Work Text:
“Hmm.. what are you looking at?” Tenebria asked as she peeked from behind Adlay’s shoulders.
Startled, Adlay fumbled the book he was holding, nearly dropping it. He turned to find a girl standing behind him with an innocent look, brimming with curiosity, but also, someone he recalled meeting.
It was hard to forget the girl he had been so enamored with despite only having met once. Not only that, but he was left penniless after their encounter. His one regret was having never asked her name before she left.
“Ahhh! Aren’t you the one from before, from the festival? We watched the fireworks together.”
“Hm? Fireworks? Ah yes, there was something like that. It was an interesting sight. You were there?”
“I was there to show you around when you said you wanted to see something interesting!!”
“Haha, you might be remembering this better than me, but perhaps there was something like that.”
Adlay sighed, was he really that forgettable of a person? Sure, he looked plain compared to Schuri or Zerato, but he couldn’t be *that* plain. As he mulled over this, the girl spoke up.
“So, what I asked you earlier...”
“Oh! This? This is the new novel that’s been very popular in Reingar lately. I don’t usually read romance, but everyone has been recommending it, so I’ve picked it up.”
“Hmmmmmm...?”
The girl’s inquiring gaze made Adlay slightly nervous. Was it because she was so pretty or was it something else? She wasn’t saying anything, and that made things notably worse. Adlay decided to break the silence.
“Ahhh..would you like to read it?” Adlay asked as he offered the girl his book. She took it from his hands and flipped open the pages. She skimmed some: here and there, beginning, middle, and end. Closing the book, she looked toward the boy.
“It’s very interesting. I’m keeping this.” The girl smiled cheekily. There wasn’t any room for argument in the air, so Adlay gave in.
“I guess that’s fine, but—,” Before he could finish his sentence, the girl disappeared before his eyes.
“...It’d be nice if you could return it..”
Like last time, the girl had disappeared without a trace.
Like last time, he had once again forgotten to ask for her name.