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It’s Valentine’s Day.
When his consciousness returned, Féileacán followed the gaze of the body’s owner toward the phone screen, where he saw the date.
He didn’t mention it.
As usual, Féileacán remained silent and simply watched. He watched Cú get out of bed, prepare breakfast, take a walk outside, and come back complaining that even on a Saturday he still had to work overtime organizing documents—before slipping into yet another ordinary weekend.
A normal, day.
Then, at some point in the afternoon, Cú, who was working on the computer, suddenly froze in front of his computer, noticed the date—
“Wait, wait—it's Valentine's Day today!” Cú had been muttering to himself about work tasks while sorting documents on his computer, but his tone suddenly brightened with excitement at this point. “Felly! Doesn’t that mean we should—”
“No.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet!”
“But you’ve already thought everything,” Féileacán replied coldly. “Put those filthy thoughts away.”
“Hey—come on, don’t you think since it’s Valentine’s Day, we should enjoy a little of that kind of—”
“I said don’t let me hear those disgusting things.”
“But it’s Valentine’s Day, Felly! We’re literally stuck together every single day! Shouldn’t we celebrate it together—”
“Go get ready. We’re going out.”
“…Huh?”
Seeing the other person clearly hadn't processed it, Felly let out a quiet sigh and continued, “Throw the trash out of your head. We're leaving now.”
◇
Following Féileacán’s instructions, Cú arrived at a dessert café. It was located well within Cú’s usual range of places, and yet somehow he’d never noticed it before.
Order a slice of Black Forest cake and a banana cream pie. Féileacán said.
And so now, Cú sat alone at a cozy, charmingly decorated window-side two-seater, with an exquisite slice of Black Forest cake and a banana cream pie on the table.
“So… does this count as a date?” Cú asked, twirling the dessert spoon in his hand.
It doesn’t.
“Seriously, both the staff and all the couples around here are all looking at me sitting here alone with this pitying gaze,” Cú muttered, scooping up a bite of the Black Forest cake. “If this weren’t your idea, I wouldn’t be sitting here taking all that. You owe me some kind of compensation, Felly!”
The cake melted in his mouth, it was sweet—rich with chocolate.
Is it good? Féileacán asked suddenly.
“Well… yeah, it’s pretty good,” Cú admitted, then immediately frowned. “But how did you even know about this place? Don’t tell me you used the computer again while I was asleep!” Cú started fussing over the smallest things again, “I’ve told you, if I don’t sleep enough, my beautiful hair is going to start falling out! I’ve already stayed up so many nights dealing with the Dusk Butterflies!”
As long as it tastes good, isn’t that enough? Humans really have too many problems.
“That’s not the point! Do you have any idea how important hair care is for humans? Ugh, you only get to have that long gorgeous hair because you’re a spirit and don’t have to maintain it! Let me tell you, hair is—”
Cú continued his complaints inside his head while slowly finishing his slice of Black Forest cake, then scooped a small spoonful of the banana cream pie.
After the sweetness of chocolate and cherry, that familiar artificial banana flavor spread across his tongue once more.
Féileacán truly did think it was good—Only he wouldn't admit it until much, much, much later.
It was about time.
Féileacán let his attention drift away from the endless chattering thoughts spilling from the other person, and turned his gaze toward the glass window beside him.
Reflected there was the image of a young man with short ash-gray hair.
The light of sunset outside slipped past him, the colors of gold and gray seemed to dissolve together into the clean, transparent glass.
He watched the smile on the man’s face, watched the sunset gradually sink below the buildings, leaving only the afterglow to paint half the sky crimson.
Féileacán closed his eyes.
It was time to wake from the dream.
In a vast, silent castle, a gray-haired reaper of souls opened his eyes.