章節 3: Waking up

A short way away from the coast Aoi landed at, a small cottage resting atop a little bluff was sitting there under the bright sunlight shining from the heavens. It was small and looked rickety but was built solid so as to prevent the natural elements from getting in. Open windows were built into the walls, and large leaves akin to banana leaves were affixed atop it and slightly overhanging the edge to prevent rain from coming in. A crude door built of carved driftwood was ajar letting in the natural light.

Inside the cottage was a firepit in the center with a blackened wood chimney above it to guide out the smoke with a tripod over it and a pot hanging off of the tripod. The pot had a light looking stew boiling inside. A comfortable homey frangrance wafted out of it and spread around the cottage by the calm air blowing through the windows and door. Aoi, who laid upon the single driftwood frame bed inside, slowly stirred awake from the smell of the freshly cooked breakfast.

"Nn... Koko wa? Erm... sss, itai!" [1] Aoi's voice cracked because her throat was dry like she hadn't had anything to drink for days. 'Luckily, nothing else seems to hurt aside from my dry throat,' she thought. Aoi looked around the little cottage and saw an open wardrobe with the opening covered by a simple tight-nit bug net. She looked into the center of the cottage and saw the firepit and stew cooking over it and her stomach grumbled in protest. She moved around a little weakly to try and get off the bed but could only position herself to sit on the side while leaning on the wall at the head. It felt like she was majorly dehydrated and malnourished. 'How long have I been out?'

"OH! You're finally awake, huh? Man, you've been asleep for a couple days now. I was wondering if you'd ever wake up, pretty girl."

"Eh? Eig-" Because Aoi's throat was so dry, she started coughing the minute she tried speaking.

The young girl Aoi saw when she washed up on the beach walked to the opposite wall and pulled a waterskin hanging off a peg on the wall. She walks in front of Aoi and hands her the waterskin so she can wet her throat. Aoi grabs the waterskin and drinks about six larges gulps after she stops coughing. She breathes a sigh of satisfaction and proceeds to look up at the girl in front of her.

"Thank yo-" She stops mid-sentence and just stares at the girl like she's just seen the most beautiful thing in the world. Aoi just looks dumbfounded into the girl's bright emerald eyes. After what seems like minutes, she realizes she's staring after hearing the girl trying to talk to her.

"Helllloooo! Are you okay pretty lady?" She's waving her hands in front of Aoi's eyes now.

"Gomen'nasai. Atashi wa mitsumete ita." Aoi looks away and a faint blush could be seen on her white cheeks. She looks down at her hands fiddling with her fingers in a slight shame of being caught staring shamelessly. Her voice gets a little quiet while she meekly adds, "Koe ga kawaii ne."

"Huh? Whattya saying pretty girl?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you probably don't speak Japanese. I'll try to remember to speak English."

"Japanese? English? I'm only speaking the common tongue. Anyways, you've been asleep for quite a bit now. Breakfast should be about ready now. I made it light since you haven't eaten. It'll be easier on your stomach." She grabs a couple wood bowls and spoons and starts to ladle out the stew. She walks to Aoi, hands her a bowl, and proceeds to sit next to her; which startles her a bit.

Aoi's thoughts are running rampant. 'OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! She's sitting next to me! This gorgeous girl is sitting next to me! She's prettier than any of the other girls I've known!' She just sits there with the bowl in her hands just looking at the girl next to her. The young girl is focused eating her own breakfast and looking down. Her full eyelashes which match her hair color flutter in contentment as she eats. The side profile she shows enraptures Aoi's attention.

The girl notices Aoi isn't moving, so she looks up and just sees her staring at her again and she flashes a cheeky grin. "You're staring again. You're gonna make me blush. Is the food not good? You want something else? Well, sorry, this is all I got, so it'll have to do," she says smiling.

Aoi shocks back to reality and looks down absentmindedly stirring her stew. "No, it's just... you're really pretty," she says in a quiet voice but loud enough for the girl to hear.

"HAHAHAHA! Well, I won't say you're not candid, huh? I think we'll get along fine pretty girl. OH! Yeah, I haven't asked for your name. My name's Arunika. What's yours?"

Aoi tries to shrink her body to hide her shame after realizing she spoke what came to her mind. Realizing she's speaking to someone speaking English, she gives her family name after her given name with a little bow and says, "Aoi Nakamura but you can just call me Aoi," and realizing Arunika keeps calling her 'girl' she says, "And I'm not a girl. I'm 22 years old."

"*gasp* What? You're older than me by five years? Wait, you have a family name?! I'm so so so so sorry!" She gets on her knees and bows asking for forgiveness.

"Wait! What are you doing?! Get up! Why are you bowing to me?"

After Arunika gets up she asks, "You're not a noble? But you have a family name!"

"No, doesn't everyone have one?," she asks with a bewildered expression.

"No, only nobles can have family names. That's how it's always been. How do you have one if you're not?"

"Everyone has one. Isn't this Japan? Where are we?"

"There's that 'Japan' word again. We're in the Kreutz Empire. Listen, if anyone finds you're using a family name and you don't have proof of nobility then you'd be put to the death for impersonation, so never, and I mean NEVER tell anyone about it unless you absolutely trust them."

"Keroots Empire? I've never heard of that..." Aoi falls into a deep contemplation. 'Wait... death? No, that's not important. I've never heard of this place before. Am I not even on Earth anymore? Did I get transmigrated to a new world?'

"Hey, Aoi, you okay? You've gone quiet."

"Arunika... I... think I'm a very, very, veeerrrry long way from home."

"Well, maybe I can help you think of a way to get back. I was meaning to leave this place soon anyway and you being here gives me an even better excuse to leave. Anyways, you need to eat so you'll have the strength to leave with me."

Aoi just nodded her head and took her first bite. Once the stew hit her tongue, her eyes lit up. "Mmm... Oishii~. Aru-chan this is so good! *Om nom nom* Aru-chan~ ne~, be my bride please! I can never make anything tasting this good." She just kept shoveling the stew in her mouth while Arunika was staring at Aoi dumbfoundedly firstly because of Aoi's unique way of calling her name and then she opened her eyes wide, her face turning beet red after she heard Aoi mentioning marriage so casually to her.

Arunika gathered her courage and took a deep breath, "Um... Aoi?"

"Hrm.. yesh, Aru-shan?" Aoi turned her head with a mouth full of food.

"Um... Aru... chan? Wait, no, uhm. You'd... really want to marry me, an orphan?"

"Who wouldn't?! I mean, you're gorgeous! Those muscles, skin, eyes, hair... I mean, who would be blind enough to not see your beauty?! Plus, you're right in my stri-" Aoi gulps after realizing just where the conversation was going with her absentmindedly spouting those words. She slowly looks up at Arunika with a blushing face and sees her staring right back at her with an even brighter red complexion.

"Um... Aoi, I mean, if you're okay with me being your wife," she mumbles while looking down after averting her gaze. Arunika's hair falls covering her blushing face but her ears can be seen and they're just as bright.

Aoi gulps, "Arunika, um... are you... gay like me?"

"Gay?"

"It means you only fall in love with girls."

Arunika slightly turns her head to peek at Aoi before averting her gaze again and nodding shyly. Aoi sees this and her heart starts beating incredibly fast. 'OH... MY... GOD!!!! YES!!! Not only is this cute girl next to me right in my strike zone, but she bats for the same team! Keep it cool, Aoi, keep it cool. Phew!' "Um.. Aru-chan? Th- then would you... be okay with *gulp*... possibly. Maybe. Marrying me?"