Subaru and Emilia walked out into the hall to see Naoko and Kenichi.
Emilia: [Um, so... I should introduce myself properly. Hello, Mrs Natsuki. My name is Emilia. Just Emilia.]
Beatrice: [Betty is Betty, I suppose.]
Naoko smiled, but then she had a thought.
Naoko: [But since you're all here. How will we find beds for you all to sleep in?]
Kenichi: [Subaru. You can take the couch so your girlfriend can sleep properly, right?]
Subaru: [Is that any way to welcome your son home after almost 2 years? But you're right. I should take the couch.]
Emilia: [Eh? You don't need to...]
Subaru: [It's fine. Knowing Mili and I slept in the same bed even if it's at different times plays on my heartstrings.]
Emilia sighed.
Emilia: [I knew you'd say something like that. Dunderhead.]
Subaru laughed a little.
Naoko: (He seems so... genuinely happy.)
Naoko smiled at this, but then she looked to Beatrice.
Naoko: [Um... what about Be...]
Subaru: [Beako.]
Naoko: [Beako-chan.]
Beatrice: [Betty will stay with Betty's Subaru, I suppose.]
Kenichi: [Huh? How long have you been doing this?]
Subaru: [Um... about a year and a half?]
Kenichi: [You're not actually a Lolimancer, are you?]
Emilia: [Oh, I've heard people call Subaru that before.]
Subaru: [No!!! How could you betray me, Mili?]
Emilia tilted her head in confusion as Subaru's parents sighed at their son's antics.
Naoko: [Subaru. I... I kept your room the same as you left it.]
Subaru: [Thanks, Mom. All your hard work and effort paid off. Trust me.]
Subaru flashed a smile at his mother, who felt her heart warm up from it.
Emilia: [Is it really okay if I sleep in your room? I don't want to be a bother.]
Subaru: [It's fine, Mili.]
Emilia looked to the door to Subaru's room.
Emilia: [I wonder what your room looks like.]
Subaru: (Oh no... Wait. Not good.)
Subaru quickly stood between Emilia and the door.
Subaru: [Um. Just give me a second, okay... whoa!]
Subaru slipped on the mat as he fell on the door, opening it and exposing his deepest and darkest secret. His room was adorned with various anime posters and figurines. Normally, while embarrassing, this wouldn't be so bad; however, many of the characters had silver hair, and many were elves.
Emilia: [Eh?]
Beatrice deadpanned.
Beatrice: [It's no wonder Betty's Subaru fell for you, I suppose.]
Emilia: [Um, Subaru... what is all this?]
Subaru: [Um... uh... well... it's...]
Subaru's cheeks were bright red from embarrassment.
Subaru: [Um, think about Reinhard. If people made sculptures of him, wouldn't people buy them?]
Emilia: [Eh? Um... I guess.]
Subaru: [It's the same for these. Uh...]
Emilia: [Did you all this time... like me because of these...]
Subaru: [No! That's not why. I mean, at first, sure, I thought you were beautiful, but I wasn't sure whether love was the right word for what I felt for you back then... it was your kindness that made me fall in love with you.]
Emilia: [Subaru...]
Beatrice: [It was the lap-pillow, I suppose.]
Emilia: [Eh?]
Subaru: [Beako! I mean, you're absolutely right, but why did you have to point it out?]
Emilia: (I still remember it. You sounded so hurt and exhausted. I thought that as long as I could help you, I didn't need to understand what you were saying. I thought as long as I believed you, that you'd be okay. But I remember the note Petra gave us, and now I know I was wrong to think that way.)
She had read it as soon as she had arrived in this new world.
"'Subaru has the same or similar ability to Al.
She had been shocked to read this.
Emilia: (Wait... I remember Subaru telling me something at the capital. When I... left him there. He told me that I'd saved him, but I never recalled ever doing that. Also, at the Loot House, he called out for Puck even though he shouldn't have known his name. Subaru... you've done even more than I could even know... I'm sorry for... for not seeing the signs sooner. But why didn't you tell me?)'"
Subaru entered his room and began tidying up. Of course, he didn't have to hide any scandalous magazines. Why? Because he didn't own any.
Subaru: [Make yourself at home, Emilia-tan.]
Emilia: [Um... alright.]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Naoko woke up to the sound of pained grunts. She got up and walked through the door with a sense of dread as she walked to the living room. She saw her son writhing in agony as her face went pale.
Naoko: [Subaru!]
She rushed over to see Beatrice holding out her hands.
Beatrice: [There's no reason to worry, I suppose. Betty will handle this quickly, in fact.]
Naoko: [What's happening to Subaru?]
Beatrice: [Too much mana can be poisonous, I suppose. Betty is draining it now, in fact.]
Naoko: [Does he always...]
Beatrice: [No. Betty usually is able to drain mana every day, but for a while, Betty and Subaru were sealed, so Betty wasn't able to drain Subaru's mana.]
Naoko: [He'll be okay, right?]
Naoko was panicking.
Betty: [Hold his hand, I suppose. It will help him relax, in fact.]
Naoko held her son's hands as Beatrice continued draining his mana until Subaru's breathing went back to normal.
Beatrice: [It's done, in fact.]
Naoko: [Why is this happening to Subaru?]
Beatrice: [Betty's Subaru's gate is defective, I suppose. It can't release mana properly, so it builds up.]
Naoko: [Thank you for taking care of my son.]
Beatrice smiled smugly.
Beatrice: [Yes. Betty's Subaru is lucky to have Betty, I suppose.]
Naoko smiled slightly when a baby's cries could be heard. Naoko rushed upstairs to tend to her other child, only to find Kenichi rocking Natsumi in his arms.
Kenichi: [You should go back to sleep, dear. I'll handle this.]
Naoko stood next to Kenichi with a smile.
Naoko: [After so long our family is... whole again.]
Her smile faltered.
Naoko: [I'm scared.]
Kenichi: [Me too. I feel like this is some kind of dream. I'm afraid I'll wake up tomorrow and Subaru won't be here.]
Naoko leaned on Kenichi's shoulder as they looked to Natsumi.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru sat at the dining table in the seat between Emilia and Beatrice with his parents across from them. There was an awkward silence between them all.
Kenichi: [So... what exactly have you... um... been up to.]
Subaru: [Well, um... a lot.]
Beatrice: [Too much, I suppose.]
Naoko: [Have you been eating properly? Taking baths...]
Subaru: [Mom!]
Naoko: [Sorry. I was just worried.]
Subaru: [It's alright. And yeah, apart from some close calls, I've been fine.]
Noako: (Close calls...)
Kenichi: [Why don't you tell us about what happened the day you disappeared, son?]
Subaru: [I was at the convenience store. I got some snacks and left. My eyes got irritated, so I rubbed them, and when I opened my eyes, I was in another world.]
Kenichi: [You can't be serious... isn't that...]
Subaru: [A bit anticlimactic? I know, right?!]
Kenichi smiled a little, but there was some pain in his eyes. Kenichi saw that same pain in his wife's eyes and quickly moved to change the subject to something light-hearted.
Kenichi: [So, son, did you get any really amazing powers while you were over there?]
Subaru: [I got two aces up my sleeve, but that's about it.]
Kenichi: [So you can't use magic?]
Beatrice: [Betty's Subaru foolishly broke his gate, I suppose. Because of that, he's unable to use magic on his own.]
Kenichi: [Gate?]
Beatrice: [Mana flows through a person's gate and allows them to use magic, I suppose.]
Naoko: [So you were reckless.]
Subaru sighed in exasperation.
Subaru: [More like one thing came at me after another, and eventually my gate couldn't take it anymore.]
Emilia frowned at the light-hearted way Subaru portrayed this.
Naoko: [That's why that was happening last night?]
Subaru: [You... heard me?]
Naoko: [I was worried, you know. If it wasn't for Beako-chan, I'd have no idea what was even happening to you.]
Emilia: [Did something happen last night?]
Subaru: [Just some mana poisoning. But Beako took care of it, so I'm fine.]
Emilia pinched his ear.
Emilia: [Don't say "just" mana poisoning. It's serious, you know.]
Subaru: [I know, but Beako handled it, so I'm fine.]
Emilia: [Subaru. Can we talk for a while? Just you and me?]
Subaru: [Huh? Um... sure.]
Beatrice: [Are you trying to exclude Betty as well?]
Emilia: [It's just something I reaaally don't want to spring on Subaru's parents all of a sudden. It's something between us too.]
Subaru: (Eh? Could it be that Emilia-tan is confessing her feelings?)
Subaru began to feel giddy at the thought, but calmed himself down. But then Kenichi and Naoko exchanged smug looks as Subaru looked at this in horror.
Subaru: (Oh god no. Please don't do anything to ruin this moment.)
Kenichi: (Ah, it took you long enough to get your first girlfriend, son. She seems sweet, so I can only hope it sticks all the way till your hair's the same colour as Her's.)
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru sat down with Emilia.
Subaru: [So, um, Emilia-tan. What did you want to talk to me about?]
He attempted to compose himself, but he was sweating a lot.
Emilia: [Subaru... there's something you've been hiding from me.]
Subaru's throat went dry as he remembered the loop where his words had killed Emilia.
Subaru: [Eh? What do you mean, Emilia-tan?]
Emilia: [I think I understand it already. From how Petra was acting, you probably can't tell me, can you?]
Subaru's eyes widened.
Subaru: [Petra?]
Emilia: [Yes. She's the one who told me about your ability.]
Subaru: [How could Petra know... unless...]
Subaru's eyes shrank in horror as he sank to his knees. He realised that Petra must have read one of his Books Of The Dead.
Emilia: [Subaru?]
Subaru: [Is Petra okay?]
Emilia: [Subaru, you're not making any sense...]
He looked at Emilia desperately.
Subaru: [Is Petra okay?!!]
Emilia: [Yes. Of course she is.]
Subaru sighed in relief.
Subaru: [She was able to withstand it... I don't really get how, but she did it.]
Then he realised how confused Emilia must be and came to his senses.
Subaru: [Emilia-tan, one of the conditions of that ability is that I'm not allowed to tell people about it, so please don't ask me for details.]
Emilia nods.
Emilia: [I'm always going to put my trust in you.]
Subaru: [It was hard.]
Emilia: [Subaru?]
Subaru: [Every time it activated, I felt like a failure. Rather than this ability, I wanted so badly to just be strong. Strong enough to protect you and everyone.]
Emilia hugged him.
Emilia: [You are strong, Subaru. I think I understand now that you've gone through a lot for all of us. My knight. My one and only knight.]
Subaru sobbed his heart out.
Subaru: [I wanted to save everyone. I didn't want anyone to be left behind. I wanted to save you. I wanted to show you. No. Everyone that I could support you. That I was worth something. Because I want to stay by your side and protect you. Because I love you.]
Emilia smiled.
Emilia: [I know. I'll do my best to protect you as well. Because I want to stay by your side and protect you, too. Because...]
Emilia blushed.
Emilia: [I love you too.]
Subaru looked dumbstruck for a second.
Subaru: [Huh. Did you just...]
Emilia looked away, her ears red.
Subaru: [Mili... did you just say you love me?]
Subaru's mind couldn't process it. A part of him was telling him it was out of pity, but deep down, he could never doubt Emilia. He knew better than anyone that when she said something, she meant it.
She looked at him, still flushed. Some tears were dripping down Subaru's cheeks.
Emilia: [Eh Subaru?]
Subaru quickly wiped away his tears.
Subaru: [Oh no. Um... Sorry. I'm just... so happy. I'm so relieved. I thought after so long that you were trying to find a way to let me down easy.]
Emilia: [You dunderhead. I've been trying to find the right moment to tell you my answer for a reaaally long time.]
Subaru: [Eh? You... have?]
Emilia: [I wanted to after the attack on Pristella, but Julius lost his name, and since he's your best friend...]
Subaru: [Julius isn't my best friend.]
Emilia pouted at his interruption as Subaru's sweat dropped.
Emilia: [You were busy preparing for us to go to the Watchtower to help your best friend and Rem, so I never got the chance.]
Subaru was dumbfounded.
Subaru: [I sabotaged myself?!!]
Emilia pouted.
Emilia: [Yes, you did, you dunderhead.]
Subaru's sweat dropped.
Emilia: [Then at the Watchtower I wanted to but... You lost your memories, and that wasn't the Subaru I wanted to confess to. Then you got teleported to Vollachia. When I met up with you again, we were in the middle of a war. And then, right, I wanted you to spare some time, but you wanted to help Al. I thought that I could tell you right after, but then you get kidnapped by Al like a dunderhead.]
Subaru: (So even before she knew about my ability. I didn't doubt her, but this just... confirms it... Emilia... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me... Emilia loves me...)
The thought kept repeating in his head as Subaru felt as if he'd die from happiness.
Subaru: (But I can't die. If I did, it would ruin the moment.)
Subaru smiled softly to himself.
Subaru: [Then... let's take good care of each other, Emilia-tan.]
Emilia smiled and nodded. She held his hands.
Emilia: [Subaru....]
They kissed.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Meanwhile, Beatrice sat with Naoko and Kenichi.
Naoko: [So Beako-chan... um... well... Emilia and our Subaru. Are they lovers?]
Beatrice: [Worse, I suppose. They're idiots, in fact.]
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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