(Rem x Reader) Re:Reader - Starting YOUR New Life in Another World

Chapter 158: An Afternoon Turned Sour

Chapter 158: An Afternoon Turned Sour

Petra: Subaru-sama!!!

The calling voice of the auburn-haired maid, running down the forest trail to his location, was caught by the black-haired boy just as he finished up his latest successful run of his obstacle course.

Having taken off his track-suit jacket, he only had the black shirt he wore under it alongside his typical tracksuit bottoms, all in the name of not overheating. As the short maid approached, he reached for a nearby towel that was hung up on a tree-bench after splashing his face from a closer water bowl. Patting and wiping his forehead and neck free of the sweat of his own training, he acknowledged the maid as she slowed to a walk.

Subaru: Hey Petra, rare to see you so far out from the Mansion. You didn't come alone, did you?

Concerned the young girl had ran all the way out here on her lonesome, given the distance of this training grounds from the safety of the Mansion's closer gardens, before she could reply, another voice called out to Subaru as well.

Frederica: Subaru-sama, do not worry. Petra knows better than to run off into the forest by herself.

Giving Subaru a worried look of her own, Petra shook her head.

Petra: After that night back in Arlem... I know better.

Of course aware of how and why it would be dangerous, Petra didn't want Subaru to think she needed to be thought of as naive.

In each of these maid's hands however, was a covered, wicker basket of sorts. Upon Subaru noticing it, Petra held hers up higher with a gleaming smile on her face.

Petra: Frederica-nee-sama and I had some free time, so we made Subaru-sama and Garf some lunch!

Proud to have done this, Frederica finally had caught up from where Petra had begun to run.

Frederica: My, so this is the training area Garf has spoken so much about? It's quite extensive...

With a hand to her cheek, the tall, golden-haired maid looked out upon the clearing that had been made in the forest for the purpose Subaru and Garfiel typically resided out here most days; honing themselves.

Subaru: Clind really was the one to set it up so well. All Garfiel and I had to do was clear the land and help build it. Although, he was a lot more useful at that than I was...

Trying to be humble, it was at the mention of Clind that Frederica seemed to stiffen up, and wanted to immediately change the subject.

Frederica: Speaking of Garf... Where—

???: —Bleh! I'mma Hollow!

Frederica: —EEK!

With a sharp, startled scream, Frederica sprang upright and whipped the basket in her hands toward the figure behind her, —one who narrowly avoided becoming the victim of her panicked swing.

Collapsed on the ground not from any strike, but from laughter, was the very brother she had just been wondering about.

Having preyed on both her jumpiness and her well-known fear of Hollows, Garfiel had snuck up on her with the flawless timing of someone who'd done it far too many times before. It was the sort of one-sided teasing that only siblings close enough to trust each other could get away with, a comfortable back-and-forth that stood in stark contrast to the stiff awkwardness that had hung between them before their reunion. Now, moments like these felt almost like proof of how far they'd come.

Frederica: —H-Honestly! After we take the time to prepare food, this is how you behave?!

Halfway embarrassed, and fully irritated, Frederica turned her chin up at the youth that was rolling around in laughter.