"Shenhe!"
"Fairy!"
"Don't go yet!"
"Wait~! Wait~!"
Inside the academy, a group of little children came stumbling toward Ellin and Shenhe.
The children ran up to them and crowded around, chattering away.
"Fairy, Shenhe, thank you for playing with us."
A little girl with horn-shaped pigtails and an exposed forehead felt around in her pocket and pulled out two pieces of candy.
"I've been saving these for ages because I couldn't bear to eat them. They're for you, one each."
The little girl pressed the candies into Ellin's and Shenhe's hands, gave them a sweet smile, and ran off.
"Fairy, Shenhe, Mama Headmistress says we should repay kindness."
"I picked these Sunsettias yesterday when I sneaked over the wall to play outside. They're for you, one each."
"Don't tell Mama Headmistress, okay? Otherwise, I'll get another lecture."
A little boy stuck out his tongue mischievously and ran off with a grin.
"Goodbye!"
"Fairy! Shenhe!"
"Come back and play with me often!"
At last, Ellin and Shenhe left the academy amid the children's farewells.
By the time they walked out of the academy gates, both of them had quite a few extra things in their hands.
Apples, cookies, candies, Sunsettias, and other treats the children usually couldn't bear to eat.
Dolls sewn from scraps of cloth, and even oddly shaped stones the children had picked up from who knew where.
"Well? How do you feel?"
Ellin turned to Shenhe with a smile.
"I..."
Shenhe's brow creased slightly. She pressed a hand over her heart, and something seemed ready to break free of its restraints and surge out of her dull eyes.
She looked down at the things in her hands. In all honesty, they weren't worth much. If she took them elsewhere, people might even dismiss them as unwanted junk.