"Your past... though that sounds a bit grand." To put it simply, Yugo wanted to know what her daily life had been like back in her hometown. Melt nodded again, considering the question.
After a moment of thought, she began to speak.
"What my life was like? Hmm... Pretty ordinary, I guess. I spent my days training to become a Magic Knight and listening to stories from the local Security Force. Believe it or not, people back home actually called me a prodigy. Of course, there are plenty of people with my level of skill around here, so it’s not exactly something to brag about..."
"That’s great! You were the local star," Yugo encouraged. "I bet your family is really rooting for you, too."
"Yeah! We weren't poor, but we weren't exactly rich, either—we were in that sort of 'in-between' spot. Still, they sent me all the way to the prestigious Luminous Academy. They told me I had talent because I could draw out the power of a Sword Ring, so I feel like I have to give it my all."
Melt narrowed her eyes as she spoke of her hometown.
She hadn’t been away for long, but Yugo could tell she was reminiscing about her life in her distant home with a sense of nostalgia. She continued.
"...You know, I want to become a Headquarters Magic Knight in the Royal Capital. People might think I'm dreaming too big since I'm a girl and a total country bumpkin, but I want to believe in myself. It’s wrong to give up before you even try, right? The fact that someone like me is even attending Luminous Academy is a miracle in itself. If that’s true, then it wouldn't be weird if a few more miracles happened."
"It wasn't a miracle," Yugo corrected firmly. "The reason you got into Luminous Academy was because of your own hard work, Melt. I don’t know exactly how you spent your time back home, but your family supported you with everything they had. I can tell you worked incredibly hard. I’ll cheer for you, too. You have to make that dream come true!"
"Thank you, Yugo! ...But, well, like I said, I did get a bit depressed when I saw how high the level was here. But whenever I see you working so hard, it makes me feel like I can’t afford to lose, either! So... yeah. I’m grateful to you. I’m really glad I met you and that we became friends."
Melt’s face turned a shade of pink as she expressed her gratitude.
As Yugo responded with a bashful smile and a small, polite nod, Melt turned the question back on him.
"Hey, Yugo, don't you have a dream? I'll support yours, too! So, come on, tell me."
"Hmm... My dream, huh? I wonder. If I had to pick one, I guess it’s the promise I made to Fee—to become a true hero. But I might have had a different dream before I lost my memories. Including that, I think I’m still searching for my own personal goal."
"I see... But maybe that’s for the best. We’ve only just started school. There’s no need to rush, even with getting your memories back! Our story is just beginning, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Yugo agreed.
Melt gave him a radiant smile. Grateful for her unfailing positivity—which, alongside Fee’s support, helped him forget his difficult circumstances—Yugo let out a wry chuckle.
"Though, I should probably start feeling a bit of urgency about not having a place to live. Sleeping outdoors indefinitely is a bad idea. It was pretty rough the last time it rained..."
"Ahaha, that's true! You have all that merit from the incident with Rush and everything. Why not talk to the school? They might be able to do you a favor."
"That's an option, I guess, but things are pretty chaotic at the academy right now. Besides, using my achievements as a shield to demand something doesn't feel very hero-like. I don't really want to go that route. I've got that look on my face, don't I?"
"Yeah," Melt laughed. "You definitely have that look right now! You have to keep your promise to Fee, but you also have to get your own life in order. You’ve got so much on your plate!"
Dreams for the future were important, but so was making ends meet.
After laughing at Yugo’s comment about wanting a house with a roof, Melt wiped a tear of mirth from her eye.
"...Hey, Yugo. Just a 'what if' scenario, but—"
"Yeah?"
Yugo looked at her, waiting for her to finish.
After locking eyes with him for a moment, Melt shook her head and forced a smile.
"...Sorry, it's nothing. Forget I said anything. Anyway, I should probably go take a bath soon! We have an early start tomorrow. You should do the same, Yugo."
"Oh? Right... Yeah, I guess I will."
Though he found her sudden hesitation unusual, Yugo decided it wasn't right to pry. He agreed with her suggestion to call it a night.
Melt jogged a few steps away to put some distance between them. Her pink hair shimmered under the moonlight as she looked back at him.
"Well then, see you tomorrow! Goodnight, Yugo!"
"Yeah, goodnight. Let's give it our all tomorrow."
With Yugo seeing her off, Melt headed toward her guest house.
Once she was out of his sight, she stopped in her tracks. She exhaled a deep, shaky breath and pressed her hands against her burning cheeks.
"That was close...! That was way too much, even for me...!"
If you have nowhere to go after graduation, you could just marry into my family... That was the proposal Melt had almost blurted out.
Berating herself for how awkward it would be to drop a reverse proposal like that out of nowhere, Melt looked up at the night sky and sighed.
"...I’ll wait until my face cools down before I go back. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea..."
There were other girls staying at the guest house. She didn't want them gossiping about her relationship with Yugo, and she definitely didn't want to cause trouble for him.
Determined to hide her flushed face, Melt decided to kill a little time. She placed a hand over her heart to calm its frantic pounding, letting out a hot, lingering sigh.