The Aloof Throne

"Then say it already?!"

Crown's fury was completely ignited as well. She stepped forward, her voice trembling. "There are races, goals, and a team—does that mean friends aren't needed anymore? You keep saying we don't understand, so say it already! What exactly are you thinking? Are we not even qualified to hear about the things on your mind?!"

"Th-this isn't a matter of whether you're qualified!" Kitasan Black's voice gradually grew hoarse, yet remained unusually stubborn. "Anyway, I don't want to say it!"

"Then today, I'm hearing it no matter what!" Crown's temper flared too. She grabbed Kitasan Black's wrist. "If you don't explain yourself, I'm not letting you leave!"

The force and warmth on her wrist made Kitasan Black's entire body stiffen. She tried to pull free, her voice carrying a trace of panic and pleading. "Y-you, let go of me!"

"I'm not letting go!"

"If you don't let go, I-I'm going to get angry!"

"Then get angry! Do whatever you want!"

"I-I'm really getting angry!"

"I've never seen you angry before. Go on, get angry and show me!"

"Y-you're being unreasonable!"

"I'm being unreasonable—?! Do you even hear what you're saying? Who's actually being unreasonable here?!"

No one knew how long the argument went on. They only knew that after one hoarse, cracking, incoherent exchange, it suddenly stopped.

Only their somewhat heavy breathing remained, especially clear in the silent park.

One of them couldn't break free from the wrist being tightly gripped, yet didn't dare truly use force and hurt the other. She could only turn her head away, her chest heaving violently.

The other tightly held the other's wrist, equally unwilling to yield an inch. Her eyes were filled with the hurt of being rejected, anger, and the stubborn determination not to stop until she got an