It was still awkward to say the words “we’re dating” out loud, but Ruite couldn’t bring himself to deny having a partner.
Besides, he didn’t want to lie to an old classmate he was meeting for the first time in a while.
“I knew it! Who is it? A colleague from the Knights?”
Ruite scratched his head awkwardly.
‘Who else? It’s Chester Callaway, whom you also know.’
However, he couldn’t explicitly reveal his identity yet.
Above all, he hadn’t discussed it with Chester, and their families were still complicatedly intertwined.
“Hmm, so it’s a secret? I get it. I won’t ask anymore.”
Noticing Ruite’s hesitation, Rona quickly pivoted. Ruite was relieved she was so quick-witted.
“Still, the fact that you’re dating someone… it’s a bit surprising.”
“Huh? Why?”
“At the Academy, you got along well with everyone, but you never seemed particularly attached to relationships. I got the feeling you were someone who would live a perfectly brave and happy life all on your own.”
Rona continued as she sipped her tea.
“Usually, dating someone means you rely on them that much and want a deep connection. It’s just interesting to see that you’ve found someone like that. And seeing you adjust so well to the Knights was a surprise too. I half-expected you to vanish somewhere quiet and live in solitude as soon as you graduated.”
A faint smile played on Rona’s lips.
Ruite listened to her quietly. He couldn’t say she was entirely wrong.
Back then, his mind was consumed only with the engagement annulment and a future where he didn’t die.
More importantly, his original personality wasn’t one to rely heavily on others or worry about social ties.
Just as Rona said, he had once dreamed of a leisurely, free life—finding what he wanted to do slowly after successfully breaking things off with Chester.
But now, he liked the Knights.
Even if the work was grueling, it suited his aptitude, and sometimes it was even fun.
Dean, his fellow recruit; Ciel and Cedric, who took such good care of the members; the boisterous but good-natured Vilter; and even Varen, who was a bit annoying but treated him without pretense—they were all great colleagues.
And above all, Chester was there.
He wasn’t the type to be desperate for a connection with others, but Chester was the exception.
Now, he wanted to stay intertwined with Chester; he relied on him.
Chester often said that he had changed because of Ruite.
But the same was true for Ruite.
If he had broken the engagement as planned or continued to ignore his feelings for Chester, he might have lived a free and comfortable life, but he would have gone his whole life without ever knowing the feeling of truly leaning on someone or this sense of fulfillment.
Ruite’s face, smiling happily, was reflected faintly in the liquid of his teacup.
Rona rested her chin on her hand, watching her friend—who looked much more stable than he had at the Academy—with a sense of pride.
“Hearing you talk makes me want to start dating, too.”
“But you’re already dating plants.”
“The problem is you know me too well.”
Rona nodded as if he’d hit the bullseye.
“But if you want to meet someone, Rona, you’ll find a good person soon. You’re more passionate about your field than anyone. They say people who work hard at what they love are the most attractive. Besides, you’re pretty.”
Rona blinked slowly at Ruite’s words. Then, she let out a laugh that sounded almost like a sigh.
“I don’t know who your lover is, but they’re in for some trouble.”
“Eh? Why?”
“Ruite, you probably don’t realize this, but when someone with a face like yours says things like that, at least five out of ten people are going to fall for you on the spot.”
Despite Rona’s explanation, Ruite tilted his head in confusion. Rona wanted to be even more blunt—to tell him that with his looks and his thoughtful, warm personality, there was no way he wouldn’t be popular.
“Never mind. I’m one of the five who won’t be swayed, but don’t go scattering your charms around like that. You’ll make your partner worry.”
Rona drained the rest of her tea.
“I’ll be staying in the capital for a while, so I’ll contact you as soon as I figure out what breed this root belongs to.”
“Right, thanks. And the Knights will provide separate compensation for the consultation.”
“Forget it. You don’t need to arrange that.”
“What? Really?”
But this wasn’t a private favor from Ruite.
Since it was an official consultation related to a case the Knights were investigating, a compensation process was standard.
“It’s a favor for a friend; getting paid for it feels weird. If it bothers you, just think of it as me paying back a debt.”
“A debt?”
“The grace of you saving me. I told you I wouldn’t forget it for at least thirty years.”
‘Ah,’ a low sound escaped Ruite’s throat.
He suddenly remembered an incident during their mid-term practicals at the Academy.
On graduation day, when Rona said she would never forget his kindness for as long as she lived, Ruite had replied that thirty years was plenty.
Ruite smiled and accepted Rona’s refusal of payment.
“I’ll head out then. Good luck with work.”
“Yeah, get back safely.”
After parting with Rona, Ruite turned back toward the Knights’ headquarters.
Although the Empire and the Knights were in an uproar over the monster issues, the conversation with Rona had somehow left Ruite feeling heartened.
Perhaps it was because her words made him realize something he hadn’t noticed before.
Strangely, he missed Chester intensely.
His pace toward the headquarters quickened without him even realizing it.
But as they say, things rarely go exactly as planned.
He had intended to see Chester’s face as soon as he returned, but a mountain of work crashed down on him.
From external subjugation schedules to organizing internal reports, the tasks were endless.
He felt foolish for momentarily forgetting that the workload was increasing daily due to the monster evolution crisis.
“Sigh…”
It was late at night by the time Ruite finally escaped his duties and trudged toward the dormitory.
Since there had been no task force meeting today, he hadn’t seen Chester’s face once.
Thanks to his meeting with Rona, Chester’s image seemed to linger before his eyes more than usual.
Entering the dormitory, Ruite stood in front of Chester’s door.
He looked around to make sure no one was there and knocked.
Before long, the door swung open, and Chester appeared.
He looked as though he had just showered, a towel draped around his neck and his hair still damp.
“Ruite.”
Chester’s face brightened instantly, as if a magic crystal had been lit from within.
Seeing that transparent expression, Ruite bit his lip.
“I want to come in.”
“Come in.”
Chester stepped aside to make way.
Like Ruite had done, Chester checked the hallway one last time to ensure no one was there before locking the door.
“I met Rona today.”
“So the botanist you knew was Rona after all?”
“Yeah. I figured she’d be the best at looking into it.”
Ruite naturally sat on the edge of Chester’s bed.
“I think so too. Rona was always a bit special, even back at the Academy.”
Chester finished drying his hair with the towel.
Ruite sat quietly, staring intently at him.
“So? What did she say?”
“She said if I give her three days, she can identify exactly what plant that root is from. She’ll contact me.”
“In three days? She really is amazing. At any rate, if we find out what it is, the outline of the case should become clearer. But Ruite.”
“Yeah?”
Chester lowered the towel from his head and looked at Ruite, his face slightly flushed.
“…Haven’t you been staring a bit too much?”
“Am I not allowed to stare?”
“It’s not that…”
Chester cleared his throat a few times and sat down beside Ruite.
“Is something wrong? Is that why you came by?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because it’s rare for you to come to my room first.”
Usually, when they were in a room together, it was because Chester had invited him.
Whenever Chester asked to be together, Ruite would follow without a word.
But since Ruite had knocked on his door first tonight, Chester was overjoyed—yet curious about the reason.
“I came to report that I met with Rona.”
“Ah, right. Of course.”
Ruite lowered his gaze to the floor, his fingers fidgeting.
Chester answered in a slightly awkward voice and ruffled his own hair for no reason.
“…But the report could have waited until tomorrow.”
Since Chester was the leader of the team, reporting the details was mandatory, but there wasn’t much difference between doing it tonight or tomorrow morning.
“Eh?”
“The reason I came to find you this late at night…”
Ruite lifted his head slightly.
“It’s because I missed you. I came to see your face.”
Chester’s eyes gradually widened.
Seeing Ruite with a face tinted a soft red, his eyes darting around shyly as he spoke in a small, timid voice, was indescribably cute.
Chester’s heart pounded so hard it felt painful.
“Chester, can I hug you?”
Chester swallowed hard and nodded slowly.
Ruite leaned his head against Chester and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug.
For a moment, Chester truly wondered if he had arrived in heaven.
