Volume 1. Chapter 47

Lily slowly wiped the last of her tears from her face, feeling the warmth of Ken’s words still lingering in her heart. She took a deep breath in and out to calm herself fully, then looked up at Ken, who was still watching her with a gentle smile.

“Thank you, Ken,” she said softly, her voice full of sincere gratitude. “Thank you for everything. You… you have no idea how much it means to me.”

Ken smiled, tilting his head slightly, and replied with a playful grin,
“Come on, Lily. It’s my job to be your personal savior in moments of despair. So you can always count on me.”

Lily smiled back, her gaze bright again, her cheeks faintly flushed.

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, then added with a mischievous glint, “But don’t overdo it, or I might start taking advantage of it.”

“Well then, I’ll have to start charging you,” Ken winked. “Five coins for every rescued smile.”

Lily laughed, her laughter light and genuine once again.

They continued on their path, forest trails giving way to open glades, while sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting playful shadows on the ground. Seeing that Lily was back in high spirits, Ken decided to keep the momentum going.

“You know, Lily,” he began, putting on a thoughtful look, “you mentioned your father loved telling legends. How about a bit of modern classic storytelling?”

“Modern classic?” she asked, giving him a curious look.

“Well, for example,” Ken raised his index finger like he was about to reveal a great secret, “there was once a powerful wizard named Vader, who looked at his arch-nemesis and said with complete seriousness: ‘Luke, I am your father!’”

Lily stopped and looked at him, brow furrowed.

“Is that… a joke?”

“No, it’s a plot twist!” Ken declared with a grin. “A classic one!”

Lily shook her head, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“And how did it end?” she asked.

“Well, the son got a little upset, said something like, ‘That’s not true!’” Ken dramatically raised a hand to his forehead. “Then there was a lightsaber duel and a fall into an abyss. You know, the usual outcome of family dinners — if you live in a galaxy far, far away.”

Lily couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Ken, you’re incredible!” she said between laughs. “You really consider that a classic?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded confidently. “I can also tell you about a guy who lived in a magical world and found a ring that could destroy everything. He wasn’t sure what to do with it until he met some little friends and went on a walk to the nearest volcano.”

“A volcano? Why?” Lily asked, bewildered.

“To get rid of the ring, of course,” Ken replied. “And guess what they called it? Extreme tourism.”

Lily laughed again, her laughter echoing through the forest like music. Ken watched her with satisfaction, knowing his efforts to lift her spirits had clearly paid off.

Ken didn’t stop with the jokes and stories. He told her about his school friends, about the time he tried to explain the theory of relativity to his classmates using donuts — and everyone just thought he was hungry. Or the time his friend tried to bake pizza but ended up creating a banana pie, which he proudly called a “culinary revolution.”

“And once, I got so caught up reading a book at school that I didn’t notice the bell had rung. I sat alone in an empty classroom until the teacher walked in and said, ‘Ken, you spend more time with books than with people.’” Ken chuckled. “I thought, ‘Well, at least books don’t make me share my lunch.’”

Lily laughed non-stop, sometimes begging him to pause so she could catch her breath. She realized Ken was doing everything he could to make her smile, and it touched her deeply. In her heart, she thought: Ken, you’re always so attentive. You’re simply amazing… Thank you for being in my life.

As the sun began to set, the path led them to a small hilltop. From there, they had a breathtaking view of a golden valley bathed in sunlight. Ken and Lily stopped to take it in.

“You know, Lily,” Ken said, his voice softer than usual, “I wouldn’t mind having a sunset like this every day.”

Lily looked at him with a warm smile.

“And I wouldn’t mind having a companion like you,” she replied quietly.

Ken smirked and turned to her.

“Was that a compliment? Have I finally earned your approval?”

Lily blushed slightly, but her smile didn’t fade.

“Maybe,” she answered with a small grin. “Or maybe I just didn’t feel like arguing.”

“Well, that’s progress,” Ken noted with a smile. “But if you want, I can tell you a few more stories. Like the one about a guy who gave a girl a flower, not realizing he was unintentionally raising a whole bunch of questions about marriage.”

Lily giggled, her laughter once again filling the evening air.

And so they walked on, sharing stories, jokes, and laughter, savoring every moment together. The forest, the sunset, and their voices blended into a perfect picture where there was no room for sadness — only joy and warmth.