The Lonely Clover

Hage

I spent the next day trying to be as helpful as possible. The children were such sweethearts and even though Yuno would tell them to stop pestering me, I never shooed them away. Even as I'm helping Sister Lily with the laundry, I have little Ru clinging onto one of my legs as I walk around.

I keep getting weird looks but she's so happy, I don't want to ever tell her no. Besides, it's good exercise, so I can count this as training like Asta suggested.

I had returned with more laundry, rounded the corner, only to hear Asta begging Sister Lily to marry him. Very loudly.

The orphanage is still a good distance away and yet I can hear him so clearly. Wow!

Ru ran ahead with joy to hear all of the commotion, but I didn't want to intrude, so I kept back for a moment and almost choked when I rounded the corner to see Sister do a holy fist of love on Asta. I stood there gaping like a fish.

I know Asta can take it, but she left a crater in the shape of his body. SHEESH! How is he alive?!?!?!

I nearly had a heart attack after Asta got up to try again only to have Yuno, who is now somehow standing beside me, blast him with wind magic. I stared at Yuno with pure horror, but he only glanced my way for a moment before approaching Sister to give help with the laundry. Watching the whole thing unfold, I began to feel a huge sense of sadness for Asta.

He had to endure people being this way with him all the time and I simply cut out people after it happened a little compared to him...He is truly admirable.

Shame filled my heart, but I shook myself out of it when I saw him run off into the woods. I followed Sister and Yuno into the church, but stayed after Sister left him alone. As I fiddled with my fingers, his voice cut through my thoughts. "What?"

I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his cold and intense ones. I took a deep breath as I started. "Yuno...." I fidgeted a bit more. "Don't forget the reason you want to be the Wizard King. It's an amazing goal to have but remember that people are still people and have hearts and feelings."

With that, I turned and went back outside the church before my nerves could overtake me. I walked out the doors and ran smack into Sister. I began to apologize again but she leaned forward and hugged me. The gesture made me freeze as I tried to understand why she was hugging me at all.

The last time I had a hug, he stole my phone. I know Sister wouldn't do that though.

"Thank you for being sweet to the boys. You seem to be growing on them!" She smiled as she said this, but I looked away as I shook my head.

"No, Yuno already hates me and Asta is just being nice. He's always nice." I felt her grip both of my hands with motherly gentleness and looked up at her to see her smiling softly at me.

"Yuno has been this way for quite some time and Asta doesn't know how to be...um...just nice." She gave my hands a slight squeeze before letting go and walking back to complete more chores.

I squeaked in terror when Yuno's voice cut through the silence. "I have no reason to hate you." He raised an eyebrow at my reaction, and I cleared my throat in hopes he would just let it go.

"I will never give you a reason to hate me. I just want to support you and Asta." I stated firmly.

"I don't need your pity." He spat out. "So if that's your reason, then there's no need to bother.

"I wasn't offering pity. You don't need that anyway. I don't have anyone is all...and I wanted that to change...I wanted to be able to say we're friends at the very least. As my friend, I want to support you." I rubbed my elbow as I stared at the ground. "That's all I meant."

I turned to walk away without noticing his eyes piercing into my back.

Yuno watched her walk away hurriedly, her words ringing in his mind loudly. What could she mean by 'at the very least?' Maybe she really isn't pretending to not recognize me.