Chapter 4: A New Language

"When will you reclaim this room?"

Subaru stopped what he was doing. He turned his head back, looking at Pandora with surprise as she sat on his bed, her expression as stoic as ever.

Sighing, Subaru asked, "Why are you talking about my room like it's a battlefield that needs to be conquered?"

"Since I have recovered, you have no reason to continue lending it to me," Pandora flatly answered. "It is only natural that you would want it back."

Subaru rubbed his forehead as he digested her words. They held some merit, but that didn't mean he had to like or agree with what she was saying.

"Are you expecting me to get mad at you, or something?" Subaru asked, his expression shifting curiously. "We've already had this conversation before."

"It would be the logical choice," she replied. "You have no reason to continue catering to me. It would be a waste of time and resources."

Subaru contemplated her argument. Pandora eyed him with interest.

"You hardly leave the room as it is. At the very least, we can still give you a place to stay," he said assuredly, waving away her concerns.

Pandora's expression showed her dissatisfaction. While it was true that she almost never left the sanctuary of Subaru's room, she couldn't understand why they were letting her do such a thing. To her, it was inconceivable.

"Explain," she demanded.

A tired sigh escaped from Subaru's lips. "You know that there isn't logic behind some of the choices we make, right? The fact of the matter is that we want to help you. That's all there is to it."

Her gaze drifted down as she scrutinized the bed. Even with that answer, her mind couldn't make sense of that reasoning.

If Pandora could say one thing for certain, it would be that the Natsuki family was strange. They took care of her, nursed her back to health, and fed her three meals a day. With their help, she could even walk on her own two feet again.

Receiving attention like this was foreign to her. She had always operated on her own and possessed her own objectives. Aside from the cult that she cultivated, she possessed no inkling of companionship.

The concept of a family puzzled her. She had a rough idea of its concept, but she held no concrete understanding of its purpose. At best, Pandora understood that love was what bound a family together.

Love was a powerful tool. She'd seen its effects many times throughout her life, but was love powerful enough to motivate actions to this extent?

Pandora recalled the events from mere weeks ago. Her time in the forest of elves, though brief, had shown her many things. Most captivatingly, she'd seen just how heavily love could influence one's actions.

Through her perplexion, Pandora gave Subaru a stoic look. With a soft-spoken voice, she didn't hesitate to ask, "Subaru, do you love me?"

Subaru choked on air for a few seconds. Pandora's words echoed through his head as he tried to keep his cool. Red in the face, he gave her a bewildered expression. "What?!"

"Do you love me?" Pandora repeated in an instant.

Subaru fully turned to her, hunching over while he pinched the bridge of his nose. He tried to ignore his rising embarrassment as he muttered, "You can't just say something like that so nonchalantly."

With a small tilt of her head, Pandora inquired, "Why? It was a genuine question."

He took a deep, stuttering breath as his heart pounded against his chest. Subaru had never felt so flustered before. It was overwhelming, and he didn't know how to handle it.

"Okay, let's take a step back," he said. "Why exactly are you even asking that?"

Without faltering, she replied, "Because that is the only logical reason for you to continue helping me."

Subaru blinked at her for several moments. The reasoning behind Pandora's outlandish question slowly dawned on him, arousing a weary sigh from his lips. Suddenly, he found it necessary to nip this delusion in the bud.

"Let me put it this way." Subaru straightened his posture, giving her a firm look. "You said that nobody is waiting for you, right?"

She nodded a single time. "That is correct."

"If you left this house, would you have a place to sleep?"

"No."

"How about a way to get food every day?"

"No."

"Well, there you go," Subaru stated matter-of-factly. "You'd be homeless without us taking care of you, and that's okay. We really don't mind letting you stay here."

"But what do you stand to gain?" Pandora pointedly asked.

Her blunt reply prompted Subaru to consider her question. He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling as he thought long and hard about what to say. "If you really want an answer, then I guess I want to be your friend."

Friendship. Pandora wasn't familiar with that concept. The thought of having a friend had never crossed her mind.

Despite that, she pondered the possibility. What was it like to have a friend? What purpose would it serve?

"What does it mean to have a friend?" Pandora wondered aloud, fixing Subaru with a curious gaze.

He cracked a small smile at her words. "I'd tell you if I knew, but I'm not really experienced with having real friends, either."

Pandora blinked. "Is that so?"

With a nod, Subaru scratched his nose and sheepishly replied, "Yeah. I always tried to be like my dad. But there was a limit to how long I could keep doing that. Eventually, I felt as though everyone was leaving me behind. I shut down and ran away from everything."

He became dejected as his gaze lowered to look at the floor. It was clear that those memories were harsh on the well-being of his mind.

Pandora recalled their discussion from several nights prior. His demeanor indicated that he was not being honest with himself, and it had been blatantly obvious to her eyes.

His lack of vanity was astonishing, and thus Pandora felt obligated to bestow a hint of vainglory through her words. He needed the push.

Subaru changed since that night, and she had yet to discern whether it was for the better or worse. Nevertheless, Pandora felt herself oddly drawn to him.

She held a particular interest in him. His offer of friendship was even enthralling to her. Her interest had peaked, and she wanted to understand its meaning.

A few nights ago, Subaru mentioned that he wanted to get to know her better. Today, he was willingly telling her a bit about himself. Was this a part of how friendships worked?

Against her better judgment, she found herself reciprocating his initiative. "I share similar circumstances," Pandora said, momentarily surprising him. "I have not interacted with anyone to this extent before."

Several moments passed, and Subaru's lips curled into a smile once again. "Well, I guess we're both a bit clueless. I'm honestly a little relieved! Maybe we can figure this friendship thing out together?"

As Subaru laughed, Pandora gave his proposition a lot of thought. Although she was confused by his sentiment, she didn't reject the substance of his words. If she wanted to broaden the horizons of her understanding, she would need to experience new emotions.

She took a small breath. "Very well. I will place my trust in you, Natsuki Subaru."

Subaru stiffened, stunned by her words, before he laughed again. Pandora was puzzled by his reaction, unable to say a word at the sight of his genuine grin. "Thanks. I'm not sure why you used my full name there, but still, that really means a lot!"

A looming silence persisted for several moments. Pandora was unable to find her voice and didn't know how to continue their discussion. Luckily, Subaru perked up with excitement, alleviating her of that burden.

"Oh, hold on!" he chirped, turning around in his chair to face the desk. Her eyes followed him as he fumbled with a few things, eventually grabbing a notebook. "It's not exactly finished yet, but now's as good a time as any to start! Probably."

Subaru arose from his chair before he walked toward the bed. He sat down, moving close to her side as he placed the notebook in front of them.

Pandora was unfazed by their proximity, but Subaru was too distracted to notice. He gave her an eager glance as he said, "I've been doing a lot of research these past few days on how to teach someone Japanese. Mom and dad helped a bit, but they've been mostly leaving it to me."

As it happened, Pandora recalled Subaru spending many hours at his desk. He looked to and from the strange metal contraption as he jotted unknown words onto various sheets of paper.

Armed with a newfound understanding of his intentions, she could only wonder why he was putting so much effort into something so mundane. What purpose did it serve?

She neglected to verbally question his motives this time. Pandora merely accepted the fact that Subaru didn't make sense. His parents were more or less the same way.

Pandora didn't consider it a bad thing. Such behavior could even be vainglorious, which she encouraged greatly.

An irregularity persisted in her heart. It beat in irregular motions, only to steady itself seconds later. Why was that feeling so odd? What did it mean?

Coming back to reality, her expression shifted curiously as she studied the notebook. "What is this for?"

"To teach you how to read and write, of course!" he proudly exclaimed. "I've been preparing this ever since you told me that you couldn't read."

She blinked as her eyes glazed over the pages. There were so many words, yet she couldn't understand a single thing.

"This might take a while, but I have a feeling that you'll pick it up pretty fast." Subaru turned his head to show her his grin. After seeing that they were only inches apart, he became red in the face and backed away slightly. "S-Sorry! I didn't realize I was getting so close!"

A hint of amusement graced Pandora's features. "I do not mind," she reassured, much to his embarrassment. "Now, what is it you wished to show me?"

After reigning in his nerves, Subaru closed the distance between them again. Focusing on the notebook, he said, "This is Japanese, though I'm sure you know that. We'll start by jumping into the fundamentals of writing and the basics of what you need to understand."

Pandora listened to Subaru talk for hours. She attentively followed his entire exposition. He returned the favor by paying attention to her progress, ensuring that she understood one topic before continuing to the next.

The passion in his voice was impressive and captivating, and the wealth of information within the notebook conveyed the extent of his effort. Pandora found herself moved by his dedication.

Subaru's teaching method was unique yet simple to understand. He possessed a vigor that she couldn't describe, and his energy was infectious enough to give her motivation. He made the learning process much more enjoyable.

Pandora diligently committed herself to the task while she became more familiar with Subaru's presence. As the days flashed by, her heart became lighter, and she didn't know why.


"Mind if I come in?"

Pandora raised her head, directing her eyes toward the doorway, where Natsuki Kenichi casually stood. He held a hand in the air in greeting, a beaming grin on his face.

"Why did you ask if you were already inside?" she stoically asked.

Kenichi laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I'm so used to this being Subaru's room, I didn't really think about it."

He clasped his hands together in apology. Pandora didn't show much of a reaction. "It is fine. I was not doing anything that warranted privacy, anyway."

Kenichi chuckled with a bit of awkwardness but kept his grin. "Right," he readily answered. "Still, you're young and all. I should've been more considerate."

Pandora didn't quite understand his concern. Kenichi was an overly eccentric character and possessed a lot of energy, so a part of her believed that he was simply dramatizing the situation.

She also neglected to reveal the truth about her age. It was for the best that these people remained oblivious to the truth of her circumstances.

"I see you're working hard on Subaru's assignments," he remarked, breaking the silence. "I heard from Subaru that you're a fast learner! Apparently he can barely keep up with you!"

Her eyes glanced down at the cluttered desk in front of her. With Subaru's permission, she utilized his desk as she practiced reading and writing. Consequently, many organized stacks of used and unused writing paper lay on its surface.

In spite of his lack of teaching skills, Subaru always tried to help and support her. It was an effort that Pandora recognized.

It quickly became clear that Pandora's learning ability had him outmatched. Subaru was undeterred, and he spent two sleepless nights collecting more resources for her. After compiling everything, he laid out the resources and gave her the freedom to learn at her own pace.

There were times when Pandora still required his guidance, but for the most part, she was capable of learning on her own. With the basics that he provided, his initial instruction would remain invaluable.

With a soft hum, she stated, "His zeal is very admirable. I ought to thank him for all that he has done."

Kenichi's expression shifted in response to her change in tone. He became thoughtful as he said, "I should thank you, too."

Pandora paused. She looked at him, confusion evident on her face, as Kenichi gave her a soft smile.

"Subaru changed because of you, right?" he asked. "I don't know what you did, or what you said, but since that day, my son has taken a turn for the better. So, thank you."

Stunned, Pandora could only blink. Words were lost on her, as she didn't know what to say.

Moments later, Kenichi's usual demeanor returned. He beamed at her once more, waving his hand in the air as if to relieve the atmosphere of any awkwardness. "Well, I just wanted to check in on you! Don't let me distract you from your work!"

He turned and started to walk out the door. As he did, Pandora parted her lips, wanting to speak, before a rush of hesitancy washed over her.

She took a light, steady breath. With a soft-spoken tone, she asked, "Where is Subaru?"

Kenichi stopped in his tracks. Without missing a beat, he replied, "He and Naoko went out to handle some admissions paperwork. They'll probably be back soon."

At his answer, Pandora glanced down at her work. She considered his words, but didn't have enough time to think.

"You guys must be getting along well," Kenichi commented. "Show him your work when he gets home. I'm sure he'll be happy to see your progress."

He walked out of the room, all while Pandora remained ignorant to the emotions behind the smile on his face.


"Pandora! How's it going? I had to do a lot of paperwork and it sucked, let me tell you."

Pandora turned her attention to Subaru at his nonchalant greeting. Despite the grin on his face, he was clearly exhausted as he fell face first onto the bed.

He huffed into the bedsheets, staying there until he had the energy to roll over. When he finally did, he saw Pandora's face hovering inches above his own, casually staring into his eyes.

"Subaru."

He blinked, taken aback. "Yes?"

She held the notebook above him. "Look."

Subaru blinked again, struggling to process the situation before finally reaching out to grab the notebook. He sat upright, pivoting so that his legs dangled off the edge of the bed.

He carefully examined her work. The more he read, the more his eyes widened. He flipped through pages as his body tensed with increasing anticipation. Moments later, he looked up and met Pandora's eyes with undeniable excitement.

Expectantly, she asked, "Is it good?"

"'Good'?" Subaru repeated with awe and disbelief. "This is extraordinary! You're amazing, Pandora! You've basically mastered this in the span of a couple weeks! How did you even do it?!"

Fond of his praise, Pandora let her lips curl into a small smile. It felt satisfying to have her efforts recognized in such a manner.

She had lived for three hundred years. Learning a new language was nothing new to her, but Subaru didn't need to know that.

He set the notebook aside, lying back on the bed as his expression eased into a look of contentment. "Well, I'm beat, but I'm proud of you. You really went and pulled off something this amazing. I almost can't believe it. Are you sure you didn't cheat?"

A look of amusement crossed her features. After living with Subaru and his father for the past few weeks, she had become accustomed to their type of humor.

A minute of silence passed as Pandora gazed at him. Her expression became more neutral as she said, "If you are exhausted, sleep on the bed."

"And where will you sleep?" he readily asked.

"On the bed."

He sat up, meeting her eyes with a critical look. They stared at one another for a long moment before Subaru finally broke the silence. "Yeah. Nope. Not dealing with this."

She watched as he got to his feet. He quickly left the room — no doubt to go sleep on the couch — while Pandora was left to her own devices.

Pandora couldn't understand why her offer was seemingly such a big problem. This was his room, after all, so he had a rightful claim to the bed. If he wanted to sleep on it, she would see it as a reasonable wish.

The Natsuki family was difficult to understand, so Pandora resolved herself to learn more about them. She was curious.