Finecia I

After the delivery was done, we came back to Ms. Finecia. She was in the room where she made medicines, working there.

As we arrived, Ms. Finecia smiled. “Welcome back, Luca, Strixx.”

We handed her what Mr. Vec had packed for us before leaving.  She accepted it with a fond expression. “He is always so kind.”

She peeked inside and her eyes lit up when she saw the contents.

“Oh, melons!” she said cheerfully. “With these, I’ll make some dessert today. What do you say, Strixx, Luca?”

Strixx jumped up. “Strixx loves desserts!” I joined in. “That would be nice, Ms. Finecia.”

She smiled at our reactions before turning back to her work. “Wait just a little, you two,” she added. “I’m almost done here, and then we’ll make the dessert together.”

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

She said, pointing to the next room where the books were. The moment she mentioned books, Strixx’s ears perked up, her gaze immediately locking onto the next room.

She hesitated before mumbling, “Strixx… ran away… from the scary… place… because ..Strixx saw… picture of human world in a.. book… …so Strixx thought strixx 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 struck me. “But Strixx… can you read?”

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

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

Strixx’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?!” She practically sparkled with excitement, tail swaying slightly behind her. I had noticed before how she always listened so intently when people spoke, as if she loved stories.

“Strixx likes listening… stories!!”

Ms. Finecia chuckled. “Then you two have fun,” she said as she continued working.

“Thank you, Ms. Finecia.” As we stepped into the library, towering bookshelves greeted us. There were so many books, each filled with stories and knowledge.

“These are a lot of books,” I murmured, scanning the shelves.

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

As she eagerly searched the shelves, I took the chance to look around myself. It had been ages since I last read a book.

A small, nostalgic smile crept onto my face as a memory surfaced—my mother reading me stories about heroes before bed.

I was flipping through a book at a small table when Strixx suddenly appeared beside me, holding something thick and unusual compared to the others.

“Luca… read Strixx this… book!” I glanced at it. “That’s a really pretty book. Let’s check it out.”

As I opened it, I quickly realized—this wasn’t just any book.

It was a diary.

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

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

I sighed, giving in. “Well… we can check it out.”

Flipping to the first page, I noticed the date—thirty years ago. “Hmm… let’s see.” I started reading.

“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 to myself, as I realized. “It’s… Ms. Finecia’s diary. From thirty years ago.”

Strixx blinked at me. “What’s a diary… Luca?” I looked at her. “A diary is a book where you write about things that happen to you every day.”

Strixx’s 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 go on our journey, I’ll teach you all sorts of things. One day, you’ll be able to write and read human language yourself.” Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

“Hehe… thank you, Luca! Strixx… waiting for that day!”

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

“Alright, alright,” I chuckled. Flipping the page, I continued.

“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. He always acts so friendly around me. I never even told him we were friends. Yet… he gave me a Vaeliris flower. It not even fully bloomed. I don’t know how he managed to get it— The mountain path has been blocked for weeks since the festival is approaching 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 here It’s just… Well, I would want to thank him for the flower.”

Strixx looked at me, eyes wide with wonder. “Flowers… Ms. Finecia?” She hesitated, then clutched the book close. “Strixx wants to go… pluck flower… like that guy in the diary did!”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “We shouldn’t do that. Remember? Mr. Vec told us not to go.”

Still, I couldn’t help but smile at the diary’s words. This person… whoever he was, he must have been important to Ms. Finecia.

I closed the book slightly, my mind already forming a question. “…I guess we should ask Ms. Finecia about this person later.”

As we were reading, Ms. Finecia walked in, her work finally done. “Strixx, Luca, still reading?” she asked with a gentle smile.

She stepped toward the table, and we quickly looked up. “Ah—Ms. Finecia, sorry…” I murmured, closing the book.

“We… probably shouldn’t have been reading your diary,” I admitted.

Ms. Finecia chuckled. “No, no, it’s fine. I don’t mind at all. There’s nothing in there that needs hiding.”

She glanced at the book in my hands, her expression softening.

“Besides… it looks like you two have something you want to ask me, don’t you?” I hesitated, then nodded.

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

Strixx perked up instantly. “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, her ears twitching slightly in concentration.

Then, as if unable to hold back any longer, she turned to Ms. Finecia. “Ms. Finecia… Strixx wants to know who is the person 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, her hands stilling as she sliced the fruit. Then, she smiled—a quiet, nostalgic smile. “A very, very important person,” she said softly.

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

I looked at Ms. Finecia. “We’d love to hear more about this person… if you don’t mind telling us.”

Strixx nodded eagerly. Ms. Finecia smiled.

“Alright, I’ll tell you… but let’s finish making this first, okay? Then we can sit down and talk properly while we eat. What do you two say?”

Strixx and I nodded in agreement and got back to work.

Once the dessert was ready, we carried our plates back to the cozy little room with bookshelves, settling around the small table. Strixx’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the dessert. “Strixx’s mouth is watering!!”

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

I nodded as well, glancing at the book. Ms. Finecia gently ran her fingers over the cover, a soft smile forming on her lips. It’s been a while since I last wrote anything in here,” she said. “I’ve filled these pages with so many memories… Memories he and I shared.”

She paused before continuing, her voice carrying a bittersweet warmth. “The person who appears on every page of this book… was none other than my lover. The person I loved.”

Strixx and I listened intently. Strixx tilted her head. “Ms. Finecia loves him? Is it like the way Strixx loves Luka?” she asked innocently.

Ms. Finecia chuckled, glancing at me. “Hmm… well, you two aren’t quite at that level yet. But I bet you’ll get there eventually. Right, Luca?” I felt my face heat up. “U-umm… well…” Strixx stared at me curiously. “Why are you all red, Luca?”

I quickly shook my head. “Nothing at all.” Ms. Finecia smiled playfully before steering the conversation back. “I see. Well then, let’s continue the story.”

I let out a quiet sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Strixx had scooted closer to Ms. Finecia, a clear sign of how comfortable she had become around her.

Ms. Finecia leaned back slightly, her expression turning nostalgic. “It all began 30 years ago, when I was a 15-year-old girl. It was when I met him for the first time.

I tilted my head. “How did you first meet him, Ms. Finecia?” She chuckled softly. “Now that’s an interesting story.”

Strixx perked up. “Strixx wants to know!”

Ms. Finecia nodded and continued. “Well, it was a rainy day. I had gone to get medicine from Mr. Vec for my mother. On my way back, the rain suddenly poured down heavily, so I took shelter under a small shed at the foot of the mountain, clutching the medicine tightly. That’s when he appeared.”

“He was already drenched from head to toe, yet he didn’t seem to mind. He stepped under the shed and stretched his arms out, as if embracing the rain. Then, out of nowhere, 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. I barely had time to react before 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 somehow 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!’”

“Then, 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, curious.   “What happened next Ms. Finecia?”

Ms. Finecia 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. And somehow, I could never ignore him either.

Then, one 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 that the Vaeliris flower is most fragrant before it fully blooms, so I couldn’t help but get one for you!”

When he said that  I got flustered. “Hmm… Are you stupid? Who told you that? You just believe whatever people say?” 

He grinned.

“Well, it’s true. I read it in a book.” He held up the flower. 

“So? You don’t want it? I woke up so early and climbed the hill to bring this for you… I guess I’ll have to give it to someone else?”

He was clearly teasing me. I huffed. “Who else do you even have? 

…Fine! If you insist that much, I’ll take your flower. But don’t get the wrong idea, okay?!”

He smiled, took my hand, and placed the flower in my palm before jumping excitedly and running off.

It was the first gift I ever received from him. I looked at Ms. Finecia. “Ms. Finecia, the mountain path to the top is closed three weeks before the festival, right? How did he get the flower?”

She smiled knowingly. “Maybe he woke up early and crossed the closed path before anyone could see him. 

That’s something he would do.”

She's says smiling warmly 

 Then A few days before the festival, he held out his hand to me.

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

I was never honest with my feelings.

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

 He just smiled and stared at me. I couldn’t take it. My heart raced, and I bolted inside my house.

Ms. Finecia looked at Strixx with a soft smile. “Strixx, could you open the book and flip through a few pages for me, dear?”

Strixx nodded and flipped it open, smiling as she turned the pages.

Among the old pages, she found a dried Vaeliris flower. Then another. And another. A total of ten.

Strixx blinked. “Ms. Finecia, you got a lot of flowers from him?”

Ms. Finecia smiled. “Starting that year, every single Flower Festival, for ten years—when I was fifteen to when I was twenty-five—he brought me an Partially bloomed Vaeliris flower, always a week before the festival.”

She paused, her expression softening. “Even when my mother passed away… he stayed by my side the whole time, just so I wouldn’t feel lonely.”

Strixx grinned. “Mr.Roy! was a  good person!” Ms. Finecia chuckled. “He surely was.”

Strixx, excited, leaned in. “What happened after that?!”

Ms. Finecia’s gaze softened as she continued. ”And during those ten years, I really started to like him. But for some reason… he never confessed his feelings. And yet, we were more than just friends.

We spent so much time together. I was shy and awkward. I could never be honest about my feelings and always ended up saying the opposite of what I meant. But he never once took it to heart. He understood me.

I was stubborn, too… waiting for him to confess first. I waited for ten years.” Then On the 10th year, finally, one week before the Flower Festival, he showed up like always, holding a partially bloomed Vaeliris flower—but this time, with a purpose that felt different from all the years before.

As usual, he handed me the flower. I took it.

Then, he hesitated. “Um… Finecia?” I looked at him. “Yes, Roy?”

He fiddled with his fingers, flustered. “Well… don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

It was the first time I had ever seen him so nervous.

My heart pounded. “W-What are you talking about?! H-How should I have anything to say to you?! You’re not making any sense!”

And then, out of nowhere—he pulled me into a kiss.

My mind went blank. Then, in the softest voice, he said,

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

I was sure you loved me—just like I love you.” I was still trying to process the kiss--

 “Finecia? Are you listening?”

I snapped out of it, face burning. “D-Don’t just do that out of nowhere, idiot!”

He tilted his head. “Sorry, Finecia… You didn’t like it?”

I turned even redder. “W-Who said that?! I was just… shocked! It’s not like I didn’t like it or anything!”

He smiled at me.

“Finecia… I love you.”

I couldn’t even look at him. My heart was pounding too fast.

Then, he chuckled. “It’s okay. I won’t rush you for an answer. Just tell me someday, when you feel like it.”

He started to walk away. But I grabbed his sleeve. “Where do you think you’re going, idiot?”

He stopped and turned back.

And before I knew it, I ran straight into his arms, hugging him tightly.

“I… I love you too...idiot.."

Then, flustered beyond words, I pushed him away and ran straight into my house, my heart about to burst.

When I peeked outside, he was still standing there, his face completely red, too shocked to move.

He stood there for quite a while.

Strixx looked up with an innocent expression and asked, “Ms. Finecia, what is a kiss?”

Ms. Finecia glanced at me with a teasing smile before turning back to Strixx. 

“That’s something you’ll have to find out for yourself, okay?” she said, gently patting her head.