Lucy didn't hesitate. She wrote something down and walked away, leaving everyone wondering if she had chosen the young singer. The crowd cheered, thrilled by the possibility of a match.
As the skills showcase came to a close, the crowd began to disperse. Luca turned to leave, but then he heard a familiar voice - Finn's. He turned to see Finn laughing and chatting with Lisa, the tall girl who had threatened to beat both him and Luca.
Luca was surprised by the unexpected friendship. Finn seemed to have a knack for winning people over.
Just as Luca was about to walk away, Lisa spotted him and nudged Finn. "Isn't that your friend?" she asked.
Finn called out to Luca, "Hey, where have you been? I couldn't find you anywhere!" Luca thought, That's my line!
Finn introduced Lisa to Luca, and they exchanged awkward hellos. Lisa apologized hesitantly for threatening to beat them up before. Luca brushed it off, thinking, No need to remind me!
Luca, Finn, and Lisa chatted, getting to know each other more. Luca learned that Lisa's dad was a merchant who sold nuts from the Oakwood village to other places. Lisa found out that Luca's dad had passed away, and he was raised by his mom. Lisa felt a pang of regret, wishing she hadn't asked about Luca's parents. But before the conversation could become awkward, Finn quickly jumped in, changing the subject.
Finn started bragging about Luca's genius, saying he was the strongest person in their group. When Lisa asked if Finn was also a genius, he grinned, saying he was almost as strong as Luca, holding his thumb and index finger close together, gesturing he was only slightly below.
Lisa said goodbye, leaving Finn staring after her. Luca teased, "Looks like someone's smitten!" Finn blushed, admitting, "I think I've found the one." Luca joked, "How many 'ones' have you found?" But Finn was serious. Luca realized it and offered, "I've got your back, brother."
Finn asked, "Hey, have you seen Aveline?" Luca shrugged. "It's impossible to find anyone in this crowd."
Finn slapped his forehead. "We should've asked Lisa if she'd seen Aveline." Luca just shrugged.
Luca remembered he'd left some things at the shop, so he went to collect them. He thanked the shopkeeper and headed back to his village with Finn. After saying goodbye to Finn, Luca headed back to his home.
At home, Luca's mom was dozing off, waiting for him to have dinner together. Luca woke her up, sharing stories about the festival.
They had dinner, and Luca gave his mom the silver bangle he'd bought for her. She was thrilled but reminded him to save his money. Luca nodded, and they went to sleep.
The next morning, Luca sat at the table, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, and began copying the strengthening exercises from the old book into the empty one he'd brought. His mother, curious about his actions, walked over to see what he was doing.
Luca asked his mother, "Mom, what do you think of my handwriting?" He was a bit self-conscious, having only received basic instruction in recognizing characters, with only little training in writing.
His mother examined the pages, her expression innocent. "Well, it's... different," she said. "The writing in the old book is much nicer. Yours is a bit... crooked and uneven. It looks like a child's scribbles." She smiled encouragingly. "But I'm sure it's good?"
Luca's face went blank, his eyes wide with surprise. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut.
Luca's eyes scanned his handwriting again, this time seeing it through his mother's eyes. He had to admit, it did look a bit messy. But he'd tried his best.
His mother, noticing his expression, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Luca. It's not about how it looks. What's important is what's inside." She smiled warmly.
Luca forced a smile, feeling a bit better. After copying a few more pages, Luca decided it was time for his training session with Taro, and he headed to their usual spot in the mountains. Taro was already there, and upon seeing Luca, it became incredibly enthusiastic.
Luca held out the large coin-shaped pendant engraved with a scenic landscape. "Taro, this is for you!" he exclaimed.
Taro's excitement reached new heights as it jumped around, clearly overjoyed. Luca realized he needed a chain to go with the pendant. He used some nearby plant vines to create a makeshift chain and carefully placed the pendant around Taro's neck, adjusting it to the perfect fit.
Taro's happiness was palpable, seeing this Luca couldn't help but smile.
With the gift-giving ceremony complete, Luca got ready for their training session. Standing behind Taro, he gazed at its tail and declared, "My great adversary, I'm going to defeat you today and make you accept defeat! You'll be covered in bruises."
Taro's demeanour changed instantly. It felt a chill run down its spine and instinctively sat down on the ground, wrapping its four legs protectively around its tail. Taro looked up at Luca with a grievous expression, whining softly.
Luca quickly realized he'd gone too far and rushed to console Taro. "I was only joking, Taro! I didn't mean it."
It took Luca a considerable amount of time to pacify Taro and get their training session back on track.