Shangri La Pt. 1

112: Romanticism

"You just wait outside, there's still something I gotta get here." 

"Ah– Mn." 

So as she was instructed, Izumi didn't hesitate to leave the shop and end up back outside to see that in the past time happening around her, the streets became a lot more lively than before. 

'There's a lot more people now, I guess I should be a bit thankful that we came to the city when we did. That and the fact that I do feel a lot safer here compared to when I would go into the city in the East. Oh–' 

Grazing her eyes through her surroundings, Izumi just happened to focus all of her attention to the water fountain that was at the center of the city; the same fountain she saw earlier that day. The water still seemed quite clean and clear that there were even children laughing and playing in the fountain and splashing each other with said water.

'Even the children here... seem happy. In the East, all the children are forced to work to survive, but here... I haven't seen a single child have to work. I haven't felt worried either, so why are the after effects of the war so different here than when they were in the East? Hm~' 

Izumi paused her thoughts as she focused on how much fun and laughing all the children were having that were playing with the water in the fountain. 

'That looks... pretty fun.' she thought as she subconsciously walked towards the fountain until she stopped at the lip of the fountain where adults were able to sit and take handfuls of the water in the pool.

Soon, she looked down at herself and then swiftly took off her shoes and set them close to the fountain as she took a step into the pool for her other foot to follow.

Now standing in the pool of water as the fountain water flowed out in large arches into the pool, Izumi couldn't help but bend down and form her hands into a bowl to see that she could still see her hands through the clear and clean water. 

'Wow~ This water really is clean, and... I can even see my feet!' she thought with amazement. And when she heard the children on the other side of the fountain still playing in the pool of water, it inspired her to think about the last time she truly enjoyed herself. 

'I can't remember the last time I was truly happy and having fun, and here... it's not something to be afraid of doing. I want to be... happy... here.' she thought as a smile grew on her lips and she started kicking her feet in the water and seeing it splash out in large drops into the air. 

'This... This is so much fun!'

'There, had to make sure she didn't notice when I said I had to look for something. Huh? Wait– Where'd she go?' Katsuki thought the second he left the shop and noticed right away how the disguised greenette wasn't waiting right outside like last time. 

'Shit! She couldn't 've run off far, right? But this city's huge and who knows which direction she could've gone if– Ah–' 

Whirling his head left and right in a hurry, it wasn't until he decided to look forward and stopped worrying in seconds. Staring out to where the water fountain was located, Katsuki's eyes widened to see the disguised greenette happily laughing, playing and kicking the water around with a beautiful and joyful smile on her face. 

He'd seen her smile plenty of times before, but compared to what he was witnessing now, this was the most beautiful smile he'd seen on her since he's met her.

'S-She's... smiling... and it's... so pretty...' he thought as he started to slowly approach the water fountain, still in awe. 

Seeing her like this was refreshing and new, that he'd already started daydreaming of seeing her smile more like this–towards him–in the future. Even when she gave him a drunken smile the very night before was a forgotten memory at this point, because he felt like he was the drunk one from just her smile.