Accidental Harem: Let's Kiss Again!

47: More Than Just Your Summoner

Zann could not help but feel the uneasy beating of his heart. He found the feeling discomforting, making him furrow his brows as his right hand instinctively reached out to his chest, slightly pounding it in an attempt to calm himself down.

Aranea cocked her head to the side, her eyes widening as she watched him pounding his chest.

"Hey, are you alright? Are you too angry that it is making your heart feel uneasy?"

Zann did not say a word. With Aranea's eyes on him, he had started to feel conscious that a girl is looking at her, especially now that they are alone.

Zann was never alone with a woman unless if it was a teacher. It wasn't an issue to him if he was paired with a woman during classes or missions--he would always get the job done alone without their help, anyway.

But with Aranea involved in his ordeal since she is his Summoner, Zann has no choice but to stick with her--even after this ordeal.

With that in thought, his face started turning red, his heart quickening its pace.

'Why am I feeling this way? Damn! It isn't such a big deal!'

"Ah!"

When Aranea exclaimed as she took a few steps closer to Zann, the Fire Familiar snapped out of his thoughts, surprised that her hand was on his forehead, her words traveling in his ears.

"Why are you turning red? Are you not feeling well? You're feeling kinda warm..."

With her worry etched in her voice, Zann suddenly turned silent as Aranea continued to look at him with worry, her hand pulling away from his face afterward.

"I think we should head back and tell my sister. Maybe her healing powers may be of great use," she suggested, making Zann sigh as he rolled his eyes at her, feeling slightly annoyed now.

"There is nothing to worry about. I'm a Fire Familiar," he said flatly, Aranea, sighing as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"There you are again," she commented, Zann, cocking his head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

Aranea shook her head as she shrugged her shoulders. She then gave him a flat smile before answering his question that made Zann speechless.

"You always say that there's nothing to worry about, but when you were so frustrated earlier, it was obvious that you're bothered--especially with the past."

Zann did not want to admit it... but Aranea was right.

Even though people knew that Aranea is clueless and an airhead at that, he realized that she was right about something when it comes to him.

Zann is indeed clearly bothered about the past until now.

Wanting to change the topic and shaking himself from his negative thoughts at the same time, Zann sighed, rolling his eyes at his Summoner.

"How many times do I have to tell you that this is none of your business?"

Aranea's hands on the sides balled into tight fists. For some reason, she found Zann's tone annoying--especially when he kept pushing people away.

But with a part of their past opened up to them a while ago, Aranea could understand why Zann constantly pushed people away--why he is usually cold and aloof towards other people.

Zann was constantly compared to Leonel. He was shunned by the people of their realm and they told him that he could not be different from the people before him.

It made Aranea think of the past of the familiars--especially in the Fire Element side, making people think bad about them.

With Zann acting this way, even though Aranea found his attitude rather annoying, she started to feel pity towards him, making her want to understand him more.

"Zann... do you have to keep pushing people away?" she asked, Zann, blinking his eyes a few times as he did not expect the question.

"What?"

It was all that he could say. Somehow, it made Zann want to answer her--made him want to tell her that he kept pushing people away because he felt that people thought the same way about him.

Selfish, scary, different, and underserving...

Even though he knew that the people of the academy were completely different from the people of their realm, Zann had his walls high up, wanting to protect himself from other people's judgments.

Deep down, he wished that he would be able to open his heart and mind to someone, but the fear--his pride... it all went in the way.

"Zann..."

When Aranea said his name, the Fire Familiar snapped out of his thoughts as she slowly approached him, Zann backing away as he felt defensive.

"Wh-what?"

When Zann felt his back hitting the trunk of a tree, his body stiffened, Aranea, stopping in front of him as she reached out to his hand, both of her hands holding his right.

"I'm your Summoner," she said, her voice comforting as it made way to his heart, tugging his heartstrings.
With Aranea's kindness, Zann found the feeling foreign. Even other girls--also boys at that--feared him because of the strong facade he kept showing to other people.

"So what if you're my Summoner?"

His words came out cold. He did not know how to deal with this kindness. Even though he found Aranea's words and actions comforting, it was his acting impulse to be this way.

Aranea was not fazed by how Zann was treating her. Even though his words were cold, Aranea knew that deep down, Zann didn't mean it.

He just found it difficult to express himself.

Aranea's hands tightened on Zann's hand, making his body stiffen more as if he was ice, opposed to his element. As he heard her words, it made his heart go berserk than it was before.

"Summoner or not, I will always force myself on you if that's what it takes for you to warm up to people around you. I promise you that I would be the first person you could trust."

Zann's eyes widened in surprise. After a few seconds he scoffed, harshly shaking his hand away from Aranea for its release.

"Confident, aren't you?"

A cheeky grin appeared on Aranea's face. She then folded her arms in front of her chest, her head raised up to match her confidence.

"Of course! And I'll prove to you that I am more than just your Summoner."