𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 | 儚き願い

十一 | 𝟏𝟏𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

[𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝟐] - 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

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❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔❞

· ✦────✧◦ 儚き願い ◦✧────✦ ·

𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑩𝑹𝑼𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑫 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 (𝑯/𝑪) 𝑯𝑨𝑰𝑹, sighing underneath your breath as you stretched out your arms. You quietly slipped through the cracks of the crowd, avoiding the busy streets that were filled with workers. Since your workplace wasn't too far from the shopping district, you decide that it would be a good idea to pass some time there. You weren't looking for anything in particular. After spending Valentine's Day with Akito at the local theaters, you've realized how out of touch you were with some of the modern entertainments.

You've just finished the entire story of Myosotis Alpestris, finding it to be a miraculously preserved book that exceeded your expectations. Every tune and syllable expressed volumes of emotions that you couldn't comprehend at first. Ophiel's love for Iaoth blinded her sense of judgment, pulling her closer to the edges of destruction. You thought that she was foolish. The idea of love seemed so foreign to you. There wasn't much point in falling in love. It made no sense to you after all. Is loving someone the same as loving yourself? You wondered, your fingers fiddling with the edges of your clothes as you continued walking. Were they even meant to be the same?

You tilted your head, turning to the side to see a familiar woman struggling to carry a box. You hurriedly ran to her side, taking the heavy box from her hands as she turned her head to look at you. "Aikyo-san, it's dangerous to carry such a heavy box. Why aren't your other employees doing the job?"

"Thank you, dear." She sighed in relief before stretching her arm, a playful smile forming on her cheeks. "This old lady hasn't gotten any workers in years, but that doesn't stop me from doing what I love here!" Yutsuko guided you towards the side of the store, pointing at the empty shelves, "You can leave this box over here. I need to reshelve these books but right now my back isn't feeling the best today."

"I see. . . It's fine, I can help you with that. It's better if you tried to rest," you said, peeling open the tape and flipping the wings of the box open. Yutsuko smiled as she saw your eyes widen in excitement. There were several stacks of books left inside, many of them looked as if they had just been printed out just hours ago. You picked up one of the newer collections, brushing your fingers across the cover as you stared at it in awe.

Yutsko resisted the urge to chuckle at your childish behavior, her small laugh being covered by the back of her hand. "Did you already finish reading Myosotis Alpestris? I'm curious to hear about what you thought about the book."

You stared at her in surprise, your hand nearly dropping the book out of your hand as you awkwardly fidgeted. "I've just finished reading it," you scratched the edge of your cheek as you looked towards her, "I thought it was a beautiful piece of art. Opheil's love for Iaoth and her greed was quite thought-provoking. I'm happy that you were willing to give me the book for free."

You politely bowed in front of her, trying to express your gratitude towards the older woman who smiled. She waved her hand around, dismissing you as you straighten your back. "I'm glad that you liked it," she said, "I've always thought that Opheil's solitude was the most interesting part of it."

"I've never thought much about Opheil's isolation. . ." You pressed your lips together as you stretched your body forward, leaning against the tall shelves to place your books down. "But, it was her greed and selfishness that had brought her to that point. If she kept her feelings to herself then everything could have turned out fine for her. She was selfish of Iaoth."