Chapter 134: Even If We Can't Live in the Same Time
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"A thousand years is too long for me to promise anything," Ash said gently. "But for as long as I remain who I am now, I will remember you as my cherished junior sister—someone precious to me during this century."
"...I know that."
"Then it's all fine, isn't it?" Ash gently stroked Sense's hair, but she removed his hand from her head. Looking at him intently, she softly asked:
"You're clearly the same as Lady Serie, but also different… Don't you feel lonely being so close to us?"
"...You know, a long time ago, someone said something similar to you," he replied, lowering his gaze in thought. After pondering for a while, he concluded, "I think it was Fern's ancestor?"
"Really? But... judging by your expression, it seems like you don't remember her much?"
"...I remember parts of it," Ash muttered in response. Then, with a confident smile, he cupped Sense's face and said,
"But it doesn't matter. I'll remember everything about Sense, from beginning to end."
"You mean... my last time, don't you?"
Sense's voice faltered, her eyes lowering with a hint of loneliness.
The conversation fell into a sudden silence.
Neither was good at handling such topics. Even Ash, unsure of how to continue, hesitated before reflexively wanting to reach out and touch her hair.
After what felt like an eternity, Sense—who was usually the type to let silence linger—took the initiative to break it.
"I'm sorry… You've always been so kind to me during important moments, but… I feel like I've been a bit too willful without realizing it."
"Not at all," Ash reassured her with a smile. "If anything, the fact that you could take the initiative to say that shows how much you've grown."
As he spoke, his gaze softened. With a playful squint, he pointed to the top of her head and mused, "You know, I think you've grown a little taller since before?"
"…Maybe, just a little," Sense replied, her voice vague but tinged with amusement.
Their earlier somber conversation was quietly left behind, the warm and familiar atmosphere between them restored.
The two spent the rest of the evening exchanging lighthearted conversations, laughter interweaving with the trivialities of daily life.
When the stars finally filled the night sky, Ash reluctantly said his goodbyes.
After all, he would never spend the night at a girl's house—especially with her elders present. Although, admittedly, the idea was somewhat tempting.
As he walked away under the starry sky, Sense stood on the terrace, watching his figure fade into the distance, eventually disappearing into the boundless night.
Her heart returned to its usual calmness, but as the silence around her deepened, it gave way to an inexplicable loneliness.
It was like watching a meteor streak across the sky—beautiful yet fleeting, leaving behind an unshakable sense of emptiness.
She found herself inexplicably fixated on the traces Ash had left behind, convinced that the warmth of his touch still lingered in her hair.
Her hand unconsciously reached up, brushing the ends of her hair as if trying to confirm whether the warmth was real.
...
...
Not far from Sense's home, Ash walked through the quiet streets, only to notice a figure leaning against the shadows of a building.
It was Ubel, her hands behind her back, a sly smirk on her face. The mischievous gleam in her eyes was unmistakable.
"So, I saw it," she teased as she stepped into view. "You weren't secretly plotting with Sense to cheat on something, were you?"
"…Do you really think I need to do something like that?" Ash replied dryly. Without hesitation, he slapped the top of her head lightly and pushed her aside as he strode past.
"Hey, I was just kidding!" Ubel called after him, laughing as she straightened up. "I'm just curious about what kind of relationship you two have."
"…Sense is my junior," Ash said flatly, his tone leaving no room for further comment.
"When you came here, you seemed to have a really good relationship~ Are you sure you're just juniors?" Ubel's face was brimming with curiosity as she quickly followed behind him.
"I never said we were just juniors. After all, we've known each other for more than ten years."
"More than ten years? You've been acquainted for that long? That's quite a while!"
"Well... by chance, our communication deepened over time. So, we're the best of juniors."
Ash responded casually to the girl's relentless curiosity, explaining how his relationship with Sense had evolved, all the while walking toward home with Ubel trailing behind.
Though, inwardly, he couldn't help but wonder what Ubel had been doing there all this time. Had she been squatting in the shadows all day? Knowing Ubel, it wasn't entirely out of the question.
They continued their light conversation until they reached home, where Frieren and Fern were already sound asleep.
Ubel, however, clearly wasn't ready to end the conversation. She followed Ash to his room, intent on prying further into his past. But before she could get another word in, Ash shut the door in her face, leaving her standing there with her nose inches from the wood.
Alone at last, Ash lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Sense's words replayed in his mind, weighing heavily on him, keeping him from falling asleep.
But it didn't matter. He had plenty of energy, so losing a night's rest wasn't a problem.
Before dawn, he slipped out of the house, quietly avoiding Fern and Frieren.
He wandered the city aimlessly, spending time in the park with a lost child, playing with them for a while before escorting them home.
With the morning still stretching before him, he decided to visit the Magic Association.
As he approached the stairs leading to the entrance, his gaze fell on the high platform outside the gate. There, leaning over the railing, was Kanne, her orange twin ponytails catching the light, making her look like an energetic puppy.
When their eyes met, Kanne, looking inexplicably embarrassed, hesitated for a moment before raising her hand to wave at him.
Ash climbed the steps and leaned against the railing beside her. Glancing at the girl, who now seemed slightly uneasy because of his presence, he broke the silence.
"What are you doing here?"
"Actually, I'm waiting for Lawine… After that, we're going to thank Frieren and then maybe hang out with Fern… or something."
"Really? What a youthful plan. Make sure to get along well with each other," Ash replied with a chuckle, reaching out to tousle her hair.
Kanne didn't resist but flinched slightly as if the gesture tickled her.
"I always feel like… Uncle, you're always like this. You just love touching people's hair…"
"Well, I can't exactly touch your belly in public, can I?"
"H-Hah?"
Startled by his inexplicably regretful remark, Kanne shrank to the side, her face turning a deep shade of red.
"...I'm just saying, I wouldn't actually touch it. And honestly, the only place you can safely touch a girl is her head. Didn't I mention this before?"
"…Is there no option to just not touch anything?"
"The sense of distance between people is like physical distance. I only touch the heads of people I want to get closer to."
"I feel like I get it, but I also don't…"
Accepting his explanation but still slightly wary, Kanne stood beside him again, though she kept a cautious eye on him, as if afraid he might suddenly attempt to touch her belly.
Ash chuckled at her guarded stance but said nothing. Instead, he patted her head gently and reached into his pocket, pulling out a piece of candy.
"…Want one?" he offered with a smile.
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Note: To be honest, I didn't really thought the 1,000 power stones milestone for 3 chapters a day next week could be achieved. But seeing the number of power stones you all gave just yesterday, I'm starting to regret making that deal.
Oh well, I guess I'd better start preparing.