Problem 01

It was a casual Wednesday, or what was meant to be, for the two university students.

Lisanna Strauss and Erza Scarlet were in town, on a shopping trip for their daily household necessities when they decided to explore more of what Fiore could offer to them.

It was then that they had stumbled upon a river tour surrounded by a great scenery. One filled with fully bloomed flowers, nicely cut grass, long seaweed visible through the canal's clear water and an old castle structure in the area. It was the beautiful sight that could pull anyone in. Well, it was that, and the larger than average flock of ducks – swimming on the river or flying around.

"Hey, isn't this where Mira-nee saw that really fat duck in one of the holes in the wall?" Pointed out Lisanna as they stood on the bridge overlooking the scene. Below them, various gondola boats were lined up for river tours.

"Yes," Erza answered.

"Want to snap her a picture and tell her what we're up to?"

"Sure,"

Ezra then took out her phone as she began to take a Snapchat video of the scene below her. As the redhead got ready to post the snap on her story and to the older Strauss sibling, her brown eyes widened in mild amusement from the autocorrect on her phone.

A smile stretched on Erza's face. "Wow,"

"What?" Lisanna asked.

"My phone just autocorrected 'duck' to 'dick'," Erza told Lisanna, her eyes never once leaving the mobile device in her hands. "I almost told Mirajane 'I saw a really fat dick'. That would have been incredibly embarrassing."

The snow haired girl beside her snickered, her lips tilted upwards in a grin. "Yeah, it would be."

Lisanna laughed once more before she looked over at the view before them, something caught her eye. Her eyes widened.

"Uhh ... Erza?" She called nervously.

"Hmm?" Erza hummed, eyes stlll glued to her phone as she replied her snap messages.

"You know Jellal Fernandez, right?"

"Yes," Erza answered. "He's the President of the Crime and Justice Society that I'm in." She informed her friend, curious for her sudden interest in the third year Criminology student.

"Well..." Lisanna paused, she's hesitant to say this as she continues overlooking the bridge they're on. Lisanna wasn't sure how to tell this to Erza. "Call it hunch but ... I'm pretty sure he heard you."

Erza's eyebrows knit together as she pulled away from her phone.

"Pardon?" She raised a brow as she turned to stare at the first year student.

Lisanna only answered Erza's confusion by pointing below to where the gondolas were parked.

Or to be exact, one gondola in particular rowing very closely to where they stood over as the boat turned. Standing at the edge of the gondola, holding onto a wooden stick as he pushed off the tip was none other than Jellal Fernandez. He smirked as he sent the small boat on its way, heading in the opposite direction of where the girls stood.

He wore a yellow straw hat on his dark blue head, and it was easy to see that he was working as one of the small town's boat tour's gondoliers. Lisanna was right, it was Jellal! And he was downright grinning at them as his boat drifted away.

"... Oh no," Erza cursed softly under her breath. Her face now resembled the shade of her hair.

Jellal just smiled, never breaking eye contact as he slowly gondola-ed away from them.

It was not her finest moments. Especially not in front of her crush.

It seemed like an eternity filled with an awkward stare down, two set of widen eyes and a Cheshire cat grin. After Jellal had finally rowed far away enough, someone spoke up.

"Sooo ..." Lisanna said after what seemed like a long pause. "I bet tomorrow's lecture will be an interesting one."

Erza only replied by letting out a muffled scream.

Notes

Based on real life experiences by the authors.

– Written by Marshmallow and edited by Omelette, 10 September 2017

M: Auto-correct is such a bitch.