What I Wish For

After the meal, only Luna and I remained in the club room.

Aria dashed off to enjoy the last festival with Kane, saying they were going to eat dessert, and Lacar left, saying he had a date to meet Elena.

While tidying up the club room, I was subtly calculating the timing to strike up a conversation with Luna.

Luna finished tidying up and leaned back on the sofa.

As I sat next to her, Luna naturally leaned her head on my shoulder as if she had been waiting for it.

“You worked hard, Ross.”

“Thanks.”

There had been many times when we were alone in the club room. But today, I felt a strange feeling for no reason.

I was acting distracted for no reason, and I was conscious of Luna’s every little action.

I could hear Luna’s even breathing. I could see her chest moving every time she exhaled, so I observed the pattern of the wallpaper in the club room for no reason.

As Aria said, the wallpaper felt a bit old-fashioned.

“Now that the duel is over… what should we do now?”

I swallowed hard at the sudden words.

I felt like I swallowed louder than I thought, so I scratched my forehead feeling awkward for no reason.

What did she mean by that? My head desperately conjures up possibilities. Maybe, maybe…!

Strange delusions came to mind. Come to think of it, I think I heard that the reward would be postponed.

As I kept my mouth shut, thinking it might be that, Luna’s voice came as if urging me to make a decision.

“Ross… is there anything you want to do?”

Of course, there is. But it wasn’t easy to bring out what was lingering in my mouth. What if I was wrong? What if that wasn’t the answer Luna wanted…?

I couldn’t even imagine Luna looking at me with contempt for making the wrong choice.

“Pfft….”

The sudden laughter barely pulled my consciousness out of the swamp of thoughts. I belatedly realized that I was being teased by Luna, who was looking at me and holding back her laughter.

“Ross, you pervert.”

I gave a hollow smile at Luna’s playful voice. Unable to refute those words, I licked my lips, and Luna gave me a short kiss on the cheek.

As the corners of my mouth went up without me realizing it at the soft touch on my cheek, Luna started laughing again.

I thought Luna’s emotions were usually well expressed on her face. But I guess that wasn’t just my thought, Luna stopped laughing and asked me.

“Ross, there’s something you really want to say to me, isn’t there.”

At Luna’s words, reading the thoughts revealed on my face, I had to wipe my face once.

Looking into her beautiful jewel-like blue eyes looking at me, I finally asked the hesitant question.

“Luna, are you having a hard time these days?”

I think there’s a reason why you hid Bella’s offer about the cheating test from me. I start with those words.

At my cautious question, Luna smiled prettily and shook her head slightly.

“I’m very happy right now?”

Saying that with a voice full of sincerity, Luna, who was hugging me, looked genuinely happy.

Luna, who buried her face in my arms like a cat and smiled happily, looked like she was about to make a happy, purring sound.

I wondered for a moment if Ellie had lied to me.

But after the survival test. Luna was clearly struggling for a while because she didn’t get good grades on the test.

Covering up painful things may be a way to live, but I can’t stand to see the heart of a loved one scarred.

“I heard from Ellie today. Bella said she would guarantee you the top spot.”

Luna’s body in my arms flinched greatly. From that reaction, I could be sure that Ellie hadn’t lied.

Luna’s words that she was happy were not lies. That smile was not the kind that could be faked.

She just didn’t associate what happened with Bella with me. No, she couldn’t associate it.

She might have just blamed herself for being unlucky and being targeted by Bella.

The way she lowered her gaze and fidgeted with her fingers as if she had done something terribly wrong….

It was as if a corner of my heart had been swept away somewhere and hurt, it was stinging.

As I stroked Luna’s back without a word, Luna clutched her skirt and answered with a faltering voice.

“Yeah… that, that’s right. Bu, but I rejected the offer….”

Was she afraid that I would doubt her? I sighed without realizing it at the sight of her glancing at me as if she was watching my mood, then lowering her gaze.

Not knowing how she interpreted it, Luna pursed her lips and looked up at me.

Seeing her eyes full of tears, I hugged Luna tightly right away, fearing that she might misunderstand.

“I know, you rejected the offer and were ganged up on during the survival test. If you had accepted Bella’s offer, that wouldn’t have happened.”

As I stroked Luna’s hair as if to comfort her, Luna, who had buried her face in my arms, began to shake her shoulders.

Just in case, I lowered my gaze and checked Luna’s face, which was lowered, and as expected, she was biting her lip tightly and only shedding tears.

She must have felt wronged and had a hard time. She wouldn’t have been able to understand the Crown Princess suddenly offering to cheat, and it would have been even harder to confide this problem to me, a commoner.

“It’s okay, Luna. I can solve everything. I promise.”

As I stroked Luna’s back, Luna comforted me instead with a tearful voice.

“I’m, I’m afraid Ross might get involved and get hurt because of me….”

“It’s okay, trust me.”

Who is worried about whom? You’re the one who got hurt because of me. For a while, I stroked Luna’s back as she sobbed in my arms.

After a while, Luna, who raised her head with a sniffling sound, said with a cute face with the boundary of her upper lip turned red from crying.

“El, Ellie did well on the test on her own, unlike me… I, I couldn’t do that….”

When Ellie’s name came up, I finally understood the strange reaction Luna had been showing.

Luna felt inferior to Ellie, who was breaking through Bella’s scheme with her own strength.

“…You don’t have to be like that.”

Luna, who didn’t understand my mumbling, sniffled and tilted her head without realizing it.

That appearance was so lovely that I raised my hand to wipe away her tears and gently touched my lips to hers. Her lips were warmer and softer than usual.

“Don’t worry. Unlike Ellie, you have me.”

Luna’s ears turned bright red at my words.

Feeling shy, Luna pursed her lips and watched my mood, and when I was just looking at her, she slightly touched her lips to mine.

“…I love you, Ross.”

Seeing Luna smiling prettily with tearful eyes, I couldn’t help but hug Luna. The hollow back of her head was, as expected, fun to stroke.

“Please tell me if anything like this happens in the future. I’m your lover. We can share hard times and happy times together.”

At my words, I heard a small, tearful voice as if suppressing joy.

“Yeah… Ross, tell me everything if you have a hard time too. Tell me everything you want from me, even the smallest things. I’m also your lover….”

Wanting to not lose to me, I was happy with Luna’s heart that took care of me even while crying, but on the other hand, a mischievous playfulness raised its head.

“Actually… there’s one thing that’s hard.”

“Uh-huh…? Wh, what is it…?”

Luna, who was flustered as if she didn’t think I would say it right away, raised her head from my arms and looked up at me.

Controlling my twitching lips at that lovely sight, I silently brought Luna’s head, which I had been stroking, closer to me.

“Not being able to smell this scent every day!!!”

As I deliberately made a loud *heungka heungka* sound and buried my nose in the crown of Luna’s head, Luna tried to escape from my arms as if having a seizure.

“Euaaah! D, don’t do it!!!”

I laughed for a long time at the sight of Luna desperately raising her hand to block the crown of her head.

Luna, who was clearly angry at my prank, pouted her lips, got out of my arms, and turned her back on me.

In the end, I had to hug Luna, appease her, and apologize for a long time…. But that was also a good thing.

I didn’t want to see Luna looking depressed.

You might think that my actions are not serious, but I was happier seeing Luna smile than watching her cry.

Smiling happily by my side.

That was the only thing I wanted from Luna.

*

I met Ellie at the promised time. I was worried about leaving Luna alone, but fortunately, Aria and Kane returned to the club room with desserts in both hands.

I sighed and said, glancing sideways at Ellie, who was watching my mood.

“I’m going to find Roel.”

“N, now?”

Ellie looked frightened, perhaps because she was flustered by the sudden words. I lowered my voice a little and said.

“Yeah, and there’s something I want you to do.”

Ellie nodded weakly at my words.

“What is it…?”

“While I’m talking to Roel, don’t say anything and just stay by my side.”

Ellie gave me a puzzled look at my words.

“Trust me. When all the stories with Roel are over, you’ll step aside. At that time, tell Roel what you’ve been through and convey your feelings for Roel. Without lies, your complete sincerity.”

And I added, as if warning.

“No matter what I say, you absolutely must not interfere. Keep my memories a secret too. Then everything will be resolved.”

“Yeah, I got it. I’ll trust you.”

Nodding at Ellie’s energetic nod, I moved my steps to where Roel was.