"Ah, so sweet!" Franchesca's smile widened as she bit into a cupcake.
She savored every second of that pastry with such enthusiasm it almost made me forget my lingering drowsiness.
"I told you I'd found a good place," I said, holding a small paper bag filled with different flavors.
Fran clearly had a sweet tooth and loved our trips to new shops, while I was the opposite. I'd never been fond of sugary desserts—they relaxed me too much. Still, I enjoyed these outings with her just as much as she did.
"The shop looks so plain from the outside, but the moment you walk in, that smell of fresh-baked goods hits you and makes you want to buy the entire place," she explained.
It really did feel like the perfect time to be together. Because it was only the second day of the week, the streets were mostly empty, making the date feel private and intimate.
Thankfully, Cecil and Theo understood how important this day was for us and left us alone—though it was mostly thanks to Fran, who persuaded them not to tag along.
"After how tiring yesterday was, this feels like the perfect kind of healing," I said, glancing at the quiet streets as we walked.
"You'd be less tired if you didn't go exploring with those nobodies."
"Thanks to that, I actually have money to spend today."
"You haven't spent a single coin, and I'll make sure you don't. I, as the clearly more capable one, will cover everything for both of us." She proudly held a hand to her chest as she finished the cupcake.
"I'd feel weird if you were the only one paying for everything," I admitted. Having a girl pay for all of it wasn't exactly something I was proud of.
"Who cares what anyone thinks? The only thing they should feel when they see me paying is envy—because they'll never measure up to you."
"Still..." I sighed. There was no point arguing. The white-haired princess never backed down once she'd made up her mind.
"Let the princess handle the money, and you just sit back and enjoy our da—our dat—" she froze mid-sentence, cleared her throat, and finally muttered, "Our day together," her cheeks lightly blushing.
I still didn't like feeling like I was leeching off her. Maybe I could secretly buy her something if I spotted the right gift.
As we wandered through the city's central district, packed with shops and stalls, my mind drifted to how today's classes had gone.
Besides the four newly promoted students, nothing had been out of the ordinary. Even Ximuss—who I'd expected to be troublesome—remained relatively calm.
Well, not exactly. The new students struggled to keep up with Kafka's pace in magical theory.
Today's lesson was manifestation training, and as always, I was the slowest in class. My pitiful mana reserves made every exercise harder and slower for me to grasp.
After that came my optional courses. Everything went smoothly—except in my dungeon exploration class, where Tarian asked to borrow my notes. She admitted she felt overwhelmed by the faster pace since her promotion.
The other notable thing was being asked, once again, to recount last night's dungeon run for the entire class while Teacher Enyoll added commentary.
"Alen... in that group, the one you went exploring with last night… were there any women?" Fran's voice was so low it almost sounded like a whisper.
"Huh? Yeah. The group originally had two girls and two boys. With me added, it's now mostly male." I laughed it off, though I could feel her gaze press heavily against me.
"I see..." she muttered. Then, with sudden intensity, "Just so you know, no one else is better than me!"
"I guess so. I always have the most fun with you, so you're the one I enjoy being with the most."
That comment made her cheeks flare red—almost like steam might rise from her head.
"Y-yeah, of course. Keep praising me!" she said, trying to hide her embarrassment by looking away.
"I—" I started, but she quickly held out her hand.
"On second thought, maybe not..." she murmured, hiding behind her snowy hair. Her red eyes shifted aside as she struggled to suppress a smile.
"One more question, Alen. No… forget it."
"You can ask me anything, Fran. We're friends."
"My mother… did she… did she hurt you badly?" she asked, her tone heavy with disappointment.
"Nothing I haven't dealt with before. Just a cut on my chest—it's nothing compared to what I've already been through!" I tried to lighten the mood, smiling.
Fran stopped walking and bowed deeply. "I sincerely apologize for the pain my mother caused you."
"F-Fran… it's okay. You don't need to apologize for something you didn't do."
"It doesn't matter. She's my mother, and it's my responsibility to apologize for her." She straightened, her face serious.
"Why is it so important?" I asked.
She looked away, blushing. "It's a secret..." she whispered, pouting.
"I won't pry, then," I said gently. I had plenty of my own secrets. Expecting her to share all of hers would have been hypocritical.
"And… I also want to apologize for myself."
"Huh? Why you?"
"When it happened—when my mother confronted you—I just stood there. I didn't help, no matter how much I call myself your friend."
"N-no, Fran, it was better you stayed—"
"No, it wasn't!" she cut me off, her fists trembling at her sides. "It's not okay for someone to be abandoned by the people he calls friends. You shouldn't even want to stay with us… and yet, you do."
"Because I understand, Fran. I understand why you couldn't."
"What about that sinner? She was there too, and even after all you've done for her, she didn't lift a finger!"
"Your mother's terrifying. I don't blame anyone for not getting involved."
"Stop... being so nice. Stop making excuses for others. We failed you."
"None of you failed me. If anyone had stepped in, things could've turned out worse. By letting me handle it, no one else got hurt—and that's what matters most to me."
"This isn't about them. It's about you." She pointed straight at me, cheeks burning brighter than ever. "You're my friend. The only one I have. The only one I'll ever need. If something happened to you—"
"It won't."
Her finger trembled at my response.
"I'd never abandon you, Fran. I'd never leave anyone behind. Because I have people worth fighting for. You, Cecil, Theo… my second-year friends, Atro, even Thican and her squad… even…" I hesitated, "my own family."
Her eyes widened. Family was something I had never spoken about since coming here—ever since Yska revealed how my parents had disappeared. No one else knew who I considered my true family.
I reached out and gently took her hand. She flinched at the sudden contact.
"I'll always consider you—and everyone else—important to me. No matter what happens, I could never hate you."
Fran's gaze darted everywhere but my face. Eventually, her eyes landed on our hands. Slowly, she looked up at me… only to yank her hand away, cheeks scarlet, before spinning around.
"You're so stubborn about yourself…" she muttered.
"Fine!" She spun back, jabbing a finger into my chest. "If you don't care enough about yourself, then I'll be the one to do it."
She pressed harder, making me groan exaggeratedly in mock pain.
"I'll be in your care, then," I chuckled, flashing her a wide smile.
Once she pulled her finger back, she crossed her arms. "Remember this: I'm the one who cares about you the most. Those second-year girls, and especially that filthy sinner—they'll never match me."
I didn't know how to answer that comment, so I just gave an awkward chuckle.
"Hey, Fran. Can we sit for a moment...?" I asked through a long yawn, pointing at a nearby bench.
We had walked so much that we eventually found ourselves in a quiet, peaceful park. No one else was around, and the only sounds were the gentle flow of the wind and the soft rustling of bushes.
She agreed, and soon we were sitting on a bench with a clear view of a small but beautiful lake.
"I'm really glad we had this day for ourselves," I said as my eyelids grew heavier. My sleepiness was finally catching up to me.
"Of course. I always appreciate it when I spend time with the only other person worth anything in this academy," she replied, a blush rising to her cheeks.
"I'm glad you see me that way."
I never said it out loud, but Fran considering me so important to her made me genuinely happy. With her, it felt like my weakness didn't matter at all.
"And why wouldn't I see you that way? You've only given me reasons to think of you as my friend," she said, her voice carrying a nervous edge that made her stumble slightly over her words.
"And you're... my... friend... Fran..."
---
In that quiet park, on that lonely bench, the brown-haired boy finally couldn't hold on any longer.
The endless waits for artifact approvals.
The dungeon exploration that left him separated from his group.
The desperate battle against three powerful orcs and a monstrous troll boss.
The discovery of the Eleventh Songbird Squad.
The death of someone he'd only known for hours, yet who still left an unforgettable mark.
The heavy responsibility of being entrusted with the last remnants of a tribe, of a squad.
All of it weighed on him.
His eyes drifted shut, and with his mind no longer keeping him upright, Alen slumped to the side.
"!!!" Franchesca stiffened when his head gently came to rest on her shoulder. "Alen! Do you..."
She was about to ask something—until the sound of a quiet, tired snore reached her ears. Only then did she realize: he had fallen asleep.
"Geez... so you fell asleep..." she muttered, disappointment lacing her tone. She had been expecting something else... maybe even a move from him.
"You're too nice for your own good... always agreeing to help everyone... It wouldn't kill you to say no once in a while. I guess I'll just be the one to turn away anyone who tries to take advantage of you," she whispered, but still didn't push him away. Instead, she let him rest peacefully on her shoulder.
"But... that's who you are. And that's the you I like so much..."
She turned her gaze to the boy beside her, his face calm in slumber.
"Alen... if I asked you to reject everyone else... to only look at me, and no one else... would you accept?" she muttered, cheeks burning red at the selfish words she'd never have the courage to say while he was awake.
Her thoughts wandered.
"That sinner..." she lowered her eyes. "She has a bigger... and those second-year girls... do they all have big chests too?"
Her gaze shifted downward, to her own flat chest. A small frown formed as doubt crept into her.
"Would you... really find me attractive... like this?" she whispered, envy curling in her chest.