It took about four hours to 'load' once. And the acorn cookies I busily ate whenever I had the chance.
Thanks to this, I've been staying in human form for a long time these days. Of course, that's just how it is. Plus, witnessing a knife fight that wasn't even in the original plot made the memory crystal clear in my mind.
But what did this mean?
Squeak! (It's awkward being a hamster!)
I bristled with indignation and grabbed a handful of sawdust. As I slammed my round, bushy head against the floor, Kyle said in a worried voice, "Cashew nuts. No, I should call him Shu."
He looked at me with momentary confusion, then reached out. I let out a deep sigh and climbed onto his palm, my body covered in sawdust. In response to my gentle reaction, he looked at me as if he'd forgotten I was a human, finding me as adorable as a cashew nut. As proof, his heart was still thrumming with that ringing sound.
Taken! Squeak! Do you want to look at me like that, knowing that I'm human?!
[(*/ω＼*)]
I didn't even want to argue with the system anymore. If you asked me, it looked like a drama lover. If it thought Kyle and I had a weird vibe, it would interject like that.
A strange atmosphere.
A strange atmosphere...
...
I remembered the scene from earlier. I remembered the moment when his clear, beautiful face was so close to mine that our lips almost touched.
Now, I began to hold my head and scream for a different reason. Oh boy! I cut it off at a strange time, and it was even more awkward every time I thought about it! It was so awkward, I felt like I was going to die!
'Why did he look at me like that...'
It was adorable and felt like it would kill me. At the same time, it was as if he wanted to find something, as if he was expecting something from me. If Sen hadn't come in, he would have kissed me. It would have been my first kiss... There was no rejection or fear. Because I liked him. I didn't want to run away from his gaze, and I didn't want to push him away, so I stiffened. On the contrary, my heart was pounding as if I was expecting it from the bottom of my heart. It was a bit embarrassing, but considering my deepened feelings, it was a natural result.
But...
'Well, twenty hours a day I'm a hamster!'
Is it okay to kiss a hamster? Half the day, I'm a pet beast?
"Cashews."
"..."
"Shu." Kyle looked at me intently. "I don't know what you're thinking."
Phew. (Whew.)
I sighed and shook my head. Don't think about it. Anyway, it's in the past, so what's the point of dwelling on it? Kyle wasn't so carefree, but it was a bit uncomfortable to think about it alone. Above all, it wasn't the time to be obsessed with such idle thoughts. The 'Hunt' was only ten days away.
I looked at him, brushing off the sawdust from my arms and head. Kyle hugged me with a happy expression and sat leaning against the bed. "It's not as awkward as I thought. You're as small as you were when you were human."
Taken? Squeak? (What?!)
"You look similar."
Gee. (I think I can sue?)
"You're so lovely."
Kyle smiled softly. I had been fussing with his fingers, treating them like a punching bag, but I stopped at his last words. It was embarrassing. I must have rarely heard the word "lovely" in my life. I didn't think it suited me, but strangely, I felt like acting a little quieter.
I slipped further into Kyle's palm, then looked up at him.
"I didn't understand you, but you could understand me."
Taken. (Yes, of course.) I nodded quickly.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry. For joining Belial's plan and for putting you in danger."
Squeak. (Who cares about whom?)
Your nose is three, your nose is three. Your Highness, worry about your own safety. You can't even take your Knights.
"Don't worry, though. I'll protect you with all my life."
Squeak! (No, no, no, that's not it, you can't risk your life!)
"Yes, Shu, you don't have to be so moved."
Squeak! Taken! (No! Hey, man!)
[~(￣▽￣)~*]
Are you having fun? Enjoying this?
I climbed out of Kyle's arm and slipped down to the bed before I got even more agitated. Then I took up a pillow and curled up proudly.
"Yes. Do you want to sleep?" Kyle spoke in a gentle voice and lay down beside me.
I stared at him as he lay on his arm, without a pillow, and finally fell into Kyle's hand. And as I tugged hard, his hand pulled me a little. I could resist it, but it followed my movements as if I didn't feel the need to do so at all.
Okay. What are you doing when you're grumpy? Kyle doesn't even know anyway. Sleep on a pillow. You must be tired.
But Kyle's hand picked me up and put me back on the pillow. "Sleep there."
Gee. (What do hamsters do when they sleep here?)
"Looks like what you're doing when you sleep here."
Taken... (This is like a ghost again...)
"If you sleep there, I'm good."
"..."
"Isn't it easy to see?"
He was good at making people speechless.
I stopped looking at Kyle, curled up, and closed my eyes. I could feel his gaze behind me, but I didn't feel overwhelmed at all. Rather, it was wound up smoothly like a lullaby, and the day came to a particularly early close.
Now, I mean...
'Give me everything you have.'
[(⊙o⊙)]
Why do you look so surprised? Items, items. You can use a lot of miracle numbers, so I asked for a few new products with good ones. Sure. What's there? Become invisible, teleport, or inflict a fatal wound! It makes me feel better.
Anyway, the miracle number is 39.2 percent right now, so I think I can use it a little boldly as long as the front digit doesn't drop to 2. And it's about saving his life.
[(_)=3=3=3]
Seeing that it doesn't say no, it seems to be taking its time to prepare.
I pulled the bowstring taut near my face. My fingers were tingling and swollen, but I didn't care.
Thwack.
The arrow flew close to the target and then fell helplessly.
"...Again."
I moved my tingling hand to pull out a new arrow and pulled the bow tightly.
Thwack.
The arrow missed the target. Still, this was definitely better than before.
Again.
Again, and again.
My hands hurt and I couldn't feel them anymore. But it was okay. This kind of pain was nothing compared to dying helplessly.
"Why are you working so hard?"
"Ugh!"
I was startled by the sound behind me, so I let go for a moment. My upper body staggered as I looked back at him, tilting to the side, and the arrow grazed my cheek. A burning pain shot through me as if it had been set on fire. Kyle quickly grabbed my wrist and the bow to prevent the arrow from flying into the distance.
Tung, the bowstring protested, vibrated for a moment, and then stopped.
"When you pull your bow, focus only on the target."
The back of Kyle's hand touched my cheek. I bit my lip at the tingling sensation and took a half-step back, and there was a hint of apology on his face.
"...So, who shows up without a hint?"
"I'm sorry. I thought I made enough noise."
"..."
He clicked his tongue and rubbed my wound with his handkerchief. I had gained a little weight and had a little blood on it.
"I need to get some ointment."
"It's okay. This kind of thing is better after just taking a break."
Maybe he didn't like what I said. Kyle frowned and shook his head. "Then I lose even a bad thing."
"Then you will be ruined. What's wrong?"
"..."
Kyle took my hand without a word. He looked at my swollen hand and squeezed it tightly with his palm. It was as if he wanted to take my pain away from me.
"It's okay. Even if I protect you."
"I don't like it," I replied nervously. "I don't want to hold your ankles. Anyway, I decided to participate by my own choice, and I want to protect His Highness."
"But that doesn't mean you have to overdo it."
Kyle bowed his head. My eyes aligned with him, who was a foot taller than me. He looked pensively, examining the wounds on my hands and cheeks.
"It means that it needs to be moderately loose. Shu, you're pushing yourself too hard right now."
"..."
"Do you believe that you are responsible for my fate? To change what you saw in your dreams?"
"...Nope."
I reached out and squeezed his cheek. I carefully traced my fingertips over his warm, smooth face and slowly shook my head.
"I know it's not."
Yes, he was just a person who lived his own life. I didn't know when it started, but he was no longer just a novel character to me.
"What doesn't bend is bound to break."
I laughed at that. "It's not anyone else, but it's strange to hear that from Your Highness."
Was someone who had run to a dead end because they couldn't compromise in a position to give me this kind of advice?
But I knew he was right. I felt like my heart was loosening up a little.
I slowly shook my head and tried to drop my hand, but his hand came up to me and squeezed my hand as it moved away. Then he put it back on my cheek.
"Shu."
A low voice scratched into my ears. Everywhere that suddenly recognized his presence was lit up.
"How many minutes do you have left?"
Even though it wasn't threatening, I felt like I was suffocating. I looked up at him with a trembling gaze.
"15 minutes..."
Then he whispered to me, "Give me that time."
His voice was polite. And he was more desperate than anyone else.