"Here, please drink this."
"Thank you."
Kaori wasn't sure how Suzuki could even prepare a warm chamomile tea from his space storage, yet the gentle scent and warmth of this tea made her comfortable as she sat on the edge of his bed.
"It's fine."
Suzuki didn't sit by Kaori's side; instead, he saw a chair in his room as he opened the window.
Why did he do this?
It was because he had to erase the scent of Shizuku from his room—
"Did Shizuku just visit your room?"
"No."
"Don't lie." Kaori narrowed her eyes. "I smelled her scent, and your bed is a bit messy."
"The smell aside, the bed is unrelated, right?"
"Really?"
"So, do you have something to talk about with me?"
"No..."
Kaori hesitated, wondering whether it was really okay for her to show her vulnerable state to her best friend's boyfriend, telling him how much fear and burden she felt about tomorrow's battle.
Unlike what everyone expected, she was weak, and while she wanted to grow stronger, it was hard, as she knew her responsibility as a priest was bigger than anyone else's.
Those with combatant jobs might say that her job was the easiest, since all she needed to do was stand behind everyone, healing them all, but was it really?
When she thought of any of them being hurt, wounded, or even worse, dying, the thought of her being unable to do anything, as she just stood there in a daze, or her healing was unable to save them, it made her... it made her...
"Okay, calm down."
Suzuki knew that if he let Kaori be like this, she might be broken, so he just hugged her tightly. "Don't take the burden yourselves. I am with you. I have a lot of potions with me, and whenever you need them, you can drink them as much as you want, so in case something happens, don't blame yourselves. Blame me, since I am not well prepared. Share your burden with me."
Kaori was kind, so kind that she often ignored herself, and blamed herself when she could do nothing, even though everything wasn't her fault.
If she could do something... if she made a move... if she made her preparations, and all other things...
Even if they had made all the preparations, if something really messed up, then it would mess up.
Nothing could be done to stop it, yet Suzuki understood that, whereas Kaori thought all the blame was on herself.
"I am sorry. I am sorry."
If she weren't weak, then would he need to hug her like this?
This was wrong, she thought, yet as he was on his arms, she felt so relieved that she clung to him tightly. It felt so comfortable that all of her worries disappeared, vanished, and seemed like a clear sky.
This was wrong, but she clung to him even tighter, as she cried, trembling, as the tension within her body loosened.
"Don't apologize, okay?"
Suzuki was calm as he softly caressed Kaori's long hair up and down, to her round, white shoulder and her white nape, comforting her gently. Even though she wasn't like Shizuku, who could wash her hair and stay in her penthouse, her hair was smooth and fine, and she exuded a womanly, sweet scent that came naturally from her body, even though many of his female classmates were sweaty from all the training they had done.
If he had to be honest, he was thinking of selling shampoo and other feminine items to this kingdom, or even just giving them to his classmates, because it was cheap and also to make them owe him. Still, the time was short, and his focus had been on many other things, so he had been ignoring the rest.
More importantly, the profit he got from MSG and black pepper alone was enough to give him capital to intervene in the kingdom's economic situation. Along with all the wealth that he had collected from the kingdom's treasury and all other people in the guild previously, he was so busy for the entire two weeks that it was practically impossible for him to put his attention on others.
Yet, he had to say, as Kaori tightly wrapped around his body, it was impossible for his body to remain calm.
His body, strengthened by his level's rise and other factors, reacted strongly, as Kaori's did.
"...I am sorry."
Her crying stopped, but Suzuki was in an awkward situation. "I am sorry."
The first thing he did, of course, was apologize, since, despite her situation, he ultimately gave her such a reaction.
"But... you are such a charming woman, Kaori. If you keep being close to me like this, it will be hard for me to hold back."
If it were anyone else, Suzuki knew that they would comfort her, trying to relieve her, yet here he was, having an erection on Kaori, who had just released all of her emotions.
Yet, instead of moving away, she moved even closer, tightly wrapped around his neck, as her warm, soft hands moved against his firm and strong body.
"Hmn~!"
"....." Suzuki.
"Kaori..."
Still, Suzuki was in a mess, and even though he should have firmly rejected her, he was swayed in the end.
While he had never thought of dying, especially with all of the things that he wanted to do, whether it was in this world or his original world, he was just exhausted sometimes. Instead of working hard, sometimes, within his small room in his apartment, he just stared at the night sky, wishing to end it all since it was just too tough.
Did one thing that made him seem like a superhuman who could do anything?
No, he was just desperate since if he didn't work hard and be lazy, what would he become?
He had no parents, no family, and his life was as fragile as it could be.
If he failed, then he would lose everything.
His goal had always been to work peacefully and stably, from nine to five, yet now?
All of that vanished, and once again, he returned to the world, where he wasn't even sure whether he could really stay out of all the messes and stay alive.
So, at that time, when he was with Shizuku, even though he had promised himself that he would make everything proper, in the end, he messed up, but this time, he wouldn't do—
"It's fine..."
Her voice was quiet and soft, as her palm moved to a dangerous spot where she broke all of his will, telling him that it was fine to release everything, to which he did, as he took her lips, kissing her like he wanted to mark her, making her his, as she also accepted him eagerly, releasing all of their pent-up pressures, as they became one.
Yet, as he was inside her, Kaori sighed in comfort, leaking a sweet cry that was so lewd, as she made an apology to Shizuku, knowing she could no longer return, especially when it felt so wonderful.