I looked down at our hands, awkwardly blinking because honestly what else could you do when the young goddess just randomly decided to take your hand and held it endearingly like she was about to confess under the school year rain?

"Oh… Cory."

Hailie's voice came softer, quieter, and more careful, as if she was looking out for my feelings.

"I hope you're not feeling down about Anshur… Um, I heard big sis picked a really kind butler for you, he'll be arriving next morning!"

Hailie was blissfully unaware that Anshur was half my problem, so adorable of her, I thought. But then I squinted.

"A butler?"

A man, and not a woman? A man will be walking in and out of my room at random intervals, washing my underwear, changing my mattresses, waking me up in the morning with a forehead kiss?

"Yep! I've never met him but Eirlys said he's very kind."

With that reassurance, I just smirked and nodded. I guess I shouldn't question professionalism in the rich society.

"By the way, Cory…" Hailie awkwardly said as she must've notice my silence, "When we get back, I've been meaning to try a more active class! I want to make decisions without waiting for people to be hurt first and tend to them while being targeted. And I already got a class in mind! Wanna take a guess?"

An interesting question, I thought, so I placed my finger over my chin to think about it for a moment.

"When we first met… You were a ranger, because it got a small speed boost and you were excited to try using your legs." I muttered, "Are you going to follow Rina's route and be an archer? I can't see yourself wielding a short-range weapon like me and Marc. And Mage could be a bit too complicated for you with all the micromanagement of resources."

"Good guess, Cory! That's what I thought I'd choose, too!" Hailie pulled her hand back, before animating herself, crossing both arms in front of her chest like an X symbol, "I'm going to be a tank! Just like Akira."

…

A tank, she said?

And for the next ten seconds, she just started making weird metal clashing noise like a mentally undeveloped toddler while I wiped the sweat off my face and keep myself from making any rude comments.

I wonder if Hailie ever hit the ground from running to fast before? Was her disability from birth or later in life? They did mention she got it before school started so before age six so like… Is it safe to assume she's going to be one of the most fragile person on the planet? Glass for bones, per se?

"A tank? Wouldn't that mean… You know- You will… Uh."

"I know what you think, Cory." She tilted her head, "I'll be fine! Besides, it'll be fun! Having fun is all that matters, right!"

… Should I show her the trick to turn off VR pain receptor? But that would mean tampering with her pod every time she logged on, and that would be a hassle.

But, would I bare the burden of knowing that she would in perpetual pain of being cut, shot, punch by strangers and monsters? Honestly, it's unthinkable.

"Did you ask Eirlys?" I asked her.

"Shh." Hailie playfully put a finger on her lips and shushed me, "A secret between us! Are you still going to be a knight, Cory?"

"Yep, I like the route, and I know how to progress through it."

The conversation was rather one-sided and lengthy, I was too anxious about waiting for Eirlys and catching her on her way out that I didn't even realize I was being a boring monotone, with my eyes darting around the hallway from time to time.

Soon enough, while absentmindedly answering Hailie's question, she threw a hot potato at me.

"Are you the gay?"

No, serious, that was the question, full quote without any modifications.

She asked it abruptly with her high-tone cheerful voice, and she spoke so calmly, innocently as if it was just another small talk question like asking about the weather.

"Huh???" I almost yelled.

"When you talked with Rina after you two exited the tower," Hailie added, "I was wondering if you're gay."

…

Please don't tell me that Hailie's homophobic? No wait, wait wait wait, she might just be dumb, yeah, very in character of her.

"The term you could consider using when asking that question is 'lesbian' because… Uh- I guess it's more specific? But gay's work, I guess… I guess… I guess uh- I don't know how to handle this conversation. I do not have the necessary parenting skills equipped."

I took a deep breath, before continuing.

"I'm a… Pansexual, I guess? Since I got in an obsessive relationship with a blob of hivemind in Darkmoon Adventure PC before where I'd log on every day to chat with them because they understood my mental health back then so well… Among other weird stuff I've did."

She was still listening in with great interest, so I felt the need to elaborate further,

"But I haven't give the label of my sexuality much thought, I just give in to whatever incites me… Also, I've already got experience with both sexes. But yeah, in short, yep, I'm gay, sure, yeah? Heavily leaning towards woman cus boobs are cool and I like pressing my face against them."

Too much information, I thought. I should've just ended the conversation with the "I'm a pansexual" and shut up since I didn't know if Hailie actually wanted to know about my filthy sexual life or not.

After I explained the deal with my sexuality, she just gave me the same nice and kind smile, with both hands placed firmly over her thigh, she nodded.

"Oh… I've never met a gay person before! Much less a pansexual one!"

No no no no, please no.

She had way more to say, but I fake-coughed the moment she said those two sentences… Since, one, this proved that she never saw Eirlys and Tanya fucking… And I doubt that she even knew who Tanya was.

Two, the phrasing alone, "Never seen A, much less B" sounded so offensive without context that if it wasn't just me and Gerald listening in. Hailie's head might be at the stake by dawn.

But, I decided to turn off my brain and acted clueless of how offensive Hailie was being as she continued.

"It must be tough! Um- Don't worry, I really support you guys! I think it's so brave that you people still try to love! Even though it's much harder!"

OH GOD HAILIE STOP TALKING.

"Hailie, you shouldn't use 'you people' because that's… That can be interpretted negatively." I said

And here I thought she's academically smart, I guess no one taught her how to talk to people and make peer friends… Which make sense, since she was fine when I; a pervert who groped her in game, to live in her mansion.

"Oh… Sorry! Did I offend you? I'm just, um…"

After awkward fumbling, she held up a fist.

"Gay power!" She said confidently.

I facepalmed. Knowing full well that these memories will be etched into my mind and I will laugh about it when the clock's 3AM instead of sleeping.

"Gay power, yay." I said unenthusiastically, looking up to Gerald, who didn't question a single thing.

But he must've at least saw my S.O.S signal and looked down at Hailie, who was excited to discover a new subgenre of homo sapiens; the homosexual, and said "Gay power" even louder with great excitement. Gerald the butler tapped Hailie on her shoulder as he leaned down and whispered something to the girl's ear.

The shining beauty Hailie's eyes both lit up and died down at the same time.

"Oh, indeed! I forgot, thank you, Gerald!"

She turned to me.

"I'm going to do my art history homework! Um- I'm already half finished but it's good to get that out of the way before my class in the morning, right?" She giggled, "Oh- um… Do you want to come to the study room with me, Cory? We're not allowed to talk in there, though, hie~ Gerald likes to go there to read."

The guy nodded without a word.

I didn't even know there was a study room.

"Maybe next time, alright Hailie? I'm planning to get something done today." I answered with a smile, half-wanting to stretch my arm out to pat her hair, but decided against it, still feeling awkward from the prior conversation.

"Okay! That sounds nice. And Cory?"

Once more, she held my hand with both hers, this time, more deliberate, tenderly, caring, and warm. I felt as if… Hailie's hands were healing me, just like in-game.

"You can reach out whenever you feel troubled, remember that for me, please?"

For some reason, that sentence lingered.

It sounded serious and mature, and for another long half hour of sitting there, long after Hailie Sonder had left, I wondered if it was even her.

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