I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

The plates clattered in our hands as we both stood side by side, our shoulders brushing against each other, and our hands submerged in warm water as we washed the dishes together.

—♪Hmmm~ Hmhmm♫

Standing beside me, Ruby was humming softly, swaying her body slightly with the rhythm.

I found myself smiling without even realizing it.

There was a kind of peaceful silence between us, after all that…

Her shoulder nudged mine as she rinsed a plate. "You know…"

She began, her tone was too casual.

"I've had a crush on you for a long time."

"...!"

I stiffened.

She noticed it, turning to me with a tiny, teasing grin, as if she was waiting for my reaction.

"You probably figured it out already, right?" she added. "But… I've liked you for, like, three years now."

And then she squealed, covering her cheeks. "A-and I can't believe we are actually…!"

My chest felt tight—but not in a bad way.

I remembered when we first met… at the Hero Association. I was fifteen when they brought me in, and she was around seventeen and a half… I guessed.

Back then, she was distant.

We didn't talk much until our joint training under our master started.

And after that, little by little, she opened up to me. I opened up to her.

She was my first friend.

I glanced at her, still rubbing the dishes. She turned toward me, shaking her head slightly with a smile. Her crimson hair stuck to the side of her face.

My hands were wet, otherwise I would've traced it back over her ear.

Instead, I just smiled back.

Her smile somehow made mine surface too.

Now that I think about it... when did I start feeling this way about her?

I looked at her again, watching the way she moved beside me, her hips swaying slightly to her hums, and the corners of her mouth still curved into that warm smile.

I must've zoned out, because the next moment, Ruby tilted her head. "What…?"

"Hm?"

"You've been staring at me for a while," she said, pouting adorably.

I gulped. "…Nothing. I was just thinking when I started falling for you."

"Wha—!" She quickly looked away, her cheeks flaring up.

Cute.

Still flustered, she mumbled, "For me… it was when you first talked to me."

My eyes widened.

Doesn't that mean… love at first sight?

"It was love at first sight," she snapped back with a huff, catching my thoughts. "That day, I saw the world with new eyes."

Then, looking down at her hands, she whispered, "You're the reason I wanted to get this strong."

She chuckled after that, then nudged me with her elbow. "Hehe, I still remember your crying face."

I paused. "Oi—! That was when I was fifteen! I'm an adult now."

Then smirking a bit, I added,

"Besides… you cry more than I do these days."

Her hands stopped moving.

"…I only do that in front of you," she said quietly.

"Crying is something you only do in front of the one who holds your heart."

My hands paused over a plate.

"T-then, I'm lucky to be that person for you."

"Heehee," she giggled. "No… thank you for making me feel like the luckiest girl alive today."

We didn't say anything after that. Just quietly finished washing the dishes, side by side.

When the last dish was done, we dried our hands and stepped out of the kitchen together.

…

Returning to the main room, I glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was 12 A.M. Midnight.

"Gosh," Ruby muttered in front of me, "Look at the time."

I was just as surprised as her.

We didn't realize how quickly the hours had passed—we had nearly spent the entire evening together.

But as she stood there, facing me, I noticed something else.

Her hands kept brushing over her skirt, fingers tracing what looked like a small box hidden beneath the fabric.

Noticing me staring, she let out a sigh and spoke.

"Zane."

My eyes quickly rose to meet her face.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, I saw seriousness there.

"Hm?" I replied softly.

"This is about us…" she said, voice steady, gaze not wavering.

I already had a good idea what she was about to say—but I stayed silent, letting her speak at her own pace.

"…As much as I want to do all those things a normal couple would do… but…"

She stopped herself. Her eyes fell, avoiding mine for a moment.

Her fingers clenched. She looked back at me again.

She was trying. Really trying.

Still so young, and yet she had achieved so much at such an age.

Rank-7 Hero. Headmistress of an entire academy.

At her age, any other girl would have loved to just hold hands, go shopping, laugh at cafés with her partner every weekend…

But our reality was different.

She wasn't just a girl in love—she was a known figure. A single-ranked hero.

The headmistress of the place where I was still a student.

Funny, right?

I chuckled softly at her expression, then met her eyes again.

"It's fine," I said. "I don't really mind."

Our situation forced us to live like this.

I was a former Rank-1 Hero, someone declared dead by the Hero Association. She was a girl whose entire childhood had been stolen by the same organization.

It was a harsh truth.

We were used as tools. Nothing more.

The Association sent us into missions whenever they pleased, without ever asking us what we wanted.

We both knew we were strong.

But even with all that power… we never dared to rebel.

I'd always asked myself—

Why didn't I oppose the Hero Association?

What exactly was I afraid of?

They didn't even know what I looked like.

So why?

But tonight, looking at the girl standing before me… I found the answer.

She was the reason.

She was why I followed every order, never spoke back, never disobeyed. Why I kept fighting, endlessly, without pause or any rest.

Because I knew, If I went against them… they would hurt her.

And they knew that too. They knew I cared for her. Just like she cared for me.

Maybe she had the same fear buried inside her.

She too was afraid to resist, afraid to fight back, because she didn't want them hurting the only person she held close.

Even if that person was once worshiped as the strongest in the world. Because…

…even the strongest can fall. And when they do, the shattered pieces never fit back the way they used to.

Hm?

To my surprise, Ruby's eyes went wide.

She came close to me, her face just infront of mine, as I felt her breathing brushing on my lips.