Help Me Find the Words: A Sonia x Gundham Tale

Day 12

I had finished my dinner quite a few moments ago, but I knew now was not the time to make my escape. He would wait for me all night if he had to. I remained in polite conversation with my friends and watched the clock out of the corner of my eye. I do not mind talking with my friends— they are all lovely to be around— but I have an obligation.

He excused himself to the restroom. Now is my chance. As soon as he was out of the room, I quickly grabbed my plate and dropped it in the bin of dirty dishes. "Dinner was lovely, Teruteru! Thank you again!" I called out as I left through the door furthest away from the restrooms.

Everyone waved goodbye and said their farewells as I trotted down the stairs. When I reached the ground, I exhaled a sigh of relief. I secured my bag over my shoulder, and opened the front flap. "How are you all doing in there?"

Four fluffy hamsters poked out and crawled onto my shoulders. I reached into a pocket on the bag and retrieved a bag of sunflower seeds, giving one to each of my animal friends. "Thank you for waiting so patiently. Hopefully we won't have to make these secret trips for much longer."
I scratched the tops of their heads while they enjoyed their treats and continued my path, praying I would not be interrupted tonight. As the hamsters finished eating, they went back into the bag. They know the routine by now.

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I was just about to cross through the hotel gate when I heard the voice I was unfortunately dreading. "Miss Sonia!"

Kazuichi is well-meaning, I believe. It is nice he wishes to spend time with me. I just do not see him the way he wants me to. That is not to say he is not a handsome man. He is nice to look at, but when he speaks with me and about me, I do not feel... equal. I cannot read his mind, but I fear he sees me as A Princess instead of A Person. As I am unable to return to my homeland, I do not wish to be seen as A Princess anymore.

Instead, I am now living on an island where the population is only 15. It would not be wise to make any enemies. I would like to be his friend, but he is making that very difficult. I stopped in my tracks, put on my Diplomacy Smile, and turned over my shoulder. "Good evening, Kazuichi."
"You uh, off to do your nighttime reading?" He sounds winded. He must have ran to catch up with me.

I nodded, "Yes, I am."

"You're sure you don't want me there to just keep you company? I promise I won't say a word; I'll just look up at the stars—"

"No, thank you, Kazuichi. I insist this is something I wish to do alone."

"Oh, uh, yeah, okay!" He seemed to force a smile, "Just uh, don't be afraid to come knocking on my door if you need anything, okay?"

"Alright, thank you. Goodbye, then."

"Goodnight, Miss Sonia"

Without looking back, I continued on.

I do feel a twinge of guilt whenever I have to tell this little white lie to Kazuichi. I do read at night, but I have never been alone.

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When I finally reached my destination, I looked around to make sure I was not being followed, and when I decided I was safe, I punched the password into the door. 1-1-0-3-7. I had it written down on a piece of paper I was using as a bookmark, but after going through this routine for 12 days, I had it memorized. The door opened, and a familiar, lethargic digital voice greeted me once again. "Hey Sonia."