NOVEL WEB Chapter 227: Misery in Peace
"Doesn't this place look fun? Come on, let's clear our minds and have fun," Smiled Celia, as she and Raven dragged Ravella along with them.
"Huh? Yeah, sure," Muttered Ravella, a depressed look on her face.
"Hey, look, that seems like fun. Wanna give it a try?" Added Raven encouragingly.
"I guess..."
It was the 3th of July, 1920, about a week and a half had passed since Ravella's rejection and heartbreak. Raven and Celia had been checking up on her regularly since then, but she'd been pretty downcast the whole time, understandably so.
Raven had contacted Aster to ask him to give her some time off, since she was in no state to carry out her duties as a Knight. Raven knew she wouldn't want to speak with Aster or Jules at present, considering the circumstances.
Aster brought it up to Jules, who approved it after he told her what happened. Ravella had been wallowing at home since then, not doing much of anything.
Raven and Celia had been trying to cheer her up, but their efforts had been in vain so far. Today, they'd decided to bring her to a newly opened attraction in Persona, an amusement park.
Another result of the ideas Akila had shared with Lyra, who had one built in every city. The parks were opened about a month ago, and had become highly popular among the citizens.
Raven and Celia heard about it from one of the other Knights in their squad, who said he had a great time, so they figured it was worth a shot in trying to lift Ravella's spirits.
"Let's see, these are called bumper cars, looks like we just drive around and crash into each other," Remarked Raven, as they got to the front of the line.
"I don't know how to drive...," Responded Ravella half-heartedly, barely paying attention.
"It's pretty easy, miss, you simply step on the pedal by your right foot to move and use the steering wheel to direct, that's all there is to it," Chimed in the attendant with a smile.
"Okay..."
As the three of them each got into one of the cars, Ravella sighed as she stepped on the pedal, slumping in her seat as she aimlessly drove forward, before one of the other cars zipped in and slammed onto the right side of her car, before another one crashed into the other side.
"Ow," She sighed, before driving forward again, the front of her car thudding against the wall as she drove to the edge of the track.
"Well, this isn't working. But it's too soon to give up, there are a ton of different attractions in this place. Maybe I should've gone with one that requires less effort," Frowned Raven, right as Celia crashed into him with a grin.
"Come on, pay attention!" She laughed tauntingly, before driving away.
"Since we took the time to try out this ride, I suppose we might as well make the most of it," Raven thought to himself, responding as he chased after her, "I'll get you for that!"
...
"So, can I go home now?" Sighed Ravella, as she took a seat on a bench, her shoulders slumped.
A couple of hours had passed, and the three of them had tried every ride in the park, but Ravella's mood hadn't improved. All that had changed was that she was now tired and bit grumpy, so if anything, her mood had gotten worse.
"Uh...oh, how about we grab some lunch first? We can-...," Began Raven.
"No, I'm not hungry."
"How about something sweet then, maybe ice cream or crepes?" Suggested Celia in response.
"Don't feel like it."
"Then, maybe-..."
"Enough. I appreciate what you two are trying to do here, but please, just stop. I get that you're worried and all, but I'll be fine. Just let me wallow in my misery in peace for a while," She sighed wearily, as she rubbed the sides of her head.
"We know that this isn't something you can just get over overnight, it's going to take some time, but still...we aren't just going to leave you alone," Replied Raven, as he sat down beside her.
"And I'm grateful for that, but you're doing too much. If you want to keep me company, just drop by my place and hang out for a bit, that's more than enough. Going out like this is the last thing I want to do right now...seeing this cheerful crowd all around me, not to mention the couples, is just irritating me," She muttered, averting her gaze bitterly.
"Alright, then...in that case, let's get going. We'll hang out at your place, and do whatever you want to do," Responded Celia with a smile.
"Okay. That sounds better than this."
Meanwhile, in the Capital...
"H-Hey, Kia...sorry I haven't spoken to you much over these last few days. I've been putting a lot of thought into, um...y-you know, your confession. I wanted to be absolutely certain of my own feelings before I gave you a response, sorry it took so long," Remarked Akila nervously.
"I-It's okay, it wasn't that long," Kia shook her head, pushing down a rising sense of anxiety in her.
"Thanks for being so patient and understanding, I really appreciate it. But don't worry, I won't be keeping you waiting any longer," He replied, as he took a deep breath.
The two of them were at a restaurant, in a private booth, after Akila had asked her to meet him for lunch to talk.
She nervously accepted, and they'd met up at the restaurant not too long ago. Both of them were anxious and on edge, struggling to look each other in the eye.
"Okay, I...I have to keep my cool. He's definitely going to reject me...I mean, he's so popular and there are so many women better than me, so there's no way he'd ever reciprocate my feelings. I won't delude myself and get my hopes up. I have to prepare myself to accept the rejection gracefully," Kia thought to herself despondently.
"Alright, here goes...I'm really glad I met you, Kia. You've been nice to me since the day we met, and you're so kind and genuine, I like that about you," He began with a smile, as he eased his nerves a bit with a slow, deep breath.
"O-Oh, um...thanks," She mumbled awkwardly, before thinking as she shook her head, "Don't read into it, he's just letting me down easy, that's all!"
"I'd definitely say that you're my closest friend at this point, I hang out with you more than anyone. And I always have a lot of fun when I'm around you, it always lifts my spirits."
"I-I see, I'm glad..."
"And, well...you're also super cute and attractive. And, when you told me that you're in love with me, I felt a whole lot of emotions, it took a while to process everything I felt. And I was definitely happy, I get all flustered when I think about it. And the more I thought about it, the more sure I felt that...that I feel the same way," He stated, tensing slightly as his face turned red.
"H-Huh? Wait, um...j-just so we're clear, you aren't rejecting me?" She responded in disbelief.
"What? No, of course not!"
"R-Really?"
"Yeah, I...I love you too. Like I said, I always have a lot of fun when I'm with you, and I definitely find you incredibly attractive. So, um...would you go out with me?"
"I-I can't believe this is really happening...y-yes. Yes, I-I would love to," She nodded as her expression lit up, Akila's heart skipping a beat as a smile spread out across her lips.
"This almost doesn't feel real...I've never been in a relationship before, so I'm not sure what to do," He smiled sheepishly, his chest pounding and his face warm.
"M-Me neither, you're...you're my first b-boyfriend. That feels embarrassing to say, I-I feel so giddy..."
"Y-Yeah, I feel both embarrassed and really happy at the same time. I have no clue how we should even start. Maybe we could go out on a date tonight? Though, I'm not sure what we should do differently to our usual hangouts," He responded uncertainly.
"I-I, um...I guess we'll have to figure it out together. I-I suppose we should do something to establish the change in our relationship, though...h-how about...how about a kiss?" She suggested, her face turning bright red.
"H-Huh?! U-Uh, isn't that supposed to happen a bit later?" He stuttered with a flustered look on his face.
"D-Do you not want to?"
"It's definitely not that, but I-...," He began, before trailing off as Kia mustered up her courage and closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly as she leaned forward and parted her lips.
Akila gulped, before clenching his fists to steel himself, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers...