The morning sun peeked over the horizon as Hazuki slowly woke up, stretching his arms with a loud yawn.
Sleeping on a pile of hay inside the stable wasn't very comfortable, but—
"Mmmm… nice good sleep."
He rubbed his eyes, yawned again, then sat up.
"Well… off to the stream!"
Still half-asleep, he stumbled out of the stable, making his way toward the nearby stream.
When he got there, without thinking—
Hazuki took off all his clothes and jumped straight into the water.
"WOOHOO!! NICE BATH! AHHHH…."
The cool water made him feel fresh, washing away all the sweat and discomfort from sleeping in the stable.
But as he floated there, smiling happily—
A few people walking near the stream stopped and stared at him.
They exchanged awkward looks.
One of them whispered.
"What a weird person…"
Hazuki, not noticing the judging looks, just kept enjoying his bath.
After a nice refreshing bath, Hazuki stretched his arms, feeling completely awake.
"Ahhh~ that was great."
He reached for his bag, pulled out his towel, and began drying himself off.
He took his time, enjoying the breeze, making sure to dry off well.
Then—
He froze.
His whole body stiffened as he realized something.
"Wait…"
He slowly looked down.
"…I'M COMPLETELY NAKED."
Just as panic was about to hit him—
"MAMA! LOOK! NAKED UNCLE!!"
Hazuki felt like he wanted to disappear.
A small child stood nearby, pointing at him excitedly with wide, innocent eyes.
The mother gasped in shock and quickly covered her child's face.
"DON'T LOOK!!"
Other people turned to look at him, now staring right at him.
Hazuki froze.
"W-WAIT!! I CAN EXPLAIN—"
The mother grabbed her child and hurried away.
Other people whispered to each other.
Hazuki quickly grabbed his clothes, putting them on as fast as he could.
"DAMN IT!! WHY DOES THIS KIND OF STUFF ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?"
His face turned red with embarrassment as he finished getting dressed and grabbed his bag.
Then—
Without looking back—
He ran away from the stream.
"Shit… what an embarrassing moment."
Hazuki sighed deeply, dragging his feet as he walked through town.
After a while, he stopped by a street vendor, bought some bread and coffee, and made his way to a park bench.
Sitting down, he took a slow sip of coffee and let out another tired sigh.
His eyes wandered, casually looking at the people around him.
Many beautiful women passed by, and he couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Then—
He spotted a beastkin woman.
His eyes lit up for a moment.
Until—
He saw the full fur.
"Uh… no."
His smile disappeared right away.
"The full-fur beastkin. Yuck."
He shook his head.
"Why are all the beastkin women here covered in fur? Damn!"
He grumbled while biting into his bread.
"Why can't they be more like Ellyn…"
His chewing slowed.
His eyes widened.
"Oops—"
He quickly fixed his mistake.
"Her mother… yeah. Ellyn's mother."
He nodded to himself.
"That's what I meant."
Then—
He froze.
"Damn… why am I always thinking about her!?"
He gulped his coffee, trying to push the thought away.
"That's dangerous."
For now—
He needed to stay focused.
No more dangerous thoughts.
Hazuki leaned back on the bench, chewing his bread slowly.
"Hmm… what to do after this?"
He wasn't broke, but sitting around doing nothing was boring.
"Well… better head to the guild."
Maybe there'd be something interesting to learn there.
Then—
He paused.
"Except… the receptionist there is a real meanie."
He gritted his teeth, remembering her smug face.
"Damn! Why can't they be like Ellyn—"
He froze mid-thought.
His eye twitched.
"HER AGAIN!? DAMN IT, SERIOUSLY, HAZUKI!?"
"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING!?"
"You're not… You're not…"
He stared at his coffee.
"Well…"
He took a deep sip.
"…Shit."
Hazuki leaned back on the bench, staring up at the sky.
A random thought popped into his mind.
"What if… he didn't met her after this?"
Would he miss her?
No, not in a weird way, alright?
Just… would he miss how she always asked questions?
Would he miss how she teased him with that smug little smile?
Would he miss how she acted like she knew everything but still looked up to him?
His fingers tapped against his cup.
"Well… where is she now?"
Then—
His eyes widened.
"Oi, Hazuki! Snap out of it!"
He shook his head hard.
"Ugh… better head to the guild now."
"Uncle?"
"Eeeekk!!"
Hazuki jumped, his heart almost stopping.
"SHE'S HERE!? How does she always know where I am!?"
He turned around in panic—
But it wasn't Ellyn.
Instead, a random kid stood there, looking up at him curiously.
"Um… hello?" Hazuki blinked, still recovering.
The kid tilted their head.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Uncle?"
"Huh? What do you mean, kid?"
The kid pointed at him.
"I saw you talking to yourself."
Hazuki froze.
"Shit—"
He needed an excuse. Fast.
Then—
His face turned serious, looking wise and mysterious.
With a slow nod, he folded his arms and spoke in a deep, knowing tone.
"Ah, no, kid. You see…"
He paused for effect.
"I was talking to the Wind Spirit."
The kid's eyes widened in pure excitement.
"OHHH!! REALLY, UNCLE!?"
Hazuki nodded solemnly.
"YES."
He closed his eyes, as if feeling something unseen.
"She's here right now, talking to me."
The kid gasped. "What is she saying!?"
Hazuki smirked.
"Well… I'm special."
He patted his chest proudly.
"Not everyone can talk to spirits."
The kid stared at him in awe.
"Oh! What are you talking about?"
Hazuki's smug grin vanished instantly.
"Oh shit."
His brain went into full panic mode.
"Crap, crap, crap! What now!? What excuse!?"
The kid looked up at him, waiting.
Hazuki forced a wise expression, stroking his imaginary beard.
"Hmm… You see, kid…"
He paused to make it more dramatic.
"The Wind Spirit wanted to hear a story from me."
He nodded like a sage.
"For I am… a wise man."
The kid's eyes sparkled.
"Really!?"
Hazuki gulped.
"Y-Yes."
The kid leaned in.
"So… what were you talking about?"
Hazuki's soul screamed inside.
"Eeee… this kid…!"
Hazuki knew he had no choice now.
With a deep breath, he sat on the park bench, spreading his arms across the backrest like a professional storyteller ready to captivate an audience.
The kid watched him eagerly, completely hooked.
Hazuki cleared his throat.
"A long, long time ago…"
He gestured dramatically.
"In a faraway land, there was a princess…"
The kid gasped softly.
"She lived in a biiiiig castle, towering over the land."
Hazuki spread his arms wide to show how grand it was.
"Her father, the King, and her mother, the Queen, ruled the land."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice a bit.
"But they were always busy… taking care of their people, dealing with royal matters, and running the kingdom."
The kid nodded seriously, fully interested.
"And so… the princess… even though she lived in a grand castle with servants and luxury… was lonely."
Hazuki paused for effect, looking at the kid's reaction.
The kid's ears twitched in excitement.
"She would sit by the tallest tower every day… looking out at the horizon… waiting."
The kid blinked.
"Waiting for what, Uncle?"
Hazuki smirked a little.
"For the one who would change her fate."
The kid leaned forward, eyes wide.
"Who was it!?"
Hazuki grinned inside, ready to keep the story going.
( End Of Chapter )