Reluctant Hero | Amaki Ren

Chapter 24| Short-Lived Tranquility

"It isn't easy to run away from the past."

After meeting with the Queen and Naofumi, Sakura didn't stay any longer for idle chats. She made it her mission to find the shop that her party has been gawking over the last time they went around the Capital. She had to be careful not to bump into them, too, if they were to be roaming around the streets. Knowing them, they probably are. At this hour, it's nearly impossible for them to be staying at the inn.

When the Queen finally excused herself from the two earlier, Naofumi and Sakura had a private talk about their own opinions regarding the situation that the Queen offered to them as her way of planting justice into their kingdom. As a mother and a wife, they both knew how hard it was for her to arrive at such a decision.

Naofumi and Sakura aren't heartless. The people of Melromarc can go and talk about them all they want, but it never changed the fact that they care more about the people than any other hero. If it means settling peace and choosing that over bloodshed, then they will fight for it.

They know what to do tomorrow.

They have decided.

As she was passing through the gates of the castle, her figure was caught by someone else's eyes. Worriedly, they rush towards her while swiftly weaving through the crowd that blocked them.

"Sakura,"

The raven managed to catch her shoulder, stopping her from walking away any further. It successfully caught her attention too. Sakura looked over and arched an eyebrow at her sudden companion. "What do you want, Ren?"

"Shouldn't you still be resting?" He asked. "Better yet, why haven't you asked a healer to tend to those injuries sooner?"

Sakura lightly pried his hand off with her good one and continued walking, Ren now following a little behind her. "I don't want Ria to drain her magic for this. There aren't any Waves set just yet, so I have time to let it heal naturally." Was her response. Straightforward and ever-caring to her party members, as always.

"I see," Ren awkwardly glanced down at the girl, not knowing how too proceed any further, "uhm, how have you been?"

Sakura gave him a side glance, quite curious as to why he was making small talk to her this time. "Been better, but I'll live. What about you? Why are you here?"

"I just got out of the inn my party and I are staying at. Thought to take a small stroll around to clear my head."

"Why, is there something bothering you?"

"Not really," Ren looks away with a faint hue of pink on his cheeks. He coughed awkwardly to mask his hesitance. "Don't worry about it."

Sakura didn't say anything else after that. She only proceeded to turn the corner, with Ren still following her, and directly stop in front of the familiar store. A small smile spilled out the corner of her lips, feeling accomplished that she was able to find it herself and remember the route from the castle. She takes a step forward and was about to pull the door open for herself when a gloved hand intervened and pulled the handle for her. Her eyes followed the hand to its owner, finding Ren avoiding her gaze.

"Get in." He stiffly says.

"You're acting weird, Amaki." She innocently states as she walked inside the shop like he told her to. Ren silently followed behind her.

"It's because you're injured." He retorted. "I don't want your arm getting worse than it is now."

"Flattering,"

Sakura went around the racks of clothing, finding suitable clothes that her party can wear even through adventures. It is quite challenging looking for Freya's and Ria's. Most of women's clothing here are hard to move around with. "Wait, do they like women's clothing?" She asks under her breath, diving deep into her thoughts to remember her party's preferences. While she was walking and thinking at the same time, she barely noticed the racks and wooden pillars that she nearly bumped into. If it weren't for Ren holding her shoulders and gently swerving her around the obstacles before her, she would have long hit her head and cause a scene inside.