Rejected again. Aizahár showed no sign of disappointment, simply stepping aside calmly to let the customer who had refused her pass.
While she was a little disheartened, she would never show such feelings to others.
Emotions were contagious. Laughter made you smile, tears made you uneasy. For her own sake and for others, Aizahár never let her negative emotions show.
Fortunately, rejection had become a regular part of her life. Today's haul wasn't too bad; she had managed to sell a dozen or so flowers.
"Kiana" is probably doing even worse than me! She probably hasn't sold a single flower yet!
Aizahár's gloom lifted slightly, replaced by the kind of superiority one felt after finding a flaw in the "neighbor's kid" who always seemed to be one step ahead.
So, how many flowers had Bianka actually sold?
Aizahár was already planning how she would comfort the defeated Bianka as she started walking toward where she was.
Hm? What are those people gathered up ahead for?
After just a few steps, Aizahár spotted a crowd. She paused, instinctively about to turn away.
To her, a commotion wasn't something to be gawked at; it was something to be avoided.
This was the City of Sighs. There weren't any promotional giveaways of eggs here. More often than not, a crowd meant conflict, a clash of negative emotions. As a lone child, she could easily be the stray cat that gets kicked.
But... that seemed to be the direction "Kiana" was in...
Wait...
Aizahár suddenly remembered the moment Bianka had carried her up to the sky, and her heart tightened.
Could it be... "Kiana" got into a fight with someone?!
At that thought, not knowing if she was more worried about Bianka getting hurt or about Bianka accidentally killing someone, Aizahár anxiously pushed her way toward the crowd.
"Excuse me, please let me through!" Squeezing through the throng, Aizahár apologized as she went. The people in the way frowned when they saw she was just a child, but when they noticed the basket of paper flowers she carried, their expressions softened with understanding.
Aizahár didn't catch these knowing glances. She was just silently grateful that no one was blocking her path.
After some effort, she finally broke through the crowd.
"'Kia—'" As she reached the center, Aizahár started to call out, but the scene before her made her words catch in her throat.
"Little friend, how about fifty milliliters?"
"But... I really don't have any paper flowers left! They're all sold out!"
"I don't want a flower, just let me pet the cat!"
"That... doesn't seem right... I can't accept..."
"Hey! Everyone else bought a flower to pet him. If I don't pay, do you think they'll let me have a turn?"
"I..."
Bianka's troubled voice and the earnest persuasion of several people reached Aizahár's ears amidst a wave of laughter.
A cat? What cat?
With her mind in a jumble, Aizahár tried to think and finally remembered that Bianka had indeed brought a white cat with her today. She hadn't paid it much mind at the time; after all, having pets was standard for young ladies like her...
But thinking about it now, Aizahár realized what it meant for Bianka to have the luxury of keeping a cat in this day and age.
In an era where people struggled to survive, Bianka still had the means to keep a cat so healthy...
Next to Bianka, a group of people were huddled together, surrounding the white cat named "Stan." Aizahár could see that each person held a familiar paper flower in their hand.
And Bianka's basket was completely empty. She had really sold all her paper flowers... all thanks to a cat...
Suddenly, Aizahár looked down at her own basket. It was still packed full, the dozen or so flowers she'd sold barely making a dent...
Aizahár's hands tightened slightly. She didn't know why a pang of sadness suddenly rose in her heart. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her chest, something was blocking her veins, and even her breathing became labored.
Maybe... I shouldn't ruin this scene... I'm not suited for this kind of lively atmosphere...
Just then, Bianka, who was surrounded just like Stan, seemed to sense something. She frowned slightly, lifted her head, and her eyes immediately found Aizahár.
It was that same look of someone seeing their savior. Bianka excitedly waved at Aizahár from within the crowd, even jumping up and down as if afraid she wouldn't be seen. "Aizahár! I'm over here!"
Aizahár, who had been about to turn back, was startled. She looked up and met the gazes of the crowd, who had all turned to follow Bianka's call.
The moment she became the center of so many people's attention, Aizahár felt the pain in her chest explode. The stone turned into a mountain, completely blocking her airway.
Aizahár hastily lowered her head, her eyes darting around the ground, wanting to find a crack to crawl into and hide.
But more and more eyes fell upon her. She stood there, trying to shrink in on herself as much as possible without moving. Aizahár herself didn't even know if her contradictory thoughts meant she was going crazy.
Amidst her heavy breathing, a pair of hands suddenly entered her field of vision. She snapped her head up and met Bianka's face, which had been wiped clean of dust and was radiant once more.
"Are... you okay?" Bianka asked, looking at Aizahár's pale face. The plea for help that had been on the tip of her tongue seamlessly transformed into a word of concern. "You look terrible..."
Aizahár just stared at Bianka's face, at those pure, azure eyes. She could even see her own reflection in them!
Dusty and gray... as if she'd been carelessly patched together from the leftover scraps when God created the world.
"I..." Aizahár began softly, then lowered her head and let out a dry laugh. "I'm fine, just a little... hungry..."
"Really?" Bianka was taken aback, then her expression turned serious. "That's not 'fine' at all!"
"If you're hungry, you have to eat!" Bianka said solemnly, patting Aizahár's shoulder. She took her hand and started to lead her away from the crowd.
"Wait!" Aizahár frantically stopped Bianka. "I'm not actually that hungry! Besides..."
"This is such a good opportunity... Don't waste it..."