Chapter 7 A Promise Under The Starry Skies

I tried to sleep.

I twisted and turned, and the drowsiness still doesn't seem to come.

Tsk.

I decided to go outside my room to have a walk in the hall. As I walk, I saw a shadow walking towards the pantry. Who is it, I wonder. A thief?

I sneakily followed the shadow. I saw a shadow of a girl. Mustering my courage, I entered the pantry.

The one sneaking around at this time is Karen. She wore a thin white negligee that accentuates her figure. Still, she is beautiful even though her long black hair is somewhat disheveled.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her.

She raised her shoulders due to shock and turned her face towards me as if she saw a ghost.

"R-Ren, is that you? U-Uhh, this, I'm just making myself some tea. Would you like some?" She replied while panicking a little.

"Eh? W-well, it's fine I guess."

I don't like tea to be honest. But since Karen offered me a cup, I accepted her invitation.

"Hehe. I think I've been busted." Karen said while laughing lightly and handing me a cup of tea.

"W-What do you mean?" I replied as I accepted the cup.

"Lately, the maids who handles this pantry said that the tea in stock has used more every night. I like tea after all, it can't be helped."

To have a beautiful girl sneaking around at night and brewing tea, then admitting to her crime herself, I didn't realized Karen has this side of her.

"Well, what about you, why are you here I wonder?" She asked me while sipping her tea.

"I can't sleep..." I answered.

"Is that so? Well, I think you'll get a good night sleep if you drink tea every night. It worked for me." She said to me in a tone you often hear when doctors prescribe something.

I hesitated for a while.

"T-then, I'll try it."

I took a sip from my cup. Bitter. Freaking bitter.

"So, how was it?" She asked me with a troubled expression.

"I-I think it's good." I told a blatant lie to her.

"Really? Thank goodness." She said happily and smiled.

She watched me for a few moments while I am taking a few sips of my (bitter) tea.

"You know, it's been a long time since we talked to each other like this." She said to me while smiling lightly.

Come to think of it, we seldom talk at school. I guess the number of times I had talked with her can be counted with one's fingers since the first day of high school.

"I-Is that so?" I replied while I scratched my cheek.

"E-Etto...I'm just wondering if there's any reason why you didn't talked to me that much..."

Karen leaned her body forward and her face coming closer to me. She looked at me with a somewhat sad expression.

It is not intentional but I could see her bra and the shape of her breasts from here.

No good, no good. The stimulation is too much for me to bear.

"K-Karen?! Your face's too close you know?!" I panicked when she looked at me closely.

"Eh? I-I-I'm sorryyyyyyy!" Karen stopped for a moment and immediately took a step back as she realized that our faces are only a few inches apart from each other.

Even though it's dark, I think she's blushing due to her actions.

"I-I think I'll go back to my room now. G-Goodnight."

She turned her back to me while feeling embarrassed and started to go back to her room.

She took a few steps away from me, but suddenly she stopped and looked at me again.

"W-Will you promise me?" She asked me. Her face shows a serious expression.

"Eh? Promise you what?"

I am confused with what she said right now.

"When we come back from the battle three days from now, can you promise me to listen to one thing I will say?"

By the tone of her voice I sensed that what she will say to me is very, very important matter.

"Nn. I promise."

I said to her clearly. But she looks like she's still dissatisfied.

"Swear under the stars if you're sincere with your promise." She glared at me. Is she mad? Did I say anything bad at her?

"E-Eh? Why? I don't know the reason why I have to do that."

Karen thought of something for a while.

"W-Well, how do I say it...Mother told me when I was younger that if one has to make a promise with someone the other must swear while looking at the stars in the sky. That way Mother said, one can sense the sincerity of the other." She said while becoming fidgety and looking at me with upturned eyes.

"I see."

"That's why...you must promise me under the stars. You have to do that, got it?"

She said while pouting her lips and putting both her arms at her back. Cute.

I have no choice.

I raised my right hand as if doing the pledge of allegiance to the Philippine flag.

"Okay then. I swear under the stars that I will listen to what Karen has to say when we return from the battle." I declared while looking at her face, then I looked at the night sky by the window.

It is surprising that the sky in this world looks just the same as in Earth. Tonight, myriads of stars glitter on the night sky in different colors, accompanying the solemn moon on its wake.

"They are beautiful, aren't they?" She asked me while she is also looking at the stars in the sky.

"Yeah. It is."

Our small talk paused for a while.

"Well then, the stars bear witness to the promise."

She smiled brightly while her face is lighted by the moonlight. She looks like a goddess right now.

"Nn. I'll keep my promise." I assured her while showing a serious face.

"T-then since it has been agreed upon, I'll go back to my room for real. Goodnight Ren."

She turned back again and lightly skipped while going back yo her room.

I could only see her outline becoming smaller and smaller as she returns to her room.

"Promise under the stars, huh?" I said to myself.

I continued to drink the bitter tea while looking at the stars and thinking about our conversation earlier.