As we proceeded with the forest offense, the voices of those who hadn't heard in a long time jumped into my ears.
"haha"
It's Rand!
I feel at ease. I'm finally getting to where Rand is.
But it's strange.
In the woods, in this situation of crisis of life and neighbourhood......
"Are you laughing?
The perimeter vigilance also chased Rand's voice there so that he could be stirred up by something.
In a corner of the woods, where the trees are not only there, a little flickering, Rand is......
"I'm ticklish. Ray."
I was playing with the beast.
"Is that...? Fayed?"
I couldn't catch up with my thoughts for a while even when I was called out.
Why is Rand playing?
I've done so much, no way Rand has been here lately...?
What is that beast in the first place?
Rand should be able to fight stronger demons.
Demons like I've never seen before and yet...
"Rand. What the hell..."
And he said unto him, Polypoli and cheeks.
"Haha. Don't tell anyone. Look, Tamer, they don't think much of you, do they?
Why….
Why would a talented Rand do Tamer such an off-duty impersonation?
How could Rand have chosen a demon like a dog that wasn't even a dragon?
Why alone, in the woods... why, why...
"Why..."
"Huh?"
"How could you! You were playing around here!? Ever."
My anger was unreasonable and selfish.
I admired it, the shock that Rand, who I always believed would stay ahead of me, chose Tamer more than anything else, was too big...
Even so, Rand cheeks again...
"haha"
And all I did was laugh.
◆
Since that day, I've worked hard to leave Rand behind, not to catch up with him.
So much so that I could tell it wasn't a big deal until then that I hunted demons in the woods, challenged the adults to games, and desperately, kept working out to be possessed by something.
How long have I been out of Rand's reach?
While Rand was playing with the beast, I thought I could win.
Now I'm sure Rand would have seen me. Again properly, I thought it would be like back then.
That's why I spoke to Rand first when I left town.
"Rand! I'll be an adventurer too! We're gonna throw a party!
I'm sure you'll try not to beat me... so on your own, I was hoping.
But Rand...
"Fine."
That's all I said casually, I was playing with the beast again.
In the eyes of Genius Prodigy Rand, I was never there at last.