Now that the fear was gone, Mina found herself simply curious about Mika.
Not why he had come here, not what his mission was, but him, the person who went out of his way to make her feel better. She wanted to know more.
Who he really was. What kind of man could tease her to the point of tears and then make her laugh in the same breath.
But even with this new curiosity, she felt shy. Nervous. The words she wanted to say were tangled up in her throat.
She was just about to force herself to start some kind of conversation when Mika suddenly extended his hand toward her, palm open, as if expecting something.
"What is this?" She blinked at it, completely thrown off. "What are you doing?"
He raised an eyebrow, lips twitching with amusement.
"You don't know what a handshake is?" He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hmm...I guess that makes sense. Maybe they're not common here. There are plenty of places where—"
"It's not like that!" Mina cut in, puffing her cheeks in a pout. "I'm not stupid! I know what a handshake is!"
Mika's brows rose slightly in surprise, and she crossed her arms with a triumphant little glare.
"Even if you come from some higher civilization, and I'm just from a small village, I still know what a handshake is. I've seen my father do it with the other men in the village plenty of times."
She nodded sharply like she was telling him not to look down on her and he chuckled at her defiance, but she wasn't finished.
"It's just…" She glanced at his hand again, a little hesitantly. "I wasn't expecting you to give me one. That's what the men here do with other adults. Women don't really do it, even when they're grown up. So why…?"
She tilted her head, her voice softening with curiosity.
"Why are you giving me a child, a girl that gesture?"
"Well, that's where you're wrong, Mina." Mika shook his head slowly, smiling. "Let me tell you the truth that a handshake isn't just for men. It's for two people who respect one another, greeting each other on equal terms."
"...And even though you're still a child, in my eyes you're someone who deserves a handshake."
"Huh?" Her eyes widened, lips parting in awe. "R-Really? You really think I deserve one?"
"Of course...You most definitely do."
Mika said without hesitation and in response Mina's voice turned almost wistful.
"You know...I've always tried to act like an adult in the village. I want to be taken seriously, but everyone treats me like I'm just a little baby. They coddle me all the time. I hate it."
She looked at him earnestly.
"But you...Do you really think I'm...not a child?"
He chuckled and shook his head.
"Oh, you're definitely a child. Not an adult, not yet."
She frowned in slight disappointment, but he continued before she could protest.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you didn't act like a child earlier. You acted with maturity that far surpassed your age when you confronted me."
"When the rest of the village was too afraid to say a word, you were the only one brave enough to step forward."
"You took the responsibility of your people into your own hands, and that's something adults are supposed to do...That's why I respect you."
Her eyes tightened slightly at his words, a quiet warmth blooming in her chest.
"And more than that..." Mika went on. "...you didn't just blindly trust your God, you thought for yourself. You wanted to protect your village. That's not just respectable. That's dignified."
Then, to her surprise, he crouched down until he was at her level and extended his hand once more.
"So it doesn't matter if you're a woman or a child. A person like you deserves a handshake. And honestly, I'm the one who should be honored to shake the hand of such a dignified young lady."
Mina just stared at him for several seconds, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. The Chosen One, the man sent by the God herself, was lowering himself to her level, saying he was honored.
Her heart swelled with pride and just a bit of childish smugness. Finally, she lifted her chin, puffed her chest out, and said.
"Well...since you're going out of your way to come down to my level, of course I'll return the gesture." She took his hand firmly, gripping it as tightly as she could to show her strength.
"My name is Mina." She declared proudly. "Granddaughter of the village head, and the future head of the village myself! One day, I'm going to bring this place to great heights and pull everyone back from ruin."
Mika's smile widened, his grip warm but not overbearing.
"And I am Mika." He replied with a chuckle. "The Chosen One your God decided to send. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Mina looked at him for a heartbeat longer than she intended. And only now, seeing him up close, did she notice the sharp lines of his jaw, the way the sunlight caught in his eyes, and the ease in his expression.
He's...actually kind of handsome, she realized, something she definitely hadn't paid attention to earlier when everything had been tense.
And then there was the fact that he was still holding her hand.
The thought hit her suddenly, making her heart give a quick, startled flutter. She quickly pulled her hand back, almost as if she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.
Mika tilted his head, a hint of concern flickering across his face. "What's wrong? Did I do something to offend you?"
Mina quickly shook her head.
"I-It's not like that." She said, glancing down and shifting her weight. Then, in a much quieter, shy tone, she admitted. "It's just...that was the first time I've ever held hands with another boy. I guess I got a little embarrassed when I thought about it."
For a moment, Mika just blinked at her, and then a grin broke out, followed by a laugh.
"You know..." He said. "A moment ago you were acting so much like a brave adult that even I was a little intimidated. And now you made me realise that..." He chuckled again as he straightened to his full height. "...you really are just a child at the end of the day."
Her cheeks puffed up in protest.
"I am not a child! Stop calling me that!"
She declared, though there was no real anger in her voice. In fact, when he teased her like that, it felt...nice. Warm, even.
If her parents or anyone else in the village called her a child, she would've snapped back right away, bristling at the thought.
But with Mika, the words didn't sting, they almost felt like a strange kind of praise…