🐦 Magpie Bridge 🐦

8

“Come closer. I seriously think I’ve seen you before.”
“That kind of old-fashioned pick up line won’t work on me.”
“Those annoying scarlet eyes, it feels like it’s on the cusp of my mind…”

He spread his arm to grab at my towel. I slapped his hand away.

“Seriously, this is the first time we’ve met. Stop trying to flirt with me!”

Appalled by my words, Hylli swiftly took his hand back. Seeing his disgusted face made me feel peculiar.

I must have moved too fast from my exaggerated, panicked movements. The towel on my face had loosened. I didn’t realize it until then because I was too busy trying not to get caught.

When I moved again to avoid Hylli’s hand, the towel covering my face fell to the floor.

My orange hair and red eyes were open for him to see. I could see the prince’s shocked expression. It looked like he remembered who I was.

“As I thought, you….. Back then! That!”

He saw my face, then ground his teeth in anger.

“It was a disguise!”

As Hylli angrily stomped over my way, I turned back and ran.

Behind me, I could hear Hylli’s angry voice. When the teacher saw me furiously running, they asked me where I went. I bumbled out an excuse about needing to go to the restroom and left the hall.

I didn’t hear the students behind me muttering, ‘Wow, she must have really needed to go.’ and ‘She must’ve been really nervous because of the prince.’

Hylli rushed after me, but thankfully gave up once I ran into the girls’ bathroom.

I was so desperate to run away from the prince that I forgot to factor in my surroundings. After saying that I needed to go to the restroom, I didn’t return until the end of class.

My first day of the academy came to a close, with me not knowing that I became known as the class poopy-pants.

***

“Where’s orange hair?! Orange hair, come out!”

I hid behind some greenery and ate the donuts that had been passed out in the cafeteria. Hestia sat next to me, participating in this game of chase, sweat on both of our faces.

“Shushu, what’s going on?”
“What did you to have the royal prince chase you like he’s going to kill you?”

I had originally been eating with Hestia in the cafeteria, but had run out once I had seen the prince in the vicinity. Everyone had started screaming in joy at Hylli’s appearance, but my face had gone pale. I ignored the students looking for orange hair and exited the cafeteria. I had told Hestia not to follow me, but she seemed worried as she followed me out.

“Shushu? I’m asking what’s going on?”

I sighed as I responded to Hestia’s barrage of questions.

“Your future husband candidate is making my life miserable. What should I do?”

Hearing my words, Hestia asked “Why would the prince be a husband candidate?” with a confused expression. Seeing how Hestia took my words as nonsense, I racked my brain for an excuse. Should I say that I’d trapped the prince in a palm-sized ball and made a fool of him? The magic tools that I had created were crazy enough, though, so she might have actually believed it.

I stayed there, thinking about how I could avoid the prince who was making a ruckus out there. Every time someone passed him by, he would ask the students to “Tell the long orange-haired girl with the dirty look on her face to come over here.” I wanted to knuckle-punch his face, but held it in.