As the curtains opened, all the actors lined up together.
When they bowed in unison, applause resounded throughout the theater.
In the midst of it all, Yuri, her face flushed with excitement, was fully immersed in savoring the afterglow.
‘It was so much fun…’
So this is how enjoyable plays can be.
When the seniors showed me the rehearsal, they said the real performance would be much more amazing, so she had high expectations.
It was a performance that far exceeded those expectations.
…But come to think of it, the seniors are really bad at acting.
Thinking that, Yuri for some reason nudged the unusually silent seat next to her with her elbow.
“Charlotte. Julia…”
“Hmm? Huh?”
“Ah!”
“…”
They had been sleeping with their heads together, drooling.
As soon as they woke up, Charlotte and Julia began clapping rapidly as if nothing had happened.
Watching them, Yuri struggled to hold back her laughter.
Did they actually watch the performance properly?
Didn’t they just sleep the whole time? Should I test them?
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes! Uh… what was it? The villain was so charming!”
“Th-The storyline was really deep and interesting… yeah!”
“…”
There wasn’t any villain in this performance.
Since it was mainly a circus, there was virtually no storyline at all.
Charlotte and Julia exchanged glances and spouted a jumbled review.
Yuri had to try hard not to burst into laughter.
I must have dragged them around until too late.
They would normally be asleep by now.
I felt somewhat sorry for making them watch a performance they weren’t interested in.
But still…
This is a rare performance they might never see again if they miss this chance.
Maybe they’ll thank me later…!
Yuri subtly harbored such hope.
“Hehehe! It’s so nice to come out together for once!”
“Yeah… it really is…”
As they stepped outside, the lights were shining as brightly as if it were midday.
Although it was already nearing midnight, the bustling streets on Friday night were still full of vibrant energy.
“We used to come to the market together like this in the past.”
Walking side by side, the three girls reminisced.
On hot summer nights like these, the three of them would secretly sneak out of the orphanage and go to the night market.
Back then, we had no money and nothing much to enjoy, but we were so happy…
“Yeah, we took turns stealing bread.”
“Yuri was the best at stealing!”
“Ah…”
Oh. No wonder we were happy back then. Stealing was as natural as breathing to us…
Hastily sealing away the bittersweet memories, Yuri swallowed hard.
‘Anyway, things have changed a lot since then.’
Back then, we wore rags and snuck from alley to alley, hiding in the shadows.
Now, we wear nice clothes and walk proudly down the street.
They pay the proper price for things.
But there are certainly things that haven’t changed.
“Hey, kids. Where are your parents? Why are you wandering around alone?”
“It’s dangerous up ahead, hehe. Seems like you need our ‘protection.'”
“…!”
At that moment, someone blocked Yuri and the girls’ path.
At their large build, Julia was startled and instinctively hid behind Yuri.
Charlotte clenched her fist but hiccuped and stepped back.
Naturally, it was Yuri who stepped forward.
‘It’s okay. I’m not the weak me from before. Local thugs are nothing to me…!’
Gulping, Yuri stepped forward.
Then the shadows cast over the large men lifted, revealing their innocent faces.
Yuri’s expression turned puzzled.
“Wait, aren’t you guys…”
“Ah! Student Yuri! So nice to see you! Fancy meeting you here!”
“Because you’re in plain clothes, we didn’t recognize you for a moment! We’re sorry!”
“…”
They stiffly stood at attention, sweating profusely. Then they all bowed deeply to Yuri.
But you guys are my classmates in the same department… and much older than me…
Yuri let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
“But what was that about protection earlier? Don’t tell me you’re extorting…”
“Ah! We’re sorry! We misunderstood and thought you were a lost child who got separated from your parents!”
“We were thinking of helping you find them, but we must have made you uncomfortable! We apologize!”
“…”
Wait… so you weren’t extorting money from passersby under the pretense of protection fees?
At their intentions, which were more wholesome than she imagined, Yuri couldn’t say anything and was just taken aback.
Soon, the burly men kept bowing to Yuri as they moved away.
Only then did Charlotte and Julia, who were clinging behind Yuri, peek out.
“Are they gone?”
“They left?”
“Yes. It’s okay now.”
“Yuri, you’re so cool…! Those big guys were trembling in front of you!”
“They’re not ‘misters’ but students…”
“Yuri, you’re really amazing at the academy! I heard that the Combat Magic Department has a strong hierarchical culture and strict discipline, but I didn’t know it was to this extent!”
“Me and those guys are in the Magical Arts Department, not the Combat Magic Department…”
Charlotte and Julia’s eyes were burning with admiration.
Yuri felt a bit overwhelmed but also proud.
‘This is just like the old days.’
Yeah…
There were also things that hadn’t changed since then.
Just like earlier, when trouble arose, Charlotte and Julia always relied on me.
Back at the orphanage, I was known as the leader or problem solver.
Compared to those days, Julia had become much stronger, handling spirits with ease. Charlotte, too, could defeat anyone but a Sword Master when she drew her magic sword. But in moments of sudden fear, it seemed like she forgot just how strong she had become.
‘Nothing has changed after all.’
For a brief period, I thought a lot had changed due to our separation.
I even worried that Charlotte and Julia might not be the same friends I once knew.
But I was now certain that all those worries were just groundless fears.
The clothes we wore had changed.
The food we ate had changed.
Our personalities had changed, and we looked different with newfound confidence.
But one thing remained the same—the bond between the three of us had not changed one bit.
There were a few disagreements now, and we fought about things we never used to argue about.
But we still understood each other the best and trusted each other just as we always had.
‘I should thank Aslan Vermont again.’
To Aslan, it might have just been a simple theater ticket, but to her, it was an incredibly rare and precious experience, one that allowed her to spend time with her friends after so long.
She had thanked him before, but in the rush of the moment, she didn’t do it properly. She should say it again later…
Yuri thought to herself, deciding to move on for now, not wanting to keep the carriage driver waiting any longer.
“Heave! Hold this for me for a moment, Julia!”
“Okay!”
“How did you two already buy so much…?”
“Ehehe!”
By the time they arrived at the carriage, Charlotte and Julia were already filled with snacks.
How had they managed to buy so many—skewers, fish-shaped buns, and all sorts of other things.
“Mm…! So this is what it tastes like!”
“I always saw it from afar, but I never knew what it tasted like…”
Soon, the carriage began to move.
The children started eating their snacks, letting out exclamations of delight.
But this… how should I put it… it’s tasty, but I don’t think I’d want to buy it again.
The food at the mansion was so delicious that this didn’t quite excite me as much.
Back then, these street foods seemed like the best thing in the world.
But after trying them now, I was a bit disappointed.
As expected, the taste of the maids’ cooking was the best. The children, realizing this once again, smiled.
“But did Julia always eat this much? She didn’t have such an appetite before.”
“Hmm? Really? Compared to you guys, I eat much less.”
“…”
“…”
We have way more energy than you.
Given that, Julia must be eating way more than we are.
How is it that so much food fits in the stomach of someone who seems to barely walk 3,000 steps a day?
“She doesn’t seem to exercise much. How does she eat so much…?”
“Yuri…”
“Huh?”
Charlotte softly called Yuri’s name and gestured toward something with her eyes.
Following her gaze, Yuri quickly understood and fell silent.
Julia had something we didn’t…
Even more so, it seemed like she had grown since the last time we saw her.
In comparison, we were the same as always…
With their heads lowered, Yuri and Charlotte placed their hands over their chests, which were as flat as vast plains, and their expressions froze.
“Again, the world is unfair…”
“Yeah… really unfair…”
“Why are you two acting like this?”
“It’s nothing…”
It was strange.
Back at the orphanage, it seemed like we were all the same.
How did things end up like this?
Tears of frustration gathered at the corners of Charlotte and Yuri’s eyes.
