That Adorable Smile

Cathy seemed to enjoy my sketches the most. Later that afternoon, she kept staring at my drawing of the grass fields outside of Kolm and remained silent for quite a long time.

When she finally noticed me looking at her, she shrunk back and said meekly, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to look at that for so long. It really caught my interest…"

"No, it's no problem at all. I see you're quite interested in my drawings."

"Why, yes…" Cathy looked down as she continued to speak. "As a mage, all I really do is read books and learn magic spells. I don't have many chances to see how beautiful the world can be through someone else's eyes…"

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you want to take a closer look at any of my other drawings, feel free to ask anytime."

"Oh no, I couldn't ask that of you! I'm sorry… I know you must be working hard with your notebooks, and I feel like I've been imposing too much on you already. I'll just continue to read my magic books and see if I can learn anything new. Sorry again…"

"It's no problem at all, really…" But before I could finish my thought, Cathy picked out a book from her bag and began reading. Although I tried to regain her attention, she remained focused on her task, so I pulled out my journal and started writing again.

As the carriage traveled further down the road before dinner, I stole a few glances at Cathy, who continued to focus solely on her book. I was amazed she never once looked up at me, and her pose while reading struck a chord in me. She looked just as concentrated in her studies as I did in my writing and drawing, and I still couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked.

That evening, our group of three enjoyed a relaxing yet silent dinner. Whenever I turned towards Cathy, she looked away, as if she were unsure whether to return the gaze.

Worried for her safety, I erected a divider inside the tent, so all three of us could sleep near each other, and Cathy, as a woman herself, could have some privacy on the other side. This good deed provided me enough comfort to sleep very well through the night.

The fifth day began like any other so far on my journey, the sunlight sneaking through the trees, and the wind breezing calmly in the air. I continued with my writing and sketching, and Cathy seemed to have another magic book pulled out.

Cathy didn't say anything at all to me throughout the morning. When I looked up at her at times, I noticed she quickly shot her head back down to her book, as if she wanted to ask me something, but couldn't do so.

Maybe she was just timid and didn't really know what to say…

After the carriage stopped at a clearing in the forest around noontime, I checked the gear necessary for hunting food for lunch and dinner, when Cathy approached me. "Could I come along and help you out with that?"

"I guess that'd be fine. You don't look like you're fully recovered yet, but I'm only hunting some birds and rabbits, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to help out."

"That's great then! I'll do my best!" Cathy smiled as if she were jumping for joy. She really knew how to ramp up her cuteness factor…

Like the days before, it was a rather simple chore to gather the food we needed for our next two meals. But I was made abundantly aware of something quite disconcerting: Cathy's magic was weak… no, extraordinarily weak. The lightning spells she tried to cast sparked only a tingle against the rabbits we encountered, so I made sure to keep my momentum up whenever I was in the midst of the action.

From all that time that Cathy rummaged in her books inside the carriage, I assumed she was at least an adequate mage. But I was proven definitively wrong, as she didn't manage to catch a single prey during our mission.

As we walked back towards the carriage, I noticed Cathy stop in front of me and start to speak. "Haru… I'm sorry… You must think I'm so worthless… I've been studying magic for three years, and I still can't pull off a decent spell… I feel like a complete waste… I don't even know why you even bothered to save me…" Bringing her hands up to her eyes, Cathy began to cry.

It was disconcerting to see Cathy in such sad spirits, so I tried my best to calm her down. "It's not like that, Cathy… I can tell you're trying the best you can… Else, why would you be studying so hard to get better? And besides, I could never live with myself if I left a girl like you in harm's way like what you were in."

"B-b-but… haven't you heard about all the bad things happening around the world lately? Monster attacks, robbery, vandals posing as victims… It's not very wise to go out there and help just anyone these days, or so I've been told…"

"I've heard all that, but I find it to believe such an upstanding girl like yourself could pull off such a distressing scream for help." I smiled down at her, trying to assure Cathy I made the right decision to save her.

Cathy then looked up at me and gave a weak yet innocent smile. "I guess you're right… thank you again for saving me, Haru. I just have to repay you someday for all the kindness you've shown me."

"Don't mention it! I'm just glad to be here for you anyway I can."

After we returned from our hunting trip, the three of us ate a very hearty lunch. The atmosphere between Cathy and me seemed to improve as well. She still acted quite reserved, but she was starting to speak up a little more.

As the carriage continued closer to our destination, Cathy struck a better balance between silence and conversation. She remained heavily engaged in her reading when her head was down. Still, she made more evident attempts to talk, asking about me in general and the town I grew up in.

Yet, Cathy kept up an evident aura of reservation around me, as she didn't diverge much about her own background. Akane was the only girl around my age that I'd been together with my whole life, so this experience with Cathy felt rather new.

But, as the afternoon dragged on, I did notice her being friendlier. And that provided me with much comfort, seeing how she was slowly breaking out of her shell.

I had to remind myself I wasn't dealing with Akane, but with another girl who had her own circumstances. She must have had a good reason, and we only just met the other day, so I believed she would tell me her full story when she felt the time was right.

The carriage stopped at another clearing by the side of a river as evening broke. Our group of three had another relaxing night of food and sleep, and we all woke up clearly refreshed when the morning dawn brought us out of our slumber.

As we boarded the carriage in the morning, Cathy sat on the same side as me. After we took off for a few minutes, Cathy asked, "Would it be alright if I watch closely while you draw?"

"I'm not very good yet, but if it's alright with you, then I don't mind."

Cathy looked up at me and gave me another of her trademark smiles. For the next hour or so, I drew an image of the carriage by the river clearing surrounding by thick trees, the scene where we had stayed during the night. Whenever I turned my eyes towards Cathy, I saw how fixated she was on following my hand movements, as if she were trying to stamp them into her mind so she could copy the act later.

After I finished my sketch, Cathy placed her hands on my left elbow, squeezing it gently. "Wowww! That's really good! Could I take a closer look at it?"

"It's actually not as good as you're saying, but yeah, sure, here you go." I handed my sketchbook to Akane, and she seemed to marvel at the image for the next five minutes.

As Cathy handed back the book to me, she said, "I really think you don't give yourself enough credit… I admire all the detail you put into it, and it makes me feel all warm inside when I look at your drawing."

"Awww… thanks." I rubbed my head in acknowledgment of her praise.

As I started to blush, Cathy placed her hands on mine and smiled at me. "Will you let me continue to see your new drawings when you're done with them?"

I found it impossible to resist Cathy's smile at that moment, and she did have a valid point about my drawings being a little better than I thought of them. So, I couldn't find it in my heart to refuse her request. "Sure… I'm glad someone is happy to see my drawings. I'll remember to show each one when they're done."

"Thanks so much! I really will repay you for all the kindness you've shown me!"

Afterward, Cathy took out the same magic book as the day before and continued her studies. I couldn't help but notice she remained on my side of the carriage until we stopped for lunch.

Like the previous day, I practically did all of the work to gather the food for our meals. Cathy really put in the effort, though, so I didn't feel compelled to feel any frustration towards her.

After we had lunch and returned to the carriage to continue the trek, Cathy continued to sit on the same side as me. She was in the middle of reading when she abrupted closed her book. When I turned towards her, she was already staring into my eyes.

"Hey, Haru…" Cathy began. "Before you saved me, I heard that there was a dungeon in Machuren. I know I'm not very strong… but I've seen how well you manage yourself out in the woods… and I heard it's a great training ground for long-distance fighters, like us. If it's not too much trouble, would you… umm… like to go train with me when we get into town?"

Even though Cathy's words came through into my ears, I kept focusing on her eyes, as if they were pleading with me. I couldn't help thinking again how adorable she looked, and I couldn't find it in my heart to decline her offer.

"Sure," I replied. "I'm not in any rush to leave Manchuren, so maybe I can relax for a couple days there. Besides, I do want to help you get a new robe and take a little time to walk around the town, considering this is my first time away from Kolm. I don't know how the driver will feel about the delay, but I'll work it out with him."

"Thanks so much, Haru!" she giggled.

At that moment, I felt relieved I made the right choice helping out Cathy. I had been a little concerned about traveling alone. But, knowing Cathy was by my side, it felt good I was starting to make a new friend in the world.

We managed to reach the entrance to Manchuren early that evening. The lack of rain was a real blessing; we were able to avoid any substantial delays due to the abundant sunshine we experienced on the way from Kolm to Manchuren.

The guard at the gate requested a quick check of the carriage and its contents, and the driver complied. The guard reported no issues and was about to permit us through until he issued a warning.

"Be careful while you're in town. The townsfolk are a little more on edge than usual. Plus, that group of bandits has been stirring up some trouble here and there lately. Just be on your guard."

"Oh my!" Cathy quickly laid her hands on my left elbow.

I hadn't heard of anything like this while in Kolm; I had only read before that Manchuren was a peaceful town. Kolm had its own troubles at times, but I saw how resilient the townspeople could be.

So, I figured the folks of Manchuren could do likewise. With that thought in mind, and the lingering idea to stay by Cathy's side, the carriage strolled along inside the town's gate.