"Volley… ball…" Frieren whispered.
"That game where they toss the ball back and forth," she said, pointing her hand toward the window, her gaze still anchored on Kraft, wondering.
"Exactly! You seem to understand things well, Frieren!"
"I see…" Frieren kept silent for a moment, then lifted her gaze back to Kraft.
"Okay… I will give it a try."
"Perfect! Let's go then!" Kraft said as he removed his clothes in front of Frieren.
Frieren didn't react; she knew he wasn't foolish enough to be improper.
Once he pulled off his pants, he was already wearing blue sports shorts.
Kraft stretched his shoulders, the sound of fabric rustling against his skin filling the quiet space.
Frieren's fingers tightened slightly around her cloak, not out of embarrassment, but out of habit.
The distant cheers from the beach drifted upward, pulling both of their gazes toward the door.
The bird hopped from the window, as if waiting below.
Kraft stepped to the door and opened it. "Let's go, Frieren."
Frieren gave a short glance at the moving toy before departing.
Sunny, the bird, circled once overhead, its wings cutting a smooth arc through the shimmering heat.
Once they reached the bottom floor of the building at the beach, Kraft rushed ahead with a laugh, leaving Frieren to walk alone. She watched him sprint forward, puzzled by his energy.
Frieren tilted her head slightly as Kraft dashed forward, unable to understand why humans needed to shout before playing a game.
"Boss! You finally arrived!" a person said, placing a hand over Kraft's shoulder.
"Boss! We've been waiting for you," another added.
"Sorry, guys… I had some paperwork to deal with," Kraft said, his hands resting on his waist.
A gull screeched overhead, drawing a brief flicker of Frieren's attention.
Sunny descended onto a tree branch, the other ordinary birds watching the figures from above.
"I see… they know that he's an elf…" she whispered, watching the humans warming up and drinking from plastic bottles. She adjusted her hat instinctively.
Frieren let the wind brush past her ears beneath the hat, steadying herself before descending the final steps.
She scanned the building again, then found a figure sitting beneath a palm tree, entirely absorbed in the glowing device, fingers moving like a ritual
She blinked once before stepping toward her.
The sand shifted softly beneath her boots, each step leaving a faint imprint that the wind hurried to erase.
The girl under the palm tree didn't look up, her thumb gliding across the screen with hypnotic repetition.
Somewhere behind her, the volleyball players erupted into another laugh-filled argument about the score, but Frieren stepped toward her.
Then she knelt down, her face drawing near, hovering just above the girl, curiosity sharpening her gaze
"Hey…" Frieren said.
The girl glanced at Frieren, then at her phone again, frowning.
Frieren kept staring at the girl, puzzled by the fingers' intricate dance across the screen, almost spell-like in its rhythm
From the other side, while Kraft was talking with the humans, he saw Frieren with the girl. He scratched his neck in nervousness, his smile faltering.
The girl shifted her weight slightly, hesitating, unsure whether to recoil or endure the elf's presence.
Frieren leaned in a fraction more, her expression unreadable, studying the device as if it held some hidden enchantment.
The wind tugged at her cloak, but she didn't blink.
Sunny chirped once from above.
Frieren's brows lowered just a little, barely noticeable, as she wondered why a human would stare at something so tiny with such intensity.
Her purple hair… reminds me of Fern, Frieren thought, as she was about to put her hand over the girl's shoulder.
CLAP.
The girl slapped Frieren's hand.
"Don't touch me," the girl said, her tone carrying a quiet fury.