If Yona says she’s not interested in the festival, that would be a lie.
There’s no way that lively chatterbox Yona could hate a festival.
Evian was a big city close to the central city, and it was an active city that could be called a city of adventurers, but even so, it didn’t have festivals like this.
However, saying it’s a city of adventurers also means it’s a city of drifters. Although there are people who live there permanently, many wander and don’t have the traditional value of events like festivals.
Besides, since Yona loves people, such festivals make her genuinely happy.
Hearing about the festival from a self-defense member, as Yona stepped into the village, her steps seemed unusually light, and it wasn’t just Alex’s imagination.
“The atmosphere really feels different with the festival around.”
“Well, this is my first time here, right?”
“I’m just saying it feels that way, you dense head.”
Alex couldn’t help but smile while watching Yona hum a tune.
As they entered the village and searched for an inn, the faces of people passing by certainly indicated that the festival was near.
The joy, excitement, and anticipation shining on people’s faces were unmistakably visible, transforming into happy smiles.
These weren’t just painted smiles; each face glowed with genuine joy.
“The atmosphere is incredible.”
Alex, too, seemed to get caught up in the city’s vibe, grinning from ear to ear.
Even while walking alongside Yona, he was busy looking around with a big smile.
“Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this in Evian. Oh, wait a second.”
When Yona suddenly stopped, Alex halted too.
When it comes to festivals, street stalls are a must, and the place Yona stopped was none other than a waffle stall.
This waffle bore little resemblance to the ones in Yona’s memory, which had a waffle pattern, but instead looked like a flat pancake. Nevertheless, a waffle is a waffle, and Yona couldn’t help but drool and stop in her tracks.
“Why? Are you gonna eat? Buy me some?”
When Alex approached Yona and asked, she shot him a glare instead of answering.
She then stuck out her tongue and pulled a few coins from her pocket.
“I have money too, you know. You think I just mooch all the time? Nope. Ma’am, two of these, please.”
“Oh, two? Just a moment!”
The stall owner, a hefty lady who looked as if she might burst out of her apron, rubbed her once-white apron that was now black with grime and pressed two pancakes tightly between two pans.
As the pancakes warmed up in the gradually heated pans, they quickly flattened.
The heat caused the pancake insides to become crispy, and while it was far from the waffles Yona had in mind in shape and taste, it was still a decent snack.
A snack worth eating.
“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it!”
Yona beamed with a smile so wide it could light up a room as she accepted the waffle, causing even the vendor to grin without realizing it.
It cost four fairytales.
Though it wasn’t exactly cheap, Yona didn’t mind at all.
She stacked two waffles to compare their sizes.
Since they were handmade, they weren’t all the same size, and sure enough, they varied.
“Here, eat this one.”
She handed the larger waffle to Alex.
“This one’s bigger, why don’t you eat it?”
“Look at my size. I’m at least twice your size. You should eat the big one.”
Alex accepted the waffle she offered.
The warmth radiated from it.
He was aware that Yona was sneaking kindness towards him.
Whenever Alex forgot to bring equipment, Yona generously handed it to him, prioritizing him over herself with food and water.
Outwardly, she would say that increasing the chance of his survival means a better chance for her, but Alex thought there was definitely something more than camaraderie.
Just like right now.
Like the warmth of the waffle Yona handed over.
Kantatien was a wonderful, bountiful town to live in.
Behind it flowed the Kantasia River, in front sprawled the Viridia Plains, and across was the Nasikus River—perfect for farming, with the rich Kapatia woods offering an ideal environment for livestock.
Plus, if you headed towards Lizardden, you could find the blooming garden of the festival’s main star, the Orensia flower.
The Orensia flower was quite sizable, with five to six large, thin petals that were visually appealing.
Its stems were tall, and the broad leaves made it perfect for arrangements or bouquets.
As winter approached, the Orensia flowers began to scatter their seeds.
The seeds were white, and when the cold winter winds blew, they created a breathtaking scene, akin to snowflakes dancing in the air.
At that very moment, the Orensia festival in Kantatien was on the verge of beginning, coinciding with the seed dispersal.
“Looks like this is the Orensia flower.”
Wherever they went, there were Orensia flowers.
From flower shops to every kind of vendor and stall, the flowers were everywhere, adorning the spaces beautifully.
Thus, the two were wandering in search of an inn.
It was a city filled with inns, but it was peak tourism season, making it difficult to find a room as every inn was packed to the brim.
As Alex noticed the darkening surroundings, he felt a twinge of worry while Yona seemed oblivious, happily picking up Orensia flowers and gaping at their beauty.
Yona, holding an Orenesia flower, was staring at it with her mouth agape, exclaiming how pretty it was, completely oblivious to Alex’s worries.
“There must be an empty room somewhere. If not, we can just sleep outside,” Alex said.
“Is it that easy? We came all the way to the city; we should be sleeping comfortably in an inn, not roughing it outside. You can’t just camp out in the city!”
As Alex said, sleeping outdoors in the city was no picnic.
It wasn’t just about being careful of monster attacks; you had to be wary of human attacks as well!
‘Why can’t she understand how serious this is?’
Yona seemed to completely ignore Alex’s concerns as she plucked another Orenesia flower, which she had just bought with some coin she didn’t have to begin with.
“You said you’re broke, and you’re buying flowers?”
“Well, you can’t find them anywhere else! It’s nice to have one to look at now and then. Don’t be such a downer. We never know when we’ll die, so it’s better to enjoy pretty things while we can!”
“Never know when we’ll die…” Alex felt a stab of anger at those words.
I won’t let you die.
I’ll never see you die.
That’s why I’m doing this.
You will never die.
You above all—
And me too.
That kind of frustration came out of him.
In a moment he normally wouldn’t have, he blurted out, “I look at pretty things every day.”
“What? What do you see? You just look at it alone, right? Let me see!”
Yona had no idea what was coming next. She didn’t suspect there was any meaning behind Alex saying he saw pretty things every day. She didn’t even consider what mood he was in while saying it; she just took it at face value and replied.
“…You can’t see it.”
Right, of course.
You can’t see it.
Alex froze in place.
“The pretty thing I see every day is you.”
Yona halted as well.
For a moment, she couldn’t comprehend what Alex was saying. The realization that the pretty thing he referred to was Yona herself caused a glitch in her brain.
“…Huh?”
“The pretty thing I see every day, that’s you.”
“What?”
At his words, Yona’s face hardened, slowly twisting as she placed the Orenesia flower on his shoulder and began to pat her own arm slowly.
“Hey, dumbass.”
“…What?”
That had been what Alex thought was a brilliant line. He was sure it would tug at her heartstrings, provoking at least a crack in Yona’s resolve, but her response was less than enthusiastic.
“Don’t ever say that when you’re trying to get a girlfriend. It’s seriously the worst.”
“Don’t do that when you get a girlfriend later. It’s seriously the worst.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“Yeah. It’s the absolute worst. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”
It seemed that was not a lie.
Yona kept rubbing her shoulder, unable to shake her frowning face.
“What are you talking about? Such a cheesy line… Hey, Baldy. Do you know my birthday?”
“Birthday?”
Alex was taken aback by the sudden mention of a birthday.
It’s not like he didn’t know Yona’s birthday, but asking if he knew when it was right now couldn’t be genuine.
“It’s today; I was reborn today since I met you.”
“Oh.”
Only then did Alex understand.
Yona was trying to say that what he had just spouted was on par with those lines.
“That’s how I feel right now. So stop with those lines, got it?”
“Uh… Got it…”
“Let’s go. We need to find an inn.”
Before Alex could finish his sentence, Yona was already striding ahead.
With her shoulders drooping, Alex didn’t notice, but the tips of Yona’s ears were turning a rosy shade.
“Excuse me? You only have one room?”
The innkeeper was rubbing his hands together, wearing a face that seemed to fit a giggle.
Alex was stone-faced, while Yona looked somewhat flustered.
“As you know, it’s festival season. Finding a vacant room isn’t easy.”
The innkeeper was right.
They had already visited over ten inns, and all they heard was that there were no vacant rooms.
But now—
“Well, it’s fine, right? Right, Alex?”
Yona asked, and Alex awkwardly nodded.
“We should unpack and prepare to enjoy the festival. I don’t want to be stuck in an alley slinging a sleeping bag around for the festival. Don’t you think?”
Yona seemed oddly cheeky, but after a moment of thought, Alex nodded again.
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter. We’ve seen everything we need to see. No need to be shy anymore.”
Alex steeled his resolve.
It was strange to be acting like this, but more importantly, he couldn’t afford to be so flustered right now.
To move forward, he had to take a step.
No matter how many failures lay ahead, Alex had to keep moving steadily onward.
He had made that resolution—he needed to fulfill that promise, even if he had never been in a relationship before.
But still, he must press forward.
That was Alex.
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