The forest of Whispering Pines was unusually quiet for once. Birds stayed hushed, leaves rustled like gossiping spectators, and the beast spirits that usually darted through the underbrush watched from the shadows with an eerie anticipation, as though they knew something juicy was about to unfold. Which, in fact, they did.
Kaela stood on the edge of a sun-dappled clearing, fidgeting with the edge of her robe. She had spent the last two hours mentally rehearsing every possible outcome of what she was about to do, ranging from "he gently turns me down and I walk away with grace" to "the forest catches fire from the sheer force of awkward tension."
She wasn't good at this. She could hold her own in battle against berserker chimera bears and once headbutted a corrupted ogre so hard it forgot its own name. But tell a boy she liked him? In words? In Common Tongue?
Nope.
So, she defaulted to the one language she felt most fluent in — Beast-Speak. The ancient tongue of the forest spirits. The language of emotion, of primal honesty. Also: a language MC didn't actually understand beyond "that sounded cool."
She heard him approach before she saw him, whistling off-key and somehow stepping on every crunchy twig in existence.
"Yo!" MC said, emerging from the underbrush with a wide grin. "You said you wanted to meet up here? Everything okay?"
Kaela gulped. "Yes. I… I have something to tell you."
"Oh?" he blinked, tilting his head. "This isn't another surprise boss fight, is it? Please say no. I left my fireproof pants at the guild."
She shook her head quickly. "No. This is… personal."
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to speak in the low, melodic growls and rhythmic pulses of Beast-Speak. The clearing shimmered faintly as the spirits leaned in, visibly materializing around the edges of the trees — foxes with glowing eyes, wind serpents coiled in the branches, even a floating raccoon spirit holding a tiny "finally" banner.
Kaela's voice grew steadier as she continued.
"From the moment we crossed blades in training, I felt your spirit.Like fire refusing to be tamed — foolish, loud, and warm.You make me smile when I least expect it.I wish to stand beside you. Always.Even if you don't feel the same, I had to tell you.Because hiding this is harder than any battle."
She opened her eyes.
MC was beaming. "Wow."
Her heart skipped.
Then he added, "That was such a cool spell chant! Was that for, like, a summoning or buff? Because the vibe was powerful."
Kaela blinked. "…What."
"I mean, the growl cadence? Perfect tempo. Honestly, I thought you were about to cast some mega fusion thing. I didn't even know you could chant like that! I gotta practice something similar—was that the Beast-Warrior Stance 3 you used in the middle?"
Kaela stared at him like he'd just declared his romantic feelings for a rock.
One of the beast spirits groaned audibly.
The raccoon spirit dramatically slapped its own face.
Kaela's left eye twitched. "That was not… a spell chant, you turnip-brained chaos sponge."
"Huh?"
"I was confessing! In Beast-Speak! I poured my heart out like a storm elemental in mating season!"
MC's eyes widened. "Wait—that was a confession?!"
"Yes!!" she practically roared. "I told you I liked you!"
He opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. "…I thought you said you liked my stance…"
Another spirit groaned and drifted off, muttering something about "secondhand embarrassment."
Kaela looked ready to vanish into the earth. "You absolute emotional spongecake…"
MC looked genuinely regretful. "I'm sorry! Beast-Speak always sounds so epic, I assumed it was a battle thing! And I didn't want to mess with the vibe!"
There was a beat of silence.
Then she exhaled, loudly. "You really… you really thought I was complimenting your posture."
"Well, it's been getting better," he offered.
She stared.
"...But now that I know," he added quickly, "I'm flattered. Really. I like you too, Kaela."
Her ears twitched.
"And not just your spell chants. Or your scary-strong uppercuts. I like all of you. The cinnamon-roll-making, monster-punching, growl-speaking all of you."
Kaela's cheeks flushed. "You're just saying that because the spirits are judging you."
"...A little," he admitted. "But also because it's true."
A moment passed.
Then Kaela sighed, stepped forward, and poked his forehead. "Next time, if someone talks to you in Beast-Speak… maybe ask if it's a confession."
He grinned. "Deal."
A shimmer passed through the clearing.
[Affection Level: 100% – Kaela][New Ability Unlocked: Beast-Heart Synchronization][New Skill Gained: Feral Fusion Pulse]
A roar echoed in the distance — part dragon, part deer. The spirits cheered in their own weird way, including an ethereal goat doing cartwheels.
Kaela smirked. "You better not use that new skill on anyone else."
MC gulped. "No promises."
She growled low in her throat. "I will set you on fire."
"Romantically?"
"No." (But she was smiling.)
END OF CHAPTER 87