Unrequited Love, Lost for the Better - Chapter 9

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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

She had never known how difficult it was to be confessed to by someone one could never see as a romantic partner. And when that someone was someone she had always cherished—her first thought was concern. She was grateful for his feelings, but she could not accept them.

Moreover, she and Meliano had a professional relationship. She had to navigate this situation without affecting their work.

First, I should thank him for his feelings…

And then, what should she say?

As Collette hesitated to speak, Meliano offered a faint smile. Slowly releasing her shoulders, he said.

“Senior.”

“Y-Yes?”

“I’m not asking you to give me an answer to my confession right now.”

“…Then?”

“Just know one thing.”

Meliano’s eyes were more earnest than ever before.

“I will treat Senior better than any man who makes you cry.”

“……”

“Whatever Senior wishes to accomplish, I can help you with all my heart. Not just collecting materials and data for your experiments—I can even help you get assigned to the work you desire.”

“What do you mean…”

There was only one thing she desired. And now her junior researcher—barely a second-year—Meliano Somerset, was claiming he could make it happen.

“Are you mocking me?”

“How could I possibly mock you, Senior? I simply—”

Suddenly, Meliano’s gaze drifted past her shoulder. Where was he looking? At his oddly cold expression, Collette tried to turn her head to follow his line of sight.

“Senior.”

“Hm?”

“Just know that I like you.”

Collette’s lips parted, then pressed firmly shut. Meliano only smiled silently. Then, as if escorting her, he offered his arm and bowed slightly.

“Shall we go? I’ve already prepared coffee for the senior researchers.”

Following Meliano’s natural guidance out of the rest garden, Collette glanced back over her shoulder. The garden was empty.

* * *

“So, what exactly is this anomaly?”

“I don’t know. They just called it an ‘anomaly.’ Apparently, they’re still figuring it out.”

Collette, idly fiddling with a dropper, perked her ears at the conversation behind her.

“I heard it’s not just Team 1—even Team 2 is being sent back for re-exploration.”

“Team 2 as well? That’s unusual.”

“Then what was the point of splitting the teams into vanguard and rear?”

“Must be quite the troublesome one.”

As one researcher tilted his head while shaking a flask, another, inspecting a component under development, replied in a disinterested tone.

“Hasn’t there always been troublesome Labyrinths?”

“Not like this. At least, not since Wintergreen took charge of the Exploration Squad.”

They continued their conversation even as their hands worked on their respective experiments. All of them wore transparent goggles—safety equipment Collette had crafted.

“Either the Labyrinth is exceptionally vexing, or the 1st Team Leader’s skills have declined…”

Someone murmured just as—

Boom!

A loud explosion erupted from one corner of the lab.

“Wh-What was that?”

Startled, the researchers tore off their goggles and stared at the source of the sound. As the thick smoke cleared, a head of deep chocolate-colored hair, bristling with static electricity, came into view.

“Good heavens, Collette…! Are you all right?”

“Are you hurt? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Aside from your hair, you seem fine…”

“I’m—cough!—fine.”

Collette rose from her chair and removed her goggles, letting out a small cough. In her hand was a dropper containing an opaque solution.

“I’m sorry. I—cough—made a mistake.”

Seeing that Collette, aside from her hair, was unharmed as she carefully set down the dropper, her seniors let out sighs of relief.

“Whew, you nearly gave me a heart attack. What’s gotten into you? You never make mistakes.”

“What else could it be? Obviously because of Wintergreen.”

“Quiet. Here, Collette, come over here. Your hair looks like it’s been struck by lightning.”

At her seniors’ concerned chiding, Collette offered an awkward smile and rose from her seat. As she sat before the round table installed at the center of the lab, her seniors drew their wands. They cast a calming charm on her disheveled hair, and a cleaning charm on her soiled researcher’s attire, speaking as they did.

“Wintergreen will be fine. With all he’s done so far, what could possibly happen?”