Chapter 70.

I may have loved her, but in the end, if she no longer remembered me, she was as good as dead. She was no longer the same person I loved. The person here now was but a hollow shell of the person I knew. I was sad, but I didn’t feel like there was much I could do in this situation. In all honesty, it hurt too much to look at her face for an extended period of time.

The expressions were those I remembered when we spent our happiest times together, the exterior appearance was still the beauty I’d fallen for back then, but what was on the inside was gone. She’d completely morphed into someone unknown to me. They were two separate people as far as I could tell.

“Please wait, I’m sorry! I might have been a bit impertinent just now. Can you please not leave me here all on my own?”

“Oh? You think just because you put on a weak look and cute expression that tugs at a man’s desire to protect that I’d suddenly change my mind?”

“Am I really that appalling to you?”

“Cut it out with your upturned puppy dog eyes. They have zero effect.”

“Really?”

“Tilting your head slightly to the side is also not going to help.”

“I won’t let go of your hand until you agree.”

“I’m starving right now, I don’t have the energy to put up with this.”

“Then all the better if you take me with you, the sooner you cave in, the sooner you can get something to eat.”

I grabbed her hand and tried to forcefully pry it off, but her grip strength was truly astounding.

“Why is your grip strength so damn strong if you’re supposedly a frail innocent little girl?”

“Maybe I’m just good in bed?”

“...”

Sadly I couldn’t deny that, since I knew all about that from first hand experience.

“What’s with the convinced look like you suddenly understood something?! I was just kidding! Don’t take it seriously. I probably just worked out a bit to stay in shape.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, so don’t think dirty thoughts about me… okay?”

Taking a look up and down at her short revealing black one piece, not thinking dirty thoughts was definitely not an easy task to accomplish.

“You perv, would you not look at me like that?”

“Then, let go of my arm if you don’t want me to look at you like that.”

“Fine, I’ll give you special permission, you can look all you like in exchange for driving me home.”

“I’ll pass.”

With teary eyes she asked, “what do I have to do to get a ride?”

“Fake tears don’t-”

I didn’t expect to ever see the day. She was legitimately crying.

“You’re a jerk. I’m insecure right now, okay? I suddenly wake up in an unfamiliar place, I don’t know who I am, where I am, what I’m doing here, and the only person who I can lean on won’t show a shred of sympathy with regards to my situation. I hate you! I really hate you! Fine. Just leave me alone. If I die, what do I care?”

“Despite telling me to leave you alone, you still aren’t really letting go of my arm.”

“I don’t want to. You can starve to death and die with me here for all I care.”

Ugh. What a pain.

“Okay. Okay. I get it. Just stop crying. I’ll... give you a ride.” As much as it pained me to commit to that offer, I was really starving. If I didn’t return soon I’d end up too weak to trudge through the woods back to my car.

“I don’t want to go with you anymore.”

“Huh.”

“You’re too mean to me. I won’t go with a bully.”

“You’re a real pain in the ass.”

“Apologize for being mean to me and then I’ll consider changing my mind.”

I was already getting a headache so I immediately caved in, “Fine. I’m sorry for being mean to you. Will you get up now?”

“It sounded pretty insincere. You need to sound more sincere about it.”

While rolling my eyes I asked her, “and how may I do that, my fair lady?”

“Kiss the back of my hand and say you’re sorry while kneeling down on one knee.”

Without thinking too much about it I did as she asked.

“W-What are you doing, you creeper? It was just a joke. I didn’t really think you would go and take it seriously.”

“Is that so?”

“Why are you so calm about it? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Not really.”

Whether it was kissing her on the lips, or the back of her hand, it wasn’t something embarrassing for me after we spent three years together after all.

“Now, are you going to get up?”

“I… I ca… Carry me on your back.”

“What?”

“I said, carry me on your back.”

“Stop joking around. There’s no way I can carry you to the car.”

“What? Are you insinuating I’m too fat?”

“Yeah, I am.”

I sure as hell can’t carry you for hours until we exit this damn forest.

“Stop messing around. Just get up and walk yourself.”

“I can’t get up, just carry me. It’s not like it’s that far, right?”

“What do you mean you can’t get up?”

“My legs are numb and I can barely muster any strength in them.”

Was it from entering a death-like state, or was it a side effect of the snake’s poison? I really didn’t want to carry her. Also, based upon what I’d seen in that dream, there really wasn’t anything useful remaining near the mansion that I could use to transport her through the woods either.

Resigned to my fate, I turned my back to her and wordlessly pulled her arm over my shoulder.

“Wrap your arm around me and make sure you hold on tight. Try not to throw off my center of gravity by moving around too much. I’m not in the best shape to be the one doing something like this.”

“Eh? So quick? Can’t you give me a second to settle down first?”

“I’m hungry, I couldn’t care less if you’re crying or unprepared. My stomach comes first and I want to get something to eat as soon as possible. If you don’t want to, then I really will just leave now without turning back.”

“You must be really unpopular with women.”

“You could definitely say that.” The normal ones.

“Hmph. Why’d I have to wake up to find such a jerk by my side instead of my Prince Charming?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers. Deal with it.”