Chapter 235

Seldom Following Advice

A few days had passed since our grand return from Crocus.

Since then, things have been looking great for our guild. Now that we've gotten our prestige as well as our original guild hall back, requests were coming in by the stackfuls. The request board was filled to the brim with them, and everyone was able to get back to work without having to worry about when the next would come.

As for me, I was happy to be back home in Magnolia and even happier to be back in the guildhall. While I've gotten used to the farmhouse outside of town, this was where I really felt at home. Plus, the guildhall had a lot more space and was a lot closer to the apartments.

I had just walked into the guild hall, ready to start the day with a job. As I did, I could see the place was bustling with people either sitting at the table eating their meals and chatting, drinking away at the bar, or standing by the request board.

"Yo, Willy! How's it going, man?"

Hearing the voice, I looked up and saw Macao and Wakaba eating together at a table.

"Hey, you two. How's it going?" I greeted them as I came over.

"Going great," smiled Wakaba. "Now that we're getting a ton of requests, we've been pretty busy. Never thought I'd live to see the day."

"I know what you mean," said Macao. "You know, it still feels like a dream. I never thought we'd ever get to be inside our guildhall again after all these years." He looked at me. "You know, if you guys hadn't come back when you did, I would have given up. But now, thanks to you guys coming back and wrecking shop at Crocus, things are finally back to normal."

I smiled at him. "I can relate to that," I said. "I'm glad also. At least now we don't have to worry about anything related to jobs."

"So, you heading out on a job, Willy?" asked Wakaba. "Or did you have something else in mind for today?"

"Not really," I replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason. Just a bit curious, that's all," said Wakaba. "Just make sure you don't let Mira get too lonely. After all, you two are an item now."

"Yeah, and make sure to keep the public displays of affection to a minimum," winked Macao. "We already have Juvia doing too much of that already."

I quickly felt my cheeks heat up. "Th-That's none of your business!" I stammered. "So I would appreciate it if you stop with the teasing, all right?"

"You might as well get used to it, Willy," chuckled Macao. "You're going to be getting teased about it by everybody after the way you confessed to her at the ball. Speaking of which, if you're wondering where she is, she's working over at the bar with Kinana."

I then walked over to the bar just in time to see Kinana come back with a tray of dishes while Mira came out from the back carrying a tray full of food.

"Morning, girls," I greeted.

"Good morning, Willy!" greeted Mira. "Sorry, but could you hold on for just a moment? I have to get this to the next table."

However, Mira quickly walked past, heading for the tables. But I didn't mind as I took a seat over at the bar.

Kinana then approached. "The usual mug of water?" she asked me.

"Yes, please," I responded.

Kinana then filled up a mug with some water from a bottle, placed it on a coaster, and slid it over to me.

"It looks like you two have been busy, too, huh?" I observed as I looked over at the tables.

"Yeah, I'll say," said Kinana. "Ever since the guild hall's been reopened, people have been coming in by the droves, and we've been getting swamped lately. I can't remember the last time I've ever been so busy."

"Well, I wouldn't expect anything less," I said as I took a swig from my cup. "Everyone else has been busy going out on jobs, too."

I then looked at the request board and saw Nab standing in front of it, appearing indecisive, as he always did.

"Well, almost everyone," I couldn't help but mutter.

"Um, excuse me. You're Willy Falconer, right?"

Another voice caught my attention, and as I turned around, I saw a random male approaching me. The stranger was a bit skinny and had short black hair.

"Hello there," I said. "Yeah. That's me."

"Oh, man! It's an honor to meet you, sir!" said the male. "I'm a recent wizard that just joined!"

I then noticed that the male was acting a bit strangely, appearing to be fretting as he glanced over to the side while brushing her arm. Feeling a bit curious, I couldn't help but ask.

"Um, is something there something I can help you with?"

"Well, there's something that I wanted to ask you," said the male. "I need some… advice about something."

"Advice?" I repeated. "Well, I'm not sure what you need advice on, but I'll try my best to give you my best opinion."

The male paused for a brief moment before talking again while I took another swig from my cup.

"The thing is… I was wondering… how do you work up the courage to confess to a girl?"

I couldn't help but choke a bit as I spit a bit in my cup, coughing a bit before managing to calm myself while wiping my mouth.

"I, uh, beg your pardon?"

"Exactly as I said," said the male. "I want to know what's the secret to having the courage to say I like you to a girl."

I couldn't help but feel all the more baffled as my cheeks began to heat up. "Wh-Where is this coming from?!"

"Well, everyone heard about how you ended up confessing to Mirajane. The entire guild knows," explained the guy. "And because of that, the two of you are going out."

I couldn't help but feel a slight bit miffed. "I wonder who spread around that little tidbit of info?" I thought, thinking of Lisanna and Sieri as they winked innocently while sticking out their tongues.

"Everyone knows that Mirajane's the poster girl of the Fairy Tail guild," continued the boy. "And she's got a lot of guys crushing on her, yet us guys kept thinking that she was way too good and famous to even look in our direction. But you, you had the guts to tell her how you felt, and it paid off for you."

The male then paused as he scratched the back of his head.

"O-Oh. I'm sorry. I probably should explain where I'm going with this," the guy chuckled shyly. "You see… there's this girl I like outside of the guild. She's lovely and kind, and she's cute, too. She also likes macarons, uses some really cool magic, and always looks out for me whenever I'm in trouble. I want to tell her how I feel, but… I always get tongue-tied whenever I try to. I practically become a nervous wreck, so… can you please tell me how you were able to tell Mira how you felt about her? Please tell me. What's your secret?"

I took a minute to think about it while I tried to calm myself before responding.

"Well… truth be told, it's not like I did any special trick or anything," I said slowly. "To be honest, I never really thought I would be able to do anything like what I just did. But… now that I think about it, there was someone I met at Crocus who kinda gave me a bit of an extra push to go through with it."

I then started remembering Bacchus and my time with him at the Bar Sun.

"He told me when it comes to women, as a real man, you gotta take advantage of something like that while you got the chance. Otherwise, if you let it slip through your fingers, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You only live life once. Or at least that's what they told me."

The male stared at me, his eyes filled with admiration. "Wow… that's pretty cool of you to say," he marveled quietly. "So then… if I really like her, I should just come out and say how I feel. The worst she can say is no!"

His face began to fill with confidence.

"Yes, all I can do is just do it while I'm still young! I can do this! Thank you very much for your advice, Willy! You really are a man among men!"

"Um, well, I don't know about that, but I appreciate the compliment," I said wryly. "Good luck to you."

The male then went away. When he was gone, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief, glad I could help that guy. But as I went back to drinking my water, I heard a voice right next to me.

"So that's how you worked up the nerve to confess your love to me. How adorable."

I couldn't help but spit into my cup again from startlement, and I looked beside me only to find Mira next to me on the counter. She was leaning on the counter, her chin resting in her hands, as she stared at me with that same teasing smile.

"Gah! H-How much did you hear?!" I stammered.

"Pretty much everything," replied Mira. "But don't worry. I still think what you told that guy was sweet. You really are a kind person, Willy."

"Y-Yeah. Thank you, I guess," I said while setting my cup down. "Although, I'm starting to think that eavesdropping on conversations is everyone in Fairy Tail's favorite hobby."

"By the way, since you're here, there was something that I wanted to ask as soon as I saw you," said Mira. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow? Like going out on a job or anything?"

I hummed in thought. "Well, I just went out on a job a couple of days ago," I said. "But other than that, I don't."

Mira smiled. "In that case, how about we go out together?" she suggested. "Just the two of us."

When she asked me this, my heart skipped a beat. "Sure! I would love to!" I said automatically, but I quickly corrected myself. "I mean, uh, I would like to spend the day with you tomorrow."

"Glad to hear it," said Mira. "What do you say we meet at South Gate Park by the Sola Tree? Say around… tenish or so?"

"S-Sounds good to me," I said while trying not to let my excitement show.

"Great! It's a date then!" said Mira. "Our first official date as a couple."

Then, I heard Kinana call out.

"Hey, Mira! We got a few more orders, and there's a few tables in need of refills!"

"Coming!" Mira called back. She then whispered to me. "I'll see you tomorrow if I don't see you, Willy. I'm looking forward to it."

I then watched as she rushed away to help Kinana. I couldn't help but feel happy and excited as I did.

"Oh, man. I can't believe how lucky I am," I thought. "I'm going to go on my first date with Mirajane."

But it was then that I had a sudden realization that made my excitement rapidly change to worry.

"Hold on! It's going to be my first date with Mira! And now that I think about it, what do I even do on a date?!"

I got up from the bar, and as I started walking, I began to ruminate, thinking back to the novels I had read before.

"Well, I do have somewhat of an idea, but that was just in the books I've read. And they were pretty over-the-top crazy. I may be a bookworm, but even I know those kinds of dates only happen in books. But… as far as knowing how to go on one, I have no idea… I wonder if there's someone I can talk to about this."

But as I started thinking about who I would ask, I heard the sounds of laughing catch my attention. Sure enough, I saw Lisanna talking to Juvia over at another table. The moment I saw her, I had a thought, and it made me want to cringe.

"Oh, man. I could ask Lisanna for advice about this whole thing, but… I can't help but think if I do, I'll end up getting teased by her or something," I thought. "Then again… me going out with Mira's practically become public knowledge already, and now that we're together, maybe she won't tease me this time around."

But after taking a minute to think, I still felt hesitant. However, I swallowed my worries and then approached the two.

"Excuse me, Lisanna. Do you have a minute?" I asked her.

Lisanna looked up. "Oh, hey, Willy. What's up?" she asked.

"Well, the thing is… I need some advice," I said slowly. "Advice… about dating."

The moment I said those words, Lisanna stared at me. Then, after a long pause, she let out an excited squeal, jumping up and throwing up her hands with joy. Juvia went bright red.

"I can't believe it! I never thought this day would come!"

I couldn't help but jump from this reaction, feeling startled. But before I could speak, Lisanna dashed away from the table. The next moment, she returned with Cana and Levy in tow, which immediately got me flustered.

"W-Wait a minute! What's going on here?!" I demanded.

"You said that you needed some advice, right? Well, you're in luck!" grinned Lisanna. "Because the Three Cupids are here to help you!"

I stared at Lisanna blankly at the name.

"Just roll with it," said Levy. "We don't even know why she's calling us that ourselves."

"But more importantly, Lisanna just told us that you're looking for some advice in the dating department," winked Levy. "So naturally, when she did, we came over to bestow you our wisdom."

I couldn't help but feel skeptical. "You girls ain't going to set me up in another crazy coincidental scenario like the last few times, are you?"

"Oh, come on. Have a little faith in us," said Lisanna. "Besides, you're my precious childhood friend and now my sister's boyfriend, which makes you almost like my brother-in-law. If you need help, we're here to help you so you can rest easy."

"Brother-in-law?!" screeched Juvia. "You mean to say that Willy and Mira are married?!"

"No! Of course, we're not!" I snapped at her while red in the face. "We've barely started dating! And, for that matter, why are you sticking around?"

"Because I want to know about going on dates as well!" said Juvia. "That way, when I get the chance to go on a date with my beloved Gray, I'll know what to do! So, if you don't mind, I would very much like to be a part of this discussion."

"Why am I not surprised something like this was going to happen?" I mentally cursed.

"So, tell us, Willy. What do you need advice on?" asked Lisanna. "Don't hold anything back, and don't leave out any details."

I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to hold back my annoyance at this situation. However, since I had already asked Lisanna, I thought I'd see this through. Perhaps they could actually give me some constructive advice this time around now that I was dating Mira.

"OK. Well, to keep things short, I basically got asked out on a date, and I have no idea how a date's supposed to work or how to go on one," I explained. "So… how exactly does one go on a date?"

"OK, wait a second. What about when you went to the Akane Resort with Mira before?" asked Lisanna. "That definitely counted as a date."

"W-Wait a second! No, it doesn't!" I denied. "We only went together as friends!"

"Oh, Willy, Willy, Willy," Cana sighed. "Let Mama Cana tell you something. When a boy and a girl go out on an outing together to have a good time with just the two of them, that's considered a date."

I couldn't help but gawk at her as my cheeks went red, my mind blown. "W-Wait a minute! That was supposed to be a date?!" I cried out in alarm. "I didn't know that!"

The girls all stared at me out of sheer dumbfoundment before every one of them sighed in annoyance.

"Good grief, Willy. How on Fiore did you not realize?" Lisanna groaned. "Even Elfman's not this oblivious."

"Even I know well enough that practically spells a date," said Juvia. "I mean, you went to the Akane Resort with just the two of you, and I'm sure you two have done a lot of romantic stuff.."

"Haven't you ever noticed anything out of the ordinary when you were with Mira on that day?" asked Cana. "Heck, didn't you even detect the slightest bit of romance going on?"

I started thinking about my trip with Mira, mainly when I put sunblock on her back, won her the game prize, and rode the Ferris wheel with her. The moment I did, my face exploded in a blush as my wings sprung out from my back.

"Whoa! Watch where you're spreading those things!" exclaimed Levy as she ducked.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Lisanna sighed. "At least you're not as bad as Natsu. Anyway, now that you're dating Big Sis Mira, you've got no reason to worry. Just be yourself and treat her like how you've always had."

"But… I have no idea what Mira's go planned or where she plans to take me," I said. "Shouldn't I take appropriate measures to make sure things go smoothly? I don't want to make Mira look bad or anything, but I'm not good with this kind of stuff. So what can I do?"

"So, Mira's the one taking you out, eh?" Cana hummed thoughtfully. "Well, there's nothing wrong with letting the girl take the reins, but it's nothing for you to overthink about."

"Yeah, just stay calm, have a good time, and you'll be fine," chimed in Levy. "Of course, it can't hurt to dress nice either. Make sure you wear something decent."

"And don't go eating fish in the morning or something like that," added Lisanna. "Girls don't really like the smell of fish as much as you do."

"Excellent tips indeed!" nodded Juvia. "But I think you should also work on making a bento with all of your love poured into it, and if you're not that good at cooking, spice it up with a love potion."

"Um, first of all, I'm not that much of a cook," I told her. "And second, there's no way in hell I would ever do that."

Later that day, I was back home in my apartment, trying out and deciding on what clothes I should wear for tomorrow. To be honest, I honestly didn't think anything much about what I should wear, so I just decided on an outfit that was something comfortable and looked good. Once I was finished, I decided to take a shower and get ready for bed.

As I stood in the shower, I still couldn't help but feel a bit jittery.

"Man, I may have gotten some advice, but I still can't help but feel nervous," I thought. "Maybe I should have paid attention to Sieri back then, even despite finding it weird. But then again, I'm pretty sure she more than likely would have told me the same stuff the girls told me."

As the warm water of the shower rained upon my form, I couldn't help but sigh as I tried my best to relax.

"Well, I guess there isn't any reason to worry," I continued in my thoughts to no one in particular. "But I guess it's because I like to be prepared whenever I'm about to do something."

I soon got out, dried myself off, brushed my teeth, and got dressed in my sleeping clothes. But as I sat down on my bed, I couldn't help but start thinking about Mira, which made me start thinking about tomorrow's date again. However, despite feeling nervous, I couldn't help but smile as I chuckled to myself.

"It's strange. I'm nervous, but I also can't help but feel excited," I murmured to myself. "I wonder if every guy dating a girl goes through this kind of thing on their first date? Well… second technically."

I lay down on my back, got under the covers, and tried closing my eyes, focusing on sleeping. But even though I was trying to, I still couldn't get rid of the grin I had on my lips.

NO POV

In the Fairy Tail guildhall, Makarov was closing up the guildhall for the day. He had been feeling cheerful over the past few days ever since the guildhall was returned and was still on cloud nine.

"Haaah, another satisfying day," the old man hummed to himself. "Perhaps I should treat myself tonight, maybe hitting up the bars."

But as he was about to head home, he heard a familiar voice.

"In that case, how about some company?"

Makarov looked back and saw TU Chi as she approached.

"Ah, Tu Chi. It's been a while since I've last seen you," said Makarov. "I would have thought you'd still be over in Crocus."

"I just got back into town after wrapping things up on my end," said Tu Chi. "Anyway, why don't the two of us have a drink and share each other's news? Just us two?"

"Never pegged you to be the drinking kind," he hummed. "But I suppose I don't mind a little bit of company. But just so you know, if you're planning to confess to me, I like my girls a little bit on the younger side, so I prefer things to be platonic between us."

Tu Chi wasn't amused. "I don't think you have anything to worry about in that regard," she replied. "I think you'll find that what I have to tell you will be something you might want to hear."

Makarov could only raise a brow in puzzlement with some bit of curiosity.