Disclaimer: Harvest Moon is NOT mine. It's Natsume's. This is only for fun and I don't win any money with it.
So, hope you like this third chapter.
Chapter 3
This was just a symbol, wasn't it? Just why? Everything seemed so nice. Why does it turn upside down?
I've got the feeling that this was a symbol saying that it is going to be a failure. I don't want to accept it, so I hope that my rebellious self takes the lead role here. Till then, I'll just smile, trying to figure something out.
Gretel didn't want to stand up. She was still shocked from what had happened at night. It was already her third day in Sephyr Town and it was already the day she wanted to return home. It was like all her hopes were destroyed.
"Come on, Gretel. It was nothing. It was just, maybe he was just doing a night round, he didn't plan anything. He thought you were a thief or something. Come on Gretel. Be a big girl and stand up. Stand up or your plants will die." She said to herself.
After 10 minutes she managed to stand up and prepare some coffee. She went outside still in her pyjamas, but she didn't care, the plants wouldn't care if she watered them in high heels or in a pyjama, so, she did it as if it was normal.
She did it really fast, so she returned to her home and took a shower. Then she went out and looked in the mailbox, just in case some letter was there.
There wasn't anything, so she just sighed and went away from her farm.
While walking there was only one thing in her mind. Ivan. She still remembered his face on the day before, his concerned face, and then that sad expression, as if nobody would understand you. Just like when you say something and nobody notices it's you the one who's talking. Always being rejected, even if you want to help.
It was something strange, a strange expression, but it just broke her heart. It was like she hurt him, and she didn't like hurting people.
She noticed something. A flower. A really beautiful flower, so she picked it up carefully and then ran to Ivan's house, having an idea.
She knocked at the door, and then waited for the response.
It was Ivan who opened.
"Oh, Gretel, it's you." He said.
She gave him the flower.
"It's for you, since I really treated you rudely, so, this is my way of saying 'sorry'." Gretel said.
"I cannot believe it. Gretel, it's me the one who should be apologizing. I almost gave you a heart attack yesterday. It is all my fault. Thanks a lot, Gretel. Truly." Ivan said, emotionally.
"You have to put it in a vase quickly, otherwise it will wit." Gretel said.
"Yes, you're right. Do you want to come in? I want you to pick the vase. It is your flower, after all." Ivan said, inviting her.
Gretel came in. She saw a shelf filled up with books. At the end of the room she noticed two doors, and supposed they were Dirk and Ivan's rooms.
She followed him to the kitchen, it was a small house, but still it was lovely.
"Come on, pick one vase up. You can choose." Ivan said.
She picked the blue vase up and gave it to Ivan.
"So, finished. I'll put it here, so it will get enough light. It's a beautiful flower the one you got, don't you think? It's really hard to find one. I think it's meaning was 'Hope' or something like that. I don't remember anymore. I know I once gave one to my grandpa. Oh, well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Ivan said, sighing and looking distant.
"Well, it's time for me to leave. I'm just in the way, so, I'm going. Also, I promised Dirk I would let him visit my farm." Gretel quickly said.
"Oh, yeah. He said something like that yesterday. He's in the back, in his room. Come on, you can enter. Our house is your house." Ivan said. "Oh, well, I guess you don't want to come in. Don't worry, I'll call him." He rectified when he saw Gretel's expression.
He disappeared into the inside of the house and came back with a following Dirk.
"Yo, Gretel! What's up?" He said in a child-like way.
"Hey, Dirk. Let's go, so it won't be too hot." Gretel said, going out.
They both arrived at the farm before noon.
"Well, I don't know what you want to do here, but this is my farm. I'm going to teach you how to water the plants, since it's the only thing I've got here. Maybe, wouldn't it be better to do this another time, when I've got more things?" Gretel asked.
"Nope, it's no problem. I'll watch how you water the turnips." Dirk said.
"They are already watered, that's a problem. Oh, well, we can draw a sign if you want." Gretel said.
"A sign? Oh! I'm good at drawing. Do you have any pens? I want to draw!" Dirk said.
Gretel looked around in her backpack, finding a package of colour pens. They stared at the sign and Dirk started to draw some figures.
"You go, Gretel! Start drawing some stars in the right corner. Let me work here." He said.
She just obeyed. While drawing the background she let the other boy draw the main figure, still without knowing what it was.
They spent some hours like that, and tired, they decided to stop for a bit, so they lied on the ground.
After that Dirk stood up and finished the drawing.
It was a perfect drawing of the portraits of every villager, and in the centre there was a big Gretel, smiling.
"Oh, GOSH! This is perfect, Dirk! How did you learn drawing?" She said.
"Well, Ivan teached me, but then I improved my technique with some books." He responded.
"I see that Ivan has done a good job with you."
"Yeah, so, well. I think we've nothing else to do, so, do you want to go somewhere else?" Dirk asked.
"Why not?" Gretel answered.
"I don't know. Do you want to go to the café? I'll invite you." He politely said.
"Yeah, okay." Gretel said.
They spent some hours in the café, talking to random people that visited it. When the sun was pretty low in the horizon she decided to part ways and wait for the sunset in her recently-discovered spot. Once she got there, she sat down and stared at the sun recovering her energy.
"I see I'm not the only one that likes this place. I'm glad someone understands my point of view when I say this is the best spot in town." She heard someone say.
"Huh, Ivan?" She asked.
"That's my name." He replied.
Gretel stood up and turned around, there he was. The boy she had seen the most in these three days. The boy that had managed to almost give her a heart attack, but then had apologized repeatedly.
"There you are again." She said smiling. "So, you like this spot?"
"Yes, it's the perfect place to relax. I also get to examine the animals that live around here, so I love it. It's not the centre of the village, so it isn't full of noisy sounds. Don't say it's not perfect." Ivan explained.
"Yes, I fell in love with this small spot. You get to see the last sunrays from the top of the city. It's so beautiful." Gretel supported him.
They stayed some minutes like that, without talking. Finally she decided to break the silence.
"So, you…You teach?" Gretel asked.
"Yes, I do. I'm a teacher at the city. I love children. They are really nice and well mannered. I also home-school Cindy and Lauren here, they are also good students." He answered.
"Nice. I have never done something involving children. My job was a waitress at my old town. Now I'm a farmer. It's okay, I think." She said.
"Maybe, maybe one day you can come with us to tell the children about your work, I'm sure they will like it." He suggested.
"Us?" Was the only thing Gretel decided to ask.
"Yes, Freya and I. We both go to work at the city, so we go together. I'm sure you two would be good friends." He said.
"Uh, yeah. Okay…if you insist." Gretel answered. "Anyway, I got to go."
The girl left and went to her house, sitting on the grass watching the sunset from her farm. She went to see the mailbox. There was a letter inside.
I'm sorry for not talking to you when you needed help, and instead sending you a letter.
Here's a little present from me.
Another small gold amount was next to the letter. She smiled at the letter and told herself that she was going to do the best.
"Thanks Lloyd." She said out loud.
She smiled at the sun and at everything.
"I'm sure this isn't anything. I'm going to do this job, I'm not going to turn around." She said to herself.
She also wanted to know what Ivan was doing late at night so she put dark clothes on, a robe and went outside waiting for him by the waterfall.
She waited for long hours. By Midnight she saw Ivan's figure walking towards her, so she stood up and ran to him.
"Ivan, is it you?" She asked.
"Gretel? What are you doing here outside?" He said.
"I'm going to go with you, I want to know why you where out." She replied.
"I don't mean to be rude, but it's not your problem." Ivan said.
"I can't imagine this really polite and kind Ivan walking around the outside of the town at midnight, it just doesn't make sense. And yesterday, instead of letting me go, you dragged me to light, without giving me a chance to say who I was. 'That' is suspicious." Gretel explained.
"Oh, well, you win. Come with me, I'm watching over the town." Ivan said.
"Thee hee…It's like if you were another Ivan at night." She teased him.
"You have to be quiet if you want to know what I'm doing." He shut her up.
Then they walked around for some minutes and ended up at her house.
"Don't worry, I'm not doing anything. Go to sleep, I bet you're tired. Good night, Gretel." He said turning around.
'Oh, well, he wins. But I have the feeling he's hiding something, something that could be important. I'll have to win his confidence, it seems.' She said to herself, then she changed her clothes and went to sleep.
Well, that's all folks! I hope you liked this chapter. If you review you get a cookie! (:3 Om nom nom) So, you know, review. (Still, I think I can do better when writing) Please, tell me what you think about this chapter, and if you want to suggest something, don't doubt about it. ^_