Avoid Former Co-Workers

66 – 66. Festival (5)

I was a bit taken aback when he came to me out of the blue and asked me a question.

‘Something seems desperate.’

Unfortunately, it seems to have a complicated story.

Shouldn’t you ask what you want to ask first?

“What do you mean by asking?”

“Something happened… I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing or how the other person would react to it. I want to borrow your wisdom on this.”

“Hmm…”

I was worried for nothing.

I was preparing to gloss over it by saying that I learned it at the academy when nasty questions like where did you learn that theory popped up.

Since she seems to be a personal sign, there are some parts that she is a little reluctant about.

However, since you received help, shouldn’t a person repay you? I don’t think I’m going to ask any difficult questions.

So she gladly accepted.

“Tell me. If my opinion is helpful, I’ll be happy to answer.”

Escort number 181 hesitated for a moment, wondering if she hadn’t expected the acceptance, then she paused a little before opening her mouth.

The story of her was complicated. She disappears as an individual, but it can be said that she is very twisted.

***

What kind of path did she eventually take after judging a person with the wrong eyes only with the prejudice and prejudice that was overlaid on him in her memories?

She sinned.

She did it without properly considering her cause-and-effect relationship. She was guilty of paying the price.

And she was in debt.

She was left with an indelible debt for failing to act properly by putting her emotions first.

Due to the debt she had committed, she had to apologize to him and ask for forgiveness at the same time.

But she couldn’t.

She thinks so in her head, but her body can’t put it into practice.

He doesn’t want to. Meeting and having a conversation.

She struggles in agony She got help from people around her, but she wasn’t sure if this was the right path.

So this was the last time she had made her bad judgment with her preconceived notions and prejudices.

As an opportunity to hear his sincerity as escort number 181, not as a person who has sinned and owed money.

She swallowed her saliva with a gulp and watched the porter of room 229 with rather desperate eyes.

‘It’s difficult.’

After hearing her story, it was difficult for Junon to give an answer.

Actually, it must have been a simple story. It’s a story that can end with just giving a word of support.

The reason why I didn’t answer so willingly was because I was showing myself through it for some reason.

She took her first luck with a heavy heart.

“I think… No matter what, hard work is destined to be rewarded in the end.”

The eyes of number 181, which had been wandering around, opened with a flash.

“There was a time when I was about to give up. No matter how hard I tried, I was left behind holding my ankles instead of being helped, only to be called a hindrance or a piece of luggage.”

“Ah…”

“So I thought they would hate me. But they didn’t.”

He seemed to be speaking based on what he had experienced somewhere.

Could this even be part of the memories he didn’t have?

No. There was no time to pursue it.

“A while ago, you said you had committed a great sin against the other person, right? That’s why you said that he must hate you very much.”

“…Yes.”

“It will never happen.”

How can you be so sure it won’t be?

As if to tell you why, he slowly walked to the place where he had made the fire in the canyon and looked at the burnt wood.

“Here. Do you remember when I was lighting a fire in this place, other people came and asked me if I was warming up the fire when I was having a hard time?”

From noble mtl dot com

“I know. I saw it myself…”

She answers with a nod of her head.

I didn’t like people who didn’t do anything no matter how much I told them about their plans, so they reversed the situation again.

There was a small number of people who couldn’t let go of their doubts until the end, but at that time, the mediator didn’t have to come forward.

“From the outside, it looked like they were heating a fire, but in fact, they were heating up the meat to feed everyone. It didn’t burn and it was cooked well, so it looked like that.”

“I know that…”

As for why I was telling the story now, I couldn’t quite figure out the reason.

“It’s the same reason. Even if you’ve sinned against someone, why do you assume that person hates you? Did he actually say anything like that? Or did he scold or blame you outright? “

“That’s…”

No.

I spat out the words I had been holding back, but it didn’t.

He just told me not to look at the magazines or pretend to know, because he didn’t know what he was going to do.

I didn’t include a single swear word, and rather than scolding, I just burst out the anger that I had been stir-frying inside. It wasn’t even my fault.

‘Such…’

I finally understood his meaning.

“If the other person really disliked you, they would have shown even the slightest sign. Not only will they disturb you or secretly try to stir up a difference, but in the worst case, they will seek revenge. At worst… At all costs. “

He didn’t show any plausible signs, and though he did vent his anger, he didn’t fully reveal his true feelings.

There’s no reason to mention it because he didn’t even try to do it, and if he wanted revenge, he would have done it long ago.

So don’t overdo it.

It came with that meaning.

“He said he regretted his actions, but he couldn’t apologize when he met him. He said that it was difficult even to face him due to heavy guilt. You asked…”

Saying that, he suddenly grabbed sand in the place where the fire that once burned firewood was burning.

Then, he dropped the sand again.

“I don’t think it’s wrong. The person in question doesn’t know about it, but they’re helping indirectly. No matter what anyone says, that doesn’t change the fact. Just like this ember here.”

The embers go out with a rustling sound.

A small ember that was the only source of warmth left in the burnt-out pile of charcoal, he added while covering it with sand.

The embers soon lost their light and were completely covered by a handful of sand.

The flames seem to have turned into embers and disappeared, but there were sparks in this place.

It doesn’t burn like it did back then, but no one would deny it. That there was a flame that radiated warmth and prevented them from the cold here.

Why did he say such a thing while directly covering the fire here?

Now she seemed to know.

It is a fact that does not disappear that the flame that kept them from the cold, burning brightly here, was here.

Something started to rise in my body.

“You may not know it right now, but he will know someday. Your efforts to stand up and be helpful to him rather than sinking in guilt.”

When he said that he would understand someday, something inside his heart felt tight.

It floated up and climbed slowly on top of the upper body. Gradually became heavier.

It slowly grows every time it climbs, arrives at a place, and creates a stream of water as if bursting.

“No, I didn’t mean to do this…”

Shaking off the sand from his hands, he rose to his feet and sent only sad eyes without a word.

It had already been a long time since he had been caught to hide the tears that flowed down to the point where his face was shiny.

‘Why doesn’t it stop…’

I hope it will stop flowing.

It’s my body, but why do I resent the tear glands that constantly produce streams of water without knowing my inner thoughts?

Even if I wiped it, the tears flowed non-stop.

“…As much as those tears.”

“Yes? What is that…”

“It means that the guilt must have been as great as the tears you shed, and the effort to be forgiven must have been great.”

“…”

I didn’t even have time to wipe away my tears.

He was busy keeping his mouth shut and giggling, keeping in mind that if he made a sound right away, he would be caught.

“Cheer up.”

He said that and left his seat. Like I can cry to my heart’s content now.

This… How can I put up with it?

“Huh… Hmmm…!”

The guilt she had been holding back began to burst out as a sound.

I can’t stand it anymore. I wanted to cry now, so I broke down and cried.

Please, I hope this sound does not reach him after he has passed through the canyon.

Aris had no choice but to vomit with her tears and voice, the emotions that could not be stopped even if she tried to block them.

Pow-!

Did she even notice her earnest desire?

Fireworks that had failed to explode finally exploded, burying Aris’ cries in the canyon.

Today is the first day of the festival.

At the same time, it was the day when the lotus flower, which had withered in guilt, regained its true form.

***

“Maybe it’s because it feels like it’s not someone else’s business. It seems like I’ve been talking too long for no reason.”

I was like that before the regression.

I was busy chasing after seeing that each member’s ability reached an incomparable level at the party boasting a splendid lineup.

Pina did everything in her power not to hold her ankle.

So did people notice? It wasn’t.

All eyes were on the other party members, but nothing came back to him.

On the contrary, I heard a sharp voice telling them to withdraw from the party instead of holding them back at the party knowing the subject.

Yes. There was also a time when I tried to give up, saying that no one would recognize my efforts.

However, I was able to overcome it.

-‘I can see a faint solid line of magical power every night, but how could I not know it? You stupid.’

-‘You don’t have to listen to what others say, Junon. It’s a pity that I can’t help…’

-‘I, the party leader, know best that you are growing. I’m sure the other guys feel it, even though it’s a minority. That’s why he doesn’t say anything.’

When I was driven to the edge of a cliff and tried to give up.

When I said I would leave because it might catch the ankles of the party members.

It was because there were people who recognized my hard work.

Even with empty words, they couldn’t even tell them to work hard or not to give up, and they replied that they couldn’t approach them hastily yet because they could be hurt by the gazes around them.

In the end, the party members acknowledged a small change made with sweat and blood, the product of hard work.

Using my experience at that time, I gave that advice to escort number 181.

I wonder if I may have been too far-fetched, but somehow my heart was moved as I remembered the old memories.

“If it helps, well done. Anyway, I hope this ends well.”

Isn’t good good?

For now, the guild was also rescued by people who arrived from the academy, and the festival seemed to go smoothly.

“Oh, I’m tired.”

It looks like you’ve been carrying a lot of stuff and you’ve been using your body too much trying to escape the canyon.

To the point where I can hear a thumping sound all over my body.

“This is overtime. Shouldn’t I be paid more per day?”

After complaining so much, I changed back into my school uniform and arrived at the academy, where the sound of firecrackers announced the start of the festival.

Pow-! Puff-!

Students’ voices fill the evening, and the darkness is brightly lit by the lights of the night market and academy.

“…This festival alone.”

A festival held as an annual event.

This festival, which coincided with the day we were recognized as an official team, was quite meaningful to us.

Originally, even if I couldn’t enjoy the festival around this time, I would have walked around the night market with them.

…Forlornly, I was alone today.

Well, since we got the money, let’s use it to buy something nice and thick. You worked hard today, but you should at least satisfy your stomach.

Just the moment I was about to move towards the night market.

“Junon-senpai!!”

A girl with flowing silver hair came running her gun like a rabbit.