Chapter 22: A Little Closer

After Frei left his office, Sebastian talked a bit with Rena.

"I'm sorry, Miss Serena."

"It's alright. I know he might get angry at me." She shook her head, telling him not to worry.

She went back to the kitchen and helped Jack finishing all the works for today. Her day ended with her taking a bath and returned to her room, ready to sleep.

"Ahh, I'm tired..." She said that with face tinted with rosy red color.

Rena lay sideways on her bed, staring at the view outside the window. The two crescent moons facing at the opposite direction, one facing right and the other facing left.

"How pretty, the moons have a shade of purple color."

Her mind wandered again.

She started to understand a little about a man called Frei from their little dispute to what happened in this evening. Deep inside, he was delicate, and that made him easily got hurt. Perhaps that's why he was afraid to show his true self.

"I'm not saying that I'm not afraid what he is going to do to me..." Rena talked to herself.

"But he really has a bad eating habit..." She talked to herself. "A healthy mind needs a healthy body after all. To repay his kindness, at least, I could help him gets a healthy body!"

Rena covered herself with blanket and closed her eyes, but after a few hours, she woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep. Her stomach felt uneasy because she ate late.

"Maybe fresh night air will help me sleep better..." She got up from the bed.

She closed the door slowly. Everyone had gone to sleep, leaving a few who had a night watch duty. Her steps in the corridor sounded louder than usual, and she went up to the deck.

An old man watching the rudder, if she's not mistaken, his name was Bango. He sat on the floor, leaning his back on the rudder with his head hung down, there was an empty bottle near his hand. She could hear a loud snore from him.

Rena went to the opposite direction, walking to the front deck. She could get a full view of the sky from here. On the side of the ship were the two crescent moons, and as she looked above her head, millions of stars were decorating the night sky, just like a fairy dust.

"Whaa, amazing! I've never seen the night sky as clear as this before!"

She was happy seeing beautiful scenery like this. Suddenly feeling a little silly, she walked to the bow of the ship, extending her hands, mimicking a famous scene of a certain movie, and said, "I'm flying!"

She giggled a little, enjoying this moment. Finally, she got a chance to do this!

"What are you doing?" A voice came from behind her.

Her body jolted, she turned around quickly. Frei was behind her, giving her a funny look. She quickly lowered her hands, hiding them behind her body.

"N-no-no-nothing!" Her face was beet red, being caught in an embarrassing act.

"I just want to remind you that's dangerous."

"Y-yeah!! I won't repeat it again!"

"Alright."

He turned around, walked to the side of the ship and leaned his arms on the rails.

(Why is he here?!)

Both of them were quiet. It was an awkward situation.

(I should go back, no, I should talk to him. How about if he is still angry? Isn't this a good time to talk about it? No, definitely should go back. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!)

In the end, Rena was only standing there like a stick figure, with a silly expression on her face.

It was Frei who opened the conversation "Couldn't sleep?"

She startled. "Yeah. You too...?"

"Mmh." is

And another long silence, being replaced by the sound of the wind whispering in her ears.

"Eh, uh... I'll go back then."

"Wait." Frei stopped her.

She looked at his figure from behind. "Y-yes?"

Rena was standing still, feeling more and more awkward. Finally, she couldn't endure the suffocating silence between them.

"If... If you have something to say, just say it!"

"It would be a better view up there." He said, pointing at the highest mast on the ship.

"Eh?" For a second, she didn't understand what he's saying.

"The stars, you can have a better view from up there."

"Uh, that's a little..."

"If you want, I'll take you there."

"H-how? I don't see any way to go there besides climbing." She wasn't convinced. The mast ladder was made from thin wooden boards and ropes.

"Piggyback~"

"No, thanks. I can climb it myself." She quickly refused it, the way he said it annoyed her.

"You sure?" A slight grin appeared on his face.

After saying it, she couldn't back up. She thought she could do it, so she climbed the mast with vigor, step by step. Frei was following behind her. The higher she climbed, the more nervous she got, there wasn't any safety gear, she would get broken bones at least or die at worse.

(Uweeee!! It's so high!)

"Just keep looking up, don't look down."

"I know that already! It's easier to say than done!"

She estimated her current position was at least 20 meters above the deck.

(Just a bit more! You can do it! Why's the wind so strong? Wait, isn't he behind me?! How about my panties?! Eh, what am I thinking right now?!)

She tried to concentrate, repeating self-motivation words in her mind. Slowly but sure, she reached the platform up there.

"F-finally...."

Rena was mentally exhausted after reaching the top. Never in her life, had she done something like this. She still couldn't figure how she ended up taking up his offer to climb up here out. That reckless gut just spurt in a brief of moment.

The ship's rocking was more intense up here than on the deck, and the wind was strong. She clung to the railing with both hands, gripping it tightly. The deck couldn't be seen clearly because of the dark.

"This, this is definitely in the top 10 of the craziest thing I do in life! How am I supposed to get down after this..." Her eyes fixed to the deck below, she realized her legs were trembling.

Frei smoothly climbed to the lookout platform and stood next to her. When she saw the happy-looking guy which until just before looked down, she shot him with an angry look, realizing he must have planned something again. Her hands clenched the railing, resolving herself not to fall into his trap.

"Calm down, come on sit here." He said.

There was a rope near his feet, Frei moved it, so she could sit. She lowered her body carefully, and sat there, bending her knees. He quickly sat next to her.

"How is it? It's better right?" He pointed at the sky above their head.

Not effected by her mix of emotions; annoyed, nervous, and amazed, was the world full of stars. The lights from the moons which reflected on the sea gave a soft purple hue on its surface.

"Yeah..." She loosened a little as her eyes looked at the stars above their heads.

Frei lifted his hand, pointing at the group of stars. "That's Carina constellation."

"And that one is Draco, if you connected the dots, it looks like a dragon."

He seemed well-known about astronomy. She quietly listened to what he said. Even back on Earth, she didn't know anything about astronomy. She only knew twelve constellations which often appeared in the weekly horoscope. She watched his expression from the side, Frei's eyes gazing at the stars were more honest than what she had seen from him so far. He looked genuinely happy.

She was a little surprised when he turned his head, looking at her. "Do you like stars?"

"Not as much as you do. I just love how pretty they are." She answered honestly.

Rena moved her gaze up there, and then a familiar tune played in her mind.

"Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are..."

The song slipped from her mouth spontaneously. She stopped when she realized what she just did. It was a habit she was trying to control, singing lines from a song she knew, just because it matched with the situation. She wasn't aware of it until Jun mentioned it.

"Why do you stop?" He turned his head. "I've never heard that song before. Is that from your hometown?"

"Yeah..." She nodded, but she got nervous again. The talk about her identity was something she wanted to avoid.

"Tell me more about it. What kind of place do you live before this?" Frei's attention was completely focused on her now.

"Uhm, I'm not really good at telling a story..." Rena fixed her gaze on the far distance sea, but she wasn't particularly looking at anything.

"Just share as much as you are comfortable with. It's fine if you don't want to speak about it." He said.

When he wasn't teasing her, the way Frei spoke always had the effect to calm her. She actually liked listening to his voice, but it was her secret that she would never tell him. Compared to looking his striking physical features, she just wanted to close her eyes, and listening to him talking.

After giving some thoughts, she decided it wouldn't hurt talking a little about her world, telling him nothing too specific. She decided to talk about the seasons and what she did when the season changed. Like when spring came, the pink cherry blossoms bloomed and they gathered to watch the flowers. At the peak of summer, they gathered to watch fireworks. And when the leaves turned red in Autumn, they gathered the dry leaves, lit fire, and roasted sweet potatoes. And when the winter came, they made a lot of celebrations to spend time with family, friends, or lover.

"Heh, it does sound like a peaceful place." He commented after listening to what she said.

Perhaps because of the atmosphere that she felt more open about herself. Watching the deep dark sky full of stars, she remembered words from a long time ago, the night made people more honest. Somehow, she felt the truth now.

She looked at the guy sitting next to her. "You can also share as much as you are comfortable with?"

He didn't say anything for a while, only looking straight at the sky above.

"You are a weird girl. That's my honest impression of you."

"Huh?! Okay then?? Thanks for being honest." Her voice carried a little sarcastic tone, but she wasn't really mad.

He chuckled. "I couldn't figure where you came from, does the place you described truly exist? You behaved unlike others, you possessed mysterious power, and you never ceased to surprise me. Who are you really, Rena?"

"I..." She stopped her words, not able to answer him.

"Jean said you have amnesia, that's a lie, right? You are fully aware of your identity." His voice was still gentle, not trying to blame or judge her.

She bit her lips, looking down.

"Well, I don't really care what you are trying to hide. Everybody has some secrets they don't want to tell others."

"You too?" She peered into his eyes.

"Yeah." He smiled. A kind gentle smile, but carried a hint of sadness.

Rena couldn't ask anything about it, so she's just waiting for him to continue his words. But when Frei spoke again, he had changed the topic.

"I'm sorry I didn't finish your dish earlier."

She snapped back from her thought. "It's, it's alright! Please, don't bother about it. It's my fault anyway, you've told me about it and I still gave you one!"

"You deceived me to eat one."

"I'm sorry!" She started panicking.

"Punishment~"

"I-it was Sebastian's idea!"

"But you did it." He said. "Close your eyes, Rena."

"W-why..." Her body moved back a little, trying to take some distance from Frei.

"Don't ask."

She closed her eyes, barely. Peeking with one eye slightly opened, she lowered her head to cover it. Her eyebrows knitted so close together, making her nose wrinkled. Her mind was racing at what he might do to her. She just hoped he wouldn't throw her from this lookout tower.

(He wouldn't do it, right? Right? His role is Mr. Gentleman, not a psychopath serial killer!)

Frei leaned toward her, she could feel he slowly getting closer. Then, something soft touched her forehead. She opened her eyes in surprise, not moving. Her heart stopped for a second.

"I just cast a spell on you." He slyly smiled at her.

"Stop teasing me!" She pouted, her cheeks slightly blushing realizing Frei just kissed her forehead.

He tilted his head. "You don't like me?"

"No, that's not it..." She avoided his gaze, started feeling the space around them was too cramped.

(Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!)

Frei moved, placing his face in her line of sight. "Rena, what do you think of me?"

"Eh, I... I think you are a good person... I owe you a lot..."

"Only that?"

"You seem popular with women..." She stole a glance at him, wanting to know his reaction.

"Well, that's true." He confidently stated his words. His eyes were looking directly at her, with a smirk on his face.

"T-then, then, then... Please, spare this one! This one is not worthy of your attention!"

(Why do you want me anyway?! That doesn't make any sense! There are tons of fish which are bigger and tastier than me ready to offer themselves for your dinner!)

She shut her eyes tightly, barricaded her eyes from the smile who could make Rapunzel jumped from the tower into his arms instead of lowering her hair.

*pffft*

"You make a funny face." He laughed a little.

Hearing his laugh, Rena opened her eyes.

(He teased me again...)

"I'm sorry, but if I have a say on this matter, please only do this with the person you love." She puckered her lips, looking sideways. "It isn't my business if you do this with other girls, but I'm not one of them, and I don't want to be treated like that."

Frei leaned his head to where her gaze directed, still wearing his alluring smile. "I like you though?"

"What's your definition of like?" She looked at him suspiciously, after all, this guy approached was too frivolous.

"I want you on my bed." He said it in a way she couldn't decide whether it was serious or just teasing her, with that naughty smile on his face.

"Argh!! I knew it! Again, it has nothing to do with me if you act like this with other girls, but I don't want to be your toy!" She glared at him, and the next moment, she flicked his forehead that normally she wouldn't be able to touch.

"Ouch! What was that?" He said.

"I also cast a spell on you! You'll regret it if you keep messing with me!"

"Really? That sounds like a challenge to me." His eyes suddenly glow like a predator, showing a king of the night smile.

Sensing the danger, she curled up like an armadillo and shouted. "No, no, no! We have agreed on this! I won the bet!"

Looking at her funny state, he wanted to laughed, but he managed to hold it. Rena lifted her head a little, throwing a cautious look on him. One girl, one guy, looking at each other, surrounded by the sea of stars around them.

Frei broke the silence in the end. "Okay then. But I won't let go of you easily, no matter what your feeling. Like you said, you owe me a lot, Rena. I expect you to repay me someday."

She gulped. His daunting smile bud a lot of questions in her mind. She realized he could force her to do what he wanted, but he never did. He was always nice, even though he liked making her flustered.

(What exactly does he want to do with me?)

Frei withdrew his body, returned to his place earlier, and turning his head to look at the dark horizon glittered by the stars.

"Can you sing that song again?"

"Eh..."

"The stars song you sang earlier, I want to hear it once again."

Rena stared at him for a while, she always got confused every time she was with Frei. She couldn't understand him at all. A part of her wanted to know him better, but he kept himself shut tight, hiding behind his smile.

She inhaled a deep breath.

And then she opened her mouth, singing the song. The starry sky twinkling above their heads. When she felt the side of her body getting heavier and when she looked over her shoulder, she saw he had fallen asleep. She didn't wake him up.

Rena cast a simple protection shield, deflecting the wind around them. It would be bad if they both caught a cold the next morning. She gazed at the scenery above her head, humming the stars song until she joined him in the lull of the night.

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