아 Anarepitas⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒꒱

Tomatoes, onions, green peppers, yoghurt, cheese, mayonnaise, and a couple of gemstones. You checked the contents of your bag before leaving.

Previously, the bazaars were smaller, but the hustle became more than just a daily occurrence, and with each new week you tried to manage to get hundreds of products for the customers who trusted deeply in your produce. You left for the bazaar, and as if following your usual script, you greeted your friends from the village as you approached Zephyr Town.

Lloyd, almost as serious as ever, invited you to start the day with a small cup of tea: at first you didn't really like the foreign varieties Lloyd had stored in the pantry, but over time, you learned to enjoy the herbal blends as much as he did.

Speaking of Lloyd, it was time to think about settling down for once. You'd been living in Zephyr Town for a couple of years by now, but you could never shake away the feeling of being an outsider, a foreigner, a stranger; you couldn't help but feel out of place in such a picturesque setting.

To be honest, Lloyd seemed like a safe choice. Initially, he didn't seem very warm, but surely It wasn't like you had much of a choice, either: Derek was too young, Samir and Arata didn't share many interests with you, and Gabriel was a bit too passionate about his art. You could never imagine a relationship with the bachelors around you.

As the months passed, he had begun to open up more towards your friendship. It was undeniable that you occasionally looked at him mischievously, viciously drawn to Lloyd's

strangeness.

Although, you'd always think about Jules...

Jules had always been warm and kind to you, he felt almost like a fatherly figure. Even though you were around the same age, he had already experienced so much more. Besides, his commitment to taking care of Derek was undeniable. How could you, a farm girl working the land, possibly be interested in such a distinguished teacher? He already had too much stuff circling around in his mind, probably.

Every now and then you thought about Jules. Your best friend since you arrived. It wasn't that you weren't cultured, but the sheer volume of knowledge Jules absorbed daily was overwhelming.

You'd always been fascinated by his versatility, his ability to flit from topic to topic like a hummingbird. The elegance of his vocabulary, the expressiveness of his gestures, and each time he'd subtly mesmerize you; you were always left speechless after every conversation.

Besides, you knew from Sophie that Freya had had her eye set on Jules for several years.

It wasn't a lie that those two shared a kind of secret flirtation, greatly obscured by the respect they had for each other. Something difficult to process, but after all, they were flirting, even if they were the only ones who didn't seem to realize their strange dynamic.

He was certainly a bit outside your usual standards. Perhaps Lloyd was the best option, and in fact, you were looking at him anxiously, wondering when would the right moment come, to confess your slight attraction to such a unique young man.

Lloyd seemed to notice your nervousness, but ignored you with a certain air of pride, unable to process the depth of your thoughts.

Finally, the flickering reflection of your face in the tea turned as white as the bottom of the cup. And after devouring a couple of desserts, Lloyd snapped you out of your trance by touching your shoulder.

"It's about time we got ready for the Bazaar, farmer." He said, lacking enthusiasm. "Let's try to sell a lot, and surely tomorrow we'll be able to get off a lot of stones in inventory."

Inventory, payment slips, invoices, unit counts... That's all Lloyd and you shared, silently, around the same table.

It was monotonous, but certainly calming. There was nothing to say, and not much to talk about.

Sometimes, more than close friends, you seemed to only be business partners.

You tried to take his hand on the way to the bazaar, and you got back nothing but his indifference in return. Lloyd had been telling you for weeks about his hope of finding an antique fish fossil, and he almost seemed to demand that you find it for yourself. Not that Lloyd was a bad partner, but sometimes, you really wanted to experience a little love affair with him, or with anyone.

You walked through the grass, the dirt, the cobbled roads and the old wooden bridges. Lloyd did not seem to babble at any word, and he barely looked at you.

"Ummm... Lloyd?" You mused for a second, expecting a positive response.

However, it took him a while to answer, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

"Yes?" He said.

"Nothing, really". You answered, "I'm just... I'm kinda nervous."

You placed your stall, and laid out the vegetables over the counter. The morning passed normally, and for a moment, you thought the day would pass in front of your eyes with the same heated indifference as always. You took a short break for a slight snack, and then you continued to ring the bell as you waited for your loyal customers to come.

It was around 1PM, and a regular guest of the bazaar approached your stall. It was Jules, always with a smile on his face. He perched in front of your stall, and asked for the same old thing.

"Hi, do you happen to have some perfume for sale?"

"Not really, I'm sorry.". You shook your head. "This week's harvest has been fatal, and with so many storms, I could barely rescue my tomatoes."

The tomatoes weren't the freshest, and after a while, people stopped coming through your stall. You had sold the yogurt, the cheese, the mayonnaise... but the tomatoes were not leaving.

The low quality and unappetizing color had reduced the interest of your customers in the remaining vegetables. And all of a sudden, you had more than 100 tomatoes resting in front of you, almost mournfully, and even though you kept wagging the bell, nobody was coming by.

An hour later, during the afternoon shift, Jules approached your post again.

"No colognes or perfumes?" He inquired again.

"I'm so sorry, Jules." You let out a breath when you exhaled, and rested your head on your hands.

"Okay then, I'll be taking 10 tomatoes."

You counted the necessary amount, put them in a bag, and finally received the coins from Jules. He left and continued walking around the bazaar; Half an hour later, you saw him again in front of your stall.

"Yoghurt, potatoes, cheese?" He asked, and when he saw you shaking your head in a negative manner, he kept asking, "Flowers, fruits, desserts?"

"There's nothing else I've got to offer, sorry...".

"Okay! I'll take 10 more tomatoes."

You witnessed again as Jules opened his wallet, and gave you a small, high-valued bill.

"I have to give you almost 100G back, just let me count how many coins I have left."

"Oh, there's no need!" Jules replied, "Really! I got paid today, so I don't need it."

Jules smiled with that tranquility and warmth that's typical of teachers.

"After all, we've gotta support the local businesses."

You felt your cheeks blush slightly at Jules' kindness, and for a moment, you let yourself be carried away by the warm feeling of his empathy.

"Jules, you're always so sweet". You laughed with a slight treachery, hoping inside you that Jules would respond with more than just a smile and a slight farewell.

The end of the bazaar was approaching, and seeing that you could not sell just one more tomato, you decided to pack the remaining units. Maybe you could prepare Bolognese sauce and bottle it for the next event, and maybe even invite Lloyd to dinner with you... or Jules, even.

You walked through the bazaar, stocking up on supplies for the upcoming season. After walking for a while, you could see Jules among the crowd.

He had run into a couple of students. They should not have been older than 13, and they approached their teacher with all kinds of questions. One of them even seemed to practice with him the answers to the upcoming exams. You couldn't help but watch them from afar, the scene was tender, warm, Jules really had a knack for making himself loved by people.

You approached him carefully, and greeted him closely.

"Oh, hello!" Jules smiled when he noticed your presence. "How are sales going? I was talking to my students about you, they hope to be able to visit the farm one day to learn about life in the countryside. They're delighted to visit Zephyr Town and would love to come again during a small school visit."

One of his students seemed to get a little jealous. The girl, who should not even attend middle school, crossed her arms and reacted with some suspicion.

"So you are the farmer," the girl mentioned, "Mr. Jules never stops talking about you and your farm in class, he wants us to visit you all the time, yet he promised it last year and we haven't been there yet.'

"Well, it's not as if I could ask Miss Farmer when we can go... My farmer friend is really busy."

You played along and held back a laugh.

"Wow! I feel so flattered!" You smiled, "Well, I hope you can come soon, I'll prepare a lot of surprises for you, especially if Jules, who is so kind to me, is coming."

Your answer seemed to irritate the girl, causing her to frown and point out with some suspicion.

"Well, farmer, nobody wants to visit your dirty farm!" She stamped her feet against the floor, almost in a tantrum, "We are just fine in the city, and I would not really come to this filthy bazaar if my mother wasn't begging for me to come!"

The girl's response seemed to shock Jules, who did not last to reprimand her slightly, and feeling quite discomforted, he chose to call the mother of the girl so he could take her away.

"Dear heavens..." he sighed, "Sometimes I actually forget how to deal with all these children."

"Don't tell me..." you replied, "If it is already difficult for you to understand Derek, I can't imagine what it must be like with younger people."

"Well, it's normal for them to develop a "crush" on their teachers at that age."

"Like Sylvia."

"Right, although Sylvia is actually quite sweet compared to many students of mine."

You saw him sigh with heaviness, and after a few seconds, he offered you a small bunch of candies.

"I bought them today, here at the bazaar.". He mentioned, "I'm not a fan of candies, but it doesn't hurt to keep some in my pockets."

You gently took the gift from his hand, and put the candy in your mouth. The sweet strawberry flavor and the crackling of caramelized sugar tickled your palate.

"And... how's your brother doing?" You asked.

"He recently started dating June..." Jules mentioned, a hint of nostalgia filled his words, "Derek is growing too fast! June is sometimes a bit dry with him, but I know they get along well."

"Hmmmph, I see..." you replied, "Sometimes I feel the same, but the person I like is a bit 'unattainable'."

"Ah, yes, Lloyd is pretty strange. He prefers to live a secluded life, I'm even amazed to think that you both have gotten so close. But I just know he's so glad to have you, I bet he's never had such a close friend before."

"Yet he keeps talking about leaving the town. Even if me and Felix have asked him to settle down for once, saying goodbye to him gets closer everyday."

"Don't say that!" Jules mentioned. "Anyone would be happy to have you around. You're very kind, and very funny! You're like the sun for this town, and I know we all love you very much...including Lloyd."

You shook your head in denial, and let yourself be carried away by melancholy for an instant.

"But I feel like the wind, passing by. Sometimes, I feel like you and Sophie are my only true friends."

"Just don't say that in front of Lloyd, it's gonna make him sad.". He replied, "But at the same time... I'm so glad you appreciate my company. It's fun to have someone around me with whom I can be myself."

Jules' sweet face was like a ray of light sweeping away your deluded soul. You had always been an amorous person, a faithful believer in love, but Jules, who made you feel in a fantasy whenever you stood by his side, was a different experience. There was something about his simplicity, his maturity and his perspective that felt magical, natural and safe. Jules was used to dealing with people's admiration, but in reality, he seemed a bit shook by your look of fascination.

"I also appreciate you very much, Jules." You gave him a little hug, resting your head on his shoulder in appreciation. He, who shook off a bit, responded in the same way. It was not unusual for you to show affection so warmly, as you had always been cheerful and homely, but that interaction with Jules felt so natural, so lingering, that you started permanently yearning for more.

A struggle seemed to ignite inside your soul. Felix was convinced that your commitment to Lloyd would be imminent, and he even seemed hopeful that your presence would make him stay forever in Zephyr Town.

Shamelessly, you looked at Lloyd's stall, and noticed that he was talking to Sophie. Lloyd had a big smile on his face as he saw Sophie jump and clap. He had given her a gift, a small chain made of silver and topaz that, weeks ago, you saw Lloyd make with his own hands.

You had always thought that this would be a lovely detail directed at you, that the real person deserving of that gift would be you, but in reality, the dazzling accessory now rested on Sophie's neck.

Not that you wanted to be rude, nor annoying, but in reality, that necklace should've been a gift for you! You saw him make the design with his own hands while helping him organize his inventory.

It felt uncertain, had their relationship been a mere transactional act? Lloyd's attitude ripped you apart inside, ruining everything. You felt more tears descend from your eyes: of course, Sophie was beautiful, and she was the spoiled daughter of the town's mayor. It should've been obvious that Lloyd would always prefer to lay his eyes on the daughter of his best and only friend, and not on you, his confidant.

You grabbed Jules by the arm, and after a slight whimper, you wiped your tears with the sleeve of your shirt.

"I just - I just really..." you sneezed, "I just hope to find someone special someday. Someone to drink tea with and chat from time to time. Someone that wouldn't let my emotions linger until they break. I'm afraid to put myself on the line for someone."

"How sad, and how deep.". Jules said, a bit fascinated by your monologue, "You are actually very descriptive when you express yourself, I really like how you express yourself! You sure make me come to my senses, and you've always caught me unguarded."

"I'm glad you think about it like that, Jules. Sometimes, I feel like you're the only one I can rely on."

"C'mon, don't say that, sweetheart. Why are you crying? Don't make your round eyes wet, it's such a shame to see you like this."

"You know how bad girls get."

"You're about to make me cry, too."

Jules pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and gently posed it in front of your face. You took it instinctively and wiped your tears. Then you looked at him with newfound attachment.

"Come, let's go home. Derek learned a new recipe today, and I'm sure that, with this many tomatoes we will have enough for us three to eat."

"Yes, please!"

Jules started walking beside you. You left the rest of the tomatoes sheltered in your bazaar stall. Surely tomorrow you would come for them, or maybe someone would've even stolen them. It's not like they're going to give you too much profit, actually. But Jules looked at his shopping bags impatiently.

"We can surely prepare a delicious sauce, or juice, or any dish with tomatoes.". He mentioned, "My mouth starts watering whenever I think of salad, and knowing how delicious your vegetables are, they'll surely taste great."

Jules looked as if he was speaking sincerely, but on the inside, you knew he was just saying those things to make you feel better. He strolled slowly, following your own path. And when you got to his home, he opened the door for you with that fresh kindness that only a gentleman could grant.

Derek lay a bit impressed by your sudden visit, but did not hesitate to greet you.

"Hello, Jules. And hello to you, my farmer friend!" The young boy mentioned, while cutting the necessary ingredients for dinner.

The aroma of Derek's cooking flooded your senses. Contrary to what anyone might assume, Derek was actually a very good cook. He knew the extent to which to fry the potatoes and mix the ingredients with the flour, and within minutes, he a plate of food ready for everyone.

Derek wanted to eat while watching television, and without further delay, he took his plate and sat on the couch, ignoring suggestions from Jules, who preferred everyone to have dinner as a family.

"I wish Derek would understand how beautiful it is to dine with the people you love. I surely hope that one day he realizes about how important it is to share with your loved ones, but for tonight, I hope you really like the dish he prepared for you. He's turning into an amazing chef."

Jules took care of serving you a glass of juice, and with great affection, he invited you to eat next to him. He seemed to radiate a serene naturalness, but on the inside, Jules was somewhat nervous.

You talked about any topic that came your way, about life, your family, the bazaar and the farm's vegetables. Time with him was flying very fast, and the starry night quickly fell upon the sky.

You were almost about to leave, when the light rain turned into a thunderstorm.

Jules lay a little sleepy after spending the day in the bazaar, and he invited you to stay. He composed a small bed on the couch so you could sleep comfortably.

"Here's where the fantasy books are, and here's where you'll find the encyclopedias..." he mentioned, pointing to each division of the shelves, "If you wish to read something, you can do it. And if you want to eat something, there are snacks in the kitchen."

"Thank you very much.". You responded warmly. "You're always so sweet to me, thank you for being my friend."

"That's so nice to hear. I really enjoy your company, too."

You took a book off the shelf, and started reading.

"I love that book!" The teacher exclaimed when he saw that you took the most brilliant book in the collection. "It was a gift from my parents, when I was just a kid. Wuthering Heights is an exciting story, it makes you love and hate each character with vividness."

"This is my favorite book!" You laughed after examining the prologue. "I've read it again and again, I love romance and drama stories."

"Well, I wouldn't call Heathcliff and Cathy's story as 'romance'."

"I really think it's romantic in its own way."

Jules and you began to debate tirelessly about the book, dissecting each character and scene, and in the middle of the argument, you were sitting next to each other, under the same sheet, lulled by the slight heat of the chimney. You never really realized how close you actually were to each other, Jules even had taken off his jacket and shoes, and you were so comfortable, so close to his arms that you couldn't think of anything else.

After debating, you both stared at each other for a second.

"I'm sorry, I may have gotten a bit too excited. It's rare for me to find someone I can discuss this type of stuff with."

Jules tried to move away a couple of inches, he was certainly shy, and tried to sneak out of your lap until he found a distance that felt less scandalous.

"Don't go away, please." You murmured, "It's nice to have you by my side, and you're always so gentle with me. I'm extremely blessed to be here with you right now, Jules."

Little by little, your noses started touching, defying each millimeter as you approached the face of the other. His moist, slightly rough breath could be felt near your cheekbones, and carefully, you got closer to him until your faces were touching.

Both of you closed their eyes for a moment, and when you opened them, you found Jules's blushed face. That almost feline smile, and his almond-shaped eyes, remained almost frozen in front of your hot face.

"Im sorry...". Jules said, "I just. got a little too excited. Please excuse me, I'll just go to sleep."

"Never mind, I enjoy chatting with you." you replied.

You both allowed that small moment of closeness to last for a few minutes. It looked like a game of resistance, where you both clearly knew where the thin line between admiration and desire was. Your distressed face aroused in Jules a rare kind of restrained emotion, making him look down on your lips for a second before looking you in the eyes again.

With a slow motion, you felt his hand brush the back of your neck and gently push you forward, causing the outside world to completely fade away for a moment

Jules let out a little dry laugh, right before letting out a small sigh against your lips.

"Can I kiss you, farmer?"

The words you shared were sincere; there was no doubt or hesitation in them. Jules' voice sounded unusually tender when he responded, while still caressing your neck gently. His lips found rest on yours just seconds later.

"Would you please stay for the night?" Jules' voice sounded almost incredulous, as if after so long waiting for that kiss, he still struggled to believe it.

"Only if you allow me to."

"With me, you can do whatever you want. My love for you is getting way out of line," He laughed.

"I'm glad you feel the same way." You replied. "Can you kiss me again?"