"You didn't have to come with me…" Nanachi grumbled, her voice thick with irritation. She was crouched beneath a gnarled tree, examining a cluster of mushrooms sprouting from its exposed roots. "In case you forgot, I can take care of myself."
Above her, perched among the branches, Reg stretched out to reach some fruit hanging several meters off the ground. At her words, he let out a sigh and, without pausing his search, replied with a hint of exasperation.
"Are you really going to keep saying that?" he muttered. "I already told you: two gather better than one. Besides, Riko agreed we should bring back more food."
Nanachi looked up for just a second—long enough to notice how clumsily the boy was swaying as he picked another piece of fruit. She clicked her tongue.
"As if you didn't love finding excuses to follow me around..."
"And you never miss a chance to complain about everything I do..."
The narehate pulled a face but didn't respond right away. She was too focused on sniffing another mushroom. It smelled stale, so she tossed it aside without a second thought.
"That I get too close when we sleep. That I don't wrap around you enough and you get cold. That I crush you with my arms and don't let you move. That I stay quiet when Faputa clings to me like a leech. That I'm spoiling Riko every time I give in when she asks me to carry her. That I put too much pepper in the soup. That I always say 'irremediable' whenever I don't like something... but you say 'nnaa' every other sentence and no one says a word," Reg protested, pulling a fang-toothed worm out of a fruit before making a clean shot into the basket hanging from a nearby branch. "Shall I go on? You could fill an entire notebook… Irremediable."
Nanachi rolled her eyes—not just at what he'd said, but because his little game was starting to get on her nerves.
"Nnaa! Stop doing that!"
"See? My point exactly."
"Keep messing around and you're gonna drop another fruit on my head, genius," Nanachi muttered, rubbing the back of her neck where one had bounced off earlier. "Could you take this seriously for once?"
"That wasn't even because I threw it! It slipped out of my hand when you made that weird sound. I got scared—I thought something had bitten you or something..."
"For your information, that wasn't a weird sound, it was a sigh, you thick-skulled cave pervert. And no, nothing bit me—except for the lump you left on my head. Still hurts, damn it. Are you sure those 'fruits' are even edible? They look like chunks of marble… and I don't just mean the color. I wouldn't be surprised if our teeth got stuck in them after a single bite."
"They are edible, Nanachi. I already tried one..."
Sure, Nanachi thought, but not all of us have titanium teeth. She was about to say it out loud, but got distracted when she caught Reg hurling another fruit with that same high-arcing throw. The basket swung more than it should have.
"More importantly, Nanachi," Reg called from the branch where he was perched, leaning over to look down. "I thought we'd already settled that, remember? I spent, like, fifteen minutes apologizing. I even climbed down and gave you head pats. I figured you were fine with it... but clearly not. And it's not my fault you sigh so weird. Can't you do it a little less…? Less… well, you know."
One of Nanachi's eyebrows gave that unmistakable twitch that always came with anger. Then she clenched her teeth, holding herself back. For a moment, she was seriously tempted to throw one of the many rocks within reach. But Reg—maybe realizing he'd stepped into murky ground—shut his mouth immediately. She took advantage of the silence to count to ten and simply ignored him. No time for nonsense. She dug a bit deeper into the dirt and pulled out another mushroom: colorful, though that sweet honey-like smell was already familiar. It went straight into the satchel.
"Mushroom hunting's a piece of cake, nnaa... if only dealing with you were just as easy," she muttered, twirling another one between her fingers. "But anyway… setting aside such picayune matters."
"Pica... what now?" Reg cut in, frowning with a confused scowl. "There you go again with your weird little words... Guess living surrounded by books had to leave some kind of scar."
He paused, then grinned and puffed his chest just slightly.
"Though hey… the other day I used 'immeasu... immeasurbubble' in a sentence. Properly, too! That's thanks to you, I guess."
Nanachi glanced at him sideways from under her bangs.
"S-shut up, Reg..." she muttered, puffing her cheeks to stop a laugh from slipping out. That last line had sounded way too sweet. "D-don't change the subject. I... I need to tell you something… important."
She paused. Lowered her head a little and pressed her lips together, fighting the tickle in her throat. Took a deep breath, trying to smother the laughter bubbling up inside her. It worked… more or less.
But the smile vanished the moment she remembered what she actually wanted to say.
"Seriously though, Reg… you know perfectly well that most of the trouble we've gotten into—including what just happened, when you nearly split my head open—was your fault."
"My fault? I was just trying to—!"
Because you're way too focused on me!" she cut him off without looking up, like it'd be easier to say it that way. "And I don't mean just looking out for me. I mean… I don't know. The way your eyes always find me, like you're hopelessly, helplessly obsessed… or maybe something worse.
She fell silent, absentmindedly twisting a long white lock of her hair between her fingers.
It hadn't sounded that weird in her head. Reg didn't say anything either. From above, the faint creak of branches under his feet was the only sound breaking the silence.
Why wasn't he saying anything? He of all people—he always had some dumb comeback ready...
She felt warmth creeping into her face, though not quite enough to call it a blush. Even so, she pulled her hat down a little. Just in case.
"I'm only going to say this once, Reg, so listen up and burn it into that cute little head of yours: stop staring at me all the time. Do you really think I haven't noticed? When we eat. When we explore. I've even caught you in the middle of the night. It's weird. It's uncomfortable. Can't you just give me a break, even for a little while?"
She paused. Hesitated for a second, then muttered under her breath:
"Even Mitty wasn't this..." She bit her tongue before finishing. "Forget it. I don't even know what I'm saying. Maybe spending all that time surrounded by books wasn't such a bad thing after all. At least they don't drive you crazy."
"…"
The silence came back—heavier than ever.
It was so deep you could almost hear the way the wind lulled the leaves, gently rocking them before they touched the ground.
Nanachi couldn't take it anymore. She rubbed at her cheeks, trying to calm herself, then ran her fingers down both whiskers in a hopeless attempt to erase what she'd just said. When that didn't work, she simply turned around and crouched again, pretending she'd found another mushroom worth inspecting.
Reg, on the other hand, stayed completely still—so still he looked like a statue. He felt the heat rise from his neck to his cheeks and silently thanked the Abyss he was high up enough for her not to notice. Still, he shrank back a little, trying to hide among the leaves. His fingers tensed so much that the fruit he was holding slipped out as if it had been dipped in sweat. It hit the ground with a dull thud, kicking up a puff of dust right next to Nanachi's tail.
"Hey!"
"Sorry! Sorry!"
Nanachi scooped up her tail and hugged it to her chest, worried the fruit might've grazed it. She checked it quickly, and when she saw it was fine, let out a soft sigh of relief.
But that relief didn't last long. She looked up at the culprit, and her face twisted all over again. She thought about snapping at him—like she'd done a dozen times already. Maybe, if she raised her voice enough, he'd finally focus and do his damn job. Or maybe she should just climb up there and drag him down by the ears, since he was clearly useless as he was… Besides, she was getting fed up with the whole loop they'd been stuck in for the past forty minutes.
But then, something more entertaining crossed her mind: a way to take advantage of Reg's embarrassment… and maybe bury her own under a thick layer of teasing.
"Oooh… nervous, are we?" she purred, her grin turning wicked. "Looks like I struck a nerve. Don't tell me… do you like me or something? Is that it? 'Cause if it is… nnaa, that would explain sooo many things."
Another fruit fell. Then another. And another. In his frantic effort to retreat, Reg had leaned so far back he bumped into the tree trunk. The vibration rippled through the branches like a wave, and the less firmly attached fruits gave in all at once.
Nanachi let out a tiny yelp and curled up into a ball, tugging her hat over her head. For a second, she was sure she was going to be taken out by an avalanche of stalactite-like fruits. Great. That's what she got for running her mouth.
"D-don't say stupid stuff, N-Nanachi…" Reg stammered, his voice shaking. "Y-you know I only worry about you. Like… like a good friend would. That's all."
When she looked at him again, those puppy-dog eyes were staring back at her with such earnest sparkle that she almost felt guilty. Almost.
Nanachi stood up, brushing the dust off her fur with a dignity she didn't actually feel, and a wildly exaggerated air of superiority. She crossed her arms like she hadn't just barely escaped a self-inflicted downpour of stalactite-shaped snacks.
"Uh-huh… right. And that's why you stare at me all googly-eyed? Not to be rude, but you're practically drooling. You could at least try to hide it a little, nnaa."
"That's not true!" Reg cried, flailing his arms so hard he nearly toppled out of the tree. "And for the record, I don't do it on purpose! My eyes just… go there on their own, okay? It's not like I want to make you uncomfortable!"
"Oh yeah? And why do they 'go there' on their own, hm?" Nanachi asked, eyebrow arching, her voice sharp as a blade.
Reg hesitated. His free hand fidgeted, fingers twitching open and closed, while the metal claw hung stiffly at his side, like it didn't know where to go. He swallowed hard.
A long pause. And then, without looking her directly in the eyes, the words started to tumble out, like something inside him had finally shaken loose.
"It's just that… I like your figure," he said, barely above a whisper. "It's… nice. Compact. Symmetrical. Well-balanced. Fluffy in all the right places… but not too much. Good… density. Like one of those expensive surface pillows. But with legs."
Nanachi blinked. What the hell…?
"And your ears," he went on, still blissfully unaware of the emotional meltdown he was causing, "they're really cute. They've got this… I don't know, noble vibe? Like a princess or something. And your scent… it's warm. Like when it rains and you find a dry cave covered in moss. It calms me." He paused, gazing off into the distance, and let out a soft, almost dreamy sigh. "And don't even get me started on your voice—"
"OKAY, okay, Prince Charming, I get it! Shut your big mouth already, will you?!"
Nanachi shrank down like a spring recoiling. Her hat slipped down over her eyes while her fur stood completely on end, buzzing with secondhand embarrassment. "You're making it even weirder, nnaa… I seriously don't know why I even bother with you…"
"B-but Nanachi! I didn't mean anything weird!" Reg pleaded, one shaky hand pressed to his chest. "It's just that, when I look at you, something here"—he tapped the spot again, voice trembling—"tightens up. I don't know if I have a real heart, but whatever's in there, it gets warm. Like… like it's alive. Because of you."
Nanachi flushed even deeper—if that was still physically possible. Her ears drooped sideways, stiff with tension, and her tail smacked into the satchel by accident, scattering the fruits of all her hard work. Her entire body trembled, fur puffed up so much she looked freshly blow-dried.
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" she exploded, her voice cracking under the weight of everything. She couldn't take another word. Not one. She was going to melt into a puddle right there and die of maximum embarrassment.
And the worst part? He was still looking at her. With those huge, wide, shiny eyes—so bright, so innocent… Like he was waiting for something. Like he… wanted her to feel the same?
Was that… a confession?
Nanachi squinted into nothingness, biting her lower lip with her fangs. She was restless. Confused. Was a confession really supposed to sound that stupid? Wasn't there supposed to be a kiss after? Gentle touches? That vow of eternal love under the moonlight...? Bodies reaching for each other, yearning, like in those dusty old books she'd once flipped through with a heavy dose of skepticism.
She covered her face with both hands, cheeks burning like coals. The world felt off-kilter… or maybe she was. She couldn't tell anymore.
Stupid tin-can boy. Who told him he could scramble her head like this? Now she was thinking nonsense, too.
"And stop looking at me like that already! I told you I don't like it!" she snapped, turning around sharply. "Besides… weren't you supposed to be collecting fruit? Look at your basket—I bet it's still half-empty. Try doing something useful for once, will you? We've wasted enough time on your nonsense. And if Faputa shows up now, ugh, my head's gonna explode. Honestly, moments like this make me wonder why I ever left my quiet, peaceful cabin up there…"
Without realizing it, she rubbed the back of her neck, right where the bump still throbbed—pulsing like it had a mind of its own, as if it wanted to complain, too.
Reg, seeing her shrink into herself, hesitated. Still perched up high, he raised a hand—awkwardly—as if unsure whether to climb down… or simply stretch out his arm, hoping he could comfort her with just a gentle caress.
"Uh… if it still hurts, maybe I could—"
She shot him a death glare.
"Sorry," he mumbled, recoiling a bit. "I'll go get more now."
Without waiting for a reply, Reg turned away and climbed farther up, disappearing little by little through the branches.
Nanachi crossed her arms tightly, lips pressed into a thin line. She shut her eyes for a moment, trying to block him out—but the rustling of branches and leaves forced them open again. She watched him climb. Then lowered her gaze, frustrated. For a moment, she considered yelling, asking what the hell he was still climbing for when there were already plenty of fruits where he was… But she kept quiet.
Better this way.
Better not to see him for a while.
She let out a long sigh and crouched down beside the mess her satchel had become. One by one, she began to gather up the scattered fruits and mushrooms she'd found along the path. She took her time, brow furrowed, the fur on her back still bristled.
When she finished, she went back to digging through the soil, searching for whatever treasures the earth had to offer. She found a patch of glowing mushrooms. Leaned in to sniff them—then frowned deeper. She couldn't tell what they were. Everything just smelled like anger and embarrassment.
"Idiot… How can you say things like that without even knowing what they mean?" she muttered, pressing a paw to her chest.
It burned.
Why is my heart still beating this fast… like it's trying to escape? she wondered, genuinely confused.
Not even Mitty had stirred up feelings this… impossible to name.
"Love, Nanachi… It's a simple matter of love."
She snorted hard.
Perfect. Just what she needed: Bondrewd's voice spinning around in her head like a drunk partridge.
She was going to punch Reg. For real. The second he came down, she'd sock him good—one of those punches that rattled the soul. Because this was all his fault. His, and that stupid smile of his. And those syrupy words he blurted out without thinking.
And still…
Her eyes searched for him.
Just for a second.
Just in case.
