Leading an Explosive Revolution in Another World! - Volume 2 - Chapter 7

Day 7 of our trip.

Unending rain.

All plans that involved going outside had to be pushed back. There were still 17 programmed to be finished and the time left was just 3 days. In this nation-which-has-some-long-name-I-can’t-remember, we had already tried a lot of fun and tasty things and we were supposed to have left this morning but the rain was too heavy and no long distance carriage was willing to depart.

We’d been sitting around the inn all day but the rain showed no sign of stopping. Tess didn’t seem to mind, and sat on the bed hugging her knees flipping through picture books. I went to the toilet, then back, and kept pacing the room, feeling unbelievably frustrated.

Tess would give silly laughs as she read the picture books.

“Why won’t the rain stop, it’s going to be night soon.”

“Molan hates the rain?” Tess asked as she tilted her head.

“Before no, but I especially hate it today! You? Do you hate the rain?”

Tess thought for a bit.

“If Molan hates it, then I hate it too.”

“What kind of answer is that…”

“Hehe~”

Looking at the innocent Tess, I could only laugh resignedly in reply.

“Is the picture book nice?”

“Nice.” Tess nodded.

“What’s it about?”

“A princess is kidnapped by giants and the prince saves the princess.”

So cliché, I thought.

“The prince is very cool.”

“Is that so.”

“Un, every time the princess is in danger he saves her.”

“Tess is very cool too.”

“Eh?”

Tess was a little bewildered as I walked over to sit beside her.

“You always save me. At the forest, yesterday morning. Thanks much~”

“Welcome~”

Inspiration struck me.

“Tess-chan, let’s dance!”

“Dance?”

“Yeah, it’s so boring, might as well do something fun right.”

“But I don’t know how to dance.”

I patted my chest, “I’ll teach you!”

On hearing my words, Tess closed the picture book and happily nodded.

“Un!”

Actually, I don’t really know how to dance. Tina brought me every time she had a ball but she always says she will never bring me again as she rubs her feet on returning. Every time I step on her feet, my heart hurts and so I fervently practiced but it was no god damn use at all. There are some things that hard work cannot overcome, and nobody is born with talent in every area. As handsome and outstanding as I, Molan Faburando, am, even I have a weakness, which appears to be dancing.

But teaching a beginner like Tess should be alright.

“Put your left foot forward here.”

“Eh…”

“Left foot here too.”

“Wu…”

“Right foot right foot.”

“Eh…”

Tess faced the floor as she looked at her feet, afraid that she would make the wrong step. Thanks to this, I avoided having to look her in the eye. When she wore heels, she was practically the same height, and with this minute distance, we would be looking into each other up close and things would definitely get awkward.

With no music, there was a less atmosphere and the rain fell heavily and made a great deal of noise as it hit the ceiling and the windows.

Tess’s hair smelt really nice, her eyelashes were long and as I looked at the sakura pink that appeared from time to time among her fringe, many emotions swirled in my heart.

Only 3 days.

If Shuoxue was right, in 3 days, this ridiculously cute girl would die. As the date got closer, I doubted it; no matter how you look she doesn’t look like someone who is about to die. Though she does find it hard to get out of bed in the morning, that’s not a sign of impending death. Shuoxue said that Tess wouldn’t die of natural causes but her remaining life would be forcefully stolen away. The life force that surrounded her was strong but would supposedly vanish completely in 3 days’ time.

Just like a time bomb, Shuoxue said, maybe it’s her fate.

Tess seemed to know nothing about her fate as she clung onto me, her body stiff and her movements clumsy, like an infant learning how to walk.

Soon I wouldn’t be able to see her again… I really can’t bear it.

How should I bid her farewell. I need to think of something that is awesome, like preparing a hundred poems that so sweet they make your teeth rot, then picking a super first class backdrop like a mountain peak, with my back to the sunset, I’ll get down on one knee and hold her hand as I recite the poems with passion and gusto. The birds would sing their song for us, the trees would bend for us and as she holds back her tears of happiness, we will embrace each other. We will then remain in each others’ arms quietly and as night takes over the sunset skies, her body will gradually get colder as she finally passes. And this, I would have completed my mission and our trip.

I’ll probably cry.

I really really… Can’t bear to leave her…

But there’s really no way since the book of life and death is not in my hands. At least there’s still time. The story hasn’t ended and I’ll bring Tess and go wild for the next 3 days. The task at hand is difficult and fate doesn’t seem to be on my side but I will try, I’m the one this silly girl loves after all. Got to be a man worthy of her love.

“Tess.”

“Un?”

“What kind of present do you want?” I asked, “For saving me.”

“Present…”

Tess began to seriously consider it.

It seemed like she thought of something all of a sudden and her cheeks turned a deep red. Her shoulders shrank and she buried her head as she stole looks at me and seemed tongue tied.

“Ki, kiki, kikiki…”

“Ki?”

“Kikikikikikikikikiki…”

… Kiss. A very very small voice finished the last syllable and she covered her face very tightly with both arms immediately. Her ears were also red and it seemed like steam was rising from the top of her head.

I heard Tess’s wish. Though her voice was softer than a mosquito, I definitely heard it.

— I’m panicking!!

I I I I what do I do!!!

Why would you think about getting a kiss? Is it that damn drama? Do you know what a kiss means?

Don’t look at me like that, my first kiss is still around!

Do do do I give it to Tess? To be honest, I hadn’t thought of rejecting her at all and was ready to fulfill any request but who knew she was so daring! Tess is unfathomable!

Ki, kiss her?

Or not?

It wasn’t easy to get a wish she wanted out of her and since I don’t want her to have any regrets, I shouldn’t hesitate and just kiss her. But though I said that much, when it really came to this, I find it really hard!

Let me think for a bit!

Think about what? Such a good girl to have liked you, she must be blind! She saved you twice, whenever you’re in danger she came down from the skies and swept everything away like a tornado as she shouts “Don’t bully Molan!” with her heartfelt wish to protect you and her love, wowee just like a valiant prince on a white horse! Didn’t you get moved by her! She listens to your every word, where you go she goes, almost as if she is your tail. When you want to go out, you both are out. No matter how tired she is, she willingly takes the role of being your dress up doll. When you want to wake up early she wakes up early too. Thought she may hug her pillow and yawn till kingdom come, she still crawls out of bed. Such an obedient and well/behaved girl, and cute to boot! Such a lovely girl wants to kiss with you, what aren’t you happy about? Why are you still putting on airs?

But I can’t, I can’t kiss her, because I’ve never… Loved her.

Before I knew it, Tess had backed away several steps and looked at me silently with her hands behind her back.

I’d never seen this expression of hers. Like a small kid who’d waited and waited outside th shop window but finally gave up on the toy she wanted for all this while.

Actually, I’d seen it before come to think of it. When we were in front of the mirror, when we were eating delicious foods, when we were in the carriage, when we were in crowded scenic spots… She always looked at me, and a distant, sorrowful look would flash past.

She laughed all of a sudden.

“Just a joke~” Tess said, “Scared you?”

I didn’t know how to answer that.

My heart felt a little lonely and the air felt still and stifling as the rain fell with no end, as though it was going to drown the city.

I inhaled deeply.

“Eh~ Want some shaved ive? Your favourite type. Wait here for me, I’ll buy some and get back quickly.”

“Master, the rain is very heavy.”

I looked tiredly at Shuoxue, who was tiptoeing as she held an umbrella, which I don’t recall ever having, for me. As she was short, it didn’t help much and I got soaked.

“Let me hold it.” I took the umbrella and passed the paper bag with shaved ice to Shuoxue, “Don’t steal any.”

“Hmph, stingy.”

“It’s all for Tess.”

“Can she even eat this much?”

“Un, so don’t steal any.”

“Tch~”

Shuoxue clicked her tongue and leaned over to me, to avoid getting soaked by the rain.

“Is this the correct way? Going by the right is nearer right.”

“Let’s take a detour.”

” Oh oh, alright.”

Shuoxue used her right hand to hold the paper bag, and hugged my arm with her left, and began humming happily.

“Tess, she…”

I hesitated for a while, before continuing.

“Probably knew long ago that I don’t love her.”

“Maybe.” Shuoxue answered absently.

“To her confession, I had been avoiding giving her a reply, hoping to give her as much happy times as possible in the days that remained… These actions I took on my own accord, have been hurting her right.”

“Does master hate sister Tess?”

“Never, I like her a lot, but not that way,” I thought, “It’s different, compared to what I feel for Tina.”

“Are you willing to be together with sister Tess?”

“I do.”

“But not willing to kiss her?”

“Un, not willing.”

“Even if that speechless, expressionless, feelingless sister is dead?

“… Even if Tina is already dead.”

“Speaking of which, why did master bring sister Tess out?” Shuoxue asked as she raised her head to look at me.

It came out of me naturally.

“Because she shouldn’t be in there.”

“Just being nosy?”

“Probably.”

“Even though you don’t love her.”

“Wu, but, when I think about how Tess will die just like that in the forest, I feel she deserves more.”

“So you pity her.”

Shuoxue said it very casually.

For some reason, I felt a little angry.

“It’s not pity.”

“Then?”

“… Not just pity.”

“And what else?”

“And…”

And what?

I couldn’t describe it but it definitely wasn’t only pity; there was more, much more feelings.

That was a perfect girl, god’s most precious jewel, but she could only spend her days idling in a cage of trees all alone. Maybe after a very long time someone would finally look for her and find a pile of bones by the window; maybe no one ever will, and no one would cry for her since there would be a new emissary then anyway and just like that, as time goes on, she is forgotten by the world.

Lonely, far too lonely a life.

This wasn’t supposed to be my business, at the most I should have just lamented her misfortune and do nothing more.

But I still did it, despite numerous inhibitions and difficulties, and brought her out, singing and laughing all the way. We roamed about, from Txarango to Pumuirsa, and a whole bunch of other nations. We drank and played and ate, and I brought her to enjoy all sorts of things she’d never even knew of. Why did I do all that? I wasn’t some bleeding heart bodhisattva out to save the world from its troubles.

I recall a certain afternoon, there was a faint smell of lavender, and as the sunlight made the dust sparkle, she confessed to me in all seriousness, and at the end of it, went and hid her deep red face at the corner of the bed.

That’s the reason right, is it enough?

“Tess is, for me, a very important person.”

I said, every word loud and clear.

“I want to cherish her.”

“Then isn’t that fine then,” Shuoxue hummed nonchalantly, “Just live as you will and follow through with the blade, want to kiss then kiss, don’t want to kiss then don’t kiss. Who cares if it’s lust or love or if you are some philanderer pretending to be faithful.”

“I hope that Tina doesn’t misunderstand when I explain this to Tina after she wakes up.”

“Even thought you care about that speechless, expressionless, feelingless mistress, it’s just a one-sided love on your end right? I bet she doesn’t care about who you are consorting with.”

“Uwa, don’t aim for where it hurts.”

We started fighting under the umbrella.”

“Pause pause! It’s raining and our clothes are wet. Hold the bag properly, don’t swing it about.”

“Alright alright.”

Thought I didn’t love Tess, she was still very important to me. I said to myself.

She was probably very sad, seeing as I cowardly ran away, leaving her alone in the inn.

I’m sorry, please forgive me after you eat the shaved ice. Though I can’t kiss you on the lips, the forehead is okay… If it’s things like that, I can do it as many times as you want. I’ll do them until your sadness is gone.

As I stepped on deep puddles of water sending water splashing everywhere, I optimistically considered how things would go like above.

But when I returned to the inn, the room was empty.

Tess was gone.