Pen and Paper Translations

Catching the hint of mischief at the corner of Kian’s eyes, Riu hesitated for a moment.

“Are you worried I might try something? Your my brother’s lover, after all.”

At the word lover, Riu flinched and waved both hands in denial. What if someone heard that? Riu said firmly,

“I don’t know how you misunderstood, but Matthew and I aren’t like that.”

If anything, they might be worse than strangers. Forcing down the words that wouldn’t come out, Riu managed a faint smile.

“Then I’ve been rude. As an apology, I’d like to give you a small gift.”

“A gift?”

At the word gift, Riu shook his head, saying it wasn’t necessary. But Kian lightly snapped his fingers in the air and produced a single flower. It was only now that Riu realized Kian seemed to be adept at magic.

“This much is all right, isn’t it?”

It was a pale pink flower that exuded shyness.

“Lisianthus.”

“Yes. It’s a flower my brother is very fond of.”

A flower Matthew likes…

Riu carefully accepted the flower he offered.

“Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it. Let’s meet more often.”

With a gentlemanly expression, he vanished right before Riu’s eyes. It happened so quickly that Riu didn’t even see him disappear.

“…It’s pretty.”

Murmuring, Riu lifted the flower to his nose.

---

Another week passed after that. With the masquerade now right around the corner, the classroom was full of restless energy.

“Riu.”

It was René who’d said he wouldn’t come to school unless Matthew came to apologize in person. Seeing René at the academy, Riu tilted his head.

“René?”

“Can we talk for a minute?”

Breaking away from the group he’d been chatting with, René hurried over to Riu. His voice carried urgency, as if he’d heard something important.

“What is it?”

“I heard something huge. Guess what? Matthew’s going to the upcoming ball.”

At the name Matthew, Riu’s eyes widened a fraction. But he quickly schooled his expression and refocused on his notes.

“I see.”

“What’s with the flat reaction? Isn’t that surprising to you?”

“Mm.”

He was only trying to sound calm, but the answer came out drier than he’d intended.

“Why aren’t you surprised? Matthew’s attending the ball.”

In the end, René snatched the pen from Riu’s hand and stared at him. As if trying to gauge what Riu was thinking.

“Well, I guess it’s not like you’d be interested. You don’t like that kind of place.”

At René’s words, Riu felt a prick of conscience. He couldn’t deceive René forever, but he also didn’t have it in him to explain everything.

Riu let out a sigh too soft for René to hear, then opened his mouth.

“So what’s your plan, René?”

“Oh, that’s my friend.”

Relaxing at once, René flashed a broad grin and handed the pen back.

“The really lucky thing is that everyone who attended before has to attend again. That means Matthew will have no choice but to show up.”

Nodding at René’s words, Riu let his gaze drop back to his notebook. If he kept meeting René’s eyes like this, it felt like René would read his thoughts.

“I’m going to use that chance to find Matthew. No matter what, I’ll track him down and create a point of contact.”

His voice brimmed with certainty and with excitement. Faced with that, Riu couldn’t say anything.

“Are you listening?”

“Yeah, I’m listening.”

At Riu’s notably flat tone, René’s brow creased. He clearly wanted Riu to mirror his joy.

“You know you’ve changed a lot lately, right? Before, you would at least listen to me all the way through.”

“Sorry. I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

René wasn’t wrong. Before, Riu would have watched his mood and barely spoken up. But he couldn’t maintain a relationship like that forever, and he wanted to start changing little by little.

“Well, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. It means you’re expressing your will.”

“…”

“It’s just that… at least when I’m talking, I want you to listen like you used to. Even if no one else does, I want you, at least, to tell me I’m right.”

At René’s earnestness, Riu set his pen down.

“You’re my precious childhood friend.”

At the words childhood friend, Riu’s shoulders gave a small twitch. But he soon faced René and offered a gentle smile.

“So back to the point… how am I supposed to find Matthew there?”

Propping his chin on his desk, René fell into thought. He rolled his eyes as if pondering, then let out a deep sigh.

“It’d be great if I at least knew the color of his mask…”

He muttered to himself, absorbed in thought. Seeing him like that, Riu felt a heaviness settle in one corner of his heart.

From the beginning, René and Matthew were meant to be fated partners. If only he hadn’t gone to that ball…

“René.”

With a small sigh, Riu called his name. There was only one way to set the twisted story back on track.

At the ball being held again, he had to bring Matthew and René together. Reset the timeline to the original. That was all he could do now.

“Why—did you think of something good?”

“More than that, I think you could recognize Matthew.”

“Based on what?”

“You’ve spent time bumping into him. Even with a mask on, I’m sure you could tell it’s Matthew.”

Just like I recognized you there…

Riu didn’t add that last part, only smiled softly.

“Really? You think so?”

“Yeah. So don’t worry too much.”

At Riu’s words, intoned like a magic spell, a bright smile spread over René’s face. Watching René light up as if he’d just met Matthew, Riu slowly closed his notebook.

“Then what mask should I wear? I’m thinking something really flashy, studded with jewels to stand out. Will you come over later and help me pick one?”

Pick a mask for him… Riu looked a little troubled, then spoke gently.

“Mm, René. Wouldn’t something a bit plainer be better than a splendid one?”

“What are you talking about? At a masquerade, the mask is the star.”

“Everyone will show up with cool, beautiful masks. In the middle of that, a plain, rough mask might actually stand out more…”

More than anything, there was a high chance Matthew would wear the same kind of mask as that night. He’d said he was going to find the person he’d spent that night with. In that case, Riu thought, Matthew would likely choose something rough, unshowy, like the mask he’d worn then.

“You have a point. But I don’t like it. I don’t want my looks getting toned down by that kind of mask.”

With a look of distaste, René waved a hand. Even the thought seemed unbearable.

“But…”

“Think about it. Imagine someone recognizes me and badmouths my mask. This is about my pride and my image.”

Cutting him off as if he wouldn’t listen further, René spoke decisively. Riu had only said it because he wanted René and Matthew to end up together, but the unexpected rejection left him a bit downcast.

“Still, thanks for thinking of me. Do you want anything to eat today? I’ll buy you something nice.”

“No, it’s fine. I have something at home, so I should head back early.”

It was a lie, of course, but René wasn’t one to give up, and he sent Riu a pressing look.

“I’ll tell your father. If it’s not urgent, how about you eat before you go?”

“The professor will be in soon.”

“You can skip. You know it has to be today.”

Today, of all days, Riu wanted to take class seriously. But René left no room to retreat.

“Then eat with me.”

Without a sound of approach, Albert set a hand on René’s shoulder. René frowned slightly at his sudden appearance.

“What? I’m eating with Riu.”

“Riu doesn’t look like he wants to go. Just eat with me.”

“No.”

René’s instantaneous refusal drew a small laugh from Albert. Judging by his expression, he clearly had something up his sleeve.

“You’ll regret it. You really won’t eat with me?”

“Regret? What, you got important info or something?”

“Yeah. About the person you wanted to hear about.”

At Albert’s words, René shot to his feet without a second’s hesitation. He didn’t forget to flash a fearsome look that said if this was a lie, there’d be hell to pay.

“I’m going out with René for a bit. Take a breather meanwhile.”

With a friendly smile, Albert murmured in a mild voice. Riu sent him a grateful look and opened his notebook again.

Only after the two vanished did Riu finally release the breath he’d been holding.

“Haa…”

It seemed René’s feelings for Matthew ran deeper than he’d thought. What was that cursed curiosity worth? If only he hadn’t gone to that ball, he wouldn’t be drowning in this regret.

“Hey.”

At the voice from above his head, Riu lifted the head he’d been ducking. There stood Sehironz, hands in his pockets. What did he want today?

“What is it?”

At Riu’s voice, laced with weary annoyance, Sehironz’s face twisted.

“What’s with that look… like I’m some kind of unwelcome guest?”