Chapter 178: A Scarf
Chapter 178: A Scarf
Rod, who had once resolved never to wake up with a hangover again... found himself with another one.
When he finally opened his eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. He was covered with a blanket, and a water glass and a kettle were placed beside him.
Looking back, he saw Erza and Mirajane crouching on the ground, enthusiastically drawing on Gray's face.
Several others nearby had already been "vandalized" by them.
"Oh? Rod, you're awake so quickly? That's impressive," Erza said, giving Rod an approving look, which left him a bit dazed.
Mirajane glanced at Rod and stifled a laugh.
She walked over and poured a cup of hot water for the still half-asleep Rod.
"Thanks," Rod said, taking a sip. He felt a bit better and more alert.
Oh, so that's what Erza meant.
She still believed that drawing on people's faces after a party was to test their alertness after drinking.
'Just how naive can she be?' Rod tried to ask Mirajane with his eyes, but got no response.
Mirajane was staring at his face, trying hard not to laugh.
Rod understood and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."
When he returned, Rod stared at Mirajane with a mix of resentment and amusement.
He had recognized her handiwork immediately in the mirror. While Erza's artistic skills were as abstract as Mirajane's, there were subtle differences in their styles.
Rod was confident in his judgment.
What happened to trust between friends?
Mirajane clasped her hands and shook them slightly, tilting her head in apology, "Sorry, but Erza's idea was too fun, and you looked so cute when you were asleep."
When apologizing, one should... well, but she called me cute...
Rod tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't help smiling, "Actually, in my hometown, there's a custom where girls apologize by braiding a unique hairstyle, preferably using the hair ties from a few days ago."
Mirajane knew Rod was making it up, but she went to the counter and brought out something, feigning a troubled expression, "But I was planning to give you a gift, what should I do?"
"Thanks! Oh, and it's fine!" Rod didn't hesitate for a second, quickly taking the gift.
It was a blue and white scarf, soft to the touch, clearly hand-knitted.
He looked at Mirajane for confirmation.
Mirajane said, "I'm not very good at this, so some parts aren't perfect."
"Every part is perfect!" Rod hung the scarf around his neck, then paused, "Actually..."
Mirajane interrupted, "You're not going to say that in your hometown, girls always help guys tie their scarves, right?"
"How would I say such a thing..." Rod refused to admit he was caught, and came up with an even more far-fetched reason, "Actually, I've never worn a scarf before, so I don't know how to tie it."
Mirajane's face clearly showed she didn't believe him, staring into his eyes.
Rod felt increasingly guilty and looked up at the ceiling.
Just as he was about to give in, Mirajane said with a smile, "Alright, don't look so high, I can't help you like that."
Rod looked at her in surprise, confirmed her offer, and sat down.
Mirajane leaned in, took the scarf off, folded it, and rehung it, threading the ends through the fold, "There you go."
She stepped back to look at him, then came back, "But your current outfit might suit a different style..."
Rod sat quietly, waiting for Mirajane to adjust the scarf, secretly wishing he could hug her.
He reined in his restless thoughts, deciding to wait a bit longer and try a bit harder.
"Alright." Mira glanced over Rod once more, smiling. "Though it might sound a bit self-congratulatory, it really suits you."
"Thanks." Rod stroked the scarf, nodding gently. "It’s very warm."
Warm in every sense of the word.
"Alright, it’s time to get to work."
"I’ll help you."
"Go help Erza instead." Mira gave Rod a gentle push on the back, shooing him away. "Come back later."
"Oh..." Rod didn’t quite understand but followed her instructions.
Was painting faces more important than helping her work?
Mira returned to the counter and, while bending down to grab a ledger, lightly touched her cheeks.
She needed a moment to calm down.
It was strange. The last time they went to the capital together and he helped her straighten her clothes and tie her necktie, it didn’t feel like this.
This time... it felt different.
---
Due to Erza’s mischief, everyone was in a state of chaos when they woke up.
—The root cause was Rod, and Mira was an accomplice, but there was no need to mention that.
After all, the instigator of this graffiti spree was Erza.
If Rod didn’t know her better, he might have suspected that she did it on purpose.
Today was January 1st, the first day of X784.
Some people wanted to rest a bit longer, while others, short on cash, went out to work after eating.
Rod was the type who wanted a rest a a bit longer.
to rest.
In the afternoon, a mail carrier delivered a letter to the guild, handing it to Rod, who happened to be at the entrance.
"To Mira Strauss of Fairy Tail."
Rod passed it to Mira.
"It’s probably a magazine. Can you open it for me?" Mira was writing something in the ledger.
"Sure." Rod nodded, who doesn’t like opening mail? "Is the Sosara Weekly this thick?"
Mira thought for a moment. "It’s New Year’s Day and a Wednesday. Besides the regular weekly issue, there should be a special edition."
Rod tore open the package, and indeed, there were two magazines: one regular weekly issue and one New Year’s special edition.
It was a bit odd. Normally,’t they combine them into a thicker version?
He flipped through the magazines, and a letter fell out. "There’s a letter."
Mira finally put down her pen and picked up the letter, glancing at it. "It’s from the editor, probably asking for a contribution."
She hadn’t done a photoshoot in a while, mainly because she won a prize in the Harvest Festival beauty contest, and her family wasn’t short on money.
Mira unfolded the letter and read it for a moment, then said, "It’s Heart Kreuz wanting to collaborate with Sosara Weekly. They want a new fashion model to be featured on the cover of the next issue."
"Heart Kreuz... isn’t that the famous clothing brand?" Rod had heard of it. "Why not do the ad in the New Year’s special edition?"
"Maybe they have other contracts that haven’t ended yet," Mira explained. "The pay is quite good, as you’d expect from a big brand."
Rod asked, "Are you going to do it?"
"Hmm..." Mira thought for a moment. "I’m not sure. What do you think?"
"Me?" Rod hadn’t expected her to ask for his opinion. He hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "It’s a rare opportunity to work with a big brand. If you like it, I support you."
(End of Chapter)
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