CHAPTER 348: A GLIMPSE OF LALA’S THOUGS

"Coco.." Lala mumbled, her lips curled down into a frown.

She had watched Coco become distant to everyone, even to her, and chose to leave the house then come back late at night.

The garden fairy tried to understand that Coco was feeling sad again, like that one time when she received the egg of Konoha, so she didn’t push herself to Coco and let her human friend distract herself from what she was feeling.

However, it has been a week since then.

Coco had fully disregarded her presence and if she were to be honest, she felt like she was cast aside.

Coco used to cling to her and ask her for help, but now? Coco doesn’t even look for her anymore and would be on her merry way to start her day.

Before, Coco would wait for Lala to wake up or when Lala would wake up, she would be either inside of Coco’s bag or Coco’s bed— wherever, just somewhere nearby Coco and never away from her.

Now? She can’t barely have alone time with her.

Lala watched Coco ascend the stairs in hurry from her spot on the small chandelier right on top of the staircase, ducking behind the glass’ intricate design to hide from Coco’s point of view.

She felt hurt.

Yes, she knows that she was one of the reasons why Coco kept falling down and tripping over her sadness, but that’s the sole reason why she wants to be by Coco’s side.

She wanted to apologize, to confront Coco and tell her to use the garden fairy’s abilities for her benefits, but she knows that Coco is not that kind of person and would probably even get mad at her for telling her to do such a thing.

She always had her big sisters and big brothers looking out for her, always needing her for something and telling her to do something, but with Coco?

Coco doesn’t like her doing something, not even if Lala tells her that it’s completely fine.

Coco doesn’t want to use anyone for her own gain because she would rather work from the scratch rather than use anyone as a stepping stone and Lala?

She would never do that to the fairy.

Lala knows that Coco is slipping in and out of the feeling of grief and sadness— being ripped out of her old life, away from her family, friends, and everything that she worked hard to get is painful, and Lala knows that.

She tried to help Coco to get out of that state once because she didn’t like how her human friend looked so empty, so blank, so sad and lonely.

There were nights that Lala would wake up from Coco crying in her sleep, murmuring her mother’s name, her sisters’ names, and begging for them to stay, to forgive her from leaving all of a sudden.

There were times that Lala would catch Coco looking at families back in the village street who would laugh and embrace each other.

There were times that Coco would look at them for a moment too long that her eyes would turn glossy and blurry with unshed tears, but as soon as those tears would try to fall, she would wipe them.

There were times that Lala caught Coco staring at the food she would eat during dinner— roasted pork belly specifically, and a lonely smile would emerge in her face.

There were times that Lala would watch Coco eating a fruit, apples and oranges, and would suddenly just stare at it, as if she were reminiscing about something memorable that would cause a sad smile to linger in her face for a moment.

There were times that Coco’s mask would slip in front of Lala, probably much more than Lala could count on her fingers, but she never addressed those moments out loud.

She knows that the moment Coco finds out about it, Coco would even push herself to work harder— to make herself busy and overexert herself to the brink of collapsing, all to forget the lingering memories in her mind.

Lala knows that it pains Coco to be away from her family, but she could never understand why.

Fairies had never been the type to become affectionate and expressive when it comes to their emotions so when Coco embraced her, told her that she forgave her— she felt herself crying out.

What did Coco do in those moments? Assure her and ease her sadness, all the while pushing hers down.

From that alone, Lala knows that Coco would never take care of herself like she takes care of her so Lala made it her job to look out for Coco, even if it means crying over literally everything.

However, she never expected for Coco to start pushing everyone, even Lala.

It hurts to be pushed away, but she did her best to understand because humans are different fairies, right? They process emotions differently and Coco? She needed time to process those emotions.

So, despite her heart aching at the sight of Coco crying, she stayed quiet and out of Coco’s sight.

Coco is starting to stand on her own feet and it hurts Lala to not feel needed anymore, but she feels so proud to watch and learn that Coco is slowly coming out of her shell.

She did her best to not get in the husbands’ way to comfort Coco in their own way and just let things happen, but just like Coco, she was also just a stranger to this world.

"I’ll just take a bath! I’ll meet you two in Coco’s room!"

Lala’s attention snapped down and watched as the three mediators went their separate ways with smiles on their faces.

If it means letting the four husbands grow closer to Coco to make her not feel sad anymore, then Lala would be more than happy to separate herself from Coco herself, just to see Coco’s face light up.

It’s better this way. Lala thought, burying her face in her arms.