I volunteered to go to the ruins, but I don’t know when we’re going. A lot of people said they want to go too.
Miss Lan is also going next time. I guess if she didn’t go, most people wouldn’t know what they were looking at even if they found something there. Miss Lan knows a lot of things, and looking at her makes me feel like knowing lots of things is a pretty strong weapon.
I feel like I’m learning a lot of things little by little too, but I’m not even close to being like her.
“I heard a lot of things when I talked with Mister Douroean, but apparently he doesn’t know a lot about the ruins, so I didn’t learn too much about that.”
“Yes. He is a dragon, so I doubt he visited human countries.”
He knows there was a country there, but not what it was like.
He’s not a person, he’s a dragon. He doesn’t live like a person, so he doesn’t know how people of a certain country lived or what kind of things they used.
“That reminds me, you went to see Mister Douroean again while I was away… I definitely want so see him again as well.”
“Come with me next time I go.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Yes!”
Talking to Miss Lan makes me feel calmer.
I felt lonely just because she was away for a while. I guess I get lonely a lot more easily than I thought.
It used to feel natural for me to not have anyone around me, but now it’s the complete opposite.
“Miss Lan.”
“What is it, Lerunda?”
She turns my way.
By the way, she’s sitting on a chair right now, writing about the ruins. She’s writing something really fast on a notebook she made while talking to me.
“Can I hug you a bit?”
“Of course. Were you feeling lonely?”
“Yes. I was.”
Miss Lan gets up and tells me to come closer.
And then I hug her tight.
She does the same, and her warmth and smell make me feel at ease.
I really like her a lot.
“Fufu, you’re such a spoiled girl Lerunda.”
“…I’m already twelve, so it’s kind of embarrassing.”
“It’s fine. I’ll spoil you no matter how old you are. I’ll make up for everything your parents didn’t do too.”
“…Miss Lan, you’re kind of like my mom.”
I don’t remember my mother ever pampering me like this, but if she did, was it like this too?
I’m twelve, so I’ll be considered an adult in a few years.
Miss Lan smiles and says she’ll spoil me even as I get older.
“You always work very hard, so any time you want to be pampered, make sure to tell me. Not just me either, you have Mister Dongu and the others, and you can talk to Gaius and the others about your problems too.”
“Yes.”
You’re the miko, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a twelve year old girl.”
“Yes.”
I’m the miko, I know that, but lately I’ve been feeling that a lot more.
“Lerunda, if you interact with more people, the fact that you’re the miko will probably be emphasized more and more. But at the very least, you can count on me to pamper you.”
“Yes!”
We talk for a bit while still hugging. Being hugged by Miss Lan makes me feel relaxed.
She says I can come to her to be pampered anytime I want, and maybe even Mister Nirushi too. I have to try that next time.
“I’m sure it will be fun… I mean, I’m sure he will accept it.”
She was saying something, before replacing it with something else. I don’t know what she was about to say, but she looks amused, so it’s fine.
We do lots of things before it’s time to go to the ruins.
We’re still going ahead with our plans to make the playground a more fun place.
I’m right in the middle of doing that with Kayu and Shinomi.
“Lerunda, do you think this will be fun?”
“Yes!! Let’s do that!”
“Yes, let’s.”
As we talk, I see smoke rising, and hear people yelling.
I rush over there, and see something burning.
A house is on fire.
“It’s a fire.”
I hear someone say, as people try to put it out, but it’s too strong.
—Girl and fire – Part one
(The miko is pampered by the educator, and a fire happens in her village.)
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