Chapter Text
Lied was currently wandering around the busy Magical Street without much of a destination in mind. His phone had died earlier that morning after spending hours scrolling through random videos, and his handheld console had also run out of battery not long after. Even the games back at home suddenly didn't feel interesting enough to replay, leaving him with absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the day.
He didn't really know why he ended up coming to the Magical Street. Maybe he thought walking around would help pass the time, or maybe he had subconsciously hoped something interesting would happen while he was out. Either way, it was already too late to turn back considering how far he had wandered from home.
The Magical Street was as lively as ever. Demons walked from one shop to another with shopping bags in hand while merchants enthusiastically called out to passing customers, advertising everything from enchanted accessories and magical ingredients to limited edition sweets that looked almost too pretty to eat. A few little familiars flew overhead carrying packages that were somehow twice their size, and every now and then a loud cheer would erupt from one of the nearby game stalls after someone won a prize.
Normally, Lied would've headed straight towards the arcade or gaming store to see if there were any new releases, but today he didn't feel particularly motivated. He simply walked wherever his feet took him, occasionally stopping to glance at a shop window before continuing on his way. His mind had already drifted somewhere else entirely.
Maybe he should ask Jazz if he wanted to hang out tomorrow Or maybe he should save up for that new game that was supposed to release next month.
His thoughts continued wandering until a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind him, immediately pulling him back to reality.
"Lied-kun?"
His footsteps came to an abrupt stop. That voice. It sounded familiar.
Slowly turning around, his eyes searched through the crowd before eventually landing on a blonde-haired girl standing only a few steps away from him. She held a couple of shopping bags in one hand while smiling at him as though she had just run into an old friend.
"...Nee-san?!" Lied's eyes widened in surprise.
-OH MY GUSH IT'S HER!!
-ELIZABETTA-NEE SAN?!
-WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF RUNNING INTO HER HERE??*
For a moment, he could only stare at her.
The afternoon sunlight reflected softly against her blonde hair, and the gentle smile she wore somehow looked even prettier than usual. She looked like she had been shopping for quite a while already judging by the bags she was carrying, yet she didn't seem tired at all. Instead, she looked genuinely happy to have run into him.
Meanwhile...
Lied could already feel his heart pounding wildly inside his chest.
-Calm down...
Just calm down...
-She's your classmate...
-Don't make this weird...
"Lied-kun?" Elizabetta tilted her head ever so slightly after noticing he had completely frozen. "Were you that surprised?"
Her soft voice finally snapped him out of his thoughts.
"O-oh! N-no! I mean..."
He quickly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to gather his thoughts. Why was it so difficult to form a proper sentence whenever she was around?
"I was just... surprised to see you here."
Thankfully, Elizabetta didn't seem to mind his awkwardness. If anything, she found it rather adorable.
She let out a soft giggle before walking a little closer to him.
"It was surprised too. I didn't expect to meet one of my classmates while shopping."
Her words somehow helped Lied relax a little.. Just a little.
"It's... quite a coincidence."
"It really is."
An awkward silence settled between them for a few seconds. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but Lied's mind was working overtime trying to think of something to say next.
"Come on..."
"Say something..."
"Anything..."
"Don't just stand there staring..."
"So... uh..." he finally managed. "What are you doing here, Nee-san?"
"I've just been shopping." She lifted one of the bags slightly as she answered. "I wanted to buy some new clothes and cosmetics since I had some free time today."
"Ah... I see."
That definitely sounded like something Elizabetta would do.
She smiled before asking, "What about you, Lied-kun? Are you shopping for something too?"
Lied awkwardly laughed. "Not really. I actually came here because I got bored."
"Bored?"
"My phone died... then my gaming console died too." He pulled his phone out of his pocket with a helpless smile before putting it away again. "I didn't really have anything else to do, so I figured I'd just walk around for a bit."
"I see." She smiled warmly.
"I suppose that's one way to spend the afternoon."
Lied couldn't help smiling a little in return.
The conversation itself wasn't anything particularly special, but somehow he found himself enjoying every second of it. They weren't talking about anything important, nor was there some grand adventure happening around them.
He was simply talking to Elizabetta.
And somehow...
That alone made today feel a lot less boring. After another brief pause, Lied found himself glancing at the shopping bags she was carrying.
"…Are you shopping with anyone?"
He wasn't sure why he asked. Maybe he was just curious Or maybe... He secretly hoped the answer would be different.
Elizabetta gently shook her head.
"No, it's just me today."
Lied blinked. Just her...?
Before he even had time to think about what he was saying, the words slipped out of his mouth almost on instinct.
"If you want... I could accompany you."
Silence.
Lied's entire body froze. His eyes slowly widened as his brain replayed what he had just said.
"…"
-I..."
- ACTUALLY SAID THAT OUT LOUD?!
-OH DEVI!!
-WHY WOULD I SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!
His face immediately turned bright red. She was definitely going to think he was weird.
Who just randomly asked a girl if they could accompany her while shopping? He had completely blown it.
Just as Lied was mentally preparing himself to apologize and take everything back, he heard a quiet laugh.
Looking up again, he found Elizabetta smiling at him. Not an awkward smile, Not a polite smile, A genuinely happy one
"I don't mind."
"...Eh?"
"I'd actually like the company."
For a second, Lied genuinely thought he had misheard her.
"You... really don't mind?"
"Not at all." She chuckled. "Although... are you sure? Shopping with me might take a while."
"Of course!"
The answer came out much louder and faster than he intended.
Realizing how eager he sounded, Lied quickly coughed into his fist and tried to regain what little composure he had left.
"I-I mean... I don't mind."
His tail, however, had other plans. It wagged happily behind him, completely betraying how excited he actually was.
Elizabetta noticed almost immediately. A small laugh escaped her lips as she watched him unsuccessfully try to make it stop.
"I think your tail already answered for you."
"...Please don't look at it."
"I think it's rather cute."
...
Cute.
She called him cute.
Again.
Lied looked away before she could notice just how red his face had become.
-OH MY GUSH...?!!
-I'M ACTUALLY GOING SHOPPING WITH ELIZABETTA-NEE SAN!!
-JUST THE TWO OF US...
-THIS HAS TO BE THE LUCKIEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!
With that, the two of them began walking side by side through the Magical Street, neither of them realizing that what had started as a boring afternoon for one of them would soon become an afternoon neither of them would ever forget.