Natsuki Subaru’s heartbeat was reaching a dangerous level now.

　The rapid pulse even caused him to feel pain, and the volume of his heartbeat was uncontrollable. In fact, it felt like it was resonating louder than anything else in this bustling crowd.

　The open-air market on the Main Street was as lively as ever, with the surge of people just as vigorous as before. A diverse mix of races filled the streets, and the peculiar colors of their hair added to the vibrant spectacle.

　In my original world, hair devoid of individuality could easily blend into the background—but here, Subaru couldn’t spot anyone with black hair, which seemed rather rare.

　Dominating the scene were the striking blonde hues, followed by some whites and blues, with a scant few greens and pinks scattered about. Silver hair was also notably absent.

　In other words, Subaru was standing out quite a lot in this crowd.

　Two people holding hands, with distinctive black and silver hair, making quite the impression.

“Uh, Emilia-tan… this is kind of complicated, but can we please stop?”

Subaru suggested, glancing sideways at the tightly gripped hands of the two he was with, while he smiled nervously.

　Walking hand in hand through the throngs of people, the two looked like a cute couple, and usually, Subaru would be puffing up his nostrils in pride at such a perk—but then…

“Absolutely not! Knowing you, Subaru, you’d definitely do something weird the moment we weren’t looking. I won’t allow you to stray alone while we’re in the Royal Capital. Got it?”

“I’m sorry for being an idiot on the dragon carriage! I’m seriously reflecting on my actions! But this is simply too much stress for my heart to handle!”

With eyes full of distrust, Emilia shook her head, causing Subaru to plead and shake their joined hands up and down.

　Just the fact that he was still holding her hand made his heart feel like it was about to explode. Tension ached in his joints, and he anxiously wondered if his sweating palms were leaving a mark.

　After the “Subaru Trying to Get Off the Dragon Carriage Incident,” he had lost consciousness and awakened cradled by a soft, comforting knee.

The owner of that knee—Roswaal—he spat at the overly kind action of his, then realized the whole situation. His drastic fall was caught by Rem using a morning star (the incredible accuracy of her grab from a moving dragon carriage left him astonished; he praised her dramatically for saving his life). Roswaal then took care of him while Emilia’s mood sank drastically. Upon regaining consciousness, Subaru faced a lengthy lecture that began with “Sit there properly.”

And most importantly—

“Once you stop being a target for protection, you’re out of that blessing for good. That was really troublesome. An hour and a half in that speed and turbulence… I lost everything in my stomach.”

The results of a stealthy mayonnaise consumption before departure came pouring back up.

He experienced a rough ride that rendered much of Emilia’s lecture incoherent, coming to understand the weight of responsibility for his actions.

Thus, Subaru found himself in a nearly groggy state. No matter what was said, he could only respond with “Yes for in-love,” completely dumbfounded by what he had to deal with.

“My reckless behavior triggers this whole protective situation, which I totally understand—but could we at least skip the holding hands?”

“Really? You said that after trying to hold hands during our village date just the other day?”

As Subaru desperately kept bowing and apologizing, Emilia seemed to take delight in teasing him—throwing back a memory from just a few days prior.

“That’s different! Back then, there was a rush of masculine energy! But now I’m feeling weak and vulnerable. Just let me live, please!”

Covering his face with his free hand, he bit down on his own weakness for not being able to embrace the situation. Yet, he recognized that he must reflect on this.

All in all, Subaru’s heart was in turmoil, and he couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed.

“More importantly…”

Emilia noticed Subaru’s internal struggle and glanced around the bustling street. Then, she tugged down her hood deeper, making sure to obscure herself from prying eyes.

It was a slightly anxious maneuver, but given her past semblance of danger, it made sense. After all, she had once had her emblem targeted; being wary in such a situation was rational.

“Can you remember the location of the shop you mentioned, Subaru?”

“If we get this far, I think I might manage. I think the right side was good, right?”

Shifting his focus away from the sweaty hands, he nodded to Emilia’s words, trying to rattle his memory while observing the crowd.

Honestly, the streets looked quite similar, and he couldn’t be fully certain. However, having traversed this path four times now, he began to recognize bits and pieces of it. Finding familiar sights gradually lent a steady pace to their walking.

Guided by memory, as they approached a shop that struck a chord, the vague recollections in Subaru’s mind gained clarity.

The old-fashioned shop had a simple design that lacked the eye-catching flair to stand out. At a glance, it might have blended into the bustling background, but an exceedingly brightly colored sign that seemed recently painted boldly asserted its presence, drawing attention away from the street chaos.

The characters displayed on that vibrant sign—previously appearing to Subaru like nothing more than child scribbles—now vividly read “Kadmon.” It was probably the name of the shop after some person or another. Regardless,

“We made it, safe and sound.”

“Here?”

“Yup. Whoa, this feels more nostalgic than I expected.”

Upon arriving at the front of the shop, Emilia whispered as Subaru nodded in response.

As the two faced each other in the shop front, the shopkeeper, who had been busy inside, noticed them. Turning around, his gaze fell on them—immediately noticeable was how Emilia’s grip on Subaru’s hand tightened slightly at the sight of him.

Subaru chuckled at Emilia’s obvious reaction. It was true that, from a first glance, the man had a rather striking appearance. It was hardly surprising for her to be on guard.

For right before him, the shopkeeper had a vertical scar cutting down from his forehead to his chin, and his burly physique made it immediately clear he didn’t belong to any ordinary profession.

“Well, I know he acts all huffy, but truthfully, I know he’s actually the soft-hearted type underneath that Scarf Face persona.”

Every time he visited, Subaru had seen this man four times now—each time, while initially receiving a cold response, Subaru had come to know the kind nature hidden behind that intimidating appearance from firsthand experience.

Looking back, this was not only the beginning of Subaru’s adventures in this new world, but also the first person he had truly interacted with here. Therefore, no one could chastise him for feeling a swell of emotion rise within him.

“Welcome!”

As the two were recognized as customers, the shopkeeper’s voice accompanied by a rough smile was directed at them.

Their eyes met. Suddenly, the world seemed to fade away, and time felt like it was slow. It was as if the space around them had been cut off, leaving only Subaru and the shopkeeper—two people in existence.

And then—

“Do you remember me?”

The question emerged from trembling lips, infused with uncertainty and hope.

The shopkeeper showed signs of surprise, narrowing his eyes as if searching for a memory. Subaru stared into the deep, dark brown pools of his eyes, feeling like he might get sucked in while silently waiting for his response.

Next to a stiffening Subaru, Emilia also sensed the tension and held her breath, equally engrossed in watching the scene unfold.

Finally, the shopkeeper slowly opened his mouth, and the words carried through the air—

“Nope, don’t remember. Who are you?”

Subaru was forgotten just like that.

**(続く)**

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