Two Reincarnated-Chapter 27: Frayed ends

A few hours passed by.

Darkness loomed over the unknown. Noise filtered, leaving only the silence and peace undisturbed... Then, suddenly, eyes filled with lingering terror fluttered open. It was the girl. She lay on her back, and the aroma of roses and chrysanthemum flowers filtered the heavy air around the room.

For a moment, her mind went blank, numb. But then the pain arrived.

A sharp throb pulsed across her cheek, followed by a stinging burn along her jaw and temple. She winched, reaching up with trembling fingers to touch the side of her face. Her skin was tender, bruised, and sore from the weight of the books that had crashed on her head earlier.

She tried to sit up slowly, her limbs stiff and uncooperative, numb with exhaustion. Her body ached as if she had been trampled in her sleep.

She looked to her left; her hand still resting against her face. That’s when she saw Hajime, seated in a chair just a few feet away, with a book lying open on his lap. His head tilted forward, mouth slightly parted in sleep, his bangs casting soft shadows over his face.

Then, she noticed something. The chain was no longer bound to her and the boy in front. And the place she was sitting on felt soft.

"... What?" She uttered, glancing down.

She was sitting on a futon, covered with neatly folded white shirts that looked freshly laundered and recently aired.

And with the clothes she was wearing, she felt like she was stepping on a land mine. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and one of the two maids from earlier stepped inside, carrying a fresh set of clothes and another futon. But the moment she crossed the threshold, she stopped, her face twisted in surprise, eyes wide as if she’d just seen something she hadn’t expected.

’Oh, no...’ The girl’s inner voice trembled, thick with fear.

"... I, I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to..." She stammered, already rising from the futon in a panic. But as she pushed herself up, her foot slipped on the fabric beneath her, and she lost her balance and fell.

The maid let out a soft giggle. Unfortunately, it wasn’t directed at the girl; instead, her eyes were on Hajime, still slumped in the chair with the book on his lap. "Oh, excuse my rudeness," she said, finally turning her attention to the girl with a polite smile.

’... Huh?... She’s apologizing...’ The girl blinked, confused, her hands trembling as she slid off the futon.

The maid moved forward, passing her to place the things she was carrying on another chair that was sitting next to the chair where Hajime was slumped. The moment she placed them down in the chair. Once everything was set down, she turned slowly, her gaze, and looked back at sleeping Hajime, her gentle smile never once fading.

’... What is she going to do to him?" The thought gripped the girl like a vice, her breath catching. The maid’s smile twisted, warped into something sharp, almost predatory, as she reached a hand toward the sleeping boy.

The girl’s heart pounded.

"... Sto, stop..." She muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, thick with fear and hesitation.

Suddenly, the maid reached down gently and grabbed the open book on Hajime’s lap. Slowly lifting it with care, making sure not to disturb his sleep, her movements were slow, almost delicate, as if she were handling something fragile like a chicken egg. Then she turned, facing the girl. The girl was trembling, frozen in place. Her wide eyes brimmed with tears, and fear etched into every pattern of her face.

"I beg your pardon," The maid said, her grin softening into a more neutral expression. " Did you say something?"

The girl didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her mouth parted slightly, but no sound came out. Her tongue felt heavy, like weight pressed against her throat. Every instinct screamed at her not to do anything stupid.

She turned her gaze toward Hajime, still trembling. He didn’t even flinch. Despite the thick tension swirling in the air. He remained in the chair, breathing evenly. The spell he was in was really deep for someone his age. It was as if the situation unfolding before him simply didn’t exist.

"Then, excuse me." The maid said, turning to face the door with the book she took from Hajime. The girl’s gaze shifted from Hajime to the maid.

A coming feeling swept through the girl’s body as if she had just come out of the woods. ’... What’s this feeling?’ She wondered, her gaze still locked on the maid. Then, suddenly, the maid turned back, flashing a smile almost growing. The girl’s heart lurched in her chest, beating as if she had been caught by her new master.

"Oh, I almost forgot," the maid said lightly.

She looked at the fresh stack of garments on the chair. "Those are your change of clothes. When you are done changing, just bring the ones you are wearing now." With that, she turned and walked out, the hem of her uniform brushing softly against the floor. She never turned to look back.

"... Clothes?’ The girl murmured in confusion, still staring at the door as it creaked shut behind the maid with silence. Then, slowly, she turned her gaze toward the fresh clothes sitting in the chain. Her fingers gripped the futon beneath her, and little by little, the tremble in her body began to fade.

’Am I dreaming?’ She breathed, unaware that Hajime had begun to stir beside her. His fingers twitched with momentum. Then, slowly, he parted his eyelids. A burnt yellow started to dissolve from his right eye, and in just seconds, it turned back into crimson.

"Hmmm..." He exhaled, the sound barely a whisper.

The girl slowly turned, focusing her attention on him as she hesitantly stood up from the futon and slowly took a few cautious steps toward where he sat.

"... Are you okay?" She asked, her voice soft, trembling, yet concerned.

Hajime’s eyes slowly rolled toward her. He could see as clearly as day. The haze of blood clouding his vision had lifted. Everything, the girl, the room, and everything else came into focus.

With a confused expression on his face, Hajime tilted his head slightly, and a faint smile started to form on his face as he looked at the girl.

"Who are you?" He asked.