Fortune's Favor Pt. 4

As the rain carried on, Chloe sat on the bench while I leaned against the pole next to her.

"Well, shit," I scoffed. "I called it, didn't I?"

"Called what?"

"That we should've probably held back on today's plan because of the rain."

"Eh? You said that?"

"Hah... Yeah, I did. Right before we left my apartment. But, per usual, I don't necessarily get a say in our plans." 

Chloe's expression dropped. "O-oh... I'm sorry, Aikami."

I chuckled. "What did I say about needlessly apologizing for things that weren't your fault?"

"But this technically was my fault, wasn't it? At least, I was a part of it since I didn't listen."

"That's not the case at all. If anything, it was my fault for trying to negotiate with Lana, who wouldn't care about a tsunami if it meant she could get a bit of fun in."

She seemed just a bit reluctant to let go of the blame, but she let out a giggle nonetheless.

"It's been like that for as long as I can remember. No matter what, Lana always has to have the last laugh, even with me and Alice."

"Sounds like a pain."

"Hehe, you get used to it after a while. And by 'a while', I mean a couple of centuries. Still, Lana always had our best interest in mind. If she thinks we'll have fun doing whatever, she'll make sure it happens."

"Heh. Is that so?"

"Yep! Like, uh... Dionysus has a wine cellar, and you do not break into his wine cellar. One day, Lana came to us with a plan to break into his wine cellar."

I raised a brow. "And... What happened?"

"We got drunk, so drunk that not even Dionysus' threats could faze us. We ended up having to work double shifts in his winery for a few weeks."

"Sounds like you guys have lived quite the eventful life."

"Of course. We're the Goddesses of Fate. We've seen it all."

The rain eventually let up, softening into a drizzle.

The festival grounds, once bursting with color and noise, had quieted to a soft hum. Most of the crowd had either left or taken shelter elsewhere. Only a handful of stragglers came out—stall owners reopening their shops, couples walking hand-in-hand under shared umbrellas, and a few brave kids still chasing sparklers in the distance.

"…It's peaceful now," Chloe said quietly, her hands resting in her lap.

"Yeah. Kinda nice. I didn't think there'd be anyone else here after that, but I was wrong. I guess they've all gone that 'Lana mindset'. What a nightmare."

"Hehe~ I guess they do. Though, I'd argue Lana is just a tad bit worse."

"Don't need to tell me twice."

We sat like that for a moment longer, listening to the rhythmic plip of water dripping from the edge of the roof. I could still feel her shoulder lightly brushing mine, though neither of us pointed it out.

Eventually, I exhaled with a stretch and got to my feet, brushing off the back of my pants.

"We should probably go find Lana and Alice," I said. "They're probably causing trouble somewhere out there."

Chloe giggled softly and nodded, standing up beside me. "Or solving them. You never really know with those two."

I gave her a look. "You really think Alice has ever solved a problem in a normal way?"

"…Fair point."

As we stepped back out into the open, the festival's lights shimmered across the damp pavement, reflecting like stars scattered beneath our feet.

Whatever chaos lay ahead, for just a brief moment, everything felt strangely calm.

Suddenly, a pair of hands jabbed into my sides with a loud and gleeful, "Boo~!"

"Agh—!"

I stumbled forward into the light drizzle, nearly slipping on the wet stone beneath me. Whipping around in a panic, I narrowed my eyes at the culprit.

"Tch…Of course, it's you…" I muttered

Lana stood there, soaked from head to toe, grinning like a fox who'd just raided a chicken coop.

"Hehe! Saw you and Chloe having a moment, so I didn't wanna interrupt. So instead, I went off to play in the rain! Got a bit soaked, though, so I'm kinda cold to the touch. Wanna feel?"

"What? No—"

Before I could finish the sentence, her hand was already up against my cheek.

A cold shock shot through my body like someone had slapped me with a wet popsicle. I stiffened immediately, a full-body shiver running down my spine.

But then… something shifted.

That initial chill faded into something else entirely. A different kind of warmth bloomed from where her palm rested. A warmth that had nothing to do with temperature.

My mind blanked.

"Eh? Aikami?" Lana called out. "You okay?"

I didn't reply.

Well… it wasn't that I didn't want to reply. I just couldn't.

Along with my face, my brain had gone cold.

Was it the cold? Probably not.

Lana turned halfway, still keeping her palm pressed against my cheek. “Hey, Chloe. I think Aikami's dead.”

There was a beat of silence.

"…C-Can you really blame him…?" Chloe muttered from behind her hands.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean… Your hand…"

"My hand? What about it? I was just—"

And that's when it hit her.

Her eyes widened like dinner plates, but her body didn't move an inch. It was like her brain had just delivered a critical update three minutes late.

Her mouth opened slightly. Then closed. Then opened again. But no sound came out. Still, she didn't move her hand. Instead… she just stared at me, her eyes meeting mine. Neither of us said a word. Neither of us moved.

Lana blinked slowly, visibly swallowing as she tried to recover her usual swagger. "You good, Aikami? You look like you'd just seen the souls of the Underworld firsthand."

"I...I'm just recovering. That's all."

"Aw~ Don't tell me I broke you again. That's like, the third time this week."

"You say that like it's a badge of honor."

"It kinda is."

I sighed and looked away, trying to suppress the heat crawling up my neck. Slowly, I raised my hand and gently peeled hers off my cheek.

"Alright. Game over," I muttered, struggling to keep a straight face. "Let's not pretend your hand didn't just nearly send me to the afterlife."

"What? Please. I'm delicate."

"Yeah? Funny, because I'm having vivid flashbacks to a certain library. A certain moment. A certain broken arm."

"C-Can you not bring that up again?!" she yelped.

"Not bring it up? You snapped my arm like a twig. With a poke. A touch of death. Yet, I'm not supposed to bring it up?!"

"It was a one-time thing!"

"A very fatal one."

She crossed her arms and turned away with a dramatic huff. "Hmph! Just be glad I didn't finish the job before Alice showed up."

"...That's not really the flex you think it is."

"It is for me."

I sighed, ruffling my hand through my wet hair. "Anyway, where did you go up to? And where's Alice?"

Lana shrugged. "Beats me. You and Chloe vanished on your little date or whatever."

"D-date?!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Yeah. I said what I said. Then me and Alice got tired of arguing and went for ice cream. After that, poof, she dipped."

"Wait... I-ice cream...?"

Both of us turned at the same time, which made Chloe flinch. She shriveled up slightly as if trying to hide her existence in plain sight.

"I-I didn't say anything…"

I chuckled. "Yep. Totally subtle. Real smooth, Chloe."

"I wasn't trying to hide!"

"I believe you."

"No, you don't..."

"And how would you know?"

"Because you're laughing while talking!"

"Pfft~" Lana scoffed, planting her arm on my shoulder. "Come on, guys. The rain's clearing up. Let's head out before the vendor packs up now that everyone's gone."

Chloe stood up, still flustered, and I turned around—only to feel my hand suddenly grabbed as Lana took off ahead.

"Eh—?!"

Before I could speak, she tossed a look over her shoulder, eyes gleaming with mischief and... something. But I didn't know what.

"There you go again," she whispered, just for me. "All it takes is a little touch and you freeze up. You're making it kinda obvious, y'know?"

"...W-What...?"

But she just giggled, turned back, and kept walking, dragging me along like nothing happened.