Reconciliation and a Heartbreaking Farewell
Was it thanks to the deep conversation I'd shared with Psyche yesterday? When I woke up that morning, I felt more refreshed than usual. The heavy stone that had been crushing my heart felt much lighter now. The chains of anxiety binding me seemed to unravel at Psyche's single mature confession.
I gently stroked the forehead of Psyche, who was sleeping soundly beside the bed with the face of an angel, then hurried through my morning preparations a bit faster than usual. I hid the purple necklace I'd bought from the Jeweler in the cupboard and stepped out of the house.
Before I knew it, I'd arrived at the village entrance. I stopped by the flower shop and bought a bouquet of yellow freesias—Ariel's favorite.
"Sis, you have to make up with her." Psyche's sleepy image, rubbing her eyes and waving goodbye, floated into my mind, bringing a smile to my lips.
Today's destination was singular: the bakery where Ariel was.
I crossed the village square and turned into the familiar alley wafting with the sweet scent of fresh bread. In front of the bakery, hundreds of loaves baked in preparation for the festival were already on display, and people bustled about with excited expressions, buying the hot-out-of-the-oven bread.
Normally, Ariel would have been calling out in her lively voice, "Welcome! We've got fresh red bean buns just out of the oven!" to draw in customers. But today, an eerie, heavy silence emanated from inside the shop.
I took a deep breath and carefully pushed open the glass door with trembling hands.
Ding-a-ling—
"Welcome. Sorry, but we're backed up on orders right now, so you'll have to wait a bit..."
Ariel, apron dusted thick with flour, was mechanically kneading dough behind the counter. The moment she saw me, her words cut off. Her eyes widened in shock, then quickly hardened into coldness. She whipped her head away, deliberately avoiding my gaze, and began noisily sorting trays.
"Roen? What are you doing here? You already made me feel miserable enough and left— what more do you have to say that brought you all the way here?"
"Ariel, just hear me out for a second. Don't avoid me—please, look at me."
As I stepped closer, Ariel backed away until she pressed herself against the wall. The redness around her eyes hinted at the tears she'd shed yesterday. Ignoring me, she resumed kneading the dough.
"I came to apologize. I'm truly sorry, a hundred—no, a thousand times over for everything. I know how hurt and lonely you must have felt, waiting for me all this time..."
I paused, gauging Ariel's reaction. She acted like she hadn't heard, absorbed entirely in the dough.
"I was too wrapped up in my own perspective. I took your feelings so lightly, using Psyche as an excuse. As a friend, I was a total failure."
I poured out my heart to Ariel. But instead of replying, she slammed the dough down with loud thuds, as if protesting.
I didn't give up and took another step forward.
"These flowers—they're your favorite freesias, right? Yesterday, when we bumped into each other leaving the shop, I should've run to you first and said something... I was such a coward."
"Enough. I don't need it... Just go."
Ariel bowed her head. Her resolve nearly brought tears to my eyes, but I couldn't lose my closest friend like this.
"The flower ring you made me, the precious secrets we shared at the lake—they mean more to me than anything. Psyche showing up doesn't change the fact that you're my friend. I mean it, Ariel."
Ariel's hands, which had been vigorously pounding the dough, slowed to a halt. Her stiff shoulders began to tremble faintly, and soon, a choked sob broke the silence as she hung her head.
"Idiot... You're such a real idiot, Roen... You're awful, you know that? Do you have any idea how long I waited for you? You act like you're the busiest person in the world."
Ariel finally set down the rolling pin and threw herself into my arms. She clutched at my clothes like they might shatter, bursting into childlike sobs. I silently patted her back.
The resentment and frustration built up over three months soaked my shoulder in hot tears.
"Do you know how many times I went all the way to your house wall? I even thought about throwing a note over it, but whenever I heard you laughing with that kid, I just couldn't approach."
Ariel lightly punched my chest with her fist. It didn't hurt at all—just a petulant complaint.
"I thought you'd forgotten all about someone like me... That our friendship was so fragile it could break over one little kid..."
"I'm sorry, Ariel. I won't leave you alone again. Psyche understands now too. Let's go back to how we were. We'll go to the festival together, talk all night... okay? It was my fault."
Ariel, who had cried for so long in my arms, looked up at me with puffy eyes. She roughly wiped her tears with her sleeve, seeming a bit calmer, but a bitter smile lingered on her lips. Something about that smile unsettled me.
"Roen, wanna... go to the lake for a bit? I can leave the shop to Dad. I really want to go back there with you. There's stuff I want to say."
We headed to the serene lake behind the village, side by side like old times. Sitting on the grassy shore where the afternoon sunlight made the water sparkle, it felt like the empty three months had washed away in an instant, leaving pure peace.
Ariel skipped a small stone across the lake and let out a long sigh. It was so heavy that my heart sank.
"Ariel, is something wrong...?"
"Roen, actually, I have something to tell you."
It didn't sound like good news. I could feel it instinctively.
"After our big fight yesterday... I thought maybe it was for the best if we drifted apart like this. If we make up, it'll hurt even more when I leave."
"Leave? What do you mean? Are you going on a trip somewhere far after the festival?"
Ariel shook her head and stared straight at me. Her eyes held a deeper sadness than the joy of reconciliation.
"My family’s moving to the capital soon. Dad's opening a big bakery in the city center. I'm going to study magic there too... The furniture's already shipped, and the contract's done."
"What...? When? We can still see each other, right?"
"In a few days. I might never come back to this village."
My heart plummeted. We'd just cleared up the misunderstanding, promised to cherish each other more, and now... farewell? The capital was a two-week carriage ride away. Realizing we wouldn't see each other often explained why Ariel had been so angry.
"That's why... you snapped at me yesterday? Because you're leaving soon, and I wasn't even showing my face?"
"Yeah. I wanted to come to this lake with you one last time. But that kid was always by your side, and you wouldn't look at me... My heart was racing, but time was running out, so my words kept coming out sharp."
A single tear dropped from Ariel's eye.
"I was so scared we'd never reconcile and I'd never see you again. If you hadn't come today, I really would've packed while bawling my eyes out."
Ariel forced a smile, but the tears kept streaming down her cheeks. I gripped her trembling hand tightly. The joy of making up hadn't even faded before this parting news choked me up.
"Ariel, the capital's so far... but it'll be okay. Even if our bodies are apart, our friendship won't change. I'll write you every day, save up money, and come visit you there for sure."
I poured my sincere heart into every word for Ariel.
"I wanted to be by your side cheering as you become the capital's most famous patissier... But I'll always support you in spirit."
"For real? You have to promise. If you're even a day late replying to my letters, I'll never speak to you again. And don't give everything to that kid. Leave some room for me, got it?"
At Ariel's half-joking whine, we finally burst into laughter together. The cool breeze off the lake tousled our hair.
In this moment where the joy of reconciliation intertwined with the sorrow of farewell, our conversation felt more precious than ever.
"Roen, let's make a promise. For the time we have left, we'll have the most fun in the world. No sad faces allowed. Got it?"
"Yeah, I promise. I'll take you wherever you want, eat whatever you crave. These will be the happiest memories of our lives."
Though we'd part in just a few days, knowing we could prepare a beautiful ending after confirming each other's true feelings brought me some relief. We sat by the lake for a long while, planning what we'd do, as if wishing time would stop forever. We didn't let go of each other's hands until the sunset vanished beyond the horizon.
The drumbeats of festival preparations echoing from the village sounded especially tender today.