"Um... I'm sorry, Yugo. Doing that so suddenly..."
"N-no, if anything, I should be the one apologizing. Making you do something like that in front of everyone... I'm truly sorry..."
"Why are you the one apologizing, Yugo? You were the victim in all this, so there’s no reason to bow your head."
"B-but, making a girl... you know... k-k-k-kiss me... Ugh-guwaaaaah!?"
"Brother?! Get a hold of yourself!"
After leaving the site of the duel, the three of them had retreated to a secluded corner of the courtyard—the place Yugo called home—where they spoke amidst an atmosphere that was difficult to put into words.
Even if it was to shut up Zenon and his supporters, for her to boldly kiss him in public... Yugo could still feel the warmth and softness lingering on his lips. He was more violently shaken and confused now than when he had first reincarnated into this world. He thrashed about on the ground, unable to stay still.
Perhaps because Yugo was being so much more innocent than her, Melt—though her face was also flushed—seemed calmer than him. Together with Fee, she tried to soothe the agonizing Yugo.
"I was the one who did it of my own accord, so you really don't need to feel guilty, Yugo... I mean, did you really hate being kissed by someone like me?"
"Of course I didn't! But things like that shouldn't happen on a whim or in the heat of the moment. They're meant for a man and a woman who have actually reached that stage in a relationship. I feel terrible for making you do that, and I feel pathetic that I couldn't settle a commotion caused by my own reputation..."
"...Then it's fine. I didn't hate it either, and like I’ve said, I’m the one who did it. Anyway, that’s enough of that! I’m sure you have a lot of thoughts on the matter, but let’s just leave it at that for now! Okay, it's settled!"
At times like this, Melt's bottomless cheerfulness was a lifesaver.
While thanking her for encouraging him and pushing him forward when he tended to overthink—and while simultaneously agonizing over the fact that he'd actually kissed her—his younger brother, Fee, stepped in to help the pair, seemingly unable to watch his brother's restless state any longer.
"Regardless, you really are amazing, Brother! That's two wins in a row! Two wins! For a moment I wondered how things would go, but in the end, it was an overwhelming victory... There's no way you would lose to people who can only rely on numbers! Even alone, Brother would never—"
"...That's not right, Fee. I'm not fighting alone."
"Eh...?"
Worried for his brother, Fee had praised him for his victory and for crushing Rush's numbers-based tactics, but those words were denied by none other than Yugo himself.
As his younger brother stood speechless with surprise, Yugo dusted the dirt off his uniform and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Listen well, Fee. It's true that I won an away match and crushed a strategy that utilized superior numbers. But I wasn't fighting alone. I had you and Melt, who believed in me. Besides, you're the one who gave me the power to fight in the first place, aren't you? It was the same during the battle with the Magic Armor Beast. You praised me for defeating it, but it was only because Melt fought alongside me that I was able to protect everyone. I'm never fighting alone. I'm cooperating with someone, fighting together."
"With someone... together...?"
"Yeah, that's right. You're fighting with me, too. Your feelings of belief in me are right there by my side. Hero's Condition #5: Be someone who can take their comrades' hands and fight alongside them. Remember that, Fee, because this is going to be on the test."
Yugo taught him the mindset of a Hero with a bright smile while ruffling his younger brother's hair.
Fee, looking dazed by his brother's words, gave a small smile and replied.
"I don't think I've been taught conditions one through four yet? What are those?"
"Well, those will come in due time. I'll teach them to you as you come to understand what being a Hero is all about."
"Ehh! That's not fair, tell me! You're so mean, Brother!"
The brothers frolicked and played, their bond evident in their easy laughter.
Watching the two of them, Melt also wore a smile as she called out to the pair.
"Must be nice! I'm curious about the Hero's Conditions too! Tell me, Yugo! I'll give you another kiss if you do!"
"You!? A girl shouldn't just offer kisses so easily! Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'Pure, Righteous, and Beautiful'!?"
"Is that one of the Hero's Conditions? Tell me about that too!"
"Tell me too! I'll give Brother a kiss as well!"
"Gaaah! You guys, don't get carried away! I'm actually going to get mad!?"
Yugo shouted as his brother and friend pressed in on him from both sides. He spread his arms as if to shield himself from his own embarrassment.
He gently pushed them away, and with a mock-furious expression, began chasing after the laughing Fee and Melt.
The laughter echoing from that corner of the courtyard as the sun began to set did not stop for a long while, continuing to brightly color the end of their day.