"So? How do I look?" Telle's soft voice asked.
She took a step back, showing off the waitress outfit she was wearing with more clarity. It was a bit different from the ones the other girls wore at her own request—it was looser and less formal.
In essence, it was a blend between a dress and a waitress uniform, but in a way, it was a maid outfit.
A pastel-colored top with black embroidery, and the skirt that fell below her knees was the same pastel color, adorned with white pleats.
It was eye-catching, yet managed to remain formal.
Sunny looked her up and down, observing her work outfit in detail. After seeing that everything was in order, he smiled softly.
"You look beautiful," he answered her.
Telle smiled broadly. Her cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment—exactly what she was hoping for from Sunny, though that didn't stop her from feeling anxious at his words.
Sunny had given her a new home... at least for now. He had given her the chance to stay here after her conflicts with her mother. Sunny had simply offered to let her stay and live here just like that, but Telle rejected the idea of living under his wing without contributing. She took the initiative to work in the emporium. She didn't know much about it, having never been a server, but she was committed to learning.
Sunny stepped closer to Telle and took her by the shoulders, softly caressing them with his thumbs.
Both looked into each other's eyes, finding their shared emotions. Sunny wrapped an arm around Telle's hip, pulling her into a deep kiss.
After enjoying each other's lips for a few seconds, they separated. Telle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away.
'She's so cute,' Sunny thought, feeling his heart melt. But right as that thought surfaced, a pang of uncertainty crossed his chest.
Several days had passed since what happened with Tyris. With each passing day, the possibility of Tyris showing up at his doorstep grew lower and lower, at least from his perspective. He preferred thinking about that than Tyris coming over at any moment. Convincing himself that Tyris wouldn't come anytime soon, he began to analyze the matters he needed to handle with more composure.
Doubts about what to do constantly plagued him whenever they could. He wondered whether to let things cool down or try to resolve them quickly. The truth was that he was procrastinating on taking action, leaning on uncertainty.
But no, Sunny couldn't postpone it for much longer—no more than necessary. Otherwise, things wouldn't turn out the way he wanted. If he took anything away from his encounter with Tyris, it was that he could no longer afford to let himself be carried along. That would only drag him into more and more entanglements. Being passive wouldn't help him at all.
If he wanted to act, he had to go see Tyris and confront her about what happened. Nobody else could do it for him, especially when only he knew what took place. Everything could be resolved quietly if he played the right cards.
On that front, he was sure of what had to happen, and very soon he would present himself before her.
But besides that matter... there was Morgan…
Sunny was still bewildered by that. He didn't know what to think; everything had been far too strange for him. Regrettably, he hadn't been able to dedicate much thought to Morgan. Recently, after making his final decision regarding Tyris, she began to occupy his mind more frequently.
Their encounters were something he never could have seen coming—in truth, nothing that happened to him was something he could have anticipated. But Morgan's attitude in particular was... almost surreal, to the point where he questioned if it was really her. Yet it was definitely Morgan.
He had thought that perhaps she had some ulterior motives, some purpose behind all her actions, but... it was becoming clearer and clearer that she didn't.
He had seen a vulnerable side to her, exposed like he had never seen her before. That was what most shattered the image he held of Morgan. After seeing her cry, blush, and make mistakes, his perception of her had inevitably changed.
If he thought of her, he could see two sides: the princess of Valor, a ruthless figure and a dangerous warrior.
On the other hand... what he had seen of her was just a woman, and it was becoming harder and harder not to view her as that woman with strange mood swings—suddenly decisive and bold, yet also anxious and clumsy.
No... he couldn't see her as the warrior she was anymore. Now he only saw Morgan, just Morgan... or as she called herself during their encounters, Moira.
What would he do the next time they saw each other?
'And what would even happen?' Sunny immediately chided himself.
Sunny took a step back, letting go of Telle.
"It's time for your shift, go on. I won't waste any more of your time."
Telle nodded in silence and slowly walked out of the room, heading toward the dining area.
When Telle left, Sunny let out a deep sigh, resting his back against the wall while rubbing his head.
"I'm a mess," he muttered to himself.
So many problems, each more outrageous than the last, and all a result of his own mistakes... of his debauchery.
"No more," he said firmly. "I need to draw a line. I'm already pathetic enough for not choosing just one of them as I should. Everything happening to me is the result of my immaturity, of my inability to choose who I want to be with. This can't keep escalating... I can't keep letting myself take advantage of all this... of them..."
Following his declaration, Sunny stared silently at the wall. His thoughts finally seemed to settle, and his conscience, for the moment, grew calmer.
Yet a single question hovered in his mind, sharp as a needle pricking flesh.
Would he be able to stick to this decision? How long could he even try?
Sunny preferred to ignore the questions, pushing the answers aside. He didn't want to hear them, not right now. He shook his head and walked out the door, heading out to face another day.
'What was up for today?'
Sunny stood in the dining hall, watching Telle take orders in her cute outfit.
He looked elsewhere, and there was Beth, preparing coffee in plain view at the wooden counter, alternating glances between her work and Telle, supervising her.
This part was covered; Sunny had nothing to do here.
He slipped into the kitchen, finding Aiko cooking. She didn't look particularly rushed—in fact, she looked distracted. He couldn't blame her; there weren't many people at this hour, so there was no pressure.
Thus, Sunny realized there was nothing for him to do.
He stood considering his options. He could go forge if he wanted to—Telle's request was on his mind—but given how specific her request was, he needed to gather materials by hunting Nightmare Creatures on the outskirts of Bastion. He could do that, considering the business was running itself.
"Mh... suddenly I feel useless," he said under his breath.
Sunny's mood plummeted. The idea of going out to hunt a creature to clear his head sounded beneficial at first, but he suddenly felt disheartened.
With slumped shoulders, Sunny began checking the supplies and food stock.
As for food and ingredients, they were doing quite well. There was no need to buy more, except...
"Why is there so little flour?"
Sunny lifted a quarter-full sack with doubt.
"Hey Aiko, didn't you make the supply order recently? Did you forget the flour?" he asked, turning around.
Aiko snapped out of her thoughts with a, "Mh?"
She looked at him for a few moments as if she hadn't paid attention to his words. When she saw the sack of flour, she immediately understood.
"Oh, that. I forgot to mention a few issues," Aiko said, placing the pancake she was cooking onto a plate.
"I didn't forget to place the orders. As you can see, everything is in the pantry. However, we're having problems with the flour."
"I can see that," Sunny replied.
Aiko frowned at his irony.
"Our trusted flour supplier has been having issues with the local grain. There are some problems. There were numerical errors, a lack of proper measurements, and a good portion of the wheat crop was lost. But they managed to save part of the yield, though the harvest season was delayed by a few months..."
Sunny nodded with a doubtful expression on his face.
"I see. But is there no more flour then? That... would be pretty bad for everyone, wouldn't it?"
Aiko nodded.
"Of course it would be, but flour is available. It's just that the prices are somewhat exorbitant. Since local grain production dropped, demand exceeds supply. The only flour coming in is imported, so it's expensive."
Sunny nodded slowly, considering her words. He had never been good with economics—for a long time, he was far too poor to care about major industry shifts. It was true he had owned a business before, but he left everything to Aiko, who was explaining it all to him right now.
"But money isn't a huge issue anyway. Why not just buy it?"
Aiko shook her head.
"True, we could buy it, but that wouldn't be ideal. Just because the flour is expensive doesn't guarantee its quality or its preservation during transport here, so it might not be the best."
Sunny scratched his head.
"So what options do we have?... Look, I don't fully get it... I mean, I understand, but not all those terms. Let's get straight to the point: what are we going to do then? We can't keep serving if there's no flour. Everything is made with flour!" Slowly, he began to realize the implications of missing that precious white powder.
The wheat powder, of course.
'At least we have yeast.'
Aiko patted his shoulders, trying to soothe him.
"Calm down, this is easily fixed. You'll go to the Waking World and get a few sacks. They'll be infinitely cheaper than imported grain—it's the best option we have. Besides, since you're going to buy stuff, I'll give you a list of additional items, okay?"
The idea of going to the Waking World made Sunny uncomfortable. He couldn't go through the citadel of Bastion to return to the Waking World; doing so would mean passing through guards and presenting papers he likely didn't have...
'Wait, if I don't have papers proving my existence, why did I freak out so much when I had to pay taxes?... You can't charge taxes to someone who doesn't exist. Did I get worked up over nothing?' Sunny shook his head, dispersing those thoughts for the moment.
"I suppose I can go, but..."
Aiko looked at him contemplatively.
Sunny sighed heavily. If he couldn't go through Clan Valor, then he would have to use his simplest method: just pull on his anchor and head to the Waking World.
Granted, that could be dangerous. It would be an unnecessarily risky exposure of his identity. He avoided using his Avatar to avoid linking it to his future actions. In this case, he could use the excuse that they merely shared similarities in abilities due to their natural element being shadows. However, if anyone caught him traveling like a Saint, there would be nothing left to hide. Naturally, he was skeptical about taking such a high risk for just a few kilograms of flour.
Even despite all that, Sunny felt strangely tempted to take the risk, as technically unnecessary as it was.
'I'd like a little quiet,' he thought, yearning for some personal space.
Sunny shook his head.
"I'll go. I guess I'll leave right away, so what needs to be bought?"
The streets of the outskirts were empty and silent, barely an echo of the cramped, polluted dump they used to be.
Very few people remained in this putrid place; it wasn't even watched or monitored, making it the perfect spot for Sunny to emerge.
In a quiet alleyway, Sunny stepped out from the shadows, walking while blending in with normal demeanor.
Besides how convenient it was to emerge on the outskirts, Sunny had additional plans.
Sunny spread his hands to his sides and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the characteristic polluted air.
"Phew..." he exhaled.
"It's just as toxic and disgusting as ever. I'm home."
Sunny smiled and began walking toward NQSC, taking his time. He was in no rush at all; he wanted to enjoy this moment of peace and solitude. He had been lacking it lately.
Here, he wouldn't be surrounded by reminders of his tense situation. Was it a way to run away from his problems? To an extent, yes, but it was also a way to prepare himself for the choices ahead.
He kept having sudden flashbacks of his encounter with Tyris, shuddering each time. The impression she left on him was certainly something he couldn't easily forget... she was far too breathtaking.
He remembered her cold, distant gaze that crushed his chest whenever he recalled it. Her curvaceous figure was the most gorgeous and alluring he had ever seen... and touched. All the girls he had been with had their charm, but Tyris was something else. He remembered her touch vividly, her exquisitely soft skin, and how good it felt to grasp her body in its most striking places. Her body was the definition of attractive; that woman was in a whole other league... Sunny felt weird classifying things like that, even feeling a bit like a scumbag, but that was how he felt.
His experience with her was the most intense night of all—nothing could compare to what happened there. It was something forbidden, beyond what was morally acceptable, and for that exact reason, it couldn't happen again. He would cut this whole dilemma at the root.
Sunny shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
He had come here to get fresh air and gather the courage to face the decisions that were already set in stone. This moment was his calm before the storm.
The air blew across his face unrestricted. He decided against putting on a mask to hide his identity. Why bother? He was Master Sunless, nothing more, nothing less. If he tried to lay low, wearing a mask or hiding his face would be the first thing to draw attention. Everyone would assume he had something to hide, and well... he did have a lot to hide, but if he acted like he didn't, others wouldn't pay it any mind. He didn't need to be mysterious just to buy flour.
After walking for a good while, he began venturing deeper into the streets of NQSC. The shift wasn't gradual—the distinction between the marginal areas was like night and day, though at this point in the state of the world, that fact barely mattered anymore.
Once inside the city's inner commercial district, Sunny followed the directions Aiko had given him. He didn't know much about streets, avenues, or alleys, so he was a bit lost for a while.
It took him some time, but after walking so much, he finally found the shop.
It was a small bakery with a somewhat garish look for his taste; the walls were a bright pink color, immediately popping out to the eye.
"Whatever," he muttered, focusing on his mission. "Flour and cream, flour and cream."
Sunny pushed the door, but it didn't budge. He pushed again, this time with a bit more force, but it didn't give. He drew his hand back and blinked at the door, finally noticing the etching on it.
Pull, don't push.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue.
Sunny was surprised when he stepped inside; the shop was larger than it appeared from the outside. There was even a sizeable line of people waiting—it seemed to be quite popular. Aiko had sent him to a good spot, apparently.
"Flour and milk, flour and milk," he recited from memory.
He had the list in his pocket just in case, but he trusted his memory.
After waiting in line, Sunny placed his order, ultimately relying on the list he was given.
When it came time to pay, Sunny was already holding several shopping bags in his hands. He fished through his pocket for his bag of coins and offered them to the woman working the counter.
The woman looked at him with a furrowed brow, bewildered.
"Um... excuse me, what do you expect me to do with those?"
Sunny tilted his head.
"Well... pay?" he asked, not fully understanding.
The girl sighed and cast him a tired look, as if this wasn't the first time she had dealt with this.
"These Awakened..." she grunted under her breath. "We only accept credits, sir. We're not a pawn shop to be taking relics or Nightmare Realm items. If you don't have money, leave your stuff and step aside. The line is long."
"Ah..." Sunny replied.
'Now what?'
He didn't use credits. He had only brought coins from the Waking World, and it was unlikely they would accept Memories as payment... but why wouldn't they?
Whatever the case, Sunny had no way to pay. He stood there with all the groceries in his hands, balancing a sack of flour on his shoulder. The entire line was waiting behind him, and when he turned around, he was shocked to see how much it had grown—there were about 12 people.
All those people waiting, the cashier looking at him annoyed, and him without any money.
Sunny felt a tight pressure in his chest as heat rushed over him. Social pressure was making him tense.
Ideas flashed through his head like lightning, but only one seemed like it would work, and in his anxiety, he wasn't going to second-guess it.
Shadow Step. He would slip far away and then pull on his anchor. Nobody could track him down—fast, simple, and functional.
Sunny was deep in his thoughts. Of course, his mind moved much faster than normal; what felt like minutes in his head was actually just a couple of blinks. He was so immersed in his thoughts and had his guard down so low that he failed to notice the figure that had stepped up beside him.
"Excuse me," the person next to him said.
Sunny's alarm bells blared, and he flinched violently. He miscalculated his strength, sending the items in his hands flying into the air.
Sunny had a brief moment of shock, but seeing everything airborne, he composed himself the very next instant. Quickly moving his hands, he snatched the delicate products mid-air as they began to fall.
A carton of milk had flown further than the rest off to his right side. He whipped around and reached out to catch it. Right as he went to grab it, the milk carton was snatched up by another swift hand.
However, his outstretched hand was already moving and couldn't stop. Sunny reacted fast and slowed his momentum, but it wasn't enough to halt the trajectory entirely.
Sunny's hand sank into a soft sensation—soft enough for his fingers to press into a substantial surface. His whole hand pressed in endlessly, feeling like a warm water balloon to the touch.
By sheer reflex, he gave a squeeze. He already recognized this feeling.
"Mhf," a voice gasped right next to him.
He raised his eyes slowly.
There, he met two piercingly cold blue eyes, like a pair of pale gems. They felt strikingly familiar.
His eyes widened in shock as he recognized the person's face. Of course he knew those eyes—he knew this woman very well.
His mouth opened to say something, but before he could, a voice dripping with barely suppressed hostility addressed him.
"I hope you don't die from this," the dark-haired woman said.
'Fuck,' he cursed in his mind.
Her furrowed brow and smirk were the last things Sunny saw before hearing a loud crash as his world distorted into a blur.
Of all possible ways, Sunny never expected his reunion with Jet to happen like this.