The next couple of days went by rather quickly, and before I even realized it, it was somehow the weekend again.

Unfortunately for me, I was unable to sleep in, since someone was currently shaking me around. 

“Lucia, it’s like 7 in the morning, what do you want?”

I said before rubbing my eyes a bit. 

“The carriage is gonna arrive in an hour or two.” 

Lucia said before handing me a change of clothes and turning around. 

“Oh right, that’s today.”

I replied after taking the clothes and changing out of my pajamas. 

And while it wasn’t what I was used to wearing, I nonetheless felt quite comfortable donning it.

“So, where are we heading first?” 

I asked briefly after heading inside the bathroom to freshen up a bit in preparation for the long trip.

“We’re gonna be going to a teahouse first, the one that’s located at the very bottom of the mountain that’s near my parents’ house.”

“Ah gotcha.”

I remarked before splashing my face with water and drying it off with a towel. 

“So, how do I look?”

I asked while gesturing towards my outfit.

“Like you’re someone who I’d want to date.”

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

I said with a bit of a sly expression on my face.

“I don’t know, what do you think?”

Lucia replied in a similar tone before pushing me up against the wall that was behind me.

“Hah… I think that I will.”

I said before slowly pulling Lucia a little closer to me and giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

“Look at you getting more assertive.”

“I learn from the best.”

“Uh huh.”

Lucia remarked coyly while gently tussling my hair.

“Alright, that’s enough dawdling for now. We should get going.”

“Got it.” 

After she heard my response, Lucia just nodded and then grabbed me by the hand and started lead me towards the back entrance of the school.

Luckily, since the school got a new groundskeeper a while back, the path leading up to it was pretty smooth and didn’t have much grime.

And as a result, it only took the two of us about 20 minutes to get to the back entrance, just in time to see the carriage arrive.

The moment we got there, I noticed something was a bit off.

“Hey, Lucia where is Ameil at? Isn’t he also gonna be coming with us to your parents’ house?”

I asked while checking out the carriage.

“Hmm? Oh right, he said that he’s gonna be taking a separate carriage with someone else later today, so he won’t be personally traveling with us.” 

“I wonder who that could possibly be.”

“You and me both.” 

Lucia remarked in a similarly sarcastic tone before handing the driver a couple of coins.

Then she had me board the carriage with her.

“Speaking of which, did he ever end up confessing to her?”

“Here’s hoping that he did, or else it’s gonna become real awkward when they arrive.”

I said while grimacing a bit.

“I wouldn’t worry too much, considering that it’s already gonna be really awkward regardless of whether or not that idiot messes anything up.”

“Gee, thanks. Now I’m even more excited to meet your parents.”

I said, somewhat sarcastically.

“Oh, lighten up. Just focus on the good parts of this trip, like how you’re about to have one of the best breakfasts in your life or how this is the first time you’ve ever been in a carriage.”

“How did you know that I haven’t been on a carriage before?” 

I asked, quizzically.

“The face that you made when you saw the horses gave it away immediately.”

“Ah…”

“Did you not have carriages back where you came from?”

“Yes and no. They became obsolete once we figured out how to make cars.”

“What’s a car?”

“It’s like a carriage except instead of being powered by horses it’s powered by gasoline.”

“How did you guys manage that?” 

“I dunno, it’s not like I was the one who invented cars.”

I said before shrugging my arms a little.

“Fair enough. Say, what do you like better? The cars that you used to use or the carriage that you’re currently on?” 

“I’d have to say that I like the carriage more.”

“Why’s that?”

“I suppose it’s because it’s easier to stop compared to a car. I mean all you have to do is incapacitate the horses, right?” 

“Is that all that you like about it?”

“Well, that and the fact that I used to barely talk to anyone whenever I rode a car back then.”

“Really?” 

“Yup, aside from what’s happening right now, the only time I talked to anybody while traveling was when I needed to pay the driver.”

“…Not to be rude or anything, but did you commit some sort of crime in your previous world?” 

“Huh, no? Why do you ask?”

I asked, slightly confused.

“Between this and how your parents used to treat you… I’m just wondering how your previous life could be so well… lonely.”

“To be fair, it’s not like my life in this world would’ve been any different if I hadn’t bumped into you all those months ago.”

Come to think of it, aside from not having access to the internet, I’m pretty sure that I have it easier in this world.

“I guess that’s true.”

Lucia said with a bit of a downtrodden expression on her face.

“Come on, cheer up. Weren’t you the one who told me earlier to not worry about things so much today?”

“Yeah, but-“

Before Lucia could finish her sentence, I interrupted her.

“Not buts, we’re gonna have a good time today whether you like it or not.”

“Isn’t that a bit of a paradox?”

Lucia replied with a bit of a smile on her face.

“Maybe, but I don’t care right now.”

“It’s kind of weird to see you throw logic out the window like that.”

“Well, it’s your fault for getting sad all of a sudden. I can deal with you pretty easily whenever you’re feeling angry or happy, but when you get sad, my mind kinda goes into a state of panic.”

I said while looking out the window before realizing something pertinent.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should hide your feelings when you’re sad.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know how to read between the lines, you dunce.” 

Lucia said with a hint of annoyance in her voice before leaning her head on my shoulder.