"How are you feeling...?" Leslie walked over and inspected from head to toe, searching for any injuries on my body. With her hands on her hips, she nodded in satisfaction. Then, opening her palm, a sandwich appeared. "Here, eat this," she said, handing two slices of bread with so at and vegetables inside. "I made it myself." Her cheeks flushed slightly with shyness.
Looking at Leslie, I accepted the sandwich in my hands with a sincere smile. "Thank you... I was starving." It's comforting to have her here with . Even if it's just her for now, that's okay. Sitting down on a balcony, Leslie sat beside . As I devoured the food she gave , I silently stared at the sun.
At that mont, we were on one of the many balconies of the academy, which felt surprisingly empty. I'd only seen a few students leaving campus. Just a few minutes ago, an announcent was made: there would be a week-long vacation, and all students, regardless of their year, had to leave the academy before nightfall. In my opinion, it was a bold yet relieving decision. I didn't want to miss too many days of class, but even so... I couldn't help but feel curious about why they made the decision to suspend academic activities for an entire week.
"Is Evelyn okay?" I asked, taking another bite of the sandwich.
"She's fine, but she didn't want to co. She's been sad—more than usual." Leslie opened her palm again. "She sent you this," she said, handing what seed to be so kind of juice. Attached to the lid was a note. Taking the juice, I read the note: "I'm sorry," written next to a sad face.
"She must be really upset and disappointed... in herself," I thought, glancing at the ring on my finger. After hesitating for a mont, I made a bracelet with beautiful, bright red stones appear in my other hand. Turning to Leslie, I said, "Give this to her for ."
Leslie looked at the bracelet, then back at , sparks beginning to flicker in her eyes. Clearly, she was upset—jealous, even. I could see it, the light green hue of envy radiating from her gaze. Shaking my head with a smile, I placed the bracelet in a small box. Setting the sandwich on my lap, another box appeared, this one purple. Upon seeing it—her favorite color—Leslie's eyes imdiately lit up. Opening the box, she found two beautiful platinum earrings adorned with small athyst stones.
"Are these for ?" Leslie pointed at herself, her expression adorably innocent. Her eyes grew wide, and her cheeks were already red.
"Yes, they're just for you," I replied calmly, handing her the small gift. She remained silent, staring at the box in her hands.
"I also want you to give this to Daniela..." I said, summoning another small, golden box.
Leslie raised her head, her face full of dissatisfaction. Pouting, she carefully collected both boxes and stored them in her ring. "Idiot," she muttered angrily.
"Tell Daniela that I'll speak with her personally when I return... and Evelyn, too," I said, finishing the sandwich.
"And !?" she pointed to herself again.
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With another smile, I said, "It was delicious. Thank you."
"Dummy..." she murmured again, pouting.
"I'm going to... disappear for a week. There are so things I need to take care of," I said, looking into her eyes.
"I know you're going with Saint Seraphine. Don't try to fool !" she said, crossing her arms and glaring at .
"Wait... How do you know that?" I asked, surprised. Wasn't it supposed to be a secret?
"Ugh..." Leslie sighed. "Elizabeth told us," she said, frowning. "She also said that Saint Seraphine would be the one taking you. She's so strange. Whenever I'm near her, I feel uncomfortable—and so does Evelyn. She gives a bad vibe... but at the sa ti, she feels oddly familiar," she added, narrowing her eyes. "But that doesn't matter right now! Tell , what are you going to do with her, huh?"
"It's a secret... for now. I'll tell you when I return, I promise." I didn't want her to worry more than she already did.
"Elizabeth said the sa thing..." Leslie looked dejected. "Am I not trustworthy enough?"
"It's not that," I said, shaking my head. "It's just that... the situation surprises even more than you think." Looking up at the sky, I murmured, "My soul is fractured." Lowering my head slightly, I felt a hollow emptiness I couldn't describe. Sothing wasn't right—it was my soul, no doubt about it. I felt void of purpose, like I was drowning in an indescribable emptiness. Gently, I touched my chest.
"It's okay... You'll be okay. I know you can do this!" Leslie grabbed my hands tightly, her eyes shimring like pearls as she smiled warmly. "You always will be. I believe in you." Small tears began to stream from her eyes.
"Hey, don't cry," I said, gently hugging her. I softly stroked her beautiful hair.
"I don't feel okay either... Evelyn's been acting strange, and Daniela's been so quiet... I hate seeing them like this, but I don't know what to do to help them. I'm not very good with words..." Leslie sobbed, hugging even tighter.
It was as I expected. Evelyn is ntally fragile, and Daniela is struggling with her own feelings. As for Leslie... she was probably the least affected by the incident, but what happened to her two closest friends was taking a toll on her. Even though she always seems to be on guard around them and enjoys teasing them, deep down, she cares for them a lot. The sa goes for Evelyn—though she's shyer, she's always there for them. Daniela, however... The reason neither Leslie nor Evelyn knows what to do is because Daniela was always the one who dealt with these issues. She was their source of support when they were kids. And now that she doesn't even know how she feels... Leslie and Evelyn are at a loss.
"You know... what you need to do is very simple," I said softly, lifting Leslie's tear-streaked face. Placing my hands on her cheeks, I continued, "You just have to be honest with your feelings. In monts like these, what matters most is showing your most genuine support—just like you did with ."
Leslie is very adorable and sweet; it's in these situations where she truly shines. She's a good friend, and even though she had a lonely past, she doesn't let it define her. She's always ready to lend a hand, and when she doesn't know what to do, she asks for help. She puts in her best effort to be better than she was yesterday and lives by that. She may seem cold and loves to tease Daniela, but she's very protective of Evelyn. She's a bit jealous when it cos to her own friends and a little crazy… but that's the essence of Leslie. She's a great friend.
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