83 Another Story: Abandoned Princes and Wolf Girls 05 (2/2)
”I'm glad you're happy.”
”Uh, welcome...?
”I hope Miss Acrylic will act with Master Algard in the future. I think you may leave if you are asked to use something. Are you sure? Dear Algard,”
”Oh, I'll talk to you later. Clive can back off.”
”Then I'll do this as well as prepare for the meal. From now on, as a companion, thank you. Miss Acrylic.”
”Companions...”
Acrylic repeats the word companion. Even while he is chewing up the meaning of the word, Clive makes a gratuity and exits the room.
After Clive left, a strange silence spread between Acrylic and Algard.
”... Are you sure it was a good idea?
”Huh?”
”This is what Clive said. I wasn't expecting you to work anything else... but it's true this hall is understaffed. I admit it's convenient. But if you think I don't like acrylics, I'm not gonna force you to.”
”Hey, Al.”
Acrylic calls on Algard as he looks straight into Algard's eyes to cut off the flow of conversation.
Called by acrylics, Algardo stops the words on the way and gazes at them to take a straight acrylic gaze.
”Al is actually named Algardo.”
”... oh yeah”
”The greatest man in this hall?
”That's what Clive says on his own.”
”But you're a great guy, aren't you?
”... I don't deny it”
”Oh well. I don't know if it has anything to do with why I have to stay here.”
To Acrylic's inquiry, it is now that Algardo has become silent. I frown as if I were trying to pick a word and put my hands on it to hide my mouth.
Acrylic exhaled softly, staring straight at Algard like that.
”It's okay, I don't want you to have to answer that.”
”... acrylic?
”Al said you wanted to know about me, didn't he? Well, then, you can assume I want to know about Al, too, right?
There was a smile on the face of nature and acrylics. Algardo blinks his eyes like he was distracted by such an acrylic expression.
But the look quickly turns into something that showed confusion. My gaze is diverted from the acrylic as if I were escaping something.
”... I'm not interested in anything.”
”It's not Al who decides that, is it? It's me. There's so much I want to know. Al, so I want to know.”
”Is that because I helped acrylics?
Shaking his neck left and right, Algard sarcastically grinned and told him to throw it away.
”Right. Al helped me, so I want Al to know”
Acrylic does not deny that thrown away Algard's words. On top of that, I said that's why I want to know.
”Don't you like Al?
”... ah. I'm just letting you down, even if you're interested. I think Acrylic misunderstands, but I'm not doing anything here. I didn't do anything to be respected.”
”But Al helped me, didn't he? That's enough for me.”
”If you want to help, everyone can do it. It just so happens to be me. It's not something that interests me.”
”That's not true”
To Algard, who overlaps words to reject, Acrylic clearly now uttered a word of denial.
Algard's gaze, which tended to deviate, is directed again towards the acrylic. Acrylic has never deviated from Algard's gaze. Again, the gaze intertwines.
”Surely what Al did may not be anything special. It could have been done by anyone. But it was Al who blessed me with a meal and gave me knowledge. You call yourself worthless, but you met me when I was in so much pain, you helped me. It's worth it just to you. Anything anyone could possibly do, Al was the only one who did it for me.”
Oh, speaking of which. Second, there was something past Acrylic's brain.
I wondered if I had spoken properly.
”Al, thank you for your help. I'm so glad I met you.”
――――
”Even if it's not worth it to you, it's irreplaceable to me. I'm very happy to have met you in my life.”
Algard opens his eyes and stares at the acrylic as he is taken aback. Acrylics just smile at Algardo like that.
Surely it could have been something anyone could have done. Still, it was Algard who reached for the acrylic at that moment.
That's why Acrylic thanks Algard. Even if that's what everyone did, you're the one who offered me that hand.
”... that's all I'm ever thankful for.”
”That's all you've done to me for Al. Al thinks that's what anyone can do. Al's a good guy.”
”... I'm not the kind of person to be evaluated”
I shook my head hard and gradually got acrylic eyebrows at Algard, who didn't try to accept me.
Acrylic that accidentally takes a seat and walks over to the side of Algard. If I stuffed the distance so as to peek into Algard's face, I could see for a moment Algard's crimson eyes shaking in confusion.
”I don't care what Al thinks. But I was still helped by Al, so many times I say thank you! Whatever anyone can do, you've become one of them!
”.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
”I don't want Al to tell me.”
”Ha-ha...! Well... don't you want me to tell you? Right.”
In return for the acrylic, Algardo raises his hair with one hand to scratch up his forehead and hides his gaze with his palm. In its mouth, there is a grin that cannot hide the funniest.
”... I'm the one who reached out to anyone who can.”
Algard shrugged softly to bite something off. Algard's mood for words could not be read by acrylics.
That's why the desire to know grows stronger. But not now, I'm sure, when I ask.
The acrylic reached out, picking the hem of the opposite hand that hid his face. Very thin, trivial connection.
Algard never shook off such acrylic hands.