en cities, under the control of the Electronic Fairy in Joeldem. It might be a bit ominous, but what would happen if filth monsters destroyed Joeldem?

Normally, I'd have to wait for a long time to hear your thoughts, so this time, allow me to share my opinion. Uh, though I don't know how Electronic Fairies came to this world, they have formed different characteristics of the cities, creating the survival system for us humans. If the city's consciousness is defined as a body, then we're acknowledging them as living beings like us. Does that mean instead of Electronic Fairies living as individuals, they are social beings who each work different parts?"

That was the Sharon Karian couldn't see. She was in Academy City. Even if Karian went over to her city, she would've graduated when he enrolled.

Karian had only recently noticed the simple thing mentioned in the letter. As he read the letter, his admiration for Sharon's theory grew. He was both surprised and afraid of the truth.

"Did I leave the city to see her?"

The roaming bus and this letter caused his knowledge of the distance between cities to fade. Though it wasn't impossible, there did exist a faint sense of distance and danger. Most important was, she had never mentioned her home city, nor did she mention her plan after graduation.

Should he ask? Would she tell him after he asked? What would happen after he asked? Would he follow her and go to her home city? And afterward? In fact, Karian already knew how to express his wish to leave. He just hadn't prepared himself mentally. That wish had only stayed on the level of knowledge. But the knowledge he obtained from early maturity and his own thinking had made him comprehend the growth of a young man. Like the etching of a mark, this was his first time seeing the other as a female. He hadn't yet seen her, but he was attracted by the personality and knowledge brought out by the words. Thinking how this was just like his style, he began mocking himself to calm down.

But true peace and calmness did not come to him.

Yet, he could not ask her face to face.

The possibility of Karian and Sharon meeting randomly in so many cities was zero. Even if Karian was to inherit his father's information trade and traveled between cities like his father in his youth, he could only raise that possibility by very little. Was his feeling for her to end when he hadn't even seen her? This thinking and his bitterness made his hands shake.

He couldn't end it like that. He had decided. Nothing would happen if he waited. Waiting for her to come to Santoburug was the same as waiting for a miracle. He must act. Of course, he wasn't planning anything exaggerated. Immediately leaving for the Academy City she was in was not realistic. It would be strange for a kid of his age to handle the administrative papers for a roaming bus ride. At this stage, it was possible for him to see her. Besides, what could a child do once he saw her? Nothing was advantageous for him.

He could only do one thing. Though it was an insignificant action, Karian knew he must resist falling into the sprouting of this confused feeling. He held his pen, as if he was resisting the resistance in himself.

Everywhere else was dark. No matter how dazzling sunlight bathed the ground, the ground had no connection to the world beneath it. It was as if darkness had filled a ditch. Karian grasped his own collar.

"How's it?"

"The usual failure to attack the fake nervous system. The simple reaction really isn't satisfactory."

If he could let things go by not looking at the exhausted face of the Head of Alchemy, it would have been good. Faint light floated before the two of them. The darkness was most dense around the light, as if it was sucked into that light only to be pushed aside.

"I've always been thinking, do you want it to wake?"

"It was originally born from the Guardian Beast plan. It separated from what cannot be analyzed. Through a long period of time, changes had occurred to it. And we can no longer understand the original body it came from."

Karian could tell the passion in his words. The Head of Alchemy was no longer answering the question. He couldn't see his expression in the dark. Of course, not that he wanted to see his face, fascinated as if possessed by a devil. Beneath the sunlight, the Head of Alchemy was a proper researcher, but he had changed since entering here. Was this his true nature? Or did the darkness turn him into another him?

"No one knows what would happen if it wakes."

"No one knows how much power it has, but it must be enormous. If it can be gathered and processed, it could solve the current problem."

"That's just an optimistic speculation."

That wasn't it. Karian hadn't been listening since the middle of the conversation. This man was like the sinking darkness, possessed by that existence. The city's crisis had just given him one more excuse.

The scenery hidden within Zuellni. Only after becoming the Student President could he see this scenery. It was the greatness brought about by a certain reason, or it was just randomness. No matter what, Karian couldn't have seen this in Santoburug.

At the same time, it reminded him of something worrying.

(Is this what you've seen?)

Sharon. For you, who have once lived here, you should have seen this too.

He returned to his room. Only the icy cold air greeted him. His sister was in her own room. He hadn't seen her for days. That couldn't be helped, but he was worried. He had wanted to acknowledge the way of life she wanted. In fact, before he knew she was to enroll, he had thought he would let her live the way she wanted if Zuellni were to lose in the next Military Arts Competition.

He had given up until that time came.

A miracle had happened. No, it was about to happen. If a miracle appeared, anyone would naturally consider how to make it more effective, even if he was to sacrifice his sister.... It didn't matter that she would hate him after that.

It was deep into the night. Karian changed into his pajamas and walked carefully to the kitchen. He made himself a cup of tea and returned to the living room.

Karian tasted the tea under a lamp. In the dim room, only the aroma drifting from the table stimulated his feeling. Smell. First, he only smelled the aroma that was left on the letter. The aroma of another city. Attracted by that aroma, he had decided to come to Zuellni.

Because Sharon was here at that time.

Karian's gaze moved to the door at the sound. Felli appeared under the dim light. Though he couldn't read her expression, the atmosphere surrounding her was rejecting him. She walked past the sofa behind him and headed for the kitchen. He could hear the sound of water running from the tap. Felli came back out. It seemed she only came to get some water.

"Felli," he called.

".... What?"

"After the end of next year's Military Arts Competition, I'd let you live the way you like. No matter what, I'll be graduating then. No one can bind you anymore."

".... Do you think it'll go that smoothly?"

Felli wasn't at all happy with his words. She was smart. But unlike Karian, Felli's cleverness came from the experiences as a Psychokinesist.

"Do you think people who know of my Psychokinesis would let me switch back to General Studies? Even though you're returning to the city, the next Student President might process my transfer. The promise of someone who is about to leave is meaningless."

He couldn't defend. If he admitted her point, he would only anger her more.

"I can only...." She didn't say anymore. Her words disappeared in the dim darkness. She could only not do her best. That was probably the content of her missing words.

"Why do you want to protect this city so badly?"

She didn't wait for his answer as she closed the door and left.

".... It's harder to persuade one person than a crowd."

He had been in Zuellni for five years now. Though he had learned how to operate a city in the Student Council that Sharon was once in, his way of interacting with individuals had not changed.

Karian sighed and quickly drained the tea that had gone cold.

"Why....?"

He returned to his bed and caught a glance of the vase sitting by the window. The flowers seemed to understand him as they wilted in the dark.

He would put the flowers somewhere else tomorrow.

This thought accompanied him as he sank into sleep.

He had written the letter. Though he didn't know whether it worked, the uneasiness of waiting for the reply and the regret of wondering whether the content was appropriate were speedily destroying the feelings he had laid bare in the letter.

Every day was long. The heavy pressure pressing on his chest failed to leave him with the passing of time. The first month seemed to have stolen his consciousness. The second month was like forever. But time continued to pass day by day. At last, he received the letter at the end of the third month.

"In truth, I'm surprised. You do know what you're saying? I'm sorry, but I thought you were joking. It's unbelievable that you feel like this when we're so far away. But my dream is very solid. Ahah, I really am a girl.

Of course, I'm happy, since I'm a girl. Can you understand that delicate difference?

But, sorry. I can't return your feelings. This isn't a problem of age and distance. I already have someone I like. I'm helpless with him. He's the same age as me but he's playful. Yet, sometimes, he can be serious. What a strange guy. True to say, with my serious personality, I don't think I'm suited with that type of person. But this can't be helped. Maybe, this feeling would not be realized. Even so, that can't be helped. This explanation is spoiled, but I think you'd understand. Even if I could tidy up my feelings, you cannot come to my city. I can't return to Santoburug. I have my own reasons."

The letter hadn't ended, but he could no longer read the rest of the letter that he had been waiting for, for so long.

The conclusion was out. As Sharon said, this wasn't possible. Even so, he couldn't help himself and had written her the letter, pouring all his emotions out in it. He didn't cry. Only his throat felt bad.

Had it ended?

The second day, Karian bought flowers with the spare time he had from his work at the Student Council. Not only did the flowers at home wilt, the flowers in the Student President's room had lost their vitality. In order to buy new flowers, he had come to walk on the road of the shopping street.

A girl had appeared in a corner of an alley that did not connect to the shopping street, holding a bunch of flowers. Judging from the apron she wore, she must be working in some restaurant. The flowers were probably decoration for the shop.

After seeing Karian, the girl was slightly surprised. She nodded an apology and was about to leave. Karian smiled as he walked past her.

The aroma of flowers drifted to his nostrils.

".... Can you wait a second?" he quickly turned around and called to her. He stood before the nervous girl and looked at the flowers before her chest.

A bunch of small flowers in faint yellow.

He had never seen this type. He had come to many florists in Zuellni, but he had never seen this flower. No, he had never smelled this aroma.

"Excuse me...... Where did you buy these flowers?"

The girl answered in suspicion. After thanking her, he walked straight into the alley. The alley was very narrow and it branched off. He kept walking between the two buildings. The end was a space that seemed to draw a perfect square. Tall buildings filled the four corners. A random space had appeared here. Who knew whether it was planned? In the space was a greenhouse. It looked like a simple house made to store equipment. It probably hadn't been repaired. Karian could see it was originally a fine house.

Though the plastic sheets covering the greenhouse weren't that transparent, he could barely see a figure moving in the house. The closer he walked, the stronger the smell of the flowers.

"Excuse me," he said. The person in the greenhouse answered him. It was a female's voice.

"As I thought, it was lonely to end this relationship with you. Though I was lonely, that can't be helped. I still think of you. I know I'm willful. A relationship on paper feels somewhat special. It's simple, but the other person cannot accept it. Because you must be very serious.

But how long can this feeling last? Forever? Can't be. I'm sorry. To me, swearing for a love that has no result is just a lie. Because that's the same as ignoring other means of obtaining happiness. That would become someone else's unhappiness. Only you? If that's the case, those words reflect you. But can I just sit and watch unhappiness befall you? Perhaps you would say yes. But I don't want you to be unhappy because of me. I wish for you to end this feeling for me. I don't want you to be unhappy. I don't want any students to be unhappy in the Academy City. At the same time, I don't want you to be unhappy.

You knew of this city because of me. You're my most important person who hadn't changed in those six years. You're closely connected to the Academy City that I deeply love.

I've decided not to write to you anymore. I'd welcome your letters if you were to write back. I think when that time comes; you'd have begun tidying your emotions.

If possible, I really want you to see that little space I made. For you who can't appreciate scenery, I wonder what expression you'd make after seeing it. How anticipating.

If you really did come to Zuellni, then try to find it. If you're lucky, perhaps you'd stay there."

The door to the greenhouse opened. The rich aroma inside it enveloped Karian.

It was here.

That must be it.

Sharon's letters always carried the aroma of another city. The aroma came from these flowers.

"Is there anything you want?"

The female student wiped the sweat on her forehead as she looked at him. She was suspicious of the Student President coming here alone.

historical

"Aa, sorry. Could you sell me some flowers?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. These flowers aren't for sale. The conditions to nurture them are very harsh, so not many flowers are grown. Sometimes when they're ready, I give them out to people I know."

"This is?"

"The outside base of the Flower Appreciation Research Club."

"Outside base?"

Karian looked around.

"Been negotiated?"

"Yes. The conditions here are suited to growing these flowers. The senpais in the past negotiated and built this greenhouse."

"In the past. How long ago?"

"I heard it was ten years ago."

"I see."

It really is here.

"Can I look around?"

She gave him permission and he entered the greenhouse. Cute little yellow flowers spread in the house. Though they were small, the aroma they gave off was rich. Not rich in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. He felt refreshed.

So it's here. It's the scenery that Sharon wants me to see. The place she had put lots of effort into creating is this place. Flowers are blossoming in between buildings, in a place that had disappeared amidst data. This must be the scenery she had mentioned.