Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 223: Unwelcome Feelings

Laxus was great at giving compliments.

Mr. Bunny would surely be happy to receive such high praise...

As Rocco smiled to himself, lost in thought, Sylas suddenly muttered in a serious tone.

"...Rocco. You’re not seriously... interested in that bastard Laxus, are you?"

"Huh?"

Rocco stopped dead in his tracks.

W-What did he just say?

D-Did he just ask if he liked Laxus?!

What was he even talking about?!

Sure, Rocco adored Laxus as a friend, but not in that way!

Not even a little bit!

Not even a tiny bit!

Absolutely not—um, probably not...

Muttering frantic denials under his breath, Rocco’s face turned bright red.

Sylas looked down at him, his brows slightly furrowed, a faint yet unmistakable sadness in his expression.

"Lately, all you do is talk about Laxus. Even now, all you can think about is wanting to see him. I assumed you had feelings for him."

"F-F-F-Feelings?! N-No way, I mean, that’s not...!"

Rocco’s eyes widened in panic, his entire body trembling.

What was with Sylas all of a sudden?

It was like he was completely convinced that Rocco had feelings for Laxus...

Sylas rarely pressed like this, and the intensity of it made Rocco shrink back.

Seeing Sylas’s quiet, sorrowful expression, Rocco hesitated for a few seconds before suddenly inhaling sharply.

His face went pale.

—W-Wait.

No way.

Could it be that Sylas... has feelings for Laxus?!

"Lately, it’s always about that bastard. I can hardly sleep at night, worrying he might take you away. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind just killing him at this point—what do you think?"

...Oh.

So not that kind of feeling, then.

"T-That would be bad, I think..."

Rocco stammered while clutching his Mr. Bunny tightly.

Mr. Bunny, too, seemed to tremble ever so slightly.

Well, one thing was clear—Sylas held no romantic interest in Laxus.

The pure, unfiltered loathing in his expression made that much obvious.

Rocco let out a small breath—only to suddenly freeze.

...Wait.

Why was he suddenly feel relieved?

Sylas not liking Laxus shouldn’t be something to feel relieved about.

There was no reason for him to—

"...! N-No, no, NOOOO!"

"Rocco!? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?!"

Feeling like he was on the verge of realizing something very dangerous, Rocco couldn’t help but let out a scream.

No, this isn’t right.

This is definitely not right...!

Yes, something—anything—about this is just wrong!

Laxus was a precious friend.

Sylas was a beloved big brother.

The two of them were an inseparable, the bickering duo with an unbreakable bond, and Rocco was nothing more than the former villainous second son who is now content to quietly watch over them.

And besides, they were still within the timeline of the original story.

The last thing he needed was to mess up the relationship chart any further or throw the plot into chaos.

The narrative was already off-track, with even an unknown mastermind making an unexpected appearance.

The safest move was to do nothing.

Yes, he absolutely had to avoid making things worse.

So—

"Big Brother! I love both you and Laxus! Equally! I love you both so much!"

"A-Ah...? Is that so...?"

"Yes! That’s all it is! I just love you both! That’s it!"

Mmmph!

He declared it with finality, panting slightly from exertion.

Here, that should settle things.

He had told himself the truth, so now it was real!

As Rocco wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to steady his breath, Sylas looked down at him with a slightly puzzled expression.

His brows lowered in clear confusion, and guilt pricked at Rocco’s chest.

Maybe he had overreacted...

Seeing Sylas’s bewildered face helped Rocco calm down.

Enough.

Today, he wasn’t going to think about Laxus.

No, he would forget about Laxus entirely.

He was going to enjoy a fun day with Sylas.

Yes, that was the plan!

Maybe they could head to a café next—

Just as he made up his mind, the worst possible thing happened.

A chance encounter, at the most devastating moment.

—"...Laxus?"

Across the street, through the flow of people, Rocco caught sight of a flash of dark abyss black hair.

The hair that was as delicate as night.

A presence that was as fleeting as frost.

His breath hitched.

Sylas, hearing his murmured whisper, turned around to look as well.

Normally, Rocco wouldn’t hesitate to call out Laxus’s name or wave his hand enthusiastically.

But this time, he couldn’t.

Because today, Laxus wasn’t accompanied by his usual subordinates or attendants.

Instead, walking beside him was a woman Rocco had never seen before.

"Wh... Who is that...?"

His grip around Me. Bunny tightened instinctively.

Laxus, you idiot... What are you doing...?

No, no, this wasn’t that kind of thing.

Definitely not.

He was just... confused.

That’s all.

Yes, just confused.

That’s why he was shaking.

That’s why his arms trembled ever so slightly.

It wasn’t because he was frustrated—absolutely not because he felt anything like jealousy toward the incredibly beautiful woman standing next to Laxus.

That wasn’t it.

Not at all.

Nope.

Not even a little bit.

"R-Rocco... are you... crying?"

Sylas’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

Blinking rapidly, Rocco looked down at the poor, squished Mr. Bunny in his arms.

Huh?

Wait, what did Sylas just say?

When he lifted his gaze, he saw Sylas staring at him, his expression now tinged with worry.

And then, Rocco finally realized—

The reflection in Sylas’s eyes showed him.

Himself.

The tears streaming silently down his cheeks.

"N-No... I-I’m not crying..."

Why would he?

It was just a friend’s... date scene.

That’s all it was.

So why?

Why wouldn’t the tears stop?

Why was his body trembling, his face burning red?

Why had his cheeks gone slack, as if he had suddenly lost all strength?

What was wrong with him?

"Ugh... uuuu...!"

Sylas who is panicked quickly scooped Rocco into his arms and patting his back in a soothing rhythm.

Over his shoulder, across the street, Rocco searched for a familiar figure.

But—

By the time his tear-filled eyes found the spot again, Laxus—along with the stunning woman at his side—was already gone.

"...Ugh... ugh... bwaaahhh!"

And with that, Rocco finally broke down completely.