𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
Lying down for a while, the aimless conversation naturally faded away. Roa-sama didn’t seem to mind the lack of conversation, so I decided not to force it.
Word game? I was completely defeated. I won’t play word game with Roa-sama again.
ㅤ
The sunlight filters softly through the trees, and if I listen carefully, I can hear birds chirping. Occasionally, there’s the sound of water and the rustling of trees talking. . .That’s when I suddenly opened my eyes.
Dangerous, I was almost asleep! It would definitely be bad to sleep here!
ㅤ
Struggling to rise, I awkwardly get up from the cushion.
ㅤ
“What’s the matter?”
“I was thinking of going for a walk next.”
“I’ll come too.”
ㅤ
Upon reaching the edge of the lake and peering in, little fish darted away.
ㅤ
“If this were a regular lake, we could skip stones.”
“Skip stones? What’s that?”
“You throw a stone into the lake and try to make it bounce as many times as possible on the water.”
“The stone bounces on the water? Doesn’t it sink?”
“Yes. We shouldn’t do it here out of respect, though.”
ㅤ
Can’t throw stones into a lake owned by the royal family.
Turning around, I see Roa-sama gripping a fist-sized stone, poised like a baseball pitcher. The stone is thrown in the same pitching motion, flying far and making a large splash as it sinks into the lake.
ㅤ
“As expected, it doesn’t skip.”
“Ah, well. . .yeah.”
“Won’t you show me how?”
“I don’t want to die just yet.”
“It’s okay, you won’t be disrespectful here, and you won’t die.”
“You won’t say something like death being a relief, will you?”
“I won’t.”
ㅤ
Gently setting down the stone Roa-sama offered with a low laugh.
ㅤ
“The stones for skipping should be flat and easy to throw. Like this one. . .Alright, here it goes!”
ㅤ
My throw might be unladylike, but I don’t care.
With a shout, the stone I threw skips three times before sinking.
ㅤ
“Mm, not so good. Did you get how it’s done?”
“Yes.”
ㅤ
Roa-sama seems to really enjoy stone skipping.
He tirelessly picks up stones and throws them into the lake. He quickly gets the hang of it, already surpassing my number of skips.
ㅤ
“Miss Norchev, did you see that?! It skipped eight times!”
“That’s amazing! I can only do five.”
“I feel the wrist snap and rotation are important. Like this.”
“Like this?”
ㅤ
In the end, I, who taught this game, end up being the one taught. It’s okay because Roa-sama is enjoying it.
ㅤ
Perfect stones for skipping soon run out, so we walk around the fairly large lake looking for more.
Even though I don’t know much about flowers, walking near beautifully blooming ones makes me a little happy.
ㅤ
“Roa-sama, look. It’s an ant.”
“. . .So this is an ant.”
ㅤ
A somewhat large ant walks over a stone that seems perfect for skipping. Its abdomen is a yellow and black marbled pattern.
As soon as one ant leaves the stone after circling it, another ant comes along. Roa-sama and I watch these ants do the same thing for a while.
ㅤ
“It seems this stone is favored by ants. We should leave it.”
“Agreed.”
ㅤ
We stand and walk beside Roa-sama, finding and throwing stones.
ㅤ
“The last stone was really good. It’s a shame it sank and can’t be used again.”
“So the game starts with choosing the stone. . .right?”
“Exactly. That’s the most important part, I feel.”
ㅤ
Although it’s a bit odd that the subject of excitement is stones, Roa-sama is shining like a boy, so it’s probably fine.
By the time we return after leisurely circling the lake, it’s already lunchtime. Roa-sama, who threw too many stones, takes a seat on the sofa while lightly shaking his wrist.
ㅤ
“Shall we have lunch soon? We have plenty, so please leave some.”
ㅤ
If there are leftovers, I’ll take them home and have them for dinner.
Upon opening the basket, the scent of curry wafts through the air. Roa-sama, peering in, has eyes that shine like the lake.
ㅤ
“We have baked curry, curry bread, and Katsu curry. It ended up being all about curry.”
“That’s what I asked for. Thank you.”
“Please eat whatever you like.”
ㅤ
Roa-sama hesitates and picks up the curry bread. A crisp sound is heard, and Roa-sama’s eyes widen.
ㅤ
“This is. . .delicious. The large chunk of meat melts without even needing to be chewed.”
“It’s been a while since I made it, I’m glad it turned out well.”
“This baked curry too, the aroma from the baking fills my nostrils, and the cheese blends in well. This curry is. . .different from the curry bread, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I made different kinds.”
ㅤ
All of this is because Thor loves curry and researched it together. People say men shouldn’t cook, but when you’re young, you want to try everything.
Since it’s just family, we’ve come this far without any issues. I was so delighted with the curry powder Thor made the other day that we might keep making it for a while.
ㅤ
“Everything is delicious. Even though it’s a day off, I’ve made you prepare such elaborate dishes.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
ㅤ
Because we had pre-prepared ingredients, all I did was fry and simmer them.
Roa-sama asked if there was anything I wanted, but I can’t really say money. Still, I can’t say nothing either. His eyes, filled with expectation, pierce through me.
ㅤ
“Then, please show me your water-draining technique again.”
“Is that all?”
“Of course not! Please refrain from blaming me or my family for anything.”
“Is that all?”
“Eh?”
ㅤ
Roa-sama’s eyes are serious and a bit scary.
But the reason I don’t want to run away, even when talking this closely, is that the other person is Roa-sama.
It seems that Roa-sama is not satisfied with my answer. His eyes plead for me to say more, and I desperately search for something.
ㅤ
“Ah! May I keep this flower you gave me as a pressed flower? It’s in the royal colors, so technically, I shouldn’t even touch it. . .but I’d like to keep it as a memory of today.”
ㅤ
Today, I saw various sides of Roa-sama. The calmness when we first met is still there, but he’s also playful, surprisingly competitive, and often laughs. He’s a slightly strange person who will accompany me in quietly watching ants.
Roa-sama’s continuous efforts, as if it were natural, always inspire me. I want to hold this flower as a guide so that I can continue to strive even when Roa-sama is not here.
ㅤ
“Miss Norchev is. . .”
ㅤ
Roa-sama’s words cut off.
ㅤ
“. . .always so good at taking away my words.”
“I apologize. . .?”
“Just like this.”
ㅤ
Roa-sama laughs from deep in his throat.
I don’t quite understand, so I keep a straight face.
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