At the moment, I am reflecting alone in my room after finishing my workout. The warmth from the physical exercise still lingers in my body, but my mind is troubled by various unsettling questions.
I am very confused right now. These thoughts keep spinning endlessly, making me feel bewildered and restless. Should I help my desk mate?
This question keeps haunting me, making me consider various possibilities and their consequences. Or should I pretend not to know? This option seems easier, but my conscience refuses to let that happen.
If I do nothing in this situation, my conscience will not be able to bear it. The realization that I must act grows stronger, even though I am still unsure of what to do.
As these thoughts continue to fill my mind, time passes by. Days turn into weeks, yet this confusion continues to haunt me.
A month later, Emilia-chan finally returned to school. Her presence should be a sign that things are starting to improve, but I feel something different.
I should feel relieved, but in the week since she returned to school, I haven't been able to see her smile again. Her facial expression has changed, displaying deep sadness and emotional coldness.
She always wears a cold expression whether with me, the teachers, or other classmates. Seeing this, my heart aches and I have decided to let a large man with a crescent-shaped white mustache possess me.
I really want to say to her, "Be my child!"
The voice in my heart urges me to say those words, as if it could change everything. But my body, which is only one meter tall, prevents me from voicing my embarrassing desire. The awareness of my limitations keeps me silent, holding those words inside.
---
That day, after school, I kept running to complete my system tasks. Sweat poured down my body, but my determination to finish the task remained steadfast.
However, unlike usual, after completing my run, I waited for my parents to come back from the restaurant with a sense of nervousness. My heart pounded as I thought about the important thing I wanted to tell them.
Fortunately, Ryuko-nee, who happened to visit our house, helped to distract me a little from overthinking. Her presence made me feel a bit calmer.
Time passed. Each second felt incredibly slow, but eventually, I heard the sound of the front door opening, and my parents entered, bringing food from the restaurant.
The aroma of delicious food filled the room, tempting my sense of smell and making my stomach growl, urging me to enjoy the delectable dishes immediately.
After a warm and harmonious family dinner, I was about to share the purpose I had been thinking about with my parents.
I waited for the right moment to start the conversation, feeling nervous but determined. Ryuko-nee, who was visiting, also listened to my thoughts. I felt I could get additional support with her presence.
So, I began by telling them the tragic story of Emilia and her family. I explained in detail what had happened, hoping they could understand how serious the situation was.
They looked shocked and couldn't believe what had happened to Emilia's family, but they were also somewhat confused about why I was telling them this. Their faces showed a mix of surprise and bewilderment.
"So, what's your point in telling us this, Himaru? You wouldn't just share someone's tragic story for casual conversation after dinner, right? You're clearly not that kind of person," my father asked seriously.
"I want to help her!" I replied firmly, showing my strong resolve.
"How do you want to help her?" my mother asked, curious about my plan.
"I want her to become my sister!" I replied with confidence.
Without waiting for their response, I continued, "I want her to become my sister, so I want to ask for your opinion on this matter." I continued, feeling slightly nervous and anxious about their response. My heart pounded as I awaited their reaction.
After hearing my response, my parents exchanged glances, their eyes meeting in mid-air. They seemed to ponder for a moment, considering what I had just said. And their answer to my selfish desire was…
---
The next day, after school, I postponed my daily run because I had to talk to Emilia. Usually, my running routine is something I can't skip, but this time there was something more important I needed to address.
Yes, even though I had mentioned this to my parents, I hadn't yet confirmed Emilia's wishes. It was important for me to know her feelings and ensure that she agreed with my plan.
So, today I would go and talk to her, asking directly if she wanted to become my adopted sister. This was a big step I had to take with courage.
Since I knew that if I talked to her normally, she would just ignore me coldly, I had to use my hidden trick. I needed to find a way to make her listen to me and respond honestly.
I approached Emilia and whispered in her ear, "Emilia, you don't want your secret to be revealed, do you?" I said (Yes, I said it, hehe!).
These words were the only way to get her attention.
Hearing this, she glared at me with a mix of embarrassment and anger. Her expression showed how bothered she was by my threat, but I knew it was the only way to make her respond.
Finally, I was glad to see a bit of emotion on her face after so long. There was a glimmer of life in her usually cold eyes.
But I remained focused on my goal. I couldn't give up now. "Come with me, I want to talk to you!" I said firmly. I tried to show that I was really serious.
"Where to?" she asked with an angry tone. It was clear she wasn't happy with the situation, but I had to stand firm.
"Just come along, or do you want your secret to be revealed?" I responded with a teasing threat. I hoped this light tone would ease her anger a bit.
In the end, she followed me to the park where I usually run. Although reluctantly, she still followed me.
Fortunately, the park was quiet, so I could freely discuss my purpose for bringing her here. The silence of the park provided us with a calm space to talk without interruptions.
After we sat together on a park bench, I started the conversation. I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to begin the long-planned talk.
"Emilia, you need to recover from your sadness... Do you think I invited you here just to talk about trivial things like this? Besides me, you must have heard it from others a lot lately, so I won't say things like that," I said firmly, hoping she understood that I truly cared.
When Emilia heard the first part of my sentence, her face became colder, but when she heard the continuation of my words, her expression turned surprised. Her face changed in an instant, from indifference to deep disbelief.
Without waiting for her response, I continued, "Emilia, do you want revenge?"
She became very surprised and fell silent, unable to answer my direct question. Her reaction showed how shocking and profound my question was.
So I asked again, "Emilia-chan, do you want revenge?"
"Why are you asking such a question so casually?" Emilia asked back, her voice full of confusion and anger.
"Well... I don't know how you feel right now, and I hope I will never have your fate, but I think if I were in your position right now, I would find the culprit and take revenge no matter what," I said seriously, hoping such a thing would not happen to me and everyone I cared about, or I wouldn't mind becoming a new demon king in this world.
After being silent for a while, Emilia said through gritted teeth, "Of course, I want revenge!"
"Then what is your plan?" I asked, trying to understand how far she had thought about her steps.
"Plan?" she asked back, looking confused.
"Don't tell me you want revenge without any plan? That won't work!" I said, hoping she would realize the importance of planning.
"What should I do?" Emilia asked me, her voice sounding softer.
"To get revenge, the most necessary thing is strength, but to have enough strength requires hard training, and hard training requires a healthy body. Lastly, to have a healthy body, you need a lot of money to fulfill the various nutrients your body needs," I explained the series of necessities required for revenge.
Hearing my explanation, she could only remain silent in confusion.
Seeing her confused expression, it seemed like the right time to tell her my real goal.
"Seeing your expression, you don't have those conditions, do you? So you can listen to my deal!" I said, trying to calm her.
"What deal?" Emilia asked, curious.
"Emilia, become my sister!" I said while standing up from my seat. (Shirohige, give me your strength!)
"Become my sister, and I will help you get your revenge!" I continued confidently.
"Why are you thinking about all this just for someone like me?" as she said this, tears flowed continuously from her eyes, showing how touched she was.
"Because I've decided you are (Ore no Nakama) my comrade!" I shouted with overflowing emotion, affirming my feelings.
Hearing this, she could only cry with unstoppable tears, so I hugged her and gently patted her back, trying to calm her feelings.
A while later, she stopped crying and pulled away from my hug with a flushed face. The awkwardness began to fill the air between us.
To alleviate this awkwardness, I could only distract her by saying, "Emilia-chan, since you've decided to get revenge, let's take the first step now," I said enthusiastically.
"First step?" Emilia replied, still slightly blushing.
"Let's run around the park to train our bodies!" I shouted, trying to lift her spirits.
In the end, we ran around the park, which eventually exhausted her so much that I had to carry her back to the orphanage where Emilia currently lived. This training might be a small step, but it was the beginning of a long journey we would take together.