🔳Sweet🔲 Dreams🔳

Scene four

"So what is this, really?"

L'Arc shot him an odd look as he filled his own mouth, swallowing he answered "You've never had bread and eggs before?"

"No, I meant 'this'" he gestured to the three of them, "why keep me alive and care for me when you want me dead? I just don't get it" he tried to keep his tone as moderate as possible. To avoid unwanted attention and strange gazes coming their way.

He figured, "If you two still need me to do your biddings, I'm not all plain sailing for it." An idea he would already wave off and disagreed with.

"Oh come Kiddo, just one more adventure?" As cheerful as ever, as if he were trying to persuade Naofumi to join them.

"I refuse." He stated blandly.

To his account however, L'Arc and Therese dropped the friendly facade, into a more... serious complex one that went down to business. "Look kiddo, there are easier ways to settle this." Back at it again with that nonchalant attitude, always pushing the raven's buttons but this time his tone was a bit more ominous than usual. Like not that it wasn't a big deal that the shield hero had gone missing... It wouldn't about a month ago.

For now in his current state and the knowledge of that people might actually go looking for him, he sat back feeling less tense than before. "Really now? Please, enlighten me." Like he thought before, if they wanted to kill him, they'd already would. Now his aim was to find out their motives of keeping him alive. Cautious, every step he took counts and he cannot afford the enemy to have the upper hand. Did he still view them as enemies? He wondered.

The redhead heaved a heavy sigh but was ready to negotiate... or at least tolerate how stubborn their so called 'prisoner' was acting. "Well you see, you're our captive now and it's not like you can run in your semi-healed state."

"Captive? I didn't think you of all people would take me so lightly." He narrowed his gaze to the bustling crowd around them. This town was unnaturally filled with people who were just mildly minding their own business. If he were to go as desperately as to scream for help-

"Don't even think about it, Naofumi-san. You wouldn't want to cause an unnecessary scene."

Suddenly, he felt a light pat on his shoulder where he turned to be greeted by a fairly old man that he had met when they exited the inn. "My, have you been feeling better, young man? How nice of you youngsters to take him out" his furrowed brows gazed at the other two across the table. "Has the herbs I given you helped with the delusions?"

Both L'Arc and Therese reassured the effectiveness of the medicines and medications the old man provided and once he left, Naofumi was left staring down on his untouched plate of food with both his hands rested on his lap. "What sort of plot are you two playing at?" He asked with a tad bit of an aggressive tone, both trying to keep a solid composure without stuttering.

"I wouldn't call it a plot, rather that we have been taking care of our 'sick delusional friend' who desperately needs our help." How care freely he said it was what got on Naofumi's nerves. What else that they took into pre-caution?

That's when he realised, that for the amount of time that he's been out of it they had already planned ahead. Making no room for him to slither out with his own plans to get out of theirs. If he could only find a hole, maybe he'd be saved. Unfortunately, there possibly weren't any.

But this was their trap and Naofumi needed to be diligent with both his words and actions. "So what's it going to be, Kiddo?" The gaze from a pair of red orbs landed on him, knowing to well that he only had one answer. The thought made him grimaced at his now hapless state.