[I don't want to let go of my hand because I have waited any longer. 】

Lying on the soft bed, Arka held her head up, looking at the ceiling, and her mind replayed the words of Shanks, ah, she was held by that kid, it was quite ...... It's unpleasant!!

Arka turned his head sideways and looked at his wrist on the quilt, which had a silver-white bracelet on it, as he said, very rudimentary......

[I hope to give a beautiful ring made by myself more than a bracelet]

“…… Tut. ”

That guy... What a crow's mouth the old drunkard is!

"Huh? Is Arka awake? "The closed door was pushed open, and the bright sunlight shone in, and in a moment it went out, and ah, the door was closed.

Shanks walked in with the hot food, and he placed the food on the low table next to the bed, and then sat down on the bed, and the soft bed trembled for this reason.

"Hungry? I've prepared what you like to eat. Shanks sat on the edge of the bed, stretched out his hand, lifted up Alka, who was sleeping on the bed, and stretched out his other hand, picked up a pillow on one side, and put it behind her waist, just to make it more comfortable for her to lean.

This gentle and careful approach only made Arka even more upset.

She lifted her eyes, and there was a hint of restlessness in her gray-blue eyes, and she asked, "Is this really good?" ”

Locked her in her room, and then claimed to the public that she was unwell and wanted to recuperate.

Is this really good?

"Huh? I think it's pretty good, because Arka is here. Shanks said with a smile as he picked up the hot food and held the handle of the spoon in his hand, and he blew, his red hair falling down to cover his eyes.

"Shanks, I don't know what is written in your nautical diary, but—this way, it will end up like I said five years ago, and our feelings will be so twisted that we don't even know ourselves."

The handle of the spoon in his grip slammed against the edge of the bowl, and the end of the spoon moved to Alka's lips in a blink of an eye.

“…… That's also based on love. Shanks looked up, and the windows of the room were tightly covered by curtains, and the light in the room was faint and dim.

He said word by word, the sparkle in his eyes was viscous, and he opened his mouth and twitched his tongue lightly, as if to mess up those words: "I love you, Arka." ”

So......

"That's good." Shanks deceived himself, and Arka who was sitting on the bed rarely showed a trace of weakness, he looked at Arka and stepped forward with the spoon in his hand, and said softly: "I made it myself, how about Arka taste it." ”

“…… I don't eat human food, Shanks, are you going to lock me up like this for the rest of your life? No, it's your whole life. Arka tilted her head, avoiding the spoon on her lips, the fragrant food was just like that in her eyes, even if the person in front of her made it himself.

"......" Shanks looked at the spoon in his hand, the faint flame in his heart vanished, he let go of the spoon, sat on the edge of the bed, and looked at Alka, the thin strands of hair that had never grown longer a single minute obscured her pale face.

He sat there with the bowl in his hand, and for the first time there was a scene between the two of them where they could not speak or speak.

“…… That's good, [I wake up every night and subconsciously look for you...... It's a terrible feeling. ”

Shanks lowered his head and looked at the food that emanated from the heat in his hand, he didn't remember before, but his heart contracted when he looked at the scribbled handwriting on it, it was an indescribable loss and sadness.

At that moment, he seemed to have regained his memory, remembering the figure that turned around resolutely in his dream every night, and reached out to grab it, but all he caught was air.

Is...... Awful.

At this moment, whether it is Arka or Shanks, this sentence came out of their hearts.

[What if Shanks doesn't have a glimmer of hope in his heart? 】

The old drunkard's words rang in her ears again, and Arka, who was not looking sideways at Shanks, frowned slightly, and she was a little upset and a little ...... Regret.

She was so scared that she would become a spirit and dissipate into the air, and the man waited until ......

Full of hope, but in the end what awaits is full of despair.

If so, then there is no hope, and without hope, there is no painful despair...... Was she wrong?

Alka clenched the soft quilt under his hand, but he couldn't exert force because of the bracelet, like hitting cotton.

"Huh... It's really terrible, was it wrong in the first place? There was silence for a while, and finally the one who spoke was Arka.

What does that mean!?

Shanks' hand clenched quietly, the bowl in his hand couldn't bear it, and it cracked slightly.

"Arka, what are you talking about......" he asked with a far-fetched smile as he lowered his head, no one would be able to see a smile with his head down, let alone in this case.

"Literally." Arka sensed his mood swing at that moment, but didn't explain it, because she didn't want to say that, and besides, it was just behind.

"I thought at first...... Hope is followed by despair, forgetting that if there is no hope, then there is more than despair left...... Even I didn't have hope. Arka turned her head and looked at Shanks sitting on the edge of the bed, she looked at the red hair that was silent in the dark, the hand holding the quilt was loosened, and the tight back was loosened, she leaned back on the soft pillow, looked down at her hands and said:

"I've been thinking that if you have no hope of success, it's better to just watch you play treasures, listen to what you say, and enjoy your temperature...... Hawkers,Blindly ask for it...... It's terrible, it was wrong in the first place. ”

The sound of Arka's voice rang in the closed room, slowly, into Shanks's ears.

"W-What ......?"

Shanks looked up, he looked at Arka, and there was only him in his eyes.

Arka in the end...... What do you want to say?

"I'll just say it once, Shanks, and you'll listen." Arka looked at Shanks, and she felt that she had to make it clear about their relationship, and as for shame, she had already thrown it in the trash.

"It's not surprising that we've gotten each other's first times, even so much that we're in one quick break, and even I think that...... So—"

Arka looked at Shanks, her gray-blue eyes shining with dazzling brilliance:

"So I want to be human and die old with you."

Become human, join me...... Old death!?

Shanks' eyes widened, and the bowl in his hand, which was already cold, finally let out a low cry of pain, broken, and his hands were full of shards and sticky, as if he didn't notice it, looking at Alka, he asked not very confidently:

“…… With me? To become, to be human, to be human? ”

"Ah, Shanks, I'...... I love you so much. After saying this, a sharp wind blew through, and the unsuspecting Shanks slashed unconscious with a knife in one hand, and fell to the bed with a 'snap'.

"Oops~ It's a good time, but I've heard something terrible, nothing." A dark shadow appeared behind Shanks, and said with a good face.

"Shut up." Alka, who was listening to the corner, rolled his eyes a little reluctantly and said to him, "Untie this thing." ”

This thing refers to the bracelet on her wrist that imprisons her power.

"This thing, it's the first time I've heard of this thing, does it, restrain you?" The Grim Reaper didn't rush to do it, but took a step forward very curiously, leaned down, stretched out his hand, and planned to study one or two, but unexpectedly, as soon as he touched it, he was touched by the current reflected from the bracelet.

Finger tingling is needless to say.

"Confess the Lord? No, it rejects me too? The Grim Reaper touched the screen again, but he didn't expect it to be the same result.

"Don't give me any research! I'm going to be implicated! Alka, who was wearing it, said impatiently, although it was not very powerful, it was unbearable, plus ......

"Hurry up." Alka lost his previous softness, urging, and he didn't know which one was urgent.

"I'm afraid that your man will wake up, it's okay, I'll just knock him out again."

"If you can hit a move twice, then he's an idiot!"

Sure enough, Arka is more anxious about this, if Shanks wakes up, he will probably say something again, such as saying that I love you again, tsk.

It's better to go quickly.

"Okay, well, do you really want to destroy this thing?" The Grim Reaper touched his chin and asked, he was a little interested in things, and asked a little reluctantly.

"There's a for this kind of thing!" The irritable Arka didn't hold back, and said rudely, keeping it is a drawback, and this use is associated with this, and the whole person is not good! Really......

"Smash it!"

"It's so ruthless, it's also the jewelry that your man gave you, right? Ah, don't look at me with that look, can't I cut it!? ”

'Bang' 'Click'

The bracelet that had been worn for a while broke several times, and finally broke away from Alka's wrist, and as soon as she lost the bracelet, the stagnant power also resumed its flow, and she stood up, twisted the bone of her hand, glanced at the man facing the bed, and snorted.

This time the Grim Reaper wisely withdrew from the room, leaving her two little alone time.

Alka glanced at the broken bracelet and slowly hooked the corners of her mouth, she reached out and turned Shanks over, the peaceful sleeping appearance made Arka a little unhappy.

She opened her mouth and bit down Shanks' neck, the smell of rust spreading.

"I really want to bite you to death."

Being imprisoned still makes her very concerned, even if most of the reason is her.

"Tsk, I owe it first, next time...... See that I don't beat you hard. ”

Arka looked up, and with a glance, he saw the mushy food in Shanks' hand, and it was said that this guy cooked it himself......

She reached out and took Shanks' hand, the residue of his fingers slightly disgusted by Arka, but she stepped forward, stuck out her tongue to avoid the crumbs, licked it a few times, and then commented, "The heat is still bad." ”

"Well, see you next time."

As for when the next time will be, it is unknown.

So the only promises she can make are:

"Wash your neck and wait for me to come back."