Return from death, p.20
Return from Death, page 20
What part of that was perfect timing or why they decided to invite him out to the city, Oriana couldn’t be sure, but the girls nodded to one another as if they thought it was a splendid idea.
“Um…” Oriana began to say, intending to fulfill the request Vincent had made of her, but apparently she had misunderstood because he shot her a look again, as if telling her to wait. Wise enough to heed his instructions, she snapped her mouth shut.
“Hm,” said Vincent. “If it’s about your wands, I can speak to Professor Proston for you. Tell me, what year are you girls in?”
Hearing the name of the professor overseeing Magical Implement Construction took the wind right out of the girls’ sails.
“Uh…we’re third years. B-But it’s not so major that we need to get the professor involved.”
“Yes, agreed. Mister Tanzine, if you would just give us your—”
“Terribly sorry, but my schedule is full,” Vincent replied.
“We won’t take much of your time, we promise.”
“That’s right. We don’t have to go all the way to the city to discuss it with you. Right, girls?”
“Yeah.”
Vincent shook his head. “Apologies, but I truly am busy. Speaking to the professor for you is the most I can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He left no room for them to argue the point as he spun around, turning his back to them.
Urged along by his gaze, Oriana bowed to the girls and hurried after him. He made sure she was following before he started walking, his pace slow and leisurely.
❦❦❦
ONCE they distanced themselves from the group of girls, who were stamping their feet in frustration, Vincent finally paused. There happened to be an unoccupied bench nearby, so he lowered himself onto it.
Huh? So…why did he look at me like he wanted me to stay? Oriana was sure he’d been imploring her to drive the girls off, so she was a bit dejected about not being able to fulfill that duty for him. And here I was, excited because I thought he was relying on me as a friend.
Vincent pinched the hem of her robe between his fingers and tugged. With his other hand, he patted the empty spot beside him.
“Uh, I should probably excuse myself,” Oriana said. “From the sound of things, you must be really busy.”
“I’m not the least bit busy.” Even assuming he’d been making excuses by claiming otherwise a second ago, there was no way he wasn’t busy at all.
Oriana burst into laughter.
“What is it?” Vincent asked.
“Nothing. I was just thinking, you probably are too busy to go to the city with them, anyway.”
“…If it were with you, I would go.”
“With me? Is there something you need to buy?”
“…Yeah, there is.” Vincent nodded slowly.
Oriana hesitated. I guess if we’re friends, going to town to shop together isn’t that strange, is it? It didn’t seem like it would be. Surely not. No, it had to be perfectly normal.
Oriana slowly nodded to herself. “All right, then. Let’s go together.”
“Yeah, agreed. Let’s do that.”
For whatever reason, they both wore meek expressions, using the most clichéd responses imaginable.
“Oh, um, are you going to invite Miguel along too?” Oriana asked nervously.
It would be strange not to invite Miguel if they were going together. She resented some part of herself for even bothering to remember him, as much as she felt guilty about it since he’d said before that he enjoyed it being the three of them.
“I figure he’s probably busy,” Vincent said.
“O-Oh, all right then. I guess that’s just how it goes.”
“Yes, that is how it goes sometimes.”
“Right.”
“Yeah.”
Uh-huh. Okay. Yup.
The two continued their awkward, perfunctory replies, their plans to go out tomorrow now solidified.
❦❦❦
“IT’S really not a date?”
“It’s really not a date!”
Their words were the exact same, but the tone changed the meaning completely; Yana sounded skeptical of Oriana’s claim, while Oriana was insistent.
“I mean it,” Oriana said. “We’re just going out shopping. This is most definitely not a—”
“It is a date,” Yana interjected.
Oriana covered her face with her hands. “You really think so?”
“I don’t care what anyone else tries to tell you, that is a date.”
As the rays of sunlight spilling into the room dimmed, Oriana held her breath. She flopped around on the floor, as if forgetting how to properly inhale. She kept her hands over her face and curled into a ball.
“Seriously? Oh God. Is this actually happening?”
A date… She never dreamed a day would come when she’d actually go on one with Vincent. No, realistically, Vincent merely thought of tomorrow’s trip as a normal outing. But regardless of his intentions, it could still be classified as a date.
“What am I going to do? Now I’m so nervous,” Oriana mumbled.
“You needn’t do anything special. After a bit of yoga, we’ll do a lymphatic massage.”
“Ugh, but that’s super painful!”
“If you were mindful enough about doing it daily, it wouldn’t be that painful. For as much interest as you have in beauty, you certainly do slack off on the work necessary to achieve it.” Yana shot her an exasperated look. She was a pro among pros when it came to pursuing and maintaining beauty. Massages and yoga were practically an Ete Kariman specialty.
“Urk… Well, I’ll start putting more effort in. I do want to be cute.”
I’d at least like Vincent to think I’m cute. Though she was too embarrassed to say as much, that was undeniably how she felt. It was only because she’d convinced herself not to abandon her love for him that she’d come to think this way to begin with. As Yana had advised her, Oriana let her love grow. She wanted to look good in front of Vincent, which was why she dedicated herself more to her studies, helped him out when she could, and was even trying to earnestly devote herself to yoga and massages despite hating them.
“What should I do about my clothes?” Oriana wondered aloud. “Maybe I should ask Kai or Lucian what kind of outfits guys prefer.”
“Are you seriously considering asking an infamous virgin like Lucian?” Yana stared at her in disbelief.
Oriana shrugged. “Well, virgin or no, he’s still a man! I have faith in him!”
“Hold it right there. If that’s how desperate you are, let’s enlist Azraq.”
“Wha…?”
Azraq? The man who had feelings for a mature woman in her thirties? Oriana had no confidence she could pull off an outfit suiting someone like that. Seeing the grim look on her friend’s face, Yana must have sensed Oriana’s apprehension.
“Basically, you need to find what suits you best,” she said.
Oriana hopped to her feet and threw her closet doors open. Outfits she used on holidays and the weekends were lined up neatly inside. She glanced over the selection, eyes unblinking as she said, “I need to find the best possible outfit combination. I don’t want to be too chic, though. And it needs to fit the mood. I can’t seem too feminine, but at least enough to rouse his interest. I have to be careful that it’s not too casual, though. It has to be perfect!”
❦❦❦
PLEASE, oh please, don’t let me run into anyone I know, Oriana prayed to the Dragon God.
It was the morning of Flower Day, and people in casual wear were bustling about the surrounding courtyard. She was slowly making her way down one of Lagen Magic Academy’s brick pathways. Since she’d already received permission for her outing yesterday, she was on her way to the front gate, where she was supposed to meet up with Vincent.
After racking her brain over what outfit to go with all night, she finally settled on something fitting for the spring weather: a simple top and skirt. Oriana’s late mother had been built for easy child labor, and having inherited that, Oriana’s figure was not the least bit suited for pants. A dress would have been a bit too feminine, however, so she abandoned that option. Frankly speaking, despite dedicating an hour to fussing over her attire, she’d only come up with this outfit by process of elimination.
Among all the clothes she owned, this particular skirt had the longest hem. Her blouse, meanwhile, hid her neckline, and the jacket she wore over it was baggy enough to obscure the lines of her body, complete with ribbed sleeves. In the event of an emergency, she could still easily roll them back, and they provided her plenty of mobility. It was up to her to protect the life of the duke’s heir, after all, should the need arise.
Oriana was also carrying an enormous rucksack on her back, since whatever they bought, she certainly didn’t intend to make Vincent carry it. She’d also tucked a handkerchief inside, plus two spares, just in case.
Much as she wanted to complete her outfit with high-heeled velour pumps, considering their date was an outing into the city, she opted instead for lace-up boots.
It’s fine, she reassured herself. When Azraq came over first thing this morning, he told me I’d picked well. I’m sure this will be just fine.
Oriana had felt as embarrassed as a child being sent off on their first date by their parents, but she wouldn’t have felt comfortable not getting a man’s opinion before she headed off. She would need to send Azraq a bottle of alcohol later as a way to express her gratitude for his help.
Thanks to Yana’s lymphatic massage, the swelling in her face had gone down considerably, making it nearly half the size it normally was. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it definitely felt that way. The skin along her chin was completely clear and smooth, and her eyes looked bigger and brighter than usual. Thanks to the oil she had used the day before, she’d had an easy time putting on her makeup as well. And yet, in spite of her perfect preparations, she still kept fussing.
Yana and Azraq kept watch over her like parents as she left the dorm. She made it only a few steps before pausing to pull out the mirror from her rucksack. Her makeup was nearly perfect. Naturally, of course, since she’d spent several hours on it, which was way more time than she dedicated on any normal school day. Most of her effort was dedicated to making sure the foundation was perfected, so at a glance, it didn’t seem as though she’d gone any more gung-ho than usual.
I don’t want him to know how excited I was about today, but I do want him to think I’m cuter than usual. With any luck, I’d like to make his heart race.
Oriana had never been more nervous in her life before. She combed her hand through her bangs numerous times, plodding along.
“Orianaaaa!”
Oriana flinched at the sound of her name. She hadn’t even sensed anyone coming close until a hand clapped her on the shoulder from behind. “G-Good morning, Miguel,” she said, craning her head around to peer back at him.
Crap, she thought. The last thing she wanted was to meet someone she knew, especially Miguel, who she feared would see right through how ridiculously excited and anxious she was.
“Mornin’.”
Miguel was wearing casual clothes as well, likely because he was taking the day off. Most of the time, he and Vincent spent even their weekends inside the school or in the fields, so they usually wore their robes. It wasn’t often she got to see him dressed like this.
“Hm?” Miguel’s eyebrows shot up.
“What is it?” Oriana asked.
“Your lipstick. It’s different than usual.”
“Huh? Really? I wonder why that’d be?” Oriana averted her gaze, feeling like an idiot for pretending to be oblivious, even as she tried to keep up the facade. “Yeah, sure is a mystery…”
Inwardly, she wondered, Is it really that obvious? Then again, I’d prefer not to discount the possibility that he’s simply got a discerning eye.
“It’s nice. Lighter than usual and cute.”
“You think so?! I normally always use a makeup puff to apply it, but today I tried using a brush instead!”
“Uh-huh.”
“I spread it over a wider area than usual, but I tried to make it lighter as well…”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I kept wondering if it still looked natural.”
“Uh-huh. It’s super cute.”
“Aww…. Thank you.”
In the end, Oriana wound up digging her own grave. She’d basically spilled the beans herself by emphasizing how much effort she’d put into her makeup, proving how special today was.
“Don’t worry, you really do look cute,” Miguel said. He reached a hand up to stroke her head, only to stop himself at the last second. “Ah, you’ve even done your hair too.”
Yeah, I have, but I’d prefer it if you wouldn’t bring it up.
Oriana’s cheeks colored bright red as she knitted her brows. Her lips pulled together in a frustrated pout, and Miguel chuckled.
“Hey, say ‘aah’ for me.”
“Aah?” Oriana did as she was told and opened her mouth, only for something to be promptly shoved inside. She soon realized it was one of the lollipops he always carried with him. “Fwah…” she tried to speak around the candy in her mouth.
“Well, have fun.”
“I whill twy!” Her words came out funny thanks to the sucker obstructing her tongue. Grateful, she waved at Miguel, enjoying the sweet candy in her mouth as she parted ways with him.
❦❦❦
MEANWHILE, a few hours earlier in the boys’ dormitory…
It was early morning when Vincent began running a brush through his hair. He did so more meticulously than usual, eyes fixed on his reflection in the mirror in front of him.
It’s a date…
It wasn’t actually a date, strictly speaking, and yet at the same time, it kind of was. The nature of their outing wasn’t explicitly romantic, but he did invite Oriana out to the city, and she did agree to go. Plus, it would be just the two of them. That definitely made it a date.
“You’re going out?” Miguel’s groggy voice called from bed, eyelids still heavy with sleep. Considering he normally struggled with getting up so much that he couldn’t even speak coherently, he must have been awake for a little while. Miguel pushed a hand through his bangs and rolled his head back and forth like a cat, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
“Yeah, I am.” Vincent could provide no other answer than that. If he revealed who he was going with and where, he was sure Miguel would insist on tagging along. That wouldn’t normally be a problem, but today at least, he’d prefer Miguel to remain in bed, lounging about like a feline.
Miguel purposefully kept his silence. Vincent made no attempt to interrupt it, but that didn’t make it any less comfortable; Vincent felt it as keenly as a knife stabbing into his back.
“I might be a bit late returning, so feel free to eat whenever you want,” said Vincent.
“What’s wrong with the two of us? We sound like an old married couple.”
Vincent glanced over his shoulder, displeased by the comparison. To his surprise, Miguel stood right there beside him, having climbed out of his bed at some point during their exchange. Miguel promptly thrust his hand into Vincent’s hair, tousling it.
“Huh?” Vincent blurted, stunned.
“Hmm-hmm.”
Despite how painstakingly he’d groomed his hair, Miguel had left it looking far more disheveled than it normally did.
“Miguel, what do you think you’re doing?”
“What’s with those clothes?” Miguel asked, ignoring him. “You visiting a theater or something? Even assuming you are going to an afternoon program, these clothes are way too formal.”
As his friend stared pointedly at him, Vincent glanced down at himself. There was little else he could do, much as Miguel scolded him; it wasn’t the season for balls right now, and since he was staying at the Academy, he hadn’t brought any evening attire with him either. As far as Vincent was concerned, this was casual wear.
“Lose the tie at least,” Miguel advised. “And get rid of the handkerchief in your pocket. Those pants are made of some good material, but don’t you have anything a little brighter? You do realize it’s the fourth month of spring, right?”
Vincent sighed. “Miguel, as much as I appreciate your advice—”
Before he could finish, Miguel sensed what he was about to say and interrupted, “Come with me, then.”
“…All right.” Vincent reluctantly acquiesced, the bitterness showing on his face.
As they busied themselves with that, time flew by before Vincent knew it, until he only had thirty minutes left before he was slated to meet Oriana.
“Miguel, are you quite done?”
“Mm, not quite.”
“And how many times do you intend to have me try on the same outfits over and over again?”
“Tch.”
After scolding his friend for being too occupied playing around, Vincent removed his slippers and pulled his outside shoes on. His hair hung loose around his face, looking far more unkempt than usual. He had little choice but to leave without grooming it.
This is awful. With nothing else at his disposal, he resorted to combing his fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it out.
“Vincent,” a voice called behind him before he slipped out the door.
“What is it?”
The words barely left his mouth before Miguel shoved a lollipop past his lips. Vincent glared disapprovingly, having half a mind to bite the confounded candy in two.
“Welp, I’ll be off to grab me some grub, then.” Miguel hurried past him and disappeared out the door before he could. He tottered on ahead as Vincent followed behind him. If he was headed to the cafeteria, it was located near the gates, so at least he wouldn’t run into Oriana unless he purposefully sought her out.
This was supposed to be Vincent’s first date, but he felt completely out of sorts; his hair was a mess, his tie was missing, his cuffs were unbuttoned, his handkerchief was gone from his pocket, and his pants were something he’d borrowed from Miguel. Although he felt far less confident not being in his normal attire, he nevertheless set out to meet up with Oriana.
❦❦❦
“Um…” Oriana began to say, intending to fulfill the request Vincent had made of her, but apparently she had misunderstood because he shot her a look again, as if telling her to wait. Wise enough to heed his instructions, she snapped her mouth shut.
“Hm,” said Vincent. “If it’s about your wands, I can speak to Professor Proston for you. Tell me, what year are you girls in?”
Hearing the name of the professor overseeing Magical Implement Construction took the wind right out of the girls’ sails.
“Uh…we’re third years. B-But it’s not so major that we need to get the professor involved.”
“Yes, agreed. Mister Tanzine, if you would just give us your—”
“Terribly sorry, but my schedule is full,” Vincent replied.
“We won’t take much of your time, we promise.”
“That’s right. We don’t have to go all the way to the city to discuss it with you. Right, girls?”
“Yeah.”
Vincent shook his head. “Apologies, but I truly am busy. Speaking to the professor for you is the most I can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He left no room for them to argue the point as he spun around, turning his back to them.
Urged along by his gaze, Oriana bowed to the girls and hurried after him. He made sure she was following before he started walking, his pace slow and leisurely.
❦❦❦
ONCE they distanced themselves from the group of girls, who were stamping their feet in frustration, Vincent finally paused. There happened to be an unoccupied bench nearby, so he lowered himself onto it.
Huh? So…why did he look at me like he wanted me to stay? Oriana was sure he’d been imploring her to drive the girls off, so she was a bit dejected about not being able to fulfill that duty for him. And here I was, excited because I thought he was relying on me as a friend.
Vincent pinched the hem of her robe between his fingers and tugged. With his other hand, he patted the empty spot beside him.
“Uh, I should probably excuse myself,” Oriana said. “From the sound of things, you must be really busy.”
“I’m not the least bit busy.” Even assuming he’d been making excuses by claiming otherwise a second ago, there was no way he wasn’t busy at all.
Oriana burst into laughter.
“What is it?” Vincent asked.
“Nothing. I was just thinking, you probably are too busy to go to the city with them, anyway.”
“…If it were with you, I would go.”
“With me? Is there something you need to buy?”
“…Yeah, there is.” Vincent nodded slowly.
Oriana hesitated. I guess if we’re friends, going to town to shop together isn’t that strange, is it? It didn’t seem like it would be. Surely not. No, it had to be perfectly normal.
Oriana slowly nodded to herself. “All right, then. Let’s go together.”
“Yeah, agreed. Let’s do that.”
For whatever reason, they both wore meek expressions, using the most clichéd responses imaginable.
“Oh, um, are you going to invite Miguel along too?” Oriana asked nervously.
It would be strange not to invite Miguel if they were going together. She resented some part of herself for even bothering to remember him, as much as she felt guilty about it since he’d said before that he enjoyed it being the three of them.
“I figure he’s probably busy,” Vincent said.
“O-Oh, all right then. I guess that’s just how it goes.”
“Yes, that is how it goes sometimes.”
“Right.”
“Yeah.”
Uh-huh. Okay. Yup.
The two continued their awkward, perfunctory replies, their plans to go out tomorrow now solidified.
❦❦❦
“IT’S really not a date?”
“It’s really not a date!”
Their words were the exact same, but the tone changed the meaning completely; Yana sounded skeptical of Oriana’s claim, while Oriana was insistent.
“I mean it,” Oriana said. “We’re just going out shopping. This is most definitely not a—”
“It is a date,” Yana interjected.
Oriana covered her face with her hands. “You really think so?”
“I don’t care what anyone else tries to tell you, that is a date.”
As the rays of sunlight spilling into the room dimmed, Oriana held her breath. She flopped around on the floor, as if forgetting how to properly inhale. She kept her hands over her face and curled into a ball.
“Seriously? Oh God. Is this actually happening?”
A date… She never dreamed a day would come when she’d actually go on one with Vincent. No, realistically, Vincent merely thought of tomorrow’s trip as a normal outing. But regardless of his intentions, it could still be classified as a date.
“What am I going to do? Now I’m so nervous,” Oriana mumbled.
“You needn’t do anything special. After a bit of yoga, we’ll do a lymphatic massage.”
“Ugh, but that’s super painful!”
“If you were mindful enough about doing it daily, it wouldn’t be that painful. For as much interest as you have in beauty, you certainly do slack off on the work necessary to achieve it.” Yana shot her an exasperated look. She was a pro among pros when it came to pursuing and maintaining beauty. Massages and yoga were practically an Ete Kariman specialty.
“Urk… Well, I’ll start putting more effort in. I do want to be cute.”
I’d at least like Vincent to think I’m cute. Though she was too embarrassed to say as much, that was undeniably how she felt. It was only because she’d convinced herself not to abandon her love for him that she’d come to think this way to begin with. As Yana had advised her, Oriana let her love grow. She wanted to look good in front of Vincent, which was why she dedicated herself more to her studies, helped him out when she could, and was even trying to earnestly devote herself to yoga and massages despite hating them.
“What should I do about my clothes?” Oriana wondered aloud. “Maybe I should ask Kai or Lucian what kind of outfits guys prefer.”
“Are you seriously considering asking an infamous virgin like Lucian?” Yana stared at her in disbelief.
Oriana shrugged. “Well, virgin or no, he’s still a man! I have faith in him!”
“Hold it right there. If that’s how desperate you are, let’s enlist Azraq.”
“Wha…?”
Azraq? The man who had feelings for a mature woman in her thirties? Oriana had no confidence she could pull off an outfit suiting someone like that. Seeing the grim look on her friend’s face, Yana must have sensed Oriana’s apprehension.
“Basically, you need to find what suits you best,” she said.
Oriana hopped to her feet and threw her closet doors open. Outfits she used on holidays and the weekends were lined up neatly inside. She glanced over the selection, eyes unblinking as she said, “I need to find the best possible outfit combination. I don’t want to be too chic, though. And it needs to fit the mood. I can’t seem too feminine, but at least enough to rouse his interest. I have to be careful that it’s not too casual, though. It has to be perfect!”
❦❦❦
PLEASE, oh please, don’t let me run into anyone I know, Oriana prayed to the Dragon God.
It was the morning of Flower Day, and people in casual wear were bustling about the surrounding courtyard. She was slowly making her way down one of Lagen Magic Academy’s brick pathways. Since she’d already received permission for her outing yesterday, she was on her way to the front gate, where she was supposed to meet up with Vincent.
After racking her brain over what outfit to go with all night, she finally settled on something fitting for the spring weather: a simple top and skirt. Oriana’s late mother had been built for easy child labor, and having inherited that, Oriana’s figure was not the least bit suited for pants. A dress would have been a bit too feminine, however, so she abandoned that option. Frankly speaking, despite dedicating an hour to fussing over her attire, she’d only come up with this outfit by process of elimination.
Among all the clothes she owned, this particular skirt had the longest hem. Her blouse, meanwhile, hid her neckline, and the jacket she wore over it was baggy enough to obscure the lines of her body, complete with ribbed sleeves. In the event of an emergency, she could still easily roll them back, and they provided her plenty of mobility. It was up to her to protect the life of the duke’s heir, after all, should the need arise.
Oriana was also carrying an enormous rucksack on her back, since whatever they bought, she certainly didn’t intend to make Vincent carry it. She’d also tucked a handkerchief inside, plus two spares, just in case.
Much as she wanted to complete her outfit with high-heeled velour pumps, considering their date was an outing into the city, she opted instead for lace-up boots.
It’s fine, she reassured herself. When Azraq came over first thing this morning, he told me I’d picked well. I’m sure this will be just fine.
Oriana had felt as embarrassed as a child being sent off on their first date by their parents, but she wouldn’t have felt comfortable not getting a man’s opinion before she headed off. She would need to send Azraq a bottle of alcohol later as a way to express her gratitude for his help.
Thanks to Yana’s lymphatic massage, the swelling in her face had gone down considerably, making it nearly half the size it normally was. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it definitely felt that way. The skin along her chin was completely clear and smooth, and her eyes looked bigger and brighter than usual. Thanks to the oil she had used the day before, she’d had an easy time putting on her makeup as well. And yet, in spite of her perfect preparations, she still kept fussing.
Yana and Azraq kept watch over her like parents as she left the dorm. She made it only a few steps before pausing to pull out the mirror from her rucksack. Her makeup was nearly perfect. Naturally, of course, since she’d spent several hours on it, which was way more time than she dedicated on any normal school day. Most of her effort was dedicated to making sure the foundation was perfected, so at a glance, it didn’t seem as though she’d gone any more gung-ho than usual.
I don’t want him to know how excited I was about today, but I do want him to think I’m cuter than usual. With any luck, I’d like to make his heart race.
Oriana had never been more nervous in her life before. She combed her hand through her bangs numerous times, plodding along.
“Orianaaaa!”
Oriana flinched at the sound of her name. She hadn’t even sensed anyone coming close until a hand clapped her on the shoulder from behind. “G-Good morning, Miguel,” she said, craning her head around to peer back at him.
Crap, she thought. The last thing she wanted was to meet someone she knew, especially Miguel, who she feared would see right through how ridiculously excited and anxious she was.
“Mornin’.”
Miguel was wearing casual clothes as well, likely because he was taking the day off. Most of the time, he and Vincent spent even their weekends inside the school or in the fields, so they usually wore their robes. It wasn’t often she got to see him dressed like this.
“Hm?” Miguel’s eyebrows shot up.
“What is it?” Oriana asked.
“Your lipstick. It’s different than usual.”
“Huh? Really? I wonder why that’d be?” Oriana averted her gaze, feeling like an idiot for pretending to be oblivious, even as she tried to keep up the facade. “Yeah, sure is a mystery…”
Inwardly, she wondered, Is it really that obvious? Then again, I’d prefer not to discount the possibility that he’s simply got a discerning eye.
“It’s nice. Lighter than usual and cute.”
“You think so?! I normally always use a makeup puff to apply it, but today I tried using a brush instead!”
“Uh-huh.”
“I spread it over a wider area than usual, but I tried to make it lighter as well…”
“Uh-huh.”
“And I kept wondering if it still looked natural.”
“Uh-huh. It’s super cute.”
“Aww…. Thank you.”
In the end, Oriana wound up digging her own grave. She’d basically spilled the beans herself by emphasizing how much effort she’d put into her makeup, proving how special today was.
“Don’t worry, you really do look cute,” Miguel said. He reached a hand up to stroke her head, only to stop himself at the last second. “Ah, you’ve even done your hair too.”
Yeah, I have, but I’d prefer it if you wouldn’t bring it up.
Oriana’s cheeks colored bright red as she knitted her brows. Her lips pulled together in a frustrated pout, and Miguel chuckled.
“Hey, say ‘aah’ for me.”
“Aah?” Oriana did as she was told and opened her mouth, only for something to be promptly shoved inside. She soon realized it was one of the lollipops he always carried with him. “Fwah…” she tried to speak around the candy in her mouth.
“Well, have fun.”
“I whill twy!” Her words came out funny thanks to the sucker obstructing her tongue. Grateful, she waved at Miguel, enjoying the sweet candy in her mouth as she parted ways with him.
❦❦❦
MEANWHILE, a few hours earlier in the boys’ dormitory…
It was early morning when Vincent began running a brush through his hair. He did so more meticulously than usual, eyes fixed on his reflection in the mirror in front of him.
It’s a date…
It wasn’t actually a date, strictly speaking, and yet at the same time, it kind of was. The nature of their outing wasn’t explicitly romantic, but he did invite Oriana out to the city, and she did agree to go. Plus, it would be just the two of them. That definitely made it a date.
“You’re going out?” Miguel’s groggy voice called from bed, eyelids still heavy with sleep. Considering he normally struggled with getting up so much that he couldn’t even speak coherently, he must have been awake for a little while. Miguel pushed a hand through his bangs and rolled his head back and forth like a cat, trying to shake off the drowsiness.
“Yeah, I am.” Vincent could provide no other answer than that. If he revealed who he was going with and where, he was sure Miguel would insist on tagging along. That wouldn’t normally be a problem, but today at least, he’d prefer Miguel to remain in bed, lounging about like a feline.
Miguel purposefully kept his silence. Vincent made no attempt to interrupt it, but that didn’t make it any less comfortable; Vincent felt it as keenly as a knife stabbing into his back.
“I might be a bit late returning, so feel free to eat whenever you want,” said Vincent.
“What’s wrong with the two of us? We sound like an old married couple.”
Vincent glanced over his shoulder, displeased by the comparison. To his surprise, Miguel stood right there beside him, having climbed out of his bed at some point during their exchange. Miguel promptly thrust his hand into Vincent’s hair, tousling it.
“Huh?” Vincent blurted, stunned.
“Hmm-hmm.”
Despite how painstakingly he’d groomed his hair, Miguel had left it looking far more disheveled than it normally did.
“Miguel, what do you think you’re doing?”
“What’s with those clothes?” Miguel asked, ignoring him. “You visiting a theater or something? Even assuming you are going to an afternoon program, these clothes are way too formal.”
As his friend stared pointedly at him, Vincent glanced down at himself. There was little else he could do, much as Miguel scolded him; it wasn’t the season for balls right now, and since he was staying at the Academy, he hadn’t brought any evening attire with him either. As far as Vincent was concerned, this was casual wear.
“Lose the tie at least,” Miguel advised. “And get rid of the handkerchief in your pocket. Those pants are made of some good material, but don’t you have anything a little brighter? You do realize it’s the fourth month of spring, right?”
Vincent sighed. “Miguel, as much as I appreciate your advice—”
Before he could finish, Miguel sensed what he was about to say and interrupted, “Come with me, then.”
“…All right.” Vincent reluctantly acquiesced, the bitterness showing on his face.
As they busied themselves with that, time flew by before Vincent knew it, until he only had thirty minutes left before he was slated to meet Oriana.
“Miguel, are you quite done?”
“Mm, not quite.”
“And how many times do you intend to have me try on the same outfits over and over again?”
“Tch.”
After scolding his friend for being too occupied playing around, Vincent removed his slippers and pulled his outside shoes on. His hair hung loose around his face, looking far more unkempt than usual. He had little choice but to leave without grooming it.
This is awful. With nothing else at his disposal, he resorted to combing his fingers through his hair in an attempt to smooth it out.
“Vincent,” a voice called behind him before he slipped out the door.
“What is it?”
The words barely left his mouth before Miguel shoved a lollipop past his lips. Vincent glared disapprovingly, having half a mind to bite the confounded candy in two.
“Welp, I’ll be off to grab me some grub, then.” Miguel hurried past him and disappeared out the door before he could. He tottered on ahead as Vincent followed behind him. If he was headed to the cafeteria, it was located near the gates, so at least he wouldn’t run into Oriana unless he purposefully sought her out.
This was supposed to be Vincent’s first date, but he felt completely out of sorts; his hair was a mess, his tie was missing, his cuffs were unbuttoned, his handkerchief was gone from his pocket, and his pants were something he’d borrowed from Miguel. Although he felt far less confident not being in his normal attire, he nevertheless set out to meet up with Oriana.
❦❦❦
