digital heart | minsung | ✔

10

The next day, I find myself at the large stables of Nox again, waiting for the other boy to arrive. It was a few minutes before one pm when I logged in and I lean against the oak fence that surrounds one of the many paddocks, occasionally glancing around for a sign of Lino.

It's quiet and there's no one around -except for the owner of all these horses, that is. The absence of any distractions leaves me with a lot to think about, my mind whirling around all kinds of thoughts that pester my consciousness.

The first, most prominent worry is the fact that I have to ride a horse. I was a fool for thinking it was no big deal yesterday because once I was seated in the saddle, all my confidence in horseriding was gone. If I close my eyes and focus hard enough, I can still feel the weird and utterly unfamiliar sensation that was brought with sitting on top of a horse. Can I imagine ever getting used to that? No, not really. But maybe Lino can change that.

That brings me to my second worry; Lino. Until now, all our meetings ended in me making a fool out of myself at least once. How many times did I meet him now, three times? The first time, he found me after making a mistake that nearly resulted in my death. What did I do? I deadass stared at him while my health bar was dropping lower and lower. The second time, after watching that fight, wasn't any better and he caught me staring again while being a stuttering mess in front of him. And yesterday, I was making a total fool out of myself while attempting to properly ride a horse.

I think it's time for a little change.

And it looks like that change is about to begin.

"Jay!" a familiar voice calls out and I look up to see Lino approaching me, an easy smile playing on his lips.

He looks different today, a more casual outfit wrapping his body. It's nothing fancy; just a plain black cotton shirt with short sleeves and colorful stitches decorating the fabric. The round collar loosely rests on the crooks of his neck, exposing a small gemstone choker that most likely boosts his stats as well. The black bandages around his arms are gone, as well as the iron arm guards. However, the fingerless gloves and booster rings are still there, the latter sparkling proudly in the sunset that shimmers through the many trees. The rest of his appearance is much the same; a leather belt resting on his hips and his daggers casually dangling, black leather pants hugging his legs and sturdy brown boots to protect his feet.

My mouth almost drops as I stare at the boy a moment too long and I mentally scold myself for already failing my new approach. Fortunately, Lino is too busy fixing the position of his daggers against his upper legs and my glance goes by unnoticed. I quickly conjure up a small smile, hoping that it mimics a little of the other's confidence.

"Hey, Lino," I greet him, pushing my body away from the fence.

Despite my efforts, I can't help the mild flush that paints my cheeks a soft pink. I mean, can you blame me? How often does it happen that a boy this attractive voluntarily hangs out with me? Exactly, never.

"Are you ready for your horse riding lessons?" the raven-haired asks, his easy smile never faltering. I might not know this boy that well but I can tell this smile holds nothing hidden, it's just a smile and not some kind of teasing smirk -like the ones he wore before.

Somehow, that gives me the last push of confidence I need.

"With a teacher like you? Definitely."

I lightly tilt my head to the side as Lino's eyes widen slightly. Then, a melodious chuckle escapes his lips, the surprise in his eyes already wearing off.

"You're awfully confident all of a sudden, squirrel. I like it."

I smile faintly and shrug, "as long as I'm not on a horse, I think I'm fine."