Chapter 157: We Met in Our Youth, Came and Went Quickly, and Then Suddenly Drifted Apart
“You… you make it sound like I don’t like you. It’s just that you don’t know my real side. I understand how you feel, but I’m really not ready yet. You shine too brightly, it makes me feel a bit dim. I don’t know how to match you, but I can promise that, until then, I’ll do my best to be the person you hope for.”
“No, I’m not forcing you.” Elise gently wiped the tears from the corner of Peiya’s eyes. “I was probably just too afraid of losing you, so I said a lot of things that sounded forceful. This isn’t your fault. I was the one who brought this up. If it caused you trouble, shouldn’t I be the one apologizing?”
“But…”
Peiya sat up.
“Isn’t liking someone something between two people? I came to you on my own, so of course I understand that, at least a little. I don’t want to be someone irresponsible. It’s just… I’m not good enough yet. But when I work hard enough to be able to say it properly, I won’t hesitate.”
There was a bright light in Peiya’s eyes. She could understand how much courage Elise had needed tonight to say those words.
Since Elise said this was something for both of them, she wouldn’t just keep running away. As long as she worked hard, there was still a chance.
Peiya lifted her head.
“That’s right, that’s my answer. The person I admired was the shining you, not someone who worries too much and just says random things.”
“So that’s your answer, Miss Peiya? Looks like I really underestimated you. Let’s get to know each other again. Starting today, I think I should call you something new. How about… ‘little potato’?”
“Huh? What kind of weird nickname is that? Change it, seriously, it sounds awful.”
“Then how about ‘white fluffy ball,’ ‘little fluff,’ or ‘little white’?”
“Hey, are you messing with me? Do you even know how to give nicknames?”
Peiya was getting annoyed. Elise was clearly doing this on purpose, yet there was no way to prove it.
“I’m serious. Look at your white hair, if I don’t call you a white fluffy ball, should I call you a pink fluffy ball instead?”
Pink…
When she transformed before, she really did look like a pink fluffy ball…
Did Elise see that? Probably not, maybe she was just guessing.
Peiya held her breath. “Just call me Peiya. Don’t make weird nicknames.”
“No way. That’s not romantic at all. I’ll call you ‘little potato’.”
“You’re really impossible.”
Peiya pulled the blanket tighter around herself. She didn’t expect Elise to enjoy something so silly.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you think giving each other nicknames is fun? I read in books that people like to do this with someone they love.”
“So you learned how to like someone from books?”
That question suddenly made Elise realize something. Right, why read books when the “lesson” was right in front of her?
Peiya really was asking for trouble today.
“Then, Teacher Little Potato, what do you think I should do?”
Elise gently pinched Peiya’s soft cheek, smiling comfortably. It was clear that Elise was truly relaxed tonight, maybe this was her real self.
Peiya also started to relax. Only then did she realize that Elise had already fallen asleep in her arms at some point.
She really fell asleep fast.
Didn’t even wait for her…
Unfortunately, while one person could fall asleep so easily, the other was left lying awake.
Peiya never expected tonight to turn out like this. It felt like all her energy had been drained. When she said those words, it was as if she had used up all her strength.
She didn’t know what life would be like after saying it out loud. Thinking about it carefully, she had probably realized her feelings for Elise a long time ago.
But because of her identity as a witch, she had always resisted this feeling, or maybe she was just afraid of it.
Peiya even wondered if it was just an illusion. It was like she was a normal girl standing on one side of the road, holding her hat against strong wind, and one day she met Elise, who was hurrying over from the other side.
They passed by each other, then both turned back at the same moment, noticing the confusion and hurry on each other’s faces.
Time felt like sand slipping through their fingers. The time they had to truly know each other, or to fall in love, was actually very short.
When one of them hesitated about whether to step forward, the “traffic light of fate” had already turned. If they lowered their heads for even a moment, they might miss each other. And once they walked past, the chance of meeting again would become very small.
That was exactly why Peiya felt more and more uneasy. She didn’t really understand what “liking someone” meant.
Growing up without close family, the thing she liked the most was money.
Because it was the first “tool” she knew that could make wishes come true. With money, many things could be done.
After that came knowledge.
She saw many kinds of knowledge in books, studied hard, and gave everything she had. That was how she became who she was today.
Her current abilities were built on that learning.
But after that… her path became unclear. She didn’t know what else she wanted, or what she would find if she kept going.
There was a force inside her pushing her forward. Along the way, she met Anna, Lisa, Stella, Maya, Nara, Elise, Karl, and Victoria.
Even though she didn’t like all of them, they were still important people she met when she first truly stepped into this world.
From that moment on, their fates began to connect. Many people came into her life and left again. Some left and never returned.
Things like this happened every day.
But luckily, even someone like her, like a drifting leaf, was able to find a place to belong.
Looking at Elise, who was sleeping in her arms, Peiya’s expression softened. She gently touched the ring in her hand. The reflection on its surface showed her uneasy face.
“Actually… I lied to you just now. I… I do like you too. It’s just that right now, we’re not on the same level.”
Peiya bit her lip.
“You know where I come from. Every time I see how bright and amazing you are, I feel nervous and uneasy. Because I’m someone who came from the shadows. Even if I lift my head, I still feel afraid when facing something so strong. I don’t even know if this feeling in my heart is real love, or just something I imagined myself…”
“...I’m also afraid of losing things, afraid that everything might just be a dream that will disappear when I wake up. I’m even afraid that I might become someone I don’t like. But I’m really thankful that you trust me. And I don’t want to waste your feelings. When I helped treat you, I truly didn’t have any extra thoughts…”
“...I just felt it was the right thing to do. If that caused you trouble, maybe I would have backed away at that time. But instead, you helped me take this step forward. So… thank you, Elise. No matter what happens in the end, I won’t regret going through this with you. You are a precious memory to me.”
Peiya lowered her head and quietly placed a kiss on Elise’s cheek. The warmth slowly faded, and she brushed the loose hair from her face.
“Maybe I’m just bad with words. I can’t express my feelings bravely like you. I can only show them quietly… After all, my feelings feel like something I stole. It’s like I’m a thief who took part of your life. But… I guess I’m a pretty good thief, because it seems like I succeeded.”