Interlude 1 - Gale
My Best Friend Died for Me, now I'm His Wife?
The everyday bustle of the village continued as normal, with the exception of one anomaly. A blonde man sat on a street bench, elbows on knees, hands covering his face. If one were to observe him closely, they would understand for the first time the meaning of the word âred.â
Gale, the man in question, was currently undergoing a life-altering crisis. That is to say, for the first time in his life, he had the hots for his best friend. But seriously ! The moment he opened his eyes in this strange new world, her face was the first thing he saw! Whatâs more, she was insanely gorgeous. Her features were like a god had descended and crafted a sculpture depicting a goddess of love.
Gale almost wanted to poke his own eyes out with guilt. The subtle, friendly touches she hadnât even noticed, he could still feel burning on his skin. When he had scooped water from the river, he was intending to pour it into her hands for her to drink! But that vixen, that natural born succubus had put her mouth on his hand. He could feel the touch of her lips lingering most of all.
Gale didnât want to feel that way about a dear friend, but as a red-blooded man, he couldnât separate his previous feelings from the new. If anything, the idea that his oldest, closest confidant was now a gorgeous women filled him with a guilty joy. If only sheâd marry meâ¦. He had already imagined their four children, a rusty cottage he built with his own handsâ¦.
No, Gale shook the thought away. He raised his face, resolute. He wouldnât make his relationship weird, He didnât want to freak out his closest friend. Besides, they could return if she was to be believed. He thought of Zoey. A pang of anxiety mixed with guilt ran through him. Here he was thinking of useless things, and Zoey already thought he was dead.
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He rubbed his face more vigorously, drawing some questioning looks from passerbyâs. He stood up, responsibility weighing on him like an anvil. Even here, that ever-present worry of his sisterâs safety crushed his mind. And now, he had another girl to look afterâ¦
He sighed. âAaron was lucky itâs me. If she treated any other man like thatâ¦â
Well, hopefully he could be best man at the wedding.
Gale stood up and looked around for things to do. With his friendly, naturally social nature, he was able to help various people with different odds and ends. Gale treated it like side quests in a video game. Soon enough, he was covered in a light sheen of sweat, though rewarded with a decent amount of coin for his efforts.
He had made some casual friends, though for some reason a large number of the villagers speaking with him happened to be young women. Friendly town. Naturally, Gale hadnât noticed the admiring gazes of said young suitors.
Gale stopped by a local clothing store. He bought some new clothes for himself, and, after realizing none of the male clothing would fit Aaron now, grabbed a dress he had roughly eyeballed to be her size.
âNow I gotta find Aaron again. Hopefully she didnât wander off somewhereâ¦â Gale mumbled to himself as he recounted his money.
His mind filled with firm resolve. Gale made a promise in his heart. First, he would treat his dear friend just as he used to! No weird feelings. Second, he would secure the way back home so they could live the rest of their lives in peace. Third, he made a firm promise to return to his sister.
Gale pushed down a venomous thought. He couldnât entertain the idea that⦠maybe he didnât have to return. With his mind made up, he strode towards the restaurant where heâd left Aaron. Not seeing her outside, he opened the door and walked in. What he saw instantly destroyed any composure heâd managed to build with their separation.
Standing next to a table holding a plate was his good buddy Aaron. Wearing a rather⦠alluring outfit. Galeâs face flushed red.