Chapter 91: Tsuru's Opportunity
Early in the morning, beneath the tree, a girl crouched quietly as petals drifted around her. A baby bird, unusually large, sat beside her and blinked its bright, innocent eyes.
It shuffled its round little body and gently pecked at Tsuru's hair.
"Hm?" Tsuru looked up, startled by the fledgling's size.
That size…
Good grief, it was almost as big as Linlin.
"Did you fall out of your nest?" she asked curiously.
In this world, many animals were intelligent enough to understand humans even if they could not speak. The fledgling nodded, then stretched its plump body and turned to stare at the towering tree that pierced the clouds.
Tsuru followed its gaze and finally noticed the enormous tree properly. When she first arrived in the Kingdom of Torino, Linlin found her immediately and dragged her into constant arguments. She never had the chance to take in the scenery.
Now that she looked more closely, she realized how massive the tree truly was. Giant birds circled above it, their wings shining. Countless nests covered the branches, and among them, potato shaped elders climbed about, picking herbs.
"Tsuru, you haven't had breakfast yet." Roy jogged toward her, carrying a bowl in one hand and a plate in the other.
"Thanks," she said, taking them quickly. She accepted the spoon and chopsticks, but the moment she had everything in her hands, she scooted farther away, refusing to face him directly.
After what she'd heard yesterday… she truly had no idea how to look Roy in the eye.
If men and women who liked each other really had to do that kind of thing—
Ugh! No way!
There was absolutely no way she would accept something like that!
The grown ups at the base always warned her not to get too close to boys or "something would happen," but they never explained what that "something" actually was.
Terrifying!
"Oh, right. This little guy fell out of the nest. Let's take it back later." Tsuru pointed at the chick, still refusing to look at Roy.
She didn't want to talk to him.
But subconsciously, she still called him over to help.
Not because she liked him!
But because… she was a girl.
And this chick was several meters long.
Obviously she couldn't carry it herself!
"Ah, you mean the little bird? Got it."
Hearing Roy agree, Tsuru sighed in relief… and immediately felt nervous again.
What if he used the chance of being alone to do something shameless…?
Roy was a notorious little flirt, after all!
She sneaked a quick glance at him, heart beating too fast.
She wasn't even sure whether she was hoping for something… or terrified of it.
Then Roy casually whistled toward the sky. A giant bird swooped down and landed before him.
"Which nest is this little one from? Could you take him back?" Roy asked, pointing at the chick.
"Caw!" The giant bird nodded, picked up the fledgling, and flew toward the huge nests.
"That's it?" Tsuru stared, stunned.
"Yeah, it's simple." Roy shrugged.
"..."
Tsuru glared at him. Ba—no, she herself—felt a strange mixture of embarrassment and irritation.
"Hmph! Go away. I want to eat by myself! Why do you ruin everything!" she snapped, pushing him away.
Roy touched his nose, pretending to be troubled, and walked off, leaving her under the tree to eat alone.
A young girl's heart was impossible to understand.
But Roy knew perfectly well how to annoy one.
Time passed. March slipped away in the blink of an eye.
That afternoon, on an open field in the Kingdom of Torino, the sun burned fiercely overhead. Cicadas buzzed endlessly, and heat shimmered in the air. The ground baked beneath the blazing sunlight while the grass wilted.
"Ha!"
A clear voice cut through the cicadas, drawing Roy's attention.
On the lawn, Toki and Tsuru stood opposite each other, drenched in sweat, their shirts clinging to their bodies. Each held a wooden sword, striking again and again, blades clacking sharply.
Toki's hair whipped in the wind as she defended, a wooden sword held across her chest. She panted hard, eyes focused on her opponent.
Tsuru stood ready to attack at any moment, her gaze intense and determined.
The moment they moved again, the wooden blades blurred into shadows.
Roy loved summer.
When he was younger, it was because he could eat popsicles.
Now that he was older… well… the reasons had changed.
He was still a good man, of course. His dream hadn't changed.
In a swift exchange, Tsuru evaded Toki's strike and pressed her wooden sword to Toki's neck. She had won.
"What are you staring at?" she asked, stepping back with a smirk.
She'd noticed Roy's gaze long ago, which only boosted her confidence.
"Huh?" Roy pretended he wasn't looking. He kept lifting his training weights and pointed at a tree. "I got distracted by the cicadas."
"Tch." Tsuru clicked her tongue. She had known Roy long enough not to believe that.
Toki was right. Roy's words could fool girls, but his eyes?
Sometimes his eyes gave him away.
And Tsuru had already noticed long ago.
"That's enough for now. I'm going to bathe and cook something. Roy cooks every day, so he should rest today." Toki smiled softly and walked off.
Roy watched her helplessly.
Since when did Toki join forces with Tsuru against him?
"Squeak?"
A chick's voice echoed from afar.
"Huh?" Tsuru blinked. "Another lost baby bird? Should we bring it home?"
The fledgling nodded eagerly.
"It's you again?" Roy stared at it. If he remembered correctly…
This little troublemaker had fallen out of the nest at least eight times this month.
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