As the airship landed, it became lively as the crew began to unload the ship. The area they landed was quite spacious and open—but it didn’t seem like the port he’d seen from above the sky.
When the airship entered a particular part of the city, it had become clear that this part was an illusion to the outside—in reality, this was a military base far north of the city.
It was lush, and there were buildings here and there with the same characteristics as those in town. But they also appeared to be more reinforced with steel and had a utilitarian vibe instead of the cozy, rounded limestone look.
From what he’d seen from above, soldiers trained in a spacious outdoor facility—from the looks of it, they were likely newbies.
Suddenly, Luna tugged Alum’s sleeve. With a quick glance toward her, their eyes locked for a moment. As she softly gazed into his eyes, she let go. Alum nodded, and without a word, she turned and walked toward what seemed to be the HQ.
The others subtly looked. They were all still pretty ill from having entered the city barrier an hour ago, and some had gotten better. Though, Noel and Miu were fine—Miu was oddly for some reason.
Noel wore an amulet that regulated his mana so that the barrier didn’t affect him much except for his ability to use magic. Both the barrier and amulet had a magic suppression. Still, the amulet was more straightforward in its ability to seal the use of mana while the barrier prevented or destroyed spell attempts.
With Luna now out of sight, the expression of everyone relaxed noticeably. Even though the students didn’t care too much about status from where they came, it was entirely different now since they couldn’t afford to offend the party taking them in.
As for the soldiers, Luna was their princess and the commander of an elite squad. Even though Chely had a higher military position, she was more approachable than Luna, who they could only see from afar.
Thus, everyone paid close attention to Alum, who walked casually. With hands tugged in his pockets and an almost indifferent yet curious expression, he looked around like a kid exploring his new surroundings.
‘Psst, hey… don’t you think that guy is too casual?’ a soldier whispered as she walked behind the wanderers. ‘Though… the other wanderers seem to have not gotten used to the barrier…’ she added as a murky mood hung over the students.
‘Well, any unprepared traveler would feel ill,’ another responded. ‘As for him… he’s fatigued. It’s almost as if he could collapse any moment, but… how is he still on his feet?’
‘Uh-huh! That’s what I’m asking!’ she replied. ‘Oh, but what about the guy beside Hero Chely? He’s quite handsome, perhaps a little more than him…’ the girl commented, eying Noel from head to toe.
‘Eh… he’s your type?’ another girl joined in the conversation. Her expression was that of shock.
‘Mine is the girl with red eyes… such beautiful red eyes…’ a guy joined.
‘We didn’t ask you doof. But you’re right… and she has a nice figure…’ but as she said that, Miu suddenly held onto Alum’s sleeve, causing her heart to jump. ‘She… didn’t hear us, did she?’
‘…Look at what you’ve done! You’ve offended our guest!” one reprimanded as she pulled the elf girl’s ear.
‘Owww, oww, oww… s-sorry!’
—At the same time, Noel looked around curiously and happened to catch a glimpse of Miu tugging Alum’s sleeve.
Hmm, what’s this what’s this? He bemusingly smirked.
“Why the strange face?” a calm voice suddenly rang in his head—it was Chely’s.
“Hey, don’t you mean cool-looking face?” Noel shrugged with a smug smirk.
“…” Chely replied with a blank stare.
“That… kinda hurts, y’know?” Noel sulked as he eyed back with furrowed brows.
Chely chuckled softly. “I jest—”
“So I’m cool-looking?” Noel said and flung an arm to rest on her shoulder.
“…Don’t push it, Noel Karlsson,” Chely said, clenching her fist as she smiled, yet her eyes weren’t.
“Yes…” Noel softly chuckled and retracted his arm.
She’s not denying it and doesn’t seem to mind—though, I think she got mad because we’re in front of others, he thought while Chely lowered her fist.
As Noel turned his attention elsewhere, Chely briefly glanced at her shoulder—seriously… this guy, she thought. I presumed it to be an act… but is he perhaps… i-into me…? …calm down, Chely, he’s probably just friendly like that… With a light blush on her face, she subtly glanced toward Noel with curious eyes. Though, she would never admit she was slightly interested in him—especially to his face.
…
..
After a short while, they reached one of the dorms—a knight-looking man with pointy ears walked up to greet them. His hair was grayish brown, and his eyes were a pair of light blue.
“My name is Alver Soled. I will be the one to tour you and guide you to your rooms,” he said calmly. “Lady Hero, I will take over from here,” he added as he placed a palm on his chest, bowing down slightly.
Chely nodded slightly. “Very well. I will leave them in your hands.” She then turned to the students. “Rest well. There will be an event this evening filled with important people. From there, you will decide whether to do from then on.”
The students glanced at one another, nodding as they watched her leave. Noel waited for her to turn around—which she did. He waved at her. However, Chely rolled her eyes with mock annoyance, yet her lips betrayed her expression as they curved slightly upward. She waved subtly and left.
But that small interaction didn’t go unnoticed by Alver as an amused smile surfaced from his stern face.
“Very well. Shall we commence the tour? You will be here for some time. Therefore, it is essential to know your surroundings,” Alver said clear and concise.
“Understood,” they all replied.
“Very well, follow me.”
And with those words, Alver gave them each an access ring and began to guide them around. They all carefully as he spoke.
“This is the cafeteria; breakfast is served as the sun rises, and lunch is served after training. Dinner is flexible as you may dine even in the middle of the night till a certain time.”
The students exchanged glances briefly before nodding. The eyes from the others were slightly intimidating even if it was simple curious eyes. The next place was the hygiene area. As they entered, they were greeted by a large room where people relaxed—their hair damped as they rehydrated and chatted.
At this point, the students had noticed the variety of people living in the base. While most were human, there were elves, beastmen, demonic humanoids, and others. But it was surprising to find it harmonious, seeing different kinds of people from different races chatting after cleaning themselves.
“Over there are the female baths,” Alver said as he pointed toward a door. “The other one is the male’s bath. But since we are on a tour, you will have to see for yourselves when you enter,” he added, walking toward other doors.
“These are shower rooms. If the crystal is lit up, it means that it is occupied.” He pushed a crystal that was lit up, and nothing happened. “As you can see, you cannot enter.”
He then walked toward an empty one and pressed the crystal—the door slid open he gestured for them to take a look inside.
“Looks nice…” some of the girls commented.
“This one is more spacious; you would need to reserve a time to use it, but each slower room will essentially look like this.”
The inside was quite spacious. There was a sink and a toilet. Apparently, the shower was also a full-body dryer. On the side were also hooks for clothes and towels.
“Before you leave, you should flush the room with the shower head to make sure there is no debris. The rest will be cleansed and dried once you exit.”
“…Can I, like, jump in now…?” Lova voiced as she raised her arm.
“No, you cannot, young lady. But after the tour, as much as you want,” Alver replied stoically.
“Lena, Julia, Miu, let’s all jump into the shower once this is done!” Lova exclaimed.
“…” Miu and the other girls exchanged glances as they found Lova too straightforward in declaring that.
“Well…” slightly taken aback, Alver said, “it is prohibited to use the private showers with others—even with lovers. It would cause discomfort when others were to use the room afterward. Hence, if you want to bond in a friendly manner, use the baths. There are showers there, too. And the etiquette is written on a wall.”
Lena, Miu, and Julia turned slightly red—it was as if they’d been dragged into a misunderstanding, and the culprit, Lova, was laughing. At the same time, the guys were uncomfortable—especially Kurt.
“Um…” Lena tugged on Kurt’s sleeve. “I’m not into girls, okay…?” she said as she shyly looked at him.
“Y-yeah…” he stammered as he scratched his head.
—Just get together already! Everyone inwardly groaned in exasperation.
“Oh? Apologies, it seems as though I had misunderstood.” Alver bowed lightly, and just like that, they moved to the next area—their private rooms.
…
..
Now alone in a quiet room, Alum reached his hand toward the ceiling as he lay in bed. He’d tried different methods to create a water ball but couldn’t—and it was all because of the city barrier.
Luna explained that only verified spells work within the barrier, with some exceptions. Thus, when Alum tried to use raw elemental manipulation, he couldn’t produce a result. He didn’t know how to cast a ‘spell’ that could pass the barrier’s system.
He knew daily life, healing, and cleansing magic could pass. Raw elemental manipulation did not, nor unauthorized spells. But if he understood it correctly, a spell was similar to elemental manipulation, except they had a rigid outcome and a name.
“…”
Staring at the lime-white ceiling, he covered his eyes with his left arm. A sigh escaped as he heaved a deep breath. Before long, he rolled out of the bed and took a quick glance at the room. There was a light crystal, a desk and cabinets, a bed, and a bathroom. It was spacious enough, and since it was the military, he’d assumed he would have a roommate—which wasn’t the case.
Slowly, he walked toward the door and left the room. As he exited, he was greeted by a blue carpet and an empty hall with some floral decoration along the walls—and other doors.
How’s Emy is doing? He wondered as his feet carried her right outside her room. He knocked, but there was no response. Mm? She’s asleep…? …good.
He then waltzed toward Noel’s room, but it was the same story there—though he suspected Noel wasn’t asleep. He moved on to David’s room and gave it a few knocks, and after a few seconds, the door slid open.
“Hm? Alum?” he groggily rubbed his eyes.
“Did I wake you up?”
“Well… its fine…” David replied, yawning slightly. “Did you need something?”
Alum shook his head. “No, I was checking up on you.” His voice was somewhat soft, and he smiled faintly as he turned and walked away.
The hell? David raised a curious brow. Though, there was a fuzzy slightly warm feeling in his chest. Well… someone cares, he thought as he closed the door.
Alum now found himself outside Miu’s room.
“…”
He knocked a few times, and when Miu opened the door, she held a towel and clothes in her arms.
“…!” her eyes widened in surprise as she averted them. “Alum…” she called his name and peered into his eyes. “What’s up?” she asked.
“Nothing. Are you going to take a shower?” he bluntly asked.
“Oh, umm… more like a bath?” Miu replied as she now had collected herself. “I thought it was Lova that knocked, ehehe,” she giggled adorably as she squeezed the towel.
“I see, I won’t disturb you then—”
“Wait!”
Before Alum turned away, Miu grabbed his sleeve—fwump… her clothes and towel damply hit the floor. Amongst the dropped fabric was her underwear, white, unlike the pastel blue she currently wore.
“Uh-umm…” Miu’s face slowly flushed red; her lips were tightly pressed together as she quickly looked away. “Sorry…” a squeaky, apologetic voice left her mouth.
Alum tilted his head and picked it all up for her, which caused her to get dizzy from all the thoughts inside her head—Aa-aaah!? Aawawaaawaaa?! Panic ensued.
“Here,” Alum said, handing her the garments. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, sorry.”
“Th-thank you… but no, it’s not like that… sorry for overreacting… it’s just somewhat awkward since… w-well, you know what I-I’ll be w-wearing underneath…” she stammered bashfully.
“Oh…?” As if Alum had realized something. “Mine’s white too—wait, aren’t all the undergarments we received all white and gray?”
“…” Miu’s maiden heart shattered by his practical comment.
“U-Umm… we girls received black, blue, and red ones too—” she added unconsciously.
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“…” Alum stood there in silence.
WHY DID I SAY THAAAT?! Miu exclaimed loudly inside her head.
“…Mm, I suppose girls need more variety…”
Seeing Alum’s lack of reaction, Miu heaved a deep sigh.
He doesn’t care—that’s the kind of guy he is… of course… why did I make such a fuss over this… MOU! WAKATTA YO…! Suki… Nji-hihi! Daisuki? Suki suki?!
“Suki…” Miu murmured in a low voice… she couldn’t contain herself. She was finally able to admit she liked him.
“…Like? Oh, I suppose they are somewhat comfortable.”
“…”
WAIT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT!? She screamed internally.
Miu knew there was some sort of translation between them and the inhabitants of this world, but she didn’t expect it to be universal.
“Y-yeah… they are!”
Miu stiffened, almost solid as a statue, but then, a door slid open. A blonde girl with curly hair and light green eyes peered out.
“Oh! Miu and… A-Alum… Oh? Woohoohoo?” the girl smirked mischievously as she played surprised. “A-am I… disrupting something,” she giggled as she covered her mouth.
“…No?”
Alum shook his head while Miu sighed—perhaps in relief.
“No, it’s not like that,” Miu replied cheerfully. She hugged her stuff tightly and passed Alum—practically running toward Lova. “Um… talk to you later,” she smiled brightly toward her crush.
I don’t know why he came to my room… but I don’t think my heart can handle it right now…! Sorry! She apologized inwardly as she dragged the smirking Lova and disappeared into her room.
“…”
As he stood there in silence, he placed a hand on his heart—it was beating steadily, and nothing much changed—perhaps… warmth.
‘I like you’, huh? I’m glad she likes me, but… how genuine would I be if I went along with it? As presumed. I don’t see her that way. But am I leading her on? She told me—but… I’m not supposed to respond—I can’t reject her. What a dilemma. I suppose I just have to be more clear; we’re just friends.
Alum considered it some more and scratched his right cheek, happy yet troubled.
Perhaps… but who’s supposed to say it cannot change? She’s the most beautiful girl I know, likes me—and I’m comfortable with her… what’s wrong with me? Can I really not feel that kind of love…?
“…” Alum clenched his fists.
…
..
In a daze, Alum had walked around the dorm and found himself at the entrance—a large horned man with armor stood in his way and stared down at him.
“Are you not a Wanderer?” he inquired, his voice husky and deep.
“I am.”
“I see… I apologize, but do you have anyone responsible for you? If not, I am afraid I cannot let you outside. But if you want to take a breather, there is a garden at the center of the dorm,” the large man calmly voiced, standing firm.
Not intimidated by the slightest, Alum locked eyes with him as if to read him. The large beastman flinched ever so slightly—Alum’s eyes were inorganically golden, akin but somewhat different from dangerous dragon eyes.
“Understood,” Alum replied calmly.
But as he was about to turn, the man called out to him. “Hey… are you not afraid of me?” the beastman inquired.
“No, why?” Alum tilted his head slightly; his expression hadn’t changed from stillness.
“Are you curious about the base? My shift ends soon. I can show you what I can. How about it?” he suggested with a confident smile, reaching out a hand.
Taken by surprise, Alum’s eyes widened, though not for long, as he shook hands with the horned beastman—his grip was firm.
However, Alum squeezed, which surprised the horned man—this human is not so fragile… interesting… I do not sense mana, he thought as a smile tugged his lips.
“Boail Howlshock is my name,” Boail introduced himself.
“Alum Miller,” a blunt and short reply returned.
“Very well, Mister Alum, nice to meet you.”
“Mm,” Alum nodded.
After their exchange, Alum read a book in the resting area—it was still early in the morning, and the soldiers were out training or on a mission, thus making the rest area relatively silent.
Boail sure is taking his time, Alum thought. He got off the couch and headed to the entrance, where he saw Boail switch with another. However, Alum locked eyes with a dark gray-haired man with distinct moon-like silver eyes.
“Oh? Are you Alum Miller?” the man asked.
Alum noticed that Boail seemed taken by surprise. He concluded that the man was someone of status—presumably a commander like Luna or Chely.
“I am,” Alum replied calmly.
“I see, great timing—I want to talk.” The older man slowly walked toward Alum and stretched his hand out for a handshake. “My name is Rigeld Ilifel—Luna’s uncle.”
“…”
“‘On the mark,’ you thought, correct?” Rigeld smirked as he firmed his grip.
Alum smiled politely. “Apologies, I was surprised. Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Alum Miller—”
“Hahahaha!” but as Alum introduced himself, Rigeld burst out laughing. “Ah… you’re different from what I’ve heard—or is it perhaps due to me being Luna’s uncle?”
“…”
“You can be blunt with me, too,” Rigeld said, pointing at himself while grinning.
“…” Released from the handshake, Alum studied Rigeld for a moment before the fake smile on his face vanished. “Is that so?”
“So? What about a little talk?”
“Sure,” Alum glanced toward Boail, who seemed to say, ‘The tour can wait until next time’ with his eyes.
…
..
At HQ, in Rigeld’s spacious and decorated office, Alum found himself embraced by the grayed-haired uncle.
“…”
“Sob…” teary-eyed, Rigeld held onto Alum tightly. “I’m so… so glad… Luna has finally met a friend, ahhh-waa-haa.” His cries seemed somewhat exaggerated but genuine.
“…”
Alum just awkwardly stood there and was still processing what in the world was going on—I see… he’s overprotective of Luna… he concluded.
“Thank you…” Rigeld finally said as he let go of the youth.
“…There’s no need,” Alum scratched his left cheek.
Rigeld took a deep breath and plumped onto the sofa. A long sigh followed.
“Ahhh… I can finally escape my brother’s nagging…”
“…”
Noticing that Alum just stood there, Rigeld patted the spot beside him. “Don’t be shy,” he grinned. “Oh, right, you like treats, right?” he added, grabbing a void box and taking out a few treats.
“…” Alum quietly sat beside him, but he ensured a significant distance.
“Oh? What’s this? Hahaha, as reported. You are either too far away or too close—I think I like you already!” Rigeld exclaimed cheerfully.
“Sorry, I’m not into men—”
“That is not what I meant!” Rigeld quickly retorted. “You knew that, didn’t you?” he added, raising his right brow.
“I did,” Alum responded promptly.
“…”
“…”
Silence ensued between them as Rigeld heaved yet another sigh. He grabbed a cookie and took a bite, suggesting Alum do the same—which he did and he’d watch Alum eat the treats like a small animal.
What is this… he’s basically Luna!
“Ahem…” Rigeld cleared his throat. “Aren’t you curious about what Luna is doing right now?” he asked.
“She’s working, is she not?” Alum replied and took another bite.
“Well, she’s finished and is catching up on rest—why don’t you rest too? You seem quite exhausted and from Chely’s report—you haven’t slept ever since she appeared. Of course, it wouldn’t be strange had the other wanderers done the same, but you’re clearly exhausted, no?”
“…I suppose,” Alum shrugged.
“Hmm. Is there something on your mind…?” Rigeld casually asked.
“No. I forgot to sleep. I’m waiting till night so I can rest. I suppose.”
“…”
Uh—he got his quirks… I guess… Rigeld remarked inwardly.
“Well… is there something you want to do? From the looks of it, had I not interfered, Boail would’ve toured you around the base—how about I do it?” he suggested and stretched his hand out.
“No. I wanted to look around the city. But it wasn’t possible, so the base was the second option.”
“…”
“…”
“…I see! How about a tour around the city—”
“I would like to explore on my own if possible.” Alum took yet another bite.
“…Luna trusts you. Please do not betray that trust.”
Rigeld, a playful uncle now stern. His tone was demanding and his gaze terrifying—he was more powerful than Luna and Alum could tell. It was perhaps similar to what he sensed from Iristolth.
Alum smiled, genuinely this time. “I won’t,” he said. His words were straightforward. It was a declaration rather than an assurance.
Rigeld chuckled softly—I’m glad the two met, he thought.
…
..
“…”
At the buzzing heart of the trade district, filled with people and chatter, aromas, and music, Alum found himself with a meat skewer in his hand and a few bags of sweets. He observed the people around him and analyzed the prices, comparing them to each other and trying to set a value, comparing it to Earth.
His eyes twinkled as he took another bite out of the skewer—it’s delicious… he commented inwardly.
But suddenly, something bumped into him from the side. “Ouch!” a young voice rang. Looking down, he found a child with dog-like ears and white hair. Her teary blue eyes locked with his as if she was about to sob.
Alum knelt. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, offering her a hand.
Teary-eyed, she took his hand and got on her feet, sobbing slightly as she wiped the tears with her sleeves. However, Alum offered her a handkerchief—or rather wiped her tears for her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Hic… I’m… lost…” the girl said as she clasped the hem of her skirt, looking down with her big eyes.
“Mm, what a coincidence. As am I,” Alum bluntly stated.
“…Huh?” the girl looked him in the eyes, her head tilted slightly. “Aren’t you an adult, Mister?”
“…” There was a dull but sharp pain in his chest as the girl’s words echoed in his mind. “I… am…” he replied and was somehow at a loss for words.
The little girl giggled endearingly as she reassured him by patting his head. “Eh-hehehe~ you have soft hair, Mister!”
“I suppose,” Alum said, chuckling lightly.
“You’re nice, Mister. Macha will help you! Hehe~!” Macha declared as she puffed her chest.
“Sure,” Alum replied softly. “How about we find your parents first?” he lightly suggested, his voice more soothing than usual.
“Mm-hm!” Macha nodded eagerly. She reached her arms out, which confused Alum for a moment. “Carry me,” she said with a bright smile.
“…”
Alum did as she said and wrapped his arms around her as she did his neck. Slowly, he stood up—she was lighter than he’d expected.
“Woah! I can see everything from up here!” she exaggerated while looking around.
“Does anything look familiar?” Alum inquired.
“Mmh! Mama and Papa’s store is over there!” she pointed toward a road.
Alum began to walk while carrying her in one arm as the other held a bag of snacks. Macha’s eyes twinkled as she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“Mister, I’m not heavy, am I?” she asked reluctantly, realizing she selfishly asked him to carry her.
“Not at all,” Alum responded calmly.
“Hehe, is that so? Then is Macha light?” she asked, as her hold off him tightened.
“Mm, very.”
“Ehehe, yay!” she exclaimed happily, resting her chin on his shoulder. “I’m glad I met you, Mister!”
Her words caused Alum to remember how kids always seemed attached to him for whatever reason. He didn’t mind it much but probably knew he was happy being relied upon.
After a few minutes of walking, Alum and Macha arrived at her destination—a clothing store down the road from the main street. As he entered the store, a blond beastman with blue eyes froze like an ice statue.
“M-Macha?! Wait! Did you sneak out again?!” the man exclaimed.
Exasperated, he ran up to Alum and Macha. But Macha closed her eyes and hugged Alum tightly—which calmed the father down as he realized he was scaring his daughter.
“…” Even Alum coldly stared at him.
“I’m… sorry for yelling… thank you for bringing her back…” The man scratched his neck but soon placed a palm on his heart. “Um, the name is Ochal Palom. What is yours, Benefactor?”
“Alum Miller.”
“I see… Mister Alum, thank you for taking my daughter home…”
Ochal was now calmer, and his voice softened. Still, Macha held onto Alum tightly despite glancing at her father.
“You’re still mad…” she said.
“I have the right to be, young lady,” Ochal replied sternly, pinching her cheek.
“Uhh! Mister, Mister, Papa is mean!” Macha sulked in protest.
Alum chuckled softly at their banter and knelt, letting go of Macha—although she clung to him as if she didn’t want to let go.
“Macha, please let go of him…” Ochal sighed.
“No!” she protested.
“You’re troubling him.” This time, Ochal’s voiced more sternly.
“…”
Quietly, Macha let go and looked Alum in the eyes—tears formed at the corner of hers, but before they could spill over, Alum rubbed her head, calming her down.
“Ehehee~”
Macha seemed to have forgotten she was sad. Now she giggled at the warmth of his touch—which left her father flabbergasted since she usually didn’t open up so easily. But seeing his daughter smile, his lips naturally curved into one too.
…
..
Come visit our store sometimes, Mister!
As Macha’s words echoed in Alum’s tired mind, he couldn’t help but feel a certain warmth in his chest. He didn’t interact with children often, but he was reminded of the orphanage and how the children there adored him each time he did.
He was lost, but that wasn’t too bad, in his opinion. He was somewhere south of the trading district and had found a hill with a small park. He leaned on the rail and watched the stellar view of the vast ocean—it was around lunchtime, so the sun wasn’t that high up. A dim star at the horizon could be seen, as did the buzzing city streets below near the ports.
He’d noticed a forest in the middle of the city from above and was curious about it as well as the library Luna mentioned—but since the forest or park was between him and the library, he decided to stop by.
When he arrived, he was greeted by lush greenery and a welcoming walkway. He walked casually as he looked around. The breeze was nice and gentle, with a hint of warmth. The scent of different flora was oddly united and nice. There was a hint of bitterness and sweetness with slight citrus.
Stranger than the oddly unified scents, small animals began walking beside him. Some landed on his shoulder and nestled up close to him or rubbed their heads on his cheeks.
“…” The few onlookers stared in bewilderment as he passed.
Soon, he found a bench behind a fountain. But it seemed occupied by a girl in a simple long dress and silver-gray hair. Alum was taken slightly aback—the girl was in a similar situation as him. Animals cuddled up to her while she calmly heaved in and out. Her eyes were closed, and her demeanor gentle and elegant.
He spotted another bench nearby, but the animals tugged on his sleeves before he could head there as if telling him not to go.
Suddenly, the girl sneezed lightly in her sleep, which awakened the animal cuddling up to her. Their eyes met Alum’s—it was perhaps his imagination, but their eyes seemed larger and rounder by the second as if to plea.
Reluctantly, Alum walked up the the girl and covered her with his coat. The tiny creatures seemed satisfied. But the bag with snacks he’d put on the bench was nowhere to be seen. He turned around was was nudged gently by the creatures.
“…”
Alum now found himself in a rather strange position—he was seated beside a stranger but what bothered him was his weird thoughts.
She… smells nice… echoed in his mind.
But his attempt in getting up failed miserably as the animals had cuddled up to him too, not only that, they refused to move and clung to him stubbornly. He couldn’t tell why at first—until he saw his reflection on the fountain’s clear stream of water.
He was visibly exhausted and had dark circles under his eyes. Not only people but even the tiny unknown creatures showed concern for him. Realizing this, he sighed.
I should’ve perhaps heeded their advice, he thought.
Slowly becoming lulled by them and the cozy warmth and pleasant scent, his eyelids grew increasingly heavy. Before long, his eyes shut, and his chest moved up and down gently—although he didn’t realize his increased heartbeats, he fell asleep next to a pretty girl he didn’t know.
In the serenity of it all, the girl tipped ever so slightly as the animals that supported her were now gone, causing her head to land on Alum’s shoulder. In her sleep, the girl nuzzled to adjust to her new position. A faint smile surfaced on her face as a pleasant scent enveloped her.
Content by the pleasant feeling, Amethely inched closer. Her heart raced slightly. Not long after that, Alum’s head tipped over, resting on hers comfortably.