Chapter Text
"...Ngh. Mmm. Ahhhhhh."
The next morning had arrived. The sun had risen more than just a couple of minutes ago, tinting the sky with an orange hue.
The birds made noise in the nearby trees, and the smell of damp earth and fresh grass came through the small opening of the tent.
Still, the sun's rays didn't seem enough to wake up the small pair of children, who had fallen asleep among their blankets the night before.
It took several more minutes for the first girl to show signs of waking up.
"...Where am I?"
Perhaps because she was still sleepy, or because she wasn't used to waking up in a place that wasn't her own room, Petra took a few seconds to grasp where she was.
The tent's fabrics, the smell of grass, the light filtering faintly...
When she felt some intertwined fingers in her left hand, she looked at the boy one year younger than her, who slept deeply with a smile on his face.
Only then did she remember the fun day she had had the day before... and a smile appeared on her face.
This way of waking up was not bad at all.
"Ngh... Ugh. ZzzZ."
Subaru's body writhed a little. He seemed to be dreaming. His fingers moved slightly, as if he were grabbing something in his sleep. His lips murmured words that Petra couldn't hear, and occasionally he let out a soft laugh.
From the smile on his face, the occasional laughs, and the expressions he made, it seemed like it was a cute and fun dream, and not a nightmare.
"Even in his dreams he has a lot of energy, doesn't he?" Petra thought, watching him with a tender smile. "Hehe. It's kind of cute."
Petra contemplated the boy she had only met a day ago.
Despite how little they had known each other, she already felt comfortable by his side. There was something about him that inspired trust. She already felt he was a true friend.
"Oh!"
Perhaps just the small movement of his hand was enough to wake him up, because the next second their hands separated when Subaru's small body stretched. Arching his back before rubbing his eyes with his closed fists.
"Ngh..."
Subaru looked to his right, towards the girl who smiled sweetly at him. His eyes, still half-closed from sleep, lit up upon recognizing her.
"Good morning, Subaru."
"Good morning, Petra-chan!"
He responded, returning the greeting with a radiant smile, as if waking up and seeing her face was the best thing that had happened to him all day.
Technically, since it was the first thing he saw, it was the best thing of the day so far.
"Did you sleep well?"
The next instant, both rubbed their eyes, stretched, and stood up, at the same time rolling up their sleeping blankets with movements still clumsy from sleep. The tent was small, but enough for two children.
"Arghh! I slept very well despite not having a bed! I'm not used to it, but it wasn't bad."
Subaru seemed to be in a very good mood after sleeping, stretching his arms above his head.
"Huh?" Petra raised an eyebrow while sitting inside the tent, crossing her legs. "Is it the first time you sleep in your... house?"
"This isn't my usual house" He said while putting the blanket in his backpack with precise movements. "It's not where I sleep all the time. But it's not my first time sleeping here either. Several years ago I slept here with my parents."
Petra could notice the genuine smile Subaru had every time he mentioned them. His eyes softened, and his voice became warmer. It was noticeable that he loved them.
"It must have been a cute memory."
"Yes it was" He affirmed, with a special sparkle in his eyes. "Definitely."
The happy silence made itself present for a few seconds... And shortly after, the roaring sound of two stomachs made itself present as well, breaking the tender moment with a comedic effect.
"...Although now I'm hungry."
Petra affirmed for both of them, somewhat blushing, but amused. She couldn't help but laugh at the situation.
"Do you have anything to eat?"
"Yep! I already told you I brought several sweets here."
Subaru replied, searching excitedly inside his backpack.
Seconds later, he took out several cookies and chocolate bars wrapped in shiny paper. He held them up like a trophy.
"Tadaaaa! I have a lot of sweets for these days. Do you want one?"
"..."
Petra grabbed a small cookie, but didn't bring it to her mouth. Instead, she carefully kept it in her pants pocket.
"Thank you very much, but I don't think we should eat sweets before breakfast" She replied, smiling.
"Ah. You're right..." Subaru lowered his hands, slightly disappointed, but understanding. "Although I don't have anything that isn't sweets to eat..."
"It was supposed that the teacher was going to bring food for all the children during the excursion..." Subaru sighed, shrugging. "Oh, well. I'll have to see how I survive."
He didn't worry too much about his lack of resources. He would learn to survive on his own. It couldn't be that hard, right? He had always been good at improvising.
"Well..." said Petra, cheering up. "Maybe we can eat your sweets later. But we have to have breakfast first. I'm sure my parents will be waiting for me to..."
Petra started speaking animatedly, but the more she spoke, the more her tone of voice lowered, until she fell silent.
Her eyes lost themselves in the void, as if she had suddenly remembered something terrible.
"...Petra?"
Subaru approached until his face was right in front of hers, tilting his head with curiosity and concern. Petra seemed completely gone at that moment, as if her mind had stopped working.
"I have to go!"
"Ah!"
With a single jump, she suddenly stood up. From the fright, she made Subaru fall backwards, hitting the tent floor with a dull thud.
"I'm sorry, Subaru! I can't stay any longer!"
After saying those words, she quickly left the tent, almost tripping over the canvas in her rush.
"Eh!? Wait! Where are you going!?"
"I'm sorry! I'll talk to you later!"
Without turning around at Subaru's question, she simply shouted as she ran. Her body became smaller and smaller as she disappeared from Subaru's sight, vanishing among the trees.
"...What happened to her?"
Subaru raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding exactly what had happened to Petra to make her run away so quickly.
He sat on the tent floor, blinking several times as he processed what had just happened.
"Did she forget something?"
Without having more clues, the truth was that he had no way of knowing what had happened to his friend.
He should run after her to make sure she was okay, but...
"...I'll eat a cookie before I leave."
His hunger overcame him. With still some doubts in his mind, Subaru went back into his tent while eating some chocolates he had saved.
The sweet taste helped calm his worry a little.
"I'll ask Petra later if she's okay" He thought, chewing slowly. "I'm sure it was just something unimportant."
"Hey! Look! It's Subaru!"
"Hello everyone!"
A little over an hour later, and with his stomach full of sweets, Subaru was again inside Arlam Village. The sun was already higher, and the heat was beginning to make itself felt.
It was still relatively early, but several children were already playing together at the fountain. Their laughter and shouts filled the air, creating that joyful atmosphere that only children know how to create.
Luca, Meyna, Dyne, Cain, and Mildo.
Subaru had a good ability to learn everyone's names. And although they weren't best friends, he had gotten along well with them from the start.
"Where were you?"
"We were looking for you after lunch yesterday."
"But we couldn't find you anywhere in the village!"
"Hehe. Sorry, sorry" Subaru scratched his head with a smile as he greeted everyone. "I just live a little far from here."
The children surrounded him, curious and excited.
"I just moved away a bit while I ate something. So don't worry about that."
"Hmm..."
The children thought for a few minutes. But they quickly ignored it.
"Well, whatever!"
"Let's play!"
"That's right!"
Quickly, everyone stopped worrying and being upset. They went back to playing for several minutes different games: hide and seek, tag, climbing trees...
And some games that Subaru had brought from his world, like hopscotch. After teaching everyone the rules, they played for a good while longer.
Time flew by with the speed of fun. The laughter, the races, and the small challenges filled the morning with contagious joy.
Even some adults watching from a distance smiled at seeing everyone smiling.
It wasn't a bad morning at all.
"...Hey" Subaru spoke during a short break after several rounds, while everyone caught their breath sitting on the ground. "Haven't you seen Petra?"
Perhaps Petra was the oldest of all of them. But still, Subaru believed she should also be able to play with them. She was still a child just like him. Where could she be?
"Oh. I think I saw Petra running to her house this morning" Luca replied, shrugging. "Although I haven't seen her after that."
"...?" Subaru frowned. "I thought she would come out to play after breakfast."
"Yeah, me too."
Another child responded.
"It's rare that she's still at home."
"In fact..."
"Hmm?"
Everyone focused when Meyna's voice spoke.
"I think Petra is being punished by her parents" She said, lowering her voice, as if it were a secret.
"Eh!?"
But everyone's shouts weren't so subtle when they were surprised by that.
"I don't know the details" She hurried to add. "But I think I heard my dad talking with Petra's dad at work."
"And what did they say?"
"As I said, I don't know the details. But I heard that they scolded Petra because she made them worry the night before."
That was all the information she had at that moment.
"Petra played a prank?"
"How strange" said Cain, frowning. "Usually, Petra doesn't misbehave."
"And even if she does, they usually forgive her quickly. What could she have done to make them really upset?"
"Do you have any idea, Subaru?"
"..."
"Subaru?"
The black-haired boy remained silent, with his gaze lost on the horizon. While he felt that his childish mind could understand the problem...
Suddenly, he felt a little stomach ache. And it had nothing to do with the chocolate he had eaten for breakfast. But with the guilt he was feeling at that moment.
"...I think I have to go."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"...To beg for mercy."
"Huh?"
Without really understanding what he meant by those words, everyone watched as Subaru walked away from them.
Knock, knock, knock.
A few minutes later, several knocks were heard on a wooden door inside the village.
A black-haired boy was nervous as he waited outside, his heart beating hard against his chest.
His hands, small and trembling, twisted in front of him as he mentally rehearsed what he was going to say.
It wasn't the first time he apologized to someone, but he had never had to do it with a friend's parents before.
After knocking, only a few seconds passed before the sounds of footsteps inside made themselves present. And right after, the door opened, revealing its interior.
"Hmm?"
A woman with long orange hair made herself present. Her gaze was one of slight confusion upon seeing the unknown boy at her door. Her eyes scanned his figure, evaluating him with curiosity.
"I'm very sorry!"
"...Huh?"
And she quickly fell speechless when, before even greeting, the boy made a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"I-I'm Subaru Natsuki" He said, without raising his head. "I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, b-but... I'm very sorry, Mrs. Leyte! Petra went yesterday to bring me lunch and visit me. She was going to leave shortly after that, but I distracted her and we stayed talking until we fell asleep."
He shouted and apologized with his eyes closed while letting the words come out and flow non-stop.
His parents had taught him to apologize if he did something wrong to someone else. Perhaps the way was a bit exaggerated, but not as much as not daring to apologize.
"Please, don't be angry with her! Don't punish her! She didn't do anything wrong! Petra just wanted to talk and bring me lunch. I'm sure she never meant to worry you."
He clenched his small fists until his knuckles turned white.
"You can be upset with me if you want. But please, listen to her and forgive her. I beg you!"
And after several minutes, he finally fell silent, not daring to look into the eyes of the woman who surely was glaring at him.
The silence stretched on. Subaru could hear his own heartbeat, so loud it almost drowned out any other sound.
"...Hehehe" Mrs. Leyte's voice broke the silence with a soft laugh. "Petra was right. You really are funny."
"Huh?"
When he heard her laughing voice, with a kind and maternal tone, he stopped being tense.
He looked up and saw the woman smiling softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
There was no trace of anger on her face. Only a warmth that completely took him by surprise.
"So you're Subaru, huh?"
"...Y-yes, I am" He replied, still a bit shy.
"I was afraid that my daughter was being influenced by someone mischievous" Mrs. Leyte placed a hand on her hip, with a knowing smile. "But you don't seem like a bad boy."
"...?"
"Come in, come in. Don't stay outside."
"A-ah. Of course!"
Responding nervously to her request, he immediately accepted, accompanying her inside the house. His feet trembled slightly as he closed the door behind him.
The interior was very simple. What you would expect for a village house in a video game. Seeing it in person was clearly another experience.
The wooden walls had a warm tone, worn by the years. The central table, robust and solid, was covered by a simple but well-cared-for tablecloth. A window let in sunlight, illuminating the dust dancing in the air.
Everything was beautiful in its own way. Simple, but cozy. Subaru thought it was a beautiful house.
"I-I brought you a cookie" He said, taking a small cookie wrapped in paper from his pocket. "Please, enjoy it."
When the woman asked him to sit on a chair next to the table in the middle of the room, he obeyed, while at the same time giving a small gift to the person who was attending to him.
"Hmm" Mrs. Leyte took the cookie with a smile. "Thank you. You're thoughtful."
"M-my parents told me it was disrespectful to visit someone's house without at least bringing a small detail" Explained Subaru, rubbing his hands nervously.
"Your parents are certainly very well-mannered" The woman nodded approvingly, sitting in front of him. "It shows that you come from a good family, huh?"
"Yes. They are wonderful people."
She responded by giving the boy a smile.
"...You're not angry?"
Subaru dared to ask.
"...?" She tilted her head. "Did you think I would be upset with you?"
"Well..." Subaru shrugged. "I heard the village kids saying that Petra had been punished for worrying them."
"...Rumors travel fast in a small village like this. I suppose it was normal that they found out."
Mrs. Leyte sighed, with a resigned smile. However, she didn't seem at all reluctant to deal with him. Her eyes had a warmth that invited trust.
"It's true that our daughter worried us quite a bit yesterday" She admitted, resting her elbows on the table. "When night began to fall and she hadn't returned... Do you know what a mother feels when she knows nothing about her child?"
"..."
Subaru thought for just a second about his mother Naoko, who must be on Earth with his father... and without him. A pang of nostalgia and sadness pierced his chest.
"...It must feel horrible" He managed to say, his voice a little lower than he wanted.
He felt a tear welling up in his eyes, but he brushed it away before getting more depressed. This wasn't the time for that.
"So my husband decided to go look for her on the path she had taken, worried..." Mrs. Leyte smiled a little at the scene. "And he found our little girl smiling under the stars while holding your hand tightly."
"A-ah" Subaru felt a warmth in his cheeks. "So they saw us...?"
He felt a bit embarrassed for some reason. Despite not having done anything shameful, the fact that Petra's parents had seen them sleeping together, holding hands, made him feel strangely exposed.
"Seeing that she was completely fine... in the end my husband didn't dare to wake them while they looked so cute and happy sleeping" Mrs. Leyte laughed softly. "So at least I didn't have a bad night..."
Her face hardened slightly, although her tone remained kind.
"But when she returned this morning, she definitely got a well-deserved scolding for worrying us like that."
"..."
"But again..." Mrs. Leyte raised an eyebrow when Subaru kept talking. "It wasn't her fault, okay? She planned to return after lunch, but I asked her to be a model to make a doll of her. Please don't punish her."
"So you did it...?"
Subaru nodded, assuming she had seen the doll he had given to his friend.
"You have talent for sewing."
She said with genuine admiration. Before speaking about her daughter again.
"It will only be one day. She has to learn not to do that again. You can play with her and the rest of the children again tomorrow. Does that sound good?"
"...That sounds good." Subaru nodded slowly. "Thank you, Mrs. Leyte."
She observed Subaru for a few seconds in silence. Before showing a small knowing smile.
"Seeing how well-mannered you are, I don't have to worry about you doing anything bad to my daughter... I wish you luck."
"Huh? Luck for what?"
"You can forget that" She laughed to herself. "It's just a small mother's instinct speaking."
"...Mom? Is Dad here? I heard you talking to someone."
A new voice, this time more childish and high-pitched, made itself present. When, coming out of the room, an orange-haired girl greeted her mother...
And she stood still, looking at the boy she hadn't expected to see.
"S-Subaru!?" Petra opened her eyes wide. "What are you doing here!?"
"Ehhh..." Subaru scratched his head while waving a hand, with a nervous smile. "Hello, Petra-chan."
"...Hello" She returned the greeting, although her voice sounded confused.
"Your friend and I were just talking a little, daughter" Said her mother in a calm tone. "Nothing important."
"I, uh... came to apologize to your parents for keeping you out so late until we fell asleep. And I also wanted to see you after you ran away this morning."
"...Ah" Petra lowered her gaze, playing with the edge of her clothes. "I think I should have given you a better explanation. I panicked."
She admitted, with a tone of guilt in her voice. Although she then clarified.
"Although you didn't have to worry. It's not your fault."
"I couldn't let you be punished when you didn't do anything wrong."
"Well, I was the one who made them worry, and-"
"I was the one who asked you to stay" Subaru interrupted her, with determination. "It's not fair that you're the one being punished."
"But-"
"There's no but about it!"
"...Hehe" Mrs. Leyte brought a hand to her mouth, holding back a laugh. "It's cute to see you argue like that."
Both children turned towards her with slightly flushed cheeks.
"I can tell you two care about each other." She continued, with a warm smile. "It's a beautiful thing to see."
"M-mom..." Petra murmured, embarrassed, as her cheeks turned an even deeper red.
"Well..." Mrs. Leyte stood up from the chair. "Why don't I prepare something to drink for you two? You can talk while I do."
"A-ah, it's not necessary, Mrs. Leyte" Subaru said, also standing up. "I don't want to cause more trouble."
"It's no trouble at all" She stopped him with a gesture, telling him to sit back down. "Petra can't leave the house today, but you can talk as much as you want here. So talk while I prepare something."
And with that said, she disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the two children alone in the living room.
"...Hey, Subaru."
Petra looked him directly in the eyes.
"Hmm?"
"Thank you... for coming to apologize for me. You didn't have to do it, but... I appreciate it."
Subaru blinked for a second, surprised by the sincerity in her voice. But then he gave a smile, which seemed just as bright as the sun.
"Of course I had to do it. That's what friends do, right?"
Petra felt her heart skip a small beat. Her cheeks flushed again, and this time she couldn't hide it.
"...Yeah. I suppose so."
She sat right next to him, settling into the chair with a small sigh of comfort.
"Did your parents scold you very hard this morning...?" Subaru asked, with a tone of concern. "Are you okay?"
"Well..." She hesitated just a second. "It wasn't as bad as I expected. I mean, yes, they were upset... but I was expecting something much worse."
"That's good" Subaru relaxed. "I was afraid you would be upset with me for not being able to leave the house."
Petra shook her head, a soft smile on her lips.
"You worry too much. I was the one who wanted to sleep in your little cloth house. And it was a good night."
"Right!?" Subaru lit up, his eyes shining with excitement. "We have to do it again!"
"Well..." Petra laughed softly, but she considered it seriously. "Although I tell my parents, I still think it's a little far from the village."
She smiled honestly, tilting her head slightly.
"Maybe I can ask my parents to help you move it here. How does that sound?"
"Oh! That would be great!"
"Right?"
"We would be neighbors then!" Subaru smiled at the idea, almost jumping in his seat. "Isn't that incredible?"
"Yes, I suppose so" Petra nodded, with a smile. "We have to do it. That way we can sleep at each other's houses without problems. Sleeping under the stars was incredible."
"Hehe! I told you. Nothing beats camping."
Subaru laughed with pride. He already seemed excited about the next visits they would make to each other. His hands moved with enthusiasm as he spoke, as if he were already planning everything in his mind.
"I have marshmallows in my backpack. We can make a campfire, and tell horror stories... Or, if you want something simpler, we can just watch the sky. I'm fine with that."
"You sure are excited, huh?" Petra laughed, amused by his enthusiasm.
"Aren't you?"
"...Yes" She admitted, with a small smile. "I'm also excited to keep talking and playing with you."
"Good!" Subaru raised a fist in a sign of triumph. "Then get ready. We'll start tonight."
"Huh?" Petra opened her eyes in surprise. "Didn't you hear that I'm punished and can't leave the house all day?"
"At night it's not daytime, right?" Subaru said with a mischievous smile, as if he had found a legal loophole in the adults' rules.
"...Hehe" Petra brought a hand to her mouth to contain her laughter. "I suppose not."
"See? Technically you're not disobeying!"
Petra shook her head, but her smile didn't disappear. There was something about the way Subaru thought that made her feel light. Happy.
"Okay. Then I'll look forward to the moon rising, Subaru."
She said with a spark of excitement in her green eyes.
"Yes!" Subaru nodded with energy. "Me too!"
From the kitchen, Mrs. Leyte watched the scene with a knowing smile, shaking her head tenderly as she prepared two cups of hot chocolate.
The sun continued shining outside, and the morning hadn't ended yet. But for Subaru and Petra? The day had already been perfect.
And the night promised to be even more so.