Emma’s magic armor, shattering it in one blow. She had been holding her voice when she fought, but since it was against Emma, she decided to try the opposite. After the battle, with Carol being the obvious victor, the two made their way to the side for a little rest.
“... I intended it as an experiment, but you should try to not be intimidated by things like that,” Carol said, sitting next to the wall. She opened her bottle and gulped down her water. Emma sat to her side, nodding profusely as she listened.
“Also, you need to straighten your stance. You can be pushed around easily like that.” Most of the things she said were basic knowledge to trainee Rangers. The Rangers Academy system tended to go for four years for normal students, with outstanding ones completing it in three or fewer. These ones were rare, though, as the dangers of their jobs required Rangers to have a good understanding of many things.
Had Carol not messed up in the past, she would’ve worn an official Ranger badge by now.
“You’re really strong, Carol-sis.”
“Thank you, but I still have a lot to learn.”
“If someone like you still needs to learn, then how about me?”
“Learning is a lifetime process, you see. Even I won’t stop learning after graduating.”
“Really? Even after you won the tournament?”
Carol flinched.
“Well… yes. Of course, I still need to learn.” She waved her hands.
“Besides, that’s under the assumption of me winning in the first place.” Carol looked toward the box stored on the other side of the training hall. The Rangers had begun spreading the medicine to other settlements. Raphael’s medicine had been proven to work countless times. It failed sometimes, but no one ever recorded side effects or worsening conditions after use. It even helped reduce the spread of certain diseases or poisons when applied. The Rangers decided to stock some in the training hall, in case someone got hurt during training.
With that said, today, being a weekend, saw far less traffic compared to usual. Carol had come with Raphael to deliver the medicine, staying behind after to train.
After all the things I said last night!
It both frustrated and embarrassed her. She wanted to be with him, she genuinely did, but she didn’t have the time. She thread a fine line between getting as much training as possible, while not exhausting herself. The effects would catch up to her sooner and later, but she didn’t have enough time to improve herself.
She knew the true extent of Raphael’s power. She didn’t want to tell him about the tournament. She knew just how much he valued other people above himself. She wanted to be able to push him to throw everything at her. She wanted to see his true powers. She wanted to fight him at his best and win. She didn’t want people to see her as a weak Ranger, nor did she want people to see Raphael as a weak fighter.
She wanted the best of both of them. Show each other their true colors, be honest with each other. Only then could they truly be partners, one that understands the other better than their own selves.
Made from the same thing, pushed by the same goals, carved by the same will, all while being different, supporting each other as one.
Two sides of the same coin.
And to reach that goal, she still had a lot to learn. To be the best version of herself, while bringing the best out of her partner.
“I’m sure the dragons won’t be a match for you, though.”
“Underestimating your enemies means that you have already lost.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yes, really.”
Besides, he’s not a dragon.
He’s something much more.