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After Zeref said those words, I rolled my eyes, a bit annoyed, but couldn't deny that everything he said was true.

"I hate it when you throw the truths in my face"

Lucy said, staring at Zeref with slightly puffed cheeks.

"I know"

Zeref affirmed, laughing while looking at Lucy.

"But it doesn't change anything, even though I always try to get that through your head, it ends up going in one ear and out the other, doesn't it?"

"Then why do you still try?"

Lucy asked, looking at Zeref and at the same time securing the saddle on Secretariat. Unlike the other horses, he didn't even flinch; he knew the game and knew he was the best at it.

Before Zeref signaled for Secretariat to race down the track, he looked back at me and answered my question.

"Good question, I don't know either. I guess it's more like the duty of an older brother wanting to see his little sister well."

I didn't understand what Zeref meant by those words, but after he said that, Secretariat sped down the racetrack. If I didn't know him and his almost surreal speed, I would certainly be surprised to find out that he was one of the award-winning horses, and not only that, but that he was awarded and unique.

After Zeref slowly distanced himself from me along with Secretariat, I pushed myself backward and sat on the fence, watching the two until someone caught my attention by calling me the nickname, I hate the most.

"Hey, ugly! What are you doing there alone?"

A previously mysterious voice asked, approaching me from behind. From the nickname, I already knew who it was.

"Hi, hag"

Lucy retorted, turning slowly and coming face to face with Juvia.

This was my best friend, Juvia Lockser. She was basically the embodiment of a goddess who had descended into our small province to bless us with her beauty.

Less importantly, she was also Zeref's twin sister. As a 'two,' she could choose any profession she wanted, but loving this whole thing of runway and fashion, she ended up becoming a famous model featured on almost every magazine cover everywhere, magazines that I had never seen, let alone afford. But, aside from the title she had earned for being considered an unattainable goddess, she was also my best friend and almost like an older sister.

"What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at the provincial services department already?"

Lucy asked, almost shouting while looking at her friend with a serious face.

After Lucy called Juvia 'hag,' she rolled her eyes and let out a little laugh, a laugh that both she and Zeref shared.

"If I were you, my Lu-chan, I wouldn't be mocking around here of your future queen. What if... I don't know, you end up on the guillotine without a head."

Juvia joked, pretending to be offended by Lucy's joke and then laughing. I couldn't resist, and I also burst into laughter with her. After our laughter, I turned majestically, and with the grace of a cat, jumped off the fence and landed next to Juvia, who approached me with her playful smile.

"Forgive my rudeness, Your Majesty! This simple 'four' hasn't learned good manners, so excuse my rude way of speaking."

Lucy said, making a small pompous bow. Juvia responded with a casual wave, ignoring Lucy's bow.

"For being rude to your future queen, I condemn you to the guillotine"

Juvia said, looking at Lucy with a small smile on her face, almost laughing.

"Please, my queen, have mercy on this simple villager"

Lucy pleaded, pretending to cry with a shocked expression on her face.

"And I also condemn you for assaulting fashion with that floral shirt and those pants that could fit four of you inside"

Juvia added, jokingly looking at Lucy.

"Wait, but my shirt isn't horrible!"

Lucy said, dropping the act and pouting, looking at Juvia.

Juvia laughed and put an arm around my shoulders, still maintaining her playful air.

"And you're right, it's not horrible, it's horrendous! This shirt should be considered a national crime. With the right to execution and everything, that thing is so out of fashion."

After Juvia said those words to me, my cheeks started to turn red with anger, and she, seeing this, just laughed even louder at my face.

In the face of Juvia's taunt, my cheeks burned with indignation, but Juvia only intensified her laughter, savoring her own mockery.

"Relax, dear, I'm just trying to save the fashionistas from this visual crime!"

Juvia said, keeping her mocking smile.

Lucy, now in a mixture of indignation and laughter, replied.

"You're just jealous because you can't keep up with my unique style!"

Juvia, still laughing, made a dramatic gesture.

"Oh, please! Is that a unique style or an attack on fashion? I'm concerned about the ocular health of people who have to see you dressed like that!"

But before we could continue our conversation/teasing, someone shouted my name, and by the intensity, I already knew who it was.

"LUCY, WE HAVE TO GO"

My brother shouted with a stern look while staring at me.

"Apparently, he's furious with you. What did you do this time?"

Juvia asked, already assuming that I had done something.

"Your trust in your best friend moves me, but it's a long story"

Lucy said, disbelieving her own friend and then starting to walk in the direction of her brother.

Since our little argument the night before, my brother was still a bit angry with me, but he was relieved when this morning I announced that I would participate in all this selection nonsense, which made both him and my mother happy and relieved.

Between me and my friend Juvia, there was a lot of difference, for example she would go with a matte black limousine to the department and I would go with what was left for a 'four', which would be my father's rusty old truck that was already falling apart like a mobile pigsty.

RECOGNITION TO MEMBERS:

Matthew Jimenez🤝 - THANK YOU FOR ACTIVATING THE DOMAIN EXPANSION "MAHAYANA PRISON".

Gkiller ⛩️ - THANK YOU FOR ACTIVATING THE DOMAIN EXPANSION "MALEVOLENT SANCTUARY".