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Chapter 72
“Of course, making things that destroy and break is important too. Monsters threaten people’s lives. But there are already plenty of people doing that. It doesn’t have to be me—there are many who are much better at it than I am. I want to make something that can make people happy. That’s what I wanted to do with magical design.”
Jaelin and Stefan’s eyes met. After letting out the feelings he hadn’t shared with anyone for a long time, Stefan suddenly felt embarrassed.
“Ugh, I’m embarrassed now, so don’t say anything!”
But even without Jaelin’s words, Stefan could tell just by looking at her face.
She didn’t think his dream was silly. And she would support him.
“Th-that’s… amazing.”
Just as he thought, Jaelin encouraged him. Even though he had half expected it, Stefan’s eyes widened as he turned toward her. He wanted to hear her confirm it once more.
“Really?”
“Yes. St-Stefan’s dream… it’s really wonderful.”
“I’m really working hard. I still make a lot of mistakes and I’m far from perfect, but one day I’ll start a company that invents magical tools that can help people, that can make them happy.”
“Mm. Stefan, you’ll definitely be able to do it.”
Jaelin sincerely believed that.
Stefan’s eyes sparkled like stars filling the greenhouse.
It was the kind of light only those who pursued their dreams could have. And Jaelin also wanted to say it—her own dream she had never spoken aloud because the chance never came.
“St-Stefan. I also have something I want to accomplish.”
“What is it?”
“A world where monsters can’t hurt people. I-I’ll be the one to make that happen.”
“Alright.”
The moon had long since passed, but the two of them couldn’t leave the greenhouse. They just kept gazing endlessly at the glittering sky.
It was the unforgettable beginning of early summer.
The next day, the summer Rose Festival at Felodian Academy began. The Astronomy Club booth, which they had expected to be a huge success, unfortunately went in a completely different direction than they imagined.
In front of the greenhouse, where Jaelin and Stefan stood to collect admission fees, not a single person passed by—only flies buzzed around.
“Puppy, was our academy always this empty?”
“No… th-there are usually lots of people at our academy.”
At Stefan’s weak question, Jaelin shook her head. Even now, the sounds of students and staff laughing and chatting loudly in the distance carried all the way to them.
“Then why is no one coming to our booth?”
“Ah, it’s still morning. Maybe if we wait a little longer, people will come?”
“Right, they will! What we made is the best.”
“Y-yeah!”
But contrary to their expectations, no one passed by their greenhouse even as lunchtime approached.
At first Stefan was filled with hope, but as time went on, he realized something was wrong. No matter how amazing a booth was, it meant nothing if no one came to see it.
After thinking hard, Stefan suddenly jumped up.
“This won’t do. I’ll go where the crowds are and do some promotion. Jaelin, stay here and keep watch. I’ll bring people.”
“O-okay!”
Stefan quickly disappeared toward the bustling central plaza of the academy.
Left behind, Jaelin sat on a chair, swinging her legs and passing the time. Doing nothing but sitting there made her yawn repeatedly. After staying up late to prepare for the festival, she was definitely tired.
She kept dozing off and jerking awake.
Then she saw a figure approaching the greenhouse from far away. At first she thought it was Stefan, but as they drew closer, she realized it was someone else. Maybe Stefan’s promotion had worked.
Finally, someone came to our booth!
Jaelin tensed up and greeted them just as the student walked by.
“W-welcome!”
Startled by her voice, the student looked around in surprise.
“Whoa, you scared me! Oh, there’s a booth here too?”
Unfortunately, the student hadn’t come to see the booth.
He glanced at the “Great Astronomy Adventure” sign posted at the entrance, the flimsy star-shaped paper decorations fluttering weakly, and Jaelin standing awkwardly, then slipped straight into the Pharmacy Department building.
Disappointed, Jaelin slumped back into her chair. At that moment, her community bracelet buzzed.
It was Lionel.
[Lionel] Hi. How’s the booth going?
[Jaelin] Not good… no one’s coming.
[Lionel] No one? Not even a single person?
[Jaelin] Nope…
[Lionel] That’s strange. It was really great. Why isn’t anyone coming?
[Jaelin] I don’t know either. How’s the Student Council booth?
[Lionel] Packed. The cafeteria is so full there’s no room to stand.
[Jaelin] I’m jealous. I wish our booth was popular too.
[Lionel] It’s probably just because it’s still morning. Let’s wait a bit longer. People will come in the afternoon.
[Jaelin] I hope so.
That was the end of their chat.
Jaelin waited anxiously for Lionel’s reply. Maybe she had been too curt? She wanted to keep talking with him, so she felt disappointed that the conversation ended so soon.
Should I ask him something now?
As she agonized over it, a message from Lionel arrived.
[Lionel] Someone’s calling me. I’m busy, so I’ll have to go.
[Jaelin] Okay, hurry along then.
[Lionel] Yeah. Let’s talk again later.
And just like that, their conversation ended anticlimactically. Jaelin once again had nothing to do. She was bored.
I should’ve brought a book.
While idly passing the time, she noticed the same student who had gone into the Pharmacy building earlier now coming back out.
Jaelin mustered her courage and tried to pitch actively.
“Y-you can see the mysterious universe right before your eyes! P-please take a look!”
But the student, uninterested, just glanced at her and walked past.
Jaelin’s shoulders drooped. But after walking a few steps, the student suddenly stopped, tilted his head, and turned back.
Then he asked Jaelin in an uncertain voice:
“Uh… are you Jaelin? From the Magical Design Department?”
“Uh—yes, th-that’s me… How do you know me?”
“Ah, I knew it. I saw the video from the mock monster combat midterms circulating in the community. You were really impressive.”
“Th-thank you…”
“But why did you set up your booth here?”
“B-because the project we prepared seemed best suited for this greenhouse.”
“Hm. But the Pharmacy building is far from the academy entrance and kind of secluded, so hardly anyone passes by unless they’re Pharmacy students… And since today’s the festival, even Pharmacy students won’t come here. I only came because I had herbs I needed to tend.”
He was right. In fact, other than him, not a single person had passed by.
“O-oh? Y-yeah. No one’s passed by here at all. So that’s why…”
The student stared at Jaelin curiously, then suddenly asked:
“How much is it?”
“Huh?!”
Caught off guard, Jaelin blinked.
The student patiently repeated himself.
“The admission fee.”
“F-five silver.”
He pulled out five silver coins from his pocket, handed them to her, and walked into the greenhouse. Their first customer.
Jaelin was thrilled. She wanted to tell Stefan right away. She quickly opened her community chat.
[Jaelin] Stefan, Stefan!!!!
[Stefan] Wh-what?
[Jaelin] Our first customer came!!
[Stefan] Really?? Then my promotion must’ve worked!!!
That wasn’t true—the student had said he’d only noticed the booth because he stopped by the Pharmacy building.
But Jaelin didn’t want to disappoint Stefan with unnecessary details. She believed the next customers would surely come thanks to his efforts.
[Stefan] Now that the first one’s in, more and more people will come. Our booth will be a huge hit!!!
[Jaelin] Yeah!!!!
[Stefan] I’ll push harder on the promotion then. Puppy, fighting!!!
[Jaelin] Mm! Stefan, fighting too!!
Jaelin happily closed the chat window. The student inside the greenhouse still hadn’t come out.
Of course. Once you entered, you wouldn’t leave so quickly. She felt proud.
Just as Stefan said, many people would surely come during the festival. This was only the beginning.
But after the first customer left the greenhouse, no one else came to their booth.
We really made it so well… Why isn’t anyone coming?
Jaelin sank back into gloom. At that moment, someone plopped down on the chair next to hers.
