July 18, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
Orion arrived at the gate of the great mansion and announced himself to the guards. One of the guards asked his name, and once he confirmed that he was the person Doll was waiting for, he bowed solemnly and let him in.
However, before he could enter the mansion grounds, another guard told him that he needed to leave his sword there, and that he could not enter with it.
Orion didn't refuse. He had left his cutlass "Ace" at the inn, in Rouge's hands, and was now simply carrying the cutlass he used regularly.
Once he handed over his sword and showed the contents of his backpack, the guards allowed him to pass, and one of them guided him to Doll.
The guard silently led him to a large study, where Doll was studying earnestly.
Julia, who was standing behind Doll to assist her with any needs she might have during her study time, saw Orion approaching and went over to greet him.
"Hi Orion, how nice of you to come! Doll will be done with her studies in a few minutes. In the meantime, can I offer you a drink?"
"No, it's fine, I just had breakfast. Thanks," Orion said calmly, watching Doll focused on her studies. There was something fascinating about watching her with her serious expression, analyzing the information in her books.
Orion thought about how he had a mission to increase his knowledge, and it required him to go to Ohara. For the moment, there was no way he could accomplish it, and he would probably have to wait years to travel to North Blue, on the other side of the world.
Doll was busy for almost half an hour until she finally finished her work and was momentarily free to greet Orion. She looked at the boy, who was sitting in a nearby armchair, and said with some guilt.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Orion. My routine is somewhat rigid, and there's not much I can do about it."
Seeing that the young girl was genuinely embarrassed at having kept him waiting for only a few minutes, Orion smiled, thinking that Doll was truly sweet when she was so serious.
"Don't worry, I'm also used to keeping a rigid routine. It helps me stay organized."
"Really? You also have study sessions?" Doll asked curiously upon hearing that he, too, had a similar routine to hers.
"Hmm, not exactly. My routine is more of a physical one. I have to train daily with my sword. It's the only way to keep my skills at their best. Although I also used to have study sessions when I was little, along with my childhood friend."
Orion recalled the days spent with Gion, when they would train with their swords and then study some basic writing skills together, and a smile appeared on his face. He truly missed his childhood friend.
Luckily, he would be able to see her soon. He had told her he would visit her before the end of the year, and it was a promise he intended to keep.
Doll observed Orion's reminiscent gaze and his affectionate smile, and her heart raced without quite knowing why. Perhaps she longed for someone who would treat her with the kindness that appeared in Orion's expressions.
Her parents, although they loved her very much, were quite distant and were almost never there to accompany her. Julia, on the other hand, always maintained a certain reserve around her, since her status as a Korn servant prevented her from treating her as an equal. Although the two girls had a very close relationship, there was always a barrier between them that could not be crossed.
Doll didn't interrupt the boy's thoughts and remained silent, observing him.
After a few moments, Orion returned from his reminiscences and said, a little embarrassed:
"Sorry, I was just remembering some things from the past."
"No problem, I get lost in my thoughts sometimes too," Doll said with her usual calmness and elegance.
The three left the room and headed toward the gardens.
Upon arriving, Orion took a quick look around. The place was very neat and tidy, but the plants didn't have any flowers. That was normal; after all, it was the middle of winter.
In any case, the variety of plants in this garden was impressive, and one could see at a glance how much Doll cared for them.
Suddenly, a deep violet color appeared in his peripheral vision.
Orion turned his head and looked at a distant corner of the garden, where a large number of purple flowers were blooming, displaying their absolute beauty, which contrasted sharply with the rest of the dull garden.
Doll noticed Orion's gaze and said with a smile.
"Those are my Sun Lilies. They're beautiful, aren't they?"
Orion nodded and said with some emotion.
"Indeed, the fact that they can bloom in the middle of winter is quite impressive." After all, this world didn't have the advanced technology they had in his previous world, so it was difficult to establish an environment where ordinary plants could flourish without problems in winter.
They approached the purple flowers. Doll bent down and stroked one of the beautiful blossoms, and said with emotion.
"These are my favorite flowers. Not only because they're beautiful, but because they're so resilient. They can bloom all year round, displaying their full splendor, and they seem to refuse to yield to the elements. It seems that even when the world tries to force them to follow its laws, they refuse to follow the path it has laid out for themselves and resist the natural course of things with all their might. To me, there is no other plant more beautiful than this one."
Orion saw Doll's expression and obviously made the necessary logical connections.
A beautiful girl, as beautiful and perfect as a doll, who lived her life locked away in this mansion, with only her maid and her flowers for company.
He didn't know Doll's situation in depth, but with the little he knew, it was easy to deduce why the girl loved these flowers so much. Simply because they held something she didn't: the strength to defy the rules of the world.
That was what made them beautiful in her eyes, and that was what she longed for with all her being.
Orion said nothing, afraid of interrupting the beautiful scene before him. Doll's elegance, surrounded by her purple flowers, was truly a very beautiful and moving image.
He placed the backpack he was carrying on the floor and took out some materials he had prepared in advance for his visit today.
They were his painting materials!
Orion began to make a simple painting, trying to portray the beauty of the girl surrounded by her purple flowers.
The brush seemed to fly across the sturdy paper of the notebook. His "Painting (Level 5)" skill appeared in all its splendor.
Doll, who had been crouching down, happily inspecting the flowers, looked up and saw that, unnoticed, Orion had taken out a notebook and paint, and was now painting with absolute concentration. The little boy's serious eyes contrasted with his childlike appearance, generating a strange feeling of strangeness in her.
Being part of one of the most powerful families in Beru, Doll had come into contact with many painters and had had her portrait painted countless times. However, it had always been a routine task, just like when she studied politics or went to social gatherings with her parents.
This was the first time she felt anticipation of a painting of herself. Perhaps it was because the artist could be considered a "friend" of hers, or perhaps it was because it was something spontaneous that hadn't been imposed on her by her parents. But whatever the case, she didn't interrupt Orion's concentration, and even cooperated by remaining in the same position, for fear of ruining the boy's inspiration.
Orion didn't take long to finish the exquisite painting. With his level of painting, completing a work of this size and complexity wasn't very difficult.
He put his brush aside and handed the painting to Doll.
The girl's eyes widened in surprise, and even her mouth opened slightly, forming a somewhat funny expression on her face.
She hadn't expected the result to be so fantastic! This was probably the best portrait ever made of her; even the famous painters invited by her parents couldn't compare.
In the portrait, Doll stood with a big smile on her face, and the purple flowers seemed to merge with her body, as if she were just another flower in the garden. Her eyes began to fill with tears without her realizing it, and she thought it would be wonderful if she could ever see herself as happy and free in real life, just as she was portrayed in this painting.
Julia, who had been silent, observing the situation, was tremendously alarmed when she saw Doll crying. In her memory, this girl, who was like a doll, hadn't cried since she was a little girl. When was the last time she had seen her show emotions like that? She couldn't remember, but it had certainly been a long time ago.
Julia offered her friend a handkerchief, somewhat flustered to see her in that state.
Doll took it and wiped her tears with the elegance befitting a high-born young woman. Then she looked at Orion with a slight smile and said:
"Sorry, Orion, once again I've made a fool of myself in front of you. Thank you so much for this painting; it's the best gift I've ever received."
"No problem. To tell the truth, I like seeing you like this, more natural. I'm not a very educated person, so I can't appreciate the nobility of your usual attitude as other aristocrats might. You could say that my vulgar self prefers the Doll who cries and laughs regardless of the surroundings."
Orion's words surprised Doll, who had never expected such a response from him. But she wasn't bothered by his statements that seemed to indicate that she was "fake" when interacting with people, since strictly speaking, those statements were true. Her entire persona was a set of rules and customs that had been imposed on her, and even if Hannyabal hadn't forbidden the other young people in the aristocratic circle from coming into contact with her, she probably couldn't have formed a genuine connection with another person anyway.
Doll remained silent for a moment, staring at the painting thoughtfully. Finally, she looked up, her expression showing a certain determination, as if she had made some important decision. "Julia, could you please leave me alone with Orion for a moment? I want to have a conversation with him alone," Doll said with her usual elegance.
Julia hadn't expected to receive such an order, and she didn't react for a moment. However, she soon came to her senses and nodded hurriedly. Then she saluted and left the room.
Before she could leave completely, Doll's voice sounded again.
"Tell the guards to keep their distance. If any of them dare to defy my orders, they will face the consequences."
Julia nodded nervously again and hurried away. It was the first time she'd heard Doll speak in that manner. Usually, the girl was sweet and elegant, and she didn't even raise her voice when she got angry.
Now, however, although her tone remained the same, the firmness of her words and the unquestionable order she had given made her see her friend in a new light. Doll was acting a little strange today.
Once Julia left, Doll looked at Orion solemnly and said:
"Orion, to tell you the truth, I invited you today to ask for your help with something."
"Tell me, if it's within my means, I have no problem helping you with whatever you need," Orion replied frankly.
Doll nodded and began walking toward the place where her Tone Dial was hidden.
"Come with me, I want to show you something."
The two walked for a few minutes until they reached the large tree that Doll used as a hiding place for her treasure. She reached into the hollow of the trunk and took out the Tone Dial, showing it to Orion resolutely.
"This is my most precious object. Do you know what it is?" Doll asked.
Orion looked at the shape of the strange object and reviewed in his memory the various strange gadgets that often appeared in his teacher Roger's stories. Finally, he said with some uncertainty:
"I don't know… Is it some kind of seashell?"
Seeing that Orion had never seen a Tone Dial, Doll didn't try to explain, but simply played the recording inside.
A lively rock and roll song began to play, and Doll's face lit up with a big smile.
Orion watched, entranced, as the girl moved her body to the music and smiled brightly. It was the first time he had seen her like that, showing so much emotion, and he couldn't help but sigh, thinking that she was indeed much more beautiful when she wasn't as inert as a doll.
On the other hand, listening to the music coming from the small snail-shaped object, Orion finally remembered an object that had appeared in one of Roger's stories: the Tone Dial.
The music played for several minutes, and finally ended abruptly. Evidently, this dial had been damaged and wasn't working properly, or at least the song recorded on it had problems, and the ending was incomplete.
"A Tone Dial. My teacher told me about them, but this is the first time I've seen one," Orion said once the music ended.
Seeing that he was familiar with dials, Doll's eyes lit up. She placed her hands, still holding the dial, on her chest and, leaning forward, asked expectantly.
"Is there a place where tone dials like this can be found?"
Doll's face was almost pressed against his, her beautiful face alight with hope for a positive response from him.
Orion took a step back, putting some distance between them, and then answered mercilessly.
"I don't know. It probably isn't easy to find these kinds of Dials in the South Blue. Although I'm not entirely sure. This is the largest city I've ever visited, so you can imagine I don't have enough experience to make a definitive statement."
Doll's eyes lost some of their light upon hearing the boy's words. But she stood firm and decided not to be discouraged.
"Orion, could you try to find more tone dials with music like this? Of course, I'd pay for them, and I can give you extra money as a reward."
"You don't need to pay me. If you consider me a friend, there's no need for such formality between us."
Doll shook her head slightly. Even though she was somewhat excited, her expressions and movements were quite restrained.
"Of course I consider you a friend, but I can't allow you to waste your valuable time without getting anything in return."
Orion smiled. Doll was truly a good girl.
"And who said I wouldn't get anything in return? If I invest my time, it's simply to see the same smile you showed when you were listening to the rock song a moment ago. Consider that my payment."
Doll's cheeks flushed imperceptibly at the thought of showing her "careless" side to Orion, but her mind was immediately occupied by another piece of information she had gleaned from the boy's words.
"Rock? Is that the name of this music?" Doll asked with great curiosity. Her face was once again almost pressed against Orion's. Evidently, this was an involuntary behavior she exhibited when she was excited.
"That's right, that style of music is called rock and roll, or at least that's what they called it where I'm from."
"In Pacific Town?" Doll asked, her eyes sparkling. Anything related to her favorite music was something she was very interested in.
Orion began to sweat profusely and felt the urge to slap himself hard!
He was just talking without thinking, and he mentioned that that musical style was called Rock where he came from, but he wasn't referring to Pacific Town, but to his previous life!
Of course, he couldn't admit he was a reincarnated person. He didn't want to get caught up in a web of lies again like that time with Giolla, and he didn't believe it was necessary, as this situation was different. Doll wasn't mentally destabilized, or at least not dangerously like Giolla.
He simply didn't answer Doll's question and redirected the conversation to the tone dial.
"In the next few months, I'll probably be traveling around South Blue a bit, so I can keep my eyes open and look for other tone dials."
The strategy was successful, and Doll jumped from joy, then took Orion's hand in one hand and placed it on her chest. She looked at him with bright eyes and thanked him profusely.
"Thank you so much, Orion! For many years I've wanted to get more Tone Dials. Thank you, thank you! You're the best friend I could ask for!"
Orion tried to free his hand, which was resting on the soft surface, but Doll was holding him with incredible strength, and even he, who had a passive ability that greatly increased his physical abilities, couldn't break free from the excited girl's grasp.
"Don't worry, Doll, I promise to do my best to bring you a new Dial! But… could you let go of my hand?"
Doll saw Orion's hand, which was resting on her breasts, and immediately gave a small squeal and jumped back, putting distance between them.
Now that he had regained the freedom of his hand, Orion looked at Doll, who was staring at him like a frightened little animal, her eyes wide and watery, her cheeks flushed.
He laughed with joy at such a scene, but immediately wondered how it was possible that he couldn't free his hand until Doll let go of her own free will.
With some uncertainty, he asked,
"Doll… Could it be that you are very strong?"
Doll looked at him in confusion.
"Strong? I don't think so. I've never trained my body in my life. My parents think it would be a waste of time and might ruin my appearance."
Orion looked thoughtful. Finally, his vision fell on a large rock nearby, and pointing at it, he said to Doll,
"Come with me, let's sit next to that rock and try it out."
Doll heard the word "rock," and her mind made a strange connection with the music she enjoyed listening to every day. The large, ordinary rock, which she had seen countless times, now seemed much more beautiful and interesting.
The two sat facing each other, using the rock as a table. Then Orion rested his elbow on it and told Doll to do the same. She agreed to his request, although her confusion was evident.
"Let's play a game. It's called arm wrestling. Basically, we have to hold hands and then use our arm strength to try to make the other person's hand touch the rock. Simple, right?"
When she heard that they were to hold hands, Doll thought of the previous scene in which she had involuntarily taken Orion's hand, and her cheeks blushed again.
However, she didn't resist Orion's request, and without further ado, they held hands and began arm wrestling.
Orion's idea was to use a little of his strength and test Doll's endurance limits, but before he could implement his plan, he felt a great force being transmitted to his arm by the girl, and he realized that if he did nothing, his hand would crash against the rock without any resistance.
He immediately exerted all the strength he could muster, and for a moment their hands remained perfectly balanced. However, just a moment later, Doll applied a little more force, and Orion's hand slammed forcefully against the rock, penetrating it and leaving a hole in the solid stone.
"Hiss."
Orion inhaled sharply and tried to ignore the pain in his hand, which had slammed violently against the rock.
He looked at the girl sitting opposite him, smiling elegantly, and couldn't help but think:
"Duck!! How strong is this girl?!"
Orion had the passive skill "Strong Body (Level 3)", so his physical abilities were four times that of a normal person, and yet he had been unable to contend at all against Doll, who seemed to be a frail young lady without a shred of strength.
The monstrous strength Doll had displayed was probably on Giolla's level! It was impossible for him to face her directly in a contest of strength and emerge victorious if that were the case, at least not in his child body. Perhaps if he used his ability and transformed into an adult, he would have a chance to compete with her, though he wasn't sure he could beat her.
He sighed. The Named Characters truly were all monsters! He had no choice but to accept that fact.
Doll flashed an elegant smile and placed the hand she'd just used to destroy him on her chin, saying,
"Orion, you let me win, hehe."
"Duck! How could I have let you win?! That was clearly a ruthless submission on your part! Why are you only saying "hehe" now?!" Orion thought indignantly, feeling his pride as a man shattered at being defeated by such a delicate-looking girl.
Of course, Orion wouldn't say what was on his mind. He simply forced a smile and said,
"Well, it was your first time playing this game, after all."
"Want to play again?" Doll said with some enthusiasm. This was a new game for her, who routinely lived like a canary in a cage.
"No!" Orion shouted immediately. But he realized that his response had been too strong, and added:
"It's no fun if we play several times in a row. The next time we meet, we can play again."
Doll felt a slight disappointment, but didn't insist.
She stood up, preparing to take the tone dial to its hiding place, but at that moment, she stepped on her own white dress and fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Orion watched the entire sequence as if he were watching it in slow motion. Doll tried to stand, tripped on her own dress, her dress ripped from the girl's own force, and she fell to the ground in a "funny" pose, caused by trying to avoid damaging the dial in her hand.
The scene fell completely silent, and only the sound of the wind could be heard on the cold winter morning.
Finally, Doll stood up, her face red, embarrassed by her clumsiness.
She was clumsy by nature, and it wasn't the first time she'd had an accident like this. Usually, only her friend Julia had witnessed the embarrassing moments when she acted clumsily, but now her new friend Orion had also seen her make a fool of herself, and she couldn't help thinking that his image of her had surely deteriorated.
She stood up, trying to hide it and displaying her usual elegance, but her dress had a large vertical slit, revealing her purple underwear to Orion's eyes.
She noticed it and with a small cry, covered herself by squatting down.
Seeing her appearance, like that of a frightened little animal, with her large, watery eyes, Orion thought Doll was really cute.
"Mmm, Orion, please don't look," Doll said, almost pleading.
He couldn't help but laugh with joy at the absurd situation and simply closed his eyes.
Seeing that Orion was no longer watching her and that there was no danger of her underwear being openly exposed, Doll sighed in relief.
"Orion, let's go back inside the mansion. I'll change, and we can have tea and continue talking."
Orion nodded and asked.
"Should I call Julia? I don't think it's a good idea for you to appear in front of the guards in your dress like that, otherwise they'll probably misinterpret the situation and try to cut me down right there."
"Oh, yes, yes, tell her to bring me a coat, so I can cover myself without anyone noticing," Doll said, her voice slightly shaky.
Orion turned around and opened his eyes. He was preparing to head toward the mansion to call Julia, but Doll stopped him before he could leave.
"Wait a minute, Orion. One more thing… The tone dial thing is a secret. Please don't mention it in front of Julia."
Orion looked thoughtful and said.
"I'm fine with keeping it a secret, but isn't Julia your only friend? Why don't you tell her about the tone dial?"
Doll sighed.
"It's precisely because she's my best friend that I don't tell her anything about it. If my secret is discovered in the future, my parents will probably be angry, but they won't punish me severely. But if they find out that Julia knew about it and didn't tell them, she probably won't be able to escape without punishment. Perhaps they'll even separate her from me. I can't risk that happening."
There was a certain resignation in the girl's voice.
Orion once again renewed his perception of this noble, upper-class girl. The more contact he had with her, the more previously imperceptible details he discovered, and the image of Doll in his mind mutated accordingly, moving further and further away from the "perfect doll" he had seen during their first meeting.
Orion replied affirmatively and went to find Julia.
..............................…
July 19, 1496, Age of the Sea Circle
Today the day was clear, and especially good for sailing.
Orion loaded the last supplies they needed for the journey and looked out at the city.
The streets of this city were packed with people at this time of the morning, and while it couldn't compare to the large cities of his past life, it was undoubtedly the liveliest city he had encountered in this new world.
Rouge's voice brought him back to reality from his thoughts.
"Ready to go, Orion? We finally spent longer than planned here. Were you able to finish everything you needed to do?"
Orion looked at Rouge, who, after spending a few days resting at the inn, practically without seeing sunlight, seemed a little more cheerful. Perhaps she needed to rest and think about everything that had happened with Roger, and what the future held, so she could continue moving forward steadily.
"Yes. I was able to complete all my objectives, and everything went well, so I'm more than satisfied!"
Orion thought about the two Named Characters he had come to see.
Hannyabal had been ruled out as a person to establish contact with. At least for now, he felt irritated just by looking at his face, so it was impossible for him to actively try to approach him. He would keep an eye on him in the future, though.
On the other hand, he had established a friendly relationship with Doll, and he was pleased with how things had developed with her.
Doll was a good girl, and surely they could remain friends in the future.
He had promised to help her in her search for Tone Dials with Rock songs, and had rejected her offer of a monetary reward. He had, however, accepted a large quantity of books that the girl had firmly offered him.
He considered it a favor between friends, and that was why he hadn't refused her generosity. After all, he needed to increase his theoretical knowledge of this world, as indicated by the mission that asked him to go to Ohara.
"Then it's time to go! Go ahead, go go!" Rouge said, raising her hands in the air happily.
Orion nodded.
"We still have quite a way to go before we reach Pacific Town, but if the weather conditions stay this good, we can probably get there in about ten days. If we don't stop along the way."
"Very well, don't feel it's necessary to stop for my sake; I can handle a short trip like this!"
Orion agreed with her, but he would still monitor Rouge's condition closely, and at the slightest negative sign, he would halt their journey, no matter how long it took. He had to make sure she and her baby remained safe; only then could he keep the promise he had made to his master.
He prepared the small boat to set sail and looked once more toward the beach, hoping to see Doll's elegant figure. However, there was no sign of her.
It was normal; at this hour, she should be carrying out her daily routine of studies, and she wouldn't have time to come and see him off.
They had already formally said goodbye yesterday anyway, so he didn't think there was anything wrong with the girl's attitude.
Without hesitation, he unfurled the sail of the small boat and set sail from the port of Beru City.
The morning sun was warm, and it put him in a good mood.
Suddenly, he heard a strange sound.
He reached into his pocket and took out a small den den mushi, which Doll had given him the day before, and with which they could communicate in the future, despite the distance.
Orion answered the call and said
"Hello?"
"Orion! You're leaving now! Sorry, I'm late!" Doll's worried voice sounded through the den den mushi.
"Don't worry, Doll. I know you're busy with your studies. There's no need to come and see me off," Orion tried to comfort her.
"No! Look to your right, Orion. Here, to the right!" Doll's voice sounded a little agitated.
Orion looked in the direction Doll was pointing and saw a large green hill that ended in a ravine. This hill was somewhat far from the city and had not yet been reached by urban development.
There, a figure was running at high speed, vehemently waving an arm.
The figure, running swiftly, disregarding her appearance and making no attempt to maintain her immaculate elegance and grace, was, of course, Doll. She had come to say goodbye to Orion.
She had been running late and hadn't made it to the city, so she decided to go directly to the large hill, from where she could undoubtedly be seen by Orion.
Orion felt a great emotion seeing the girl running with all her might. She should have been studying now, with her characteristic rigidity, but instead, she had put everything aside to come say goodbye to her friend. Perhaps the young woman, who was like a canary in a cage, had begun to change a little.
"I came to say goodbye, Orion! Haha, you thought I wouldn't—aah!"
Suddenly, Doll stepped on her long dress and fell to the ground, smashing her beautiful face into the green grass on the hill.
The bizarre sight made him burst into joyful laughter.
Doll got up from the ground, pouting her mouth, and looked down at her dress, aggrieved. Luckily, this time, her dress hadn't ripped like the day before.
She took the bottom of her long white dress in her hands and ripped it with her bare hands! Revealing her feet.
Now she wouldn't trip again! The girl thought proudly.
Doll got up and started running again. This time, without the constraints of her dress, she moved at a much faster speed.
Orion saw the girl, who was disheveled and covered in grass from the fall, with the bottom of her dress torn, revealing her doll-like white legs, and he opened his mouth in surprise.
The elegant image of Doll in his mind was once again shaken. But he didn't mind. This Doll, running wildly at high speed, was much more interesting and adorable to him!
Doll's voice echoed through the den den mushi again.
"Orion, have a safe trip. I'm so happy to have met you and that we can be friends. I'll be waiting for your return; don't forget me. You can call me whenever you want, and we can talk about many interesting things!"
Doll's voice sounded a little tearful. Even though she had just met Orion, the lonely girl had no ties to anyone other than Julia. It was the first time she had met someone new and could form a friendship, and now he was leaving. Naturally, she was a little sad about it.
"Of course I won't forget you, silly! As soon as I have news about what I promised you, I'll triumphantly return to see you. In the meantime, don't just wait for me to call you. If you want to talk anytime, you can call me, and I promise I won't ignore you! Haha!"
Orion was in a very good mood when he saw that Doll had come to say goodbye, and he couldn't help but laugh at the end of his sentence.
Doll reached the end of the hill and stopped. Finally, she placed the den den mushi on the ground and took out a large piece of paper from her clothes. She unfolded it and held it with both hands above her head, then took a deep breath and shouted loudly:
"Goodbye, Orion, may the Rock be with you!"
Orion looked at the sign the girl was holding and felt a warmth in his chest.
"What a lovely girl," he thought.
"See you soon, Doll," Orion said, and then added with a shout, "May the rock be with you too!"
Doll showed a smile he'd never seen before; it was hard to describe, and perhaps the best way to do so was to say that she looked a little stupid. Not in a negative way, but more like the stupid smile that comes from the soul, when you relax all your muscles and let yourself be carried away by the situation.
Orion ended the call, and the boat continued moving, leaving the island behind.
Rouge, who was standing next to him, looked at him with a smile from ear to ear, her eyes full of stars.
"How wonderful it is to be young! What a romantic goodbye! Stupid Roger never said anything like that to me! Arrrg, he clearly wasn't romantic. Even a child can say cheesy things without thinking, but he can't even sing me a love song!"
He listened to Rouge, who was insincerely complaining about Roger, and his face turned red. For a moment, he forgot Rouge was there, and said something truly cheesy and embarrassing! It was best to erase it from his memories as soon as possible! Otherwise, it could cause trauma to his other, childish self.
On the hill, Doll watched the boat disappear and lowered the sign she had made to say goodbye to Orion. It was a simple poster, with some adorable drawings, stars and hearts, and in the center was a large phrase that simply read "Rock and Roll."
Any normal person would have felt their toes curl in embarrassment if they showed this poster in public. But in Doll's eyes, this poster was simply brilliant, and there was nothing wrong with it.
She sat on the green hill and looked up at the blue sky. Her hand touched something and she looked to her side in curiosity. It was a small rock. Immediately, her eyes lit up, and she took the small stone in her hands, saying,
"Wow, this stone is quite interesting! It has the spirit of Rock and Roll in it!"
Doll leaned the rock against her chest and thought that for today, she would forget about her daily routine. The world around her was full of life and movement, and it seemed like it was the first time in her life she had paid attention to it.