A Cloud of Dread at Spring's End
The end of spring, where the cool breeze was gradually giving way to the mugginess of summer. In truth, the Cherry Blossom Festival was already nearing its end. It was only natural; cherry blossoms bloom in full during the spring and bear fruit in the summer. The Cherry Blossom Festival was a small-scale event where admiring the fully bloomed flowers was the main attraction. Now that the end of spring could be felt on one's skin, it was about time for the festival to draw to a close.
Yet, the park in District 4 was far more bustling than I had anticipated. It was crowded with people, and the cherry trees were enduring the warming weather, steadfastly showing off their soft pink petals. For me, it was a relief. I had worried that even if the blossoms hadn't fallen completely, the branches might look rather bare.
Still, the larger-than-expected crowd was a bit of a downside. Aris didn't like crowded, chaotic places. Even now, she was clinging tightly to my side, refusing to let go. Still, she'll get used to it soon. I took Aris's hand and looked around.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, or maybe because the weather was just perfect for an outing. The park was filled with all kinds of people. Families, friends, couples. Everyone was strolling through the park, enjoying the flowers. Some sat on picnic mats, chatting amiably, while others took photos with the cherry blossoms as their backdrop. Food stalls lined the paths, and lively laughter filled the air. From the speakers mounted on the lampposts, music perfectly suited for spring drifted out.
Yeah, this isn't bad at all. To be honest, I quite like this kind of atmosphere. It makes me feel a bit fluttery. A soft smile slipped onto my face. But I didn't come here to enjoy myself. I looked ahead at Yujin, who was walking slightly in front of us.
Unlike Aris, who felt overwhelmed by the noise, Yujin looked perfectly at ease. There was a strangely wistful look on his face—maybe he was reminiscing about the past? One thing was for sure: he didn't seem to dislike being here. He wore a faint, gentle smile, making my previous worries of 'What if he hates it?' feel entirely foolish. Since I was the one who dragged him out here, I would have been a bit sad if he found it annoying or unpleasant.
"Do you like flowers, Lucia?" Yujin asked. The Cherry Blossom Festival. Since I had brought him to a place overflowing with cherry blossoms, it was only natural for him to ask that. I had chosen this spot because I judged it would help progress their relationship. If I had thought of a better place, we would have gone there instead. That didn't mean I disliked flowers, though. While I didn't absolutely adore them, I didn't have any negative feelings toward them either. After all, who dislikes pretty things?
"I do." So answering like this wasn't a lie, right? It would look weird if I brought them here when I didn't even like cherry blossoms. Anyway, since I didn't dislike them, it wasn't a lie. More importantly, stop talking to me and talk to Aris! Your soulmate is right next to you. Aris is timid, so don't you know you need to take the initiative? Since that sounded way too grumpy, I quietly swallowed the thought.
Currently, Yujin and Aris didn't have much of a relationship. They were just friends of a friend. Classmates in the same room. They were interested in each other, but there was still an awkward distance between them. Well, it couldn't be helped. Rome wasn't built in a day. I shouldn't expect too much right from the start.
"How about you, Aris? Do you like it here?" "Y-Yes... I-I... l-like it..." Aris replied without hesitation. It didn't seem like she was just saying it to be polite to me. She had a soft blush on her cheeks as she gazed up at the fully bloomed cherry blossoms. Wearing the yellow dress I had gifted her nearly a month ago to celebrate becoming friends, Aris was so cute I wanted to pinch her cheeks. *Hehe, it really suits her.* Aris would look good in absolutely anything. Since her base model was so adorable, any outfit would look cute on her.
In contrast, Yujin had showed up in his school uniform. He was handsome enough that he pulled it off well, but... *Sigh, as expected of our dense protagonist.* He really didn't understand a girl's heart. It would have been nice if he had dressed up a bit for an occasion like this. Well, not that I actually understood a girl's heart either! A guy's heart, on the other hand, I might know a thing or two about!
We walked along the promenade. It was a fairly large national park. As we strolled down the well-maintained paths, various sights caught my eye. A statue commemorating the fallen heroes who died protecting citizens from monsters. Benches set up for resting. A high-shooting fountain. Colorful balloons floating in the air. In the distance, there was even a stage set up for performances. However, since the festival had been running for several days and was now nearing its end, the stage was empty.
"Thanks for making time on the weekend," I said, spinning around to face them. I gave them a slightly bashful smile. "I really wanted to come here. It's my first time at a place like this. What about you guys? Have you ever been here before?" "I-I... am also... f-first time..." Unlike Aris, who answered with a bright expression, Yujin had a bittersweet look on his face. "...I've been here once, when I was little," he muttered quietly to himself. *Was it about five years ago?*
He must have visited the Cherry Blossom Festival with his younger sister, promising to come back again the following year. But a few months later, the Great Disaster struck, and his sister... After a brief moment of melancholy, Yujin shook his head with a bitter smile, as if shaking off the regrets of the past. Reminiscing about a lost family member was always a mixture of joy and sorrow. I felt a slight pang of guilt for planning to exploit that regret and longing. Bringing him to the Cherry Blossom Festival and having Aris wear a yellow dress—it was all designed to trigger Yujin's nostalgia.
Walking down the same street he once walked with his sister, but this time with someone who resembled her. It had to evoke a unique flood of emotions. Over the past few days, I had drawn up a decent plan. Honestly, there was nothing special to it. I just intended to create opportunities for them to look at each other and talk. That alone would be enough. No need for overly complicated schemes. Yujin and Aris were picture-perfect good people. Well, they were the protagonist and the main heroine, after all. Good-natured to the bone. Unlike me, who was merely acting like a good person named Lucia, they were genuinely kind kids. They trusted people easily and gave their affection freely. You could see it just by looking at Aris, couldn't you? After only a month, she looked ready to give me her liver and gallbladder. *Well, actually, I'm the one who'll be giving up my liver and gallbladder! I could even do it literally!*
The plan was to leave Yujin and Aris alone together. Once the atmosphere softened up a bit, I would slip away. However, sometimes too much of a good thing is worse than nothing at all. It was best to keep the time Aris and Yujin spent completely alone as short as possible. After all, they only met up because of me; imagine if I suddenly vanished. If they were highly social people, they might hit it off instantly, but both Yujin and Aris were far from social butterflies. It would be reassuring if at least one of them was a smooth talker, but neither was. If two people who aren't close are left alone, it only breeds awkwardness and discomfort. Instead of building affection, it might just increase their desire to escape the situation as quickly as possible. Especially for Aris, who was extremely shy around strangers. If that happens, this whole thing becomes completely pointless. In fact, it would be the absolute worst-case scenario.
Of course, since they already harbored good feelings toward each other, I was confident such a disaster wouldn't occur. Yujin was one thing, but Aris had been stealing glances at him every single day. And with such a passionate gaze, too! Once an opportunity presented itself, their relationship would surely leap forward. The only variable was Frey, who resided inside Aris...
"Ah..." As I walked, lost in my complicated thoughts, a soft pink petal brushed against my cheek. A gentle breeze rustled the branches, sending a wave of petals dancing gracefully through the air. "It's beautiful." The petals looked just like snowflakes. A warm, pink snow. Come to think of it, they look a bit like the color of Lucia's eyes.
"...Yeah, it is," Yujin agreed, seemingly captivated by the cherry blossoms fluttering in the wind. Aris stole a glance at him, then nodded quietly. *Right? Cherry blossoms really are beautiful.*
"I'm getting a bit thirsty after all this walking. I'll go grab us some drinks." "Then I'll go with—" "No, it's fine! The scenery here is great, so just stay and enjoy the flowers. I'll be right back!" Before Yujin could even finish his sentence, I dashed off. I had already noted the location of a convenience store on our way here, and since it wasn't far, I could make it back in no time. It was hard to leave behind Aris, who was hesitating as if she wanted to tag along, but this was all for their sake! You two stay right there! Mommy is going home! Ah, no, Lucia is going to the convenience store!
After strolling around the park for about an hour, I decided it was time to put my plan into action, judging that their awkwardness had dissipated enough. I had even thrown them a conversation starter so they wouldn't stand there in silence: Do you prefer your fried eggs fully cooked or sunny-side up? By the time I got back, they should have reached a conclusion!
Come to think of it, I had moved so quickly that I forgot to ask what they wanted to drink. Well, it wasn't a big deal. I already knew what Yujin and Aris liked. Aris disliked carbonated drinks. She preferred fruit juice, especially grape juice. Yujin was the same; he avoided carbonated sodas like Coke or Sprite. Instead, he preferred sports drinks. I decided I'd get the same thing as Aris.
We could sit on a bench for a bit, drink our beverages, and then take some photos. Lucia didn't have a phone. Even if she had one, it was useless to her, so she hadn't bought one at all. That was why I brought a camera! I planned to use taking photos as an excuse to push the two of them close together. After that, lunch! Hehe, I woke up early this morning to pack a lunchbox. Although my cooking skills were lacking—limiting me to rolled omelets and gimbap—and the lunchbox was a bit humble... Yujin loved rolled omelets, so it would be fine. After all, rolled omelets were his sister's specialty.
If the reaction was bad, I'd say I made it; if it was good, I'd say Aris made it. Aris did help me cook, so it wouldn't technically be a lie, right? I smiled happily as I reviewed my plans. I was walking at a pace that was almost a run. If it weren't for a certain sight catching the corner of my eye, I would still be walking.
"...?" It was a street stall. A rather elderly, middle-aged man was inserting a wooden stick into a spinning machine. As he spun his hand, a white, cloud-like substance wrapped around the stick. Cotton candy. It was a treat I had quite enjoyed when I was a kid. But what stole my gaze right now wasn't the cotton candy. It wasn't the stall owner, either. It was the child standing in front of it.
Even from a distance, the child was uniquely striking. A long-sleeved shirt that covered their hands and dark cotton pants. Despite the cold season having long passed, they were bundled up tightly in a thick winter padding jacket. Yet, the most bizarre thing wasn't their clothing, but their face. The child's face was completely hidden behind a mask. A white cloud mask that, at a glance, could easily be mistaken for sheep's wool. A mask. A white cloud mask.
"...!" Goosebumps erupted all over my arms. A cold shiver ran straight down my spine.
"Hey there, kiddo. Did you come here alone? Where are your parents?" "..." The cotton candy vendor looked troubled. Judging by his reaction, the child had likely been standing in front of the stall for quite some time. There was no answer to his question. The face was hidden behind the mask, and the thick clothing made it impossible to tell their gender. The child in the white cloud mask just stared up at the man without making a single sound. What were they thinking? The man in front of them certainly couldn't tell. But I could.
"Look, kid. I'm sorry, but I have to charge money for this. I can't just give it to you for free just because you're staring at it like that." Despite his words, the man let out a deep sigh, his heart clearly softening. Did they like that reaction? Or was it the exact opposite? The child in the white cloud mask finally moved. They raised a pale, delicate finger, as soft and white as a fern shoot. And then, they pointed it straight at the man's head—
"I'll buy it!" "Huh? Oh, uh... sure." I grabbed the wrist of the child in the white cloud mask and pulled whatever bills I could find out of my pocket. Snatching the cotton candy in a manner that was practically robbery, I held it out to the child. "This is what you wanted, right?" "..." The child stared at me in silence. When I gently let go of their wrist, they slowly took the cotton candy. Lifting the mask slightly to reveal their lips, the child began to nibble on the cotton candy with their tiny mouth. Watching them practically bury their face in the cotton candy, I felt the cold sweat on my back turn to ice.
An entirely unimaginable situation had arrived without warning. The lighthearted excitement I had felt just moments ago vanished like a lie. I bit my lower lip as I looked down at the child in the white cloud mask. Why is it here? ...Actually, I suppose it shouldn't be that surprising. The girl in the red fox mask showed up just as suddenly, without any warning whatsoever. Swallowing hard, I began to list the information I knew in my head. The four Mains who had squeezed through the Rift in Space to descend upon this world. Transcendent beings on par with Astaroth, who had toyed with Angelica. The child in the white cloud mask. Murmur. In a sense, a Main far more dangerous than Astaroth was now standing right in front of my eyes.