Not long after, Glok arrived at a place he didn't expect to revisit, especially with Teena. It had been quite a while since they last visited this place since their time at the academy. Afterwards, they had been too busy with their missions and individual preparations.
But among Teena and himself, another friend of his, the large and muscular goblin, almost the same as his father, stood not far away, looking towards the beautiful short-haired female goblin standing under the tree, recalling various memories they had here.
Glok approached, touching his shoulder, and startling him enough to drop a beautifully fragrant glass bottle. "Oh! I'm sorry, Tuko. I truly apologize. I didn't know you were so serious that you'd be startled like that."
Hearing the sound of the bottle breaking, Teena would surely look their way, snapped out of her reverie. She approached with a puzzled look at what had happened. "What are you doing, Glok? Look at that bottle, it's really beautiful. I'm sure it's not cheap," she said, kneeling and trying to pick up the shards, promptly stopped by Glok.
"I know, I've apologized," he replied irritably, quickly picking up each piece of glass to prevent Teena from touching them. He didn't want her hands to get hurt. "Where did you buy it, Tuko? Let me replace it for you."
Tuko was taken aback again and nervously laughed, "Haha, no-no. It's okay. You don't need to replace anything. It was my fault for being startled like that," he joked.
"What were you thinking that made you so startled?" Teena asked, curious. It was rare for their friend to be surprised, let alone to drop something. Among the four of them, only Tuko was truly quiet and calm. If compared, Tuko was like a big rabbit, while his three friends were mischievous little cats.
Tuko paused for a moment, looking puzzled about what to answer before finally saying, "To be honest, I was a little worried about our journey this time."
"What do you mean?" Glok asked, not understanding, storing each piece in a handkerchief to dispose of later.
"We're taking the Construct to the land of the elves, and not just any Construct, but an iron one. I'm just worried that various big problems will arise that will make us suffer later on. I can't lose you, my only family," Tuko replied with his head looking down.
Glok and Teena were stunned, not expecting to hear such words coming from their friend who never showed his feelings. Unable to contain himself, Glok walked closer, embraced his head, and ruffled his black hair, "Aww, I didn't expect our Tuko to be someone so sweet. Stop saying things like that, I might really fall for you."
At that moment, Teena gave him a small pinch on the waist, making Glok yelp in surprise while Teena patted Tuko's back, "Don't worry, Tuko. Nothing will happen to us. Besides, we have you. Someone who is ranked eight in Combat tests. You will surely protect us, right?" she said proudly, causing Tuko's smile to widen.
"That's right! We have you! I'm sure, as soon as an enemy approaches, they'll run scared when they see you. So, cheer up, buddy!" exclaimed Glok, patting Tuko's back hard enough to give him encouragement.
The three of them laughed together, reminiscing about their time at the academy, where they met Tuko, who was truly mysterious at the time. No one knew him, only knew he was there. No one ever talked to Tuko because they thought he was one of those arrogant nobles who didn't care about the academy and only joined as a formality.
However, Tuko was actually an orphan who managed to earn a scholarship to study at the prestigious academy. Since childhood, he found it difficult to speak to people, choosing to be alone rather than face these uncomfortable feelings. Especially when people were afraid of him just because he was big and looked a little scary. Meanwhile, he just wanted to have a friend.
Teena was the first to approach him, inviting him to eat together where Glok and Rako were waiting. Thanks to the three of them, his childhood dream became a reality. Tuko felt so grateful to have friends like them, something he never imagined would happen in his lifetime.
"But, what was in that bottle? I've never seen such a beautiful bottle with pink liquid," said Glok, observing the liquid that had almost entirely been absorbed by the ground, leaving sparkles like mana.
Tuko looked at it, replying, "Someone gave it to me, saying it was a gift."
"What?! We have to replace it!" exclaimed Teena quickly, feeling guilty about the girl who had given him the precious object.
"It's okay, she's also gone," replied Tuko with a sad expression.
"Meaning... a farewell gift?" Glok asked, then nodded in understanding when he saw his friend's expression. "It's okay. The fact that someone gave this to you means you are someone valuable. Never doubt yourself again. And I'm sure you'll find someone who can make you even happier."
Tuko stood there in silence, gazing at the liquid again before eventually leaving first because he hadn't finished his preparations yet.
"So, why did you come here?" Teena asked Glok after Tuko had walked away.
Glok was taken aback, not knowing what to say. He completely forgot that his reason for coming here was to chase after Teena. However, because of the earlier incident, he forgot what he wanted to say to her, making him frustrated because he had rehearsed the words he wanted to say to her several times before.
"Why are you silent?" Teena sighed and began to walk away. "If there's nothing you want to say, I—"
"Wait."
"Hmm?"
Glok clenched his fists, biting his lip, trying to push himself to say the words that were already on the tip of his tongue. It just needed one little push—
But before he could say those words, without being able to react, Teena gently kissed him on the lips. The kiss made time seem to momentarily stop, leaving just the two of them in the world.
As Teena pulled back, a faint blush adorned her cheeks with a beautiful smile that continued to make Glok's heart race so fast. And even though the wind blew, tousling her beautiful short black hair, Glok's heart felt warm.
"I understand. You don't need to say it, I understand," she said softly, her voice as gentle as honey.
Glok didn't know how to respond, he knew, once again, he had been defeated by her, by Teena, his childhood friend who had now become a lover. He never imagined that the friend he once started with a fight would turn into a partner who brought warmth.
Their hearts beat as fast as they did when they were kids, but now with different feelings. Feelings that neither of them realized had been growing since they entered their teenage years. Feelings that they had long wanted to express, kept in their hearts, now became a reality.
Step by step, Glok approached. He realized he couldn't say anything to match Teena's loving words. But he knew how to reciprocate those feelings.
He gently placed his hand on her hip, pulling Teena closer against his beating heart and once again, gave her the same kiss. A kiss that'll mark the beginning of their story together.
Not far away, Rako watched them, grinning widely and saying, "See? Didn't I tell you, Glok? She loves you. Why couldn't you realize it earlier and make her wait all this time? If only you could be more sensitive." He glanced towards Tuko, who seemed like he wanted to say something but held back to not spoil their moment.
"What was that all about?" Teena asked with a small laugh, still unable to calm her heart, especially when Glok's hands were still on her hips, giving her butterflies.
"That's how I show my feelings," Glok replied with a cheerful smile.
"You really won't ever let me win that easily."
"Of course not."