I returned back to the cave just before dark, some dry twigs and branches for a fire in hand.
I had no idea how long Lia would stay asleep, worst possible case, we'd have to hide out in that very cage till first moonlight. The nights of the forest could be cold, a fire was necessary.
It took a little effort and some time, but I managed to get the fire going. The light started out from a flicker to a spark, and only got bigger,the more dry twigs I threw in as fodder. I sat down a few feet from the small makeshift hearth.
A solemn sigh escaped my lips.
"..."
The momentary serenity felt bizarre. I was relaxed. I wasn't contemplating my next actions if I were to be pounced by a wild dog. It was quiet.
But I knew all too well enough this short interlude was but a fleeting moment. A passing interlude.
—'... your friends have already been caught. You have nowhere else to run...' I recalled the statement of Shorty just before we fell off the cliff.
'Had Don and the others really been...' I forced my thought process to halt right there.
'I shouldn't think like that. Shorty might have been saying things just to throw us off. Don and the others should be fine...' I turned slightly and looked over my shoulder across the cave.
But what was Lia doing here?
The question strangely plagued me. Lia was supposed to be with the kids. The plan was for all six of us to rendezvous at the checkpoint at the other side of the forest.
I stared at the stationery laying body of the little girl with a silent question. He rising chest being the only thing that betrayed she was alive.
Lia was so still as she laid. So small and fragile. The exhaustion of the whole day making it to her sleeping face.
'We all are tired.' even I was actually.
The stress of the possibility of something going wrong and all the excessive movements through out the day slowly piled up and was weighing on me.
I was still five years old, my body, as sturdy it might possible, be could only hold out so much .
If I already felt like this, just how much more strained do Lia and the other kids feel.
I sighed.
The cackling of the makeshift hearth broke the solemn silence of the cave. The glow of it's light spreading warmth and casting our shadows against the walls.
I hugged my knees and dug my face into them.
"Just how long do we still have to keep running," I muttered under my breath.
For a moment, I closed my eyes, giving into the momentary serenity. It wasn't my intention to get comfortable in a cave deep in a forest, but my body didn't offer too many other choices.
"Nngh…" a small restrained moan broke into the air from the side.
Perking my ears, I raised my head to stare across the hearth placed in the middle of the cave between Lia and I.
Lia was shifting and turning in her makeshift futon, just on the verge of waking up.
Her big blue eyes slowly opened drowsily. She lifted her head off the the ground and sat up, stretching both of her hands up with a hearty yawn.
She looked around her new environment with, her eyes half open amd with sluggish expression, before spotting me.
She rubbed her hands over her eyes, trying to adjust.
"Nng...Reo?" her lips parted and she slowly let out, still drowsy.
I smiled back gently at her from across.
"O-oh, you're finally awake. That's good." A small sigh of relief broke my lips.
Lia remained quiet for a few seconds, awareness slowly returning to her eyes.
"Was I...asleep?" Bobbing her head to the side slightly, she asked with a yawn.
"Well, yeah. You passed out., I said, "Are you okay?"
"Eh? I-I passed out?" Lia's eyes widened slightly in realization.
"Yes, but just for a little while," I added.
"How long exactly?"
I stopped to think for a moment.
"Almost an hour actually."
"Ehhh? Close to an hour?!"
As soon as he heard that, Lia suddenly bolted to her feet from where she sat, but Just as immediately fell back down as her legs wobbled and gave out under her.
"H-hey, you shouldn't push yourself too much. I mean, you just got up." I walked up to her side to offer an arm.
"You should take it easy for a while." I advised as I carefully helped sit her up straight with her back placed against the cave wall.
"O-oh, right." Lia let out.
I nodded and backed up a little with a smile, failing to notice her hand in mine at the time. By the time I realized it, Lia was already fidgeting slightly and her expression was uncomfortable.
'Crap!'
I quickly retracted my hand immidiately and backed off, putting considerable distance between the two of us. I only even stopped when I felt the touch of the other cave wall against my back.
"I-i'm sorry!' a little bashful and apologetic, I bowed my head a little and said.
Lia remained quiet a little.
She raised the hand I held a second ago, trying to cover her reddened cheeks while looking away, shyly.
"...N, no it's okay. Y-you didn't do anything wrong, no need to apologize." It was small and restrained, her light bashful voice under her breath sounded... fluffy? I instinctively felt my self gulp down saliva all of a sudden.
"O-oh, that's true. I'm sorry about that." I unconsciously apologized once more.
"...Uhm, you just did it again."
"I'm so sorry. So sorry. It's a habit I picked up. So sorry." before I realized, I was against the ground, prostrating myself before Lia.
While I was busy having an apologizing frenzy, finding this strangely amusing, Lia broke into a small giggle bordering around laughter, prompting me to raise my head.
For some reason I felt a little embarrassed as I rubbed the back of my neck while trying to avert her gaze awkwardly.
'Why's she laughing?' I thought wryly.
"O-oh, no. it's nothing. I- I just didn't see you to be this kind of person, but it's a relief, really." probably noticing the silent question on my awkward expression, Lia said with a gentle smile which left me dazed.
I just hoped my face wasn't as red as it felt hot.
"Wh-what do you mean?" forcing a smile and pretending to be unfazed, I asked, a little curious actually.
Lia took a minute to think. A few seconds later, she straightened up and glanced at me as she spoke.
"I just had the wrong impression of you at the beginning, we all did."
"Mmh?" I raised my brows just slightly, my interest piqued.
"Wrong... impression?" I repeated.
Lia smiled mildly, almost wryly actually, and nodded.
"At first you gave off the impression of a haughty kid, like the kids of rich families or nobles from the City. This also made me wonder what was one like them doing far out here in the countryside. That was at least until Don mentioned you were Mr. Cliff's son."
Lia took the next few seconds to build up her words. I remained quiet and listened without cutting or interrupting her mid-explanation.
"You asserted a kind of pressure that unintentionally made us raise our guards when around you. The way you looked, the way you carried yourself, even when you smiled..." Lia paused and averted her gaze strangely. Her expression had turned solemnly before she continued.
"...each of your actions boasted pride and...and kind of made us feel inferior. It made me feel so, at least."
The crackling of the hearth filled up the empty vacuum of silence that ensued next.
Strangely, I felt depressed.
"Oh." I muttered unintentionally with a strange melancholy making its way into my voice.
That explains the cold hospitality i received from Leon and the others, excluding Don. Right from the moment we met, it always felt like they were keeping their guards high up against me.
If what Lia says is true, then I must have been asserting a considerable amount of pressure just from being around them.
It was weird. They felt inferior around me, which indirectly resulted in animosity?
But of course I didn't mean to. I didn't know this either. I wasn't ever told I was prideful in the way I carried myself back on earth so such a reveal came as unexpected.
If anything I thought I was the opposite: insecure and meek. And because of this, I was often thrown around and taken for granted.
Sigh.
Well this is bad.
"But I'm glad I was wrong."
"What?" Lia's declaration prompted me to raise my head and direct a gaze across to her.
She had a warm smile and a strange glow in her deep ocean blue eyes.
She continued.
"Well... it's only been a few hours we spent together today, now inclusive, but I think I must have misjudged you wrongly until now."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Lia took a moment to gather her thoughts before replying. Her smile not faltering in the least.
"You didn't have any reason or need to go with us into the forest."
"What?"
"In fact, you didn't have any reason or need to hang out with us. Even when things seemed to get bad the further in we went, the more dangerous it became and the more risk we took with each step forward, you could have always turned back. You hadn't known us for even up to a day, neither did you have any relation to the crying girl from the village.," She paused to catch a breath in.
"But instead you followed us, gently and quietly assessing the situation while giving your personal opinions and suggestions which were in the best interest of all of us despite how much we shunned you."
"..."
"I could also tell you were worried. But not even for yourself, but for a bunch of snotty brats who you didn't owe nothing to." Lia added with a small little laugh.
Silence.
It stretched forth for a few seconds. Within that time I had the urge to say something. So my lips parted as I tried to find my voice.
"I..." I clenched my fist, tightly in it was the hem of my torn shirt.
I gulped down saliva. I couldn't believe I was about to say this.
"...I just wanted friends!"
"..."
"I just wanted to be around kids my age. I wanted to be accepted by you, by all of you. It's embarrassing to say but it's the truth." Feeling my face heat up in embarrassment, I looked away from Lia, trying to hide my expression.
I took in an internal breath, sucked it up, and continued.
"And of course I wouldn't leave you guys to venture alone into an unknown cave. I did that cause I was worried and felt like I had to. Of course I was scared. I nearly pissed my pants more than once, even. It also did cross my mind more than I can count, why do I have to risk my safety for a group of kids who obviously didn't want me. Well, here's my answer," I turned back to Lia and faced her resolutely.
Yes. I had my answer now.
The same question did indeed repeatedly cross my mind, and all I said to Lia wasn't a lie. Not one word was.
Now I remember how all this happened. If I hadn't decided to turn around and instead follow a different path yesterday, I probably wouldn't be in this situation.
When I realized this, I couldn't help but smile. A strange feeling nestled inside of me, and the smile just found its way up to my face.
"I just want to be Don's friend." It was that simple.
As much as I wouldn't like to admit it, Don, strangely intrigued me since we met yesterday. There's something about him that pulls people in.
At first I found it a pain to be around him. He was loud, blockeaded and stubborn. He never looked before he leaped. And most of all, very annoying.
The short while I spent alone with Don yesterday actually got me thinking. What kind of people would hang around someone like him.
Then there were these guys.
Don's own party.
At the beginning, I contemplated what exactly these guys saw in Don to follow him. Frankly there was almost nothing. But I think I'm beginning to understand.
"And I also want to be on good terms with Don's own close friends. Preferably, be seen as an equal — a friend. How would I let my aspiring new friends go off on an interesting adventure without me?" I tore a playful grin.
I couldn't believe I was having such an embarrassing conversation like this with Lia.
Mh-hmm, my cringeness knows no bounds.
While I pushed the thought to the back of my head, Lia brought up a sudden question.
"S-so, uh, we survived the fall, huh." she said her cheeks still red.
"Hm? O-oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, we were pretty lucky." I lied,
"The cliff wasn't really as tall as we thought. I managed to grab hold of some vines as we fell, and the canopies and bushes broke the rest of our fall safely," I tried to sound convincing.
Watching Lia's expression for any reaction, I added, "Rather than luck, I'd say it's more of a miracle actually," I laughed dryly while scratching the back of my head.
'Or magically.'
"Mmh" Lia nodded with a smile and didn't ask further questions concerning that. From that I preferred to think she bought it.
With that over and done with, or at least I preferred to think so, my mind began to wonder to other thoughts as an awkward silence descended the interior of the cave once more. During that time, I had my gaze focused on the dancing flames of the makeshift hearth at the middle.
Then I recalled something that I hadn't had a chance to inquire about.
'Oh, right. I was going to ask what happened with Don and the rest when Lia woke up. I almost forgot.' I've had a bad premonition for a while now. Lia was supposed to be with Don and the rest, but instead she was here with me.
'What happened to the others?' my lips parted as I simultaneously thought this and called.
"...Hey, Lia—" when suddenly a voice of admiration cut short my sentence broke forth from Lia as she bolted up from where she sat.
"Woah! Hey, look, Reo, the sun's setting!" my attention pulled along with the source of Lia's exclamation, I brought a pause to my words and turned to look outside, where Lia pointed and gestured towards.
It was the orange hue of the setting son. It was finally time.
Lia moved from wherever she was to the entrance and edge of the cave to get a pser and better view.
"C'mon, Reo! Come check it out! It's really pretty!" Lia urged almost impatiently like a kid.
'Well she is a kid.'
"Alright, I'm coming." With a faint smile, I got up from my spot and made my way to Lia's side by the exit. Side by side, we both took in the statuesque and strangely placid sight.
The sun setting cast the rest of the sky into an orange-yellow and reddish hue.
Watching the sun set was incredible. It spread a strange sense of fulfillment through my whole body. Not to mention how breathtaking a sight to behold.
Of course this wouldn't be the first time I've watched the sun set for the day. Though that said, I never really made it a hobby to get to higher ground with some popcorn at the edge of a building's roof to bask in the sight.
I never did it much in my past life actually, watching the sun set, I mean.
Maybe it's cause of that, or maybe it was just me, but watching the sun set here in this world...kinda struck different actually.
'Pfff. Different? How's that?' I rebuked my self inwardly.
... maybe the fatigue was just getting to me, huh.
I spared a galnce at Lia by my side.
He eyes were wide open and glittering with all sorts of light as the surface reflected the orange hue of the sky. Her expression was pretty. I caught myself staring much longer than I intended.
"... Pretty," my thoughts unconsciously leaked out.
"Yeah," Lia absent-mindedly nodded, her attention entirely focused on the view.
My face lit up in sheer embarrassment as I suppressed the urge to facepalm.
'Stupid!' I swore at my self Internally.
In a few more minutes, it was over. The sun fell behind the horizon and the glow soon vanished along as well.
"..."
The sky slowly began to darken now...
"Hey, Lia," I said, still watching the last visages of light dissolve.
...a few more minutes and the night sky will come flooding in. With it, I realized once again...
"Hm" Lia hummed by my side
I hesitated a Little.
"What happened to Don and the others?"
...the day was over.
***
Authors' Note:
Here's the first chapter of the week. See you tomorrow. And vote, we're not in the ranking.