Standing side by side before the barred door, Eiji and Yuna stared into the doorway of the back room.
Beyond the open entrance lay a bed. The light from the hearth fire reached only far enough to trace its outline, but an outline was more than enough. One bed. No matter how you looked at it, there was only one.
Last night, facing this exact same situation, the two of them had chosen to slump against the wall and sleep without reaching a conclusion. And tonight, confronted with the very same dilemma, they stood frozen. Their standard of living was supposed to have progressed considerably over the course of the day, yet this single issue remained completely unchanged from yesterday.
"Before we deal with that, I'll mend your shirt."
Perhaps seeking to defuse the awkward tension, Yuna moved first. Stepping over to the small table by the wall, she picked up Eiji's folded shirt and retrieved a sewing kit from her bag.
"Just wait a moment. I'll be done in no time."
With that, she sat down in the chair closest to the hearth fire and began threading a needle. Pinching the tear at the shoulder together with her fingers, she started stitching from the edge.
Eiji pulled out the other chair and sat across from her. However, sitting down didn't change the subject, nor did it solve the problem. In the end, what they had to talk about was practically identical to last night.
"You should take the bed, Yuna. I'll—"
"No."
"I haven't even said anything yet."
"You were going to say 'I'm fine with the floor anyway,' weren't you?"
Without pausing her needlework, she merely flicked her eyes up at him.
"...Well, yeah, but..."
"See?"
Looking somewhat exasperated, Yuna continued stitching. Eiji hadn't expected to lose the argument before he could even finish his sentence.
He felt as though they had played out this exact exchange in this exact arrangement last night. The only difference was that both of them had already witnessed how it ended.
She cut him off before he could finish speaking, having already anticipated his reasoning in advance. It was Eiji who nearly threw in the towel after just two back-and-forth volleys.
"Then what are we supposed to do? Are we gonna lean against the wall side by side and sleep again tonight? When there's an actual bed right there?"
"Mmm... I mean, you're not wrong, but..."
Pulling the thread taut, Yuna gave an evasive answer. Even as she hedged, her needle kept moving.
A solution lay on Eiji's side. To be precise, half of the answer, anyway.
Eiji spoke up.
"I can just make a second one. There was a house with scrap wood left over, right? If I go look for materials there right now and build another bed—"
"No."
Yuna shut him down before he could even finish his proposal.
"It's pitch-black outside, you know? What if another monster like that wolf shows up?"
The needle in her hands came to a halt. This time, she didn't just raise her eyes; she lifted her head and stared straight at him.
She had a point. Beyond the barred door lay only moonlight, hardly the kind of environment where a human lacking night vision could freely forage for materials. On top of that, if he did encounter a monster, he wouldn't be able to fight properly. It would be far more grueling than their battle earlier that evening, and if anything moved at that speed through the dark, he didn't feel confident he could deal with it.
Besides, to be completely honest, there was an issue that took precedence over even stepping outside.
"Well... to tell you the truth, I'm actually already at my limit for today. My willpower, stamina, and mana. Honestly, it's doubtful whether I could even build a bed right now."
Though he had tried to put on a brave face earlier, he finally gave up the act. This was how he truly felt.
He had crafted a magic sword, remodeled an entire house into a bathhouse shack, fought six monsters, and used a new skill. Thinking he was fine just because he'd gotten some sleep, he had gotten carried away and spammed his skills, but all of that exertion had piled up and now weighed heavily on his back. Far from walking around gathering materials, it was questionable whether he could even maintain his focus through a single line of an incantation.
Yuna furrowed her brow and let out a sigh. "I figured as much."
"That's why it's absolutely out of the question. Let's just rest for today, okay?"
"...Got it."
He could sense unyielding resolve in Yuna's "absolutely." Pushing past that seemed nearly impossible. Besides, even if he did force his way through to make a bed, he had a feeling he would just end up as a pathetic corpse on the ground.
(Which means I'll have to make the second one first thing tomorrow morning, but...)
There was plenty of scrap wood in the sixth house, and thanks to the magic sword, the cost was light. While it would take more effort than adding a single stone to the well, compared to turning an entire house into a bath, crafting a single bed frame would be a piece of cake. With that, everything from tomorrow onward would be settled.
The problem was tonight. Deciding to build one tomorrow didn't magically conjure a second bed for tonight.
"Done."
Yuna cut the thread and spread the shirt out.
Both tears had been replaced by fine lines of stitching. The blood hadn't washed out completely in the cold water, lingering as a faint stain across the shoulder.
"I think this should hold up....Sorry about the stain. I couldn't get it all out."
"It's more than enough. Thanks, you saved me."
Taking it from her, he slipped his arms through the sleeves. Having been sewn twice now, the shirt felt as though it had shrunk a little more. Over the past three days, it had been torn and stitched, soiled and washed—working far too hard for a single piece of cloth.
Even so, it was a far more civilized appearance than facing the night with only a hand towel draped over his shoulders. Clothes truly were remarkable; just putting on a single extra layer changed how straight he held his back.
Once he finished fastening the buttons, Yuna put the sewing kit back into her bag and turned toward him. Her expression had turned slightly serious.
"Um, you know... I really don't think sleeping on the floor is a good idea."
"Why not?"
"When I woke up, my hips hurt so bad. My neck hurt, my shoulders got stiff... It might also be because we were riding in that wagon before, but actually, my whole body's been aching all day today..."
As she spoke, Yuna gave one shoulder a small roll. Come to think of it, he remembered seeing her do that multiple times while walking around the village this morning. When she peeked into the tub in the shed, and when she rummaged through the shelves in the hunter's house, her hand had gone to her shoulder in between tasks. That he had noticed without asking for the reason was Eiji's own failing.
Eiji let out a quiet sigh.
"...You too, huh?"
"Yeah. You too, right, Eiji-kun?"
"Well, yeah..."
His body vividly remembered the price of his stubbornness from last night.
This morning, Eiji's neck and lower back had locked up so badly that he had to adjust his posture twice just to stand up. Sleeping while propped against a hard wall was far more agonizing than sleeping on an overnight bus. Last night, he had only managed to crash because he was utterly exhausted; being told to do that every single night would be pretty brutal.
After that, Yuna didn't interject. Sitting across the table with her hands folded in her lap, she looked down as if lost in thought.
Eiji's mind began running calculations on its own.
(I mean, yeah... We made it through today, but there's no guarantee more monsters won't show up tomorrow.)
This village now had water. The well and the waterways were filled with purified water. To beasts and monsters alike, that held the exact same appeal, and there was zero guarantee that unwanted guests wouldn't come following the scent.
When an unwelcome visitor arrived, Eiji would be the one standing at the front.
(But... what if my judgment is clouded because of sleep deprivation? What if my reaction time is too slow? Dying over something like that would be way too stupid...)
Even with the magic wolves today, they had only managed to scrape by because Relicta Armatura had awakened. It had purely been a stroke of good luck.
However, relying entirely on luck to survive from here on out was far too short-sighted. Without a functioning body, both the magic sword and the armament were nothing more than lumps of iron and flesh. Tripping over his own feet at the critical moment and dying would make him nothing less than a fool.
(No, this isn't just about me looking like a fool. If I die... what happens to Yuna? Can I leave her all alone in a place like this? That's completely out of the question.)
However clumsy or weak he might be, he had said he would protect her. Having said that, getting proper sleep was part of the job. Thinking about it that way was probably the right call. It was right, but—
He stole a glance at the girl across from him.
Without saying a word, Yuna wore a melancholy expression as she stared blankly at the fire in the hearth.
(Even if I reach that conclusion, it doesn't change the fact that there's only one bed, though...)
The logical points he had laid out were systematically cutting off every one of his avenues of escape. The floor was out, the second bed would have to wait until tomorrow, he had to sleep, but there was only one bed. Without even needing to count, they were at a complete dead end.
The silence dragged on.
An ember in the hearth popped, casting a faint shadow that danced across the ceiling beams.
(What do we do? What should I do?)
Crossing his arms, he groaned internally. If you pushed forward with pure logic, most problems could be resolved cleanly somewhere along the line. This time, however, the equation refused to balance, leaving an undeniable remainder.
"..."
"..."
Yuna glanced from the hearth toward the back room.
Then, as if about to say something, she closed her mouth again. Fiddling with her fingertips in her lap, she looked down once more. It was plainly obvious that she was agonizing over whether to speak up.
Several minutes passed like that—until finally, Yuna broke the silence.
"Eiji-kun."
"Hm?"
When he lifted his head, his childhood friend uttered something completely outrageous.
"...Wanna sleep together?"
Her voice was small. Words spoken only after agonizing hesitation.
No, it was a voice that sounded as though she had squeezed it out with utter trepidation.
Yet, she didn't take it back.
"You mean... together..."
Another ember popped softly. As if that sound were serving as his proxy, Eiji found himself entirely at a loss for words.
How many times had this happened today already?
The toothbrush, taking a bath together like old times, smelling the same, and now sleeping together.
Just how many times was this childhood friend of his going to try to kill him in a single day? The magic wolves were starting to look far gentler by comparison.
In nuance, it was close to: Wanna try getting in together again? Like old times.
However, there was one thing distinctly different from before.
Her voice contained not a single trace of laughter or deflection.
During the bath, the moment Eiji had become flustered, she had immediately laughed it off as a joke. This time, there was no sign of her walking it back.
Somehow, he managed to grasp for words from the realm of common sense.
"We're a guy and a girl, you know? That's really a bit too—"
"But if we don't, this conversation is never going to end, right?"
Yuna cut Eiji off.
Her voice was trembling, but she showed no intention of retracting her words.
Apparently, she was dead serious.
"...I mean, you're right, but..."
Saying that, he averted his eyes from Yuna.
He couldn't muster a single word of rebuttal.
Yes. That was indeed the only option to put an end to this discussion.
It was also true that the thought had flickered somewhere in the back of his mind.
After all, they had slept together on the floor yesterday.
However, sleeping together on the floor and a man and woman sharing a bed were two entirely different matters.
There was no way a high school student wouldn't understand the implications of a guy and a girl sleeping in the same bed. No matter how indifferent Yuna might seem to such things, she was bound to know.
Yuna's expression told him as much.
"Eiji-kun..."
Yuna looked up at him timidly.
Even discounting the glow of the embers, her face was bright red. The trembling in her voice hadn't subsided either.
Her eyes were moist, as if tears might spill over at any second. If this were her usual teasing, she surely would have laughed right about now, waving her hands and saying, Just kidding, just kidding!
Yet there was no sign of that whatsoever. She seemed to be holding back even blinking just to keep the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes from falling.
"Eiji-kun... do you hate the idea?"
"Huh?"
He asked back as if trying to play dumb.
He knew full well what she meant.
Yet he hadn't had the courage to say it himself.
He had forced her to be the one to say it.
"Do you not want... to sleep with me...?"
In a voice that sounded on the verge of tears, Yuna asked him that.
Her gaze was completely earnest, devoid of even a shred of humor.
He had known her for as long as he could remember, before he was even old enough to understand things, but this was the first time he had ever seen such an expression on her face.
Knowing it wasn't a joke or a tease, Eiji could no longer hide behind a lie either.
"...Of course that's not true."
After a brief silence, he answered.
Right. That was his honest truth.
That was why, when she sat next to him on the bus, when she said she was coming along with him, and when she suggested sleeping together on the floor...
Not once had he ever rejected her.
"Me too."
Yuna replied softly.
With that, silence returned once more. Only the quiet crackle of the embers lingered in the dirt-floored room.
Amidst it, Eiji started to rearrange his logic once again, but stopped.
Even if he lined up his arguments, the answer wouldn't change. Truth be told, he didn't want to change it either.
"Then... wanna sleep together?"
"...Yeah."
After that brief exchange, stillness descended once more.
Yuna rose from her chair. Her cheeks remained flushed, but no tears fell. Instead, he felt as though the tension at the corners of her eyes had eased just a little. Eiji couldn't tell whether that could be called relief or not.
Eiji stood up as well and slowly walked past the hearth.
The doorway to the back room stood before the two of them. The very doorway on which they had turned their backs last night without reaching a conclusion.
Tonight, having reached a decision—both of them walked toward it.