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'Fairy Tail', library...
Rows upon rows of bookshelves, each as large as a building, stood in neat order throughout the vast space.
Books, old and new alike, were either arranged neatly on the shelves or scattered sparsely across the floor.
The scent of books lingered in the air.
A tranquil atmosphere ebbed and flowed through the space.
Under such circumstances, even someone as rough-tempered as Mira unconsciously lightened her steps. She entered the library almost on tiptoe, her aggressive gaze sweeping over the space filled with nothing but books before finally settling on a table at the center of all the shelves.
There, the person Mira had come looking for was lying facedown on the table. Books were piled around him; some remained closed, while others had been opened and placed before the boy. Yet he had not read a single word.
Because his eyes were tightly shut, and he looked as though he had fallen into a deep sleep.
At the sight, Mira frowned and snorted softly.
"Didn't you say you were going to fight through the night? Didn't you end up exhausted and asleep anyway?"
Unaware that Noah had learned much from Makarov the previous night about how he differed from ordinary people, leaving him emotionally drained and exhausted enough to fall into a deep sleep, Mira descended the stairs and walked toward him.
Looking down at Noah, who was asleep at the table, Mira raised one hand. Clearly, she intended to slap him awake.
However, in the next moment, an unexpected sight appeared before Mira's eyes.
"Drip..."
With an incredibly faint sound, a glistening droplet slid down the cheek of the sleeping Noah, splashing onto the tabletop and dampening it.
It was Noah's tear.
Mira's pupils, which always seemed filled with fierceness and forcefulness, trembled violently. Her heart panicked, and for a moment, she did not know what to do.
He was crying?
Noah was crying?
Why?
Mira could not get an answer to that question.
At least, not right now.
Still, the sight of Noah shedding tears in his sleep truly shook Mira deeply.
This was the first time Mira had ever seen Noah cry.
Before this, Mira's impression of Noah had been that he was shrewd and capable, incredibly strong, far more determined than ordinary people, highly independent, and exceptionally gentle.
After all, before joining Fairy Tail, Noah had saved Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna when they were in danger. He had also exposed the truth behind the claim that Mira had been possessed by a demon and brought the three siblings into Fairy Tail.
To Mira, Noah was someone who had saved her.
Most importantly, the gentle moment when Noah had touched Mira's Demon Arm without the slightest disgust—the arm that represented shadows and painful memories—had long been deeply etched into Mira's heart. It made it hard for her to believe that someone like him could have such a vulnerable side, one that shed tears.
But even if Mira knew Noah had a vulnerable side that others did not know about, what could she do?
She stared blankly at Noah lying on the table, tears occasionally flowing from his tightly closed eyes and falling onto the tabletop. Mira was at a complete loss until, after a while, she hesitantly stretched out a trembling hand and timidly wiped the tears from Noah's cheeks.
As Mira wiped them away, Noah seemed to feel a little ticklish. He wrinkled his nose and shifted his posture, startling Mira into thinking he was about to wake up. Only when Noah's steady breathing reached her ears again did she let out a sigh of relief.
By then, Noah no longer showed any sign of shedding tears. It seemed that, having been disturbed, his dream had changed, and his expression became unusually peaceful.
Looking at Noah's utterly peaceful sleeping face, Mira continued wiping his cheek—or rather, stroking it. Her hand no longer trembled, nor was she timid anymore. Instead, she began to grow reluctant to stop.
"Could it be that Lisanna insists on waking this guy up every day because she gets to see a sleeping face like this?" Mira muttered to herself, unable to help voicing what was in her heart.
"That really is... unfair..."
As she said that, Mira began staring intently at Noah's sleeping face. For some reason, she first smiled faintly, sweeter than ever before. Then her cheeks reddened. She furtively glanced around, looked once more at Noah's sleeping face, and actually swallowed.
"If... if it's only for a moment... it should be fine... right?..."
As those uncertain words left her lips, Mira's cheeks grew redder and redder. Finally, as though she had gathered some courage, she bent toward Noah.
At that moment, ripples like water waves stirred in Mira's eyes, leaving them unusually dreamy.
Mira's exquisite, adorable face drew closer and closer to Noah's peaceful sleeping face, filling the air with a rosy atmosphere.
"Chu..."
A sound rang out. It was faint, yet exceptionally clear in the silent environment.
Mira's tender lips finally met Noah's lips at zero distance, adding a hint of warmth to the rosy atmosphere until it became somewhat scorching.
"Mmm..."
No one knew how long had passed before Mira reluctantly released Noah's lips and straightened up. One hand brushed over her own mouth, her cheeks flushed crimson, her gaze dazed, and her expression blank, as though she had lost her soul.
"My first kiss... I gave it to him?..." As though she herself could not believe such a thing had happened, Mira touched her lips. After a long while, she bashfully cupped her flushed cheeks and cried out.
"Wh... what did I just do...?"
The moment those words fell, a puzzled voice came from behind Mira.
"What do you mean, what did you do?"
"Wah!" The sudden voice made the guilty Mira scream.
"Ah!" The newcomer also seemed startled by Mira's overly sudden scream and let out a cry as well.
Mira hurriedly turned around to look behind her. Then her pretty face paled, and she began stammering.
"Li-li-li-li-li... Lisanna?!"
"Y-yes, it's me..." Lisanna patted her little chest, staring blankly at the panicked, red-faced Mira.
"Mira, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly scream?"
"N-n-n-n-n... nothing!" Mira took several steps back and laughed ingratiatingly, her voice a little hoarse.
"Li... Lisanna, when did you get here?"
"Just now." Lisanna looked at her sister with a face full of confusion.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no... um... this..." Mira began fidgeting.
"D-did you see anything just now?"
"See what?" The confusion on Lisanna's face grew even deeper.
"Was I supposed to see something?"
Hearing that, Mira quietly breathed a sigh of relief and gradually regained her usual composure.
"Mira..." Lisanna stared closely at Mira and puffed out her cheeks.
"Are you hiding something from me?"
"Ahaha..." Mira guiltily looked away.
"H-how could I possibly be hiding anything from you? Right?"
"Very suspicious..." Lisanna stared fixedly at Mira, making her increasingly guilty. Unconsciously, Mira stretched out her hand again and covered her lips.
Lisanna froze. Then, as though she had thought of something, she hurriedly turned to look at Noah, asleep on the table. When she saw that Noah's lips seemed somewhat moist and swollen, Lisanna's eyes widened abruptly. She looked at Mira with utter disbelief.
"Mira... could it be you..."
"Isn't it about time to wake him up?!" Mira panicked and interrupted Lisanna, speaking awkwardly.
"Wasn't Lisanna really curious about what magic he learned? Then hurry up and wake him!"
Lisanna pouted, her eyes beginning to glisten with tears.
"Mira, you're too unfair!"
Little did she know, Mira had said the very same thing just moments ago.
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