The shopping street lay to the west of Snezhnaya City, in the opposite direction from the dance studio east of the theater.
Varesa had said it was "on the way" without so much as a blush or a flicker of hesitation. Bai You wasn't very familiar with the roads, but even she had a vague feeling something was off.
She didn't ask, though. She simply followed obediently at Varesa's side, her little hand held naturally in Varesa's, like a small animal sheltered beneath a wing.
Beside Varesa, Bai You felt like a little girl being taken out by an adult. Her tone and movements became adorably dazed, and she didn't know why...
The streets of Snezhnaya City were paved with blue-gray stone slabs. Stone buildings with pointed roofs lined both sides, their windows coated in a thin layer of frost.
It was cold, but the streets were lively. Vendors had set up stalls, and steam rose from beneath their awnings, mingling with the aroma of food and condensing into clouds of white mist in the cold air.
"Are you cold?" Varesa asked, turning her head.
Bai You tucked her chin down and said softly, "N-no, I'm not cold..."
No sooner had she said it than she sneezed.
Varesa chuckled, took off her scarf, and wrapped it around Bai You's neck.
The scarf was long and soft, still warm from Varesa's body, and covered half of Bai You's face at once.
"Still denying it," Varesa said, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
Bai You's face turned red behind the scarf. Only her eyes showed, moist and wide like those of a startled fawn.
They first stopped at a hot cocoa stall. Cocoa bubbled away in a copper pot, its rich aroma filling the air.
The vendor ladled out two large cups and sprinkled marshmallows and cinnamon on top. When he handed them over, the cups were so hot they had to keep switching hands.
Varesa took them and handed one to Bai You first. "Hold it. It'll warm your hand."
Bai You took it in one hand. She had just thought to hold the cup with both hands to drink when her other hand shifted in Varesa's palm. She wanted to pull it free, but couldn't bring herself to.
Varesa didn't let go. She kept holding Bai You's hand and carried her hot cocoa in the other, drinking as they walked.
Bai You followed close beside her, hand in hand, but her eyes could hardly take everything in. To the left was a grilled sausage stall, oily sausages turning on an iron rack. To the right was a honey-nut stall, its golden nuts glistening beneath a sugary coating.
"Which one do you want?" Varesa asked.
Bai You looked back and forth between the two stalls. After a long hesitation, she said softly, "B-both..."
Varesa laughed at that. "Then we'll buy both."
She bought two grilled sausages first, then a bag of honey nuts. She also picked up a skewer of frosted berries from the stall next door. The deep blue berries were coated in white sugar, looking like little gems.
Bai You held the pile of food, her eyes shining as if filled with stars.
She bit into a sausage, and grease splashed onto the corner of her mouth without her noticing. Varesa reached out to wipe it away, and her thumb brushed the corner of Bai You's lips.
Bai You's whole body stiffened for a moment, then her ears turned red at a visible rate.
"Eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you," Varesa said, laughter in her voice.
Bai You lowered her head and nibbled at the sausage, the tips of her ears still red.
After buying all that, Bai You spotted a little cart selling fish and chips.
The vendor was a bearded middle-aged man, who was scooping out golden pieces of fish as the oil sizzled.
Varesa followed her gaze. "Want some more?" she asked.
Bai You nodded vigorously.
Varesa smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Let's go."
Varesa paid for an order of fish and chips, then held the paper bag as she stood by the roadside, waiting for Bai You to eat first.
Bai You picked up a piece, blew on it, and took a bite. Her eyes lit up at once. "It's so crispy! And so tender inside!"
"Slow down. Don't burn yourself." Varesa pulled a tissue from her pocket and naturally wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
Bai You paused, and the tips of her ears turned red again. But she didn't pull away. She simply lowered her head and took another bite, saying indistinctly, "You have some too."
"Okay." Varesa picked up a piece, but instead of putting it in her own mouth, she held it to Bai You's lips. "This one looks the best. You have it."
Bai You looked up at her. Varesa's sky-blue eyes glimmered faintly in the setting sun, and there was a slight smile on her lips. She looked as serious as if she were presenting some priceless treasure.
Bai You had no choice but to open her mouth and take it.
The fish really was tender, with a fresh hint of lemon. But Bai You felt that her face was hotter than the freshly fried fish.
After eating some fish and chips, the two continued on their way.
They walked and ate like that, making their way from one end of the snack street to the other.
When they finished their hot cocoa, Varesa bought two more cups. When they finished the sausages, Bai You secretly slipped the last bite to Varesa.
They came across some other tasty food along the way, and Varesa thought Bai You had eaten just about enough.
Smiling, Varesa bought the rest to take back to the theater, where they could share it with Odette too.
They continued walking and passed a street performer playing a cheerful tune on an accordion, with a large open space beside him.
Varesa suddenly stopped, thrust the bags in her hands into Bai You's arms, and walked over to the performer. Bai You didn't know what she said, but the performer smiled and nodded, then switched to another tune.
It was a waltz.
Varesa turned around and held out her hand to Bai You. "Come on, let's dance."
Bai You stood there holding a pile of bags, dumbfounded. "I-I can't dance..."
"I'll teach you."
"Aren't you a singer?"
"My singing is simply so outstanding that it overshadows my other talents."
Varesa kept her hand extended, a touch of pride in her voice.
"Put what you're holding down over there first, then give me your hand."
With no other choice, Bai You set the pile of bags on the ground and placed her hand in Varesa's palm.
Varesa's hand closed around hers completely.
With her other hand, Varesa drew Bai You closer by the waist.
"Just follow my lead," she said in Bai You's ear, her breath making it tickle.
Bai You's whole body was stiff, and it felt as though she were stepping on cotton. On the very first step, she stepped on Varesa's foot.
"Ah! S-sorry-"
"It's fine." Varesa smiled and tightened the hand around her waist. "Again."
The second try went much better. Bai You still missed the beat, but at least she could move slowly along with Varesa's steps.
Varesa led her through a turn, and Bai You's skirt flared out like a flower in bloom.
A few passersby stopped to watch, and someone even took out a camera.
Bai You's face turned so red it looked ready to bleed. She buried it in Varesa's shoulder and whispered, "Let's stop... So many people are watching..."
"What are you afraid of?" Varesa's voice carried a smile. "I haven't made any mistakes."
When the music ended, Varesa let go. Bai You hurriedly crouched down to pick up the bags, using the chance to hide her scarlet face.
Varesa dropped a few coins into the performer's hat, then came back, picked up the bags, and naturally took Bai You's hand with her free one.
"Come on, let's go buy some clothes," she said.
Bai You let Varesa lead her along. Her heart was pounding like a drum, but her steps were light, as though she were walking on clouds.
The clothing store was halfway down the shopping street. Its storefront was small, but the mannequins in the window wore the season's latest styles. Its warm yellow lighting looked especially cozy against the cool-toned street.
Varesa pushed open the door, and the wind chime rang with a ding.
"Welcome!" A shop assistant came over to greet them enthusiastically.
Varesa waved a hand and led Bai You inside.
She wandered among the racks, her gaze sweeping over the clothes. Every so often, she would pull something out and hold it up against Bai You.
Bai You followed behind her like a child whose parent had brought her clothes shopping, a little unsure of herself and a little secretly happy.
"This one." Varesa pulled out a light blue dress with white lace around the neckline. The skirt reached the knees, and the fabric looked thick. "Go try it on."
Bai You took it and pinched the hem, hesitating a little. "Wouldn't it be too..."
"No." Varesa pushed her toward the fitting room. "Go on."
The fitting room door closed.
Although Bai You had already fully accepted the reality that she was a young girl, and had completely fallen...
Holding a dress in a women's fitting room still made her heart beat a little faster.
Varesa leaned against the wall outside, hands tucked in her pockets, and waited a while.
There was a rustling from inside, followed by the sound of a zipper that wouldn't close, and then Bai You's quiet, slightly helpless intake of breath.
"What's wrong?" Varesa knocked on the door.
Thanks to Lan Fu Wen Nian for the flower and two love letters.
Thanks to wangyu91 for two flowers and an update reminder.
Thanks to Qing Wu Ning Shuang Xue for the like.
Thanks to Xi Huan Suan Cai Yu Mei Wei for the like.
Special thanks to Gou Zao De Mo Fang for the like and character summon.
And thank you all for the power-ups. (♡＞＜)/♥
I owe you two bonus chapters for the gifts, so I'll keep up the mass release tomorrow. ୧〃•̀ꇴ•〃૭
This chapter's plot is a little incomplete. I hit the word limit, so I could only post half of it.
As for the plot, I'm not very good at writing everyday-life scenes, but I've done my best. If there are any problems or things that don't make sense-the plot, characters, or anything else-please point them out. I'll read them carefully and make corrections.
Also, for the upcoming plot, I want to write the protagonist becoming the twelfth-ranked Harbinger. What do you all think?