Chapter 120
“Was Yuli not afraid of the dark?”
After barely escaping the Haunted House, I had a moment to talk with the two who were resting. Given Yuli’s typically timid nature, I never imagined she would take on the role of a ghost, especially since that meant being in dark places for a while.
“Hehe… Well, with Linne and Selian by my side, and above all, it had a purpose, so I could endure it,” she replied.
Indeed, people grow. Yuli is steadily taking steps forward, just like this.
“So, did you achieve your goal?”
“Yeah! It was a bit short, which is a shame, but I feel satisfied with it!”
I’m glad Yuli was able to enjoy herself. When we first met at the beginning of the semester, she was quite timid, but now she’s wearing such a bright smile; it makes me proud to see her like this.
“How about you two? Enjoying your date?”
The word “date” made me flinch instinctively, being a forever single person who had never even been in a romantic relationship. However, I was now used to chatting with girls, so I casually brushed off their jokes.
Of course, being a guy does make me conscious when they talk about dating, but from the perspective of friends, it’s just a common banter among same-sex friends. If I were to show any signs of discomfort, it might raise suspicions.
It’s best to cut off any clues that could lead to even a hint of doubt about me.
“How could it not be fun, wandering around with a cute girl like Anne? Isn’t that right, Anne?”
Yet, contrary to my nonchalant attitude, Anne was blushing so red at Yuli’s joke that she looked like a tomato.
To be fair, I had been flustered just hearing the word “date” at first too.
Anyway, Anne is so adorable when she’s cheerfully joking around, but her face turns bright red in embarrassment when she’s the one being teased.
“…I think I can last until it’s my turn. You two go and enjoy the festival.”
Unlike Selian, who sounded like she’d received something, I didn’t bring anything special, so I was curious about this ‘thing’ she mentioned, but if it helps, I’m glad.
If I knew what ‘this thing’ was, I’d gladly give some back to Selian, but it might lead to me making empty claims, so I decided to let it slide.
“Then I’m off to finish my date with Anne! You two cheer up!”
I waved goodbye to the two, taking Yuli’s joke lightly.
“Hey, Anne, you should say goodbye too!”
In the midst of it all, Anne had her face buried in her hands again, as she was still blushing from Yuli’s joke.
I discreetly shook Anne’s hand to signal her, and she finally raised her other hand to wave at Yuli and Selian.
“…Well, tomorrow is my turn. See you tonight.”
Yuli’s voice was somewhere between disgruntled and pouting.
If they were working hard while we were playing around, it made sense for her to be annoyed.
I quickly took Anne outside so as not to bother the two.
“So, how was it? From your experience?”
As we stepped out of the tent, Lena came over to ask for our thoughts.
“The makeup was really realistic. Even the mighty Anne was scared, so it seems the academy students might fall for it too.”
“…Some people really lack intuition. Well, from the perspective of a spectator, it’s actually fun!”
“Huh? You say I’m lacking intuition? That’s just a joke.”
“…Elysia, you’re so consistent. Alright, let’s just call it a joke.”
Although I might seem casual, having been a former assassin, I could at least be confident in my intuition.
If an assassin doesn’t have a sense of timing, how can they even carry out an assassination?
Ignoring Lena’s confusing comments, I headed back into the festival with Anne to enjoy our date.
*
“Looks like the others would be back in their rooms now. Shall we head back?”
After coming out of the haunted house planned by my classmates, we wandered around enjoying the festival.
The morning sun we saw at the opening ceremony was now draping a red curtain across the sky, seemingly ready to take a break.
“Already?”
However, after wandering for a while, Anne still looked disappointed, as if she wasn’t tired at all.
“Sure, it’s a shame, but today is not the only day. The Celestial Festival is just beginning.”
“But… Wandering around the festival with El alone is going to be our last chance today.”
With her head hung low, Anne sulked, kicking the ground lightly with her toes.
I couldn’t resist her adorable pout, so I pulled her into a comforting hug.
I know I shouldn’t get used to hugging girls my age, but since I do it so often, now we both don’t feel uncomfortable at all.
In fact, Anne nestled into my embrace even more.
“Isn’t it a bit silly to think that the only festival is the Celestial Festival? And even if it weren’t, what does it matter? What’s important is being together. Next time we get the chance, let’s take it easy and wander around. I’ll surely visit your territory again during winter break like I did last summer.”
“Really! You promise? Don’t forget! Okay?”
With her face buried in my chest, Anne looked up at me with sparkling eyes.
The sadness that filled her eyes moments ago was now replaced with excitement.
“Okay, okay. The others are waiting too. Let’s hurry back.”
“Yeah! Hehe…”
Fortunately, given Anne’s simple, straightforward personality, I was able to cheer her up with just that simple promise.
It’s not a hard promise at all. I genuinely enjoy spending time with Anne, so it works out.
Hand in hand, I walked alongside the somewhat sulky Anne, returning to our room.
*
“Finally, it’s my turn. Let’s hurry up and get ready to go out.”
Though not as early as yesterday’s opening ceremony, Yuli woke me up early to pull me out of bed.
I turned my head slightly to see Anne still sound asleep, having kicked off her blanket, while Selian was already up tidying her bed.
Meanwhile, Linne, despite being a ghost, was yawning and rubbing her eyes.
“Ugh… It feels too early, but I understand Yuli’s feelings, so I’ll let it slide. Please don’t skip breakfast, both of you.”
“Hehe… Selian really understands my feelings.”
“Well, tomorrow is my turn. I can afford a little generosity.”
“Alright, alright. Now hurry up and wash up.”
With that, Yuli dragged me out of bed and shoved me into the bathroom.
I splashed some cold water on my face to wake myself up and lightly washed my hair as usual.
As I quickly dried off with a towel and stepped outside, I noticed Selian and Yuli having a conversation.
“Do you know the rules?”
“Of course. I remember, so don’t worry.”
“…It’s a bit concerning since it’s Yuli, but on the flip side, I can trust you because it’s you.”
“What are you two chatting about? What rules?”
As I approached carefully to avoid dripping water, they startled for a moment at my sudden appearance but quickly returned to their calm demeanor.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just something we promised among ourselves before.”
“Yeah, really nothing. You don’t need to worry about it. It’s totally unrelated to you!”
Somehow, it felt like they were excluding me, so I pout slightly in silent protest, but neither seemed willing to provide an explanation.
Tch. I tried to act a bit sulky, but they didn’t bite.
Well, even if they’re being secretive, there’s nothing harmful in their conversation, so I didn’t need to worry too much.
Soon enough, I shifted my focus from them and concentrated on drying my damp hair.
*
“So, where should we go first?”
“Well? Should we start with breakfast as Selian suggested?”
“How about that place? It’s a restaurant with its main branch in our territory, and I heard they opened a branch here. It should suit El’s taste.”
Yuli pointed to a nearby restaurant with her arm extended.
Not having any specific menu in mind for breakfast, I followed Yuli’s recommendation and stepped into the place.
The restaurant had a good number of people eating at tables, even early in the morning.
However, as we entered, we unexpectedly spotted a familiar face among all the customers.
“Father?”
“This… I was thinking of taking my time finding you, but I ended up running into you. How have you been, Yuli?”
A middle-aged man, sitting alone at the nearest table looking over the menu, was Yuli’s father, Craig, whom I’d heard would be visiting during the festival.
