Re:Zero FF Beatrice Heart Crossing

Chapter 19: By Your Side is Where I Need to Be

The time before the festival passed quickly with Subaru making daily trips to the village for the purpose of crafting the stage needed for the play. Though he was diligent in his work, he made certain to keep his promise to Beatrice by leaving early in the morning and returning home as soon as he was able. Lately, the spirit had started waking up with Subaru and following him around the castle before he left. This unusual behavior would continue once he returned with Beatrice proving to be inseparable from him. While it struck Subaru as strange, his work schedule kept him more than busy. Within one week, the combined efforts of Subaru and the village had resulted in a nearly complete stage. To Beatrice's reserved joy, she and Adella would travel with Subaru to the village to practice their lines. The small stage was mostly made with lumber from the local forest and had a large red curtain that could be drawn by even the most diminutive of the villagers. The girls would keep the curtain down so that they could practice while keeping it secret from the children. Adella and Niki had also decided that Subaru would have to wait until opening night to watch Beatrice in action, much to her chagrin. To return the good will that the village had shown him, Subaru began helping locals with their festival preparations. Before he knew it, it was the day before the festival and the last stall that needed his help was the cafe. The chef had tasked him with hanging up ornate paper lanterns of various hues, and so Subaru was crouched near a pile of collapsed lanterns while absorbed in his work. He wore the village tunic as he had taken a liking to the light fabric and found it more suitable for outdoor labor than his normal track suits. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Subaru began to methodically construct the lanterns before adding a small candle. It was while performing these duties, that a small pair of eyes had started watching him from afar.

???: "Stare..."

Peeking around the corner of a nearby house was none other than Beatrice. She was wearing a sleeveless light blue sundress complete with a floral pattern ribbon tied into a bow across her midsection. She complemented the ensemble with white sandals and a large cream colored sun hat that covered her hair as a few strands gently blew in the wind. She was staring daggers into Subaru's back. As of late, she had been finding any reason to seek him out and keep an eye on him. It was if a small piece of her heart was aching and being near Subaru brought temporary relief. The small spirit leaned out from around the corner as she furrowed her brow and occasionally let out a sigh.

???: "What are ya doin'?"

A familiar voice rang out from behind Beatrice as she stumbled forward and lost her balance. Just as she began to fall face first towards the ground and out of the safety of her cover, something pulled her dress and suspended her in the air. Regaining her composure, Beatrice stood back up and spun around with her fists extended by her side. Clearly in a huff, she was met with Niki's toothy grin as the cat girl sweetly spoke.

Niki: "Yer spyin' again, aren't ya?"

Beatrice waved her hands in front of her and fervently denied any wrongdoing.

Beatrice: "I-I am not spying, in fact! Betty doesn't know what you are talking about!"

Niki: "Fine, but ya know Della is gonna get mad again if yer late comin' back from break. She was just lookin' fer ya."

Beatrice: "Hmph!"

Niki: "She sent me to find ya, but I can give ya a few minutes if ya need some quality time?"

Beatrice: "Q-quality t-time! Nonsense! I was simply going to let Subaru know that he should give it his best, in fact!"

Niki: "Whatever ya say... Just make it quick. I'll keep Della busy!"

Beatrice: "Don't make assumptions, I suppose!"

The adamant spirit marched away in a huff while Niki snickered. Deciding to give the couple some privacy, Niki turned around to make her exit. Unfortunately, she was instead greeted with a dangerous aura as a familiar karate chop connected with her head. Meanwhile, with the area seemingly clear, Beatrice eyed her target and broke into a small sprint before jumping onto the crouching Subaru. The impact was soft enough that he wasn't knocked over but was surprised to find his girlfriend's arms wrapped around him.