Finecia I

After finishing the delivery, Strixx and I returned to Ms. Finecia. We found her in the small room where she made medicines, calmly working .

When she noticed us, she smiled. “Welcome back, Luca, Strixx.”

We handed her the bundle Mr. Vec had packed for us. Her expression softened fondly as she accepted it. “He’s always so kind.”

Peeking inside, her eyes lit up. “Oh, melons!” she said brightly. “With these, I’ll make dessert today. What do you say, Strixx, Luca?”

Strixx jumped up excitedly. “Strixx loves desserts!” I smiled. “That sounds nice, Ms. Finecia.”

She smiles then turned back to her work. “Wait just a little, you two. I’m almost done here, and then we’ll make the dessert together.

You can look around in the meantime. Or perhaps you’re interested in books? I have quite the collection.”

She gestured to the next room where shelves of books stood. The moment she mentioned books, Strixx’s ears perked up, her gaze snapping toward the room.

She hesitated, mumbling, “Strixx… ran away… from the scary place… because Strixx saw… picture of human world in book… so Strixx thought… had to go see it… then here is Strixx with Luca! Does Ms. Finecia have books with many… beautiful things too?”

Ms. Finecia smiled gently. “Plenty of them, dear.”

I glanced at Strixx. “Ah, yes, you told me once.” Then a thought crossed my mind. “But Strixx… can you read?”

Her ears drooped slightly. She shook her head. “No… Strixx can’t read… Strixx can just… speak little… human language… but reading is hard.”

I crossed my arms thoughtfully. “Alright then… I’ll read you a story.”

Her eyes widened in surprise, tail swaying behind her. “Really?! Strixx likes listening… stories!”

Ms. Finecia chuckled softly. “Then you two have fun,” she said as she returned to her work.

“Thank you, Ms. Finecia.”

We stepped into the room. Towering shelves surrounded us,  “These are a lot of books,” I murmured, scanning them.

I turned to Strixx. “You can choose one. I’ll read you anything you pick.”

She eagerly darted among the shelves while I browsed nearby. It had been a long time since I last read a book myself. A nostalgic smile tugged at my lips as I recalled my mother reading me heroic tales before bed.

I was flipping through a book at a small table when Strixx reappeared beside me, clutching something thick and unusual.

“Luca… read Strixx this… book!”

I glanced at it. “That’s a really pretty book. Let’s check it out.”

But as I opened it, I quickly realized—this wasn’t just any book. It was a diary.

I hesitated. “Hmm… is it okay to read someone’s diary?”

Strixx tilted her head, eyes wide. “What happened, Luca? Strixx wants to hear the story of this book!”

I sighed softly. “Well… let’s check it out.”

On the first page was a date—thirty years ago.

 “Today is a week away from the Flower Festival. Mr. Vec gave me a very pretty book. From today, I’ll use this book as my diary to write about my days! My mother said she would join me next week for the festival. I’m so happy. It’s a relief to see she’s breathing better, thanks to Mr. Vec’s medicine. He’s the best herbalist—and the kindest person in town.”

I murmured under my breath, realization dawning. “It’s… Ms. Finecia’s diary. From thirty years ago.”

Strixx blinked. “What’s a diary… Luca?”

“A diary is a book where you write about things that happen to you every day.”

Her ears twitched. “Strixx… wishes Strixx could write too… Strixx wants to write a diary.”

I smiled and ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry, Strixx. As we travel, I’ll teach you all sorts of things. One day, you’ll be able to read and write yourself.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Hehe… thank you, Luca! Strixx waiting for that day!”

Then she nudged me gently. “But… Luca… read more! Strixx wants to know what’s in there!”

“Alright, alright,” I chuckled, flipping the page.

“Only six days left until the festival, but an idiot woke me up way too early today. He’s the noisiest person I know in all of Vaeliris. Always acts so friendly around me. I never even told him we were friends. Yet… he gave me a Vaeliris flower. It’s not even fully bloomed. I don’t know how he managed to get it—the mountain path has been blocked for weeks. But… the flower is pretty. It smells nice. I guess I’ll keep it. And maybe… I might consider becoming his friend if he asks me nicely. Without acting all friendly without my permission… I really would. It’s not like I want to be his friend or anything, okay?! Don’t get the wrong idea. I just… want to thank him for the flower.”

Strixx stared, wide-eyed. “Flowers… Ms. Finecia?” She clutched the book close. “Strixx wants to go… pluck flower… like that guy did!”

I laughed softly. “We shouldn’t do that. Remember? Mr. Vec told us not to go.”

Still, I smiled at the diary’s words. Whoever this boy was, he had clearly been important to Ms. Finecia.

I closed the book slightly. “…We should ask Ms. Finecia about him later.”

Just then, Ms. Finecia entered, her work complete. “Still reading?” she asked gently.

We quickly looked up. “Ah—Ms. Finecia, sorry…” I murmured, closing the book. “We… probably shouldn’t have read your diary.”

She chuckled. “No, no, it’s fine. There’s nothing in there that needs hiding.”

Her gaze softened as she glanced at the book in my hands. “Besides… it looks like you two have something you want to ask me, don’t you?”

I nodded slowly.

“We’ll talk while we make dessert?” she offered.

Strixx’s ears shot up. “Dessert!!”

Ms. Finecia laughed. “Alright, let’s go.”

In the kitchen, we got to work peeling melons while Ms. Finecia prepared the ingredients. Strixx, unusually focused, carefully worked on the fruit, ears twitching slightly in concentration. Then, unable to hold it back, she turned to Ms. Finecia.

“Ms. Finecia… Strixx wants to know who gave flower to Ms. Finecia… in the book?”

I looked up as well. “Yeah, I was wondering too.”

Ms. Finecia paused for a moment, knife stilling. Then she smiled quietly. “A very, very important person,” she said softly.

I nodded. “I see…” Something about the way she said it made me smile too.

“We’d love to hear more… if you don’t mind.”

Strixx nodded eagerly. Ms. Finecia smiled. “Alright, I’ll tell you. Let’s finish this first, and then we’ll sit down and talk properly while we eat.”

We nodded and finished preparing everything. Once the dessert was ready, we carried our plates back to the cozy room with the bookshelves, settling around the small table. Strixx’s eyes sparkled as she stared at her plate.

She quickly placed the book from earlier on the table, looking at Ms. Finecia expectantly. “Ms. Finecia, tell us, please!”

I nodded, glancing at the book. Ms. Finecia gently brushed her fingers over the cover, a soft smile forming.

“It’s been a while since I wrote anything in here,” she said. “I’ve filled these pages with so many memories… memories he and I shared.”

Her voice softened. “The person who appears on every page of this book… was none other than my lover. The person I loved.”

Strixx tilted her head innocently. “Ms. Finecia loves him? Like Strixx loves Luca?”

Ms. Finecia chuckled, glancing at me. “Hmm… you two aren’t quite at that level yet. But I bet you’ll get there eventually. Right, Luca?”

I felt my face flush. “U-umm… well…”
Strixx blinked. “Why are you red, Luca?”
I shook my head quickly. “Nothing at all.”

Ms. Finecia smiled playfully before continuing,

 “It all began thirty years ago, when I was fifteen. I had gone to get medicine from Mr. Vec for my mother. On my way back, the rain poured heavily, so I took shelter under a small shed at the foot of the mountain. TThat’s when he appeared.”

“He was drenched from head to toe, yet he didn’t seem to mind. He stepped under the shed and stretched his arms out like he was embracing the rain. Then he grinned and said, ‘That’s the rainy season for you! Hey, don’t you just love the taste of rainwater?’”

I blinked in surprise. “That’s… quite the first impression.”

Ms. Finecia laughed. “Exactly. I was so taken aback. Before I could react, he turned to me and asked, ‘Hey, what’s your name? You’re really pretty, you know.’”
“I hesitated at first. It felt so sudden… but when I saw his smile, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. There was something about him--his energy, his charisma. So, I told him my name.”

“Then he practically jumped with joy and said, ‘Whoa! That’s a pretty name! Just like you! I’m Roy. My family just moved to this town. Nice to meet you, Finecia!’”
“Just as suddenly as he had appeared, he ran off into the rain, waving back at me and shouting, ‘Alright, Finecia! See you later!’ And just like that, he was gone.”
Strixx leaned in, captivated. “What happened next, Ms. Finecia?”

She smiled fondly. “After that day, he just kept showing up. No matter where I went—around town, near my house—he would always find me. And when I got sick, he’d even bring medicine for my mother from Mr. Vec before I could.”

“I never told him we were friends… yet he always talked to me.”

A week before the Vaeliris Flower Festival that year, early in the morning, he brought me a Vaeliris flower—one that hadn’t bloomed yet.

With an excited expression, he said,

“Finecia! I heard the Vaeliris flower smells best before it blooms, so I got one for you!”

I was flustered.

“Hmm… Are you stupid? Who told you that? You just believe anything?”

He grinned.

“Well, I read it in a book.” He held it out. “So? You don’t want it? I woke up early and climbed the hill just for this… maybe I’ll give it to someone else?”

He was teasing me.

I huffed. “Who else do you even have? …Fine! If you insist, I’ll take it. But don’t get the wrong idea, okay?”

He smiled, placed the flower in my hand, then ran off, grinning.

It was the first gift I ever got from him.

A few days before the festival, he asked,

“Finecia, let’s go see the festival together, okay?”

I turned away, flustered.

“W-Well… I bet you’d be lonely if you went alone. I’ll go with you. But don’t get the wrong idea!”

He just smiled. I couldn’t stand it and bolted inside my house.

Ms. Finecia looked at Strixx. “Open the book.”

Strixx flipped through and found ten dried Vaeliris flowers pressed inside.

“Ms. Finecia got a lot of flowers from him!!”

She smiled. “Every year for ten years—from when I was fifteen to twenty-five—he brought me one a week before the festival.”

Her expression softened. “Even when my mother passed, he stayed by my side so I wouldn’t feel alone.”

Strixx grinned. “He was so sweet!”

Ms. Finecia chuckled. “He surely was.”

Strixx leaned in. “What happened next?!”

“As the years passed, I grew to like him. But… he never confessed, and I was too stubborn to admit my feelings first. So I waited—for ten years.”

On the tenth year, one week before the festival, he came as always with a flower. But this time, something felt different.

He hesitated. “Finecia?”

“Yes, Roy?”

He fidgeted. “Don’t you have something you want to say to me?”

It was the first time I’d seen him nervous.

“W-What are you talking about?! I don’t have anything to say to you!”

And then--he kissed me.

My mind went blank.

In a soft voice, he said,

“I’ve been waiting all these years… I thought you’d say it first. I love you Finecia.”