What is she saying…?

Upon realizing that her words were the exact opposite of his thoughts, he couldn’t help but retort.

“What?”

When she turned around, allowing him to see her face, his thoughts were reaffirmed once more.

So beautiful.

Rather than the moon, it was as if the girl herself was shining. No, not ‘as if’, but actually shining.

For such a dazzling girl to call herself ugly was in direct defiance of the truth.

“Lying isn’t good. Ugly is the opposite word for describing you. Although, I do agree that your dressing up was useless. As in, you can’t possibly be more beautiful than you already are.”

Lying was wrong—but that wasn’t all. Geo’s sense of justice was a bit different. He genuinely didn’t want the girl to think of herself as ugly. Especially if that thought was what was causing those tears to brim from the corners of her eyes.

“Eh, uhm, who… are you?”

“I’m Geo Wales. Just the other day, I transferred to the fourth year of this academy. What about you? Are you a Moon Fairy, perhaps?”

Driven by the heat emanating from the depths of his chest, Geo danced in front of the girl.

It was an enchanting moonlit night. As such, it wouldn’t be strange if a fairy were to descend.

At his question, the Moon Fairy’s round eyes widened even more as she froze, perhaps surprised because he had guessed right.

◆◆◆

—The day after.

An incident occurred that completely changed Geo’s view on the most shocking event in his life, meeting the Moon Fairy.

…The Moon Fairy turned out to be human.

Or at least, that was what she kept telling him since the previous night. Now that she was before him in the middle of afternoon wearing a school uniform, he had no choice but to believe her.

“Yes, that’s right… I’m glad you believe me…”

The girl sat on the grass and muttered that wasn’t a Moon Fairy, but Lithia Album. Despite the time of the day, her profile, marred with weariness, was as ephemeral and charming as the moon.

—Yet, the beauty still insisted that she was ugly.

Last night, he wondered if a fairy’s sense of aesthetics was the opposite of humans, but that theory was debunked after Lithia was revealed to be a human.

“…I finally understand that rather than fairies, it’s the aesthetic sense of the nobles that are the opposite of the commoners.”

“It’s somewhat refreshing how you don’t doubt yourself for even a second.”

Shouldn’t that be obvious? I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful.

But when Geo admitted that out loud, Lithia became even more confused.

The golden eyes beneath her eyelashes were as majestic as the reflection of the moon on the rippling surface of water.

I couldn’t tell last night, but both of her eyes are golden. How can she not be a moon fairy?

“…Well, I had a phase where I thought I was cute, too. Back when I was 6-years-old, that is.”

“But I think that even now, and in the future, you’ll always be cute?”

After hearing that, it finally dawned on Geo.

What I’ve said up until wasn’t enough.

After all, he kept repeating the word ‘beautiful’ and forgot to use the word ‘cute.’

Even though she’s THIS cute… I’ll keep that in mind next time.

“…Shut up.”

“Okay.”

She stopped him.

As such, he was left with no other option but to stare at Lithia.

“I took it for granted when my family called me ‘cute.’ As such, I failed to realize just how bizarre my hair and eyes are. The realization came after I was 6-years-old. At the time, I went to a tea party with other children my age.”

Having said that, Lithia quietly reminisced about the tea party she attended 10 years ago, and how it had changed her life.

She recalled the day when the prince of the kingdom singled her out for having “ugly” hair and eye color. Apparently, the other boys simply averted their eyes while the girls sneered at her.

—Ever since then, she’d been subjected to verbal abuse and contemptuous gazes every day.

“I see… All of them have something wrong with their eyes or heads. Possibly both.”

“You really don’t compromise on your opinion.”

After hearing how heartless and blind those people were, Geo concluded that they were in the wrong. Yet still, Lithia didn’t seem convinced.

“Rather, I have a question. Even though he’s blind, why did you take his word for it? Why’d you think colors as pretty as these are ugly?”

Why?

What should I do?

What should I say to make her believe me?

Both her pure white hair and golden eyes were a thing of beauty. It was the simple and plain truth.

So, how can she not see this?

As Geo pondered deeply, he suddenly looked up and a tree came into view. Immediately, he stood up.

He often saw that tree when he was in the downtown area. Now that it was the beginning of autumn, there were only reddish-green leaves. If it had been a few months ago, any passersby would’ve been mesmerized by that tree.

If only it were summertime.

“…Light that shines equally on all living beings in the universe, I vow not to disobey thy path. Bestow upon me a moment of thy favor.”

Geo approached the tree and placed his hand upon its trunk. He closed his eyes, offering his prayer to the Spirit of Light.

“…Eh!?”

When he heard the surprised yelp from behind, he knew the magic was successful.

The next time Geo opened his eyes, the scene he was envisioning had become reality.

“How is it? They’re the same color. Beautiful, don’t you think?”

Majestic white petals were spread apart, revealing their bright, golden cores. Flowers blossomed on a summer tree which had its time rewound.

“You’re right… They’re beautiful…”

“See?”

Grasping at the white and gold flowers dancing in the wind, the girl who bore the same colors agreed with him for the first time.

---

***T/N: I always picture Lithia as Vladilena Milize from 86

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