"...."
'I love you'
"....."
3 words have been repeating itself inside his head since that day over and over with the same exact tone that Rualan had use and each time he replayed it he felt as if his heart would explode.
(Why me though?) and the same question would be repeated inside his head as he thinks it through over and over again.
(I don't...think of you that way?)
???????
He felt complicate feelings just from hearing it, and also that resistance in his own that don't want to accept hers.
(Maybe I should go and end this feeling now, just say no and leave, cut off our connection or something)
The method seems solid enough to him at least, but he couldn't do it, he can imagine it but he can't act on it.
(I don't want to hurt her either)
"..."
"Ahhhhhh~!"
"?"
A person falls from the tree that he sitting there thinking about feelings.
Due to the person falling close to his direction, Callum move a bit and held his arms out.
Impact Absorption Lv 5 activate
Catching the person, Callum lower himself down and place them on the ground with ease.
"Are you okay?" he ask.
"Y-Yes, thank you..."
(Oh, its Aerina) he thought.
In her hand is a metal limb.
(Robot arm?)
"Are you....looking for something up there?"
"Oh, yes, I was looking for this thing" she held up the arm for him to look at, then get up from the ground herself.
"Is it a flying robot arm?"
"? Yes, it is"
".....That's awesome"
"Thank you"
"Can you control it while its flying?"
"No, I actually didn't think..of..that...!" then Aerina's eyes flared up.
(A remote control flying robot arm? Why didn't I think of that?! That's awesome!)
"Maybe I can make it fly and control it using a controller from a distance"
"While firing missiles?"
"While--Uh, it can't fire missiles since it would weigh it down too much"
"What about magic enchantment?"
"That could work"
_____________
Laura look around the field trying to find a quiet place to indulge herself in, her reputation in the school has improve a lot these past few days since the Robot Incident, but she isn't used to this kind of attention that make her feel like she's being watch all the time.
(Good thing I prepared a takeaway this morning) the cafeteria has become a place she avoids the most.
"?" she then spotted Aerina in the distance talking to someone, excitedly perhaps?
A hooded person who she knows seems to be talking to her and the two seems to be enjoying it considering that Aerina's mouth moves nonstop.
(Must be something fun)
"?" then Aerina turned to look in her direction, then gave a small wave with a smile.
'Hello'
'Hello' Laura gave her a wave as well, giving a graceful and modest wave compared to Aerina's cute wave.
"Hello, you two" said Laura.
"Hello, Laura"
"Hello, Ms.Bernard"
"You two seem to be enjoying your conversation"
"Yes, we really get into it actually," said Callum.
"Right, that's true," said Aerina bashfully realizing how long they have been talking.
"Did you two plan to meet up here during lunch break?"
"Oh, no, I was just hear to think about something and Ms.Gear here fell from the tree I was under so I caught her"
"Haha, yes, that was quite embarrassing"
"No, no, it's even more embarrassing to have you found me moping around there in the first place"
"? You were moping?"
"Yes"
"May I ask why?" ask Laura.
"Ah..Well, it's...something related to a confession I had"
__________
(Confession!!!!? Woah!!!!)
Aerina couldn't contain her excitement as she pats Callum's arm and say.
"Don't worry, let us help you, right Laura?"
"Eh? Well...I for one am not well experienced with this, but I'm ready to listen to you if you're comfortable with me and Aerina"
"Okay.....well.....so this confession.....is from an upperclassman"
(.....Upperclassmen) the memory of a secret conversation that she had overheard came into her mind immediately.
"Actually, we should sit down since its might be a bit too much for me to say while standing up" said Callum as he sets himself down, the two followed.
"So...she confessed to me out of the blue, right after the Robot Incident"
(No way!)
"Woah..." said Aerina softly.
"Yeah...and I don't know what to say, since my feelings are conflicting with each other right now"
"....."
"...."
"....Is this person perhaps....Senior Rualan?"
"Oh, yeah, you know her too Ms.Bernard?"
"No, I just heard her name a while back"
(From you.....)
"Senior Rualan?" ask Aerina.
"Yeah, she researches Monster Taming"
"Oh, I remember now, I believe I saw her presentation with a bunch of monsters demonstrating their power"
Rualan's demonstration involves releasing the monsters and have them display their power to everyone in the audience seat, who began to panic each time a monster move or use their moves.
"I remember being so scared of the larger ones"
"Oh, yeah, those ones are hard to deal with"
"I did wonder how she get those though it must have been quite difficult to catch a live monster"
(Yeah, it did take a while for those ones)
"So, did you have a crush on Senior Rualan as well?"
"....No? I think, no"
Aerina tilts her head in wonder and try to gauge his feeling for him.
"I see..but I think if you feel something, even if it's small and you might feel the same way, you should still go for it"
"...Right..That's true"
(After all, having it and not showing it, hurts) thought Aerina.
".....Thanks, Ms.Gear"
"No problem, oh, and please call me Aerina, when you say Ms.Gear people would usually assume my twin sister"
"But you're also Ms.Gear to me" said Callum.
"Oh, thank you"
"Then, how about I call you Ms.Aerina?"
"Ah...That's a bit..formal?"
"This way you can tell if it's me or Ms.Bernard when we call you"
"Oh, that make sense, then I should call you...."
".....?"
".....O_O"
(What's his name?!?!?!)
"....."
"...You..don't know my name Ms.Aerina?"
"I-I-I-I'm sorry!!!!"
Aerina said out loud waving her hands swiftly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know your name!!!!!"
"Pfft, hahaha" Callum couldn't help but laugh.
"Ahhh, I'm so sorry"
"No, no, it's fine, it's my fault as well" he wave it off to calm Aerina who stops waving her hands.
"It's Callum Maverick"
"Oh, I see, so...Mr...Callum?" she say slowly.
"Yes, Ms.Aerina?"
The two smile softly at each other, though one couldn't see behind the hood casting a shadow over his face so dark one couldn't see anything inside.