C21- Piscea (5)

While Noah was practicing his violin in the inn room, Corvin was rummaging through his baggage. He wanted to study the samples he got from the patients under a microscope to see if he could find anything.

"Aha! Right here!"

He found his microscope kit and took it out of the bag. Noah stopped playing his violin and walked near Corvin.

"Hey, can I also look at the microscope?"

"Uhh, sure why not. Just lemme get the part with the lens out."

He took it out but-

Clank-Crash!

-the lens fell out and broke into pieces.

"..."

"Kh..."

"..."

"Pfft..."

"..."

"...Ahahahahhahaha!"

Noah tried to hold his laughter but he failed miserably. Corvin looked at the insensitive asshole with a look of disappoitment but couldn't stop his boiling anger towards the guy laughing at his misery.

"AAARRGHHH!! How can you laugh Noah?!"

"But it was funny! It suddenly fell with comedic timi-"

"I am going to break your violin. See how it feels."

"NO! I am sorry, okay? I won't laugh and I will convince Clair to make you a new one, I swear."

Corvin's face turned into a shit eating grin after hearing Noah's offer.

"Hooh? So you are going to seduce an unsuspecting maiden for goods? Wow, I never knew you were a trash like that."

Corvin took steps away from Noah with a disappointed look on his face.

"What? How did it come to that?!"

"I don't know dude, you are trying to get free stuff out of a girl who can't stop blushing whenever she is with you. Doesn't that sound exactly like what I said?"

"Huh? Sh-she does?"

Noah's face started to get red.

"Why do you not know? You constantly stare at her at class. Don't think I didn't realize."

"I-I do?", Noah got redder but suddenly a comeback came to his mind.

"Wait... How do you know I look at her?"

Noah covered his body with his arms.

"Don't tell me..."

"Because I am your guard, I have to watch out for you even during class. Don't get caught up in your fantasies."

"You know my dad gave you that job just so he can take you with him! Listen Corvin, I am an open minded individual, okay? So if you happen to swi-"

"I don't, and I already ha- Ah..."

Corvin closed his mouth with his hands. His face had an expression of shock and dread.

"Hm? Heeh? What? You already what? This is the second time you slipped up. Did Mr. Trainallday perhaps find a lover?"

"You counted it? And no, it's not like that."

"How is it then? Hm~?"

"Ugh... I saw a dream where I had a girlfriend, okay? That's all. It was really long and realistic so it messed up my mind. That's it."

Noah looked at Corvin with the saddest face Corvin ever saw. He was almost crying.

"..."

"W-why are you on the verge of tears?"

"CORVIIN!!!"

Noah ran towards Corvin with open arms and hugged him. Corvin tried to escape but it didn't work against Noah's sincerety.

"Wha-"

"You are like my twin brother, you know! If you felt that lonely, then tell me bro! I will find you any type of woman you want! Except Bella and Clair, of course. If you want, even multiple! Just ask!"

"Huh?! Thanks but no, I don't want it! What are you, a pimp?"

"I can become one for you. Isn't that what brotherhood is for?"

"Sigh~, Whatever, enough disgusting jokes. I need to find someone who can replace this lens with something that might work. So you go and play with your violin."

"Okay, okay. I also thought we should stop. Good luck finding someone."

"Yeah, bye then."

And so after forcefully changing the topic, Corvin left the inn.

He went around and asked the people in the streets if someone who worked with glass was around. He wanted to directly go to the governor, but he was currently busy with improving safety measurements against the plague with the advice Corvin gave to him.

*****

Amy's beautiful and emotionless golden eyes were frantically looking at the street to find Corvin.

She thought he would come back to the hospital to work on the cure, but he didn't come.

"Ugh, where is he. Is he really trying to find a cure to the plague?"

After waiting for him the whole morning, she decided to exit the hospital. Her inspection was already done, and she didn't have the plague of course, but she stayed at the hospital in hopes of meeting with Corvin one more time.

"Where is he? Where is he?"

With the compass gone, she had no way of knowing where he was. Not that she remembered anything about the compass after it disappeared.

She started to doubt her own memories. Suddenly someone appearing in her mind to help her, and her knowing about this person before meeting the person himself. It felt too unreal.

"Right... Why do I even know about him? Am I not acting weird? I didn't dream yesterday because of those drugs, did I?"

Even though these thoughts, she didn't feel much disappointment. Her emotions were still suppressed because she was still taking the drugs she made periodically.

Right then, a handsome boy two years younger than her tapped on her shoulder. The moment she turned towards the person, she felt time slowing down. It was Corvin, with his handsome face that had a structure that made him look more mature, his well trained body that ever so slightly showed itself from his clothes, bluish black hair and bright red eyes looking straight at her. Her heart almost stopped from excitement the moment she saw him.

"Uh.. Hello, miss. Sorry but, do you know anyone who works with glass in this city?"

'He is really hands- Huh? Why are my... The drugs are working, right? Why aren't they working against him? Am I that desperate for help that the drugs can't suppress it? But that shouldn't be the case...'

"Miss?"

"Hyah! Ah, I am sorry, what did you ask?", suddenly breaking out of her thoughts, she was startled by his voice which was a bit deeper than most boys his age.

"Uh, do you know anyone who works with glass?"

"Why?"

"Uh, personal reasons."

"Are you trying to cure the plague?"

She accidentally asked because of her excitement. As she started to regret being so hasty, Corvin looked at her face with surprise.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

'I wasn't delusional?!'

Excitedly, she opened her mouth.

"I-I am- I can use magic to make medicine! Can I help you?"

"Huh? Help?.. I don't know."

Corvin didn't want to put the girl's life to risk by meddling with a colossus.

"Please, please. I just want to end this plague. I will do whatever you want."

"Whatever?"

Corvin fell in thoughts. Seeing his thinking face suddenly an unnecessary thought surfaced in her mind. She gulped and lowered her face while talking.

"Eh? A! W-w-when I said anything, I didn't mean it like that... I umm would like to know yo-"

"Miss!"

Snapping out of his thoughts and snapping her out of her meaningless mumbling, Corvin asked her a question.

"Hyah! Y-yes?!"

"Miss, would you work for our company?"

"Our? Company?"

"Yes. You see..."

*****

Noah was absentmindedly watching his activated paintings move after he got tired of playing the violin. As another baby turtle appeared on one of the paintings, the door to the room opened and Corvin got inside.

"Oh! Corvin, did you find new lenses?"

"No, but I found our first employee!"

"Huh? First what?"

Then, he noticed a beautiful, slightly older girl behind Corvin. She looked at Corvin with a solemn gaze. She was thinking about her emotion suppression drugs and why they didn't seem to work on what she felt about Corvin, but Noah mistook it as affection.

"Corvin! You fast playboy! Weren't you the one who told me I was a 'trash who would seduce an unsuspecting maiden for goods'? Now, what is this? Isn't this exactly what that is?"

Snapping out of her thoughts and hearing this right after, Amy's face reddened. With a horrible timing, Corvin turned towards the topic of conversation reflexively, making it look like she blushed because Corvin looked at her, from Noah's perspective.

Noah donned the biggest shit eating grin in history. Corvin cursed himself for the absolute blunder he made.

As Noah and Corvin were giving each other hostile gazes and readying their best jokes and retorts in their minds, Amy spoke up.

"Uh. I came here to join your corporation. I want to cure this plague and if possible, make even more medicine."

Because of her, the two stopped their joke that should have ended a long time ago, and started to talk seriously.