The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1161 - 177 - The Forest Of Doom (3)

I dreamed of the past.

Whether it was truly the past or just something my mind chose to frame that way doesn’t really matter now. What mattered was how real it felt—how vivid every word and expression was, as if I had been dropped right back into that moment.

The conversation itself had happened only two days before Tsubasa-kun’s death.

Back then, I was just talking to him like usual. He was someone I genuinely enjoyed spending time with. We shared the same hobbies, the same little interests that made conversations stretch longer than they were supposed to. Talking to him never felt forced. It flowed naturally, like we were already used to each other’s presence.

"Tsubasa-kun," I said back then, trying to sound casual even though my heart wasn’t cooperating, "I’ve heard that you and Chihara-san have been hanging out a lot lately. Are you dating her?"

"We’re not," he replied.

His voice was firm—too firm, almost rehearsed—but despite that, I couldn’t shake the doubt creeping into my chest. He continued, as if to clarify, "We just basically live next to each other."

"I see..." I answered.

That was all I said out loud, but inside, my thoughts were anything but calm. I’d asked out of curiosity, sure, but if I was being honest with myself, jealousy had been the real reason. I wanted to know where I stood, even if I pretended otherwise.

The truth was, I had always had my eyes on him. Tsubasa-kun. Most of the time, he came off as aloof—quiet, distant, like he existed slightly apart from everyone else. But instead of pushing people away, that distance pulled them in. It certainly pulled me in. There was something about him that felt mysterious, and a lot of girls in our class noticed it too. I was just one of many, but my interest ran deeper than idle attraction.

What truly caught my attention was his kindness.

If someone needed help, he didn’t hesitate. If he saw someone struggling, even quietly, he stepped in without making a big deal out of it. He never asked for thanks or recognition. He just did what he thought was right. That kind of quiet compassion was rare, and it made him stand out far more than his silence ever did.

Because of that, I couldn’t understand why Kaori wasn’t dating him already. It seemed so obvious to me. But then again, maybe it wasn’t that simple. Maybe they had been together for so long—side by side, day after day—that romance never had the chance to bloom. Maybe they saw each other as siblings instead of potential lovers. That was the conclusion I’d eventually settled on, even if it felt more like something I told myself to feel better. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

No matter how I tried to rationalize it, the point remained the same.

Tsubasa-kun was attractive.

At least, to me he was. And I wasn’t alone in thinking that. Plenty of girls liked him, which was exactly why people were so interested in what kind of relationship he really had with Chihara Akane. Whispers and quiet questions floated around, never spoken too loudly, but always present.

Looking back, it made sense that they got along so well. They were alike in many ways. Both of them were aloof, reserved, and selective about who they spoke to. Neither of them opened up easily, which only made their closeness stand out even more.

"Well," I told him that day, forcing myself to smile, "I think you two suit each other."

Even though jealousy twisted inside me, I couldn’t deny what I saw. There was chemistry there, something subtle but undeniable.

"And I think Chihara-san has feelings for you," I added. "I mean, you’re the only person she really talks to."

When I said that, he smiled.

It caught me completely off guard. I had seen him smile before, but not like that. Not so openly. It felt genuine, unguarded, like something he hadn’t meant to show.

"I don’t know about that," he said quietly.

But that smile lingered in my mind long after. It felt like confirmation—like he already knew something was there between them, even if he didn’t want to say it out loud. Maybe he was pretending it wasn’t important. Maybe he was just letting things be.

***

I woke up with a strange sensation against my face.

Someone’s bare stomach was pressed softly against my cheek, warm and unmoving. The heat seeped into my skin, grounding me in reality far more abruptly than I would have liked.

"Mmm... Mama... I don’t want to wake up yet," she murmured sleepily.

One of my classmates was sleeping peacefully beside me, completely unaware, her stomach resting against my face as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Carefully, slowly, I pried myself away from her without waking her up. I didn’t know when I’d gotten so good at slipping out of situations like that, but my movements were quiet and practiced now. Years ago, I might’ve panicked. Now, it was almost routine.

Once free, I stepped outside the tent and breathed in the crisp morning air. The world felt calm in that moment, suspended between night and day. That’s when I saw Kaori.

She was already training.

Her sword moved through the air again and again, cutting invisible arcs with precision. Every swing was deliberate. There was no wasted motion, no hesitation. It wasn’t wild or reckless—it was disciplined, controlled, almost beautiful in its own way.

"You’re really going all out this early," I said, a hint of teasing in my voice. "At this rate, I should start calling you Kaori the Hero."

"Hero?" she replied, glancing over with a small smile. "Please. I don’t remember doing anything heroic enough to deserve that." She rested her sword on her shoulder. "Besides, being heroes from another world isn’t exactly something to be proud of."

With the sword resting there, she looked intimidating—strong, composed, and dangerous in a way that demanded respect.

"Mind if I join your training?" I asked.

"Of course," she said easily. "This field is way too big for just one person, don’t you think?"

I nodded and went to ready my gear. Soon enough, the two of us were swinging our weapons side by side, the sound of steel slicing through the air echoing softly around us. After warming up, sweat beginning to form, I turned to look at her.

"Hey," I said, catching my breath, "why don’t we spar?"

"Spar?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I replied. "I don’t think we’ve ever sparred against each other, right? We’ve only trained with the instructors back at the castle. And they said we’ve grown so much stronger that they don’t even feel qualified to teach us anymore."

I tightened my grip on my weapon.

"So don’t you think this is the perfect chance to see how strong we really are now?"

She looked at me for a moment, then smiled. It was sharp, confident, and full of quiet excitement.

"Well," she said, lifting her sword again, "I guess you’re right."