Shizuku grew up in Meteor City. Like Germain, she had no parents or siblings to care for her from a young age.
Her family was either dead or had abandoned her in Meteor City. She didn't remember and didn't care to.
Before leaving Meteor City, the person who treated her the best was the old priest at the cathedral.
In such an environment, it was hard for her to develop the same perceptions or emotions as a "normal" person.
She could feel something like a grandfather's love from the old priest.
She could feel something like a grandmother's warmth from Bisky.
But when it came to romantic feelings, for Shizuku, that was entirely foreign.
Shizuku had seen couples before, but seeing wasn't the same as understanding.
She couldn't quite grasp why someone would willingly give up their independence to tie themselves to another person.
Until now.
Now she has met a man who might tie her down. Her usually dull senses finally caught on, and she found herself afraid.
Hearing Germain's response, Shizuku turned to glance at him in surprise before looking back toward the campfire, where sparks continued to dance in the air.
"As expected, you would understand…"
"I've thought for a long time that you were special to me, but now, I feel like you're even more special."
"I can't look at you the same way as before anymore..."
"How do you see me now?" Germain asked.
Shizuku turned her head again, carefully taking in Germain's disheveled black hair, deep-set eyes, slightly upturned nose, pursed lips, and the prominent Adam's apple.
She couldn't help but swallow, only to realize the sound was embarrassingly loud—loud enough that Germain might have heard it.
This was unacceptable.
But even so, she couldn't stop her gaze from wandering further down—his slightly exposed collarbones, the chest concealed beneath his shirt, and his broad, calloused hands.
When Shizuku didn't respond, Germain began speaking again, his tone steady and sincere.
"Shizuku, these feelings you're experiencing are completely normal. There's nothing strange about them. We're all human, and having emotions is part of that."
Germain recalled a video he had once seen on YouTube, where a famous actress shared her views on love with the host.
He recited it to Shizuku.
"Because we need someone to bear witness to our lives... Think about it—on the Six Continents, there are billions of people. How significant can one person's life truly be?"
"But in a romantic connection, you make a promise to care about everything about the other person."
"The good, the bad, the terrible, the mundane—everything, every moment, every single day."
"You're committing to this: 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will care. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.'"
Germain paused briefly, then continued.
"When we're young and reckless, it's easy not to feel the weight of loneliness. Being alone doesn't seem like such a big deal."
"But when the people we know—those familiar faces—start to age, die, and leave us behind, loneliness becomes a tightening noose around our necks, choking the life out of us."
"At that moment, we realize how much we need someone who will love us until the end of our lives. It's this selfish need that gives life its unique meaning."
"Love is rare and beautiful, which is why it remains one of the eternal themes of film and drama."
"Our true loneliness, our true death, is when there's no one left in the world who loves us."
"Shizuku, I don't know if you can fully understand this. These are my own thoughts. I've always respected your opinions, and this time is no different."
"If possible, maybe we should move on from being just a man and a woman to... uh..."
Shizuku seemed to hear Germain murmuring something in her ear.
But at that moment, all the emotions in her chest transformed into desire, and desire turned into impulse.
She rose slightly, crawling over with both her hands and feet, and like a wild beast, she pounced on Germain, pressing her entire weight onto him.
Shizuku wasn't listening at all anymore. She had already thrown herself at him, capturing his lips in a kiss, much like a leopard sinking its fangs into the neck of an antelope, savoring the crimson essence.
Germain first felt the weight of her embrace, followed by the searing warmth of her body and the urgency of her breath.
While he had been philosophizing lightly, what Shizuku wanted in that moment was a visceral, instinctive response—a flame of passion to burn brightly and consume them both.
The only thing that slightly spoiled the mood was Shizuku's glasses bumping painfully into Germain's nose.
The sound of rustling leaves echoed softly.
From the shadows of the trees emerged Shizuku.
She adjusted her slightly crooked black-frame glasses and tightened her jeans, lowering her head to blink a few times before zipping them up.
The whole series of movements was somewhat ungraceful, but when she did it, it somehow seemed cute.
She glanced around, and just as she was about to step forward, she locked eyes with Bisky, who was standing nearby, holding a wooden basin filled with discarded foot bath water.
"Shizuku? What are you doing here?"
"I..."
Shizuku tried to come up with a perfect excuse using everything she knew, but her mind went blank.
It seemed like there was no proper reason, and besides, why did she need a reason?
She blinked her big eyes and thought to herself, feeling rather unapologetic.
Bisky, on the other hand, looked at her curiously.
She had only asked out of casual curiosity when they bumped into each other, but Shizuku's reaction made her start to suspect something. Bisky unconsciously looked her over from head to toe.
"You have a leaf on your head... and why are your cheeks so red? Do you have a fever? Should I call Sanbica to check on you?"
Shizuku raised her eyes but saw nothing, then reached up to pat her short black hair, quickly brushing off a curled-up yellow leaf.
Was it from when she had been rolling around earlier, or from when she walked out of the forest just now?
Shizuku couldn't remember.
"I'm fine," she emphasized, though her temperature had been frighteningly high earlier, but it had come down by now.
She obediently placed her hands behind her back, pursed her lips, and didn't seem inclined to offer further explanations.
She felt like she had become a little less honest, probably because of Germain's influence. She wasn't as truthful as she used to be.
If it had been before, she would have already described everything that happened to Bisky in great detail.
At that time, she still didn't know what "shyness" was. Maybe now she was starting to experience what they call "growing up"?
Shizuku quietly thought to herself, and her mind couldn't help but flash some images, including the sight of Germain's lips, earlobes, chest, fingers, and arms...
Hmm... did I come back too early?
On the other side, Bisky was still rambling on with his questions.
"Really? I just saw you crawl out from the forest, adjusting your pants, zipping them up... Ah…"
Bisky suddenly had a look of realization.
"So that's what happened... but no, Shizuku, even if you're in a hurry, the bathroom isn't that far. You can't just do it outside."
"You're a girl after all. What if someone sees you? Especially Germain—what would you do then?"
Shizuku listened, looking confused, and then her expression changed to something strange.
Hmm... well, Germain's right. Explaining this could be a hassle...
Bisky, holding a wooden basin in one hand, pointed toward their shared room with the other hand, where Shizuku, Sanbica, and Menchi stayed.
"Let's go back to the room first. By the way, did you wash your hands? You did, right? Oh, if you did, it's fine. Seriously, next time, don't go outside to... you know..."
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