The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

"HUH?!"

Jerusha’s eyes widened at Raye’s confession. Her head violently snapped in his direction.

Thump- thump- thump—

Her heart started beating loudly and her face heated up. If Jerusha was a cartoon—smoke would’ve already risen from her head with how hard she was feeling embarrassed.

Then finally, in that moment—

"..."

Raye faced her.

"I’ve actually decided before to tell you how I feel after everything had calmed down. Once the chaos settled."

"But I realized that... That was actually just me trying to run away."

He declared while looking at her in the eyes.

’It’s too bold of me to assume that everything will go just like in the game story... That this world will have a happy ending.’

’That I’ll survive till the end...’

He thought as heaviness filled his heart, then after that short pause—

"I don’t want to regret not being able to tell you how I feel..."

Raye mumbled.

"Jerusha..."

He called for her.

And with a straight face, cheeks blushing—

"I love you."

Raye declared that!

His voice shrunk at the end, his whole face turned red!

But his eyes still remained on Jerusha.

"..."

Raye’s expression was resolute.

"Wawawawawa..."

Jerusha was panicking, she was confused. She didn’t know what to say and her head was spinning.

"...!"

But when she saw Raye’s eyes... She calmed down a little.

"..."

His eyes were serious, shining beautifully as they looked at her. Raye was waiting for her response.

And knowing that, Jerusha opened her mouth...

But just then—

Thud-

She and Raye heard a noise coming from the door!

Their heads immediately turned in the direction of the sound, and there...

"?!!"

"!!!"

Their eyes widened as they saw Devin, Lycus, Kyle, Leon, Lena, Allen, and Sofia just standing by the door.

The whole group was present.

On the floor was a bag of roasted chicken dropped by Kyle in surprise. Everyone in the room had a shocked expression on their faces.

That’s right... They heard Raye’s confession!

Devin and the others were currently here to visit Old Man Rey too. They heard someone talking in the room earlier, but they just thought it was Jerusha, so they continued on their way just entered.

And that’s when they got greeted by this scene!

"Erm... Hehe, I guess we should leave for now, huh... Guys?"

Lycus said as he looked at the others.

"I-I agree!"

Sofia followed up, backing him.

"I forgot something back in my room."

Lena said.

"I think we forgot something back in the training ground too."

"Yeah..."

Leon and Allen mumbled, exchanging awkward glances. They were scratching their heads.

"The shop... We need to do something, Devin."

"Ah, right...! Erm... Umm... Yeah! Got it."

Kyle and Devin were also panicking. They were talking and moving like robots. Every single one of them.

"Erm, nice to see you again, Raye... Let’s talk a bit later."

Lycus muttered awkwardly. The others waved their hands at Raye as they hid behind Lycus.

"..."

Raye was still speechless, in shock. Embarrassment was being felt all over his body.

But still... He was happy to see the others. So as he put an awkward smile on his face—

"Sure, let’s all catch up later."

Raye replied.

Lycus and the others heard him. They just smiled and nodded their heads... And with that, they left.

Giving Jerusha and Raye the privacy they needed.

*****

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence engulfed the room when the others left.

Jerusha and Raye still sat side by side. They were both looking down at the floor, embarrassed.

But after a while, breaking that silence—

"wh...at...?"

Jerusha mumbled something. It was so quiet that Raye barely heard it even with his superhuman hearing. (He was nervous too.)

"Hmm?"

Raye looked at Jerusha. His face was bright red, but he was acting all nonchalant.

Jerusha then opened her mouth again, increasing the volume of her voice a bit—

"What did you even like about me?"

She asked that, slightly glancing at Raye.

Jerusha was all shy. And seeing her acting like that—

’Cute.’

Raye thought of that.

"What did I like about you, huh...?"

He mumbled.

Then with a slight smile on his face and looking back down at the floor—

"Everything."

Raye simply answered that.

"I like how kind you are."

He added, and after that—he continued.

"I like how positive you are."

"I like your smile..."

"Your beautiful violet eyes."

"Your smooth purple hair."

"The way you’re always ready to help me."

"The way you persistently try to talk to me."

"I like your presence, just you being there makes me calm... And when you’re away, it makes me sad."

"I like your cooking... I could help you get better though."

"I like how you’ve got a good relationship with Old Man Rey, Zephyrus, and Pyro."

"I like that you’re acting like an actual professor when teaching me spirit magic."

"I like that you’re always cheering for me..."

"That you’re always supporting me..."

Raye faced Jerusha, and after that pause—

"Jerusha, I like you."

He followed with that.

"Like, a lot."

Raye mumbled.

"..."

Jerusha was speechless. Her eyes became teary as she heard Raye’s words. Her face was back to being a tomato now.

Her heart was beating loudly in her chest. Raye could probably hear it already.

But this time, instead of looking away—

"..."

Jerusha stared back at Raye.

The two of them looked at each other in the eyes.

The silence around them wasn’t awkward anymore.

And finally, opening her mouth—

"I like you a lot too."

Jerusha confessed to Raye too.

"..."

Raye smiled, not saying anything.

"Haha..."

Then after letting out a small laugh—

"I know."

Raye said that with a sweet smile on his face.

-----

Outside the room, Lycus and the others were still there.

They just hid their presences with Lena’s magic. And of course—they heard everything.

"...!"

"...!"

"...!!!"

Devin, Sofia, and Lycus had their eyes widened as they looked at each other.

Lena, Leon, and Allen were smiling ear to ear like teenagers reading romance manga. They couldn’t stop smiling and it was already hurting their jaws.

Kyle was jumping around, cheering for Raye.