Another day, another chance to act mature. But this time, let’s do that in my usual clothing.

  Today is going to be super exciting! I’m a huge fan of many different painters, and the local gallery is going to show my absolute favorite painter's works this week. I managed to score one ticket for today. So after work, I pn to spend the rest of the day there. I have been waiting for this for months.

  I head upstairs toward the potion department. When I open the door, I immediately spot Myrin.

  “Good morning, Rin!”

  “Morning, Elena.”

  Ayas approaches me.

  “So you gave up the manhunt already?”

  “I was never manhunting. I dress for myself, not for any men.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Actually, I have something to ask you.”

  “What is it?”

  “I met my childhood friend yesterday. He is visiting the Capital this week. And please, please, I need a favor from you. Please say yes.”

  “What’s the favor?”

  “Can’t you say yes first?”

  “Absolutely not! Tell me first.”

  “Okay… My friend, Jerome, is suffering the same destiny as I am, meaning no girlfriend. So we decided to see each other this weekend for a double date.”

  “I don’t like where this is going.”

  “So we thought that both of us would bring one of our single friends along. You know. I bring a date for him, and he brings one for me.”

  “And you are asking me?”

  “Yes. Please, Elena. I’m desperate. I haven’t been on a date for so long.”

  “Why don’t you ask Annie?”

  “I did. But she already had pns this Saturday. So you are my only hope.”

  He looks at me with his annoying puppy eyes. I have gone on several dates in my life. I have tried to suffocate my feelings toward Myrin many times, but I never succeeded. I have never been interested in anyone else. So I really don’t want to go. Ayas clearly spots my intention to turn him down.

  “Please, Elena. I owe you. And it’s just one date. He will leave and go back home anyway after this week. So there really isn’t anything to worry about. Just think of it as a gathering among friends.”

  Ugh. I don’t know. I side-eye Myrin, but he isn’t paying any attention. Or if he is, he just doesn’t care whether I date or not. I let out a heavy exhale.

  “Fine.”

  Ayas jumps in to hug me.

  “Thanks, Elena! You are the best!”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  I head to the storage room. I have inventory duty today, and that also includes cleaning the storage room. I sink into work and start by organizing the shelves. When that’s done, I grab a pen and paper and start counting. I begin with the top shelves since they are the hardest. I’m only about 5’1”, so even with a stool, I struggle.

  I rise onto my tiptoes and try to reach the back of the shelf. I can’t quite see how many bottles of ground fernroot there are.

  My heart skips a beat when Myrin’s hand suddenly appears, reaching them closer.

  And yes, I would recognize his hand anywhere, since he always wears leather gloves. I mean always. He hasn’t said anything, but I’m pretty sure he’s a germaphobe. Even with gloves on, he barely touches anybody.

  “Thanks.” I hop down to the floor and face him. “Need ingredients?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are you making?”

  He faces the shelves, clearly searching for something.

  “Stamina potions.”

  “How many?”

  “Twenty.”

  I take an empty box.

  “Here, hold this.”

  He takes the box, and I start loading it. I easily remember what ingredients you need for which potions and how much. I start chatting while grabbing them.

  “So, have you heard anything from Enred?”

  “I got a letter just yesterday.”

  “What? He is really the worst brother ever. I sent him a letter over a week ago, telling him— Oh! I haven’t even told you yet! My absolute favorite painter’s artworks are dispyed here in the Capital this week. I managed to get myself a ticket for that exhibition, and I’m going there today after work. I’m super excited! The painter is from Rivel. I wonder why all famous painters come from Rivel? Well, the whole city is like a painting, so I guess it makes sense that it awakens people’s creativity. Oh. Wait. What was I telling you?”

  “You sent a letter.”

  “Oh, right! So I told him how excited I was, but he never answered. Can you believe it?! I mean, I guess he’s just busy dealing with family business. I wonder how long he will live in Hilver. I’ve actually never even been abroad. It would be nice to visit him, but I’m not sure I would feel safe there. I know Barham’s retionship with Hilver is better now, but you never—”

  I turn to put the st ingredient into his box and realize that I’m bbbering again. Stupid Elena. This is not how a mature dy behaves.

  I smile apologetically at him.

  “Sorry. I started bbbering again. Sorry. I know you don’t care about my nonsense. Sorry. Anyway, here you go. You’re good to go.”

  His eyes meet mine for just a fraction of a second. But that’s enough to make my heart skip a beat and a tornado form in my stomach.

  “Thanks.”

  He turns and exits the storage room. I bump my forehead against the closed door.

  Way to go, Elena. Very mature. Well, let’s not feel too defeated. There are many changes to come. I can totally learn to be quieter and calmer.

  Myrin is one of the few people who never interrupts my bbbering, so I always go off the rails with him. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing. He probably just stands there thinking about something else and lets my noise fade into the background.

  I focus back on work. I want to get everything done so I can finish in time and head to the city. I really can’t wait to see the paintings. I could squeal with excitement. I finish the inventory after lunch. There isn’t any potion-making scheduled for me today, so I offer to help others for the rest of the day. Of course, I ask Myrin first. He is still working on those stamina potions.

  “Hey, Rin! I’m all finished with the inventory and totally free. Need any help?”

  “No.”

  I turn around in defeat and see Ayas approaching us with a rge box full of potions.

  “Elena! If you are free, you could help me with—”

  Ayas stumbles, and Myrin and I watch in horror as all the potions start to fall toward the ground. I pour my mana out, doing my best to levitate each and every one of them. And somehow, I succeed. I stop the fall, but I’m too afraid to try to move them. I’ve never even tried to levitate this many objects at once. There have to be over fifty potions here.

  “Woah, Elena! Nice catch. I didn’t know your mana control was that good,” Ayas says.

  “It’s not! Stop standing there and help me out! Take the potions before I lose control!”

  Ayas and Myrin both kneel down to gather them. But then something bumps into my back, and I lose concentration. The rest of them shatter on the floor.

  “Oops, sorry.” I turn around to see David standing there, looking apologetic. “I’m just here to fetch the inventory report.”

  We all gre at him like he’s the Devil himself. He snatches the report and escapes. I totally understand why Master Lonefre calls him a rat. I flop down onto my knees and look at the broken vials.

  “Ayas, please tell me these potions were just a stock batch, not a delivery.”

  “Umm…”

  “I can’t believe you! What are we going to do now?”

  “It looks like you three earned the night shift.”

  Master’s penetrating, emotionless voice comes from behind me. I quickly stand up.

  “Master! I didn’t break them! I can’t stay and work overtime, I have—”

  “I don’t care what you have. Those are going to be delivered to a customer tomorrow morning. So you will work as long as it takes to make them again.”

  “But I—”

  “It doesn’t matter to me who broke them. You three fix this. The cost of ingredients is going to be cut out of your paychecks.”

  He turns and leaves. I slump back down onto the floor in defeat. I know it’s futile to argue with Master. He doesn’t understand basic human rights or needs. I bury my face in my hands.

  “I’m sorry, Elena. I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

  “You can’t. My ticket for the gallery was for today. I’ve been waiting for months for tonight.”

  “What gallery?”

  “My favorite painter’s works are on dispy here in the Capital this week.”

  “Why don’t you go on a different day then? It’s only Thursday.”

  “I can’t! It’s sold out. Getting that one ticket was already hard.”

  “Shit… Well, when does the gallery close?”

  I drop my hands from my face to my p and see that Myrin has already started cleaning the floor, gathering all the broken shards.

  “At nine.”

  “There are still six hours left. Maybe we can finish before that. Let’s just work extra hard.”

  I look at Ayas. He’s smiling confidently. He’s right. It’s not over yet. We can totally do this. I jump back up, full of determination.

  “Okay. We can totally do this. Ayas, you go fetch the ingredients while Myrin and I finish cleaning.”

  “No,” Myrin says while still cleaning the floor. “I’ll clean. You don’t have gloves, so you might hurt yourself. Go fetch the empty vials.”

  I stare at him, a little stunned. Is he worried that I might hurt myself? My heart beats so loudly that I fear someone might hear it.

  Okay, Elena. Breathe. Count to ten and rex. Being worried about my hands getting hurt isn’t a love confession either.

  “Okay, I’ll do that. Thanks, Rin.”

  I try my best to suppress my huge smile and head off to fetch the vials. We start working like maniacs. Even I remain silent as I put all my focus into work. We even skip dinner; there’s no time to waste. I keep gncing at the clock as we race against time.

  Hours pass, and slowly it starts to look like our efforts are in vain. It’s already 8 PM, and we still have ten potions to make. I slump my head against the table, exhausted.

  “It’s futile. We can’t make it. Even if we finish soon, I’ll barely have any time left to look at the paintings.”

  Ayas sits next to me, yawning.

  “We failed. I’m so tired. Master is inhuman for making us work like this.”

  “I so agree.”

  Suddenly, a pte full of food appears in front of me. I lift my head and see Myrin standing there.

  “Since we’re not going to make it, you should take a break and eat.”

  I just stare at him in disbelief. My chest tightens.

  “Umm… sure. Thanks, Rin.”

  I’m a little too stunned to say anything else. Did he really fetch me food? Well, this is definitely one of those things that makes me think I have hope.

  “Hey, Myrin, where is my food?” Ayas asks.

  “Get it yourself. You got us into this mess.”

  “Aww, man. That’s just cruel. I’m starving.”

  “Don’t care.”

  “Elena, Myrin is being mean. Do something.”

  “You deserve it. It’s your fault we’re in this mess. You get no help from me.”

  Soon, we’re all settled around the table, eating. It takes almost two more hours to finish the remaining potions. I still don’t understand how making potions takes so long. It really is annoying sometimes.

  The next morning is horrible. I feel exhausted. I have no motivation to make potions anymore. I don’t understand why Myrin wants to work in this department so much. I snooze through the whole afternoon. I’m so tired that I don’t even have the energy to speak at lunch, which never happens. When I go back to work, I grind ingredients next to Myrin. I don’t say anything to him, not wanting to bother him. I just feel a little happier being closer to him.

  “Elena! Myrin!”

  We both turn around to see Ayas approaching us. He looks extremely smug.

  “Where did you get the energy to be so joyful?”

  “Oh, Elena. You are going to love me.”

  “Ugh, in your dreams.”

  “Look what I got for you.”

  He suddenly waves two tickets in the air, and it takes a couple of seconds for me to realize they’re tickets to the gallery.

  “Ayas! Are you kidding me?! Where did you get those?”

  “Connections, connections. They’re for both of you. Consider it an apology for what I caused yesterday.”

  I freeze. For both of us? Like me and Myrin? We would go together? Like… on a date?

  Okay, I totally forgive Ayas. He is my savior. Like a God.

  I jump in to hug him.

  “Ayas, you are the best!”

  “I know.”

  I take the tickets and turn to face Myrin.

  “I promise, you’re going to love it! There are so many different—”

  “You can ask someone else,” he says coldly and turns back to grinding ingredients.

  It feels like a stab to my heart.

  “Wh-what?”

  Maybe I just heard him wrong.

  “I don’t care about art. Take one of your friends.”

  Okay, Elena. Just breathe. This doesn’t mean he dislikes you. He just dislikes art.

  “It could still be fun even if you don’t enjoy the art. There are snacks, probably even champagne,” I try to persuade him.

  “Not interested.”

  “Oh… okay.” I turn to Ayas. “Well, do you want to go?”

  “Oh, no way. I can’t think of a more boring thing to do.”

  “Yeah, I understand. I’ll just ask someone else.”

  I tuck the tickets into my pocket. I guess I’ll go alone. I already know Annie won’t come; she has a date today. She talked about it at lunch. Angie and David are going to the theatre. And that includes all my friends.

  I could just walk into the art department and ask someone there. I know there would be many willing people to come. But I’d rather go by myself than with someone I’m not close with. There is too high a risk that they think I'm asking them out on a date or something. So I put the extra ticket on the Tower’s notice board. I don’t want the ticket to go to waste, so let’s hope someone takes it.

  Okay. Let’s not feel down. I’m going to see my favorite painter’s work after all. It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be fun. I bet I’ll get tons of inspiration and ideas for my future works.