My Seatmate is a Master (5) - Come to Me

Shira reclined in the soft, golden rays of the sun, her gaze fixed on the horizon, while her loyal guardian, who had accompanied her in this retreat, looked upon her with a mixture of concern and exasperation.

[Milady, are you really going to stay here forever? What about the mission?] He inquired with a note of urgency in his voice.

Shira continued to bask in the warmth of the sun, her voice tranquil. "Wait until he finds a way to locate me."

[But, Milady.]

The guardian persisted.

[The Villain is a reserved person who despises imposing on others with his problems. Where could he turn for help to inquire about your whereabouts? Even the heroine seems eager to replace you with the role of his friend.]

A smile played upon Shira's lips, and her eyes sparkled with unwavering confidence. "No one can replace the roots of care, with my name etched into them, growing in the deepest pits of Kiba's heart."

Unbeknownst to Shira, the time for action had come for Kiba.

Kiba suddenly got sick. As his fever raged and his body grew weak, he made the difficult decision to approach his mother for help. He couldn't bear the emptiness left by Shira's absence nor the uncertainty of seeing her again.

His fever had reduced the next day, but Kiba was still shrouded in a heavy cloud of sadness and confusion. As he lay in his bed, his dreams were filled with pleas he had never expressed during his waking hours.

"Shira, please don't leave me," he mumbled in his sleep, the vulnerability of his words revealing the depth of his feelings.

Moved by her son's suffering, Kiba's mother took action. She decided to reach out to Shira's mother, a woman who was equally concerned about the well-being of her own daughter. The meeting between the two mothers marked a pivotal moment.

[Milady, the Villain's mother, has met with yours! They must be up to something...]

"I know. Mother will agree with her friend's proposal and will betray me. She will likely give my address to Kiba."

[Milady, how did you find out?]

"I'm a genius, remember?"

[You must be fooling me again, Milady.]

Shira chuckled, "I've dealt with too many people in the hospital."

[Have you entered a mental hospital, Milady?]

"I did. Every doctor must go there to experience getting along and understanding different perspectives of those people who lived or worked inside the hospital."

[Awesome! Was it fun, Milady?]

"It was very interesting, and I've learned a lot from my experiences."

As Kiba's mother met with Shira's mother, they discussed their children's friendship and the apparent strain that had developed between them. Shira's mother, equally concerned for her daughter's well-being, agreed to share Shira's address with Kiba's mother, understanding that it was in the best interest of both young friends.

With Shira's address in hand, Kiba gradually began to recover from his illness. His spirits lifted as he held the key to reuniting with the friend he had missed so desperately. Each day, he grew stronger and more determined to see Shira once again.

'I'll come to you if you won't come to me.'

When he had fully regained his health, Kiba decided the time had come to carry out his plans. He packed some of his belongings, a combination of hope and excitement filled his heart and headed to Shira's address.

'Why would she choose to go this far?'

Kiba walked the lengthy staircase of the mountain's entrance.

'Did she truly want to avoid me because I did something wrong?'

As he arrived at Shira's place, he was met by the watchful eyes of the servants who had accompanied Shira in her retreat. With the gracious permission of Shira's mother, they allowed Kiba to enter the household.

Once inside, Kiba followed the soft strains of music that led him to a grand room. There, with her back turned to him, was Shira, her fingers dancing gracefully across the piano keys. The music she played was melancholic, a reflection of her own emotions and the longing that had plagued her during her time away.

'This song makes me...'

Kiba stood there in awe, watching Shira's every movement, her silhouette illuminated by the soft, golden glow of the room. His heart swelled with relief and aching fondness as he witnessed the reunion he had longed for. Shira's presence had filled his life with purpose, and seeing her again, he felt as though a piece of his soul had returned.

With a deep breath, Kiba stepped closer, a quiet smile forming on his lips, and he whispered, "Shira, I'm here." His voice, a gentle reassurance, was like the missing note in the melody she was playing, the key to bringing harmony back into their lives.

As Shira continued to play the piano, she suddenly felt a pair of warm, strong arms wrap around her from behind. The sensation of Kiba's embrace was like a gentle gust of wind, and her playing came to an abrupt halt, the melody left suspended in the air.

[Milady! Ahh! The Villain is in love with you!]

"He's not..."

[But...]

"I said he's not. He's really not!"

Surprised by Kiba's sudden intimacy, Shira turned her head to look at Kiba, her eyes meeting his, full of astonishment.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice a whisper as she tried to understand the meaning of his unexpected appearance.

Kiba held her closer, his embrace a silent answer to the questions that had lingered between them during their time apart.

"I missed you, Shira," he admitted softly, his voice filled with longing and affection. "I couldn't stand being without you, and I needed to find you."

Shira gazed into his eyes, her own filled with different emotions. The tension that had built up between them during their separation slowly began to dissipate, leaving room for a renewed sense of connection and understanding.

[Ahh! Milady, he said he missed you! Aren't you touched?]

"Do you think I'm so easy to fall?"

[Uh-huh! You even fell for the class president, who never saw you in the same light! That was a one-sided love, Milady, but you still held unto him.]

"Shut up!"

Lemolemo still chuckled.

Kiba held Shira close, the touch of her back against his chest grounding him in the reality of their reunion. With the silence that lingered between them, he mustered the words that had been buried in his heart during their time apart.

"Shira," he began, his voice laced with sincerity, "you are more than just someone I know. You're my true friend, and I missed you, not just as a person but as the friend who has been with me through all the ups and downs of my life."

Shira looked up at him, her eyes glistening with understanding. Their shared history, the countless moments they had spent together, and the unique connection they had forged came rushing back to her.

"Lemolemo, I told you. He wasn't in love with me. But he is only sincere with his friendship with me, so sincere that he couldn't bear losing me."

Lemolemo finally realized that the distance that had grown between his Master and the Villain had been a misunderstanding, and the Villain had only missed his Master in the same way she had missed him because of friendship and nothing more.

[Milady! The Villain is so naive! How can a person like him fall in love easily? How about our mission's progress?]

"You can watch and learn from me... Those dramas you've been watching must have not influenced you enough."

As Kiba poured his heart out and expressed his longing for their friendship, Shira's reaction was not what he had anticipated. She seemed to withdraw, her eyes taking on a distant look as if she hadn't heard a word he had said.

Confused and worried, Kiba watched as Shira gently but deliberately bypassed him. She proceeded to return to her room, and the door closed with a soft, final click, leaving Kiba standing there, a growing sense of frustration and unease welling up within him.

He knocked on the door, calling out to her, "Shira, is something wrong? Why are you ignoring me?"

But there was no response from the other side, and the door remained firmly shut. Kiba felt an overwhelming sense of confusion and helplessness. He had no idea why Shira had reacted this way. The gap between them seemed to have deepened rather than bridged, and he couldn't fathom the reason behind her sudden withdrawal.

Kiba sat outside her door, waiting for an explanation, replaying the moments that had led to this complicated turn of events and hoping for clarity to help mend the rift that had unexpectedly grown between them once again.

'She's mad at me, but why?'

As Kiba sat outside Shira's locked door, frustration and confusion consuming him, the weight of their strained friendship bore down on his already weakened body. The stress, coupled with the exhaustion of their emotional encounter, took its toll on him. His forehead felt hot, and his limbs grew heavy.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he swayed unsteadily before collapsing against Shira's door. His breathing became labored, his skin clammy, and he clutched his forehead, a rising fever evident in his flushed face.

Kiba's strength gave way, and he fell to the ground in front of Shira's room.

[Milady! The Villain has a fever!]

Shira hurriedly opened the door and carried Kiba in. "Give me a glass of springwater."