"We have everything ready for our day off..., well, rather, free afternoon," Lee-Won said, visibly excited, placing the last basket on the cart near him.

   "Do we have...?" Tthor asked, a little surprised.

   "Yes, Tthor," answered Noel, appearing from behind with two jugs full of lemonade.

   Tthor looked at Lee-Won intently.

   " What's happening?"

   "No, nothing," Tthor said, lowering his voice. "I thought... it was just going to be you and me."

   Lee-Won looked at him strangely. Tthor went over what he had said in his mind and seemed to blush suddenly. He didn't know why he had said it but he looked for a way to take it back because, for some reason, he felt ashamed.

   "Better if there are more of us! See you in a few minutes on the bridge."

   And he ran towards the hill, behind the pond.

   Lee-Won stood there, biting his lip and turning a little pale.

   "What happened?" Noel asked with some plates in his hand.

   "Nothing, nothing…Everything ready?"

   They dragged the cart to the side road. And they sat on the edge of the stone bridge, waiting for Tthor to come.

   A couple of minutes later, they saw him coming in a hurry. And he didn't come alone.

   "Who is she?" Noel asked, squinting to see better.

   "Could it be... Wilgenyna?" Said Lee-Won, in a serious tone.

   "No! Is not possible that Wilgenyna being here?"

   Noel looked at Lee-Won worriedly, wondering how his friend would take it if she ever showed up, Tthor's cousin.

   Tthor approached them and lowered the girl he was carrying in his arms. He adjusted her flowered dress, which was still inside out, and said:

   "Lee- Won…, Noel…, meet…"

   "Lily!" The girl said smiling, raising her arms.

   "Lily!" Tthor repeated, looking at her enchanted.

   "Hello," the two young men greeted her, with a look of not understanding anything.

   The girl walked across the bridge holding Tthor's hand, while Lee-Won dragged the cart full of food and Noel followed her with a couple of bags.

   Tthor looked at Noel and stopped dead. And without letting go of Lily's hand, he took the two bags that the young girl was carrying.

   "Thank you," Noel said, approaching Tthor. "Where did this girl come from?" He asked her, surreptitiously and in a low voice.

   "It's little Lily Yalfom."

   Lee-Won, who was one step ahead but attentive to the conversation, glanced at Tthor out of the corner of his eye.

   "We're going on a picnic, to the lagoon!" Tthor said enthralled, looking at the girl.

   "Yeah!" The girl shouted, happy.

   "Yeah" Tthor repeated, with a smile.

   After ten minutes of walking, they came to a group of tall, bare fir trees. They quickened their pace and, crossing a narrow path, came out to the margins of an extensive lagoon with crystalline, brilliant waters.

   The grass in that area was yellowish and short. And, beyond, it turned into gravel, ending in a group of giant rocks. A half-dozen old rowboats moved in rhythm with the water of the lagoon that stirred in the faint breeze. The sky was cloudy but not too cold.

   "Shall we eat first?" Tthor proposed, sitting on a rock.

   Lily sat close to him. She crossed her legs and looked at him expectantly. Tthor looked at her for a few seconds and then seemed to remember something about her. He looked under her sweatshirt and found what he was looking for, attached to the waistband of his pants.

   "Here, Lily," he said, giving her a small rag doll, with a head made of old stockings and a face painted with bright colors.

   "Sylvia!" the girl exclaimed, looking at him enchanted and hugging her doll with both of her arms.

   Noel spread a tablecloth on a flat rock in front of them and, with the help of Lee-Won and Tthor, they placed all the food they had brought: honey cake, - the few portions that were left - three-grain cookies that Uncle Noel had brought from a nearby town, braided milk bread, cream of tartar sandwiches, green tomatoes and goat cheese.

   Tthor looked at Lily, who had not taken his eyes off her at all times, and said:

   "What do you want to eat, Lily?"

   "The same as you...," answered the girl.

   Tthor took a slice of honey cake and handed it to him. Lily waited until Tthor had his own portion before she began to eat.

   "Today is Lee-Won's birthday," Tthor said to Lily, while she served him lemonade.

   "Happy birthday!" she said, without taking her eyes off Tthor, who was now filling Noel's glass. "When is your birthday, Tthor?"

   "December twenty-first."

   "Is there much left?" the girl wanted to know.

   "Yes, quite a bit," Tthor replied, smiling like a fool.

   "Let me know…"

   " It's just...I won't be here for my birthday..."

   "Why?" The girl's face became serious.

   "I'll let you know, Lily, when it's his birthday. If you want, we will prepare Tthor a giant cake," Noel told her, seeing that the girl's eyes were already wet.

   "Yes!" the girl shouted, raising her arms.

   "Yes!" Tthor exclaimed, looking at her with a smile.

   "Will you come with me, Lily?" Noel asked, looking askance at Lee-Won.

   "Where?" The girl wanted to know, looking at Tthor.

   Noel stood up and answered:

   "…To collect colored stones…"

   The girl continued looking at Tthor.

   "…To give them to Tthor."

   "Yes!" said the girl, jumping to her feet.

   Tthor laughed amused.

   Noel took her hand and whispered to Lee-Won as he passed by him:

   " You have competition..."

   Lee-Won bit her lip and blushed a little, but he didn't look at her. Tthor approached Lee-Won and sat next to him.

   "Is everything okay?" He asked her, searching for her gaze.

   Lee-Won nodded and drank some lemonade.

   "Does it bother you that I brought it?"

  "No!" Lee-Won said, immediately, looking him in the eyes- she is a very sweet girl.

   "Yes, I met her this morning, when I went to see the Yalfoms."

   Lee-Won looked at him embarrassed.

   "Why didn't you ask me to accompany you?"

   "Because…I have to face my own fears, I just…," said Tthor. "And it went quite well for me. He is not very friendly, nor is his son. But his wife and his little girl are adorable. Lily reminded me a lot of Wilgenyna."

   Lee-Won nodded, beginning to understand the situation a little more. He looked over his shoulder to where Noel and Lily were. They seemed to be having fun together, while choosing colored pebbles.

   "Are you no longer using the cameo I gave you?" Tthor said, looking down.

   Lee-Won looked at him surprised.

   "Of course I use it!" Lee-Won exclaimed, pulling it out from under the collar of his jacket.

   Tthor smiled. They stared at each other for long seconds. And the hearts of both of them suddenly accelerated.

   "Let's go for a ride in one of those boats?" Noel proposed, suddenly interrupting them.

   Lily approached the two young people and sat between them, causing everyone to laugh. And she gave to Tthor all his finds.

   "Will it be safe to go in one of those boats?" Tthor asked, while he hugged Lily, as a thank you.

   Lee-Won stood up and approached the canoes. He examined each one well and said:

   "This one here seems to be in one piece. We won't go too far from the coast. What do you think?"

   Tthor was not very convinced.

   "I do not know how to swim. And Lily is very small. I don't think it's a good idea. But... go for a walk. We stay here."

   But Lee-Won didn't want to go anywhere without Tthor, so they changed the boat ride on the lake to a boat ride down the icy slope. They took one of the barges to the top. Tthor sat inside and placed little Lily between her legs, both facing forward. Lee-Won pushed them, quite carefully.

   The boat slid, at first slowly and then picking up a little speed and descending all the way, several meters, without stopping. The wind hit the faces of the two young people who were laughing, ecstatic. Lily shouted in amusement with her arms raised. While Tthor clung to the edge of the canoe with one hand and with the other, he held the girl tightly by her waist.

   They reached the end of the path, laughing out loud. They waited for the boat to come to a complete stop and jumped up.

   Lee-Won came running, followed by Noel who could no longer breathe, a little from the race and a little from not having stopped laughing since Lee-Won let go of the small boat. And so, dying of laughter, they took the boat back up the hill. Tthor felt a little dizzy so, thinking that it wouldn't be nice to throw up the whole snack, he volunteered as a “pusher.” The other three, in turns and always in pairs, had their adventure in the “Argos”, as it said in blue letters on one of the sides.

   After several rounds, of going up and down the hill, Tthor was encouraged for one last adventure. He sat inside the boat, behind Lee-Won and held him by the waist. Noel, making a great effort, pushed them. The small barge suddenly picked up speed before Tthor had time to grab the side with his free hand. He moved nervously at the speed, which seemed to be increasing, and before he knew it, the boat veered to the side and hit a large pointed rock. The young people flew into the air.

   Tthor fell back against the hard floor and barely had time to open his eyes to see Lee-Won fall on top of him.

   "Tthor! Lee-Won!" Noel and Lily shouted as they came running down the steep hill.

   Tthor felt Lee-Won on top of him and looked at him with a smile. The dark-haired young man was paralyzed, feeling Tthor's gaze on him. After a few seconds, he seemed to come to his senses and tried to stand up, but he felt a strong blow on his back and fell back on top of Tthor.

   Noel had skidded on the ice slope that, with all the times the boat had passed through it, was now smoother and quite slippery so he ended up falling on top of both young people, laughing like crazy.

   "You're getting used to it now," said Lee-Won, laughing.

   Lily ran up to the three of them, hugging her doll and not stopping laughing. She approached Tthor and with a very sweet voice. She asked him:

   "Tthor, are you okay?"

   Tthor could not answer him. He was tempted by the situation.

   "Yes.Yes. Tthor is fine. And us, too. Thank you for asking," said Noel, sitting up.

   The girl looked enthralled at Tthor and gave a loud sigh.

   "Again!" she shouted, suddenly, raising her arms.

   "No no! I think that's enough for today," said Tthor, helping Lee-Won to stand up.

   "Yes, I think that for today, the “Argos” should return to his place," Noel said, removing the frost from her long wool skirt.

   A while before sunset, the four of them returned along the side road toward Warghost, dragging the cart and laughingly discussing the afternoon's adventures. Noel said goodbye, before reaching the side bridge and taking the main path towards Meaghdose. Tthor took Lily by the hand and turned a corner, chatting animatedly with the girl, without looking at Lee-Won. He stood in the middle of the road, with his hand on the crank of the chariot, watching Tthor go away. He sighed and began to push the cart, up the hill.

   "Lee-Won!" Tthor shouted at him.

   The young man pretended that he didn't hear him and continued walking, looking towards Warghost with a serious face.

   He arrived at the abbey, crossed the central courtyard and sneaked into the stables. He put the car aside and sighed again. He walked to his room, quite reluctantly. He was glad that his companion had not arrived yet. He threw himself onto his blanket and closed his eyes. He stayed still for long minutes.

   Thinking that he should get up to tell his mother that he had returned, he gave a deep sigh, without opening his eyes.

   "And that sigh..., for whom is it...?"

   Lee-Won opened his eyes scared, immediately recognizing that voice.

   Tthor looked at him smiling from the door. They stared into each other's eyes until Lee-Won blinked and sat up on the bed.

   "I thought you were coming with me, to take Lily to her house. When I looked back, you were walking away. I called you. Didn't you hear me?"

   "No, I didn't hear you," said Lee-Won, standing up and walking towards the door. "I have to tell my mother that we're back."

   But Tthor cut him off, stopping in front of him. Lee-Won felt the boy's closeness and his heart began to give alarm signals.

   "Happy birthday!" Tthor whispered, looking at him intently.

   Lee-Won thanked him, looking away from him.

   "Let's go?" He said, trying to sound calm.

   "Come on..." Tthor told him, taking a step back and convincing himself that his friend, for some reason, was angry with him.

   A little displeased, Tthor gave a poor excuse before reaching the kitchen and went to sleep, without dinner.