...
"Hehe..." Rice Shower couldn't hold back her laughter, and it all spilled out from her little mouth. In the end, she even clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
Lucian was speechless. His earlier fright hadn't been because of the atmosphere at all.
But in the end, he'd still tripped over in the gutter—startled by Rice Shower, of all people.
"Rice Shower..."
She was still laughing.
"Rice-chan?"
She was laughing so hard she bent over.
"Big Rice Bath?"
Tears of mirth glistened at the corners of her eyes.
...
"Rice Shower? So it was you—you scared me to death." Doto let go of Lucian's arm and patted her ample chest. "Mr. Lucian, it's all your fault. I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"Well, you've been grabbing my arm all night. Ouch~ suddenly it hurts... Oh no, I can't feel it anymore. Might need to see a doctor."
Lucian put on a dramatic act, playing it up quite convincingly.
At any rate, Doto bought it and immediately apologized, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you okay?"
"I'm very much not okay."
"Sorry, Mr. Lucian, I was just too scared (˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅)."
"Alright, alright, no need to cry. I was just teasing you. Meanwhile, we've got someone here who still can't stop laughing." Truth be told, this was the first time Lucian had seen Rice Shower laugh so joyfully.
And so, Lucian and Doto quietly watched as Rice Shower continued giggling, until they both broke into smiles at almost the same time.
Lucian couldn't take it anymore. He pinched Rice Shower's cheeks lightly, squishing them into a pouty goldfish face. "Still laughing, huh?"
"Mmm... Sorry, Onii-sama, I really couldn't help it." Rice Shower wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, finally starting to feel a bit shy.
"Excuse me, is everything alright here?" At that moment, a few staff members with volunteer armbands approached. "We received a report about eerie laughter coming from this area. Was there any danger?"
Rice Shower hung her head in embarrassment.
"No danger. Someone here just remembered something funny."
"Alright, as long as everything's fine." After a few reminders, the staff left.
Lucian turned to the ghost girl Doto and the vampire Rice Shower. "When do you two get off work? I might head back first."
He had to wake up early tomorrow—likely before dawn—to start prepping ingredients.
"Onii-chan, we won't be done that soon," Rice Shower said.
Doto, however, had just noticed the term of address. "Onii-chan? Why does Rice Shower call you that, Mr. Lucian?"
Rice Shower covered her mouth, realizing she'd slipped into habit. "Because... Trainer sometimes acts like a big brother, so I started calling him that."
Doto recalled how Lucian had teased her earlier and clearly wasn't convinced. "Really? But Mr. Lucian was just making fun of me earlier, acting like a kid."
"Want to know the reason, Doto?"
"Reason? What reason?"
Doto wanted to know.
Rice Shower, who had just made up that explanation, also wanted to know.
"Not telling."
Doto stared blankly at Rice Shower, her eyes seeming to say, "See for yourself."
"Mr. Lucian, you're such a bully... o(TヘTo)"
Doto was now sulking at Lucian.
But wasn't this proof that the two of them had grown closer?
"Alright, alright~ I'll tell you, I'll tell you." Lucian adopted a coaxing tone. "It's because Rice Shower is part of my team. If you joined 'Dream,' you'd get big-brother treatment too."
...
After a bit more casual chatter, Rice Shower returned to her post while Doto followed Lucian back the way they came.
"Mr. Lucian, did you come today just to see me and Rice Shower? You didn't even do any of your tasks."
"Who said that? I just came to see Rice Shower."
"Stop saying things that hurt my feelings! Aren't I your employee too? (˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅)"
"Fine, fine, I came to see you too."
Doto: ฅ( ̳• ◡ • ̳)ฅ "Then what about your tasks?"
"I finished them long ago." Lucian had originally come just to see Rice Shower's vampire outfit—Doto's ghost girl costume was an unexpected bonus. "Alright, I've brought you back. I'll head out now."
"Okay~"
Doto watched as Lucian's figure melted into the darkness, then let out a slow exhale.
Tonight, following Lucian around had left her exhausted—from fear, from frustration, but also from happiness.
...
Leaving behind the bustling night festival, Lucian made his way back home.
These past two days had really worn him out. Even though it was still early, he couldn't stop yawning.
"Hmm? Why is Seiun Sky suddenly calling me?" Lucian answered the phone. "Hello?"
"Trainer, what are you up to?"
"Just got home, about to sleep."
"Then I'm not disturbing you, am I?" Seiun Sky also knew Lucian had been very busy lately.
"I'm not asleep yet, so it's fine. What's up?"
There was a brief silence on the other end, as if she were carefully choosing her words. "After the concert... will you have time?"
"After the concert? I should have time." Lucian thought for a moment.
"After the festival ends, there'll be a fireworks show. I found a really great spot to watch it. Do you have time? Could you... come with me?"
Seiun Sky's tone over the phone was light and casual, but in reality, her heart seemed to be shifting from calm to excitement, beating faster and faster—and growing more nervous.
It didn't seem like this was just about watching fireworks.
"I'll have time. That night, I should be free after your performance."
"You promised, okay? I've already reserved the spot. Don't stand me up."
"Of course."
...
The call ended, but Lucian still held his phone, not snapping back to reality right away.
Something felt off about Seiun Sky's demeanor. It seemed like there was something she wanted to say to him.
But what could it be?
Something about their subtle relationship, taking it a step further? Or was it really just about watching fireworks?
For a moment, Lucian's heart was in turmoil—what you might call unease. Turning it over in his mind, he even furrowed his brows—what you might call distress.
Under a sky full of dazzling fireworks... could it be... a confession?
He was a straightforward person, but if it really was what he suspected, it'd be his first time facing something like this. Naturally, he'd be nervous too.
The night was as dark as ink, still deep and boundless, with rolling clouds occasionally swallowing the moon. A stray breeze slipped through the window, carrying away Lucian's drowsiness.
...