It was late afternoon, several days later. The leaders had all met for the establishment of the new country, but they were met with a slightly different outcome than expected.

Riou, the young leader of the Alliance Army, as well as the one who had led the State to victory, naturally had been expected to take up the seat of President. However, he had adamantly refused, requesting only to return to his hometown.

Everyone was initially shocked and disappointed, but in the end, they all came to the understanding that he was still young and needed to fulfill the needs in his life before fulfilling the duty that would confine him to another position of rule.

Shortly after Riou departed, Shu followed; there was something he had meant to impart to him. It was the reason why Nanami's name had never been added to the list of casualties--she had, in reality, survived the near-fatal attack at Rockaxe. However, respecting Nanami's wishes to no longer worry her brother needlessly, he had to remain silent until Riou expressed a desire to return to Kyaro.

Also, Shu needed the break for other reasons. With the events of what happened in his quarters still fresh in his mind, he wanted nothing more than to sort them out with little stress. This had been the perfect opportunity.

Though after a few days, he still wasn't sure he had completely sorted out those feelings. Over and over, a nagging statement came to him. Rather, it was a statement he had repeatedly taken hold of as though it were unconditionally the truth and he was using it to shield himself from anything threatening that.

We're just friends...

It did not fully quell the fear within him, however. There was a great risk to be considered in taking a longtime friendship to another level...not that there was any sort of consideration on his part. He simply wasn't interested in putting a friendship at risk.

His heart, however, had recently adopted another stance on the issue.

I wasn't looking for a lover, let alone one in her.

Yet...why does the possibility seem so appealing?

---

Friends make the best lovers. Apple was sure she had heard that somewhere before, perhaps from the mouth of some hopeless romantic. She was probably a child when she heard these words, too young to concern herself with such a thing.

I do feel strongly for him...

But was it this so-called 'true love' those romantics often spoke of? From a particular viewpoint, it could be, but it didn't mean it was guaranteed. One thing was certain--she would have to find out for herself.

And whichever the outcome, she would also have to find out what he felt...

He had returned to the castle around midday, but she didn't find out until later into the afternoon. Once or twice she wondered if he was avoiding her, but she could not take offense. She hadn't felt like facing him either, even after spending a few days apart from him.

Finally, they had a couple of encounters in the hallway, one consisting of awkward hellos, the other a less awkward but unusually short conversation. Apple, admittedly, drew relief from this. It was a start, anyway.

---

Three weeks elapsed since she was last in this situation, though a few of the details were different. She stood outside his door, and she was worried, but it was not for his life or the possibility of a shattered ego. And the questions she wanted to ask had nothing to do with a war.

Fortunately, like last time, she found the courage to enter the door and question him.

And, like last time, she was the first to speak.

"All right," she started. "I'm going to be frank. We can't ignore this issue every time we see each other. Something happened a few days ago, and I'm not going to pretend it didn't. What about you? Are you just going to keep me at arm's length and--"

"Good evening, Apple."

"Huh?"

"I said, 'Good evening.'" Seeing the confusion on her face, he explained, "You entered my room. It would be rude to not greet you."

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" the young woman said in exasperation. "There's no need for a greeting; you've known me long enough! I'm asking you something directly. The least you could do is answer that question!"

"My apologies, then. It seems I didn't give you the time to complete your question."

This only served to irritate her more. "Shu...you know damn well what I was going to ask."

"You started asking something about me keeping you at arm's length," the man replied, realizing he was treading on dangerous ground. "If that was the question, then the answer is no. There's no reason to."

Apple let out a sigh, but relaxed a little. "Shu...just face the entirety of the facts here. It was nighttime. We were alone in this room. You kissed me--"

"I did no such thing."

"What? Are you denying that night happened?"

"...Of course not. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it wasn't exactly one-sided, was it?" Taking her silence as a response, he uttered the most inaudible laugh. "The truth is, I don't recall how it happened...at all. It was likely reflexive on my part...and besides, there's nothing wrong with two friends sharing a kiss."

"...A kiss? We were acting like a couple in love."

"We were asleep," Shu stated. "Anything could have happened in our dreams to cause us to act the way we did. Besides, the war probably had an effect on us, too. It's certainly changed people, or made them act unusually."

Apple sighed again. "So...I guess I have my answer. It didn't mean a thing to you."

"You had the answer that I wouldn't keep you at arm's length," Shu replied. "As for whether or not it meant something to me, it did. Enough to address the fact that it would be better to not pursue it further. Things were just fine before. We were getting along. Don't you agree?"

"Y-yes...I...I suppose..." the young woman stammered, stunned by these words.

"Then why disrupt a good thing? I have nothing but respect for you, and you are one of the few with whom I can speak on a close level. I wouldn't want to betray that in any way."

"No...you wouldn't."

"Then, we agree?"

"Huh?"

The man extended his hand out to her. "About not disrupting a good thing."

"Y-you mean...not allowing our friendship to escalate into anything more?"

He nodded. "Exactly."

"Oh...I-I guess." She joined him in a handshake, but she felt nothing but uncertainty.

"Good..."

"So...we're friends?"

The man nodded again. "Of course. That's the way it should be. We may be close, but this isn't a romance."

Apple said nothing as she pulled back her hand. The moment she turned, however, she inadvertently knocked some papers off of the desk. With a gasp, she scrambled to pick them up.

Shu silently knelt down beside her, taking a few pages into his possession as well. The two then rose simultaneously, returning the papers to their rightful place.

Apple started to face Shu when she realized he was standing very close to her. Lifting her head, she found herself staring into his eyes, dark, mysterious, and deep. His cryptic expression, however, turned anxious with the passing time. Soon, he looked as though he had something to say.

As if to break the suspense, the man brought a hand to her face. "...The hell it isn't," he finally said, moving in. "You're the woman in my life, Apple."

Apple let out a soft moan of surprise as Shu kissed her, initially lifting her arms as if in defense. Momentarily afterward, she relaxed and extended them forward, resting her hands upon his shoulders.

The kiss then ended abruptly, but neither moved away for quite some time.

"So much...for not disrupting a good thing," Apple said quietly.

"Well..." Shu started. "...I suppose it's always possible to improve a good thing. It just takes courage. I just...wasn't sure if I had it."

"Oh..."

"Anyway...I apologize for giving you a hard time earlier. You were right to be angry. I was avoiding you, and I wasn't being completely honest...to you or myself."

"It's...it's all right...Shu..."

"Apple..." He drew her into a hug.

The young woman sighed, slowly wrapping her arms around him as well.

"Shu..."