Chapter 67: White flag for life.

Well, the exam period that had felt so endlessly long was over in the blink of an eye once it actually began.
Three days isn’t much to begin with, so it was only natural.

Exams are usually nothing but depressing, but if there’s one silver lining, it’s that school lets out earlier than usual.
Though this was the first time Violet had ever felt grateful for that.

“Whew… I feel so liberated.”

“It felt like forever until the real thing started.”

Stretching beside Yulan, Violet herself felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
She knew this was only a brief respite, and worrying about the future brought nothing good; she had learned that much.

So it was better to simply surrender to the present moment.

“So, did you decide where you want to go?”

“I have a rough idea… but I still don’t have anything like ‘I really want this!’ so I was thinking we could just wander around and look at things.”

Are you sure you’re okay coming with me?
The anxious glance he sent her, checking her reaction, hadn’t changed at all over the years.
Compared to when he used to leave every decision entirely to her as a child, this was growth, right?

In truth, his priorities were far more skewed toward Violet now than back then, but as long as she didn’t notice, it was the same as if they weren’t.

“Of course.”

The way she smiled, finger lightly touching her lips, looked far more relaxed than usual.
Whether that was proof she was truly carefree, or just escapism, even Yulan couldn’t fully tell.
Either way, right now she was enjoying herself; that was all that mattered.

So he couldn’t poke at it carelessly.
If he disturbed the bush and a snake came slithering out, the whole day would be ruined.
As long as Violet walked beside him for his sake, Yulan had a duty to make her enjoy herself with everything he had.

In the end, all he could do was preserve the smiling Violet in front of him.

“My file’s getting pretty worn out, so I was thinking of having it repaired.”

“Ah… now that you mention it, last time I saw it, a lot of the stitching was coming undone.”

“I’ve been using it since I entered middle school, after all.”

The leather document case (camel-colored with Yulan’s initials burned into it) had been a gift from his parents when he enrolled, if she remembered correctly.

Yulan was generally good with his belongings, but because he kept using things even after they deteriorated, it wasn’t always a virtue.
“If it’s not broken, it’s still usable” was his rough—and somewhat extreme—attitude; his material desires were that low.

Apparently his parents had managed it when he was younger, but when he entered middle school they changed their approach:
Repair, restore, fix.
That way, his tendency to keep things forever could become a strength.

Instead of just choosing durable items to last a little longer, they decided to pick things that could last a lifetime—or at least become more charming with time and care, growing to fit him perfectly.

Violet had agreed with the idea and thought it suited Yulan perfectly… but it felt like only half of that sentiment had gotten through to him.

He did bring things in for maintenance now, but only after visible wear appeared.
He still hadn’t reached the level of regular check-ups even when nothing seemed wrong.

Still, it was a huge improvement from waiting until things were completely broken.

“I realized while I was thinking about it—there were other things like pen ink that needed refilling or repair, but I don’t really have anything new I want.”

“Now that you mention it… same here.”

“Nothing’s reached the end of its life yet, so… we might just end up running repairs and be done.”

“That can be fun in its own way, can’t it?”

“If you’re okay with it, Vio-chan, then I am.”

Once decided, they moved quickly.
Following Yulan’s lead, they went from shop to shop, dropping things off and taking care of errands on the spot.

First shop: left the file for repair and was told to pick it up later.
Second: bought ink.
Third: had a simple pen repair done.

“…I think that’s everything.”

“It was fewer stops than I expected.”

“Really? Well, I don’t own much to begin with.”

“Minimalism at its finest,” as they say.
Even when textbooks were inside, Yulan’s bag was light enough that Violet thought it felt empty.
Today, after exams, it was practically weightless.
He had brought the things he planned to repair, but without them it would have been just his wallet and pencil case.

“Vio-chan, what time is it?”

“Hm? Let’s see… still a bit early.”

At his question she checked the pocket watch in her bag.
The time was earlier than the estimated completion for the repairs.
Even if they went back now, they’d just have to wait.

“I see… Want to rest somewhere?”

It had been a while since lunch, and walking around had made them hungry again.
They were having dinner at home, but stopping for tea and a small snack wouldn’t hurt.

Yulan’s gaze wandered, searching for a suitable café.
This area was mostly craftsmen’s workshops, so eateries were scarce.
With light foot traffic, a café would probably hear only crickets.

There was a street a little farther away lined with all kinds of restaurants and cafés, but going that far and coming back might cut their break too short.

A place where Violet could relax—ideally with good sweets and tea.

While Yulan was mentally listing possibilities, something else caught Violet’s attention.

“…Hey, Yulan. What happened to your watch?”

Her gaze fell just below the finger at his chin, on the wrist visible beneath his sleeve.
Normally a simple wristwatch would be there.

Today there was nothing—just a wrist that looked two sizes thicker than hers.

“Huh?… Oh, I lost it a while back.”

For a second he looked confused, but following her gaze he understood.
He had noticed his wrist felt lighter, but since it was easier to move, he’d completely forgotten.

At his casual tone, Violet’s expression turned to exasperation.
If it had been anything or anyone else, worry would have come first—but this time a different emotion took the lead.

“If I remember correctly, that makes four?”

“Sadly, number six.”

“That makes it worse.”

“I know, I know… I’m just bad with wristwatches.”

Puffing out his cheeks in a sulky pout was an expression she’d seen countless times since they were little.

He was good with things in general, but he had a habit of taking off his watch and forgetting it somewhere.
They used to look for them together, but since he never improved, she had mostly given up.
Yulan himself had long since stopped caring and just used cheap ones.

“I guess having something tight around my wrist just bothers me. It’s hard to move, and even when it fits, it still feels constricting.”

“I get that feeling, but you need one, don’t you?”

“Inside the academy, not at all. Outside, only a little.”

“As I thought.”

Inside school there were clocks in every classroom and bells to signal the time, so it wasn’t a problem.
Still, checking the time yourself was important, and building the habit of glancing at your own watch was valuable.
Time is money—and trustworthiness, too.

“Your wrists are thick, Yulan, so maybe it feels even more restrictive…”

Violet understood that well.
Women sometimes had bracelet-style watches, but men’s were almost all leather straps or metal bands that hugged the wrist line.

Especially with Yulan’s build—thick wrists, prominent bones—if the size was even slightly off, it probably hurt when it rubbed.

“I’m not great with wristwatches either… Oh.”

“…?”

“I see, that makes sense…”

“Vio-chaaan? What is it?”

She nodded to herself, lost in thought, completely ignoring Yulan waving his hand in front of her face.

Just as he resigned himself to watching over her, she looked up and stared straight at him.

“Vio-chan?”

“Are you hungry, Yulan? Tired?”

“No, I’m fine…”

“Then it’s decided.”

“Decided what—?”

Violet’s hand circled his wrist.
It didn’t reach all the way around, fingers not touching, but the soft warmth of her palm came through clearly.

Pulled along by her gentle urgency, he matched his stride to hers.

Her strength and steps were incomparably smaller and weaker than his.
When he was little, he had believed she was an invincible guardian.
And indeed, she had protected him.

The moment he wanted to protect her, he first realized how small, soft, and fragile she was.
She didn’t even have hands large enough to fully grasp his wrist.

And to those tiny hands, Yulan would be defeated for life.
Even a single finger, even a fingernail—he would lose.

So that in this moment, suddenly, he would have no choice but to stop if she did.

“Vio-chan, is there somewhere you want to go?”

He had no idea what they were doing or where they were headed.
But if Violet was going, that was reason enough for Yulan to follow.

Unlike her hurried steps, he walked at his usual leisurely stride.
He would follow even without being told, and she didn’t need to hold his wrist like she was catching him.
But there was no need to say that out loud and ruin this blissful situation.

When he asked, Violet glanced back with a delighted profile.

“We’re going to buy your reward, Yulan.”