"Here, take this."
I handed her the warm water I had brought from the mess hall.
Krista shot me a pouty glare but took it anyway.
We sat together on a bench in the training grounds, sipping our drinks in silence.
The only light in the dimly lit area came from a few scattered torches, flickering softly.
The air between us felt heavy with quiet.
I glanced to the side.
—Sip.
Just a while ago, Krista had been pouring out all her emotions. But now, she seemed calmer.
She held the cup gently with both hands...
But with her swollen, puffy eyes, she looked kind of funny.
"...Why are you smiling like that?"
"Oh, was I smiling?"
She didn't answer. She just kept staring at me with those puffed-up eyes.
Huh. I had smiled without realizing it.
For some reason, my poker face always seemed to crumble around Krista.
I ran a hand over my face and forced a neutral expression.
"Ah, sorry. Your eyes are just so swollen—it's a little funny."
"...It's not funny at all."
She shot me a sharp glare.
It almost made me laugh again, but I managed to hold it in.
A sulky Krista, huh.
This was a side of her she had never shown in the original story during her cadet days.
Normally, she always kept up the image of a kind and cheerful girl.
Smiling even when things were tough, laughing when she was happy, treating everyone with gentle kindness—it was like she wore a mask.
But her true personality wasn't that of an angelic saint.
It wasn't until the later parts of the original that it was revealed—Krista could be fiery, blunt, and even a little temperamental when she needed to be.
And yet, I had somehow managed to bring that side out after just a few interactions.
Did I have a talent for getting under people's skin?
...No. Maybe I should start choosing my words a little more carefully.
I really do have a knack for bringing out people's true selves.
Haha, maybe I should become a therapist when I go back to Marley?
I let out a small chuckle at my own ridiculous thoughts before slowly opening my mouth.
"Krista."
"...Yeah?"
"I'm kind of a jerk, aren't I?"
Maybe she wasn't expecting that kind of question—her eyes widened in surprise.
"Honestly, I know it myself. I joke around a lot, and I can be a bit of a pain sometimes."
I paused for a moment, rolling the cup between my fingers.
If I had a habit of teasing people, then I should also know when to be serious.
How should I put this?
I downed the rest of my water in one go before speaking again.
"If I ever went too far and hurt you, I'm sorry. I mean it."
Krista blinked at me, caught off guard by my unusually serious tone.
"...N-No, it's not like that. I wasn't hurt or anything. I just... got emotional earlier, that's all."
She waved her hands, flustered.
Just a while ago, she had been fuming at me, but now that I was apologizing, she felt a little guilty.
After all, wasn't she the one who lashed out at me first?
"I should apologize too... for snapping at you earlier... and for telling the others I didn't like you..."
Krista lowered her head.
When her emotions had taken over, she hadn't realized how childish she had acted.
She had come here to apologize, but instead, she had thrown a tantrum.
And to make things worse, she had ended up crying.
Now that she thought about it, she always seemed to cry whenever she was around Sam.
Of course, that was mostly because Sam had a habit of messing with her too much...
Like that time with the ODM gear—she had been so mad, but she knew now he hadn't done it just to tease her.
Maybe... in his own way, Sam had been trying to help all along.
Maybe he was just bad at expressing himself when trying to get close to someone.
"Hmm..."
Sam turned to look at her.
Unlike his usual playful expression, he looked serious.
Noticing her gaze, Sam smiled at her.
It was an incredibly gentle smile.
His sharp features usually gave him a mischievous aura, but when he smiled like that, he seemed like a completely different person—someone soft and kind.
Of course, she couldn't keep looking at him for too long.
Maintaining eye contact for too long made her feel embarrassed, so she quickly turned her head away.
Was this Sam's real self?
Maybe the teasing, playful side he always showed was just an act—just like how she sometimes pretended to be someone she wasn't.
As all these thoughts floated around in her head, Sam's calm voice brought her back to reality.
"Oh yeah. This might be a bit random, but do you have a favorite food?"
Favorite food?
Krista tilted her head, thinking hard about his sudden question.
Let's see... what do I like to eat?
I like the carrot soup they serve in the mess hall...
And the ham they serve on rare occasions is pretty good...
Corn is also nice and crunchy...
"Hmm... grilled ham and corn?"
"...Aren't those cafeteria meals?"
"Yeah! They're my favorite out of all the food we get!"
Sam stared at her with a slightly dumbfounded expression.
Huh? Did I say something weird?
As Krista started feeling confused by his reaction, he spoke again.
"I mean... what about spaghetti? Or sandwiches? You don't like those?"
Spaghetti? Sandwiches?
Krista tilted her head, puzzled.
"Umm... what's that? Is that food?"
"Was it because of Krista's innocent reaction?
Sam's expression grew even more puzzled."