!!!MAJOR MANGA SPOILER WARNING!!!
This one-shot will take place after the events in Ch. 181, and therefore will be spoiling the entirety of the manga. Please proceed with caution!
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Ray, Norman and the rest of the farm children have entered the h...
𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 a few days since Emma and Ray had their last philosophical talk on the playground. It has also been the same amount of days since Emma and Norman were last seen talking to each other. Ray tried asking Emma about it, but she refused to say anything and assured him she would tell him in due time.
While that tea was brewing on the side, Ray took this time to cheer Emma up. Ray had finalized his project and decided that it was just the right time for him to show her.
They had just finished eating their supper, the dynamic within the table definitely shifting at the refusal of two certain people to settle their feud. Dinner time at the table, which was usually filled with laughter and jokes, was now plagued by the overlying tension. Norman, at this point, did not even bother showing up and opted to receive his plate of food well after they had left. On the other hand, Emma sat and ate her food nonchalantly, insisting she was unbothered by Norman's absence and that she, in fact, preferred it that way.
Ray shook his head at their behavior as he walked near Emma, carrying a stack of dirty dishes he'd picked up from a table to the large basins filled with warm water. A large clatter could be heard as the dishes hit the stainless steel bottom. Ray watched as Emma eagerly began sifting through the water, deciding whether she wanted to wash the plates or utensils first. He never understood her excitement when it came to cleaning up after a meal, but if it meant it took her mind off the Norman situation just a little bit, he was more than happy to oblige her.
Ray took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He wiped his hands dry on a random towel he pulled from one of the kitchen drawers. "Hey Emma, after you're done here, I need to talk to you out in the garden. Is that okay?"
Emma grabbed a new sponge from the drawer, glancing upwards at the sound of her own name. "Yeah, sure! Once I finish washing the dishes here, I'll be good to go." She responded cheerfully. She picked up a handful of fluffy soap and blew it in the raven's direction.
"Jerk," He chuckled, brushing the soap back onto a mischievously giggling Emma before walking away.
Fueled by her excitement to speak to Ray, Emma finished washing and rinsing her assigned amount of dishes for that evening, leaving the rest for Lannion and Thoma to cover.
Once she put the dishes away, she dried her hands on the hand towels and skirted out the door to meet with Ray in the garden. She felt extra giddy; after all, she hadn't had a full conversation with him since that night at the swing-set, and she had to admit, she enjoyed it when they were able to have conversations like those, ones that are highly comforting and free of judgment. However, she couldn't help but feel just a tad bit nervous when she wondered why Ray had wanted to talk to her so urgently.
