In My True Appearance - 3
Mihail trailed after Ricardo. From the moment they left the café until now, he'd been following him like a stalker. He couldn't come up with any excuse for sticking around, let alone a convincing one, so he just silently tagged along, being a nuisance. Even at the café.
"Then I'll be off."
At the shop selling mandrake candy.
"Why do you keep following me?"
And now at this tteokbokki stand, Mihail was still shadowing Ricardo's footsteps, pestering him relentlessly. With a towel wrapped around his head, Ricardo headed toward the kitchen, offering a farewell.
"I'll get back to work for now."
"..."
"Think about why you came looking for me until next time."
With that, Ricardo vanished.
"..."
Capital Forest Buddies Tteokbokki
[We repay the money you gave with delicious flavor.]
Sitting in front of the tteokbokki stand, adorned with such splendid entrepreneurial spirit, Mihail wore an awkward expression.
"..."
Mihail felt frustrated. The longer he spent with him, the more exhausted he became—and that went for himself too.
'I just want to finish this quest quickly...'
Blaming his own lack of eloquence, Mihail stared at his rough hands.
"..."
-They're pretty.
'Pretty...?'
Ricardo's words lingered in his ears, telling his unremarkable, calloused self that they were pretty. He knew it was a joke, just empty flattery without any sincerity, but it was the first time Mihail had ever heard someone call him pretty. He couldn't shake the thought so easily.
'No.'
What was so great about hearing that from Ricardo? Mihail shook his head, steeling himself to focus on the main point. Don't waver. Complete the quest.
1. Show Ricardo your true appearance. (1/1)
2. Go on a date with Ricardo. (0/1)
3. Hear Ricardo's true feelings. (0/1)
Just two steps away from facing the truth he wanted, Mihail took a steady breath and lifted his head.
"Vice president, three sets of tteokbokki, please."
"Am I the vice president?"
"Yes, the owner said to call you that."
"Oh..."
Ricardo was bustling about. He'd shed his student guise and was moving busily in his new role. And then.
"...Vice president, you might want to come take a look."
"Something wrong?"
"Someone's eating without paying."
A noise started coming from one corner of the shop. Mihail looked toward the source. A pair of siblings who looked about five years old were rubbing their eyes and crying. The boy, who seemed to be the older brother, held out some grimy coins with his dirty hands, while the girl hid behind his back, sobbing. A familiar sight. Overlapping it with memories of his own past, Mihail stiffened as he watched Ricardo approach the children, swallowing hard.
Surely.
-Thud, thud.
If it was the Ricardo he knew, he'd chase the kids away. Mihail held his breath, watching for Ricardo's misdeed. He had no money himself right now, nothing he could do to help. He pressed his lips together tightly.
'Sorry.'
Unwinding the towel from his head, Ricardo crouched down in front of the children. He showed an expression Mihail hadn't expected and smiled.
"Hey, little one."
"Sorry..."
"What's there to be sorry for?"
"...We came to eat but we don't have money."
"Why wouldn't you have money?"
Ricardo took the coins from the boy and patted his head.
"This is plenty."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I used to eat without paying when I was your age."
"...That's bad."
"I know. That's why I did it."
Ricardo was chatting with the kid. In a soft, quiet voice that wouldn't carry, he spoke kindly, drawing a smile onto the child's face. That wasn't the Ricardo Mihail knew. For a moment, he wondered if this man really was Ricardo—he couldn't hide his bewilderment.
'A lie.'
As Ricardo approached him after some time, Mihail thought. That act was full of falsehoods.
-Grip.
Mihail hated Ricardo. He tormented people with that smiling face and enjoyed it, so Mihail couldn't trust his smiles. But.
Seeing the children smiling, Mihail sensed something off. A fundamental misalignment, like a delusion that something core was twisted.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"..."
"The capital's finest tteokbokki specialty."
Ricardo approached with steaming red food in hand. It was spicy, the same kind he'd brought last time when he ate with Ruin and Yuria.
"..."
He hated it even more because Ricardo had made it.
"Do you like kids?"
"Kids?"
"Yes."
"Not really."
"Then why'd you help them?"
"Ah..."
"Just because."
For some reason, his food looked delicious—a strange illusion.
* I smiled at the woman in front of me. A stranger, yet strangely familiar. And she knew me. I smiled at this secretive woman.
"Doesn't suit your taste, huh?"
"Pardon...?"
"You're not eating."
"Ah..."
The woman bowed her head, staring blankly at the now-cooled tteokbokki. Her hand gripped the fork motionless, just swallowing as she gazed at it. I voiced my doubt watching her. I had a guess why she wasn't eating. Bad taste. Or maybe she hated me. Thinking it was one of those, I cautiously asked her reason.
"Is it 'cause I'm too handsome and the food won't go down?"
"Pardon?"
She answered in a sharp tone. I couldn't blame her honest reaction, but as a handsome guy with some pride in my looks, it stung a bit. I grinned and speared some tteokbokki on my fork, holding it out to her.
"Ah...."
"Ah?"
"I'll feed you."
She glared at me like she might slap me any second.
"I made it mild."
"..."
"I'm the one who made this tteokbokki."
"So?"
"Isn't starving the saddest thing in the world?"
"Like you've ever been hungry."
I smiled at her aggressive retort.
"Yeah."
I answered naturally, without needling her on purpose.
"Guess it's 'cause I've met a lot of people who have."
"Liar."
"I did grow up kinda fancy."
I grinned again, offering the fork with tteokbokki toward her mouth. As red sauce dripped and silence stretched, she let out a long sigh.
"No poison."
She finally opened her mouth with effort.
-Chomp.
Like a foreigner tasting silk worms for the first time, she wrinkled her nose, worked her jaw, shrugged her shoulders like she might puke any moment. I don't enjoy tormenting people, but seeing this beautiful woman suffer made me feel like the villain.
"Too spicy?"
"...No."
"Good."
The more she chewed the tteok thoroughly, the calmer her expression grew. Half relief at finally eating, half delight at the taste—it was plain on her face.
'Still the same.'
That inability to lie with her expressions. That gluttony for good food. It matched the person etched in my memory. Suspicion slowly turned to certainty. I smiled at her and asked.
"How's the taste?"
"...Delicious."
"Right?"
Her fork began to move slowly. Fish cake. Tteok. Egg. I was the one who bought the food, but I didn't mind her selfishly eating first—watching her enjoy it made me happy. As the plate emptied.
I decided to tackle an old unfinished task with her. No point prying; she wouldn't tell me why she sought me out, and I didn't know how to treat her anyway. So much unresolved. My heart hadn't opened to accepting change. I smiled faintly and said to her.
"Hey, secret girl."
"Yes?"
"I don't know your name, so secret girl it is."
"Ah... Yes."
I extended a hand slightly toward the stiffening woman. Like requesting a dance at a ball, stiff and proper, seeking permission.
"Can you tell me now why you came looking for me?"
"..."
"We've eaten, work calls. Wasting more time would be a shame for you, secret girl."
I nodded toward her.
"If you wanna say something, I'll listen."
"..."
"Wanna curse me out? I'll take it."
"..."
"Need an apology? I'll give one. Your face doesn't scream 'good feelings toward me.' Sure, I'm happy to see a beautiful lady, but seems you're not."
She shook her head, not responding.
"I see..."
I slowly stood. Time was precious. For both our sakes, I decided to leave.
"Then I'll be going."
"Wait!"
She squeezed her eyes shut and revealed why she'd come. A hastily made-up reason, but convincing enough.
"It's..."
"Yes."
"Actually... I heard about you from senior Hanna..."
"Ah... From Hanna?"
"Yes...! I asked how to grow my sword skills fast! So... so...!"
I fiddled with the sword hilt at my waist, flashing a playful smile.
"Hanna said that?"
"Yes. Please keep it secret from senior Hanna... I came on my own."
Seeing her blush with embarrassment, I smiled faintly.
'So that's the reason...'
I said to her.
"You sure have a lot of secrets."
"..."
"Even your name."
"Sorry."
"Hmm."
I crossed my arms, lost in thought.
"I have a schedule too."
"..."
"Don't live in the capital, and being this handsome means I'm popular."
"...Annoying."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
It was a decent offer. Training her. But I wasn't thrilled.
'Mihail' would grow on his own. I turned firmly.
"I'll think about it."
She grabbed my sleeve as I tried to leave, speaking timidly.
"Today...!"
"Yes?"
"Stay with me today."
"What...?"
"I'll convince you."
So.
"Go on a date with me."