797 Blue Narcissus 1 (1/2)
In the south end of Blackboard City
Inside a small bakery somewhere.
”Lon, your older brother is actually from Blackboard Academy, you never told us!” In the adorable, pink-themed shop, a girl with pink hair wearing a white apron whined loudly as she pulled Lon's hair.
”Owner, I told Shirley and the others a long time ago, don't blame me!” Lon was also wearing a white apron, his long hair tied up. He had silky smooth white skin, and even his figure was like a girl's. Overall, he gave off a strange sense of androgyny. He was also wearing black-rimmed glasses, so seen from afar, he did not look out of place among the group of young girls at all, he looked as simple and sweet as the rest of them.
”Is that right?” The pink-haired girl immediately turned around to look at the other girls in the shop, and some of the other young boys and girl instantly turned away guiltily. They were all younger than the shop owner, so the girl owner treated them as her younger brothers and sisters. The relationships between the workers here at the shop were all very pure, because they were all pure-minded people. In fact, the shop owner made sure of that when she picked them.
”It's like this, Owner. Lon told us the last time when he was making a call, we all heard it,” a bespectacled pretty boy said in a small voice. ”But Lon's brother rarely contacts him, so he slowly forgot about it…”
Of course they had not forgotten about it, the truth was other than the pure Lon, all of them had noticed from the way Lon described him that Lon's older brother, Nonosiva, actually looked down on his younger brother a lot. Although Lon clumsily tried to say good things about his brother, but Nonosiva's arrogant, unfriendly, and domineering image slowly appeared in their hearts. So they would naturally avoid mentioning this topic to Lon.
”At first we thought that since there were so many people in Blackboard Academy, Lon's brother would only be a normal student there at most, but to think… That guy does have the right to be haughty,” a girl with curly blonde pigtails said softly beside them.
”But Lon works so hard every day, and wears himself out just to earn money for his brother, then he still has to go to class at night as well. Despite all that, his brother doesn't even care enough to ask, doesn't that just make you sad?” another girl said quietly.
”Forget it, don't say any more. If Lon hears you, he'll make a fuss again.” The two girls looked at innocent Lon, and could not help but sigh inwardly.
”Fine, fine, Blackboard Academy and whatnot are too far removed from us, we had better stay realistic.” The pink-haired girl clapped her hands loudly, ”Alright everyone, pay attention. My younger brother and his friend are coming over to help in a bit, they'll be interning for the holidays. They're both middle schoolers, about the same age as you, so I hope you all get along nicely.”
Whoa…
The workers all gathered around her in an instant.
”The owner's younger brother? Is he as good-looking as me?”
”He might be a very cute little boy. I mean, look how pretty Owner is.”
”I wonder, what kind of a guy is he? It'd be troublesome if he had a bad temper.”
”Daisy, we're counting on you! Conquer him with your charms!”
Seeing that all the workers were gathering curiously, the pink-haired girl put her hands on her waist happily.
”Relax, relax, my younger brother and his friend are all nice people, especially that brother of mine, he's a ridiculously gentle guy, so don't you guys bully him instead.”
”Really…”
”Do you have pictures?”
”Here?” The pink-haired girl took out a color photo, but it was instantly snatched away. ”You're asking for a beating, Jasmine!”
A girl with a silver ponytail ran off with the picture, giggling, but she was immediately surrounded.
”Let me see…”
She took the photo and shook it a little, looking at it.
The picture showed a short young boy with a shy smile. He was not particularly handsome but he did have some good-looking features, and his messy black hair was being mussed up even more by the shop owner behind him.
There were some words written in black pen on the bottom right corner: loos cover.
”This is Chironese, it means my beloved family. Oh my, Owner, how touching~~~”
Another boy grabbed the photo and read it out loud.
”Ah, do you wanna die!?” the pink-haired girl was instantly embarrassed.
Lon stood beside them, smiling. There was not a single customer in the shop, but everyone was having fun together. This was a very warm and comfy feeling.
He had also seen the boy in the picture, he looked very gentle, so he must be someone who's easy to deal with.
**********************
Blackboard Academy
In the Grade C dormitory area.
Garen had just inserted his Identity Card into the door lock and opened the dorm door with a ka-chak when suddenly something twinged in his heart. It felt as though something had activated slightly, that indescribable feeling surging from his heart, and yet he could not identify the source.
He stood at the door quietly, his hand gripped the doorknob as he stayed completely still.
”This feeling… it's so familiar…” he murmured softly.
Ka-chak.
There was the sound of the opposite student's door opening behind him.
Garen was instantly shocked out of his reverie, and he tilted his head slightly to look behind him. The boy staying opposite him was making a call through his Watch Terminal, talking as he walked into his room.
He also pushed his door and walked inside, closing the door behind him. The footsteps of the students passing by, their chatter and laughter, the sound of the levitating car's engine outside, he blocked all of it outside.
”Could it be… has that started?” He turned on the air-conditioner, took off his coat, and tossed it onto the chair. Then he lay down on his bed, facing upwards, as he slowly began to reminisce.