Guessing Tomorrow

—

Just…

Just “it’s alright, I guess”?

After his death, she had… she had put in so much effort, and even painstakingly created something he wrote in his quests that seemed utterly impossible… She had even, even gone as far as to challenge the Snow Woman of the Abyss of the End!

Why… why was all that met with his casual “it’s alright, I guess”? Her immense efforts seemed to have caused no significant ripple in his heart.

She didn’t know if it was the effect of the Snowmint Essence, but Leah only felt her heart grow colder. She even felt more “pessimistic” about her current situation. If her old self would have easily gone “mad,” then her current self would more easily become “calm.”

“Will, you’re still angry, aren’t you?”

“Hmm… why the sudden question?”

“Because we… we didn’t understand the purpose you left in the Quest System, your desire to change our fates. In the end… in the end, we still forced you in various ways…”

“Oh, well, there is a little of that. But… rather than anger, I’d say…”

“Enough, I understand.”

She pouted, looking up, still seemingly a bit angry, but she swayed and took two steps forward. Will thought she was coming to snatch the “quest” notebook, but she didn’t. Little Teacher Leah simply leaned her head gently against Will’s chest, letting out a small whimper.

“You… you’re the first human I’ve ever interacted with so deeply, and my first student. I… I’m also experiencing for the first time that a witch can… can be this crazy when she goes mad…”

From Will’s chest came Leah’s somewhat muffled, nasal string of explanations.

“I… I don’t know what… what to do. I… I learned love this way. I… I really, really want you to look only at me, just because you said… said I was the invincible, adorable, and very powerful Teacher Leah.”

She seemed somewhat incoherent, or perhaps too flustered, pouring out every thought that came to mind.

“I don’t know how to fix relationships. But… but it’s okay… I… I’m just so happy to see you… you’re alive.”

“Even though… even though you tied me up here again, and… and first poured strange liquid on me, and… and injected me with a potion to turn me back into this state…”

“But… but truly, just seeing you still here, even if… even if you seem to be hurt too, but at least you’re alive, that’s… that’s enough.”

As she spoke, her small hands gripped Will’s clothes, creating a few wrinkles, then sucked her nose hard, not wanting to stain his already not-so-clean clothes. Will simply listened, the smile on his face never fading, his upward-curled lips remaining unchanged. Leah’s heartfelt, “moving” words seemed to have no substantial effect on him.

—Like a cold stone, hard to budge.

She had thought that if she revealed her true feelings, Will might be moved… Leah felt a slight fear once more and took a step back. Will placed his hand over his heart, then bowed “gentlemanly,” appearing exceptionally “sincere.”

“Teacher Leah, I’m really not that angry. So, you have to believe that I not only feel your love, but I truly love you.”

But this overly performative gesture only made Leah feel “terrified.” He seemed to have not heard a word she said, unmoved by her.

Terrifying…

Had Will felt this way about her, when she had faced him before? Had he seen her this way when she tied him up, injected him with strange blood, and finally made him as mad as a witch?

“See? If I didn’t love you, why would I help you return your magic circuits to normal?”

“Return… return to normal? This is something even witches…”

Leah’s words stopped. She was slapping herself, because about half an hour ago, she had personally experienced it: after Will poured something unknown on her head, her magic circuit depression was cured! Seeing Leah’s stunned expression, the smile on Will’s face grew more satisfied.

“It’s this liquid.” Will tapped the nearby beaker filled with blood-red liquid, emitting a crisp sound. “As long as the Snowmint Essence injection is stopped. Pour this on your body, and you can return to your previous state. Quite a bargain, isn’t it?”

“A liquid that… can… can return me to my original state…”

Leah reached out towards the beaker without even realizing it. For witches, magic circuits almost completely control all their senses. Even with their long lifespans, they cannot resist the truest sensations of their bodies, especially pleasure that far exceeds that of ordinary people. Especially when your body is even in a worse “depressed” state than if nothing had been injected, you will frantically pursue anything that can create stimulation.

Whether it was constantly trying to inject yourself with Bloodmint Essence.
Or completing the impossible quests Will left behind.
Or now wanting to touch that bottle of liquid more.

These were all just manifestations of a witch’s mind and spirit obeying their bodily senses.

“Wait…”

Her pursuit and thoughts were interrupted. Because Will lifted the cup from where her fingertips almost touched it, taking it away.

“I never said… you could use it however you wanted.”

“…What do I need to do?”

Instinctively, Leah asked the question. But then she realized she seemed to have fallen into Will’s trap.

“Wait, could it be… you want me to do something only I can do for you, that’s why you… you used this as bait for me?!”

“Well then…”

A meaningful smile appeared on Will’s face. He dipped a bit of the red liquid from the beaker onto his fingertip and tasted it with evident relish. What was strange was… even though their blood was now very similar, tasting this liquid didn’t make Will more sensitive or excited.

“I also want Teacher Leah’s affection—in a way that satisfies me. So, as long as Teacher Leah performs well enough, I’ll let you briefly return to the past to experience it.”

He extended his hand, as if inviting her, and spoke to Leah.

“…”

Leah understood. He wasn’t being subtle; he was extremely direct. What Will wanted was complete control over the ebb and flow of her magic circuits! He wanted to hold her completely in the palm of his hand! What he wanted was a complete reversal of roles!

Leah looked up. His heterochromatic eyes, blue and purple, looked so terrifying in the backlighting. Now, the one who was mad, perverse, and infatuated seemed not to be her, but Will.

“I…”

She almost agreed. But, after three seconds of hesitation, Leah bit her lip. She had the arrogance of a witch, and the bottom line of a witch. More importantly… she looked up, glaring at Will. If she agreed, she would lose this war of love, especially on the matter of “who couldn’t live without whom.” The current her still held that trace of defiance.

“I refuse.”

She tried hard to suppress the pink hearts about to appear in her eyes, raising her bloodshot gaze, staring intently at Will. But the Will in her eyes didn’t seem surprised by her choice; instead, he looked as if he was watching a captivating performance.

“Oh.”

Will didn’t seem surprised by her refusal, merely letting out a small sigh of appreciation.

“I… I know we can’t go back to the past. So… goodbye.”

Leah picked up her staff—she noticed Will didn’t ask for the gift he had given her back.

“I… I’m still happy you’re alive, truly.”

She turned her back, put on her hat, and her shoes.

“But, I still have my pride. Until… until we meet again, if fate allows…”

Thwack.

Just as she was about to leave, Will slapped the notebook onto her head, through her large witch’s hat. Back in school, as her taller student, he often did this.

“Here. It’s yours again.”

Leah looked up, the book on her head slowly sliding down. She reached out, taking it into her hand. It was her notebook. It was also the notebook Will had been holding and reading for ages, showing off, but refusing to return.

“You still remembered to give this back—”

Leah instinctively clutched it to her chest like a treasure. But as soon as she did, she realized Will was still watching, and this gesture was too affectionate, making her seem too invested in the book he had written the quests in. She immediately took the notebook in her hand and lowered it.

“Actually… I saw what was inside your ring—Teacher Leah, next time you set a password, remember not to use the default one-two-three-four. You’re like an old person who hasn’t tried anything new.” Will suddenly spoke.

“Peeking is what naughty students do.” Leah took a step forward, deliberately showing Will only her back.

“So, I saw it. The Primordial Candle wax block you refined… how should I put it? I never thought that a quest I just casually wrote down would actually be completed so earnestly.”

“You want to keep me…” Leah began, with this thought in mind, but Will’s slightly cold hand climbed onto her neck. A sting came from her neck, like a spider bite. She turned back and saw Will’s fingertips pinching the insect that had been under her skin, the one she couldn’t pull out. The insect’s legs were still flailing in his hand.

“To see Teacher still moving forward, still heading towards the endpoint of our project back then, is a happy thing.”

Will put the insect in his pocket and snapped his fingers. Leah turned around, looking at the door in this room, which was like a “secret base” built in a cave. It slowly opened.

“I won’t stop you, but I believe you’ll be back to find me soon—let’s meet at the bard’s spot at the town entrance.”

He didn’t try to keep her at all! Indeed, he just wanted to use her—!

“I! Will! Not!”

Slam. Leah said this, quickly walked to the door, and slammed it shut.

“Sigh… so, in the end, you’ll still end up as the defeated dog, huh?”

Looking at her back, and the golden twin-tails with a slight red tinge at the ends, Will scratched his head and sighed. Then, he took out the notebook from his pocket. He opened it to a page marked with a red bookmark.

“Make her know that she can’t leave me, not… that I can’t leave her…”

He read the words in the notebook.

“Let me guess, what’s the earliest day I’ll see her come back crying?”

“I’ll just guess…”

“Tomorrow?”