Today was the thirtieth day of the great competition between Gearworks and The Titanium Welder.— the very last day.
But neither group had returned yet.
That idea didn't seem to bother Eve and Chung too much, though— of course, really, Chung should've been more worried about his friends.
The two were fast asleep on the couch in her living room, Eve's head resting against the crook of Chung's neck. They hadn't worked much today, mostly because it was such a lovely day, and there were too many lovey-dovey things going on around here for them to focu—
"Not now!" Eve suddenly jerked awake. She pounced from the couch– "This isn't the time for detailed narration!" Going to her desk and grabbing a pencil, she scribbled something down in a notebook rapidly.
"Eve..?" The blond boy rubbed his left eye. "Something the matter...?"
With one last mark, Eve slammed the pencil flat on the desk. "It is done." Chung groggily walked up behind her and looked over her tiny shoulder. "The study is complete," she said carefully, as if the words she said could possibly be untrue.
A silence— not awkward or emotional or even tense, but just a simple silence— floated between them, and Moby and Remy hovered around while Eve stared blankly at her notes and Chung at them as well. The drones began a game of tag, making circles around the two people.
"It is..." With a small amount of surprise, Eve turned to Chung, "actually done, Chung. Your assistance truly aided in my research. My gratitude, to you."
He laughed lightly at her way of thanking him before hugging her with one arm. "Anything for you Eve!"
Once he released her, Eve turned her attention to Oberon who stood nearby. A blue floating screen appeared in front of her. "Oberon, please tell Ophelia to make Chrysanthemum tea, will you?" As he retreated, Eve vigorously typed away. "The next order of business is to submit the information to the Congress of Engineers, then we can officially close the research on ancient nasods."
The silver haired girl began walking back to couch without looking up from her typing, deeply serious about the task; so serious, in fact, that Chung tugged on her arm, pulling her away from the coffee table she was about to bump into. "This way Eve. Watch out."
"Thank you."
The living room was a very common place the two of them had hung out in the last weeks of his stay. Chung had learned plenty while he was staying, and there was much to share with Elsword and Aisha that they didn't already know. A sense of eagerness was in him as thought of seeing their joyful and reassuring faces again.
... However, today was his and Eve's last day together. "Hey Eve, today is the thirtieth day of the competition."
"Yes, it is." Ophelia approached with a tea that had a yellow flower floating upon the steaming water. Eve began to sip it with one hand while skillfully typing with the other.
"So then, when the groups return and the competition is over..." Chung honestly didn't want to mention it, or even to think about it, but not knowing would just pain him more later, "are you going to move on to a new town?"
Her tea cup halted a centimeter from her lips. Eve's face didn't express or change in emotion, but Chung could tell that he'd struck something in her, and the gears in her head were turning at that very moment. Deliberately, her eyes turned from the work before her. "Yes. I will be leaving for the next town." Eve's hand swiped over the blue screen and it disappeared into thin air. "I must continue my duties as The Minister of Mechanics." She set her cup of tea down on the coffee table and looked Chung in his eyes.
"Ah... I-I see..." He rubbed his left arm awkwardly, the topic suddenly going in a bad direction."I suppose I better get used to hearing and addressing you by your official title again."
"I..." Eve picked up her tea, lips slightly thinned, "apologize. Greatly. It, perhaps, is the hardest thing I have to do now."
Moby and Remy came over to Chung and rubbed against his shins. With a tiny smile, he picked up one of them and pet it softly. "Hey there Moby." Moby looked at him innocently, earning a smile from the blonde. Chung really felt strongly, but he just couldn't quite look Eve in the face and say his last words. "Can you send a message to your owner for me?"
A message? The act itself was peculiar enough to catch Eve's attention.
"Tell her that I'm very happy to have gotten to learn things from her." Chung mumbled lowly with a blush. She caught his words though.
"You are very much welcome Chung." Eve replied. "And I'm very much obliged, as well."
"And also..." Chung kept talking, this time looking at Eve instead of Moby—this last thing, he had to say to her face. "... let her know that..."
He placed the drone down on the ground and moved close enough to hug Eve tightly. " ... I'm glad she chose to open up to me." She was warm in his arms, and inside something was piling up. Like a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers— whichever was heavier.
As Chung turned away and released her, Moby, being machinery and all, followed exact orders and delivered the message to Eve in codes. She proceeded to slapping the little drone gently.
A clock's alarm rang in the living room. There were fifteen minutes until a full thirty days passed. The two would have to leave now.
"We should get going, Chung."
And with those words, he snapped back into the present. "Huh? Oh of course, Minister."
The sound of her title and not her name coming from him made her suddenly irritated. There was something unpleasant having to hear it again. Was it an effect of her feelings? Ridiculous, to feel this way.
Ultimately, if it weren't for Chung, she'd have not discovered the truth of ancient nasods. And with the new knowledge of alchemy, the field of technology and machinery could expand in numerous and miraculous ways. She'd probably learned just as much from him as he from her.
The two stepped outside into the last rays of the gorgeous sunset, shining hues of gold and orange. The portal was there in front of them, waiting for them to enter and go through to the other side. Eve activated it, and the swirly void reappeared to suck Chung back. Without much hesitation, Chung walked right in, disappearing into the strange black void.
Eve couldn't understand herself, though, why she did not want to return to the town. Perhaps, it was these feelings that were so strong for the boy. They greatly conflicted with her role as the Minister, and she couldn't have that happen.
But then again, the thought of giving up her role for him didn't bother her as much as she thought before. There must've been something that made sacrifice for love such a plausible option all of a sudden. Was there something she could weigh in? Some natural formula to understand it all better?
What were Chung's exact words again? He said that he would explode if he couldn't be with her. He loved her. But he also explained his definition, didn't he? When you're willing to do anything for that person, that's when you love them. So perhaps what made sacrificial love plausible was the significance of the individual.
Did she see Chung as equal, as significant, compared to all her life's work? He was practically crushed underneath all the accomplishments she'd experienced. But somehow, he still equaled... Somewhere near the same. That made a difference.
Eve had probably been standing in front of the portal for an extra seven minutes longer than she'd intended— probably. Regardless of the whole love problem, she still had a duty to fulfill. To hand out an important title.
Eve stepped through the portal and disappeared through to the other side.