A Random in Re:Zero

Loop 5 - Part 28

"Sure you would, I suppose."

I sighed and crossed my arms. Even if I had no talent, could I give up the future I set out to achieve just because of that?

"I still think I would have tried." I reflected. "Failing would be a thousand times better than just doing nothing."

She looked at me for a few seconds before turning her head, as if to say, "I don't care."

"You say that as if you want to teach me a lesson. I'm much older than you."

"But you don't act your age. A four-hundred-year-old lady should have better manners."

"That has nothing to do with it, and don't try to measure the behavior of a Great Spirit using your human standards, I suppose!"

"Great Spirit or not, you have the most childish and discourteous attitude I've ever seen. What kind of upbringing did you receive?"

I noticed that she slightly clenched her fists as she ignored my question.

"What a pain. I suppose you have nothing better to do and decided to come bother me."

"Don't say it like that. I missed you and I want to spend some time with you, does that upset you?"

I made puppy dog eyes, but I obviously couldn't use that technique well with my stone-like face, so the effect was very different from what I expected.

"Stop doing that! It's very disturbing!" Betty hid her face behind a book.

"Sorry." I chuckled. "To make up for that, I'll tell you another story from my homeland."

Since I couldn't think of any conversation topics, I resorted to telling children's stories, the same method I used to bond with the village children.

"Hmph." She refused to accept my apologies, but didn't reject my offer.

I'd already told her about Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. This time, I chose Rapunzel. Don't judge me: since she's a little girl, I thought it best to tell her stories about girls or princesses.

If it were up to me, I would have told her something by Stephen King or HP Lovecraft, but the idea was to encourage her to explore the world, not to be afraid of it. Besides, this story reminded me of her.

"Once upon a time..."

My words flowed smoothly, creating harmony in the library's normally tense atmosphere. Betty sat and listened attentively to the story.

The first few times I told her stories, she acted as if she had no choice in the matter, but over time, she began to openly enjoy it, acknowledging her interest in new stories. Betty often questioned me about where I came from, as it seemed like a different world due to the vast differences in technology and culture.

After a few minutes, the story came to an end. I watched Betty's expression with pleasure, pleased with how entertaining it was and dissatisfied that I was done with today's story. As I stood up and walked away, I saw her swaying her legs restlessly, as if she were nervous about something.

"Are you okay?" I paused before leaving.

"What a silly question! I'm perfectly fine, I guess!" Nah, it was obvious she was lying. Her voice came out shriller and higher than usual.

I was about to open the door, but I didn't. Instead, I retraced my steps.

"I know how you feel." I said as gently as I could. "I feel the same way."

Betty gave me an angry look. How could I, a human who'd barely lived two decades, understand her existential frustration?

"You're wrong, I suppose! You always walk out that door. You always leave, you never stay... in the same place, like me. You definitely don't know."