Chapter 57: The kids who grew up
Chapter 57: The kids who grew up
Fwoosh
The moment the window was opened, a cool breeze greeted Noah, making the bangs on his forehead flutter. Noah inhaled this refreshing draught and felt better overall, his heart also felt healed.
It’s been four years and those years are gone. Here he stands after having returned for the first time in a while.
Is he nostalgic? Maybe he is but Noah felt more moved by the sense of it all. It’s been 4 years since he last came here but his room was left just like how he had left it. There aren’t any dust to speak of, his shirts and pants are all neatly arranged in that same old cupboard he had.
What did this mean? It means that somebody had been taking care of his room for the past 4 years, probably came here every day as well. This person never touched his stuff and made sure to maintain the room in the same state as when he left. Noah is veritably moved by this feat.
He also had a pretty good idea who cleaned his room for the past 4 years.
“Seriously…”
An image floated into his mind, bringing a smile to his face.
“I must thank her properly…”
While still engrossed in his own feelings and memories, an unsure and disbelieving voice came from behind him.
“Noah… Nii-san?…”
Funny enough, the voice sounded strangely unfamiliar and familiar at the same time. He reflexively turned around to see just who is standing behind him. There stood a beautiful girl around the age of 15 or 16 with porcelain skin and fair white hair. The girl hesitated and trembled at the sight of Noah. Somehow or the other, the girl managed to squeeze out a shaking voice of a sentence.
“Noah Nii-san, is that you?”
The girl who called out to him differed a lot from how he used to remember her, he kept looking at her and his expression grew soft.
“I might have left the guild 4 years ago but if i do remember correctly, I seem to recall you finding me in the wilderness some 6 months ago, don’t tell me you can’t recognize after such a period?”
He uttered her name.
“Lisanna…”
Lisanna finally confirmed that the person standing before her is the owner of this room. Her exquisite face that had an unsure expression turned into one of intense excitement.
“Noah Nii-san!”
Noah almost fell to the floor by the force of her unexpected tackle. Lisanna didn’t seem to have noticed though, she squeezed him with all her strength while rubbing her face in his chest.
“Noah Nii-san! You’re finally back! That’s so great!”
Feeling the soft sensation her beautiful body is transmitting to him at nigh 0 distance and smelling the sweet smell coming off of her, his heart felt a tremor like he had never experienced before during those 4 years of training.
Hell, even if one were to return to 4 years ago when they were still kids who are very tight with each other, Lisanna only held hands or hugged his arm, sometimes if she is feeling like being spoiled, she would persuade him into giving her a piggyback, but they never hugged before.
This is the first time she had actually given him a hug so mighty, he had never really gotten intimate with a girl before so how would he be able to resist something like this? (Author note: He still doesn’t know that Mira and Lisanna stole a kiss from him)
Furthermore, this Lisanna is completely different from the Lisanna that he used to know. At least he can gather from that soft sensation Lisanna’s body emits when she hugged him, that there is definitely a sweet pair of softies building under her shirt.
“I-I know you’re happy, I’m glad as well.”
Noah awkwardly said.
“But you didn’t have to be so excited right? We just met half a year ago did we not?”
“Looks like I am not the only one who remembered that we only saw each other half a year ago!
Lisanna lifted her head from his chest and stared at him with what appears to be a pout on her face.
“We used to hang out every day together, but these 4 years we didn’t get to meet more than 10 times, excuse me for being so thrilled!”
“Okay okay, jeez, I know already.”
Noah surrendered. He suppressed the feeling within him and rubbed her head like how he used to do it.
“I am back.”
“Welcome home!”
Lisanna smiled with the widest grin she had ever mustered. She then buried her face in his chest again while satisfyingly purring.
“It’s Noah Nii-san’s scent, this brings back memories…”
“Wait, you actually remember what I used to smell like?”
Noah pushed a slightly peeved Lisanna away from him while donning an expression that is between laughing and crying. He then looked at his clean room.
“You cheeky girl, you must be the one who had been cleaning my room all this while right?”
“Nn!”
Lisanna didn’t bother hiding the fact and just nodded.
“During your absence, Mira-Nee didn’t really stay in the guild much, she would go do jobs after jobs while Elfman fooled around with Natsu, Gray and the others. Erza also went out to do jobs like Mira or she would go train by the river by herself. That leaves me with a bunch of free time to kill so I would come here sometimes when I am free to do a little bit of cleaning.”
“I see…”
He more or less understood the situation now. He then examined Lisanna who wouldn’t let go of him even for her dear life.
“Come to think of it, you sure changed…”
“Oh really?”
Lisanna bashfully giggled but she didn’t avert her eyes, she kept her eyes on him.
“Tell me, do I look more womanly now?”
“Nope, you’re still the same as before, as precocious and cheeky as they come.”
Noah lightly knocked her head making her yelp in pain. He escaped her bear hug and walked outside the room.
“Let’s go and greet everyone!”
“Wait up, Noah Nii-san!”
Lisanna hurried after him as they made their way down to the bar on the ground floor.
♦ ♦ ♦
He had just arrived at the bar and the usual ruckus is already made known to him.
He stood at the stairway and looked over the guys that are chatting happily away at the tables or shooting shots at another group from another table. His heart told him that this really is his home.
As expected, nothing can top Fairy Tail.
“Everyone!”
Lisanna called out to everyone in the guild.
“Look who’s back, everyone!”
Everyone stopped whatever they were doing and turned towards the stairway before their eyes widened at the sight of a young boy standing at Lisanna’s side while grinning.
The guild members who were already in Fairy Tail 4 years ago became slackjawed. They looked like they were looking at a ghost, some members were even rubbing their eyes lest their eyes trick them.
The guild members who joined after he had left looked around at their seniors in confusion. It took around 10 seconds for the rowdy guild to fall into complete silence.
After another 10 seconds.
“Noah?”
“That’s Noah in’nit?!”
“Noah!”
“Noah’s back!”
“He’s back!”
The veteran members who knew him all called out.
“Noah?”
“Who’s Noah?”
The newbies all exchanged glances with each other.
“Noah——!”
The next moment, a pink haired boy with a scarf around his head who looked to be around Lisanna’s age rushed out from the crowd and held his flaming high while charging Noah. The boy looked very elated as he made his way over to him.
“Fight me——!”