Chapter: 11
“See? It looks so much better after cutting your hair. Thanks, Sis.”
“Mhm, you look so handsome~! Our little Heinri.”
‘Sob… you dummy.’
Sisrein and I exchanged meaningful glances, silently signaling, Hurry, hurry, as we cleaned the hair off the floor.
Not a single silver strand remained.
Fortunately, Heinri was too busy staring at himself in the mirror to notice.
‘A perfect crime.’
Sisrein and I looked at each other and nodded solemnly.
It was starting to feel like we made a pretty good team.
Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Heinri and Sisrein became friends too, just like I was with each of them?
“Hmm…”
After thinking for a moment, I raised one finger.
“Guys, have you ever heard the saying, ‘A friend’s friend is also a friend’?”
…
Sisrein quietly looked at me while Heinri, trying to sound smart, answered first.
“Of course. It means that if someone’s your friend, then their friend becomes your friend too.”
“Wow! That’s the correct answer! As expected of our Heinri!”
I clapped my hands in praise, and Heinri immediately puffed up with pride.
Grinning shamelessly, I grabbed both boys by the wrists and made them hold each other’s hands as if they were shaking hands.
“So… how about you two get along? You’re both my friends, so that makes you friends with each other.”
…
…
The boys’ expressions crumpled at exactly the same time.
Heinri’s face clearly screamed, Absolutely disgusting.
Sisrein’s expression was one of calm but unmistakable contempt.
‘…Do you two hate each other that much?’
But if things stayed like this, they’d keep getting along terribly.
How were they ever supposed to become friends?
This was exactly when a proper bridge between them was needed.
I spoke enthusiastically.
“You might actually become really good friends!”
“Sis, I already told you. I don’t make friends with filthy trash.”
As Heinri glared at Sisrein like he was a chewed-up dog bone, Sisrein looked back at Heinri as though he were an annoying buzzing fly.
“I don’t want to be friends with that silver-platter head either.”
“What!? Silver-platter head!?”
Ah! You two can’t say things like that!
Since it had come to this…
I had no choice but to bring out my ultimate weapon.
Although their personalities were completely different, there was one thing they had in common.
And that was…
‘They both listen to me incredibly well!’
“But Sis and Heinri are both really precious friends to me! If you two don’t get along…”
I deliberately lowered my head and put on a gloomy expression.
“I think… it’d make me sad.”
“…!”
Heinri, who had been hissing like an angry cat, flinched in surprise.
It was as if he’d just seen his owner burst into tears.
“Ghh…”
He frowned, groaned, let out a long, helpless sigh, then reached out and grabbed Sisrein’s hand first.
…
Sisrein, who had been staring at me with wavering eyes, slowly clasped Heinri’s hand as well.
“If that’s what you want, Anette… then I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“Don’t be sad, Anette.”
Watching the two little boys finally shake hands, I smiled mischievously inside.
‘Hehe… sorry, kids.’
It was all acting.
Pure acting.
Did this mean we were one step closer to a happy ending?
Smiling brightly, I wrapped both of my hands around their tiny joined hands and enthusiastically shook them up and down.
“Good! From now on, we’ll all help each other and become even closer friends!”
‘Ahh… how satisfying.’
Could it be that everything was finally going smoothly?
“Oh! Then you two stay here and talk for a while. Julien’s been saying his nose won’t stop running, so I’m going to check on him!”
If they spent some time alone making up, they’d definitely become closer.
They were still kids, after all.
Children always argued one minute and became friends the next.
Waving cheerfully, I smiled.
“See you later at the dorm!”
Then, humming happily to myself, I left the hideout.
After Anette departed…
The two boys silently glared at each other.
Then, at the exact same moment, they violently let go of each other’s hands as though throwing them away.
Heinri growled.
“If you pretend to be friends with me, I’ll kill you, you beast.”
Sisrein wasn’t about to lose.
“You get lost.”
Thus ended the spectacular collapse of Anette’s poorly constructed friendship bridge.
The next day…
“Alright, everyone! The apple orchard is full of beautifully ripened apples, isn’t it? Today we’ll be experiencing what it’s like to be farmers!”
Teacher Mislin, who specialized in outdoor field lessons, smiled brightly. She had red hair and a face sprinkled with freckles.
The apples, carefully cultivated with magic, had ripened beautifully as though they had already basked in autumn sunshine.
The sweet, refreshing scent of apples filled the air.
“Only pick apples until you start getting tired, alright?”
“Yeees!”
“Oh, and one more thing! Using abilities or magic to pick them is strictly forbidden!”
After firmly reminding everyone, the teacher walked away.
‘Wow… these apples are gorgeous.’
I happily smiled as I carefully picked Ruby apples one by one and placed them into my basket.
Personally, this was an incredibly fun class.
After spending every day buried in difficult classroom lessons, having an outdoor class under the warm sunshine felt wonderfully refreshing.
The little kids seemed just as excited, their cheerful laughter echoing all around.
Hmm?
Julien was standing right beside me without doing anything.
“Julien, are you not enjoying the apple-picking lesson?”
When I asked, Julien stretched out his chubby little hand toward me.
Resting on his palm was a single apple.
His sky-blue eyes sparkled brightly.
“Teacher said we stop when we get tiwed.”
He wiped his forehead with the back of his tiny hand.
“Phew…”
“I’m tiwed.”
‘Sob… he’s so adorable.’
Aww, our little baby got tired after picking just one apple?
I raised my fist energetically.
“Then I’ll pick some for you too!”
“Yay~!”
I worked fairly hard, even picking Julien’s share.
Every time another apple filled the basket, I somehow felt fuller myself.
Rubbing my nose, I thought proudly,
‘Heh. Maybe I’d actually make a talented farmer.’
As expected of an honor student who’s good at everything except awakening.
La la la.
While silently praising myself as I picked apples, I noticed Sisrein staring intensely at one.
He wore such a thoughtful expression that even a philosopher making a groundbreaking discovery probably wouldn’t look that serious.
…Was picking an apple really something to contemplate that deeply?
Still…
‘Our little guy’s adapting really well to class.’
I couldn’t help feeling proud.
Just a few days ago, he’d been living in a cave, barely able to eat properly.
And now he was actually attending class.
An outdoor class, no less.
Feeling like he deserved endless encouragement, I walked over with a smile.
“How’s it going?”
“Good.”
I peeked into Sisrein’s basket.
Every single apple inside had been carefully chosen.
They were all perfectly beautiful.
The basket almost looked like it was filled with jewels.
“Wow… Sisrein, you picked such beautiful apples.”
Sisrein quietly looked at me before moving his lips.
“…Because you like pretty things.”
“…!”
Why are you saying that while looking straight at me, you future obsessive male lead?
Even though he’s only eleven, that natural romantic aura somehow makes ordinary comments sound like flirting.
“Ahem. I want the prettiest apple in the whole orchard. Let’s have a contest! Whoever finds the prettiest apple wins!”
“Okay.”
Sisrein smiled faintly.
I continued showering him with praise.
“But you’re really good at picking apples, Sisrein. That’s impressive.”
“Sis, does picking apples well make someone impressive?”
Just then, Heinri suddenly barged into the conversation.
Apparently he had no intention whatsoever of participating in the apple-picking lesson.
Instead, he was casually munching on a ripe apple he’d picked at random.
“Of course it does!”
So could you maybe take class a little more seriously?
“…I see.”
Without warning, Heinri tossed the apple he was holding away and turned around.
It almost sounded like he muttered,
“They’re all dead.”
…I suddenly had the feeling I’d made a huge mistake.
‘Still… it’s better than slacking off during class.’
Just as I was muttering to myself…
I spotted Sisrein.
Somehow he’d already climbed to the very top of the tallest tree.
The orchard was specially maintained with cultivation magic, causing the apple trees to grow as tall as bamboo.
“…Sisrein is really taking this competition seriously.”
Then I couldn’t afford to lose either.
I gave it everything I had to find the prettiest apple.
A little while later…
Sisrein suddenly leaped down from the top of the towering tree.
“Ah! That’s dangerous!!”
I cried out in genuine panic, afraid he’d get hurt.
But Sisrein landed safely despite jumping from a height several times taller than himself.
Ah…
So this was what an awakened person’s physical ability was like.
‘Suddenly I’m a little depressed about being proud of my apple-picking skills.’
Seeing me looking slightly dejected, Sisrein walked straight toward me and held out his hand.
“…Wow.”
The moment I saw it, I forgot all about feeling gloomy.
The apple sparkled brilliantly, as though it had soaked up every bit of the sun’s love.
Its smooth crimson skin gleamed beautifully.
Its fragrance was rich and incredibly sweet, enough to make my mouth water.
At this point, anyone could tell that Sisrein had won our “Find the Prettiest Apple!” contest.
Could someone like me, an insignificant extra, really never beat an awakened person at anything… even apple picking?
Feeling a little discouraged, I murmured,
“…It’s really beautiful.”
“Take it.”
“Huh?”
The boy quietly looked at me with eyes as red as the height of summer.
“This is the prettiest apple here.”
I suddenly remembered what I’d said earlier.
“I want the prettiest apple here.”
So…
He had picked it for me?
That beautiful apple hanging closest to the sky like a shining star…
“But if you give it to me… then you’ll lose the contest, Sisrein.”
At that moment, a gentle smile, soft as the fresh leaves of early summer, spread across the boy’s face.
“I don’t mind losing.”
…
“I’ll lose to you every time from now on, Anette.”
His gentle voice melted my heart like cotton candy.
