Chapter 392: It's Almost New Year, Huh
Talking with Kal'tsit was inevitable, so Steven didn't bother refusing. Still, before heading to her office, he decided to drop by his room first—to tidy up a bit and, more importantly, to settle down his newly acquired "tagalong," Centaurea.
Brave as the girl was when it came to expressing her feelings, the idea of actually living together with him seemed to be… a bit beyond what her courage could handle for now.
Fortunately, Steven wasn't the impatient sort. Since Centaurea seemed uncomfortable with sharing a room, he simply asked Kal'tsit to arrange an empty dorm next to his instead.
After giving her a brief rundown of how things worked aboard Rhodes Island, helping her unpack, and entrusting Blaze with showing her around, Steven finally made his way toward Kal'tsit's office alone.
On the way, he noticed something odd. Rhodes Island felt… different.
It wasn't easy to describe, but there was a faint sense of warmth in the air, an unfamiliar liveliness that hadn't been there before.
And it wasn't until he passed a familiar corridor—and caught sight of the word 'New Year' on one of the patient beds—that he realized what had changed.
'Wait a second… are they preparing for New Year's?'
The thought hit him like a wave of nostalgia.
For Steven, the word New Year felt distant—almost foreign. As a child, it had been his favorite time of year: the celebration of another year's end, long holidays, endless food, and cheerful laughter filling every home.
But as he'd grown older, that festive warmth had gradually faded. Even so, the deep-rooted fondness for this festival had never truly disappeared.
Then he'd ended up in the world of Minecraft, alone. A solitary player with no one to share the days with. In that world, "New Year" was nothing more than another date on a calendar. The Mobs he'd met weren't exactly the kind to drop by and chat with him either. Over time, he'd almost forgotten what it felt like to celebrate.
So Rhodes Island celebrated New Year too, huh?
Steven half-closed his eyes, a faint smile forming as he walked. The decorations weren't anything elaborate—just stickers here and there, some door couplets, and a few "for the bright tomorrow that may come" stickers tacked onto dorm entrances—but it was enough. Enough to make the whole place feel alive.
If the old Rhodes Island had felt more like a somber hospital ward full of terminal patients, now it finally resembled something closer to what a "floating island" should be—a home, not just a shelter.
In Steven's opinion, even if they called themselves a medical company, there was no need to be so grim all the time. A bit of joy, a bit of color… it might even help the patients heal faster.
This new atmosphere—it was nice. Really nice.
Judging by the state of things, though, they were still in the preparations stage. The festival itself hadn't quite arrived yet.
'If that's the case,' Steven thought, 'maybe I can join in this time. Spend my first New Year in this world, right here on Rhodes Island.'
That idea made him chuckle softly to himself—just before he spotted, from the corner of his eye, a familiar mutt of a girl poking her head around the hallway corner, trying (and failing) to be sneaky.
She had half a honey biscuit dangling from her mouth, looking for all the world like a cat caught mid–cookie theft. One glance at her darting eyes was enough for him to tell that snack definitely wasn't acquired through official channels.
"Fwu–Mishter–Steveh!"
The moment the silly dog girl spotted him standing in the middle of the hallway, her muffled voice stumbled out between chews. Then, like a long-lost puppy finding its owner, she bolted toward him with unrestrained excitement.
Her tail wagged wildly behind her, practically broadcasting her happiness to the entire corridor. Before the Minecrafter could even say anything, she hurriedly stuffed the rest of the honey biscuit into her mouth, destroying the evidence of her crime as fast as physically possible.
"Stealing snacks again isn't exactly a good habit, you know~?"
Steven ruffled Ceobe hair affectionately, just like you'd pet the neighbor's overly friendly dog. His tone carried no scolding at all—if anything, there was more amusement than reproach in his voice.
How could he possibly bring himself to be angry? With her bright eyes and goofy grin, just looking at her was enough to brighten his whole day.
Honestly, everyone on Rhodes Island seemed to think of her as the ship's mascot anyway. Those honey biscuits she kept "stealing" were probably meant for her in the first place—secretly stashed here and there by the staff so she could "discover" them when she was feeling peckish.
"Hehe~ It's fine, Mr. Steve! I even saved you a piece! If you eat it, that makes us partners in crime!"
With exaggerated care, Ceobe dug into her pocket and pulled out another piece of honey biscuit, no bigger than her palm. After a moment of hesitation (and a visible pang of heartbreak), she split it in half and offered him the larger piece, eyes sparkling with childlike generosity.
Steven couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head. "I'll pass, but thank you. By the way, Ceobe—about all the decorations around here lately… are you guys getting ready for some kind of festival?"
He gave her head another gentle pat, steering the topic before she could try to force-feed him. Ceobe had been on Rhodes Island far longer than he had—if anyone knew what was going on, it'd be her.
"Hmm? You mean New Year's?" she asked, tilting her head, then her eyes lit up like lanterns. "Ceobe loves New Year! There's gonna be a white-haired lady who brings tons of yummy food! If I count the days right, it should be… about two weeks away!"
As she spoke, she started using her fingers to count—one, two, three—murmuring under her breath, her ears twitching in rhythm. She was already drooling at the thought, her tail wagging faster the more she imagined the upcoming feast.
Steven, meanwhile, was struck by another thought.
'A white-haired lady bringing food…?'
That was interesting. Rhodes Island wasn't exactly short on white-haired individuals. But depending on which one she was referring to… it could mean trouble.
Steven waved goodbye to the drooling dog girl still daydreaming about New Year's treats and continued down the corridor toward Kal'tsit's office.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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