When They Reunited

Let's rewind to an hour earlier.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

"Hmm--ha~" Sigrika stretched, then patted her face, secretly encouraging herself.

She was wearing the same outfit she wore during the club visit that day, except that her bangs were firmly held in place by a pair of sunflower hair clips.

Dania, standing nearby, was also stretching her body in the early morning sunlight, looking a bit more energetic than usual, perhaps because she didn't have to get up at 8 AM and could afford to slack off.

Sigrika volunteered for the celebration, and her main tasks were to greet guests, guide them, answer their questions, and explain important information.

Dania made a rare choice to volunteer alongside Sigrika, which made Sigrika very happy.

"Yaya is even more energetic than usual today!" Sigrika couldn't help but praise her good friend while preparing.

"Really? Maybe it's because there's no 8 AM sign," Dania replied, then steadily placed the sign on the ground.

To be honest, these two girls are a sight to behold just by being together, and the other volunteers would often glance in their direction while setting up the venue.

Sigrika is a lively girl with a wide range of expressions; she wears her heart on her sleeve, and just seeing her smile makes you feel good.

Dania, on the other hand, is more quiet and reserved, always with a smiling expression on her face. Occasionally, she might utter a "What a hassle~" from her mouth, but her hands never stop moving.

In conclusion, this pair of best friends is quite eye-catching in terms of looks, personality, and atmosphere.

After all the preparations were complete, Sigrika wiped her sweat and smiled brightly at Dania, saying, "Yaya, isn't this the first time we've volunteered together?"

"Let me think... I guess so. After all, you were always solving puzzles at the Star Torch Academy, so you didn't have a chance to do this kind of thing with me." Dania replied with a smile.

Let's cheer each other on today!

"Uh-huh."

The volunteer work is proceeding in an orderly manner.

Sigrika's warm and lively smile has a heartwarming power, and coupled with her sweet voice and those elfin ears that seem to move, it makes people feel as if they have seen a living angel.

Dania quietly went about her job, handing out admission tickets to everyone who was about to enter. Occasionally, she would also help Sigrika with her work. Her languid demeanor and gentle smile won the hearts of many visitors.

In short, over time, Sigrika and Dania's booth received the most visitors among all the volunteers.

However, just as the two were immersed in their volunteer work, an unexpected reunion was quietly brewing as time passed.

8:45 AM.

After seeing off a couple who had come specifically to see her, Sigrika moved on to greet the next visitor.

"Hello!" Sigrika smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling. "Here's the school's event schedule and recommended tour routes. If you'd like to enter, please register with Dania next to me. She'll give you your admission tickets!"

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

A gentle female voice rang out in front of Sigrika, giving her a long-lost sense of familiarity.

She opened her eyes with immense anticipation and a touch of fear. Her beautiful eyes immediately saw the gentle woman smiling at her, her elven ears twitching slightly, just like hers.

"Sigrika, my child, you look more energetic than before."

"Mom!" Sigrika stood up, walked around the table, and rushed into her mother's arms, tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

"Daddy's here!"

Sigrika looked to her side and saw her father grinning broadly at her, looking quite happy.

"Dad!" Sigrika reached out and hugged her father again.

The whole family hugged each other, and the volunteers and other visitors around them tactfully refrained from disturbing this heartwarming reunion.

"How wonderful~" Dania rested her chin on her hand and smiled as she watched her best friend and family reunite. She was happy for her, but also felt an indescribable envy.

After a while, Sigrika pulled away from her family's embrace and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Honestly, I should be happy to see you all again, but I couldn't help but shed tears."

"What's wrong with that?" Sigrika's mother affectionately patted her child's head. "No one will blame you."

"Yes, cry when you should cry, laugh when you should laugh, that's how our little Sigrika should be!" Xixi's father gave his daughter a thumbs up.

"Speaking of which, isn't this Dania next to you...?" Xixi's mother turned to Dania, who had been quietly watching them. "She's mentioned you to me quite often. Thank you for helping this child at the academy all this time."

"No... it was Xixi who helped me the most." Dania was a little surprised by this sudden gratitude and scratched her cheek shyly. "Speaking of which, Xixi, why don't you take your uncles and aunties on a tour yourself?"

"Hey, Yaya, can you manage on your own?" Sigrika was a little worried that Dania wouldn't be able to handle things after she left her post.

"Don't worry, don't worry~ I can handle this little thing."

"Then I'll trouble you Yaya Ya! I'll take them for a walk and be right back!"

"Okay, I'll give you the admission tickets."

So, after Dania gave Sigrika's parents admission tickets, Sigrika couldn't wait to drag them inside the school for a tour, their laughter fading into the distance as they walked.

"Family..." Dania still had that languid and gentle demeanor, but her starry eyes held an unspeakable sorrow.

"I wonder what Ling is up to; he hasn't arrived yet..."

And so, after Sigrika left her post, Dania dealt with the visitors in her own way until Xiao Ling arrived with Little Ai and the Rover.

Back to the present.

Aemeath Xiao Ling and the Rover into the celebration hall.

"By the way, when does your match with Lynae start?" Xiao Ling asked.

"Hmm... Our match is scheduled for tomorrow. This afternoon, it's Iuno and Augusta's badminton match. Do you want to go watch it, A-Yu?" Aemeath asked after thinking for a moment, tapping her chin.

"Go? Why wouldn't you go? What do you say, Rover?"

"I'll follow your arrangements," the Rover replied.

She was only there to accompany her Little Ai, and incidentally keep an eye on some guy who was trying to take advantage of her; where they went was not important to her.

(The elderly mother is extremely worried. jpg)

"Where should we go first?" Xiao Ling asked, inquiring about today's celebration schedule.

"Let me see... Let's check out the game booths first, it's still early before lunchtime," Aemeath.

"Yes," the Rover nodded with a smile.

After deciding on the first stop of their trip, the three of them headed together towards the game booths at the celebration, thus beginning their day's festivities.