It was dusk. The sun had fallen between the mountains on the horizon. A chilly spring breeze wafted past my skin, sending goosebumps up my exposed arms.
I stood in the clearing of the cornfield in a state of utter stupefaction.
"Hello, anybody in there?" a sweet mousy voice called out, snapping me back to reality.
"Y-Yeah. Sorry."
I looked around for the origin of the voice, but I couldn't see who it could've been coming from.
"Look down."
Looking down, I saw a youthful, freckled brunette with hazel-green eyes. The same eyes as the employee from the supermarket. Although this girl was slightly different. She couldn't have been a little more than five feet tall when we last spoke, but this girl looked at least three-fourths a foot shorter, not to mention she looked a lot younger as well.
I looked at her and awkwardly stuttered, "D-Did you become a child. I-I mean—"
"N-No. A halfling."
She diverted her eyes, and her face flushed red. It was quite apparent that this new form was degrading to her. I wouldn't blame her; I would've probably jumped into the ravine deliberately if that happened to me.
"Can you talk to me in private?" she whispered.
"S-Sure."
Adam patted me on the back with enough force to shatter stone, giving an aggressive and unashamedly ingenuine smile.
I knew what his depraved nerdy mind was thinking and I wasn't having any of it.
My eyes began twitching with rising annoyance as I squeezed his wrist, ripping his hand off my shoulder.
"This isn't some crappy light novel. It's real-life, Adam. Start taking it seriously or I'll kick your ass—"
"Let's go," said the miniature woman as she grabbed me by the hand, dragging me away from the group. As she pulled me out of view, I saw Adam crossed his arms and huff with irritation.
Once many rows of corn separated the halfling girl and me from the rest of the group, she turned and asked, "Do you remember what you asked me back when I was stocking shelves the other day?"
I exhaled out the stress I had worked up, and unabashedly complained, "I wish I could've forgotten?"
Her eyes fell to the floor, whimpering, "Thanks for that."
"T-Thanks?"
I was flabbergasted by this sudden confession of gratitude. It couldn't have been the reason she brought me all the way out here. It didn't even make any sense for her to be thankful.
"Thanks for what? What are you thankful for? What even is there to be thankful for?"
She shook her head and smiled weakly.
"Thanks for letting me know ahead of time."
A look of sorrow was hidden behind her smile.
I raised my hand with palm lying flat skyward, insisting, "I don't buy it for a second. That can't be why you wanted to talk to me in private."
She gave a melancholy laugh and replied, "You caught me. I actually wanted to talk to you about the other thing that happened. The thing that happened afterwards."
With furrowed brows, I demanded, "What other thing?"
The mask she dawned began to crack, revealing her real thoughts.
"I-I… Saw you fall."
My eyes widened.
She continued, "But… not only that. I also heard the words you yelled out. Your words… They… struck me…"
She stopped monetarily restraining her burgeoning emotions.
"I heard you curse the world and yell out… How you… Just wanted… to make people happy."
Her voice wavered and wobbled as she continued speaking.
"I saw you… lay there… dying."
She stifled the tears welling up in her eyes.
"And I… couldn't do anything… but watch."
Her speech broke down.
"And… After it… All happened… I… Couldn't… Help… But feel… Slightly responsible."
My lip quivered as I asserted, "It's not your fault—"
"But it is! I scared you off… and because of me… you got trapped… And I… Was too… powerless… to—"
She couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into tears. Meanwhile, I stood around like an awkward idiot, incapable of thinking of anything nice to say.
I've always been like this. Whenever a girl cried in front of me, I would just sit back and watch. That's why I was the way I was, and I deserved it.
She sobbed, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."
No.
She repeated, "I'm sorry. It's all my fault."
No. No, it isn't.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault—"
"Stop!" I screamed.
Awkwardly scratching the back of my neck, I looked away and confessed, "The way I see it, it's my fault that you're stuck in this mess. I'm a loser who always fantasized about this kind of situation coming true. If anything, it's my fault for subjugating the world with my shitty fantasies… Plus, even if I did die, nothing of value would've been lost. I have no friends or family members that I still keep in contact with. If I died, no one would've even remembered me—"
"You think that makes me feel any better!" she cried.
She looked me in the eyes with tears rolling down her face and sobbed, "That makes me feel worse, you idiot."
My throat clamped shut, and I couldn't speak. I wanted to call the pipsqueak a bitch for looking down on me like some pity case. But the truth was that she was right to do so because that was precisely what I was: a pity case.
"S-Sorry… You're right. I'm sorry"
Suddenly, she turned away and darted off into cover behind the thick yellow grain, leaving me standing all alone—exactly how it should be—how it has always been.
Ripping the husk off a cob of corn, I blew my nose into it.
"Shit."
What am I doing with these people? I don't deserve to be here.