Akko continues to help Lotte try and gain confidence in herself, but progress is slow. Sometimes, however, the best way to move forward is to take one step back, and take a break! Maybe a quiet night spent together will do some good?
Chapter 4
In Akko's Room, 7:57 PM. All is calm as Lotte takes a seat on her bed, her feet dangling over Akko's. She's tired after a long day, but starts to read a book nonetheless. Only seconds after opening the novel, however…
"Argh!"
The door to the room bursts open, and Akko storms in with a sour look on her face.
"Stupid Diana…" she grumbles. "If I have to hear her tell me to keep looking for keys one more time, I'm going to take the next one I find and shove it up her-"
"Akko?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, Lotte. I didn't see you there." With a sigh, Akko takes a seat on her bed below Lotte. "I'm just a little frustrated right now, didn't mean to ramble so loudly…" Lotte drops down and sits beside her.
"What's up?"
"Diana was being a jerk and lecturing me for not doing enough to help fix the flow of time. It's not like I want to be stuck in the first day of summer forever either, but she could at least be a little nicer about it!"
Lotte frowns for a moment, but then puts a hand on Akko's shoulder and tries to smile.
"I'm sure Diana means well, Akko. I know you two don't always see eye to eye, but you're both equally important parts of the team, and she probably wants to make sure everyone is working their hardest. You shouldn't take it personally."
"Yeah, I guess you're right…"
"Besides, you're helping me out, aren't you?" Lotte says. "That's a good use of your time…Or I think it is, at least." Akko perks up a bit.
"No, it's definitely a good use of time," she says. "I've never regretted a minute spent with you, Lotte!"
Her friend blushes, and looks away embarrassedly.
"Ah…You're too nice, Akko…"
Akko grins, and then notices the dark-covered book in the redhead's hands.
"Whatcha reading?" she asks curiously. "The newest Night Fall?"
Lotte shakes her head, her glasses shifting as she does.
"Annabel hasn't finished the latest volume yet, but I'm really excited for when it comes out so I'm rereading the whole series from the beginning."
"Wow, that's some dedication! How many volumes are there, exactly?"
"Currently, 365."
"Heh?! And you're going to reread all of them?!"
"Yep!" Lotte nods happily, and then she clutches her book to her chest. "This first volume will always be my favorite, though. It brings back a lot of memories…"
There's a brief but awkward silence. Lotte quickly clears her throat and continues, although her tone is a bit more somber now.
"I was pretty lonely growing up, you know. Even now, I'm fairly quiet and timid, but back then I rarely ever talked to other kids my age. They didn't want to talk or play with me either, because I was so quiet." She takes a moment to wipe a smudge off of her eyeglasses, and then resumes. "For a while, it was hard, and sometimes I wished I could fit in better."
"Sniff…sniff…"
"A-are you alright, Akko? Your eyes look a little red."
"I'm…I'm not crying!"
"Hehe, I never said you were."
"Thinking about little Lotte looking lonely is just making me emotional…But please, continue!"
"Where was I…Oh, right! I felt like I had no one I could relate to…But then, I found this."
Lotte turns her book around and holds it out to Akko, who gently takes it and gives it a look. It's just a regular hardcover copy of Night Fall, Volume I, but she can tell from the worn cover that it's been well used and loved by Lotte.
"Suddenly, it was like a whole new world had been opened up to me," Lotte says. "In the story, Edgar and Belle, the two protagonists, go on all sorts of adventures throughout time and space. They travel to feudal Japan, or Mars, or ancient Egypt, or anywhere else, and they save the world and change history countless times!" She has a sparkle in her eye as she speaks, and Akko can't help but be drawn in by her enthusiasm.
"Each adventure felt unique, and I loved reading about all of the different settings, but the characters were really what made Night Fall special to me. I always looked up to Belle, the main heroine. She's smart, and funny, and kind, and always does what's right. Through an accident, she travels through time and meets Edgar, a dashing vampire from the Middle Ages that's strong, and brave, and courageous, and just a little too stubborn."
Lotte's expression turns dreamy, and she seems distracted. It takes Akko tapping her on the shoulder for her to continue.
"Oh! So…Belle gets into trouble a lot in the stories, getting captured or imprisoned or kidnapped often, and Edgar is always there to save her. It's cliché, and maybe a little narrow-minded, but…secretly, I really like the idea of someone always being there for you, no matter how much trouble you're in. To me, it's sweet and romantic…"
Again, Lotte loses focus, her head in the clouds and her cheeks pink as she fantasizes. This time, Akko kicks her lightly and coughs.
"Ah, my bad!"
"You seem really passionate about this," Akko says. "Are there many fans who like it as much as you do?"
"For sure! That was the other thing I was going to mention. Give me a moment…"
Lotte jumps onto the top bunk and returns with her crystal ball in hand. With a few taps and scrolls, she pulls up a webpage and shows it to Akko.
"What's this…? Are these all stories about Night Fall, Lotte?"
"Mhmm. Fanfiction, it's called. There are hundreds of thousands about Night Fall, since the series is so popular and it's been around for a long time." Lotte beams as she clicks through the pages to show the depth of the content. "There are some really good ones, ones that even Annabel herself says she enjoys…There are also some, uh, more questionable stories."
"When Night Falls, The Beast Within Rises," Akko says slowly as she reads out a title, prompting Lotte to quickly change the page.
"Aha…Don't pay any attention to that, Akko."
"Huh? I don't understand. Didn't the little star icon in the corner mean that was one of your favorites?"
"Akko."
"I'll be quiet."
"Anyways," Lotte says as she turns off her crystal ball, "there are also tons of blogs and chatrooms for people to who like to talk about Night Fall, and I met a lot of friends online like that. So finding that first volume of Night Fall in my library really changed everything for me…"
Lotte has a distant but pleasant expression on her face as she reminisces about good times. The sight makes Akko's heart feel full as well, and she gives her red-haired friend a warm pat on the back as she returns the novel to her hands.
"Well, if you loved it so much, I think I want to try reading it too," Akko says.
"R-really?!"
"Whoa, no need to get so excited! But…yeah! I'm not much of a fan of teen fiction, but I think it could be a good time if we read it together."
"Oh, together…?"
"When I was little, my mom and I would always read a book together out loud before I went to sleep, taking turns…But if it's a dumb idea and you don't want to, I'd understand."
"No…I'd love to do that with you, Akko!"
"Ah, great! Open it up and we can start right now!"
"A-ah, right! Here we go…How about I do the voice for Belle, and you can read Edgar's parts?"
"Works for me! But what about the narrator?"
"Hmm…We can split it. Although I'll probably end up reading more, knowing how lazy you are."
"…You're the best, Lotte."
"Aha…Well, let's start. Ahem. I'd never given much thought to how I should live, but…"
A few hours later, 11:48 PM…
"'Remember to breathe', I mumbled jokingly. She took a long breath, her eyes still closed...Whew."
Finally finished, Akko shuts the book and places it down next on the bed next to her. She's sleepy, having been at it for almost four hours.
"That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, Lotte. Maybe a little overdramatic at times, but…Huh?"
Lotte has already fallen asleep, her head leaning on her friend's shoulder. Her red hair tickles Akko's neck with each quiet breath she takes. How long had she been out?
…How had Akko not noticed earlier?
"I wonder how she can sleep like this," Akko mumbles. "My shoulder can't be that comfortable…" Despite her words, she sees that Lotte looks quite content resting her head next to Akko's. With the same dreamy expression from before, Lotte suddenly smiles in her sleep.
"Mm…Edgar…"
"You're so adorable, Lotte…Aw, I guess I'll wake you up if I move. Sorry…"
But she can't bring herself to disturb the sleeping beauty. With a loud yawn, Akko submits to her exhaustion and closes her eyes.
"Goodnight, Lotte."
Within a minute, both are asleep, breathing softly as they lean on each other.
