Putri seemed surprised and didn't expect Alysha to be able to read her static expression. In the end, she gave in and let Alysha hug her. She still seemed unbelievable that Alysha could read her expression. Putri glanced toward me, as if asking for an explanation.
"Because you're like me," I answered. "Alysha and I can more or less understand each other, though it's mostly one-way from her," I added to answer Putri's curiosity.
Putri looked at Alysha, who was hugging her, directly in the face. Noticing Putri's gaze, Alysha looked back at her and smiled. Alysha released the hug and sat beside her, staring into Putri's face.
"You're wondering why only now?" Alysha hit the mark.
Once again, Putri didn't expect it. She nodded, waiting to hear Alysha's answer. She couldn't believe Alysha really understood what she was thinking.
"I don't know either." Alysha shook her head. "I didn't want to approach you at first because you kept your distance from others, but for some reason, I don't know what it is, I felt drawn to you."
Although Alysha was someone who easily socialized, she never truly had an interest in what she was doing.
Like I said before, Alysha seemed to wear a mask that locked away her true self. She did what she felt she was supposed to do with everyone. For several days after I transferred to Protea, I observed her; yes, she was sociable, but it didn't feel like she genuinely wanted to be in that crowd.
"Drawn? To me? I don't think I have anything attractive that would draw people to me," said Putri innocently.
Putri really didn't see herself clearly. From my point of view, her looks alone were enough to attract others. If you said something like that in a crowd, you'd definitely offend some other girls listening in, though I know you didn't mean it that way.
"Don't put yourself down. Look at yourself again. You'll definitely find something you have that others don't," Alysha said. "Though that's not exactly why I'm drawn to you, it's some of your traits that caught my interest."
Putri tried to think about which traits Alysha meant, but she still didn't understand.
Being a loner and quiet wasn't exactly appealing, also most people found her off-putting. Her blunt way of speaking was another reason others avoided her.
"My personality isn't very good if you look at it from other people's perspectives," Putri replied. Her expression didn't change, and her flat tone might confuse others, but I understood what she meant.
"Huh~ I told you, stop putting yourself down," Alysha said with a bit of annoyance, poking Putri's chest with her finger.
"Besides, we're not talking about other people here. Your indifference toward others and doing things your way is what I like about you. Look at my brother, isn't he the same?" she said while pointing at me.
I felt offended. Sure, I don't really care what people think about me, but at least I consider my actions. I don't think it's polite to just point fingers like that.
Alysha looked at me with a sharp gaze.
"Right? See! He doesn't even realize it. He denies his own nature and doesn't know what he's doing. Aren't you two the same?" she said with irritation, pointing her finger at me.
A trigger was pulled, and the bullet hit me. Alysha's words struck exactly what I had just been thinking.
"Why am I being dragged into this?" I grumbled. Seriously, I didn't want to continue this conversation because Alysha was starting to turn her words against me.
"Alright, maybe I'll explain a bit," she sighed deeply, trying to cool down. "I've always been interested in you, but I didn't know why. And now I finally understand. Like I said, your personality is similar to my brother's. Back then, I didn't know why, but now I understand clearly; lately, your emotions are easier to read. Does it have something to do with the two of you meeting?"
Someone once said that every person who enters your life changes it. Could this be considered one of those? I guess it's not wrong.
"I can't deny that. But haven't you changed too?" Putri turned the tables and asked Alysha. "Even though you usually seem energetic, I've never seen you this natural."
Hit. Alysha was at a loss for words.
For me, watching this unfold was unusual. Alysha being genuinely interested in someone else was a rare sight. I, too also interested in hearing Alysha's reason, so I decided to just sit back and watch.
"It's not like I'm trying to hide it, but…" Alysha looked like she was trying to come up with an excuse, but she seemed unsure. She raised her hand, resting her chin on it, trying to think.
Didn't she answer the same kind of question naturally when Putri asked her in the garden before? Why was she hesitating now? Can't she just answer it the same way?
"Maybe it's time you took off your mask," I said to Alysha.
Those words just slipped out of my mouth. I didn't mean to say them, but after thinking about it, they just came out. I didn't want to ruin the life she'd built up during high school, but again, the words escaped me.
It was like the time I was introduced to the rest of the student council, but this time the roles were reversed; Alysha held the decision now.
Alysha looked at me. She still seemed hesitant, but she cleared her throat and started speaking.
"It's not that I can't… but the timing isn't right. More clearly, because my target hasn't been achieved."
Target? I didn't know Alysha had been hiding her true self all this time because of some target. Isn't that a bit much?
I noticed her hidden side since middle school, and it's been almost four years now. What has she been looking for? What started as a casual suggestion has now become a big question for me.
Also, for some reason, I feel it will lead to the problem that she is actually doing it because of me.
While we were still discussing, we heard the front door open. Soon after, footsteps approached, and Violet appeared.
"I'm home," Violet said as she entered the room.
"A guest? Good evening." Violet bowed in greeting when she noticed Putri. She welcomed Putri with a warm smile on her face.
She was still wearing her school uniform, a white shirt and blue blazer. I just realized it was already the usual time we return. When I looked outside, the sky had begun to darken. I really hadn't noticed. I thought it was still light out earlier, but now it was nearly night.
It made sense for her to come back now. Even though I had asked Imelda to keep her occupied while I discussed things with Putri and Alysha, it wouldn't be right to let Violet stay out too late. A girl shouldn't be out alone at night. Plus, the dorms have curfews for their students.
"Welcome home," Alysha and I said nearly at the same time.
"Sorry for disturbing," Putri also bowed in return.
Putri looked at Violet closely. She examined her from top to bottom. Was this their first time meeting? No, right? You met in the garden back then. Or maybe she didn't know why Violet was here?
"This is Violet, she lives here too. And this is Putri, we were just discussing some assignments," I said, pointing between them, clarifying their confusion.
I'm not completely sure, but I think Putri has a certain interest in Violet. She's been staring at her since Violet entered the room and hasn't looked away. I know you don't mean anything bad, but please stop. Most people wouldn't like being stared at so intensely.
It's kind of surprising that Putri is interested in someone else, not in a bad way, of course, and not related to me.
I also can't deny that she's interested in me either, since she looked up my information. But I've never seen her interact with anyone based on their abilities. She wouldn't even meet the eyes of those who talked to her. She usually just focused on whatever she was working on, usually reading.
"By the way, it's getting late. Shouldn't you head home soon, Putri? We can continue tomorrow," I suggested, remembering that Putri lived outside the Protea zone. It'd take her some time to get back.
"You're right," she said, looking out the window at the now dark sky. "I guess I should head back."
Putri began packing up her things into her bag.
I noticed Violet was still standing by the door, just observing our conversation. She didn't seem bothered, but I didn't feel right making her stand there.
"Violet, you can go to your room if you want. You don't have to stand there the whole time."
"It's okay. I don't mind. Besides, it's not polite to leave when a guest is leaving," she said cheerfully.
She was holding her bag and hadn't put it down. I just wanted her to rest a bit. No matter how you look at it, she really is kind. Honestly, I think you could even say too kind.
After Putri finished packing, we walked her to the door.
"Brother, walk her home!" Alysha suddenly said. I turned to her, checking if she was joking.
"It's not right to let a girl walk alone at night," she folded her arms and looked at me seriously.
I guess she was serious. Well, fine. I'll count it as a break after thinking so hard earlier.
Looking at Putri, she also seemed like she wanted to refuse Alysha's suggestion, but gave up after seeing Alysha's expression toward me.
She resigned herself to the situation. In that way, we really are alike. Arguing would've been more tiring than just going along with it.
I put on my shoes and headed out with Putri.
"I'm off," I said to Alysha and Violet, who were watching us.
"Be careful," they replied in unison, waving.
"Huh.. tonight's air feels kind of chilly." I let out a long breath, taking in the atmosphere.
This city is located at a high altitude. It sits on the edge of a towering pillar. It's like climbing a mountain. Luckily, we have a barrier surrounding the city that regulates temperature, so the heat and cold don't seep in too quickly.
We walked through a relatively quiet area. The road sloped downward, and the streetlights lit up the path while the cityscape ahead looked beautiful. The lower areas were clearly visible, sparkling lights glowing. It wasn't like the big cities in other countries, but you could still call it a great view.
I looked up, trying to see the barrier surrounding the city. The black sky was filled with stars, and nothing obstructed my view. The barrier was transparent and invisible unless viewed up close. No one really knows what it's made of; it remains one of the city's mysteries.
"You really don't have to walk me all the way to my place," Putri said after glancing at me. She looked uncomfortable being walked home, and her dorm was fairly far.
"It's fine. It helps me memorize the area," I said, spinning a finger and pointing around.
Putri only nodded without saying a word.
The atmosphere fell into silence. Neither of us spoke. Only the ambient sounds of the surroundings remained.
It wasn't an awkward silence; it's more like we both chose not to speak. We were simply enjoying the scenery.
We walked at a relaxed pace, not in any hurry, even taking a slightly longer route. Putri said she wanted to show me something rarely seen, a place not often visited by others, while walking to her place.
It was a bit farther than the main roads. We took a narrow, quiet street with trees lining the edges. The city view wasn't as clear; only the distant lights were visible.
"Aren't we there yet?" I asked curiously. I stopped for a moment and let Putri keep walking.
This place was far from the crowds, and even though it was technically still part of the city, it was out of reach of most people.
The area was dimly lit, only faint streetlights guiding the way. A man and a woman alone in a secluded spot like this probably isn't ideal.
Noticing I'd stopped, Putri also stopped and turned back.
"Why do you trust me so much? Since you can understand what I'm thinking, you should realize it, right?" Putri asked. Her silhouette was visible only faintly as the moonlight was blocked by clouds.
I wondered what she was getting at, and it turned out to be just that question.
"I don't know. I just trust you completely."
I wasn't lying. That was my honest answer. If I could, I'd like to be a little suspicious, but I couldn't.
When asked why, I couldn't give a reason. Not because I didn't want to, I truly didn't know.
"Why?..." Her expression shifted into something sad, truly sad, not just in my mind.
I really did trust her. But I also sensed there was something she was hiding. As far as I trusted her words, I found myself believing what she said. Normally, I'd doubt someone. But this time, I wasn't like my usual self.
"If there's something you want to tell me, just say it. I'll still believe in you," I said gently with a soft smile.
"I'm sorry." With guilt in her voice, Putri extended her hand. I didn't know why she apologized, but then I sensed a rise in mana around her.
"It's okay," I answered softly.