Chapter 39
Inside the tall glass were various ice creams and cookies. It was an incredibly colorful and beautiful dessert.
‘I can’t believe such a dessert exists in this world.’
As I stared at the dessert with wide eyes, unable to look away, Leonard carefully placed a small teaspoon in my hand.
Ghosts gathered around, floating excitedly around the parfait.
I absentmindedly scooped up some ice cream from the top of the parfait with the teaspoon and took a bite.
It felt like fireworks exploding in my mouth.
In novels, there are often scenes where protagonists watch fireworks and feel moved.
Back then, I couldn’t understand being moved by such things, but now I felt I could understand those protagonists’ feelings.
It was even more touching because while I had seen people eating ice cream when I went to big cities, this was my first time actually eating it myself.
‘It’s really delicious. I wish I could pack some and let Raven taste it too.’
As I was thinking this to myself, lost in emotion, I suddenly noticed that the surroundings had gone quiet.
Puzzled, I looked up to see Sally and Erica, who had been fighting across from me, now looking at me.
Even Leonard hadn’t left, standing beside the table and quietly watching me.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“Do you want more?”
Sally and Erica asked me in turn.
“I’ll give you another one on the house, wait.”
And then Leonard added, disappearing into the kitchen.
Ding-a-ling—
Meanwhile, someone entered the café. A man in priest’s robes wearing an eye patch stood out quite a bit.
“Oh? Hastings?”
Father Miella, despite wearing an eye patch, recognized me accurately.
I wondered if he could really see everything.
Father Miella strode toward me.
“I met Weston on the way and heard everything. I’m glad nothing serious happened.”
I stood up from my seat and bowed my head.
“I’m sorry for disappearing without contacting anyone.”
I swallowed my words, thinking he probably wouldn’t believe me if I told him about getting caught up in the urban legend.
It was also because I had heard from Erica before that Father Miella was interfering with Father Cesario’s investigation of urban legend incidents.
Then Father Miella looked at the seat opposite me. After staring at that spot quietly with his eye-patched face, he asked me.
“Hastings, why are you with a student council member?”
He even recognized that Erica was a student council member, though she hadn’t said anything.
“Ah, she’s my roommate.”
“Of all people.”
Father Miella clicked his tongue. What a harsh reaction. He seems to really dislike the student council.
Erica just shrugged and ignored him regardless of what he said.
“Oh my! I heard the transfer student visited our café, so I came to see, and it’s true?”
Just then, a middle-aged woman who looked like the café owner rushed into the café.
I don’t understand why all the townspeople are making such a fuss, wondering how rumors about me have spread.
“Mrs. Lewis, didn’t you say you were looking for a new employee? This one was intently looking at the help wanted sign earlier.”
Leonard came over and dropped that comment.
‘When did you see that!’
I felt a bit embarrassed and my face flushed.
“We’re still looking for an employee! My goodness, it would be an honor to have the perfect scorer from the transfer exam work at our café!”
“Hey, Mrs. Lewis, what about me? Why don’t you say it’s an honor for me?”
Ignoring Leonard’s question, the café owner, Mrs. Lewis, extended her hand to me.
“Nice to meet you, Hastings. I’m Helena Eden Lewis.”
I shook her hand and widened my eyes. Huh? Having a middle name means she’s a noble.
“Ignore this guy.”
Mrs. Lewis said, putting her hand on Miella’s shoulder. Father Miella showed a flustered expression for the first time.
“Si-Sister. What are you doing in front of the students?”
What? Sister?
“Goodness. Mrs. Lewis, Father Miella is your younger brother?”
Leonard seemed not to have known either, asking again in surprise. Sally and Erica also looked surprised.
While Father Miella was flustered, someone else entered the café.
It was a boy who looked like a student of Saint Gloria Private School, but his face was strikingly familiar.
“Huh? Raven?”
I jumped up from my seat.
As if hearing my shout, the boy entering the café hesitated, then turned around and left.
Seeing this, I also bolted from my seat.
“Huh? Melody?!”
“Sorry, I’ll be right back!”
I heard Erica’s voice behind me, but right now I couldn’t see anything but Raven.
I gritted my teeth and ran at full speed with all my might.
‘I won’t let him get away! I’ll definitely catch him!’
Huff. Huff.
I could see the back of the boy running away in the distance. I could see his wheat-colored hair fluttering.
That’s definitely Raven. It was Raven’s hair color.
“Ra-Raven! Wait!”
As if he couldn’t hear my shout, the boy didn’t even look back.
I was getting out of breath, and the distance between us was gradually widening.
No, even though I ran at full speed, Raven had disappeared without a trace and was no longer visible.
Before I knew it, there was no one on the street.
‘Where on earth did he disappear to!?’
More than anything, I had lost my way.
Whoosh—
Ghosts were passing through the alleys making deflating noises.
Then some ghosts noticed me and came to greet me.
Whoosh—
They circled around me and then moved somewhere, waddling. Among them was the droopy-eyed ghost.
Suddenly stopping, the droopy-eyed ghost turned back to look at me.
After confirming I was still there, it went forward again, then stopped once more to look back at me.
It seemed like it wanted me to follow.
I obediently followed it. I thought it was just as well since I had lost my way and didn’t know where to go anyway.
The ghosts floating in the air were cuter the more I looked at them. Maybe it was because they were docile and, unlike evil spirits, harmless to humans.
I walked slowly, looking around.
Not only the droopy-eyed ghost but also other ghosts kept turning back to check if I was following well.
They were like dogs checking if their owner was following well. To think ghosts looked like dogs. My eyes must have finally gone strange.
After walking a bit more, I saw a street full of people. The ghosts had really guided me to a crowded street.
Feeling a bit moved, I looked at the ghosts, and they waved what seemed to be cotton ball hands at me and then turned around without hesitation, disappearing into the crowd.
Thanks to them, I was able to return to the café in time.
“Melody. Where on earth did you go?”
“We were worried!”
Erica and Sally ran out to greet me.
It felt a bit strange to have people worry about me when I disappeared.
“Sorry for making you worry. I thought I saw Raven.”
At my answer, Sally shook her head.
“Still playing hide and seek, I see. Why on earth is the second Hastings running away like that?”
“Melody doesn’t know either. Seems like no one knows.”
Erica and Sally started discussing why Raven was running away, but there wasn’t much useful information.
What could be the reason Raven was so desperately avoiding me like this?
I felt frustrated because I couldn’t understand the reason at all.
🐈⬛
Thank you for reading! ♡
