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Chapter 4

LIRE

I absolutely have no idea why I've bought these seeds in the first place. I mean, I do collect seeds to plant vegetables in our garden but definitely not the ones that shoot peas and spit out slime!

As I arrived the school, I headed straight to the school garden. I've been taking care of this for a long time now. Before I knew it, Ryan treated this place as his second home. Before we started hanging out together, I frequently see him uprooting the weeds and watering the seedlings which eventually sprouted out and produced fruit.

I started to tear the packets open and dig small holes. While I was at it, I hear footsteps approaching. I looked over my shoulder and saw Ryan making his way here.

I should show him these seeds I bought. Maybe he hasn't heard about that strange salesman selling strange-looking plants. He claimed that they can be used as weapons against…. zombies.

"Good morning, Ryan!" I greeted, waving to get his attention.

He just walked past me, wearing a blank expression on his face.

Huh..? Something's wrong. Why does he look so grim? I've never seen him like that before.

Wait. I think I did. He became upset when his raccoon, Rocco, ruined the crops here not too long ago that he punished him by cutting his daily diet. But I've never thought that Ryan would do something this harsh to his pet.

I took another packet and ripped it open –

"RAAAAAAAAAAARRRRHHHHH!"

That growling sound deafened my ears, sending me falling on my buttocks. Standing in front of me is a big, red creature with a red chili pepper's body. It wore an enraged expression, grounding its teeth and glaring at everything it sees.

It turned toward me before I realized that I don't have my bow and arrows with me.

Instead, I grabbed my trowel and pointed it at the creature. I slowly got up and stepped backwards, finding some room to escape. I can see its body shaking in anger as if it's going to explode.

"W-What is that thing?" I grabbed the torn packet to read the label.

Name: JALAPENO
Species: Capsicum anuum
Characteristics: A dangerous fruit that instantly explodes upon contact on the ground, leaving behind a lane of flames.
Procedures in planting: Remove from its packet and let it jump out. Once it touches the ground or any flat surface, it is highly advised to move out at once before JALAPENO explodes. Put out the flames with buckets of water or with a fire extinguisher.

Not to be planted near trees, buildings, laboratories and cropped areas.

Oh no.

There has to be a faucet around here. I know it! I ran as fast as I could to find the nearest faucet –

Aha, there it is! Right beside the entrance gate.

I ran towards it and grabbed the watering pot. I twisted the knob and –

"Oh, c'mon!" I pouted. The janitor forgot to turn on the water supply!

A loud explosion followed by a lane of bright flames confronted me.

"No…" The plants…. The trees… a-and…the crops! They are getting consumed by the flames! I hysterically ran, heading to the restrooms and hoping that the faucets are on.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'monc'monc'monc'monnnnn!" I watched as the bucket is getting filled with water. This is taking too long! I have to get out there and put out the flames!

I ran out of the restroom, carrying the bucket (and leaving the water running) and headed back to the garden. I want to cry. Our plants are getting destroyed.

I splashed the contents of the bucket, putting out only few of the flames.

"What the – !" I froze as soon as I heard Ryan. Of course. Not only does he hate forest fires, he despises anyone who starts them. I couldn't bear to see the look on his face as he witnesses the one thing that he hates the most.

"Lire, what the hell happened?!"

"Ryan, I…" I couldn't say it directly. I know it will anger him. He's going to hate me for this.

"You've got some explaining to do after this." I cringe at the grim tone of his voice. It's a sign that he probably won't forgive me.

He then whistled, sending out a school of blue seahorses wearing red majorette hats. They flew using the tiny wings at their backs and flailed their fins. They blasted streams of water from their cone-shaped mouths, putting out the flames and leaving clouds of smoke steaming out.

When I told him where I bought the seeds, Ryan put his hand on his temples.

"I thought it was some sort of rare plant store!" I said defensively. "I mean, some of them look fine like the sunflowers. The man said it gives off sunlight that will be beneficial for the plants."

"Dave…what was he thinking?" He said in an exasperated tone.

"Just who is that guy?" I ask.

"He's a crazy homeless dude who found happiness in experimenting on plants of all kinds." He explained. "He's been spreading news all over the villages that there are zombies at large that eat brains. If he wants to see them so bad, he should go to the Forsaken Barrows or trespass in the castle of Gaikoz."

"How did he get in here then?"

"He wandered in many places until he convinced the city mayor to let him start a business out of those mutated plants. And it seems that he is pretty bad at marketing."

"Well, he does have a broken speech pattern." I added while giggling. It was then I noticed his grim face fading and replaced by a blush. He didn't seem to notice me staring.

"I-I'll go to the principal's office." I stood up and turned my back on him. Ryan grabbed my wrist before I could start walking.

"We can fix this mess," he said. "And you'll get us into trouble."

"But what if Principal Lothos sees this? She'll call the attention of the student body."

Ryan didn't answer me. He went over to the large trash bin where he took two rakes and two broomsticks. It didn't take long when he arrived with the materials.

What really bothered me is that he was carrying all of them with his two hands, holding them up like a giant boulder that could've squished him.

Nobody told me that he possesses this kind of physical strength.

"What's…with all those stuff?" I asked, completely stupefied. Why can't he just get a wagon or a pushcart?

"It's been made a policy to spray fertilizers," Ryan replied when he tossed a face mask at me as I caught them on my hands. "Or in case we run out of them, we can always go for human and animal waste."

Human and animal waste.

I think I want to puke.

Lunch break came. I just got my quiz results and I haven't checked them yet. My tummy's been begging for food since this morning. And this is the day I regretted skipping breakfast.

Elesis and Arme didn't wait for me outside our classroom today. Maybe they're busy with other things. But I'm glad that they are. I needed some time alone –

"BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-NANA! BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-NANA! BANANA-AH-AH!"

What's that sound?

"For fuck's sake, turn that thing off right now!" Is that….Ryan?

"Amy!" Elesis yelled at Amy, who is shaking her kleiophone and then slamming the mic on the floor.

"I can't!" Amy retorted. "It has a mind of its own!" She looked around nervously when she waved her arm. "Yoohoo! Arme! How do you reverse the spell for this thing?!"

"You used up the mana leak for that?!" I heard Arme's squeaky voice shouting at the short distance.

"I didn't do anything! It just went on like this and now I can't make it stop!"

"POTATO-NA-AH-AH! BANANA-AH-AH!"

"What in the world is going on in here?" Principal Lothos stepped out of her office and looked around. Amy let out a squeal as she hid her kleiophone behind her back.

As I observed Ryan, I've never seen him look even more pissed. Does he hate corny music?

Elesis covered for Amy as she shielded her. "Oh, Principal Lothos! What a pleasant surprise!" she grinned at the principal whose narrow gaze stemmed tension around them.

"Miss Plie," the principal eyed Amy. "Would you mind explaining about that noise?"

"I-It's not my fault!" the latter retorted as she jabbed a forefinger in front of her. "That girl did it! She leaked some mana into my weapon!"

Principal Lothos' eyes widened. "A…mana leak?"

"I-I can explain!" Arme arrived on the spot as she bowed. "I was testing on my magic research about mana leaking!"

"Are you permitted to do so?"

"But I can explain this matter to Miss Elena. So please, let me fix this mess." She pleaded.

By the looks of it, I don't think I should go over there and stand between them. Of all the smallest incidents I've witnessed, this is the most devastating.

Why did I even bother looking at this? I'm starving and I need to eat right away –

"Where are you going?"

I swear I will get a heart attack.

I sighed. "I'm eating in the garden then I'll continue our duty."

"Been there, done that." I am really confused. Why is Ryan being so taciturn today? That's not him at all.

"Ryan, I'm worried!" I can't help but to vent it all out. "You're starting to freak me out! Where's your usual happy aura?!"

"My what?" He stared at me wide-eyed. "Lire – "

"I couldn't stand seeing you like that! Should I report the incident earlier to the principal?!"

"You're out of your mind. I already got it sorted out!"

"Huh…?" My tantrum mojo is gone. "Y…You…did?"

"Edel called her servants to tidy it all up. I used some of my magic to create a barrier from harmful microorganisms." As he explained, I couldn't react. How did he manage to do it so quickly?

And why did he make Edel hire her servants?!

"So…what did you do to the seeds I left?" I asked.

"I burned them."

What?

"Y-You… burned – "

"Before you yell at me, let's move somewhere else. We're about to become a hot topic around here."

I don't believe this. Why did he burn those seeds? I needed them, even when some of them would grow into dangerous mutated plants. I thought I could use them to protect our home from monsters and zombies that could possibly enter our area.

I said these lines to Ryan as soon as we got to an area where no one would possibly be snooping on us.

"First of all, those plants will destroy your crops. What if it harms Elves?" he answered my question while my mind is screaming more of them. But then I get his point. He just doesn't want me harmed.

"Okay. So why are you having those mood swings?" As I ask him this, he was taken aback.

It took him a while to answer my question as he exhaled a sigh.

"Alright. I just can't stand those annoying music like the one you heard from Dave's shop. This morning, I made some herbal medicine for my sister and Rocco knocked the bowl out of the table. That took me hours to prepare!"

I felt a pang of guilt. As soon as he goes on, he's going to mention the fire, which I cannot bear to hear any longer.

"Okay, okay!" I cut him off as I smiled. "Thank you for opening up to me. You see, I was just worried about you. For now, let's have our lunch before – " My stomach growled just in time as I laughed sheepishly. "A-ahahahaha, I haven't eaten a thing this morning and – "

"Seriously?" He's giving me That Look again.

I swallowed. "Don't mind what I said~ shall we get going?"

"Ohhh-kayyy… just one question."

"Hmm?"

"Did you leave the water running?"

UPDATE: 01.11.16