"Huh? Right, you probably wouldn't know about this, Ardan. I do know Oguri Cap. In fact, the day I first met you, I had gone to the central district with another classmate to visit her."
Seeing Ardan's confused expression, Nearl realized she probably wasn't aware of her relationship with Oguri Cap.
"But from how you address her, it sounds like you and Oguri Cap are quite close."
A sudden sense of crisis made Ardan's smile a little strained.
"That's because Oguri and I have been friends for a very long time. We met when she was around ten years old."
"Wow, I never knew that!"
Matron Komori, who had been listening nearby, suddenly chimed in.
"Well, I never really mentioned it to you. Anyway, you could say Oguri and I are childhood friends. I sort of ended up looking after her too."
"You have no idea, Ardan, Oguri was such a scatterbrain when she was little. If no one was around to keep an eye on her, she'd probably end up looking like a mud-covered rabbit."
Talking about her best friend made Nearl much more talkative, but Ardan's mood dipped almost imperceptibly.
"Childhood friends… So the bond between you and Oguri Cap must be very deep."
Ardan's voice was somewhat subdued.
"Not necessarily. It's just a normal friendship. Looking out for each other, sharing joys and sorrows, supporting each other on our own paths—that's what friends are supposed to do, I think."
Memories flashed before Nearl's eyes: running with Oguri Cap as kids, climbing mountains together, helping out at her house, listening to her dreams. These scenes still unfolded vividly in her mind like a painted scroll.
"I was a rather dull and boring child, but Oguri never distanced herself because of that. Being with her was a rare chance for me to truly relax, I suppose."
Resting her chin on her interlaced hands on the table, Nearl stated with certainty, "So, Oguri Cap is a friend for life."
"I see… Oguri Cap is very important to you."
Ardan felt inexplicably weak. She silently picked up her bowl and chopsticks, determinedly stuffing all the food into her stomach.
"I'm finished."
Once she'd managed to eat everything, Ardan stood up directly. She maintained the smile on her face, like it was a mask she was clinging to.
"Um, I'm going to go out for a walk, if that's alright? I haven't really seen much of the surroundings yet."
Nearl watched her, wanting to ask something, but ultimately held back.
"Of course, feel free to look around. I'll take care of the dishes."
In the end, that was all she said.
"Thank you. I'll excuse myself then."
With those words, Ardan bowed slightly to both of them and then hurried out of the room with quick, small steps, leaving behind a puzzled Nearl and a sighing Komori Party who was massaging her temples.
--+--
Clumsy. Rude. Flustered.
A jumble of thoughts twisted together, churning in Ardan's heart.
Was it sadness? A little.
Was it anger? Not really.
Was it fear? That filled her.
Walking aimlessly outside, Ardan wandered in a daze. The scenery before her eyes didn't really register in her mind.
Her current feelings were hard to define. It hurt a bit, like she was losing something important, but not quite to that extent. There was a sense of frustrating powerlessness, yet she also felt it was somewhat trivial.
It was already dark.
Winter nights always came quickly. The sky was now full of stars, a crescent moon hanging on the curtain of night, casting a soft, gentle glow.
"Did I walk all the way to the river?"
Snapping back to reality, Ardan found herself by the river that flowed through the town.
Looking down, she saw the river flowing quietly in the night.
Moonlight spilled onto its surface, but the reflection of the full moon was shattered and fragmented by the ripples, scattered pieces glimmering with the movement of the waves.
In the emptiness of the night, emotions are most easily amplified, and it's also the easiest time for a person to see themselves clearly.
Ardan strolled through this darkness, the moonlight lighting her path.
Looking back, the orphanage not far away still shone with lights. She knew it was probably warm and full of comfort inside right now.
'How childish of me.'
She couldn't help but scold herself. Now that her mind had completely calmed down, Ardan could understand what a foolish thing she had done.
'Isn't it perfectly normal for Nearl and Oguri Cap to be friends? Why did you get it into your head that you already knew everything about Nearl? Wasn't the whole point of coming here to get to know her better?'
'She isn't some character from your imagination. She's a real person. So of course she'd have people close to her. Why did that make you feel so upset?'
'Have you lost your nerve? Given up already? What's the use of acting like this? Unresolved determination, simplistic thinking, unclear purpose—is this really how I present myself?'
She looked up at the starry sky. The twinkling stars were so brilliant, the most dazzling of sights, the most magnificent of images.
'When I was little, whenever I felt upset, I always liked to look at the stars.'
'It's just that nowadays, starry nights are a rare sight. I never thought I'd still be able to see such a dense blanket of stars here in this sky.'
She closed her eyes, but the image remained etched in her mind.
All her gloom and unease seemed to be absorbed by the night sky, dissipating among the stars. When she opened her eyes again, those amethyst orbs were as clear and bright as ever.
'Are you just going to admit defeat like this? What kind of attitude is that? Giving up without even trying is just making a fool of yourself. I refuse.'
The girl whose body was as fragile as glass also had a heart as transparent as glass. A temporary mood was merely dust on the surface; with just a little wiping, the glass would soon be bright and clear again.
'I should head back. I've lost track of how long I've been out. I hope Nearl isn't worried.'
She took one last look at the starry sky. Two stars shone brighter than all the others around them, their beautiful radiance intertwining and displaying itself freely.
'Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing two stars this bright before. When did they appear?'
Holding that thought in her heart, Ardan turned and walked back towards the orphanage.
The orphanage wasn't far from the river. She soon reached the gate and carefully slipped inside.
"Huh?"
The orphanage was now silent. Most of the lights were off, except for the one in the first-floor reception room and another in a room on the second floor.
'Is everyone already asleep?'
She walked quietly to the door of the reception room and knocked. A response came from inside quickly—it was Nearl's voice.
"Please, come in."
Ardan slid the door open and entered. She found Nearl still at the desk, working.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.