CH 20

I heard very strange news a few days ago.

What was it? I heard that Masha talked about my charmsㅡwhat on earth is that kind of charms?ㅡall over the village. I thought she was doing all sorts of strange things, thus I went to stop her right away.

The Masha that I remember was one of those children who admired Dante’s face, but I don’t know what changed her mind. I’d rather her talk about how handsome Dante is, I don’t know why she is suddenly discussing my charm.

For some reason, she has been wanting to bring me something to eat for a while now, I’m not sure, but that must have been a sign of favor for Masha. I just thought she would simply bring food whenever she had leftovers.

When I told her to stop, Masha protested, saying that she was only telling the truth, but when I told her I asked her friends what she was talking about, she returned with a very moved expression.

Really, what is wrong with her?

***

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

Masha gave me a diary as a gift. I said I don’t normally write a diary, but she told me to write it from now on, but why bother?

It feels like I won’t be using it all day.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

It took me a day to write and not use.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

I’m bored with nothing to do these days, so I’ll just write something.

Originally, it seemed natural that I was bored, but things have changed a lot since Dante came. The habit of just starving when I’m lazy is gone, I meet people often, and I talk a lot.

I don’t know how long it has been.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

Dante asked about my taste out of the blue. I don’t know what made him ask such a question, yet when I roughly replied that it was him, he collapsed with his face down on the sofa. When I asked why, he said that he almost had his magic explode again.

It seems that he’s getting a little strange as the days go by.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

The weather is nice these days. Maybe I could go for a walk a little more often.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

Today, I woke up after lunchtime. Perhaps it was because I hadn’t slept for such a long time, I got in trouble because my mind was blank all day.

Dante liked it, saying he had never seen me sleep so well.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

When I unexpectedly wrote a diary often, Dante began to take an interest in it. He probably wants to see it, I don’t know. On days when he secretly watched me, he said it was separate rooms so he couldn’t read letters.

I think the reason why Dante begged me to come down to the village and live there must have been the purpose of sharing a room with a spacious house.

However, while I was writing in my diary, I remembered it. Didn’t Dante say he didn’t want to go to places with a lot of people, at first? I’ll ask tomorrow if that’s okay now.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

He said he didn’t want to go to crowded places because he wasn’t feeling well, and I heard the answer that it was okay for him now.

It’s really okay, right? It’s very questionable for him to act like a person with a screw loose these days.

Still, it didn’t seem like he wasn’t doing anything, so I decided to skip it.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

I started going out to play with Masha more often, that’s why the time I spent with Dante naturally decreased.

Yesterday, after sleeping over at Masha’s house, Dante looked sullen in the evening and asked me if I liked him or Masha. We live in the same house anyway and I see him every day, is he saying that because he couldn’t see me for a day?

After making a very obvious statement that a friend and a lover are different, I just said that he was the only person I wanted to hold hands with and kiss. What else was so embarrassing? With a blushing face, he told me to please give him a notice.

You too, whenever you show me your face, you do it without warning.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

Catherine, who lives next door to me, came crying.

She is the smartest kid in our town and has a great appetite for knowledge, yet she seemed to have a lot of tears. She kept crying until he finished the story.

What did she say? She took the entrance exam for the Magic Tower, but she heard rumors that the Master of the Magic Tower is too scary and crazy, so it seems that she won’t be able to join. In fact, I didn’t even know what the Magic Tower was, so I just kept nodding my head.

He’s cold and heartless, and in the meantime, he’s so genius that he doesn’t even treat ordinary magicians like himself blah-blah-blah.

I don’t remember the details, but anyway, since Dante is also a magician, I wondered if he knew them, so I asked if the Master of the Magic Tower was really cold-blooded. As soon as he heard it, he was terribly bewildered and defended them.

He seems to be very close with the Master of the Magic Tower.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

A new bakery opened in the next village, and I became its regular customer. It’s a bit far, but it’s okay because Dante usually picks me up when I get back home.

By the way, the best thing I eat the most is cake. It’s a bit pricey, but I have Dante, so it doesn’t matter.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

The bakery owner thanked me. They didn’t know the cake would sell so well because it’s in a village, but it’s all thanks to me.

I heard that since I buy it once a week, other customers seem to be curious about it.

…I wonder if I should have bought just a little bit to eat.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

Dante is busy these days. He goes out in the morning and comes back in the evening.

Still, every morning I get a hug before he goes out.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

A letter came saying that Catherine would enter the Magic Tower.

[Day X Month X Year XXXX]

There is a stalker from the next village.

***

There are many people in the world. There are so many strange people out there.

For example, there are people who think that they are the main characters in this world and everyone is interested in them. People like that are usually called narcissists.

And I’m now seeing a sample of narcissists.

“Honestly, you come all the way here every day to see me, don’t you?”

Is there any other nonsense like this in the world? I tried to reply, yet it got annoying and I kept my mouth shut.

Because of my regular bakery, I often came to the next village, and a strange guy attached to me. He said he fell in love at first sight and chased after me, but since I was ignoring him, he said it was a strategy for me to get his attention. Now he seemed to think that I was coming all the way to this village to meet him.

Even if I just say this much, you can see what a fool he is without any common sense, right?

Yeah, to be honest, I don’t have the confidence to win because I can’t communicate well.

“Why am I coming to see you? I have a boyfriend too.”

“Hmph, you must have gotten tired of my lover. I recognized you from the moment you met my eyes.”

“Ah, okay.”

I really have no confidence to win. Should I just knock him out? I looked around, yet unfortunately there were a lot of people.

“Are you really not going to accept me when I put my effort this hard?”

“What kind of effort is this? Is it your effort to ignore what people say?”

“I follow you like this every day and express my fondness of you.”

“You’re obviously just a stalker.”

How long do we have to do this meaningless retort? I applaud my patience for not already kicking this guy yet.

Until the last time, I ignored whatever this guy said and went home. No matter how good I am at listening to people talking, I can’t ignore this.

The reason I’ve been ignoring him all this time is because, honestly, I didn’t feel he was worth dealing with seriously. It felt like a waste of time to waste on a stalker. Originally, crazy people are dirty, that’s why I avoid them.

However, today, he was blocking my way, making me unable to ignore him at all. I hated seeing them constantly arguing about pretending to be cool.

Since there are a lot of eyes watching me, I should say that it’s fortunate I didn’t forcefully drag him. Still, it would be nice if there were less people. Let’s really just punch him once…

“I think I’ve said it a hundred times now, but I don’t like you, rather, I hate you, and I want you to get out of my way.”

“Do you know that it’s rather unattractive if you go that far?”

“Ah, I’m not going too far.”

Curse words rose to the top of my throat and then subsided. Since I’m a cultured person, I should refrain from using harsh words, alright.

There was no need to worry about being held here anyway. It was already past the time to go home, and it was almost time for the person who had been waiting patiently for me to come home.

“Hey, are you listening to me? You…”

I was looking at the sky to estimate the time, yet just then, a strong gust of wind blew from somewhere.

A golden shimmer passed across the stalker’s face like scratches, and to be honest, I felt relieved.

“Ei.”

Soon I heard a soft voice, and someone hugged me from behind. Who is it, well, it’s obvious. I felt Dante smile as I naturally leaned into his arms.

“I came to pick you up because I thought you’re a bit late today. By the way…”

Dante raised his head crookedly and looked at the person in front of us. With a very cold expression, as if he hadn’t laughed in the beginning.

“Who is that?”