"Tra la la~" Dessie sung happily as she coloured what appeared to be a map beside me with crayons and paper she had materialised from out of nowhere.
"Uh… Des?" I whispered nervously as I glanced around the Garden Grill to see if anyone was watching us. Well, if anyone was watching the local farmer whispering to herself. "Can other people see the crayons and paper you're using? They're not just… Floating randomly in mid air to everyone else?"
Dessie glanced up from her drawing and blinked, "Of course not, silly. If I let them see that then they'd be able to see the top secret super special rescue mission plan I'm making!"
"Top secret super…? Dessie what's going on? You know you can't just come in here when I'm having dinner…"
"Why not? I think this is a very nice place to discuss our mission. There's a piano playing pretty music here and it's too hot outside…" She pouted slightly and leaned over to steal a slice of pizza from my plate.
"I know it's nice in here Dessie, but the others can't see you. If they look at me then it'll just look like I'm talking to myself, they'll think I'm weird…" I glanced around once again to survey the restaurant. Luckily it was fairly empty but I knew it wouldn't be long until the place filled up. When Dessie had appeared besides me as I entered the building I immediately knew I'd have to find the table most tucked away to get through my meal.
Dessie shrugged and continued colouring, "Don't worry, silly. We need to brainstorm how to wake Witchie up from her slumber now that Lulukoko is open to everyone again."
"Who's Witchie?" I asked defeatedly as I picked up another slice of pizza.
"Oh she's the Witch Princess. Haven't you heard of her?
I gasped, "Y-You're trying to wake up The Witch Princess?"
The Witch Princess was just as recognised as The Harvest Goddess. The Witch Princess was a dark counterpart to the Goddesses' light. They were like yin and yang, conflicting yet interdependent on each other. Whilst the stories I had heard about the Harvest Goddess as a child were about her being worshipped and bestowing love to her followers, the tales I heard of the Witch Princess were spooky stories around a fire. The type that was meant to scare children into behaving, like a tale of Santa Claus and his naughty list. According to stories, The Witch Princess was an anti-social and mischievous person who liked to cause trouble for the Goddess. In one tale, she turned the Harvest Goddess to stone. In another, she would visit farmers who let their animals die and congratulate them. She was chaos.
"Well… Kinda! We're not waking the actual Witch Princess up, none of us know where she actually is… But we're going to wake her niece up! We're friends."
I nodded slowly. What Dessie was telling me was very odd. So odd that it was hard to believe, until I realised that I was sitting in the Garden Grill talking to the Harvest Goddesses' own niece.
A familiar voice approaching brought me back to reality and reinforced the absurdity of the situation I currently found myself in.
"Oh Nanami, it's nice to see you! Doesn't Lisette usually eat with you?" greeted Brad, the owner of the restaurant I was currently sitting in. I glanced up to see Ford and Wayne standing with him. Hopefully it didn't look like I was talking to myself…
"Usually," I smiled politely, "but since the entrance to Lulukoko is finally open she wanted to investigate the flowers that are growing there currently."
"It's good that you're here actually." Brad smiled in return as he sat down at my table, gesturing at Wayne and Ford to do the same. Wayne seated at the chair besides me without question, but Ford seemed to hesitate before sitting down at my table.
"We were just talking about how Ford is a rare breed of thick-headed man. You must have noticed, too, right?" chuckled Wayne as he gestured to Ford.
Dessie, who thankfully was completely invisible to the locals who has just joined me, glanced up from her paper and giggled. "Look Nami, your boyfriend is hear!" She proceeded to make smooching sounds as I willed my body not to react to her comment.
"Wayne, could you please refrain from sprouting such nonsense in front of Nanami? I am in no way "thickheaded". After all, someone who can't understand a person's heart is incapable of being a doctor." Ford sighed and rubbed his brows. He didn't attempt to glance at me as he mentioned my name.
I'd usually see Ford eating to the Garden Grill in the evenings with Brad and Wayne, but hadn't interacted with Ford since he attended to my arm after the incident with Wayne's fangirls. I was still grateful for Ford's help that day and hoped that by making sure to smile and greet him in passing we could build a friendship but… Ford was Ford. That seemed to be the explanation many people gave for Ford's stern behaviour towards others.
"Oh, yeah?" Wayne raised an eyebrow, "Mind telling us about what happened one more time, then? About that girl who has been going to your clinic a whole lot recently… Something happened with her, right?"
"Hmph. As I said before, nothing all that noteworthy happened, but…She had been coming to the clinic for a while due to an injury. And just the other day, her treatment finally finished." Ford explained, "But when I told her she wouldn't have to come in anymore she immediately rejected the idea. Then she started saying things like, "But I want to say by your side, Doctor Ford."
I bit my lip slightly, trying not to smile at Ford's obliviousness. It was amusing seeing his obvious commitment to being a serious and professional doctor, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl who had most likely had her heart broken by the way Ford's tale was going. "It sounds like she's in love with you…" I said quietly.
"Exactly Nanami, at least you have the right idea." agreed Wayne as he turned back to direct Ford, "And? What was it you said to her again?"
Ford paused, most likely expecting to be teased again for whatever his response was. It was still odd seeing Brad, Wayne and Ford's friendship together. Ford seemed too introverted and different to his friends that it confused me how they had found each other. Then again, maybe their differences was what made their friendship work.
"... I merely told her that since her wounds had healed there was no reason for her to come back. And that I didn't understand why she'd come if there was no point. Having someone perfectly healthy hanging around the clinic would just be a nuisance. Of course, she said she understood, but then for some reason, she burst into tears as she left the clinic… But that's all that happened."
"Oh is that all?! Geez you're such a..." Brad sighed aggravatedly, obviously his previous attempts to explain the truth behind the situation to Ford had not registered. "How exactly do you see the situation, then?"
Ford blinked. "... As far as I can tell, as the young lady underwent treatment, she probably grew an interest in the medicinal arts. I think it's wonderful that she wants to soak in as much knowledge from me as possible, but… A clinic is a place for treating illnesses and wounds. It's not the sort of place that a healthy person should swing by just to chat."
"...Sheez. No matter how many times I hear that story, it still blows me away. That poor girl…" Wayne said has he took his hat off and rubbed his forehead.
My attention was diverted from the back and forth exchange between the three friends as Dessie tugged on my sleeve gently. I felt a small pang of guilt as I remembered that she was still there at the table waiting expectantly to discuss her rescue mission with me. I offered her a brief smile distractedly as I diverted my attention back to the debate unfolding before me. I knew I couldn't offer any more of a response to her without look odd. A few moments later I heard a loud sigh, when I turned back to look at Dessie she was gone.
"How about you, Nanami?" Brad asked from across the table.
"Hm? Sorry?" I glanced up quickly.
"I said, what do you make of all this? Do you think Ford's reaction was too cold?"
"Ford's reaction?" Of course it could be interpreted as being cold and I could see why the girl was upset but… Ford was Ford. I could sympathise with him. It was a doctor's response. "I think it was a logical response for a doctor." I answered.
"What?! Are you kidding me right now, Nanami?" Brad gasped and slammed his hand on the table, making me let out a squeak of surprise.
It seemed the obvious answer to me, I couldn't say something mean. I glanced up at Ford, what appeared to be a ghost of a smile crept up on his lips as he spoke. "You think so, too, hm? Absolutely? I'm glad you're here. If not for you then these people would have continued to label me unfairly as a boneheaded man. Anyhow, now that I'm feeling better I must excuse myself. My next appointment is coming up." Ford stood and left the restaurant before any of us could say anything. Brad still seemed shocked by my response for whatever reason but the small victory of Ford being glad for my presence was enough.
Brad sighed and rested her head in his hand, "Man this is just depressing now. Nanami, could it be that you're actually just as dense as Ford?"
"Huh?" Wayne responded before I had the chance to. "What she said earlier was just her sympathising with Ford. Right, Nanami?"
"Right." I nodded quickly, "I don't think he understood the situation like you did but I didn't want to make him feel bad."
"Oh! I getcha! So that's what it was. Thank goodness, we only need one bonehead when it comes to romance. Y'know, he kept going on and on about how he wasn't a bonehead, but me thinks the doctor doth protests too much."
Wayne laughed, "He's so dense that it's actually kind of refreshing. I guess you could say it's part of his charm."
Moving around so much as I was growing up meant that most of my relationships, apart from my familial ones, were temporary. When you're little you think the ties you make with other people are strong enough to last distances and that the friendships you made will stay the same. As I got older I began to realise that wasn't the case, that relationships wouldn't last for long so to stop myself from grieving the loss of a friend I just stopped making them. But right now, as I live in my little shack, on what will become the farm of my dreams, surrounded by so many interesting people that have taken the time to talk and get to know me… I hope this is something permanent. I like being talked to, being approached. I like feeling a part of something. I hope I don't have to leave this place.
"Funnily enough, Ford is actually quite popular with the ladies despite the way he acts." chuckled Brad.
"Ford's popular with the ladies? That poor girl at the clinic isn't the only one?" I smiled, and I joined in with their laughing. I'm a part of something… And getting to talk to Wayne without being heckled by a crowd of women was a nice bonus.
Brad nodded, "They don't go crazy over him like they do with Wayne, but… Girls who'll just come out and proclaim their love for him do appear every now and again. I've seen it happen before. According to Carrie they call him "The Crystal King". But the guy's clueless when it comes to how women think. I just don't get why they're so crazy over him."
"Really? I think I can get why Ford's so popular with the ladies. If someone who is always aloof and doesn't smile much only smiles at you… There's something really special and heartracing about that. Don'tcha think, Nanami?" Wayne glanced at me and smiled.
"I think so, it makes a person feel really special." I smiled back.
"I guess that makes sense…" Brad ran a hand through his hair and smiled, "But it doesn't matter HOW popular with the ladies he is. As long as he's so dense, he's never going to get a girlfriend."
"Ha ha, no doubt. If there IS a woman out there who could handle Ford. They've either gotta be even more thickheaded than him or… They gotta be someone who understands Ford's awkward attempts at kindness."