Two Men at Night

When Calvin returned home, he found an unexpected visitor waiting for him.

This visitor was very familiar; they had met just the day before.

"Are you crazy, waiting for me at my house at this hour?" Calvin said, opening the door with a highly impatient tone. With his sensing abilities, he knew who it was before entering.

Jellal, the escaped convict, had come to see him again.

He was sitting comfortably on Calvin's soft couch, waiting leisurely.

"Sorry to disturb you at this hour, but there's something I need to discuss with you," Jellal said seriously.

"You're really annoying. Don't you have other friends? Why do you always come to me? Your life is really pathetic," Calvin said, clearly not wanting to discuss anything with Jellal. He could tell from Jellal's expression that it was something troublesome.

Ignoring Calvin's harsh words, Jellal smiled slightly and continued, "From what I understand, Fairy Tail will be sending two teams to the Grand Magic Games, right?"

"Your information is impressive; I just found out myself," Calvin said, genuinely surprised. "You must be a ninja, sneaking around to gather information, and you love wearing tight clothes. It makes perfect sense!"

He spoke with mock seriousness.

Even someone as calm as Jellal couldn't help but twitch his mouth, unsure how to respond.

The best way to handle Calvin was to ignore his antics and continue speaking.

"Master Makarov has already decided on one team, but he seems to be struggling with the other."

"Is that so? I don't really know about that. But the other team will probably include Laxus, Mira, Gajeel, and Juvia," Calvin said disinterestedly.

"As you know, with a substitute, each team needs at least six wizards. I hope you can suggest to Makarov that I join as Mystogan," Jellal said earnestly.

Calvin was stunned, staring at Jellal in disbelief.

Jellal looked completely serious.

This made Calvin quite annoyed.

"You want to pretend to be Mystogan and enter the competition?" Calvin asked, his expression full of surprise.

Jellal felt like Calvin was looking at him as if he were an idiot, which made him uncomfortable.

But he remained firm, sincerely saying, "I hope to help Fairy Tail with my strength."

Calvin responded with a disdainful laugh and a dramatic eye roll.

"Why that look?" Even Jellal's patience had its limits, and this reaction was pushing it.

Calvin looked him up and down, slowly saying, "I used to think you were a genius. Today, I realize you're an idiot."

A vein popped on Jellal's forehead.

"Didn't you avoid the venue to ask us to investigate the mysterious magic there?"

"And now you want to pretend to be Mystogan and join the competition?"

"Do you think you can use your full strength without revealing your identity? Or do you plan to fight with all your might and let everyone know Fairy Tail is harboring a fugitive?"

"Before making such a stupid decision, couldn't you discuss it with Ultear?" Calvin shouted, making Jellal feel very embarrassed.

"Uh... Ultear wouldn't agree."

"You know that!" Calvin retorted, leaving Jellal speechless.

Thinking it over, Jellal realised it was a bad idea but still felt dissatisfied.

The two fell silent, the room quiet except for their breathing.

Suddenly, Calvin spoke.

"But you've reminded me that Mystogan's never-seen face could be useful."

Jellal's eyes lit up, thinking Calvin agreed with his idea.

But Calvin's following words dashed his hopes.

"I have humanoid summons in my Summoning Cards. With a cloak, they can pretend to be Mystogan. Hardly anyone knows Mystogan's magic anyway!" Calvin said, getting more excited about his idea.

His previous summons were already S-Class, and now they were even more potent.

Seeing Calvin's enthusiasm, Jellal realised his plan was doomed and felt downcast.

"Do you have to be so gloomy?" Calvin suddenly teased.

Jellal snapped out of it, blushing slightly. "No, I just... want to make amends for my past mistakes."

"You're just trying to win Erza's favor," Calvin said coldly.

This flustered Jellal, who quickly denied it.

"Stop pretending. Even an idiot can see you like her. Didn't you confess to her when you saw her two days ago?" Calvin's tone was low but curious.

Jellal smiled bitterly and sighed.

"Someone like me doesn't deserve to be with Erza... I've hurt her too much," he said, his voice full of bitterness.

Calvin was silent, knowing the history between them.

He walked to his liquor cabinet, took out a bottle of rum, poured two glasses, and said softly.

"Maybe, but you've turned your life around. You deceived your former friends, but no one died, right? Erza might have her moments, but she's very forgiving at heart."

"Don't act ignorant. We both know Erza has forgiven you. She can't hide her feelings well enough to conceal hatred," Calvin said calmly. Jellal was silent for a long time.

"Women's youth is short. Don't keep her waiting too long," Calvin said, handing Jellal a glass of rum.

Jellal accepted and downed it in one gulp.

"Calvin, I'm a criminal. I can't be with her openly. I just want Erza to be happy," Jellal said, looking lost.

"Then I'll pursue her," Calvin said lightly.

Jellal immediately stood up, grabbing Calvin's collar with an angry expression.

Calvin just grinned at him.

"See? You can't stand the thought of her with someone else."

Jellal could only stay silent.

"You want to keep her close because you know she can't forget you. This way, you can keep waiting for each other."

"That's selfish."

Calvin's words hit him hard.

He wanted to argue but couldn't find the words.

He could only stay silent.

Calvin shook his head, saying, "Think about it. Is your relationship really hindered by your status?"

"Or is it because you haven't forgiven yourself?"

"Jellal, we're not friends, and we're not close, but I still want to ask."

"Erza has forgiven you. When will you forgive yourself?"

Jellal stayed silent for a long time before finally looking up.

His expression was no longer gloomy.

"Have you found your answer?" Calvin asked with a smile.

"I'll meet with my former friends from the Tower of Heaven. Until they forgive me, I can't forgive myself," Jellal said softly, looking determined but more relaxed.

"See? There's a solution!" Calvin said, patting Jellal's shoulder.