I stared at the tent ceiling, my eyes burning from lack of sleep. Every time I'd closed them, my mind had conjured new rejection scenarios—each one worse than the last. Morning came too soon. Around me, the other tent occupants were stirring, preparing for departure. Raul, sleeping nearby, sat up and noticed me still curled in my bedroll.
"Um, Arin, are you okay? You have been behaving pretty weirdly since yesterday."
"Raul… yes, I'm fine," he frowned, hearing my response.
"Look, if something's bothering you, you can talk about it. We're friends, right?"
"Yeah," I sat up slowly, rubbing my face. "I will do that." He didn't believe me, I could see it in his frown, but he didn't push. "Don't worry about it, I will be fine."
"Alright. But if you need to talk..."
"I know. Thanks."I grabbed my jacket and stepped outside. Cool morning air hit my face like a slap. The camp was already stirring to life—people packing up tents, preparing breakfast, getting ready for the journey back to Orario.
I kept my head down, focusing on my tasks of feeding Tank and the other wyverns. Anything to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied.
"Arin!" Alise's cheerful voice cut through my concentration. "Mor—what the heck?! You look terrible!"
"Thanks, Alise. Very helpful."
"No, seriously!" She peered at my face. "Did you sleep at all? Your eyes are all red and puffy."
"Just... wasn't able to sleep."
"Ah, was someone snoring too loudly?" She asked.
"Something like that."
"Well, don't worry! We're heading home soon, so you can sleep properly in your own bed!" She grinned. "Plus, I heard there's gonna be a huge celebration when we get back. Dragon slaying is a big deal!"
"Great…" I muttered.
Alise tilted her head, her expression shifting to something more serious. "Hey, are you really okay? You're acting weird."
"I'm fine, Alise. Just tired."
She studied me for another moment, then shrugged. "If you say so. But if something's bothering you, you can tell me! I'm a great listener and helper!"
"Yup, I will keep that in mind."
She bounded off, probably to bother someone else with her morning energy. I went back to feeding, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach that had been there since last night.
What had I been thinking? Confessing to four people at once? What kind of insane—
"Arin." Finn's voice made me jump. I turned to find him studying me with those calculating blue eyes.
"Finn."
"You look exhausted."
"Does everyone have to point that out?"
"When you look this bad? Yes." He crossed his arms. "Though I suppose it's to be expected after last night."
My stomach dropped. "You... how do you know?"
He shrugged. "Not difficult to guess when all five of you have been acting strange since morning." His expression softened slightly. "I'm not going to pry into your personal business, but whatever's going on, don't let it destroy your health, especially after that battle, not to mention we still have a journey ahead."
"I know," He nodded once and walked away. I was about to return to feeding the wyverns when movement caught my eye. Green hair fluttering in the morning breeze. Riveria was giving instructions to everyone around her. I tried to look away before she noticed, but it was too late as her eyes met mine just for a split second. We gazed into each other's eyes, before she tore her gaze away and shook her head slowly as if she was disappointed.
Eh? Just with that small action, my brain went into overdrive. I-Is she disappointed in me so much that she doesn't even want to look at me now? My eyes fell to the ground in despair.
And it wasn't just her, Ryuu, Ais, and Asfi all of them behaved similarly. Maybe they were struggling with how to reject without hurting me too much? That was possible, since they were kind like that. I kept working around the camp as all those thoughts kept running through my head.
"Everyone's food's ready!"
I wasn't particularly hungry, but I forced myself to join the others. The sooner we ate, the sooner we could leave, and the sooner I could lock myself in my room back in Orario and pretend last night never happened.
I grabbed a bowl and found a spot at the edge of the gathering, away from most people. Exactly where someone who'd just made a complete fool of themselves belonged.
Shortly after, I heard footsteps approach and someone sitting beside me. Blonde hair fluttering in the wind and that silver sword at her hips told me her identity without needing me to look up. Ais was sitting beside me, just as that realization hit me, my stomach bottomed out. The food I'd just eaten threatened to come back up. I kept my eyes down, not wanting to see what kind of expression she might have.
We sat there in silence. She wanted to say something—I could feel it in the tension radiating from her. Every second that passed felt like an eternity. My hands clenched around the bowl, knuckles white. But I was just afraid it would be the rejection that would follow, and so I gobbled up all the food and got up, leaving the area quickly like a child running away from reality.
Even though I have told them that I will accept any decision they make. The word hovered in my mind like a blade waiting to fall. Rejection.
I headed toward the supply area, my bowl still in hand. Just as I was about to dump it, I nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.
"Sorry, I—"
Ryuu.
We both froze, standing barely two feet apart. Her eyes went wide, and for a split second, we just stared at each other.
Then, in a movement so fast I almost didn't catch it, she spun around, presenting her back to me. Her shoulders were hunched, her long blonde hair falling forward. Were her ears red? I couldn't tell from this angle—might have been wishful thinking.
"I... uh..." I started, not sure what to say.
She didn't respond. Just stood there, rigid, facing away from me like I was some kind of monster she couldn't bear to look at.
That bad, huh?
Or... maybe she was just embarrassed? No. I shouldn't do that. I shouldn't give myself hope that'll only make the rejection hurt worse.
"Ryuu?" I tried again, my voice coming out smaller than I intended.
Her shoulders tensed even more. One of her hands came up to cover her face, even though she was already facing away from me.
I didn't want to make her uncomfortable any more than she already was, "I'll just... go." I stepped around her, giving her a wide berth.
As I passed, I heard the quietest sound—a sharp intake of breath, as if she was about to say something, but when I glanced back, she was still frozen in that same position, hand over her face.
"Lion?" Alise's voice called from nearby. "What are you doing standing there like a statue? And why are you covering your face?"
"I-I'm not!" Ryuu's voice came out strangled.
"You literally are right now."
"I... There was... The sun was in my eyes!"
"The sun is behind you."
"...Please be quiet, Alise."
I didn't stick around to hear the rest, quickly making my escape toward the equipment area where Raul was checking harnesses.
"Finally," Raul said as I approached. "I need help with— Whoa, what's with that expression?"
"What expression?"
"Like a kicked puppy."
"I'm fine."
"Sure you are." He handed me a harness to check. "You know, whatever's going on with you and those four, maybe you should just—"
"Can we not talk about it?"
"Fine, fine." He held up his hands in surrender. "But seriously, the tension is so thick I could cut it with a knife. The rest of the members are also feeling the tension."
I focused on the harness, checking each strap with perhaps more intensity than necessary.
A few minutes later, I heard the distinct sound of someone adjusting their glasses. That particular little click of frame against frame.
I couldn't help but look.
Asfi stood about ten feet away, holding a medical supply kit. She was staring directly at me, her cyan eyes sharp and analytical behind her glasses.
We made eye contact.
She adjusted her glasses. Once. twice.
I didn't look up. Just kept checking straps I'd already checked three times.
Footsteps approached. Stopped about five feet away.
I didn't look up. Just kept checking straps that I'd already checked twice.
"Arin." Her voice was level.
My hands stilled on the harness. "Yeah?"
Silence.
I waited, my heart hammering loud enough that I was sure she could hear it.
More silence.
Against my better judgment, I glanced up.
She stood frozen, medical kit clutched to her chest like a shield. Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. Her free hand went to her glasses—adjusted them. Then again. And again, like it was a nervous tic she couldn't control.
The silence became painful.
"Did you... need something?" I asked, though I immediately regretted it. What if she rejects me now?
Her eyes flickered with something I couldn't read. Frustration? Panic? Her knuckles went white around the medical kit handle.
"Your eyes." The words came out clipped.
"What?"
"Your eyes. They're bloodshot." Another glasses adjustment. "You didn't sleep. That's not good given your recent injuries."
"I'm fine." I really was, physically at least.
"You're clearly not fine." Her jaw tightened. "You need—" She stopped abruptly, like she'd bitten off the words. "I have eye drops. Airmid asked me to give them to you."
She reached into the medical kit and pulled out a small bottle. Then just... stood there. Holding it. Not moving closer. Not walking away. Just frozen in place like someone had hit pause on her.
The silence returned with a vengeance.
"I can... bring it to you?" It sounded more like a question than an offer.
"It's fine, I can—" I started to stand, to walk toward her.
She took a step back.
I froze mid-rise.
She froze mid-retreat.
We stared at each other—me half-standing in this awkward crouch, her half-retreating with one foot back—both locked in the world's most uncomfortable standoff.
A breeze blew through camp. Neither of us moved.
"Miss Asfi!" Lefiya's voice shattered the moment like a hammer through glass. "I need your help with supply inventory!"
"I have to go." The words tumbled out too fast. She practically threw the bottle onto a nearby crate, adjusted her glasses one final time, and fled.
Actually fled. The dignified Perseus of the Hermes Familia, running away like I'd threatened her with something deadly.
I sat back down slowly, staring at the bottle of eye drops she'd left behind. Why had she run? Because she couldn't stand to be near me? Or because she didn't know what to say? "Ugh…" I clenched my head at all those conflicting thoughts wrestling in my mind.
Raul appeared beside me, following my gaze. "What just happened?"
"I have no idea."
"That was the weirdest interaction I've ever witnessed, and I once watched Bete try to apologize to someone."
"Can we not—"
"Right. Not talking about it." He paused. "But Arin, you all need to figure this out. Because that was painful to watch."
"Tell me about it," I muttered, grabbing the eye drops and pocketing them without using them.
"Hey, Arin!" Tiona's voice rang out as she started a rapid-fire question round. "Why did Ryuu just run past me with her hands over her face? And why is Asfi walking really fast, like she's escaping something? And why do you look like you want to dig a hole and live in it?"
I sighed for the nth time. "I don't want to talk about it."
"But—"
"Tiona," Tione appeared, grabbing her twin's arm. "Leave him alone. Can't you see he's suffering enough?"
"But I want to help!"
"You can help by shutting up and finishing your tasks."
As Tione dragged Tiona away, Raul gave me a long look. "You know, whatever happened, it can't be that bad."
I thought about Ais's silence, Ryuu literally turning her back to me, Asfi's retreat, and Riveria's disappointed expression.
"Yeah," I muttered. "It really can."
"Everyone, we will be leaving now!" Finn's shout drowned out my last words as everyone started to mount the wyverns shortly after, and we continued our journey back home.
The rest of the days passed in a blur of awkward near-misses and careful avoidance. I'd turn a corner, and Ryuu would suddenly become very interested in a tent that needed folding in the opposite direction. I'd walk toward the equipment, and Asfi would find urgent business elsewhere. And through it all, I could feel Ais's golden eyes tracking my movements whenever I glanced up, but the moment our gazes met, she'd either turn away or freeze in place like a startled deer.
Riveria, at least, maintained her composure—giving instructions, directing the breakdown of camp. But even she couldn't hide the way her gaze kept flickering toward me, or the small crease between her brows that deepened each time.
It was the last day of our journey back home, and I lay sprawled on Tank's back like a corpse, arms dangling over both sides, staring up at the sky with the existential dread of someone who'd torpedoed every important relationship in his life in one spectacular confession.
"Alright, everyone!" Finn's voice finally rang out. "We will be reaching Orario shortly!"
Thank the gods, finally. Now I can just lock myself in my room for the rest of my pitiful existence and pretend I'd never opened my stupid mouth.