The spring break that I spent with Elia had remained in my memories, alone.
I looked up the blue sky, and laid my small back down the cold grass of the academy's courtyard.
"Haah, sure is hot…" whilst mumbling those words, I slowly closed my heavy eye lids.
It was then when a small furry creature jumped onto my face, "Ugh..!" which made me groan, a tad painfully.
Whilst holding the creature, who kept on clinging to my face, I sat up and took it off my face, forcefully.
"Lux..!"
A white dog-cat like furry creature, who then barked, "Puu!" cheerfully, was the one who jumped over my face.
Right.
Even though Elia went on and disappeared from this place, and from everyone's memories, this guy still resides here.
According to the others, we did went to go do some Ghost Hunting.
But, we didn't end up seeing the ghost, and all we saw was this strange dog-cat like furry creature.
Lux licked my cheeks.
"Wai..! Ah, hey! Hey, Lux! Stop that, you dog-cat furry creature!!"
I tried to move him away, but in the midst of doing so, I fell down the grass, which he took on as an opportunity to continue licking me.
"Lux!!"
As I kept on stopping him, I saw a girl with crimson hair, who looked more blinding than the summer's Sun.
"Ed-iot…"
She touched her face and told me so, with her usual glare.
"Can you not appear, out of a sudden, just to do a pun with my name, as an insult to me, Reina?"
Whilst saying those words, I slowly raised Lux up and sat up, myself.
"Here, take your pet" with those words, I threw the dog-cat like furry creature to the crimson girl's hands.
I stood up and took few dirt off my blazer and pants.
"Are you angry with Lux?" whilst carrying her pet, the crimson girl asked me that, with an unusual gentle tone.
I scratched my nape.
"Well, no. Of course, I'm not" so I answered, whilst looking away from her, which in turn made the crimson girl smile.
The smile she is putting on is kinda saying, "Good thing"
"Don't be angry with him, okay? After all, Lux did that, thinking that it might cheer you up. It was out of his consideration for you"
With her words, I suddenly remembered the thing that happened, on the day Elia disappeared from this place and from their memories.
My lips formed a soft smile, and I took Lux from the crimson girl's hands. "Thanks then" and said so.
The dog-cat like furry creature then positioned his self over my hands, and I turned to his owner.
"So, where is your lover?"
With my question, the crimson girl tilted her head to the side and asked, "Who are you talking about?"
"Anna, of course"
Dumfound with my words, the crimson girl couldn't help but show that to her beautiful face, which made me burst into laughter, quietly.
It took her a few minutes to retort, "What the heck are you saying?! Anna is my best friend, not my lover, you Stup-Ed!"
"Stop making puns with my name!!"
…
After that we fought for a few minutes, before we sat down the bench, nearby us.
"So, did something happen between you two? Did you fight or something?" whilst touching the fur of the dog-cat like creature, who peacefully slept over my lap, I said so.
The crimson girl bit her lips and nodded.
"Can you tell me why you fought?" she remained silent. "I can lend you an ear, if you want, Reina"
The crimson girl turned to me and asked, "Why are you being kind to me? Don't tell me, you've eaten something bad?"
What do you think of me..?
I scratched the back of my head, and sighed. "Look, I know that we always fight, maybe that's why you are this surprised about me being kind, but…"
Really, just what does she think of me?
"Well, I am your friend, so I will be kind to you. Plus, you had helped me, so this is my own way of thanking you"
She pressed her chin, as if she was reminding herself of things.
"When did I help you?" with her words, I felt something struck to my body. "L-look, that day… that day, when you slapped me…"
She kept on pressing her chin, until she flicked her fingers.
"I do remember that, but would that even be considered as helping?" the crimson girl asked and I nodded, "Well, it hurt a lot, but thanks to it, I managed to wake up"
She looked down and turned around to face what's ahead of us, before mumbling, "I was at fault…"
*
"Hey, Reina-chan..!"
That night, she called my name, whilst I was preparing to go to bed and she was playing with Lux.
"Royal Battle's near, right? Will you be participating?" she asked and I shook my head, along the word, "No"
She then pressed her chin and mumbled, "I see…"
"How about you?" with my question, she flinched, "Me?! Joining the royal battle?? No way, no way! That's impossible" and shook her head.
I looked on my bed and mumbled, "I see…"
"Hey, is there any particular reason, why you aren't gonna join, Reina-chan?" she asked and I answered, "None in particular... Why did you ask?"
Anna stood up from her bed and walked to me, whilst saying, "Well, I am weak and bad at doing things like that, so I can't join. But, Reina-chan…"
"Aren't you usually interested in that kind of things?"
Trying to avert her gaze, I looked away and stated, "I prefer watching the Royal battle, instead of participating, myself"
*
"And like that, we started to exchange only the words, "Good morning" and "Good evening", since then"
Finishing her story, the crimson girl looked down, with a slight whine.
So, to be precise, they are both close to the point that they can clearly notice if the other is lying.
That is why Anna is sulking, because the crimson girl didn't tell her the real reason why she's not joining.
And Reina is feeling a bit guilty, because she didn't tell her timid lavender friend her real reason.
"These two sure are a pain in the ass" whilst thinking so, I touched my forehead and let a sigh left my mouth.
I then stood up, while carrying Lux with one arm.
"Stand up, Reina!" whilst holding my other hand out to her, I said so, which in turn made her ask, "W-why?"
Ahem!
"You noticed right, that you are at fault here" she nodded. "But, well. If I can butt in, I'll say that both of you are at fault"
She gulped.
"But we will leave that aside and we're gonna go to Anna's whereabouts right now, and have you apologize to your timid lavender friend!"
She looked at me, with her eyes and mouth wide, whilst listening to me.
"You don't want your friendship to keep on straying from the path, like this, right?" she nodded. "Then, let's go!"
She took my hand and stood up, "Thanks Ed" so she said.
How rare…
A smile from this stubborn and dishonest princess will surely sell a lot, but, I guess things are more valuable, when you're the only one who knows of it.
Let's erase the thoughts of having Anna see this for many times.
…
"Go Reina, Anna's by herself"
We looked all over the academy for the timid lavender girl and soon we found her, at the library.
Hence now, we are hiding behind a bookshelf, whilst looking at Anna, who was reading a book over a table that was nearby us.
The crimson girl walked to the table, where her timid lavender friend was sitting at, raising her right hand, along her right feet, and left hand, along her left feet.
What are you a robot..? No, even a robot is more proficient with walking than that crimson girl.
Upon coming nearby the table, the crimson girl turned around and went to a new bookshelves' corner.
Whilst holding my head, I sighed.
And as I saw Anna go to the front desk, with a book in hand, without noticing Reina, another sigh left my mouth.
…
"Hey, where were you?"
The crimson girl appeared before me, who was rubbing the fur of the dog-cat like creature that is sleeping on my lap, whilst sitting at the bench…I mean at our secret base.
"I just looked over something…." looking away, I said so and the crimson girl mumbled, "Is that so?"
Ahem!
"Well, since you failed. Next is plan B…" like that, we went to our next plan and it was already near dusk, when we noticed.
We went over many plans, to the point that I was worried about the amount of alphabet.
All exhausted, we sat down the bench and mumbled, "What are we going to do..?" in synch, which was followed with a big sigh.
"Hey, Reina"
With my call, the crimson girl looked at me, who was leaning his back over the bench, with a dog-cat like furry creature on lap.
"Is it really hard for you to apologize to her honestly?"
Hearing my words, the crimson girl looked away, without any enthusiasm left, and shook her head.
"I don't know… It should be a piece of cake, but when I see her something restricts me over here"
She pointed out her chest.
"Sheesh..! Well, it's weirder if you managed to do it easily" scratching the back of my head, I said so.
I then stood up and placed the dog-cat like furry creature, on her lap.
"You know that feeling of yours, I'm sure it's fear. Fear of losing something important. Fear of being rejected…"
Somehow, this feels like I am talking with the past "me".
"Fear, you say?" the crimson girl slowly brought her head down, before saying, "You might just be right…"
Before I could even try to comfort her or pat her head, Lux barked, "Puu! Puu!"
Upon looking over where the dog-cat like furry creature was barking at, I saw Anna walking over the hallway.
Hence why I turned back, and found that the crimson girl had already gone and sprinted to where her timid lavender friend was.
"Anna!!"
She called, whilst I picked Lux up, and her timid lavender friend looked back to her, with eyes and mouth wide.
"Reina-chan?!"
Hmm, can't blame her for being surprised.
"Sorry!" the crimson girl bowed her head down. "I planned on telling you that, but I kept on crushing my opportunities to do so"
You really did.
"I've even bothered that idio… I mean Ed" glancing at me, she spoke, before looking back the ground, with her head still bowing down.
Later, I will scold you about your way of calling me.
"Just a mere 5-letter word, but I couldn't bring myself to tell it to you" as the crimson girl continued on, the timid lavender girl slowly walked towards her.
Reina looked up and Anna stopped.
"I didn't tell you my real reason of not wanting to join, because I was scared that you might come to hate me, if you were to know my secr-..!"
Her words were interrupted with a flick over her forehead.
"Anna..?" the crimson girl mumbled, as she saw her timid lavender friend's pout. "Why did you..?"
The girl grabbed Reina's hand.
"That's my line! Why did you even think that I will come to hate you?" grunted the timid… no, the lavender girl.
Reina was looking at her friend, with a real shocked face.
"Even if your secret were something dangerous or something unbelievable, I will believe you and stay by your side.
After all, you're my friend!"
With such words, I felt like I saw Reina became relief, for tears fell down her eyes to her cheeks, which made me smile softly and turn back.
"Let's leave those two alone for now, Lux" I rubbed his cheeks and he nodded, "Puu…" with a bit hesitation.
Hmm, he kinda sound different than usual. I guess it wasn't a nod, but instead…
"Are you perhaps interested with what I looked over, earlier?" I asked him, and with his usual tone, he nodded, "Puu!"
I rubbed my cheeks, with a smirk.
"Well, I asked the librarian about the book Anna borrowed from the library, and found out that "How to say sorry" was the title of that book"
A chuckle left my mouth.
…
The next day
As if it was a déjà vu, today as well, a dog-cat like furry creature jumped over my face and a girl with crimson hair mumbled, "Ed-iot…"
Following the same fight we had yesterday, we soon reached our secret base… I mean, the bench.
"T-thanks for yesterday" whilst fidgeting, the crimson girl said, which in turn made me grin and say, "No problem!"
I leaned my back over the bench.
"Plus, it was worthwhile. After all, I got to see you look so worked up, so I guess we're even now"
She, as well, leaned her back over the bench.
"You say we're even, but Ed. It's not like I got worked up like that, so that we can be even, you know?"
Even I didn't, just to for your information.
"But, well" I stood up and turned to her. "Except for that, thanks to you and Lux, I cheered up real good"
She stood up and chuckled, whilst mumbling, "Did you now?"
"Reina-chan!!"
The two of us turned around, as we heard the familiar voice approaching us, which made Lux turn as well.
"I've been looking for you all around the school" whilst panting, the lavender girl mumbled and the crimson girl asked, "Did you need me for something?"
Quickly, Anna shoved a paper towards Reina's face.
"According to these paper, you are one of the participants for all the tournaments of the Royal Battle"
With those words from Anna, I turned to Reina, who looked away from us.
"I thought that you weren't gonna join?" I asked her and she answered, "Well, I suddenly got the eagerness to" whilst rubbing her cheek.
Oi, oi.
Weren't you scared of showing your secret to Anna, which is why you didn't want to join the Royal Battle?
"You really are going to join?" the lavender girl asked and the crimson girl nodded, "Yeah. I am scared, but I want you to know me, so…"
Looks like she made some kind of decision that she want to tell her, huh?
Whilst listening to the two of them talk, like I am nothing but an air, I looked up the blue sky above us.
…
Somehow, because of these two, I was reminded that you should really cherish those around you.
After all, once you get used to seeing them, it will hurt a lot when they disappear.
I kinda cheered up, knowing I am not alone with such feelings. And I am a bit sad, since I remembered that I won't be seeing Elia, anymore.
Ah…
But well, I got to see Reina being honest, so it was all good. And somehow, she reminded me of my past self…