.F

26-30

YGTWHV [26]

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"Ugh, my eyes."

After leaving the coffeehouse, Snow rubbed his eyes which still burned like they had been pricked with a needle. Then his callused hand swept his bangs out of his eyes. And a surprisingly sharp and cold pair of violet eyes revealed themselves for an instant.

'That's weird. Why did I see that alchemist bastard's face?'

He frowned as he recalled the scene that came to mind for an instant a while ago, when he saw Yuri, the staff who worked at the coffeehouse. That annoying, greasy mug still lingered before his eyes like an afterimage and it was definitely one that Snow knew.

'Don't tell me both of them are meeting at the festival?'

Snow's mouth twisted a little.

Actually, what he said to Yuri moments ago were merely empty words, he didn't really have any plan on attending the festival...

But he changed his mind now.

Snow dabbed at his eyes until the smarting sensation had lessened to some extent then he lowered his arms once more. And his bushy brown hair swiftly fell to cover his eyes again. With a towering nose and lips drawn in a lazy arc, Snow's face looked surprisingly innocent.

He left Blue Ferret in a much lower mood than when he first entered the coffeehouse.

The spring festival was in a few days.

It seems he would be going out that day for a change.

* * *

—Lakis...so, is there some reason why you're here?

A sour voice rang out in his head.

Lakis considered just ignoring it but decided to reply. But it wasn't exactly a nice reply, the voice he sent to his head seemed as if he was looking down on it for not knowing the obvious.

'I'm here to check on the landlady.'

Lakis, who had left Yuri's house, was now in the vicinity of the coffeehouse. He climbed atop the clinic across the coffeehouse, watching the dark-haired lady who was traveling in and out of the store as she worked.

Of course, the lady was Yuri.

The reason Lakis came to this place first, was to make sure Yuri was actually at work. If by any chance, she left the coffeehouse in the middle and went home, wouldn't she find out he went out?

Of course, she had never come by the house while working so far, so he didn't really need to be concerned. But in order not to take any chances at all, you had to look before you leap and make sure the fire is completely out, as the sayings go. So Lakis was able to confidently answer the question he was asked in his head.

However, Lakis couldn't help but flinch when he heard the bug follow-up with its voice just as sour.

—But you've been looking for 40 minutes...

...that much time has passed already?

He was only watching the woman walk back and forth with her loosely-braided long, black hair swaying behind her. Then as he saw random punks continually come up to talk to Yuri one by one, he couldn't move away for some reason and he hadn't even noticed time passing.

'More importantly, that face. Where have I seen it before?'

Right after, Lakis' eyes were fixed onto a man who had just left the coffeehouse.