To Be the Perfect Childhood Friend - Chapter 98

The reason Rutger was so close to her might be a bit different from what Anita expected. For instance, it could be because he was cold. Of course, it was the peak of summer and quite hot now.

Or perhaps…

“Wait. I decided not to think about it, but isn’t thinking about it still thinking?”

Living without any thoughts is quite difficult, Anita realized only now.

“Straighten your shoulders.”

Anita had been scrunching her shoulders to minimize the contact with him. She straightened her shoulders, feeling frustrated. Who would want to hunch their shoulders like a pitiful person? It was annoying that he, who had taken up all her space, was now telling her to straighten up.

As Anita straightened her shoulders, they immediately touched his arm. Rutger had wrapped his arm around her only because he saw her hunching. But as Anita returned to her normal posture, it was as if he was embracing her from behind.

“…It’s cramped.”

As soon as she mumbled her discontent softly, Rutger’s arm moved away.

“I’m sorry.”

Now that she thought about it, Rutger seemed to have a knack for doing things that could make anyone awkward. She hadn’t considered it before, but looking back, it was clear. While Anita was lost in thought, Rutger called out to her.

“Anita.”

“…Yes?”

“You need to press the buttstock against your shoulder.”

Upon reflection, it wasn’t that Rutger was purposefully doing awkward things; it seemed like she kept creating those situations herself. After all, Anita was confused about whether he meant her shoulder should be positioned upward or sideways, and Rutger had come closer again after briefly stepping away.

This must be her karma, she thought.

“Breathe steadily.”

If he was going to say that, shouldn’t he do it after stepping back a bit? Anita pouted. Though she tried to express her dissatisfaction, it was unlikely he would notice from his position.

“Pull the trigger.”

Anita pulled the trigger as instructed. She had hoped for better results this time compared to her previous aimless firing, but reality proved to be harsher than she expected.

Seeing the empty target board, Anita gave a hollow laugh.

“Everyone starts like this.”

Rutger, who seemed unusually awkward in his attempt to offer comfort, only made the situation more pitiable.

Once Anita managed to handle the rifle somewhat, they headed into the forest. She continuously ran her fingers over the cold barrel of the shotgun, as that was all she had to do.

The dirt path connecting the villa to the forest was completely empty, with no sign of people. The only sounds were the crunch of the dirt under their feet and the occasional flutter of birds.

The cold metal of the rifle had warmed slightly from Anita’s constant handling. She glanced sideways at her companion walking next to her. He was walking with his hands in his pockets, and like Anita, he seemed to find enduring the silence difficult, turning his head away from her. Perhaps he decided that watching a flock of geese flying across the sky was more meaningful than engaging in conversation with her.

After walking for a while, they reached the edge of the forest. Through the dense trees, they could hear the distant sounds of hunting dogs barking and the footsteps of people.

“So what do we do now?”

The confidence she had when she learned how to handle the rifle had faded once they entered the forest.

Anita, who was nervously looking up at the trees that partially obscured the sky, didn’t notice the tree roots underfoot. As her foot caught and she stumbled, Rutger reached out his hand. Anita hesitated when she saw the barrel of the shotgun he was holding in front of her. Although Rutger wasn’t likely aiming to shoot her, the sight of the dark muzzle made her tense.

She hesitated and then lowered her outstretched hand.

“Ah.”

Rutger’s eyes widened slightly at her reaction. Not seeing his expression, Anita cautiously asked,

“Sorry, but could you move that a bit?”

“Are you scared of me?”

He looked somewhat hurt.

“…Isn’t it natural to be scared of someone holding a gun?”

Anita didn’t doubt him; she was just being cautious. The shotgun he was holding was fully loaded and the safety was off. Knowing that even a slight pull could discharge the weapon, she was just being prudent.

However, seeing his face still shocked from her words, Anita felt a pang of guilt.

“I know you’re not the kind of person who would shoot me without reason. But mistakes can happen…”

As her voice trailed off, she noticed his face growing darker with every word she spoke.

“Are you serious? Is that all the trust you have in me?”

He ran his hand through his hair, looking incredulous.

Woof, woof.

The sound of a dog barking nearby made them both turn their heads toward the source of the noise.

“Oh dear. I came here to hunt foxes, but it looks like I found something more valuable than a fox,” Finian said playfully, flanked by two greyhounds.

“I wonder how much I could get if I sold it.”

His remark was followed by a tense silence. Finian Nigel looked at them with a peculiar smile, while Rutger glared at him coldly.

‘Did they have a falling out?’

Not wanting to get involved in their conflict, Anita started to back away slowly. Just then, Rutger broke his silence.

“I expected to run into you, but I didn’t think it would be like this.”

“Don’t you think the situation is better than mine? I didn’t expect you to show up either.”

“…Are you going to stay here?”

In the end, Anita couldn’t stand it any longer. She didn’t want to intrude, but it seemed like they were just going to stare at each other until daybreak, so she stepped in.

“Let’s go.”

Fortunately, Rutger seemed to have forgotten about the earlier events upon encountering Finian.

“You guys are really heartless. You’re just going to leave me here like this?”

As Anita turned away and began walking, Finian quickly caught up with her, expressing his dissatisfaction.

“I’m not leaving you behind.”