"Sooo… What do you think?" He stuck out his tongue, contorting his expression to mimic a rough criminal. It didn't last long though, he quickly crumbled into a fit of laughter as he threw his hair over his shoulder while shooting you a wink. "Will you give me a treat or do you want me to trick you?"

You laughed at his playful demeanor and his unserious question. He was as carefree as ever, acting as fickle as the wind. You couldn't help but want to paint his expression with something else instead—criminals often have blood on their hands or faces, right?

You thought that red might suit him in this costume. So you took a piece of unwrapped candy, tugged on the chain attached to his collar to pull him down. He looked at you wide-eyed, about to speak as he opened his mouth but you quickly put the candy in his mouth before he could. Your finger lingering on his lips for longer than it should.

"A treat from me."

The blood that rushed to his face in that moment was enough to make you think that it completed his whole look.

— ADEL!

He can't fathom how he let himself get roped into an event completely unrelated to him and his work by Merryrose, no less. He always mentioned that most costumes he would see around this time were terrible attempts that they flaunted around. He told his guild that if he cared a little bit more, he'd make costumes that would outshine everything else.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't have the chance to say anything when he got dragged into the square dressed up like a wolf. Clad in orange and fur—he thought that it was absolutely ridiculous that he let himself wear something like this. The fact that he was wearing ears, too, made it worse.

"What? You're not gonna ask for a treat?" You tilted your head, fighting the urge to tease him endlessly. He threw his head back, sighing and looked at you with tired eyes. No words left his lips but you knew that he was annoyed with you. After all, you were the one who suggested the costume.

"Do you have any idea how ridiculous I look?" He complained, "If I had my way, I'd be looking much more regal than this. Actually, I wouldn't be here in the first place."

You placed your hands on his shoulders, donning a smile as you gave him a light squeeze as a way to soothe his irritable state. "Now, now. You're here so you should make the most out of it! I'd love it if you got into your role and acted like a big bad wolf."

Surely, you said that to tease him but he was feeling spiteful.

He grabbed your wrist—earning a gasp from you—and brought it closer to his mouth. It was fake but he bared his fangs and pressed it gently against your skin as he looked at you with narrowed eyes. It wasn't sharp, it didn't hurt, but it made your heart beat faster than ever.

"If I were to act like a big bad wolf, as you say, then should I gobble you up right here right now?"

He wasn't enjoying himself much but after seeing the expression you made after his little display, he thought to himself that maybe coming down here was worthwhile after all.

— MERRYROSE!

Knowing Merry, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to go down to the square and extort free candy from the people in town just by dressing up as a wicked witch who loved to curse people who passed by. He got into the role too much with the way he was acting but he enjoyed himself, especially since he managed to get all the candy he wanted.

Finally, it was your turn to fall victim to his favorite question for the night. He cocked his head to the side, shooting you a wink and held up his wicker basket. "Trick or treat?"

"You clearly have enough candy for tonight as is." You shook your head, refusing to give him any candy after seeing how full his basket was. "You should leave more room for the others, you've had your fill."

He frowned, raising an eyebrow in question to your rejection. He was acting like a bratty witch who was denied of something he really wanted—he was getting too into the role when he asked you, "so you're fine with this witch giving you a little trick then?"

"A trick? You really want candy that badly?" You laughed at his question but Merryrose was already taking a few steps towards you with a small mischievous smile decorating his face. You took a few steps back for every step he took until he grabbed your wrist and pulled you closer to him.

"I'll place a curse on you." He leaned in to whisper to your ear, his lips ghosting over your ear. "A curse that'll make you hopelessly in love with me."

Out of embarrassment, you pushed him away and shook your head as you tried to hide your flustered expression. "Stop that! You already know that your curse doesn't work on me."

A reputable noble had invited him to a party at his manor to celebrate his daughter's birthday. Adel vaguely remembered that the dress to be used on that occasion was a commission he completed around two to three weeks prior to the invitation (but he could hardly remember who it was for if it weren't for the small note thanking him in the envelope, not when he was already thinking of the pile of upcoming work he has to finish).

If it weren't for the fact that this particular client was someone of high status, along with Merryrose's constant bugging, he would've scrapped the invitation without another thought and continued with his work. He weighed the options and eventually arrived at the conclusion that perhaps attending this party wouldn't be all that bad. If he felt like it, maybe he could just drop by to give his greetings and leave as soon as possible under the excuse that he had pressing matters to attend to.

That's how he ended up in this situation.

He was all dressed up in white, as per the invitation said about the dress code, it was something he threw together at the last minute when he found out all his party suits were either black or some random colour he only used once for certain occasions he could barely remember. He had a wine glass in hand though he took no more than two sips to avoid getting tipsy, he wouldn't be able to hold a pair of scissors properly after the party if that was the case. He looked at his watch periodically, counting down the minutes before he could leave the party.

Three… Two… One—

"Adel!" It was an unfamiliar voice that interrupted his little countdown. He turned his head to find the one who called out his name and was met by an elderly man. It took him a minute to fully recognize him as a renowned designer from another country, he remembered that he specialized in traditional clothing and designs based on them – it was one of the reasons why he became so popular even in other countries. They've met on multiple occasions but their conversations were nothing more than simple greetings and small talk. "It's a surprise to see you here, you always struck me as the type to avoid these kinds of parties."

'It's true,' he wanted to reply. He tried to sugarcoat it: "Well, I don't think it's a bad idea to attend these parties once in a while. There's a different kind of joy you get when you see people wearing the clothes you made, don't you think so too?"

"Haha! Truly, it's a wonderful feeling. I was put in charge of creating the pattern for the decorations and the host was kind enough to extend an invitation to me." His eyes twinkled with delight. "I heard you were the one who designed the dress. Your work is stunning as usual."

"You flatter me too much," Adel shook his head. "I simply delivered what my client asked of me — it's as simple as that."

"Haha! Is that so?" Adel thought that the conversation would end right there and that he could finally leave after bidding goodbye. What he didn't expect, though, was for him to make a sudden request. "Say, would you do this old man a favour and listen to his request?"

'A request?' Adel almost furrowed his eyebrows and donned a frown. Certainly, they weren't close enough for any favours or requests — at least, in Adel's book. But he kept his neutral expression and looked at him carefully, he considered granting his request—whatever it was—given that it wasn't anything too absurd. It would be rude to turn him down outright and the last thing Adel needed was unnecessary rumours floating around him.

"... What kind of request?"

"I have a daughter around your age."

Somehow, he already knew he wasn't going to like where this conversation was going.

"She's passionate about designing and sewing, you see… I guess you can say she takes after me in that aspect, haha! However, I feel rather… unqualified to teach her. These old bones don't work as they used to and I plan on retiring once I'm finished with everything I need to get done." He let out a sigh, "if it isn't too much trouble, could you take her under your wing for a few weeks?"

"... I see." Truthfully, he felt like he was being driven mad. He started regretting ever coming to the party in the first place, this sort of scenario would've never happened if he learned to mind his own business. Most people who knew how to be polite would agree and just get it over with but, unfortunately, Adel wasn't like most people. If he could, he would coldly turn down that offer but that would mean he'd be causing a scene — in front of so many people, no less. He thought about it carefully, weighing the pros and cons.

He fell silent for a moment, even the old designer was starting to get worried that he accidentally offended him. "Three weeks. I'll take care of her for exactly three weeks, nothing more and nothing less. I suppose that's fine with you?"

"Three weeks is plenty. Thank you for complying with such a selfish request, you have my deepest gratitude." There was something off with the way the old designer spoke to him, or maybe the lack of sleep was finally catching up to him. "I'll send her to you at a later date, I'll write a letter beforehand."

"It's no problem. Consider it a favour done between friends," Adel waved his hand. He sealed his fate. "I look forward to meeting her."

"betrayed by his own expectations"

Adel completely forgot about his prior engagement with the old designer. It was as if his brain purposely wiped it off his mind as soon as he got back from the party and started working on clothes once more. He was busy, far too busy to the point that everything else seemed like a blur to him. Overworking wasn't anything new to him but he learned the hard way that he shouldn't wait for the worst to hit him before stopping lest he wanted Volks to watch over him like a hawk.

He couldn't remember how many hours of sleep he managed to get and his calorie intake thus far but what he understood is that his body needed—demanded—to rest immediately if he didn't want the quality of his work to suffer. He wasn't the type to give his clients a half-assed piece of work, he took pride in the fact that each and every piece is carefully made.

That was the only reason why he remembered that the old designer's daughter was to arrive today. After deciding he should rest for a little while, he went to the guild's common room and threw himself into the velvet seat without a second thought. Was it peaceful and quiet? Hardly. The moment Adel tried to close his eyes, Canaan suddenly popped out of nowhere with a pile of letters in his hands and dropped them all on top of the coffee table.

"So many letters… What for? Are they from your assistants again?" Adel massaged his temples. It wasn’t uncommon for Canaan’s assistants to send him a bunch of letters, begging him to come back to the workshop and finish his work.

"Well… Actually, they're all for you." Adel let out a groan as he sat up straight and started going through the letters one by one.

"Commission, commission, commission, invitation, advertisement, and more commission requests…" He absentmindedly listed down the categories of the letters he received and organized them accordingly. He came across one envelope with a floral pattern and a sudden sense of familiarity struck him as he paused, "this letter… was from a week ago."

"Oh, that.” Canaan’s lips fell into a thin line as he tried thinking of an excuse why he only gave the letter to him now when it was sent a week ago. “I was supposed to give it to you as soon as it came since it looked pretty important, but you were so cranky I didn’t want to bother you and have you getting angry at me.”

Adel didn’t waste another second on Canaan and quickly opened the envelope. Sure enough, it was from the old designer — no wonder it felt so familiar, the floral pattern was one of his famous works. The letter read:

Dear Adel,

Forgive me for sending this letter so late after our last meeting. I had to talk to my daughter and make the necessary arrangements, unfortunately, she will only be able to arrive there after a week upon receiving this letter. You’ll have to excuse her behaviour, she has a tendency to talk casually around people and I fear it might offend you — she means no harm. She’s a good child and I trust you will treat and teach her well. I will come to get her after three weeks; for three weeks she is yours to deal with. I wish you luck.

‘Yours to deal with.’ Adel lingered on those words, it made it sound as if his daughter was a lot of trouble and dumped it all into him for three weeks to catch a break. If that were the case, he’ll just give her a bone to chew on while he works. He had no plans on dealing with troublemakers.

But more importantly — it was exactly a week since the letter first arrived to him. Which meant that his daughter was to arrive today. Oh, how Adel wanted to smack Canaan for keeping this from him for a whole week, now he has to rush and get himself ready to greet her. His hair was a mess and his clothes were dishevelled, it would be unsightly to present himself like this. He mumbled a jab at Canaan before standing up, “really… you just had to show me now.”

“Better late than never, I say.” Canaan winked.

“Ugh…”

Rushed footsteps entered the room and before Adel could turn to look at who it was, their voice was a dead giveaway when they started shouting. “Adel! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” it was Merryrose. “I was so sure that you’d be in your workshop but to think that you’re actually here… It’s kinda unsettling.”

“Oh, shut it, will you? Just cut to the chase, why were you looking for me?”

“Right, right. Someone is looking for you, she says she was sent here to be your assistant.”

“Huh!? She’s here already?”

“Oh shoot, you know her? And here I was telling her that you don’t take assistants." He winced. "Talk about embarrassing.”

He had little time to make a snide remark since he was far too busy running to a nearby mirror and tidying himself as much as can before greeting his soon-to-be temporary assistant. Merryrose took the liberty of leaving the room to fetch his guest and guide them into the common room. Adel cursed him in his head, he was sure that Merryrose was purposely trying to rush him. Soon enough, he heard two pairs of footsteps down the hallway — What was up with his fellow guild members constantly screwing up things for him?

He cleared his throat and took one last look in the mirror before facing the newly arrived guest. Once he saw her, he couldn't help but notice the striking similarities shared between her and her father. She looked presentable and certainly didn't give off a strong impression judging from looks alone but he knew not to judge a book too much by its cover.

What struck him as odd was her hands. If she was into sewing, as her father said, then clearly her hands wouldn't be so smooth. As much as Adel was experienced in his field, he can't help but have a few cuts here and there after some mishaps along with some small blisters here and there — he didn't think he had the most flattering hands given his work but he always covered it up with bandages on his busier days when he's more prone to mistakes.

"You must be the one my father has told me about. Adel, right?" She introduced herself shortly after Adel slowly nodded in response to her question.

"Take a seat," Adel urged her to take a seat on one of the sofas in the common room and drove Canaan and Merryrose away when all they were doing was watching; he didn't want any unnecessary distractions. "So I heard from your father that you have a passion for designing and sewing, I'm assuming that's true?"

She shook her hands violently, denying those claims — whether out of embarrassment or actual denial or something that didn't fall under those two, he didn't know. "No, no–! I'm sure my father was just exaggerating, he likes to do that — he always takes everything so seriously… I'm sure this is just a passing interest."

Adel raised an eyebrow, he was starting to feel kind of irked. "I'm not sure if you mean that or not but I'm not the type to cut corners when it comes to my craft, so I hope this merely being a passing interest doesn't drag down the quality of my work. I plan on assigning you to become my temporary assistant, after all."

"Sort of like an internship?"

"Exactly like an internship."

"Actually, Sir Adel—"

"Adel is fine."

"I don't know how to sew."

"What?"

"I have exactly zero knowledge. I don't think my being your assistant will work very well. I'm pretty sure it'll just drag your work's quality down if my hands touch it."

"Then why would your father send you here with zero knowledge?"

"Maybe it's because he wanted you to teach me how to sew instead." She looked away, "he thinks anything my hands touch is going to get ruined given how horrendous I am with a thread and needle. He's already given up on teaching me, he probably pinned his hopes onto you."

It made zero sense to him why anyone would send someone like her his way — everything just kept piling up. First, her father was under the wrong impression that his daughter was passionate about this sort of thing and asked him to take her under his wing. Second, she turned out to be super inexperienced. Third, the actual request and purpose for this whole visit was to teach her how to sew from the very basics. Fourth, she said she didn't even know how to thread a needle (she asked him what threading a needle meant).

He was finally feeling the headache settling down. He was seriously so baffled by the situation that he was left speechless and a little breathless as if he just ran a marathon. The first solution that popped into his head was to send her back home. "Okay, you know what? You can just go back home and tell your father I'll have to turn down his request after all. I'll send him a formal letter right after."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're sending me home? Just like that?"

"Listen, I've got a tight schedule and I have no time to be teaching you every single thing starting from the basics. Besides, wasn't this just a passing interest of yours? If it isn't important to you, I think it's better to send you home rather than waste both of our time."

Adel turned around and got ready to leave until he felt a tug on his sleeve, he was forced to face her once more. He was surprised to see a determined look in her eyes, she said, "I'm not lying when I say I want to learn. I may have no prior knowledge nor do I have the skills but I can promise you that I'll dedicate myself to learning. You don't have to be super involved — just a few pointers, tips, and maybe some exercises will help me."

Adel paused, "your father can do that for you."

"He was never a good teacher."

"And what made you think I am?"

She smiled, "call it a hunch."

"That's an illogical argument," he let out a small chuckle. He wasn't sure what came over him, the most logical option was still sending her home but after her little declaration, he found himself hesitating. He was still busy, and it was going to stay that way for a few more weeks. He expected an assistant to help him — he gets his workload lessened and the assistant gets to watch his techniques and how he works. He thought it would be a win-win situation but now, it was more like… he teaches her and that's it. It only benefitted one party.

'It's a favour,' he thought and he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh. He signed himself up for this and he thought that the look in her eyes wasn't bad, it may be worth a shot to teach her.

"Tomorrow. 10 o'clock in the morning sharp, don't be late."

"i wanna take it to the basics"

He hasn't slept at all since yesterday. Usually, he can last a few days without sleep (his longest record was 4 days, and he remembered passing out as soon as Volks rushed into his workshop to reprimand him) before collapsing. It was odd that he already felt as if he was about to collapse after one all-nighter. He tried thinking of various ways to maximize his time, especially now that he has an apprentice to teach. It would be easier if she knew the basics but she didn't, so they're going to have to start at the very bottom.

He heard the doorknob turn and saw her figure come in, eyeing every single thing in the workshop in awe. It was short-lived when Adel snapped her out of her thoughts. "Quit dawdling around. Let's start your lessons, I have much to do today."

"Y-Yes!" She gathered herself and walked towards the table Adel was at. There was a small container containing thread, scissors, and needles — all of them the same size. She was thinking that he was going to teach her how to do some basic stitches but her expectations were crushed when he opened his mouth to explain.

"There are exactly 50 needles in this container. I want you to learn how to thread a needle and make a knot. You have to get used to it if you're planning on sewing, you're not allowed to use a needle threader — you're going to have to do them all on your own. That's your first assignment." Adel picked up a needle and thread to show a small demonstration, he managed to get the thread into the hole in one try and made a knot to secure it. She asked him to repeat the knot once more, slowly this time, because he did it too fast.

"... All 50?" Frankly, she thought it wasn't going to be all that difficult. How hard could threading a needle be? All she has to do is put a thread into the needle's hold, right? She'll be over with this in no time.

"All 50." Adel nodded, he turned around and picked up a pair of scissors and started cutting fabric at another table. He didn't bother giving her another glance as he added: "Let me know once you're done."

She sat down and picked up a needle. She grabbed the spool of thread and cut an appropriate length, nothing too short and nothing too long. She tried putting the thread into the hole — it entered the hole but once she tried pulling it, it split into two.

No worries, I can just try again. She thought.

30 minutes have passed and she's only managed to successfully do at least 8. It turned out to be more difficult than she thought, especially when she had to do all of them one after the other. It required concentration she didn't prepare for but, slowly but surely, her hands and eyes started getting more adept at threading. Another hour passed and she was almost done with the 50 needles, and when she was finally done, she called out to Adel with a proud smile. "I'm done!"

Adel turned to look at her and dropped what he was previously doing to look at her work. He scrutinized them all one by one, and she couldn't help but think how strange this whole situation was.

"It's a little sloppy," he said. Though a small smile graced his features when he picked up one. "But it'll do."

"... Then—!"

"I'll be teaching you some basic stitches next, make sure to pay attention."

"Yes!"

A few days passed by with this routine. She would wake up and go into his workshop and learn how to sew from him, he'll give her something to do before she leaves and she'll do it in her free time — the cycle repeats over and over again. Adel can see with no doubt that she wasn't lying when she said she sincerely wanted to learn, he couldn't help but wonder where that drive came from. She was a fast learner, her father must've been such a terrible teacher if he couldn't manage to teach his daughter this much.

It was another day in his workshop, there was a dress he was to deliver tomorrow at exactly noon. Because of that, he was staying in his workshop later than he initially planned to add the finishing touches to the dress. It was another debutante dress, the client was the daughter of a famous marquis from another kingdom — she requested that the dress be adorned with the finest jewels. It took him a while to get it finished because he was forced to work with Canaan and Volks. Volks was fine, the problem was Canaan since it took every ounce of effort to get him to finish assigned work on time.

He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he almost jumped when he heard something being placed down on his table. He looked up and he was surprised to see that it was his apprentice, she was holding a mug of what seemed to be coffee — he assumed that the mug she placed down on his table was also coffee.

She shot him a worried look. "You're up so late."

"I have to finish this." He sighed. If he could, he would've gone straight to sleep. "What brings you here?"

"I was… worried about you. I haven't been here for very long but I noticed that you tend to overwork and push yourself. Honestly, I think it's amazing how you can do that on top of dealing with me but isn't it bad for you?"

"What can I do? It comes with the job." He sighed. "This work is demanding… but I suppose it's just as rewarding. It makes all the effort worth it."

"... I see. That's nice, isn't it? Having something you're passionate about, I mean."

"Don't you have any hobbies or anything?"

"I do! But… I can't really say that I'm passionate about them." She sighed, "it's the same for sewing. I don't have plans on making clothes like you and my father do but…"

"Then, why do you learn?"

"The reason is a little embarrassing. I'm afraid you might laugh."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Seeing you try your best is enough to tell me you're not half-assing this, at least." He picked up the mug and took a sip, "thanks for the coffee."

She smiled. "You're welcome. You should head to bed soon, though, I wouldn't want to see you collapse."

He let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry about me, I'm used to it. You, on the other hand… Go to bed. Our lessons start early tomorrow."

Somehow, it feels like they've gotten a little closer.

"abrupt goodbyes"

Ever since that night, Adel felt as if there was a significant change in their relationship. They bantered more often now and made pleasant conversations, though he made sure to not let that cloud his teaching. Though, it was a little weird to him since it wasn't long ago that his opinion of her was a little lower than favourable.

Though what happened next was unexpected — he got a commission from a VIP client last minute. They needed it as soon as possible and what Adel had to go through to deliver was akin to hell. He barely slept, ate, and went out of his workshop. He was so engrossed with work that he couldn't find time to teach her anymore and sent her away. There was a time that he almost snapped at her, telling her not to bother him when all she wanted to do was to show him something she was proud of making.

He cursed that client inside his head. His body felt heavy, and his head had a splitting headache — he felt feverish. He could barely concentrate, his movements were sluggish. He knew exactly what was happening, he was finally reaching his limit after working nonstop for a few days. He set down his scissors and let out a sigh, trying to ground himself until he heard the door open and finally let himself collapse.

~•~

What happened after that was a blur. He collapsed and the last thing he can remember was someone shouting his name. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was the familiar ceiling of his room. It took him a moment to process things before the weight of reality finally hit him. He sat up violently and looked for any indication of date and time — he couldn't have slept through the delivery date, right?

From the corner of his eye, he caught her figure sitting on one of the seats, holding what looked like an embroidery hoop. She looked just as startled as he was but quickly regained her composure as Adel questioned her immediately: "What date is it today—!?"

"Adel, you really shouldn't be worrying about that right now. Not in your current state."

"Just tell me!"

"It's been a day since you collapsed. Don't worry, Volks already contacted your client and got an extension for you."

"He did?"

"Mhm."

He let out a sigh of relief. A part of him felt bad but he was more relieved than regretful. Going back to the current situation, Adel felt like his apprentice was acting a little cold towards him — her responses were a bit dry, he noticed. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be embroidering something, and her hands were covered with bandages. He decided to ask: "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to embroider a handkerchief."

"You like embroidery?"

"Remember what we talked about the other night? You asked me the reason why I learn. It's because I like embroidering. I'm not good at it, so I thought learning a thing or two from you might help me."

"I've been teaching you the wrong things then. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's because I'm so terrible at it that my father even gave up on me. I was afraid you’d laugh if I showed you.” She stood up and approached his bed, placing down the embroidery hoop on his bedside table as if to show him her efforts.

He picked it up; he could barely make out an image. “Is this supposed to be a flower?”

“I-I told you I’m terrible!” She flushed. “But yes, it’s supposed to be a flower.”

“It’s fine. Everyone has to start somewhere, including me.” Adel picked up the thread and needle as he started embroidering. She looked at him with interest, wondering if he was going to fix the mess of a flower she made. Much to her surprise, he started making smaller flowers around it instead. “There’s nothing to laugh about — I can see that you’re trying your best.”

“You think so?”

He let out a small chuckle. Now that he was free from the clutches of work and deadlines for a moment, she swore that Adel looked the gentlest she’s ever seen him.“I used to be terrible at embroidery when I was younger. People could barely make out the image I wanted to make when I showed them. It’s all about practice — as long as you don’t give up, you’re bound to succeed one day.”

Adel didn’t know the reason why he was so talkative. Maybe it was the fever talking, or maybe it was the fact that he saw himself in her that he couldn’t help but blurt out the things he usually wouldn’t say to a mere apprentice. He felt comfortable. “There.” He handed the hoop back to her and she couldn’t help but let out a small giggle. “Is there something funny?”

“Seeing my terrible handiwork next to yours is a little funny. It’s like a toddler and a professional made it side by side, it’s pretty endearing.”

“You’ll learn how to do that soon enough, I believe.” He sighed, “we still have more lessons—”

“Actually, I’m about to go home in a few hours.” She took the handkerchief from the hoop and folded it neatly before placing it in his hands, “I wanted to give this to you as a token of my gratitude for looking out for me all this time.”

“Huh?” He felt his heart drop. It was strange. Why was he so disappointed? “Are the three weeks already up?”

“Unfortunately,” she sounded just as disappointed as he was. “I received a letter from my father yesterday that I’m to be picked up around noon tomorrow. If I’m being honest, I wanted to disappear without another word to you after you ignored me for days because I’m petty.” She pinned her gaze somewhere else, a little embarrassed that she just admitted that. “But it didn’t sit right with me in the end. So I decided to come over and express my gratitude when you suddenly collapsed in your workshop.”

“Aha! So it was you who found me.”

“Don’t sound so happy you figured that out! I was seriously worried about you.” Her lips formed a thin line, “you ought to take care of yourself more.”

“... I’ll keep that in mind next time.” It was strange how he was saying this, “but I can’t make any promises.”

“That much is enough. I know how important your work is to you, I just wanted to give you a little reminder.” She picked up her stuff and prepared to head out. Again, Adel found it strange how disappointed he was seeing her go — he almost wanted to call out to her and tell her to stay a bit longer. No, no, what am I even thinking of?

“Then, goodbye. I hope to see you again some other time.”

“... Yes. Me too.”

Silence enveloped the room once she left and Adel never thought he’d be uncomfortable with it. He looked at the handkerchief she left him once more and examined their handiworks side by side; he smiled, only a little bit. Endearing — that was the word he was looking for. He didn’t know how long it’ll be before they interact once more but somewhere in his heart he wished that by some sort of play by fate that it'd be soon. Once again, he thought it was a strange thought to think of but… it wasn’t unpleasant.

He ran a finger over the embroidery.

“I suppose teaching her wasn’t all that bad… If she wants me to take her back someday, perhaps I’ll think about it.” He paused. “Still… she left so soon. Couldn’t she have shown a bit of hesitation, at least? Argh, what am I even talking about? This is pointless.”

He threw the handkerchief over his bed and a piece of paper slipped out from underneath the folds. Curiosity washed over him as he picked it up. “What’s this? Did she slip this in here while she was folding it?”

It held a string of numbers. It didn’t take long for Adel to connect the dots together.

There’s no way. Why would she—? He felt his face getting a bit warm. He thought he might be misunderstanding the intentions behind the number but it had a little heart next to it so surely it was true to some degree, right? No, no, that couldn’t be it. She showed no signs of interest… is it because I never gave her my personal contact so she decided to give hers instead?

He thought of throwing it away but, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to do it so he shoved it in his drawer and never looked at it again. But no matter how much he tried to forget about it—

It was always stuck in the back of his mind.

— I actually have a soft spot for characters that know how to sew and an idea came to me in a dream. Conveniently enough, Adel was a tailor and he fit the idea perfectly <3 cousgshs I don't actually know shit about sewing. My experience at most is attending a workshop at a local church and learning how to sew a button into the fabric. Or maybe the apron we were required to make when I was in third grade. Most of the stuff said here are my own delusions and not backed up by canon.