So, without thinking long, I decided to find him. Because of his popularity, it did not take much time. But however hard I tried, I could not catch him. It was as if he saw right through me, predicted my every step. Which only heated my interest.
And at last, I found him, completely by chance. He was walking down the street. So, without hesitation, I decided to talk to him. But by accident, I knocked him out.
That was the beginning of our communication. Of course, I was saddened that he said nothing about my mother. How did he find out? Why did he lie to me that a friend had told him? I did not understand why.
I simply did not understand what I should do then. If he did not want to tell the truth, I could do nothing about it. So I just came to him every day and simply watched him. And I did not notice how I began to get used to him.
So, with every day, we became closer and closer to each other. Until I noticed how every minute, my thoughts were only of him. During descents into the dungeon, when I slept, on walks, when talking with others. I always thought only of him.
I did not understand what it was. What kind of feeling? For me, it was the first time. New feelings both frightened me, and at the same time, I felt trepidation.
And every time, this feeling decisively grew, grew too fast, until I fully sank into this feeling; I let it fully seize me.
And when I first saw how he talked with Lefiya, it was as if I had been plunged into cold water. I do not know why, but I can say one thing for sure: I did not like how he gave attention to others.
But from these thoughts, I felt ashamed before Lefiya.
Lefiya was kind and a very good friend. But, seeing how he gave her more and more time, all the time that he had given only to me suddenly switched to another, evoking new feelings. But I quickly decided to ignore it, but, casting another glance at them — at the arguing Kopii and Lefiya — this strange, nasty feeling surged with new force.
She had focused so much attention on them that she unconsciously squeezed the spoon too hard, turning it into an incomprehensible piece of metal. But, quickly noticing it, she hid everything that remained of the so-called spoon.
But after a few seconds, we had already finished and went home. But at the end, I looked at Kopii's face. From his small smile, my heart filled with warmth.
— Bye. – Also smiling, I said.
— Bye, Ais.
Waving goodbye, I left.
Approaching Lefiya, but before I could open my mouth, she preempted me, starting the conversation first:
— How he annoys me! We haven't known each other that long, but he's already driven me crazy! Annoying.
Starting to walk forward, she growled in indignation.
— How do you tolerate him, Ais!?
Turning around, she looked straight at me with a questioning gaze.
— Well… He doesn't talk to me like that.
— Naturally, even someone like him knows how to talk to the Sword Princess. At least he's capable of something, that pervert.
I felt a little unpleasant because of the remarks about Kopii. But I quickly suppressed this feeling.
— Well, enough about him… I wanted to ask you, Ais.
— What?
She lowered her gaze to the ground, unable to hold Ais's gaze, and said in a calmer tone:
— Can you cook me something, the best dish you can?
— …
— Of course, you can refuse! – Lowering her head even more, she said in disappointment.
— Of course, Lefiya.
Raising her head sharply, she looked at me with delight. If such a small gesture could bring such delight, then why not try.
Remembering this, a small smile spread on my lips.
Not having seen Kopii today, she returned home in a depressed state, because she had not seen him for almost a month. But tomorrow, I definitely intend to find him.
Of course, I had thoughts of coming to him at night. But I quickly abandoned this idea. But this thought would not leave my head, all the time asking the same questions to myself:
«What's stopping me?»
«Will he be against it? Or, on the contrary, will he be glad?»
I did not know whether he would be glad or not. But the mere thought that he would not be glad about my night visit fully stopped me. So I did not dare to do it, however much I wanted to.
The next day.
I trained at the training ground in the Loki Familia. As always, I trained my swordsmanship, bringing it to perfection.
Having decided to give myself a short break, at that very second, Lefiya came up to me, her face shining with triumph.
— See, Ais, I was right! —
She exclaimed at the top of her voice.
— … Really?
— Yes!
— And about what?..
— …
— You don't know?
— About what?
— About that scoundrel.
…
Hearing this, I immediately understood whom she meant. And involuntarily pricked up my ears, waiting for what she would say next.
— I always saw his true nature from our first meeting. How others could not understand it, but I could. I did what even the Sword Princess could not. No one could, except me.
With every word, her smile grew wider and wider. My thoughts began racing at the speed of light. What was she going to say next? That he had leveled up? That was very likely, because I had personally seen his talent. But her tone clearly said something else.
But before I could guess, she interrupted my thoughts, continuing to speak:
— That he's a pathetic pervert!
— A pervert? – I repeated in confusion.
— Yes, a pervert! I heard rumors that he harassed elves and walked around the city completely naked. How vile! But what else could one expect from someone like him.
«Harassing elves, completely naked,» — Lefiya's words flashed through my head. I could not believe what I had heard, because I knew him for sure: Kopii — he was not that kind of person. He could not be a pervert.
Remembering every moment with him, I could say with confidence that he was not a pervert. I knew exactly how perverts behaved, because my goddess was quite the pervert herself.
«Rumors,» — I remembered that Lefiya had said at first that these were only rumors. Putting it all together, I began to understand that it was all nonsense and nothing more. After all, there were too many envious people, and it was very easy for them to start a rumor about someone who had what they did not. Knowing his popularity, I knew that these rumors would spread through Orario like hotcakes.
«And what if the rumors are true?»
Involuntarily, I thought about this outcome, imagining Kopii walking around completely naked and how gazes were cast at his naked body. It evoked a strange feeling. The same feeling as when I went to Kopii with Lefiya. This feeling fully seized my mind, unable to calm down.
The mere thought of it heated this feeling to the limit. I tried with all my might to think that it was just rumors.
But the seed of doubt had already been sown.
— I see.
I replied, beginning to take my sword and standing up, starting to train even more diligently. Trying with all my might to distract myself from this consuming feeling about Kopii. And training would help me with that, I thought.