Two years had passed. Outside the largest venue in Switzerland, a crowd of people gathered. Two flags, each representing a different team, fluttered in the wind. One was black, the other red.
That day marked the finale of the most popular mobile game in Clusia, held overseas to generate excitement.
Inside one of the women’s restrooms in the venue, Helena sat on the toilet lid, cradling her phone as she started her first game of the day.
Originally, she had planned to explore the surroundings before entering. However, her bodily needs couldn’t be ignored. After taking care of her necessities, she glanced at the time. It was exactly six o’clock, and the game had begun.
She felt an itch in her hand.
However, things didn’t go smoothly. They started arguing not long after they began playing. She found herself fiercely scolding others.
At that moment, the women’s restroom was quiet and serene, with only her voice echoing. When Helena pushed open the bathroom door, she still hadn’t relieved her frustration.
However, as she lifted her head, she saw a little girl standing outside the restroom. The girl, probably around one or two years old and just learning to walk, was holding a pile of miscellaneous items and looking at Helena in surprise.
In a childish tone, she said, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop…”
Her eyes were like grapes, clear and transparent. Although she stuttered when she spoke, her ability to express herself was excellent.
It was a shame to subject such a young child to foul language. Helena paused for a moment, quickly crouching down. “Why are you alone? Where’s your mother?”
“Mommy went outside, and I’m waiting for her here,” she said, showing no signs of fear at all. She was speaking in Clusian, which caused Helena to raise an eyebrow. “What’s your name? Are you Clusian?”
“My name is Grape!” The little girl joyfully revealed her real name. “Mom says I’m Clusian! But I’ve never been there!”
It was quite fitting, Helena couldn’t help but pinch the girl’s cheek. “Shall I keep you company until your mom comes back? Is that okay?”
Grape waved her hand dismissively. “I can manage on my own. There’s no one here who dares to kidnap me! You can rest assured!”
Before Helena could recover from her shock, her phone rang. It was a message from Mallory, marked as a note: Where are you? Have you entered the venue?
Just then, the sound of a search came from outside, with voices calling out for Grape. Only then did Helena feel relieved. Waving at Grape, she said, “I’ll be leaving now. Be good.”
“Goodbye!” the little girl said, struggling to pull out an LED sign from her embrace that was larger than her hand. She handed it to Helena. “A gift for you!”
It was indeed an LED sign. Helena gave a dumbfounded smile. It seemed that the child’s mother was a fan who had specifically come to follow the competition.
After expressing her gratitude, Helena left, not noticing a slender woman who appeared and scooped up the little girl. “Who allowed you to run around like this, Grape? Don’t scare your mother!”
“Hehe, you’re faint-hearted, Mommy!” said the girl, Helena entered the venue and took her seat. The competition had not yet begun, and an opening performance was taking place on stage.
Mallory had given her some instructions to follow. As she was reading them, she suddenly heard someone beside her say, “Excuse me, could you please make some room?”
The gentle voice snapped Helena back to reality. She looked up, only to find herself face to face with a familiar figure. It was the little girl she had unexpectedly encountered in the restroom, still cradling a milk bottle in her arms.
At that moment, she was being held by a young woman dressed in a white dress. The woman was wearing a mask, making it difficult to discern her features, but it was evident that she was beautiful. She turned to Helena with a gentle smile. “I’m sorry. Please excuse us.”
Helena quickly snapped back to reality. The
child recognized her. “It’s the young lady who was swearing in the restroom!”
Helena smiled with noticeable awkwardness.
The woman in the white dress looked somewhat surprised. “You met her before?”
