“No! We set it up today so that Eve and Teacher can go shopping alone together! We have to dress up to the fullest!”
However, the girl brought her face close to mine and rejected my suggestion in a tone that brooked no argument.
This girl, Tiz, had recently started talking to me a lot. She was a lively and cheerful girl, seeming like a typical talkative and kind-hearted young girl.
Despite being quiet and not good at speaking, she would often engage in conversation with me, a shy and introverted girl… But there was one thing that slightly troubled me.
“Well, I never expected that from Eve. It’s true that you’ve been watching Teacher all the time recently… Yes, yes, I’ll cheer you on!”
She raised her thumb and declared with a face that seemed like she would say “Hmph” at any moment.
Yes, this girl. For some reason, lately, she had been actively trying to get me and Ray together.
Even now, being turned into a dress-up doll, it was because we were going shopping in town later. And for some reason, it was just the two of us, Ray and me.
I thought it didn’t matter what I wore, and I had been saying that, but she wouldn’t listen, insisting, “As a girl, you have to dress up!” to me.
Moreover, originally… today’s shopping duty was supposed to be assigned to someone else, not me, but Tiz suddenly decided on the day itself to switch places and pushed the responsibility onto me. I didn’t understand why.
…Now that I think about it, perhaps it was after discussing that “strange cold” with Tiz that she started trying to bring Ray and me together.
This peculiar cold had been lingering since the first day the symptoms appeared. It would go away, and then reoccur frequently, causing my body to feel hot and my face to turn red. It was truly an inexplicable cold.
Since I would often experience these symptoms when I was with Ray, I even suspected that he might be carrying the cold-causing bacteria. However, that suspicion quickly faded since it would be strange if other kids didn’t show the same symptoms. Ray seemed puzzled by my skeptical gaze, and I felt somewhat sorry for him.
I tried researching various possibilities to find a solution, but couldn’t find any answers. Additionally, when I checked my temperature, it seemed perfectly normal, so I became worried and consulted with Tiz.
She responded with a cheerful face, saying, “It’s not a cold or an illness, so don’t worry. But I see… let’s do our best!” for some reason, and seemed happy about it.
Since then, she has been scheming for Ray and me to be together on every occasion, leading up to the present moment. I still don’t fully understand.
Although she seemed to know the cause of this cold, she wouldn’t tell me when I asked, and since it didn’t affect my daily life, I left it alone. However, maybe it really is just a cold after all. I mean, I can’t think of any other reason for these symptoms. Perhaps Tiz’s diagnosis was incorrect.
“Alright, looking good…! Eve, you’re adorable!”
A little while later, Tiz seemed satisfied and nodded in agreement, saying, “Look, aren’t you cute!” as she handed me a handheld mirror.
I accepted the mirror with a slight sense of relief, thinking, “Finally, it’s over…” and looked at my reflection.
“…I don’t know.”
However, even when I looked at myself, I couldn’t tell if I was cute or not, muttering those words.
Although Tiz said I was cute… I didn’t really understand. I didn’t think highly of my own appearance, so even when praised, it didn’t resonate with me.
But… I wonder. Does Ray think I’m cute with this appearance? A tiny bit of curiosity sparked within me. Just a little.
“…Is it finally over…? It’s taking way too long. I’ve been waiting for three hours already.”
As I pondered such thoughts, I heard Ray’s exhausted voice from beyond the door. Looking at the wall clock, it was already around noon. I hadn’t realized so much time had passed.
“Look, Teacher! Isn’t Eve cute? So cute that you might fall in love!”
“Hmm? Well…”
Seeing me being pushed forward, Ray placed his hand on the chin guard of his full-face helmet, deep in thought.
My heart started pounding louder, and I focused my ears to hear what he was going to say. However…
“It’s like ‘fine feathers make fine birds.'”
I received a response that I couldn’t quite comprehend.
“? Teacher, what does that mean?”
“It means that ‘anyone can look impressive by dressing well.’ It’s a phrase used in some country… I don’t know which one. I read it in a book in my family’s storage before, and I thought it applied to this situation.”
Tiz winced at Ray’s incredibly rude response, while Ray seemed satisfied with his clever remark.
“Take it off.”
As I reached for my clothes, intending to take them off, Tiz stopped me, exclaiming, “Wait! Wait!” She complained, pointing out that he should say I’m cute instead. She said, “Look at this face! It’s more wrinkled than ever! You look angry!”
“I’m not angry.”
What was Tiz talking about? It’s not like I have a reason to be angry just because Ray didn’t compliment me. So, I’m not angry, nor sulking. I simply had an impulse to take off the clothes I was currently wearing.
“I don’t get it, but… if you’re ready, let’s go. I’ll wait outside, so hurry up.”
Ray left the room, acting as if he didn’t care about my clothes at all.
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“Oh dear… I’m sorry, Ivy. I didn’t think Teacher would be so clueless… So, don’t get too upset, okay?”
“I’m not upset.”
“Even though you look really angry! Your face looks so grumpy!”
Despite saying that I’m not angry, Tiz insisted that I was. I’m not making a grumpy face, and even if I were, it would be my default expression. So, I don’t care in the slightest that Ray didn’t show any interest. I don’t even have the slightest desire to be called cute.
…But.
“Tiz, can I borrow that?”
I pointed at the fashion magazine she had, expressing my request. Tiz widened her eyes in surprise and asked, “This? Why?”
“I want to study it.”
…It’s not like I care how Ray sees me.
However, for some reason, I strongly felt the desire to make that incredibly rude guy call me cute. I don’t know why.
Tiz’s face lit up with excitement upon hearing that, and she gleefully exclaimed, “Then this and this too!” while striking a pose with both hands. “Let’s do our best!” she cheered.
I nodded firmly… From this moment on, I made a firm resolution to study fashion and become cute.
Perhaps it was a sense of competition. Since Ray didn’t straightforwardly call me cute, I wanted to make him say it. That’s all there is to it. It’s not like I was personally offended by him.
“… “
Immediately, while reading through the stack of fashion magazines handed to me, I thought about how to appear cute and attractive. Someday—I vowed to myself—I will make that incredibly rude guy say I’m cute, carrying that determination in my heart.
–Several hours later.
It was already dark when I noticed that Ray, who was exhausted from waiting, had fallen asleep in the garden.
Naturally, the shopping we couldn’t do earlier had to be carried over to the next day… I felt terribly sorry.
The next day.
Ray and I came to town to do the shopping we couldn’t do yesterday.
“… “
Glancing at Ray walking right beside me, I felt somewhat uneasy and absentmindedly played with my hair.
“Alright, let’s finish our errands quickly! And then, the much-awaited… hahaha!”
“Uh… yeah.”
Ray brimmed with enthusiasm, walking briskly as if he couldn’t wait, and chuckled to himself. I was taken aback because I had never seen Ray like this before.
In the first place—originally, Ray wasn’t supposed to come since it wasn’t his turn for shopping duty. But… this time, Tiz pulled some strings and took Ray along.
At first, Ray vehemently refused. “Why do I have to go?” “It’s bothersome.” “Just send someone else for the duty.” He stayed hidden under the futon, not coming out.
However, when Tiz approached Ray and murmured something, flashing a ticket in front of his eyes, he immediately snapped into action, as if putting on armor in an instant, and said, “Hey, let’s go. What are you doing? Hurry up.”
When I asked Tiz what she did, it turned out she used a discount ticket for magical tools won in a prize drawing at the market as bait. I thought his change in attitude was remarkable.
“…Is it fun?”
Observing Ray, who quickly finished the shopping and was now happily browsing through the magical tool shop where the discount was applicable, I asked that question. I became interested in these magical tools that made Ray… so lively, like a boy.
“Oh… it’s super fun! Magical tools are so deep. It’s like a combination of the maker’s intricate craftsmanship and precise manipulation of magic. They can’t be created without a profound understanding of magic. It’s like art, you know? I’ve made a few myself… Well, let’s not talk about that. It stirs up old wounds.”
Ray enthusiastically talked about magical tools with a bright tone. For some reason, he lowered his voice toward the end and seemed a bit down.
And when I asked about magical tools, Ray seemed pleased, so I started searching for magical tools in the “Beginner’s Corner” nearby.
“Since it seems you’re interested… I’ll give you this as a present. It’s a magical tool for beginners, easy to handle, and requires no maintenance. …Here, give it a try.”
Ray quickly purchased one of the magical tools from there and handed it to me, urging me to give it a try.
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