Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Fading Memories Are Covered by New Ones
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Black skin, short brown hair, and green eyes.
"...It's Yujin."
Enis recognized him at a glance.
Tail spoke up in surprise at the sight of her spotting Yujin so easily.
"Oh. You know Yujin, huh? Then it'll be easy hanging out together today."
Enis's expression hardened further.
Right now.
Not just the two of us.
She wants me to tag along with that guy too? Three people?
'Damn it.'
This was something even Enis hadn't anticipated.
Her face twisted in a scowl as she turned to Yujin.
"I'll give you 800 crowns an hour. Get lost."
But Yujin just smiled brightly in response.
"It's fine. I'm not as strapped for cash as you might think."
Of course, Enis's face crumpled even more.
And so.
Somehow, the three of them ended up leaving the academy and heading into the bustling streets.
'But why the hell am I doing this?'
Tail let out a sigh from deep within.
Heading to the bustling streets had been fine.
The trouble started after that.
He'd roughly guessed why Enis was dragging him along.
'But I never imagined this.'
Tail glanced at the mirror.
The reflection showed him in a crisp uniform.
It screamed nobility at first sight—class oozing from every seam.
'Is this what they mean by "clothes make the man"?'
Sure enough, the fine attire made him look downright presentable.
It was fun trying on outfits he'd never worn before, but that thrill lasted only a moment.
Two hours of changing clothes now, and he was about to lose his mind.
They all looked pretty much the same to him.
"All dressed?"
Tail sighed deeply at the voice from beyond the curtain and pulled it aside.
"Ho."
Enis let out a short sound of admiration.
"This one brightens up your face a bit. It suits you better than that green uniform from earlier."
Just then, Yujin shook his head from the side.
"Lady Enis, this black one's too drab. I think the blue uniform from before fit him much better."
Enis replied in a cold tone.
"Your taste must be buried six feet under. What does blue symbolize? Melancholy, isn't it? Doesn't match Tail's vibe at all."
But Yujin didn't back down.
"Blue symbolizes the sky. Doesn't someone as vast as the heavens suit Tail perfectly? Instead of black, which just brings to mind darkness."
"Looks like you don't get the allure of darkness. Time you learned."
It was a true clash of lances.
The fight would be decided by whose lance was sharper.
That was when it happened.
Enis arrogantly curled the corner of her mouth and said,
"No. We'll just buy them all. Problem solved."
...Huh?
Tail and Yujin both went blank.
In the meantime, Enis commanded the attendant.
"Ring up everything he just tried on. He'll wear the black uniform out now. Send the bill to Frillga."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The attendant's face lit up.
The flustered Tail asked,
"Wait, Enis. You don't have to buy them. Why are you?"
Was she docking it from the 500 crowns per hour?
But Enis answered simply.
"Bonus."
She crossed her legs and haughtily tilted her chin up.
"You're moving with me. I can't have you in shabby rags."
Ah, so like an accessory?
Might as well go flashy if you're accessorizing. Something like that, probably.
Tail nodded as if he got it.
"What about Yujin?"
He's tagging along too, right?
Enis fell silent for a moment.
Then she slowly opened her mouth.
"He's an extra."
Her black eyes turned toward Yujin.
"Men's clothes don't suit him. Nothing comes to mind."
The corner of Enis's mouth twisted upward.
"But if he wants, I'll buy something. Of course, he'll refuse."
Yujin flinched at the knowing glint in her eyes, as if she saw right through him.
He gave an awkward smile and replied,
"...I'm good."
That gaze of hers kept circling in his mind, leaving Yujin unsettled.
The three wandered the bustling streets like that.
"Hey? Isn't this the cafe we went to before?"
It was the same spot where Tail and Yujin had first laid eyes on Enis.
"My legs ache from all the walking. Let's head in."
Tail let out a dry chuckle.
Enis, with her exceptional mana control, claiming her legs hurt?
It didn't add up.
She could just circulate her mana to fix it, and they hadn't walked that much anyway.
'Just say you wanna eat, geez.'
From what he'd seen before, she loved sweets—piled them up like a mountain.
The three headed straight into the cafe.
Ding-a-ling.
As the door opened, the wide first floor of the shop came into view first.
But in one corner by the counter, a crowd had gathered.
Mostly women.
"What's that?"
"Something going on, looks like."
"Hold on...!"
Enis and Yujin, intrigued, dragged Tail through the throng.
What they found was a familiar scene.
A dartboard hung in midair, and people stood a few paces back, tossing feathered darts at it.
It was a dart game.
The man by the dartboard—the event host—shouted toward the new arrivals.
"It's our cafe-exclusive event, 'Throw the Dart!' Hit dead center, and unlimited desserts are yours!"
The crowd buzzed.
"Yeah, darts have been trending lately thanks to the Imperial Princess."
"True, but it's trickier than it looks."
Hearing that, Tail's face went blank.
The dartboard, after so long, oddly brought someone to mind.
A girl with flashy golden blonde hair and incredible skill.
The one who'd marveled at the cotton candy prize like it was a wonder.
And those words she'd let slip in that strange atmosphere.
"Mm. Hateful, but I cherish her too much."
Her voice echoed in his ears.
"Love her so much I wish she'd only have eyes for me."
Those feelings from back then upended his heart once more.
"I want her to be happy. But at the same time, I hope she doesn't forget me."
He'd hoped she wouldn't forget.
Yet she'd forgotten him in the end.
And here she was, still playing darts.
Tail gave a self-mocking smile.
It all felt so pointless.
That was when it happened.
"Tail."
Silver hair swayed past him.
"Clinging to the past is a privilege for the elderly."
She glided smoothly toward the now-empty dart area.
"So brooding over it now is just foolish."
With graceful poise, she picked up a dart, glanced back over her shoulder at Tail.
Her black eyes gleamed.
"Fading memories are eventually covered by new ones."
One corner of her red lips curved into a smirk as she gripped the dart tight.
"Got it? You old fogey?"
She hurled it toward the board with blinding speed.
Whish!
The dart sliced through the air and...
Thunk!
...embedded right in the center.
"Gasp!"
The event host beside her gaped in shock.
And then...
Crack!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the dartboard before it shattered entirely.
"Leave the past as it is and focus on making new memories."
Enis's eyes shone arrogantly toward the speechless Tail.
"Whatever hold that past has on you, just accept yourself as you are and live."
Tail's eyes widened.
'When did I hear something like that?'
A deep, gravelly voice from years ago replayed in his ear.
"Just live your way. Don't warp yourself to fit them."
...Khan?
'Nah, no way.'
Tail watched Enis gruffly hand a wad of bills to the protesting staff.
Surely not, right?
'Anyone could say something like that.'
But still.
This nagging familiar aura.
The similar speech patterns.
An odd sense of familiarity.
As doubts bubbled up inside him, Tail fixed his gaze on Enis.
Yujin watched the scene, his eyes flickering with unease.
After stuffing themselves silly with desserts, they stepped outside to find the sun already set.
"Hmm. Not ready to head back just yet. Let's stroll around a bit more."
The three wandered the streets nearby.
They passed a shop selling pretty hairpins.
And stopped by a doll store displaying all sorts of stuffed toys.
In the meantime, Yujin and Enis seemed to have warmed up to each other quite a bit.
It started with the frog dolls.
Both of them.
Turned out they were frog enthusiasts.
They spent ages chatting about frogs as they browsed.
Then, in a dim alley, a sinister old woman sat on the ground.
She clutched a crystal ball shimmering with dark light, her hood pulled low over her face.
As Tail glanced at her and moved to pass by,
"You there, young man..."
The old woman spoke in a chilling voice.
It sent shivers down his spine, halting him in his tracks.
Tail turned to look, and she slightly lifted her head.
Her hood slipped back, revealing her eyes.
'Huh?'
Even in the shadowy street, her eyes glowed like twin flames.
"Care for a fortune?"