Chapter 117: A Spectacle to Rival Shirou's High Jump
"Don't bite my neck." Rekka winced, a faint sting prickling the skin at his nape.
A small, crimson jellyfish was perched there, and a playful voice echoed directly in his mind.[I'm planting a strawberry for you. Marking you for March, got it? ♪]
Rekka's hand went to the back of his neck. The skin was hot to the touch, throbbing with a dull ache. "March will absolutely lose her mind if she finds this."
He habitually fished a band-aid out of his pocket and slapped it over the spot.
The jellyfish, Long Night Moon, seemed to sulk at the gesture.
By the time March 7th found him, Rekka had an entire collar of bandages wrapped around his neck.
"...You, what happened to your neck? Did a poisonous mosquito from Onnivak get you?" March asked, her voice a little awkward. She looked like she wanted to say more but was holding herself back.
"...No, just a... minor injury."
That was putting it mildly. Long Night Moon had nibbled a complete circle around his neck. The whole area was now an angry red, looking less like a mosquito bite and more like he'd headbutted a hornet's nest. At least it wasn't a tattoo; if it were, he could kiss his future civil service applications goodbye.
"Do you take me for a three-year-old? That excuse is way too half-hearted!" March 7th's hand shot out.
He had to be kidding. If she unwrapped those bandages and saw the ring of distinct lip prints underneath…
"I just want one look! Why are you dodging!"
"Men and women shouldn't touch! Senior, you should be more mindful of your image!"
"You were just napping in my room, and now you're talking about not touching? Fine, I know what's under there. It's just a bite from the other me, isn't it?"
With a whoosh, March 7th's movements became even faster.
Dan Heng, rounding the corner, took in the sight of their tangled posture. Then, his sharp gaze zeroed in on the faint circle of red peeking out from under Rekka's bandages.
Ohhh… Oh.
A new piece of gossip concerning Rekka and March 7th had just been discovered. All he could say was, the cat-and-mouse game was still going strong. Dan Heng quietly melted into a corner, concealing himself from view.
'No, I can't say a word,'he thought, a rare glint of amusement in his eyes.'Or the show will be over.''Is it this intense already? They've progressed to leaving hickeys on the neck.'
Stelle poked her head out from behind him, perfectly mimicking Dan Heng's posture as she peered around the wall.
"What are they doing?"
Dan Heng reached out and gently pressed her head down, lowering her line of sight. "Be quiet. Don't talk, or we'll have nothing to watch."
Like a diligent student, Stelle crouched beside Dan Heng. Both hands gripped the edge of the wall, her golden eyes wide as she stared intently at Rekka and March 7th at the far end of the corridor.
"Teacher Dan Heng, what does 'planting strawberries' mean?"
"...It means kissing someone until it leaves a mark on their neck."
Stelle let out an "Oh" of sudden, deep realization.
"Keep watching. Don't make a sound."
A hand gently patted both Dan Heng and Stelle on their shoulders, making them jump. The number of eavesdroppers had just increased.
"You guys..."
Pom-Pom, who had been trotting by, suddenly found a hand clamped over their mouth.
Gossip onlookers +1.
Himeko, holding her coffee, saw the little crowd gathered by the wall and curiously joined their ranks.
From the other side of the corridor, Liliya and Rozaliya—who was currently in her more mischievous Delta persona—peeked out from behind another wall. Rekka, even in the middle of his predicament, felt it would be unsociable of them not to join in.
Only the little Wubbaboo was still sleeping in its nest. Meanwhile, Ho-Oh had gotten completely lost somewhere in the Astral Express's carriages, distracted by the Chime Chickens to the east, the Axalotls to the west, and the countless branching paths to the north and south.
The scene of the entire crew watching March s-eye the mark Long Night Moon had left on Rekka's neck was a spectacle worthy of legend—a spectacle comparable to Shirou's high jump. No one will ever know exactly how many people were watching Emiya Shirou practice that day; likewise, no one could be certain just how many were currently watching the drama unfold between Rekka and March 7th.
"Does it hurt?"
To everyone's surprise, March 7th wasn't angry. After she'd had a chat with the Long Night Moon jellyfish in her room earlier, the little creature had confessed everything it had done. They had already reconciled.
"She... well, um... she's like a child who wants to write her name on something she likes. Sorry, she caused you trouble, didn't she?"
"No, it's nothing like that," Rekka shook his head. "It was just a misunderstanding."
As he spoke, Rekka took March 7th's hand. He said a few more placating words, which left March feeling a little disappointed.
'Why is this guy being so reserved…'
Suddenly, with his back to the crowd of onlookers, Rekka discreetly pressed something small and hard into her palm. He gave her a meaningful look. She was baffled and almost spoke up, but his gaze stopped her.
She slipped the object into her pocket. It felt like metal…
What was it?
She didn't know, but a powerful itch of curiosity bloomed in her chest, making her want to hurry back to her room and see what he'd given her.
The two of them soon parted ways, returning to their respective rooms. The gossip session ended so abruptly that the audience felt a bit unsatisfied.
"I thought there'd be a kissing scene," Stelle said, still clinging to the wall, her tone full of regret. She even smacked her lips, as if she hadn't seen enough of the show.
Rozaliya and Liliya, who had slipped away long ago, overheard Stelle's words from down the hall and exchanged a look, stifling their laughter.
March 7th jogged all the way back to her room, locked the door behind her, and leaned against it with a long sigh of relief.
She patted her still-burning cheeks and sat on the edge of her bed. Her fingers fumbled in her pocket, closing around the small metal box Rekka had given her.
'Could it be a ring… No, no, no, surely not? Are we progressing this fast? This… this is just too much!'
Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring—
The word echoed on a loop in her head.
"Calm down, calm down, March 7th, get a grip…"
She took a deep breath, then another, and finally pulled the small metal box from her pocket.
Click.
A small handle popped out from the side of the box.
"...Is this a hand-cranked music box?"
March hesitated for a moment, then gently began to turn the small handle. A crisp, tinkling melody flowed out of the box.
[Does it sound good?]Long Night Moon's voice chimed in her head.
March nodded gently. 'A music box… That's nice. It's good that it's not a ring; giving a ring now would be a bit too fast…'
On the lid, the words "For March 7th" were engraved in clumsy, ugly handwriting.
But she simply couldn't look away.
"When did he make this?"
[I don't know. Probably one night, or maybe over several nights.]
"Engraved like this… he should've practiced more before doing it." March 7th placed the music box on her nightstand, then opened the drawer and carefully set it inside. "It's hideous."
She thought for a moment, then sat down at her desk. A faint, icy aura began to gather in her hands.
'Since you've been so thoughtful… if I don't give you a handmade gift in return, wouldn't it seem like I have no manners?'
Using her Six-Phased Ice, what would be good to make?
[Everyone goes online just to see some pure love, right?]
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