Chapter 60: Its Fine If It Is You (2/2)

”Hm… W-Well… This might sound stupid, so bear with me… I died… in an avalanche…” I said.

”Eh?! That's horrible! How would that sound stupid?” she asked.

”Oh… Well, it is stupid because when the voice spoke I wished all kinds of stupid stuff like ice immunity… and then a fitting body ended on this, a dragon… An ice dragon to be specific,” I said.

”I see… So you also were granted wishes based on what you were desiring at that moment… But when we are about to die our minds are not really… quite clear about everything… It is very hard to actually wish for things that could benefit us… Through that, I ended bringing… the mold here… Which is more like a curse than an ability that can help me…” sighed Benladann.

I could feel that the moment she mentioned that, her eyes seemed to become devoid of light… the traumas weighing this girl's mind are enormous, more than even I could bear.

Whatever has she gone through… it is not something normal. Not something that a normal person would be able to bear…

And even now, after seeing her getting so well… I can tell that she is trying to strive forward even after everything.

She is strong.

”You're strong, Benladann…” I said.

”Eh? Strong… Me?” she asked.

”Hm. I can tell it, just by looking directly at your eyes… you have gone through a lot, haven't you?” I asked.

Benladann eyes suddenly became teary, as her lips started to tremble. She glanced at the floor, at her hands, as they began to tremble.

”H-How can you tell? I am… that easy to read?” she wondered.

”Erm… No. I just have a thing for this…” I said.

”Oh… Well… I have… gone through some… things. I suppose…” she sighed.

”That's why you're strong,” I said, glancing at her eyes.

”Ah…”

”Because even after everything you've gone through… You're still here now. You're still trying to survive. I can see within your eyes. There's still a spark of life, a spark of hope. I wish… I could be that strong…” I said.

”D-Don't say such things…” she sighed.

”Ah, sorry… Maybe it was discomforting? I apologize... I got carried away, I shouldn't treat you like that…” I sighed.

”N-No… I didn't mean… I like it… it's just… makes me embarrassed…” sighed Benladann.

”Embarrassed? From me? I am just a dragon…” I said.

”S-So what? Y-You're still a man… praising me so much… It is… embarrassing!” she said, as she blushed like a tomato and averted her gaze from me.

A man… Well, I guess I am a man, I know already that I am a male dragon.

But I never saw myself as a ”man” by itself, a person.

I just saw myself as a dragon.

But I guess… I am a man too.

”Sorry about that then… I will try to not embarrass you anymore,” I said.

”N-No… It is fine… If it is you… I guess it is fine…” she said timidly approaching me and hugging my dragon arm.

”It is fine if it's you…” she said again.

Ah… I think I skipped a beat.

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