Chapter 83 - Shadow (6)

"Come here."

"...What is it?"

I threw my shoes onto the sand and followed Trisha into the river water.

As I approached Trisha's side, she pointed to something deep in the riverbed.

"There, can't you see that?"

The sunset's reflection only dazzled my eyes, making it impossible to see the riverbed.

"...I can't see anything."

"Oh come on, come here!"

Trisha grabbed my hand and pulled me into deeper water. She stopped where the water rippled up to mid-thigh and pointed again.

"Bend down and look."

"...What are you talking about?"

Trisha had somehow moved behind me and whispered, "Actually, there's nothing there!"

"...?"

Then, she shoved my back hard.

Losing my balance from the unexpected attack, I fell face-first into the river.

Splash!

Ice-cold river water soaked my entire body, instantly clearing my mind. It was so cold it hurt my skin.

I slowly stood up. My body felt heavy, completely drenched to the top of my head. When my wet bangs blocked my vision, I pushed them back with both hands.

Only then could I see Trisha holding her stomach, laughing heartily.

"Hahaha, ahaha. You're the most fun to tease!"

I couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.

Really. This isn't the time to laugh.

I strode toward Trisha.

Sharp as she was, she backed away while keeping her smile.

The water was thigh-deep for me but waist-deep for Trisha, making my steps much faster.

"W-wait! At least let me keep my outer clothes dry!"

She shouted while holding her arms behind her back to avoid being grabbed.

I quickly caught up to her and wrapped one arm around her legs, hoisting her onto my shoulder.

"Eek!"

I carried her like a sack of barley and moved back to deeper water. Though she pounded my back with her fists, it had no effect.

"Wait, wait! You crazy person!"

With her sharp cry, I threw both of us into the river.

We fell to the riverbed with a huge splash like a rock being thrown. Underwater, she wrestled with me, pushing and pulling to keep me from surfacing first.

Our bodies slowly rose with buoyancy, and we lifted our faces above water, gasping for breath.

Trisha's hair clung to her face like seaweed.

"Anyone who sees you would think you're a water ghost."

She chuckled and pushed her hair back behind her ears.

"Hey, how far did we come? It's too deep!"

Trisha seemed to have trouble staying up, placing both hands on my shoulders.

The water reached my collarbone, but Trisha could barely keep her head above water even on her tiptoes.

When our eyes met, she suddenly burst out laughing at something she found amusing.

And seeing that, I started laughing too.

How long had it been since I'd played in water like this? It felt like going back ten years.

Back when I was small, the fountain in the temple center felt as big and deep as a lake. Lisa and I were looking at each other then, just like now.

Back then, she had her hands on my shoulders and was laughing like this too. Brightly, like Trisha.

But that image wouldn't form in my mind. Like paint that had faded and peeled off from being too old, Lisa's joy-filled face no longer existed in my memory.

I thought I would never forget it, but now it was fading. Memories and what seemed eternal were being washed away by the slowly flowing years.

Trisha lightly placed her palm on my cheek.

"You know what? This is the first time I've seen you laugh like this. You always had such a stern, gloomy face before."

"..."

"Laugh more often."

And new memories were being overlaid on top of my memories with Lisa.

"...Alright."

"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I that pretty?"

"You look like a wet cat."

"Would it kill you to just say, “You're very pretty,” with a smile?"

I turned my head to the side and looked at Liria fidgeting anxiously on the sand.

"Looks like we still have one left. Shall we continue?"

At this, Trisha also looked toward Liria. Soon realizing my plan, she said excitedly.

"Yes! I love it!"

We slowly walked out of the water. Liria, who had been anxiously pacing, quickly approached when she saw us.

"A-are you alright?"

Trisha and I each grabbed one of Liria's arms and dragged her like escorting a prisoner.

"Ah, w-why are you... eek!"

Though Liria resisted, she was just dragged along by us.

***

We had to pay the price for water play without thinking of the consequences.

The carriage rushed to save us from hypothermia, and we had to press our bodies together in the carriage, shivering in the cold night air.

People might have clicked their tongues disapprovingly at the sight of a young man and women who were coming of age pressing their wet bodies together, but we had no choice. We were too cold to even feel embarrassed.

Liria pressed against my left side, and Trisha hugged my right arm like a doll.

I could feel their bodies trembling from the cold, making me feel sorry for them.

I turned my head toward Trisha.

Sensing my movement, she slowly looked up at me.

There was no sign of regret on her face. What had made Trisha so happy again? Why was she in such a good mood? Looking into my eyes, a shy smile faintly bloomed on her lips.

Facing that expression, a slight smile rose on my face too. As if it were contagious.

Perhaps because of the cold, Trisha spoke in a somewhat weak voice, "Damian."

"Yes?"

"Today the Drama Club senior asked me to tell you to come visit once. It seems like they want to recruit you... are you interested?"

Though I appreciated the Drama Club's interest, I had no desire to actually get on stage.

"...No."

"Then do you have somewhere else in mind?"

"Yes."

Though I actually had no plans until we stopped the carriage by the riverbank, after that Trisha had given me inspiration, and I had made up my mind.

I was going to join the Art Club.

"Okay. I'll tell them that then."

Trisha hugged my arm tighter as she continued, "I'm cold. Damian, can't you summon something like a fire spirit?"

"I need a spirit stone's help to summon. Without it now... I can't."

"What's a spirit stone? Can't you just try? I'm so cold."

"..."

I had tried several times when alone before, but they all ended in failure. With my current ability, summoning without help was impossible.

Just as I was thinking how nice it would be if spirits could respond to my needs.

A red light flickered in the air and suddenly something appeared.

A red-feathered baby bird smaller than a fist.

It was definitely the ethereal spirit I had contracted with.

Bewilderment outweighed joy.

"...Why?"

The ethereal spirit fluttered its wings in front of me but instead of coming to me, its master, it flew to sit on Trisha's knee.

Trisha casually stroked the spirit with her finger.

"What's this? You can do it well but were holding back? Is this your spirit? It's cute!"

"..."

***

After arriving at the mansion, we took turns warming up in heated baths.

I entered the bath last. And there I called the spirit again. Surprisingly, the spirit responded to my call and appeared.

Though it wouldn't come near me, perhaps not recognizing me as its master, I was satisfied enough just being able to summon it at will.

Had Silveryn's training method really worked? I had just played in the water.

Anyway, it was somewhat hopeful to confirm there had been progress in training and that I could develop further.

I felt my stomach while washing. The distorted scar felt bumpy under my hand. I needed to remove this scar before Silveryn came back.

I really needed to move quickly.

After finishing my bath and returning to my room after a long time, I faced a startling sight.

An uninvited guest had already occupied my room.

It was Trisha.

She was wearing my white shirt and sitting in front of the fireplace.

The drawers and closet were wide open as if a thief had been through them. The bathrobe Trisha should have been wearing lay discarded on the floor like a snake's shed skin.

Her disguise was also removed, with white hair flowing down to the floor.

I asked Trisha, "I gave you a guest room. Why are you here?"

Without turning to look at me, she said while warming herself by the fireplace.

"I don't have anything to wear."

So you came to my room and searched for something usable, is that it?

"Why didn't you ask a maid?"

"No way. Who gives guests clothes that maids wear?"

"That doesn't mean you can act like the owner. Go back. I have important work to do."

"Hmph."

Trisha snorted and didn't budge. 

What's with her now?

"..."

Looking closer, she was doing something strange in my room.

She had hung white fabric on the poker and was swinging it over the fire like roasting skewers, and what was hanging was... Trisha's underwear.

I rubbed my eyes with one hand as if I'd seen something I shouldn't have.

"And what are you grilling?"

"I'm drying my underwear. Don't worry. I hand-washed it so it's clean."

"They must have given you spare underwear. Why are you drying that now?"

"I can't wear other people's underwear. I hate how it feels weird. It has to be mine."

"Then... never mind."

All sorts of troubled thoughts flooded my mind.

That meant she wasn’t wearing anything underneath right now, this was driving me crazy.

"Do you... have no sense of shame?"

"We live in the same dormitory anyway. You'll see my underwear, and I'll see yours. What's wrong between friends? It's part of living together."

"What kind of friends show each other their underwear?"

"I read it in a book. In 'Children of the Wolf', Pavilis and Caltz even played in the jungle in the rain in their underwear."

I'd read that novel too. It was a story about two “boys” who grew up in the wild.

Trisha, you're a girl. We're civilized people.

I gave up on lecturing further. It occurred to me that she might have learned about friendship from books because she had no friends.

I sighed and said, "You don't show this side to other friends, right?"

There would be quite a few camping days during the semester, which worried me.

"Of course not. I'm not someone who opens up easily. Even when Caltz and Pavilis went to the civilized world when they grew up, they only considered each other true friends after time passed and hid their true selves from others."

"..."

"Caltz even gave Pavilis his house and bed when Pavilis illegally immigrated."

"That sounds like you're telling me to sleep in the guest room."

"I see Caltz is indeed civilized and understands hints well."

"I'm not Caltz. Why are you coveting my room and bed?"

"I already warmed up the room with the fireplace. When will I get to sit like this again?"

"Still no. Go to the guest room."

"...Tch."

Trisha grabbed her steaming underwear from the poker and jumped straight into my bed.

"Then, I'll just rest a bit. That's okay, right?"

"Haa, fine."

Trisha squirmed under the covers for a while, seemingly putting on her underwear.

"Damian."

"What?"

Trisha suddenly continued in a calmer tone, "But... what's this hair on the bed?"

"I asked them not to clean my room."

"Not your hair. This red hair. It's really long. It's woman's hair."

"..."

My heart sank. Ah... had I not cleaned up when I left for the dormitory before?

I made up an appropriate lie to avoid misunderstanding.

"The professor sometimes rests here. Seems her room gets too much moonlight so she can't sleep. On those days, I sleep in the guest room."

Why? Why did Silveryn's hair keep appearing on the bed... honestly, I don't know either.

Sometimes when I woke up, Silveryn's hair would just be left on my pillow.

I just accepted everything Silveryn did without question.

"Really? I'm getting curious about what kind of person your teacher is."

"She's a good person."

"I want to meet her!"

"...I'll introduce you when there's a chance."

The promise to introduce them wasn't sincere.

Honestly, I hoped they wouldn't meet. Both had unpredictable personalities, and I didn't think I could handle it.