"Where am I?"
I freeze. The silver-haired girl stares at me. She's speaking my language now! What happened? Was it the strange light from earlier? How is this even possible?
*Gasp!*
I snapped back to reality. "Listen! Hide somewhere, okay? Just for a bit longer! Somewhere no one will see you!" At least now we could communicate, right? This should be easy!
"Hmph! Don't tell me what to do, human!"
Maybe not…
"Tell me what country I've been transported to, or I'll blow you up!" she snaps, crossing her arms like a spoiled princess.
Wait, what?! Blow me up? This girl has the audacity to threaten me after I literally saved her life! I snapped out of irritation, "Fine! Do whatever you want! I'm not responsible for you anyway! Go ahead and leave after everything I did for you!" I storm off, muttering under my breath. After everything I did! How annoying!
Before I take more than three steps, I hear a rustling sound behind me. She suddenly starts patting herself down like she's searching for something important. Her smug attitude vanishes, replaced by growing panic.
"Where is it??"
Before I can react, she bolts toward me and grabs me by the collar, yanking me closer with surprising strength.
"Where is it?!"
"Ow! What are you doing?! What do you mean?!" I protest, struggling against her grip.
"My sisters' hearts! Where are they?!" She demands, her eyes showing desperation.
I stare at her, bewildered. Sisters? Hearts? What is she even talking about?
"I don't know what you're talking about! I didn't see any hearts!"
"But I can feel it on you!" she growls, her grip tightening. What is she saying? I dont have anything like that.
I blink, and suddenly, the memory of last night flashes back—the glowing lights shooting off in different directions after I caught her. Could those be what she's looking for?
"W-wait, are you talking about those lights I saw when you fell? They scattered everywhere," I explained hurriedly.
She froze, her expression shifting from panic to silence. Her hands fall away and the fierce energy she had moments ago drains away, Then... She collapsed.
*Grumble*
Her stomach growls loudly, breaking the heavy tension.
Sigh…Seriously...? After all that...?
Good thing my professor is absent today. We're dismissed early, and I carry her home. The stares I get along the way are beyond embarrassing. I can feel every pair of eyes glued to me as I struggle to carry this unconscious, silver-haired girl in my arms. Whispers follow like a relentless echo:
"Who's that?"
"Is she hurt?"
"Why's he carrying her like that?"
I duck my head, cheeks burning, wishing I could sink into the pavement. A group of giggling classmates passes by, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"Is that his girlfriend?!" one of them squeals.
"No way! Look at her dress! She looks like she walked out of a fantasy convention!"
"Maybe they're doing some weird cosplay thing?" another guesses.
I groan internally. This is the worst. I try to speed up, but she's heavier than she looks, and my arms are already screaming in protest. A passing couple even snaps a photo with their phone, adding another layer of humiliation.
"Just a little farther," I mutter through clenched teeth, trying not to trip.
As I turn the last corner, a nosy old neighbor from my apartment complex spots me, her eyes widening.
"Oh my! Is that your fiancée, dear?" she exclaims loudly.
I nearly choke. "No! She's just—! I mean—!!"
She gives me a sly wink and waddles away, leaving me red-faced and defeated.
Great... now the whole neighborhood's gonna think I brought home some mystery girl...
I sigh, adjusting my grip on the unconscious girl and trudging up the stairs. This day couldn't get worse... right?
(Back Home)
I lay her on my bed and head downstairs to cook. Instant ramen will do, I think as I set the water to boil. My mind races with everything that's happened.
"A girl with magic, speaking a different language... glowing lights... Maybe—just maybe—she's from another world!" I whisper excitedly. My inner otaku is screaming, Or maybe I was losing it from too much anime.
With the ramen ready, I return to my room. "Hey, are you awake? I brought some—MY ROOM!!!"
My books, papers and other stuff are scattered everywhere like a hurricane tore through the place. The girl is at my computer, her silver hair practically glowing under the screen light.
"Oi! What are you doing?! Get off my PC!"
"Studying," she replies nonchalantly, not even turning around.
I freeze, noticing faint glowing symbols—like a magical circle—floating above her head, the computer, and a few books.
"No way..." I whispered to myself with a grin from excitement. She's using magic—on my computer!
She clicks through different tabs at lightning speed. "This high technology device is very fascinating. So much information from a single source. Is this your world's form of magic?"
I can't help but feel a little proud... until she clicks something questionable.
"What's this? C*rnsite? What are these people doi-"
"AAAAAAH!" I leap across the room in panic, spinning her chair away and shutting the computer down in a frenzy. "Forget about that! Here, eat your ramen!"
She narrows her eyes suspiciously but takes the bowl. "Mmm~ this is surprisingly good, human." She said in delight as she took the first bite.
Human? Is she referring to me? "It's Ethan. Don't call me human!"
"Alright, Ethan human it is." she says with a smug while slurping the noodles. Is that an improvement?
"So, what's your name?" I ask, leaning against the desk.
"Don't get too friendly with me Ethan human!" she snaps, face smeared with broth like an angry, messy child.
"What?! After everything I've done for you? Give me back my food and my efforts!"
She glares at me, the playful tension fading. "I hate all of you..."
I blink, stunned by the sudden shift.
"My sisters... they're out there, lost, because of your kind." Her voice trembles heavily with anger... and something deeper—pain.
The room falls into an uncomfortable silence. You humans? What did she mean? I didn't know her or her sisters. Why am I getting the blame?
She clenches the empty bowl in her hands as if grounding herself. For a fleeting moment, her tough facade crumbles, leaving only loneliness across her face. But the second our eyes meet, she quickly looks away. Is there something wrong with my face?
"...Rubielle," she whispers, almost too softly to hear. The defiance in her tone faltered.
"What's that?" I ask, unsure if I heard her right.
She hesitates, then sighs. "My name…" Her voice softens.
She then jumped to her feet, heading towards the window, as if changing the subject. "I can't stay here…" she mutters, her tone turning serious. "I need to go back and save them. Go back... Go.. back… Go…" Her voice trailed off, and her face shifted to confusion. "Wait... where am I??"
"You're at my home!" I say, feeling like we've gone full circle. "Where exactly did you even come from?!"