“Huh?”

Startled by the familiar voice, Debora turned around.

The little girl she had met when she went out with Zen before was looking at Debora with a surprised face.

“Oh, how nice to see you. What a coincidence?”

Debora said, bowing her head.

The slightly tense expression on the child’s face, who seemed to be debating whether it was the person she had met before, relaxed a bit.

“Hello.”

“Yeah, hello. Have you been well?”

The owner, who was diligently wrapping items, lifted his head at the sound of conversation and widened his eyes in surprise.

The familiar little girl was naturally conversing with a customer.

“Daniel! How do you know this person?”

The owner asked Daniel, but her eyes were fixed on Debora.

Daniel hesitated, unable to answer. Confessing his mistake wasn’t an easy thing to do.

“We accidentally bumped into each other on the street a while ago. I was so sorry back then.”

Debora, smiling with raised eyebrows, answered on his behalf. Saying it out loud made Debora feel like the one who had made the mistake.

Daniel stopped fidgeting with his hands and looked at Debora intently.

“Oh, I see.”

Laughing heartily at the common occurrence, the owner spoke to Daniel.

“Daniel, but what brings you here at this hour? Your mom hasn’t even started work yet.”

“Mom told me not to come at night.”

“Ah, so you came during the day?”

“Yes. I waited here and planned to go home with Mom.”

Daniel smiled and said. The owner responded with a laugh, but he was worried.

If it was Sage, she would scold Daniel for playing around at work.

“I’m fine, but Sage is a stickler for rules.”

“Debora, do you know each other?”

Debora looked at the child as if she found her cute.

“Your mom works here, right?”

She had said she was coming to see her mom on the first day they met.

“Hehe. Your mom must be proud.”

The owner, who had worried while frowning that day, spoke to Daniel.

“Anyway, sit and wait in the chair. Sage will be here soon.”

Debora’s face, which had been smiling with her eyes closed, froze.

“Sage?”

Debora also knew that name. And Sage was not a common name like Debora’s.

[Sage, huh? That’s a really special name.] [It’s not that special. It’s a name taken from the common herb.] [Don’t say whatever you want. My name is Sage because my mom almost died giving birth to me. She grabbed a handful of sage, the only herb at home, and bit it while giving birth.]

Debora vividly remembered the girl who spoke fiercely, with sharp green eyes that shone brightly and tightly closed lips.

“Mama!”

So Debora could instantly recognize that the woman who had just entered the store was someone she knew as Sage.

“Debora…?”

Even though Sage didn’t call her name with a moist voice, Debora could tell.

“Sage.”
Debora called her name. It felt strange.

She was a child who came to mind whenever she saw common herbs. Sometimes, she thought of the child even without seeing such herbs.

The child who always seemed like an angry cat, with a determined and cute appearance.

“It’s been a long time. Have you been well?”

Sage couldn’t answer. Tears poured down.

Because of her crying on the floor with her mouth covered, neither Debora nor Daniel nor the store owner knew what to do, and they were all surprised.

“Sob, Mi…”

The sound of crying flowed through Sage’s fingers.

Debora seemed to know what was hidden in the sobbing sound, but she pretended not to.

It was unnecessary for Sage to say, and Debora didn’t need to hear it either.

It took quite a long time for Sage’s tears to stop.

The store owner, who had suffered a lot trying to console Daniel, took him to a small room behind the store and said, “Since there aren’t many customers at this time, feel free to have a conversation.”

If it were the usual Debora, she would have politely declined. Sage was also the type to refuse such consideration. However, today both of them accepted the offer.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Debora asked first. Sage, with still red eyes, nodded.

“We met after a long time, but I must have looked terrible.”

Debora smiled faintly and shook her head.

“Where have you been all this time?”

“I was recently in Bumers.”

Bumers? Sage wrinkled her forehead at the unfamiliar name. Debora, perhaps wanting to ease Sage’s concern, quickly added,

“I’ve been doing well. Met a lot of good people.”

“Then I’m glad, but…”

Sage bit her lower lip anxiously. She seemed uneasy.

As Debora observed, Sage was indeed anxious. There was something she needed to say. It was a word she had kept in her heart for a whopping ten years.

“There’s no time to hesitate like this.”

Cold sweat formed on Sage’s forehead. She didn’t even think about straightening her forehead, where the slightly wrinkled brow showed signs of pain.

“Sage…”

Debora was worried about her complexion.

“What’s wrong?”

Paul came to the store. Debora only then remembered that Paul was waiting for her.

“Oh, sorry. I kept you waiting, didn’t I?”

“No, not at all…”

The owner, who had been listening at the door, hurried out at the sound of the unfamiliar male voice.

“Welcome!”