For Your Failed Unrequited Love

Felix put strength in his hand, wrapped around Lucy’s cheek. After saying his words at once, his shoulders shook slowly as if he was catching his breath.

After a while he made eye contact with her and spoke in a calmer voice.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”

Now he looked as tearful as Lucy.

“I didn’t know until recently that there was a rumor going around. I was going to take care of it before it got into your ear…… I was too complacent.”

His thumb slowly swept under Lucy’s eyes.

“I should have told you beforehand.”

Lucy’s eyes trembled as the spot his fingers had swept through became hot. Seeing it, Felix slowly pulled her into his arms, thinking she was about to burst into tears again.

Now he began to pat her back gently with his big hands.

Lucy gradually calmed down at the child’s soothing touch. Tears that had flowed endlessly also stopped before she knew it.

“Trust me, please.”

His low voice sank on top of Lucy’s head.

I trust you.

She wanted to answer like that, but no voice came out of her wet throat.

Lucy breathed slowly and tried to stop crying completely. Felix’s hand continued to gently sweep her back, as if to help hee.

As time went by, Lucy couldn’t raise her head. Even if she didn’t see it she knows how messed up her tear soaked face would be.

It wasn’t anyone else, she cried in Felix’s arms. She felt relieved after crying.

When Lucy’s sniffles died down, Felix relaxed his arms. As she was released from his warm arms, a cold wind soon wrapped around Lucy’s body.

Lucy, fully awake by the cold air, hurriedly stood with her back facing Felix. Then she hurriedly wiped off her wet face with her sleeve.

Behind her back, Felix waited quietly.

Suddenly crying and asking if he’s engaged…… He must have been very confused.

“I’m sorry, I suddenly cried.”

Unable to look back at him, Lucy said in a crawling voice.

“You can cry.” Felix replied.

“You can be angry. You can say anything, you can ask questions.”

His words came clear through the rustling leaves in the wind.

“You can do whatever you want to do to me.”

His voice soothing Lucy, was infinitely sweet. Lucy stopped wiping her face and stood still.

If you say that, I might really do anything.

Lucy said quietly to herself.

Whining and being stubborn. If it’s related to you, I keep becoming a childish person.

The two stood like that for some time. Lucy is waiting for her red eyes to return to normal and Felix is waiting for her to collect herself.

And when Lucy finally looked back at Felix, he spoke naturally, ignoring Lucy’s embarrassed expression.

“Now, let’s get out of here.”

Lucy followed him out of the backyard.

She was worried that other people might notice her red eyes, but the students passing by the library didn’t care about Lucy. Everyone seemed busy going their own way.

Only one of them caught Lucy’s attention for her suspicious behavior.

Princess Clothill, who already said goodbye, returned in front of the library and was looking around the campus holding a bouquet of flowers that she didn’t see earlier.

Soon the princess found Lucy and ran at once waving her hand.

“Lucy!”

She stood before Lucy, calling her name in a friendly tone.

“I went to the library to find Lucy but they said you weren’t there so I kept looking for you.”

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

“I came back to give you this. Here you go.”

Princess Clothill held out the flower to Lucy.

“If you don’t want me to return the favor, I’ll just give you this.”

A fragrant smell came to Lucy’s nose. She looked down at the flowers she had received with a puzzled expression and asked.

“To me?”

“Yes!”

The princess replied cheerfully.

“Uh…… Thank you.”

The princess replied with a pleased smile to Lucy.

“Then it’s really time to say goodbye!”

The princess greeted Lucy with a cheerful voice. She then bowed her head lightly as if she had no interest in Felix, who was standing next to Lucy, and returned to the attendants who were waiting for her.

“Who is that?”

Felix, who alternately looked at Lucy’s flower and the princess moving away, asked. Lucy replied, unable to take her eyes off the princess’s back.

“Someone I want to see as a junior next year.”

A relieved smile hung on her face as if she never cried.



* * *



The golden season.

Golden leaves roll around whenever the wind blows and covers the whole campus. The leaves fell like raindrops from the trees that were gradually getting bare.

Lucy looked out of the window at the beautiful sight and held her chin in one hand. There was a smile that no one could see around her mouth hidden in the palm of her hand.

“Lucy, show me your assignment!”

Suddenly a hand invaded her desk. Colin snatched Lucy’s notebook with a quick hand gesture.

It was a task they had plenty of time preparing, what did he do during that time? Colin prepared to copy Lucy’s assignment in a cheeky way,

“Ah, yes.”

Lucy, who would normally take away her notebook with a lot of nagging, replied calmly. Then she turned her attention out of the window again, distracting Colin.

Colin’s expression as he opened her notebook became strange.

“You’re weird these days”

He rose from his seat with a serious look on his face and approached Lucy. Then he touched her forehead with his palm.

“You don’t have a fever. That’s weird.”

“What in the world?”

“You rarely get angry these days. You say yes no matter what I say, and you keep smiling even in class. Did you really go crazy after studying?”

It may have been half a joke, but Colin took Lucy’s temperature once again, as he suddenly thought there was a possibility.

“Is it really like that?”

“What’s wrong with you?”

When Colin measured her temperature again, crushing her both cheeks, Lucy finally uttered a word of dissatisfaction. Only then did Colin nod in satisfaction.

“Yes, this is Lucy Keenan.”

Lucy did not bother arguing with him, she punched his hand and began to pack her bag.

“We still have a lot of time before the next class.”

“We are going to make a collection of writings at the library. We decided to have a meeting with the club members in another classroom, so I have to go.”

In the season of reading, poetic concepts usually come to mind. Even people who have never written poetry are jotting down verses for nothing.

The book club has been publishing a collection of poems and short novels by the academy students every year.

Colin’s expression quickly brightened when he heard Lucy.

“I want to go too!”

He, whose hobby is writing poetry, could not have missed such a good opportunity.

“Will you stop following me? You’re not even a member of the book club.”

“I don’t want to be a slave to the library like you”

Colin answered, shaking his head.

He gladly helped the book club whenever new books came, but he said he doesn’t want to stay in the library and work every day.

With Colin behind her saying he would follow her, Lucy headed to the classroom where the meeting would take place.

When she opened the door and entered, many members were already gathered. Adrian and Jemima, Rita. First-year members, including Noel. And Alan Gross, a third grader who rarely showed up.

Alan wriggled his eyebrow at Lucy once, then frowned openly when he saw Colin following her. He doesn’t like Colin, who would normally walk in and out of the library like it’s his own house.

The other members, however, looked bright.

“Hello! Colin Connor, the leading poet at the Academy of Xenomium, is here!”

“Welcome, Colin!”

In the meantime, the atmosphere was welcoming to Colin, who was willing to step out whenever the library needed help. Some first-year students even took out a chair for him.

Sensing a favorable atmosphere for Colin, Alan was forced to sit quietly.

The anthology meeting began with Adrian’s initiative.

This time, the meeting proceeded with each person giving their opinions on what articles to publish and how to recruit a writer.

There was quite a peaceful and calm atmosphere, except for Alan Gross who kept muttering dissatisfaction every time Colin stepped in and argued his opinion.

But then the door suddenly burst out open.

And it was none other than Felix who appeared at the door. Everyone in the classroom looked at him.

“What’s up, Felix?”

Adrian, who was slowly getting ready to wrap up the meeting, asked with a quizzical look.

Instead of answering, Felix strode into the classroom and closed the door.

Having confused all the members with his sudden appearance, he said absurd things once again with a calm face.

“I’m here to join the book club.”