episode_0190

fairy.

What is this fairy?

At least according to my knowledge, fairies were tiny little people who appeared only in fairy tales, flying in the sky with transparent wings and casting magic while sprinkling white powder.

So, does that mean that the fairy exists here now?

I looked around quickly.

But all that comes into view is a wide open tennis court.

At best, there was just a tennis ball rolling around on the floor.

“Fairy?”

“As expected. I wasn’t seeing things wrong!”

The boy said this and jumped up from his seat.

The sparkling eyes told us how excited the child was.

The boy put down the racket he was holding and slowly walked around me.

I frowned at his appearance, which seemed to be admiring a work of art.

“A fairy? Me?”

“Yes! You came down with the moonlight that day!”

The boy’s words brought back memories from a few days ago.

The boy holding the tennis racket in his hand looked familiar. It was the tennis boy I had met several times at the house where I stayed on assignment.

The boy was purely delighted.

“Sorry, I’m not a fairy.”

“Yes! I know! You have to keep it a secret from humans, right?”

“Ah…”

I turned my head away to avoid the boy’s burdensome gaze.

The boy’s attitude, as if he were living in a fairy tale, bothered me.

I hid behind Shine’s back as she approached.

“Two fairies…!”

The boy looked at Shine and felt happy again.

In his eyes, the two of us looked like fairies.

He came down with the moonlight. Of course, he had looked down at the boy under the moonlight that day, but it seemed that the image was vividly engraved in his mind.

“What is this guy?”

Shine glared at the boy with her arms crossed, as if she didn’t like the boy.

At the intense gaze, the boy flinches and steps back.

“Oh. Sorry. We were too close… Fairies hate humans…”

“Well, you’re still a bit perceptive.”

Shine nodded at the boy’s attitude and said.

It seemed as if she didn’t care that people called her a fairy.

“You…”

Appleton spoke as if he knew the boy.

“Do you know who it is?”

“Our, no, our school’s representative tennis player… Hey…”

From what I heard from Appleton, he seemed to be a representative elementary school tennis player.

“Are you practicing alone?”

“Yes! I still lack skills, so I have to practice all day to catch up with my seniors.”

The boy answered my question bravely.

“Hey. Why do you think we’re fairies?”

“That’s right…!”

The boy began to describe the fairies he knew.

It started with an old story he heard from his mother.

It was said that the fairy who came out from there had white hair and came down to the earth with the moonlight.

The story of a fairy who infiltrates humans and lives with them, hiding her mission to make them happy.

It flowed from the boy’s mouth.

The story itself wasn’t bad, but the problem was that the boy believed it was real.

When I asked her age, she was 11 years old, one year younger than us.

That means 4th grade.

Not wanting to break the child’s innocence, I took a step back with an awkward smile.

The boy’s kindness was pure.

A look like you’re looking at your favorite star.

The gazes that were filled with pure kindness didn’t feel bad.

Shine seemed to feel the same way, and although she had a reluctant expression on her face, she didn’t push it away.

“Jeff looks like a fairy?”

“Yes!”

“Are fairies beautiful?”

“Yes!”

“There are eyes to see.”

Shine nodded to the boy’s words.

“I want to hear the fairy’s name! My name is Felix!”

The boy who introduced himself as Felix asked with shining eyes.

I exchanged glances with Shine.

Shine nodded.

It seemed like it didn’t matter at all if I told them my name.

“I’m Jeff. This is Shine. And this is Lane and Appleton.”

I introduced our names to Felix.

He repeated our names in small voices, as if trying not to forget them.

“If there’s anything I can do to help, just ask! I’ll help you to the best of my ability.”

Will the day ever come when this little boy can help us?

I nodded.

“Okay, let me know if you need help.”

Felix started practicing again with that finished.

He was serious about tennis.

Even though his favorite fairy is by his side, his practice doesn’t stop.

Passion flows like sweat as he swings his racket.

It was a nice sight.

I sat on a nearby bench and watched him.

“Aren’t 4th graders in another class right now?”

“They say that the representative players can practice without attending class. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone actually practice all day…”

Appleton, the knowledgeable guy here, was always available to answer any questions I had.

As expected, it was a really excellent choice to have her as a friend.

I sat Rain on my lap and closed my eyes, feeling the cool breeze.

A pleasant breeze, moderate sunlight, and the soft scent of rain helped me fall into a deep sleep.

“Are you going to sleep again?”

“Yeah. No, I just feel good.”

I shook my head in response to Shine.

It was the perfect environment for a nap, but gym class would be over soon.

Then I guess I should eat lunch.

Lunch was important to me.

Shine, who had been watching tennis for a long time, muttered in a small voice.

“You think that’s cool?”

It might not be easy for a little girl to understand the glamour of sports.

I smiled slightly and stroked Shine’s hair.

Shine glanced at me with a cold expression, then soon leaned her head on my hand.

I took out my cell phone, checked the time, and got up from my seat.

Class will be over soon.

“Let’s go back now.”

“Yeah.”

So we got up from our seats and left the tennis court.

Behind me, I could still hear Felix practicing.

I felt bad for disturbing you while you were so absorbed in it, so I didn’t even say hello.

“What’s for lunch today?”

As I was smiling broadly at the thought of having lunch, I was able to recall one fact.

I had to spend lunch with Shandroy.

We eat a delicious meal and talk about school and what can be improved.

That’s roughly what the routine was like.

But then I wouldn’t be able to eat with Appleton.

I texted Shandroy and told him I was going to have dinner with a friend.

“Is Appleton a restaurant or a lunch box?”

“Ah…”

Appleton looked surprised at my question, as if he didn’t know we would all be eating together.

“Why are you so surprised? Friends eat together.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the bell rang indicating the end of class.

I smiled slightly and held out my hand.

There’s so much to this school.

They even sold lunch boxes separately for students who didn’t want to eat at the cafeteria.

So the story was that no matter what Appleton chooses, we can still eat together.

“Me, I…! Lunchbox…”

Appleton spoke with difficulty.

I nodded to her words.

Today’s lunch has been decided as a packed lunch.

After going to the locker room to change clothes, we headed to the stand selling packed lunches.

There were several packed lunch boxes in luxurious packaging, and a pleasant-looking female clerk was standing behind the counter.

“Hello!”

I walked up to him and greeted him vigorously.

The height of the counter was not high, perhaps with the students in mind.

I hung on the counter and looked at the menu inside, wondering what to do.

“Even if you worry about it so much, you’re still going to choose pork cutlet in the end, right?”

Shine spoke with her arms crossed behind my back.

I nodded with a small smile at her words.

Her words were correct.

I ordered a pork cutlet lunch box.

Shine chose the same thing as me, and Rain chose the hamburger steak lunch box.

In this way, the lunch boxes for three were completed.

I looked back at Appleton, holding my lunchbox in my arms.

She was biting her lip with a slightly pale expression.

“Why?”

“Ah. Yeah. It’s nothing.”

Appleton, who had been opening his mouth as if he had something to say, let out a small sigh and slumped his shoulders.

We went back to class with Appleton.

To the fifth grade classroom.

As I entered the classroom, the voices of the children who had been chattering suddenly stopped.

I could see Appleton’s gaze was focused on one place at that moment.

A group of students were gathered together, and they were all holding lunch boxes.

“Uh. Are you with those guys…”

“No! No! No! ”

I opened my mouth, hoping to hear something, but Appleton shook his head urgently and said,

Immediately afterwards, she walked to her seat with such naturalness and took out her lunch box from her bag.

Her lunch box was a small size.

Since people with abilities have a high basal metabolic rate, even children eat a lot.

So my doubts are natural.

She’s definitely a capable person, but is it okay if she just eats that?

“Is that Appleton’s lunch box?”

“Ugh… I usually only eat a little.”

When I asked her about her lunch box, she nodded and answered.

I cast my gaze behind Appleton.

The students who had been gathered together were scattering.

“Appleton.”

“Yeah…”

Appleton looked listless.

I reached out and grabbed her hand tightly.

The girl’s small hands wiggle in my palm.

I put my fingers between hers, making sure that her hand wouldn’t slip out.

“Do you know a good place to have lunch?”

Appleton flinched as he tried to pull his hand away when I asked him my question, but his clasped hands would not loosen.

I pulled her hand closer and asked her again.

“Where do you think would be good?”

The face comes closer.

I wonder if I pulled her too close, but when I see her eyes shaking with confusion, a smile comes out.

I blew a little wind on her face and smiled.

Appleton’s face turned red like an apple.

“Huh? What do you like?”

“Ahhh…”

Appleton floundered, unable to answer.

While I was enjoying her reaction for a moment, Shine suddenly intervened.

I forcibly released Appleton’s hand, which I was holding, and took hold of his empty hand with my own.

Shine grabbed Appleton and me with both hands and dragged us out of the classroom.

“I told you not to laugh like that.”

Shine whispered in my ear as she left the classroom.

I shook my head at her words.

“No. This was the laugh that Shine told me not to do.”

I gave her a smile.

It was a smile that he only occasionally showed to Shine, Rain, and Amy.

The eyes widen slightly and the corners of the mouth slightly rise.

And I look at it with affection.

This was the smile she told me not to show to anyone.

“Ugh!”

Shine grabbed my heart with laughter.