"So, what do you want?" asked Julian informally as he looked at his 'commoner' clothes he was wearing.
Karo giggled, "Hihi… you should attend the heroes school."
"Are you bringing me to my early death?" Julian spoke as his eyes narrowed, suspicious to Karo.
Karo shook her head, "How could… by the way, it's nothing deadly. Either way, you could learn a lot from the school."
Karo put her arm around Julian, treated him like an old friend. "You could learn sword-wielding, archery, magic, do business, and a lot more! Wouldn't it be fun!?" Karo turned toward Julian as she smiled excitedly.
'It's cute.' Julian thought so as he grinned a little and put his hand on Karo's head, patted her hair. "Yes, yes. It should be fun." Julian walked away after that.
Karo stared blankly, even after Julian walked away, she still could not move or utter any word. Her body's muscle seemed to not working well, her brain was the same. How could that simple move from Julian could make her brain melted right away (?) until it malfunctioning? Karo could feel her face getting hotter than her normal self.
"Ugh… I will pay back later." Karo decided with a determined face as she clenched her hands.
…
"…"
"Was it scary?" asked a male voice.
"What was scary?" asked Lili as she turned to face the guy sitting beside her.
"Dying…"
Deg…
The view in front of her before was a beautiful lake, but it changed tobe a corridor of some university. Lili blinked her eyes as to a sudden change of place. There was a vending machine right beside her, a canned coffee going with a brand cover of 'Delish' was in her hand.
"It's strange… did I bump my head somewhere…?" mumbled Lili as she checked her head with a confused expression.
"Senpai!"
(Note : 'Senpai' means 'senior' or upper-class, could also mean elder. Sometimes it could be used to address someone superior or had more experience in the field)
A familiar male voice calling, Lili turned to her back. Her eyes met with a clear blue eyes of a guy, running toward her while carrying a small black ransel at his back. A guy around his 20's, has a cute face, and well, somehow seemed very familiar.
The guy stopped in front of Lili, panting as he just run awhile ago. "Sorry I'm late, Senpai."
A white handkerchief touched the guy's sweaty forehead, it's Lili's. Lili tapped it lightly, naturally, as if that thing was a very normal thing for her to do. In fact, an unmarried noble lady may not stretch their hand, let alone give their handkerchief, towards a specific man. If it went like that, it only meant the lady took a fancy of the gentleman and wanted their hand on marriage a.k.a wanted to pursue to an engagement, further then, a proper marriage.
Lili as a proper noble lady taught since her birth, got chill running down her spine. But strangely, Lili didn't pull her hand right away and continue to tap the guy's face lightly.
"Wah, you're soaked in sweat."
Lili didn't understand. Her accent just now somehow was different from her usual. Furthermore, her voice was never been a gentle and motherly type of. Lili has never been this close to a man, let alone being this intimate while she's still unmarried.
The guy smiled gently, he held Lili's hand that tapped his face lightly. "Senpai is so kind, I will always love you~" A kiss planted on Lili's left cheek.
"E-eh…?!"
Lili got her face burned as she felt embarrassed. But, maybe, was it a custom or culture in another country to kiss someone when they met? Lili got confused by whatever meaning was that cheek's kiss before.
The guy laughed loudly and didn't even cover his mouth while widely laughing non-stop. Lili, unconsciously smiled, a really gentle smile appeared on her beautiful pale face. The guy stopped laughing gradually as he stunned by Lili's smile.
He clicked his tongue, "Tch… this is why I never got bored by Senpai. What a beautiful scene to capture when Senpai is smiling. Aww… I feel really sad that I don't bring my camera today." The guy looked upset, but it was not a bad upset, he seemed enjoying himself very much.
"Ne, Senpai…" Their eyes met, the guy looked closer to Lili's eyes with a firm stare. "Please go out with me."
Lili blanked for a few seconds, "Me?" Lili pointed at herself.
The guy giggled, put his hand on Lili's head as he stroked it with a mischievous smile. "Of course, who else haha…"
Lili usually would consider this act as a rude behavior (elder should be respected and that's why the hair stroke seemed tobe a big 'NO' on this senior field). But, somehow, her heart just could not stop thumping, like her chest would explode due to it.
Shortly, both of them ended up as a couple. Coming home together, eating and cooking meals together, dating, wah… a very tempting romance life. Well, yes, until one day, they have a great fight. They refused to see each other, never phoned, never even called when they accidentally met.
Lili blankly looking at her phone, it has been two months they didn't contact each other. Lili even forgot why they fight before. They just got gradually separated after their huge fight, the reason already forgotten though. Added in their huge amount of classes' projects and all things, they just genuinely forgot each others' existence's necessity, probably.
Bzzt… Bzzt… Bzzt…
The phone vibrating, shown the name of her beloved one. Lili immediately picked it up, "Hello?" Lili waited for the response as she has already really missed the gentle voice she always heard before.
"Senpai, would you mind going out for a walk now?" asked the voice from the phone, sounded austere, some kind of force and toneless. Was it not?
"Now…" Lili checked the clock displayed on her phone, 05:10 PM. She thought that she would still made it up before dinner time (their family had dinner usually on 7 PM).
"Sure!"
"Let's meet at the usual place, then. I'll be waiting." The call ended.
Lili marched to her closet to seek something nice, warm, and cute to wear. She want to use this very rare chance to make up with her beloved one. She knew that she being dependent to her boyfriend, but she just could not help herself to longing when the guy always showered her with love and affection.
She ended up wearing a white turtleneck sweater that her grandmother made for her birthday last year plus fleece sweatpants. Her hair was done by a simple but sweet pony-tailed style. She didn't use any heavy makeup, only used moisturizer, tapped facial powder lightly, and applied lip balm. She looked naturally beautiful, like she has always been.
Lili walked down the stairs and picked up her gray winter shoes from the shoe shelf. She picked up her gray winter coat. It'll getting chilly as night coming. She wore her winter coat, then her shoes before passing through the door outside.
"Where are you going?" A voice asking from behind. Lili turned her face, it was her father.
"I'm meeting with my boyfriend for awhile. May I, Dad?" said Lili as she smiled.
Seeing her daughter smiled happily, her father could only smiled and allow it. "Don't forget to return before dinner."
"I will, Dad. See you~" said Lili as she closed the door.
Lili called a taxi to pick her up before. And now she has arrived at the place. It was a beautiful park, even when winter came and the lake froze, the scenery still eye-catching and beautiful. Lili turned her gaze everywhere as she could not find anyone beside her. Well, she thought it was quite normal for the night almost came.
Lili walked to the 'usual' place. It was a lake, with a wooden bridge built on it. Lili always loved this place for the warm feeling she got from the scenery. Even winter could not swayed it, it had more 'expression' every season it through.
Lili walked closer to the lake as what she always do. "Hm?" It seemed that the center of the frozen lake she looked at, right beside the bridge shadow, had a crack, a big one. Lili predicted that it would only need one crush of eight to ten kilograms to break it completely.
She walked on the bridge, slowly. She waited and waited, it has been more than fifteen minutes. Maybe a little more, she thought.
"Senpai!" A familiar voice, the one she longing for. Lili turned her body with a wide smile to welcome that person.
Dor… Dor…
'What…?'
Two gunshot aimed at Lili. One on her left chest and the other went to her stomach. Blood immediately soaked her white sweater, she stared blankly, unbelievably. The culprit was no other than her boyfriend, her beloved one!
"It's over now, Senpai. Let's break up." He pushed Lili lightly. Lili, from earlier, has already been weakened by the gunshot. So, she simply, without any resistance, fell from the low-handled bridge.
Kras… Byurr…
The frozen lake she saw not awhile ago was broken. Shattered into pieces, floating away from her. Letting her body swallowed by the cold lake water, as if warmth has left her body at once.
It hurt, it burnt, it's freezing cold, and… sad…
She could not understand, how could she end up like this. What have she done to get this in return? Lili could see a vivid image of her once beloved one that just betrayed her. The guy grinned in pity.
Saying, "I'm sorry… Please forgive me, I'm so sorry… " Though Lili could not hear his voice. Then, the calm lake surface rippled a bit as a drop of water from who know where dropped on to it.
Yes, it has ended. You knew now that it was a pity to believe in a person. They ended up betrayed you. Other may said that they must have a reason to do it, but what about for you whom wounded? Whatever the reason, they have already betrayed you and you would never ever, in your right and sane mind, believed in them once more.
"Wasn't it?"
'Drop'
The surface rippled again.
Now, in front of you was a gloomy cave painted in red and dust. There was a transparent glass-like coffin in the middle of the space. The coffin stood vertically, shown the content to the outsider who might come in. Shown a beautiful and pale young lady, sleeping in silence. Her long white hair looked abnormal, her overly pale skin also seemed abnormal.
There was a story of a sleeping princess who finally woke up by a gentle kiss of a prince, a true love kiss. It was not a good story as it could not be real, it was too dreamy, great for a story, but not for the cruel reality. The coffin princess with an abnormal appearance as if she was made of snow, was one of the story to bring kids to their tight sleep. Sleeping in her death, without aging, without giving even a tiny bit of chance for other to get any closer than taking a glimpse of her beauty. A so-called long lost favorite royal princess who sacrificed herself for her citizens and families' well-being.
"How do you do, Lady Ruhe?" A man with an old but wise look bowed down in respect.
"Rise, no need for formality for you are my beloved uncle."
She is Vidaeus Lili, the once in comatose lady of Ruhe. Titled as 'The Legend Coffin Princess'.