Vincent noticed a terrified expression on Ester's face. As if she wanted to protect herself from danger. He was afraid of her, yet she was afraid of him.
'Damn! Was I found out so soon? But why did I have to faint and get discovered? All the ingenious planning went to waste, heh...'
'Didn't I see a hologram with details before I fainted? Did I see right? Is her name really Ester?'
Vincent shook his head to focus on the matter at hand. His thoughts were too distracting to think straight. He let a long sigh and quickly wore his turtle neck shirt.
Vincent had the urge to confirm if what he saw was real and not something his mind made up before fainting.
"Is your name Ester by any chance? " Vincent tried to confirm if what his eyes saw was real.
"H-how do you know my name? " Ester relaxed her stiff shoulders by surprise. But her stance remained, and the knife pointed at him.
'Then, it was real. Now I need to make her trust me somehow. But I never talked to a girl other than customers. How do I talk to one that might accidentally kill me?
'Keep calm and play it smoothly, like in the books.'
Vincent did his best to wear a poker face, but his cold sweat couldn't lie. His hands trembled from fear of the knife pointed at him. However, he was still nervous about the beauty before him.
"I won't talk to a criminal! Only criminals are branded for death. An otherworldly invader can't return so soon in this world. " Ester said with a trembling voice. Her fingers gripped the trembling knife tighter.
'Criminal? So she doesn't suspect I'm a Hero? What does she mean by can't return so soon in this world? Will she understand if I speak more open and kind like a few romance games I played?' He thought with the hopes of turning the tide.
"I'm sorry I lied to you. My name is Vincent. I hit my head and got lost. This is the truth. " Vincent stood up, felt light-headed, and fell on the bed.
'Urgh... I still feel a little nauseous from that strange headache.'
Vincent raised his head while holding it still. He averted his eyes a few times and then said, "After I saw you... "
Vincent abruptly stopped as his face flared red from embarrassment. Her elegant figure dancing under the setting sun was still on his mind. He stopped when he was about to say how pretty she looked.
"Saw me? W-were you stalking me? " Ester frowned in anger, then took a few steps forward with her trembling knife to intimidate this potential stalker.
"N-no, it's not like that! After I saw you dance and later ask for help. I... " Vincent was sweating bullets, and his nerves couldn't take anymore. Then his trembling lips blurted out, "You're a beautiful girl."
As he said these words, Vincent lowered his gaze down, staring at the floor, feeling quite embarrassed.
'D-did I just call her beautiful? This is my first confession. Will she like it?' He thought as his innocent heart was about to burst.
Vincent suddenly changed from being afraid of her to being embarrassed by his words. As if these words felt scarier than the knife. His first love confession was made to a terrified yet angry girl holding a knife. How romantic is that?
"Y-you... you stop lying! I'm not beautiful. Now, tell me who you are. " Ester felt pissed off for some reason.
'Did I get rejected? Did she deny being called beautiful? Damn it! YOLO. I will need to compromise in some way and run away at a moment's notice.' He planed the only possible way to live.
"Ok, ok, I will talk. But first promise me that you will sit down and lower your knife. Then I will answer all your questions." Vincent looked at Ester, mustered what little courage this rejection built up.
Ester assertively stared for a while, but Vincent didn't stand up from the bed while his cheeks slowly blushed red. She thought his fever was becoming worse, making her more cautious of his condition.
"You stay there, and I will sit here. Don't stand up, ok? " Ester agreed to his demand. She sat on a nearby chair with the knife held tightly in her hand. Then she lowered the basion on the floor.
'She really doesn't want to let that knife go, does she? Well, at least she has accepted me a little. I hope.' Vincent felt a bit relieved.
"You can ask anything. I'm a kind and honest gentleman, so don't be afraid. " Vincent felt the tense mood in the cabin calm down a notch. It was suffocating him.
"Then why are you here, and why do you have that mark? " Ester started with a few easy questions, and the response was obvious.
"I don't know. " Vincent shook his head while stating the truth. How could he know what exactly happened to him?
"That's not a response. Tell me, who are you? " Ester frowned, becoming a little impatient. She thought he was making fun of her.
'I think I should tell her that I'm a normal human being like her. Yes, that should do the trick.'
"I'm not a bad person nor a criminal. I was reading a book, and after I touched it, I was here. I think you could call me a Hero instead of an invader. I'm a normal man that loves peace. " Vincent gave a warm smile, trying to act as friendly as possible.
However, he soon realized the secret of arriving from another world should never be said. But the damage was already done. Vincent announced he was an otherworldly person because of his nervousness and not thinking straight from his nauseating headache.
The knife in Ester's hand trembled from this frightful relevance. Her hands became wet as her body became covered in a cold sweat.
Ester gulped in fright. Thoughts of fear, despair, and death clouded her mind. She lost control of her fingers, and the grip loosened.
*Clang
The knife slipped from her hand. It fell on the floor, making a loud clang.
'Should I threaten her? Runaway? Or talk?' Vincent pondered for a few seconds and chose option three. He didn't want to hurt her, yet he wanted to ask about her familiar dance.
"Uhmm... don't be afraid. As I said, I won't hurt you. Take a deep breath and gently exhale." Vincent suggested a calming method he used to do in his hard times.
Ester was momentarily dazed and instinctively listened to his suggestion. She took a deep breath and then gently exhaled. After a few times, her mind became clear.
"Why didn't you attack me? " Ester felt conflicted. She threatened him with a knife. But he didn't act when the knife was dropped. Instead, he helped her relax.
'Did I win? She looks calmer and isn't crouching down to pick the knife.'
Vincent felt as if the third option he decided to gamble on worked. Now the hardest part was about to start. To convince Ester and maybe receive her help.
"First of all, I arrived in this world a few hours ago. Now don't be scared. My only power is to see your name and that you are healthy. Hmm... like an inspection ability." Vincent decided to be honest. He wanted to take another gamble on her.
To him, Ester didn't appear the type to trick others since she kept her emotions on her sleeve. They were too real to be called an act, and she felt like a naive girl as well.
"Inspect? " Ester asked, gasping in surprise. She acted as if it was something grand.
Vincent focused his eyes. They faintly glowed green, and a rectangular window appeared once again. He noticed how Ester didn't seem to notice the display box.
.
[Name] Ester
[Condition] Healthy, Afraid.
"Yes, but where are my manners. I'm Vincent Agius, twenty-five years old and single." Vincent decided to add an extra detail while his cheeks flared red.
"I'm... Ester. Twenty-three years old. So you will not attack me? Even if you are an otherwordly invader. " Ester said as she stared with two crimson assertive eyes trying to pick up his intention.
'Somehow, she has accepted me. Now I can take a breather.' Vincent felt safe for now, and his tense shoulders relaxed.
Ester sat on the chair instead of picking up the knife and threaten him. Then his next words caught her off guard.
"To tell the truth... your dance was as beautiful as you. The moves were elegant and well balanced. But only achievable by a flexible body. In my world, it's called gymnastics. " Vincent told Ester about Earth.
How similar her dancing and movement were to a gymnastic performance with a twist.
Ester stared at Vincent as her face flushed red. She raised her hands, hiding her face in embarrassment, and stuttered, "B-beautiful!... m-me?"
'Did I hit the right spot? I don't know how to flirt, but this seems to work with her. I'll try to think this is a VR game. That way, I might be able to talk without stuttering like usual.'
"I wished to know your name so much that I felt a painful headache. Before I fainted, I could see your name and thanked the heavens. I think I acquired this ability because of your beauty. " Vincent complemented Ester while repeating a few flirting lines heroes said in books.
Ester lowered her hands, showing an angry frown. She stood up a placing her hand on her hips and said, "I'm a flat-chested girl. I'm called a freak by the villagers because of my flexibility. Don't spew lies, Vin... Invader."
Vincent noticed a tear on her eyes. He hit a sore spot and figured out why.
'People are afraid of the unknown. Being flexible is a rare sight after all. In a world without technology advancement like this, people like Ester will be labeled as freaks or cursed people.'
'No wonder she looks shy, embarrassed, yet mad while thinking I'm lying.'
"Please don't misunderstand. I didn't want to bring you any bad memories." Vincent tried to defuse the situation because the communication was starting to fall apart.
"In my world, some women practice something like what you were doing. Some even wish to be born with a body like yours. Who cares if your chest is small. You are pretty, and that's all." Vincent said with a warm smile, trying to show his good intention.
Ester froze rooted in place. Like a statue, she kept staring at Vincent while a few tears leaked from her eyes. Deep down, she wanted to hear these words many years ago.
Vincent wanted to approach Ester to console her from whatever she felt. But he didn't go wanting to show he meant no harm.
Vincent was used to lending aunt Trisha his shoulder to cry on from time to time until she felt better and stopped crying altogether.
A few minutes later, Ester's tears came to a halt. She sat back down on the chair and saw Vincent in a different light.
"You are weird, but... I don't mind it. Are you praising me to make me your retainer? My chest is flat you know, so I'm not pretty." Ester started lowering her guard but kept insisting her chest was flat.
'Heh... just how focused is she on her chest? Many say flat is justice after all.'
"You were kind enough to help me. Kind enough to not kill or report me. I don't care about your chest as you are pretty in my eyes, and that's all I care." Vincent thanked Ester while flirting with her. As time passed, Vincent was getting used to Ester. His introverted nature was decreasing by the minute.
"As for the retainer bond. I only read it from the book of heroes, the thing that surprisingly summoned me near you. Maybe it was fate that the book picked you. Maybe because you are a good and understanding person." Vincent felt relaxed as if the tension was finally all gone.
He slowly lifted a pillow beside him and asked, "Is this your bed?"
Ester slowly nodded at such a strange question. Soon she started to frown as she saw his hand approach and touch her pillow.
"It smelled nice. So that's why." Vincent raised a smile as the smell of lavender reminded him of home.
"D-don't! "Ester panicked. She wanted to take away the pillow from his hands.
She approached Vincent with a hurried pace one arm raised to take the pillow while the other hovering in the air. To slap him, perhaps?
"Wait. What? Hey, slow down!" Vincent saw Ester's foot get tangled by the bedsheet. A step later, she lost her balance.
Ester was swiftly falling on Vincent. This happened in the blink of an eye. Vincent raised his arms to catch her while she did the same. However, the nervousness to touch a girl stopped his arms from catching her in mid-air.
Ester fell on Vincent, flat chest first. Then her head followed as their lips met. The two received their very first kiss. Both froze in place by this sudden event as their arms almost held each other in an embrace.
As this love scene unfolded, the door suddenly opened. An old man entered and was dumbstruck by what his eyes saw.