"Hmph," she said, puffing out her cheeks. She began to look around for her acquaintance, but she didn't have to search long.
She stared at him silently.
Elion sat leaning back on the bench with relaxed eyes, looking at the rubber band shrouded in sunlight. He looked as if he were admiring a long-forgotten treasure.
"Is he always like this, or is he in a special mood today?" Noel muttered thoughtfully and walked over to him.
The guy didn't pay attention to the girl approaching and just kept doing the same thing.
"Peek-a-boo!" She stood in front of him, blocking the sunlight.
Elion raised his eyebrow slightly at her appearance.
"Hey, stop acting so mysterious. Let's go for a walk in the park. I haven't been there in a long time."
"...
Come on, let's go."
"...
"Get up, or I'll pick you up myself."
Without saying a word, Elion got up and headed toward the park.
"Why are you always so stubborn?" she said in a dissatisfied tone, but she was smiling.
Elion didn't even want to respond to these provocations.
So they walked toward the pleasant, green park. The guy looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, which were really picturesque.
The pleasant sounds of birds could be heard everywhere, and the absence of large crowds created an atmosphere of unity with nature. Green leaves glistened in the sunlight and swayed with the cool breeze.
Elion closed his eyes slightly, enjoying the pleasant sensations, and breathed in the fresh air.
... The sound of cheerful laughter reached him, and he turned his head in its direction.
He saw a large building made of light brown logs, and through its windows, he saw children playing together. In the yard, which was surrounded by a multicolored fence, a boy and a girl who looked alike were happily running after each other, apparently playing tag.
"Hahaha!" The bright laughter of a seven-year-old boy rang out.
Hehehe! A childish, girlish laugh sounded alongside him.
"... Elion stopped and looked at the picture.
"Mmm..." A pleasant sight, isn't it? My mother and I used to perform here. This is a children's home for children whose relatives were in the Seekers' Squad and died during missions. Compared to other children's homes, the atmosphere here is much more pleasant, and the children have a better life," Noel said with a nostalgic smile. Noel said with a nostalgic smile.
—... He didn't react to her words; he just looked at the laughing children.
The girl looked at him, then smiled brightly and said,
"Hey, watch closely! I'll show you how to smile at my performances, and you'd better remember it!"
After saying this, she ran toward the building. Standing near the fence, she called out to the children.
"Hey, kids! Do you want to see a performance by the second-best mime in the capital?" she called out cheerfully.
The children looked at each other, then shouted in unison:
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"Hehe, well, you asked for it, so watch carefully, and don't be shy about enjoying yourselves!" she exclaimed happily.
Elion quietly watched the girl's performance. His eyes sometimes widened in shock and narrowed in surprise at what was happening. Although he couldn't smile and laugh like the children, he enjoyed watching the performance and their joyful smiles.
Noel pretended to play the violin, walk on air, and debate between her two hands. What the children liked most was when she ate huge amounts of food and reacted completely differently to each one.
When the children saw the girl's face contorted by the sourness, they couldn't hold back their laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Hehehe"
Noel continued to amaze them with her tricks. Finally, she tried to cut a window in the invisible wall just above the fence. After finishing, she threw the hacksaw aside and looked into the children's window.
With a sweet smile, she handed them a couple of yellow flowers that she had pulled out from somewhere. That was the end of the show.
"Wow, thank you, Auntie!"
"Yes, that was just amazing, Auntie!"
"Auntie?!" Noel exclaimed indignantly, making the children laugh even harder.
Elion watched the children and the girl chat happily in silence.
He lifted his head and looked at the bright sun and clear blue sky. He said quietly,
"The weather is really nice today..."
"Yes, it is. But the children's smiles shine brighter than the sunlight," said a warm voice next to him.
The boy silently shifted his gaze to the owner of the voice.
"It sounds beautiful, doesn't it?" continued the man in his thirties with long white hair down to his waist and light gray eyes. He was dressed in a clean white cloak, giving him an incredibly strange appearance. A warm, pleasant smile graced his face, and he looked at the children.
Elion, not quite aware of reality, rubbed his eyes and blinked. Then...
Flutter, flutter, flutter — dozens of white doves flapped their wings and flew up from the spot where the man had been standing a moment ago.
The young man's pupils dilated, and he uttered only one word:
"Mystery..."