After finishing our chocolate cake and dinner, we promptly left the small cafe. Fortunately, the sky had darkened, and we had to rush back before train services ended. Otherwise, Althea would have most definitely tried to linger for a few more hours.

Honestly… Women are terrifying when it comes to shopping.

Just look at the bags in my hands. All of them were clothes! When I buy groceries at the supermarket, it’ll probably be a fraction of what I’m carrying right now.

“... Do you want some help with that?”

Noticing my strain, Althea asked with a concerned expression. This little lass... This was the third time that she’d asked to share the load.

“I told you, I’m able to carry this much with ease. A feeble girl like you should just focus on walking.”

“... Just how weak do you think I am?”

“Well, you did faint outside my door.”

“H-How many times are you going to bring that up?!”

“Hehe, as many as I can.”

To be fair, Althea was more than capable of carrying some bags on her own. After all, they weren’t all that heavy. However, it just didn’t feel right to let a skinny girl like her hold onto the numerous bags that we had. Furthermore, I came to the mall empty-handed, while Althea brought a hefty handbag.

Call it chivalry, but I wasn’t going to let Althea share the burden with me.

“Desir, you really are a gentleman...”

“Really? I wouldn’t call holding some bags gentlemanly.”

“It is! Ask any girl, and they’ll say the same!”

“Hoh? If that’s the case, every mailman would be considered a gentleman.”

“That’s not what I mean!”

“Hehehe… I know, I know...”

It didn’t take long for the two of us to fall back to our usual conversational patterns. But, really, life was such an enigma. Just three months back, Althea and I were just neighbours that barely breathed a word to each other. Now, we were able to joke around and talk about familiar topics like long-time friends would.

We had inside jokes, we knew each other's likes and dislikes… We were even out shopping for clothes!

Ironically, a pandemic was meant to prevent people from getting together. Yet, I was given a brand new friend.

“Geez, Desir… You really are a blockhead! You should know-...”

Althea pointed her finger at me, and I was prepared to listen to her lecture. However, the lecture didn’t come. Instead, the girl stopped in her tracks and froze in her spot. I looked over my shoulder and saw her face suspended in time.

“Althea?”

“... It’s him.”

“Huh?”

I followed Althea’s line of sight, and my gaze landed on a young man. He was of average height, no, slightly taller. Though his face was hidden behind a mask, I could see the perfect contours of his face. The lush, walnut brown hair that flowed out from his head was expertly combed into a textured crop.

The man was handsome, no doubt about it. He wasn’t comparable to Len or anything, but I would consider him a level below. If I saw him on the street and he struck up a conversation with me, I would be under the impression that he was a charming person, one that wouldn’t harm a single fly.

But judging from how Althea was reacting…

“Him?”

“... That’s Paul.”

“That’s the asshole?!”

My head snapped back at the suave man. I recalled the tragic story that Althea had told me. How helpless she felt when that bastard pushed her down. How she cried for him to stop. How she was traumatised to the extent that she had to leave the dorms to start her life anew.

And it was all because…

Of that fucking bitch.

Unconsciously, I took one step forward and placed myself right in front of Althea. At the same time, a fraction of my anger flowed out as I glared at the unassuming young man.

That was a mistake on my part.

The moment my killing intent surged, that bastard felt my gaze and turned towards us. In the beginning, he was confused as to why a hunky, towering man was staring at him. However, the moment his eyes laid upon Althea…

“Desir...”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let him harm you.”

“...”

I wasn’t able to see Althea’s face since I was too busy staring that asshole down. Knowing that the girl beside me was Althea, the brat walked towards us, his body visibly nervous. Although I didn’t know what he intended to do, I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

Just as I was about to shove that fucker away, Althea’s hand wrapped around my wrist.

“Desir, it’s fine. Let me talk to him.”

“Huh?”

I glanced back at Althea, only to find that her expression was as serene as a calm lake. There wasn’t any anxiousness in her eyes, nor were there any feelings of fear. Rather, it felt like Althea was more determined than anything.

“Don’t worry,” Althea smiled. “... I’ll be fine.”

She smiled? She was actually able to smile in front of this bastard?

Although I wasn’t convinced that Althea shouldn’t be talking to her assaulter, if she was able to face him head-on, it could only be a good thing… right?

“A-Althea... It’s been a while...”

The handsome young man stood half a metre away from us. It wasn’t a conventional conversational distance, but I wasn’t going to let him get too close to Althea anyway. Looking at how he’s alternating his eyes between Althea and myself, I could tell that he was intimidated by my frame.

That’s right... Try touching a single hair on Althea, and you’ll see what happens!

“Paul… Yeah, it’s been a while.”

“...”

“...”

The two fell into a blundering silence. Neither of them knew how to continue the conversation. One was a bastard who attempted to commit sexual assault, while the other was the victim of said sexual assault. Unfortunately, there was no manual on how one should behave during times like this.

But in the end, that asshole was the first to break the silence.

“Althea… about that night. I’m sorry about what happened.”

“...”

“I know I’ve said this before, and in the apology letters, I’d sent to you… but I’m genuinely remorseful. I don’t know what had gotten into me that night. I have been thinking about what I did every day, and it occurred to me that… I’d never actually given you an apology face-to-face.”

“...”

“So when I saw you… Y-Yeah, that’s what I wanted to do...”

The asshole kept on rambling while Althea quietly watched him stumble on his words. Althea’s aloof attitude came as a surprise to both of us.

Where was the girl that was shaking after she’d met me? Where was the girl that had to move out of the dorms to stay away from men? Where was the girl that couldn’t hold a single conversation with a man?

Given that Paul was the source of her androphobia, shouldn’t Althea be shivering right now?

Instead, Althea was as calm as can be. There wasn’t a ripple in her emotions, and she felt like a monolith that couldn’t be moved. Evidently, Paul felt that change and his confused reactions were a direct consequence of that.

“Paul… I’ve gotten over it.”

“T-Then!”

“But, your apology… I can’t accept it.”

“!!!”

That bastard widened his eyes and blinked rapidly at Althea. There was no telling what was going through his mind after Althea’s rejection.

“What you did to me… I can never forgive. So I won’t accept your apology. But...”

Althea reached out to my free hand and linked her fingers with mine. Stunned by her sudden actions, I looked down at the gorgeous girl. Her body wasn’t shaking, and her expression was as firm as can be. There weren't any doubts in her voice, and her chest was puffed up high. And from the grip of her hand… I knew that Althea was in control.

“I won’t accept your apology, but… I would like to put the past behind me.”

“A-Althea...”

“So, don’t apologise to me.” Althea’s emerald eyes sparkled like they were the constellations at night. At that moment, she looked like the incarnate of the Goddess of War. “However, if you’re really remorseful… Don’t ever do that to another girl. Make sure that there isn’t another situation where you would have to apologise ever again.”

“T-That...”

Shocked by Althea’s words, that bastard didn’t find the will to answer. No, he couldn’t compute the words that Althea was sharing with him. In the end, Althea couldn’t be bothered to talk to him anymore. She tugged on my hand, and her war-like face turned back to the dazzling maiden expression that I was used to.

“Desir, let’s go?”

“Y-Yeah...”

Perhaps I was also influenced by Althea’s words. Before I could answer a single sentence, Althea brought me away from the scene.

As we walked away, I couldn’t help but look back at the man who once terrorised Althea’s dreams. Standing silently in place, he looked up at the crescent moon hanging up in the sky. Looking at that sight, there was one thing that came to my mind. A forlorn convict that reflected on the decisions that led to his life.

And while he didn’t say a word, his demeanour screamed out in pain. A pain that could never be heard or seen.

A muted desolation.

❖❖❖

The train ride home was swift and uneventful. I monitored Althea throughout the journey, hoping that there wasn’t any psychological blowback from meeting her assaulter. But to my utter surprise, Althea seemed, dare I say… Normal.

She would respond naturally whenever I asked a question. She never showed any signs of distress… It was as if we’d never met that bastard.

Still, there seemed to be something off. Call me crazy, but something in my gut feeling told me that there was something wrong with Althea. Even though there were no signs of it at all.

But, it would be bad for me to confront her in public. Also, it was late, just an hour to midnight. I’d imagined that when she calmed down and had a good night’s rest, then we could talk about it in the morning.

However, contrary to my opinion, Althea went straight for my door instead of hers. She unlocked it using the code I’d given her and walked right into my apartment as if it were her own.

If it were any other day, I would have reprimanded her and forced the girl to return to her apartment. But today wasn't any regular day. So instead, I watched as Althea settled down on the couch and saw her beady, emerald eyes staring right at me.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the air, one that was unlike any that we’ve been in before. I knew that she wanted to talk and so…

“Here, have some tea.” I brought over Althea’s favourite beverage and settled down right opposite her.

“Thank you...”

“...”

“...”

Once again, the uncomfortable silence crept in. I wasn’t adept at handling delicate situations, and so the number of words that came to mind were extremely limited. Still, I couldn’t just let the girl bottle all of her emotions in.

“Hey, Althea? How are you feeling?”

“About what?”

“You know… Meeting that guy again...”

“Ah, that...”

Althea’s reserved expression cracked into a bitter smile: “Can I be honest?”

“Of course!”

“I was afraid...”

“Y-You were?”

Never in a million years would I have guessed that she was afraid. Judging from how she reacted and how steady she was when confronting that asshole, I’d thought that Althea had gotten over the sexual assault.

“Yes… I was afraid… But at the same time… I felt extremely safe.”

“Safe?”

“Yes… It was strange.” Althea’s face turned sombre as she recalled her encounter with that bitch. “Ever since I’d left the dorms… I would always imagine how meeting Paul again would feel like. Would I cower in fear? Would all of my past experiences come back to haunt me? Would I be able to speak a word?”

I sat there silently and allowed Althea to gather her thoughts.

“I’d always imagined that… If I’d met Paul again, I would be afraid… Too afraid to talk… Yet...”

Althea switched her eyes from her beloved mug to my face before saying with conviction. “Yet… When I met him again today, I felt in control. I felt like I was invincible. I didn’t feel… fear.”

“... Why?”

“Because you were there with me.”

H-Huh? Because I was with her? Did my presence really give her that much of an emotional boost?

“Desir… Thank you. Because of what you’ve done for me, I’m no longer shackled by the past. I’m no longer the girl that shivers and cries in front of Paul. I’m no longer… afraid of Paul.”

“That’s… great!”

Althea’s androphobia started because of her prior trauma with Paul. However, now that she had gotten over that emotional hurdle, the girl was able to get her life back on track. For someone who acted as her caretaker, I couldn’t be more proud.

“Thank you, Desir… I don’t know how I can ever repay you. For all that you’ve done for me.”

“Haha, there’s nothing to thank! You were the one that overcame this on your own. I really didn’t do anything.”

“No, you’re wrong… You’ve helped me plenty. It’s just that you’ve yet to realise it yet.”

“...”

The girl stared at me with her gorgeous emerald eyes. From her expression… It looks like she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

“I really want to repay you somehow… Is there anything that I can do?”

“Hehe, if you really want to thank me, why don’t you learn to cook a dish or something? I’m sure you don’t want me to be your nanny forever.”

“Nanny? That’s a nice ring to it. Actually, why don’t I hire you to be my nanny? I’ll pay you well over the minimum wage!”

“You little lass...”

I smiled and flicked the mischievous girl’s forehead. There’s the Althea I knew and loved. If she was in the mood to joke around, then Althea should be more than fine.

“Alright, it’s getting late. You should go home and rest.”

“... Before that, could I request something selfish?”

“Hmmm? What is it?”

Althea squirmed in her chair, her face slowly turning red. She tightened her grip on her favourite mug, and her fragile fingernails scratched its surface. Eventually, Althea mustered up her courage before looking at me with upturned eyes.

“Desir… Can you hug me?”

“Huh?”

“T-That… Y-You, don’t have to if you don’t want to! I-I-I just wanted to feel safe and warm! R-Remember the last time you hugged me?! I-I just wanted to feel that again! I mean… Y-You don’t have to if it b-bothers you. W-Would it b-bother you?! N-Nevermind, d-don’t answer that! I’ll just l-leave!”

“Calm down, Althea! Calm down...”

“H-Hic… Sorry...”

This girl… Why is she more nervous with me rather than Paul?

Honestly, although she looked fine on the outside, I’m sure that Althea was at the very least rattled by that bastard’s appearance. It was understandable for her to seek warmth, especially from a fellow human being.

And what kind of monster would I be if I denied her simple request?

“Althea, come here.”

“H-Huh?”

“You wanted a hug, right? Or have you changed your mind?”

“N-No! I still want it!”

Like a kid who had been invited into a candy shop, Althea skipped towards me with her hands behind her back. She approached me cautiously, but there was no sign of her stopping her advance. Rather Althea looked like she was ready to jump into my arms at any given moment.

Seriously… How can someone be this cute?

Smiling, I reached out and grabbed her shoulders. I’d never initiated a hug with a girl before, so I wasn't sure what the right protocols were. Her body seemed so small and frail from my perspective. It was as if the simple use of force was enough to shatter her into pieces.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to do anything. Before I could pull her into my chest, Althea fell into my body all on her own. Her arms crept up my back and cuffed my shoulders down. Her plump cheeks melted onto my chest, and her soft body continued to sink deeper and deeper into my body.

“A-Althea?”

“Tighter… Hug me tighter...”

“...”

It was just as she’d said… Althea wanted warmth. She wanted all of the warmth that I could ever provide her. And if that’s what she wants…

I shall give it to her.

“Here… Is this enough?”

“Tighter...”

“Like this?”

“More...”

“Now?”

“Yes… This is nice...”

With one arm embracing her back, I used my free hand to gently stroke her luscious black head. I couldn’t see her face, so all I could do was stroke the beautiful, black hair that seemed to be softer than silk. At that moment, our bodies were pressed so deep together that we’d almost merged into one person.

“^&@!%, ! *()& :(>”

“What was that?” Althea muttered out something, but since her mouth was pressed on my chest, I couldn’t hear what she said.

“No, it’s nothing.” Althea looked up at me and smiled. “Desir… Thank you for appearing in my life.”

“You little lass...”

In the end, our hug continued for five whole minutes before I had to force the girl back to her apartment.