Chapter 8 Part 3: Competition.
People gather around. "Now we will announce a winner for each competition, and the one who got the top score combined at the end. Now, for the fishing competition, the winner is Team Marcust. Congratulations!" People clap as he is handed a ribbon and everyone in his team gets a medal each.
"For the swimming competition, the Pink Birds with the lead swimmer, Millie!" the announcer yells.
"Huh? What did I-" Millie accepts the swimming medal and looks at the girls looking at theirs.
"And for the valley ball match, Team Marcust is the winner," the announcer congratulates.
The winner for the sandcastle competition was a family and their kid. Millie smiled at their warm smiles as her gaze turns to the announcer again.
"And the one with the highest overall score is Team Marcusen!" the announcer yells. People clapped as the man handed the kid a trophy and a big bouquet of flowers. Stanty's smile reached from ear to ear as his cheeks turned red.
Millie watches him look around himself before his face drops. "Congratulations, another cheer for Markusen's team!" the announcer yells, and everyone cheers as Stanty forces forth a smile.
After some time, people begin to scatter around a bit, and Millie makes her way through the crowd.
"Stanty! Stanty!" she lets out a little loudly but her voice still calm and gentle.
She looks around and runs through the crowd, following his scent. She gets out of the cluster of people, and she runs after the blond boy. "Stanty," she lets out, and he turns towards her. "Oh, it's you," he utters.
"Are you crying?" she asks. And he quickly snags the tear from his cheek and looks at his hand. "Whatever," he says disappointedly and takes a few steps, and she runs over. "Mister Stanty, please tell me why, why is your heart hurting?"
"The way you asked that is pathetic. You sound like a child, you know," he says and turns to her, expecting a defensive look, but all that is seen on Millie's face is care and concern.
"I do not mean to intrude; you just-I mean, I saw you looking a little sad, so I got worried," she says.
"There is nothing to be worried about. I mean, after all the work I have put in, and the guy couldn't be bothered to even show up..." he looks at his reflection in the trophy. "Not sure what I expected," he says, and his medals clink together, and his face frowns. "I worked really hard on this too, and the bastard couldn't be bothered to show up!" he yells, snatching the medals and throwing them away.
"Are you feeling abandoned or overlooked? Or undervalued?" Millie asks.
"Just be quiet," he snaps. It gets silent, and he looks behind him and at her face, and she gives an accepting nod.
"You are a strange one? Do you always do as you are told?" he asks with a smirk, and Millie shakes her head in a no.
"Me either," he says with a sigh and sits down in the sand and places the flowers next to him.
He grabs a stone from the beach and throws it into the water as the sky slowly turns yellow.
"You won't leave if I tell you to, will you?" he asks and looks at her, and she shakes her head in a no. He looks to the sea once more. "Fine," he says with a bittersweet smile as he pulls his knees to his chest
"Well, if you must know, this is just what I should have expected. I mean, this morning, he was chatting with the head of the House of Warrent family. Once those two are out together, you bet they do not have a care in the world about anything else. But still, I thought we had this in common... but he isn't here, the bastard," he grievously states as he sits there quietly.
"Tell me, why are you still here? I mean, you have no reason to be concerned about me?" he asks. Millie opens her mouth and closes it, uncertain of what to do. "Why are you silent?"
"I am unsure if you want me to be quiet or talk, Mister," she utters. "I want you to speak, of course," he tells her. "You seriously can't tell that?" he asks. (He says that but...) her mind thinks.
"Well, to answer your question, I don't have a reason to care, I just do..." she says, and he turns his gaze to her as the soft sunlight falls on her, and the easy breeze blows through her black hair. Her silver eyes look intently at the sea.
"I get the sense there is something more to that," he asks her.
"Well, a little. I kind of need it. People's feelings show the value in each life I come across, which is why I want to know yours too. I sort of need it in a way."
"Need it, huh?... maybe if you we meet again I might tell you more... until then all I can really ask is that you don't forget me' he tells her looking at the sea where the stone pool is getting removed.
"I will not forget you, Mister Stanty," she says and accepts the white rose from the bouquet of flowers as he gets up.
he looks at her face as her silver eyes makes sure to pay attention "I just need some time on my own. I will be fine, so there is really no need to worry," he says and walks away, picking up his medals before he continues walking.
(So he needs space) she thinks to herself and looks at the rose. (Meir, are you watching over me?) she asks herself and gets up and looks at the sea before walking back to the others.
"Uh, yes, come to me," Millie hears Charmy's voice. "Take it easy. Everyone gets whatever they caught," one of the workers assures.
"I know, but I can barely wait to start cooking. There are so many sea nummies here, and plenty of squid," Charmy says, with drool coming down from her mouth. "Oh, and there are plenty of squid too'
Charmy says with drool coming down from her mouth, "Oh, and there are plenty of squid too! This will be great," she says, barely containing her gluttonous tendencies.
She sees the rest of the group playing ball and messing around, and she walks over to a tree and sits down, looking at them all.
"This is actually a really fun group," she yawns and transforms into her cat form, then lays down to rest.
Liebe looks around and notices that Millie is back. He flies over in his small form and transforms next to her. She lifts her head and sees his feet. "May I do something for you, sir?" she asks.
"Not really," he replies and sits next to her, more to keep an eye on her.
"I sense that he still does not trust me... I guess I can't blame him," she thinks to herself and lays down to rest.
A couple of hours pass, and Millie stands up, stretches, and walks away.
Liebe watches her as she leaves into the forest, and he looks at the sky turning dark. "Right on time... right after twilight, it's like clockwork," he thinks out loud to himself and sees Asta and the rest messing around on the beach.