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“Grow big and strong, uh?”
Seele was still waving at the children as they were corralled back to their bus, smiling. She didn’t react to these half-mocking words until they were all gone and the vehicle was driving out of the museum’s parking lot.
“Was that too cliché?” Seele asked, though there was a twinkle of amusement in her eye. “That little boy stopped crying, though.”
The other girl, who was leaning on the wall behind the corner and out of sight from the road, shook her head. Her arms were loosely crossed. “Seele, don’t ask me. I’m no good with children.” Yet, as quickly as it had come, her subdued tone evaporated. “On the other hand, you are~ The words don’t matter, he stopped crying because it was your gentle voice.”
Hah. Flattery won’t work. “Vita, you’re fine with children,” Seele scolded, “so don’t sell yourself short. They love you.”
Vita pouted. “It’s the candy.”
“It’s definitely not the candy. You’re also good with the elderly. You’re a real social butterfly.” She raised herself on the tip of her toes and pet Vita’s hair, momentarily flattening it. “Just be honest.”
Vita flushed and looked away, stepped backwards and turned around to escape the gesture’s intimacy— she stared at the floor, rubbing her arm. “Seele…”
Her back was gently pushed by the shorter girl, and they slowly made their way back inside of the museum. There was very little business, though. Such a small museum in such a small town only saw a handful of visitors every day, mostly school groups, and it was near closing time anyway.
Vita sighed. “Would you rather I say I don’t like children?” She seemed a little frustrated, but Seele didn’t bristle in any way. She grabbed a broom to get an early start on tonight’s cleaning.
“If that’s the truth, then yes.”
“Why?” There she went, crossing her arms again. Cute.
Seele tucked some hair behind her ear, which had gotten into her face due to the sweeping motion. She wasn’t even looking at the person she was talking to. “Because it’s healthier to be honest.”
“Honest…” As her colleague wasn’t a very serious person, Seele expected Vita to laugh this off, but she didn’t. Rather… the atmosphere about her seemed to change and grow… colder. “What if I said I hate children? That I hate this boring, repetitive job? What if you hated the honest me, Seele?”
“I wouldn’t hate you all of a sudden…” She set the broom aside against the wall. This was turning out to be a little too intense for her to stay distracted. “Is that all true?”
Even though Vita had her full attention now, the older girl wasn’t looking at her. “Seele. Every day, I have to be the friendly, outgoing girl who’s helpful to everyone, it’s exhausting. Is everything good that I do just an act? Is it even good if I’m forcing myself? I can’t even tell if I’m really like this or not. When you wear a mask for too long, you… don’t know how to put it down anymore… ”
Seele was very concerned now. She hadn’t realized Vita had been so down lately, having such negative thoughts. Gently, as gently as she could, she cupped Vita’s cheek. “Here, then. Don’t wear a mask with me. Rest your bare face.”
Uh? She acted on impulse… Did I really just do that? Both girls remained frozen on the spot, and Seele’s cool hand slowly warmed up on Vita’s skin. Then, finally, after a couple of eternities, Vita stepped away with a scarlet face.
“Ahhh…” Seele was also blushing. “What I mean is, I… still don’t hate you, Vita. You’re only human. It’s okay to be selfish too. You can’t be expected to just give of yourself all the time…” She patted her own cheek, hoping to cool it down, but it was hopeless.
“But you do… you’re always kind, sincere, and hardworking. You’re someone right out of a fairy tale, Seele.” The girl blushed even harder because Vita sounded so earnest.
“Even so, we’re different people. What anyone else is like should have no bearing on what you are like. You are free.”
Vita was finally looking at her, more openly and intensely than she ever had before. “Also, you don’t have to have selfless or heroic thoughts to do a good deed, all that matters is that you do what you think is right,” Seele continued, rambling nervously now, “Plus you’re hardly the only one who hates customer service. Do you want me to work out front more..?”
Oh, Vita just burst out laughing. Seele’s awkward monologue fizzled out. There were little tears in the other girl’s eyes, who was holding her stomach from the fit of mirth’s intensity. Seele didn’t feel like she was being made fun of or anything, but…
Vita swept in and hugged her shorter colleague. “Seele, I love you. Please never change.”
Seele didn’t know what to make of that, so she just hugged her back.