Chapter 26: Date

Ｒｅ​ａｄ​ ｏ​ｎ Ｋ​ａｔＲｅａｄｉｎｇＣａｆ​ｅ

Reluctantly, I followed Sugar.

She said it was to change the mood, which felt suspicious, but I followed her anyway.

However, the path was strange.

She paused at the tree in the backyard where we usually meet, then climbed over the orphanage wall. Sugar has always been good at climbing trees, but after learning to manipulate magic, she became even faster.

“Hurry up and climb.”
“Where are we going…?”
“I told you. To change the mood.”
“So, where exactly?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”

And so, we climbed over the wall and left the premises. We walked through the old, damp slums, heading in a familiar direction.

This was definitely the path we took to the bustling streets when I first met Louveci. A few more blocks, and we’d be there.

“Why here…? If we’re going out, why not use the main gate?”
“That wouldn’t be fun. There’s no thrill in sneaking out if we use the main gate.”
“This is ridiculous…”

Even if we went out, there wasn’t much we could do. We basically had no money. We couldn’t buy food or nice clothes, so no matter where we went, we’d always be met with disdain. Beggars. Orphans.

If we had a human wallet like before, it might be different, but now we didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t want to see that person again, whether they were rich or not.

As I frowned, Sugar gestured ahead.

“Look. It’s mid-October… it’s in full swing.”

Come to think of it, there were more people than usual. Even from a distance, I could see the streetlights decorated with flowers and golden fabrics draped everywhere, making it look splendid.

Caught up in the festive atmosphere, Sugar sped up, and I had to run to keep up.

Stalls were selling ice cream, waffles, candies, and other treats, and the streets were filled with people dressed in their finest. Each face was lit with smiles, giving off the feeling that they were truly enjoying themselves.

What else could it be at this time of year but…

“The Harvest Festival!”

Riley also knew that the Harvest Festival took place around this time.

“So?”

I wasn’t particularly impressed.

“What do you mean, ‘so’? It’s a festival!”
“Yeah, it’s a festival. But what can we do?”

To reiterate, we had no money. No matter where we went, we wouldn’t be welcomed.

These festivals were for those who had something to enjoy. People like us, from the lower class, didn’t have the right to join in.

Even without saying it out loud, my indifferent attitude made my feelings clear.

Still, Sugar took my hand and pulled me along.

“What can we do? We can just enjoy the atmosphere!”

She turned to look at me, her face brimming with energy.

Her sparkling eyes. Her wide, excited smile. There was no resisting her. No matter what I said or how I scolded her, it would all bounce off. Plus, she had already grabbed my hand.

I gave up and silently followed where Sugar led.

The streets were filled with the melody of an accordion. Walking along the red brick road, there were all sorts of sights to see.

The sweet scent of food mixed with the autumn breeze, gently tickling my face and putting me in a good mood.

I glanced at my companion, hoping they felt the same, but their expression was blank.

Sugar had dragged me out, thinking it would help me shake off the recent bad mood and sleepless nights.

But, well, it didn’t seem like I was enjoying it much.

“Tommy, look over there. There’s a magic show.”
“Magician wannabes…”
“Hey. It’s impressive that they can even mimic it.”

Those people are probably just ordinary folks—I added silently, then shut my mouth.

Suddenly, gasps erupted from the other side, so I turned my head. Water droplets were floating in the air.

Under the magician’s command, the droplets scattered, gathered, turned into swans, then unicorns. They emitted dazzling colors, delighting the onlookers.

“Wow, can we do that too?”
“With practice.”
“So, it’s not easy.”
“Of course not. It requires such precise control… especially for you, it’d be really hard.”
“That’s a shame.”
“… Why? Do you want to try?”
“Yeah. Look over there.”

Following Sugar’s gesture, I saw a box full of money at the magician’s feet. Probably tossed in by the spectators as they came and went.

“I’m jealous…”
“…”

It’s been about 2000 years since the Saint spread magic throughout this world.

There was once a debate about whether using magic for mere entertainment was right or wrong, but it quickly died down when records showed that the Saint themselves enjoyed fireworks made with magic.

Still, Riley wasn’t thrilled that magic, which only the talented could use, was being employed for the amusement of ordinary people.

“… Do you want money?”

I could get enough to buy my sweet-toothed friend a snack.

I remembered how she devoured desserts when we went to a café before.

“No. It’s fine.”

But Sugar refused firmly.

Today was about cheering up her friend, not herself.

If she wanted money, she’d earn it herself. She couldn’t rely on her friend’s help. Besides, it didn’t seem like her friend was enjoying the atmosphere much, so it wouldn’t be right to make them work for it.

With that in mind, she looked at me with fiery eyes, and I averted my gaze.

Sugar was frustrated.

‘How can I make him happy…?’

She knew how to make him angry or yell, but making him smile was a mystery.

A hug? That was comforting, not uplifting.

She thought just getting out, feeling the breeze, and watching people would help, but it was harder than she thought.

Come to think of it, she could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen this friend smile. She thought if she smiled more, her friend might follow suit, but it wasn’t that easy.

Especially lately, her friend had been gloomy and irritable, making it even harder to figure out.

As she sighed softly, lost in thought, she noticed a crowded area and looked over.

People were dancing in the square. They were all dressed in beautiful clothes, spinning around with flowers in their hair.

Among them, a girl dancing in the center stood out. Despite her youthful face, her figure was so curvaceous that it naturally elicited a “Wow…” of admiration.

Her wave-like movements accentuated her curves even more, making it hard for anyone to pass by without stopping to look.

“Hey, Tommy. Look at that girl. She’s really pretty.”

Such a rare sight should be appreciated while it lasts. Even in that modest outfit, oh my. Every time she twirled, her chest—wow.

As Sugar stared in awe, Riley also looked up and glanced over.

Not long after, Riley’s gaze shifted back to Sugar.

“…That’s about it.”

Riley muttered while lowering their head again. Hearing that, Sugar couldn’t help but chuckle.

Sugar clicked her tongue at her friend, who already had high standards, but Riley’s eyes were only fixed on one person.

“You’re still young. You shouldn’t be like that already.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, I’m quite pretty myself. Seeing me every day must have raised your standards.”
“…What?”
“I’m pretty, you know.”

She pointed at herself and laughed, leaving Riley utterly speechless.

Deep down, Riley acknowledged that Sugar was decent-looking, but her blatant confidence was baffling.

“Have you lost your mind? No, you’ve always been weird…”
“Who was it that went out with the director every day? Me. Who always made your cheeks turn red? Me. Go on, try to argue.”
“W-when did I ever… make my cheeks turn red?”

Riley clenched their teeth and protested, but further rebuttals seemed impossible. They trembled, unable to say anything more. After all, they’d been through a lot because of her.

This and that. That and this.

“Isn’t it all because I’m pretty?”

Sugar tilted her head at a peculiar angle and raised the corner of her mouth, wearing a smug expression.

Just as it seemed like she was about to start something, she quickly changed her expression.

‘This won’t do…’

They came out to lift the mood, not to irritate Riley. It was a bad habit.

Sugar lightly tapped her own cheeks and immediately grabbed Riley’s hand.

“Sorry, Tommy. I forgot the plan for today.”

After causing trouble and then apologizing, she smiled brightly, which only annoyed Riley more.

Holding Riley’s hand tightly, she led the way, making it impossible for Riley to shake her off. All Riley could do was grumble. The sweat forming in their clasped hands only added to the irritation.

As they walked down the street together, something caught their attention.

“…Huh?”

An elderly woman was bent over in the middle of the crowd. Squinting to assess the situation, Sugar ran over.

“Tommy, wait a moment…… Grandma! What are you looking for?”

Riley, who didn’t want to get involved with strangers, was about to say, “Let’s just go,” but Sugar put a finger to her lips, signaling Riley to stay put.

“Ah… I think I lost my wallet… but there are so many people, it’s hard to find.”
“Oh.”

Sugar immediately made a V-sign with her hands behind her back.

What’s that? Riley raised an eyebrow, not understanding her intentions, but decided to wait and see.

“Then I’ll help you find it. What does the wallet look like?”
“Hmm… it’s brown with white plum blossom embroidery…”
“Did you lose it around here?”
“I think so… but I can’t remember well…”
“Wait a moment.”
“You’re so kind…”

Sugar used her small frame to weave through the crowd.

Riley stood awkwardly near the grandmother, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold.

“…Is she your younger sister?”
“No.”
“Then your girlfriend?”
“Absolutely not.”
“She’s a cute girlfriend.”
“I said no.”
“It reminds me of my younger days. I’ve been with my husband since then…”
“Ah, I see…”

As they exchanged strange questions and answers, Sugar suddenly popped out from the crowd.

Her bright expression suggested good news. She waved her hands wildly as she ran over.

Watching her approach,

“You’re definitely dating…”

The grandmother’s cackling laughter reached Riley’s ears. Realizing their facial muscles had twitched, Riley must have been smiling.

It was ridiculous, so they laughed. That’s all.

Riley quickly hardened their expression before Sugar could notice.

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