Moonlight spread across the ground like a layer of cold frost.
On the deserted path, leaves rustled in the wind.
In stark contrast to the cool, quiet surroundings, the elf girl's face was flushed a burning red.
"Hmm... What should I do? Syr said she would punish me if Ryuu-san lost even a single strand of hair..."
Bell answered thoughtfully.
"C-Cranel-san."
Ryuu knew he was teasing her and called his name in complaint.
For a woman, hair was something extremely important. Being able to entrust it to someone without hesitation was already proof of great trust.
More than that, the reason the boy collected girls' hair was because he valued the bonds brought by encounters.
Because Ryuu understood that, she had not been able to voice her thoughts until now.
"Sorry. Ryuu-san looked so cute that I couldn't help teasing you a little."
Bell honestly said what he was thinking.
Under normal circumstances, when Ryuu grew shy, she would either be like Ais and use force to shut everything out, or she would turn into a helpless mess and flee into her overheated thoughts.
But now, because of the matter of her hair, Ryuu had held back the impulse to strike him or run away, revealing a lovely, heart-stirring side of herself.
"Cranel-san!"
Ryuu lowered her head, her cheeks turning bright red.
Had she really made the wrong choice?
Her face and ears were burning, and the pounding in her chest was like a frantic roar.
Was this what it felt like to betray a friend...?
Ryuu no longer cared about the [punishment] Syr had mentioned.
Even if Syr found out about this and did something lewd and vulgar to the boy, that had nothing to do with her.
That was right.
It had already come this far.
If she ran away now, then there would truly be nothing left.
"Cranel-san's dagger breaking was partly related to me, so I decided to give you my hair..."
Ignoring her pounding heart, Ryuu explained herself to Bell.
In truth, there was an even deeper reason.
Even if Ryuu had not been in the Dungeon at the time, even if she had not been dragged into the Black Goliath incident, she still would have chosen to give the boy her hair.
It was a thread to repair justice, filled with Ryuu's special feelings for the boy.
When she received the gem from Bell, Ryuu had been very happy and carefully kept it safe.
When she saw the boy on the verge of death, Ryuu's heart ached as if she had taken the same blow herself.
Even when the boy was not by her side, Ryuu often thought of him, disturbing her thoughts.
When she witnessed justice singing in the form of a hero, Ryuu would watch every moment with excitement and burn it firmly into her heart.
Shy daily moments, unforgettable training, countless conversations built on perfect understanding...
Between Ryuu and the boy, there were far too many experiences she could not let go of.
Even with Syr standing between them, it did not affect this burning [affection].
"Cranel-san, please accept my hair."
Ryuu voiced her resolve once more.
She could have casually pulled out a few strands, tossed them onto the ground, and fled in a panic.
But Ryuu did not want to do that.
No matter how embarrassed she was, she wanted to do this properly.
Because this was proof of the path the two of them had walked together, the accumulation of several days and nights.
"I understand. Thank you."
Bell looked at the pure flower of the forest before him and spoke softly. "Ryuu-san, this may be sudden, but may I take a strand of your hair myself?"
The elf girl wore a lovely pale-green dress. She did not dare meet the boy's eyes and kept staring at the lake beside them.
Against her flushed cheeks, Bell could see her eyes.
It was as if the entire starry sky had been crushed and scattered into those beautiful sapphire-blue pupils.
"Cranel-san?"
Ryuu raised her head and glanced at the boy. After meeting his eyes for only an instant, she lost and looked away again.
She had originally planned to simply give him one strand of hair and quickly escape this vortex of embarrassment.
But Bell's request now was for him to take it himself. Although the result would be the same, to Ryuu, the experience was completely different.
"Ryuu-san, I promise this is not me teasing you, and I will not do anything offensive."
Bell honestly stated his intentions.
"I-if that is the case..."
Ryuu slowly took one step forward and lowered her head slightly, like an obedient cat.
This was only contact between friends. There was absolutely nothing else mixed in.
That was right.
Even if Syr were here, she could still openly and honestly offer her hair to the boy.
That was right.
Ryuu repeated it in her heart again and again, as if trying to convince the noble self within her.
An elf with mysophobia was actually giving her precious hair to a man...
Ryuu had never imagined such a thing.
The boy's shadow gradually covered her body, and that change of light and shadow stirred Ryuu's heart once again.
Being dyed by darkness step by step felt as if it were announcing that she was gradually approaching the abyss of corruption.
"Cranel-san, please take it!"
Ryuu threw her tangled thoughts behind her and declared her decision firmly.
Her panic affected her clear voice as well, making her tone unconsciously sharper.
"Thank you, Ryuu-san. Excuse me."
Bell cooperatively took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
The reason he had made this request was because he had noticed a blind spot.
It was likely due to the effect of [Luck], which was why no one had discovered it until now.
Under the gaze of his crimson eyes, hidden within those beautiful green strands was a proud, solitary golden flower.
Bell gently reached out with his right hand, brushed through the smooth hair, and arrived at that vivid flower.
"..."
Ryuu's body trembled slightly.
The boy's figure loomed over her, and his warm, refreshing presence drifted close.
Ryuu did not know why she was reacting so strongly.
It was only plucking a single strand of hair. To an Adventurer, it should not hurt at all.
And after everything the two of them had experienced, this act that did not even involve touching skin made Ryuu shudder as if she had been shocked.
It was not caused by pain, but by a flutter spreading from her heart.
If she had to trace the source, Ryuu and the boy had shared many interactions, but all of them had happened because of circumstances or accidents.
Contact like this, something both sides accepted willingly, only made Ryuu even more conscious of it.
"All done."
Bell stepped back like a gentleman, carefully holding a strand of golden hair between his fingers.
"Ugh...?"
Ryuu stared in astonishment at that beautiful strand of hair.
The silver-white moonlight adorned that touch of gold, exposing the boy's intention completely.
Although Ryuu had told Bell about her past, she had never formally said that she had once been a blonde elf.
And that perfectly matched the preference the boy had once declared.
"C-Cranel-san... Ugh..."
Ryuu had no idea what to say.
She paused for a moment, then became the Gale and swiftly fled from the boy's side.
In the moonlight, only a flustered, clear voice remained.
"I just remembered. Chloe is always holding your portrait and doing lewd things with it, so I am going to punish her right now!"