From the very next day, the Silver Days began, and the school went on break. Winter had ended, and spring had just begun.

  On the first day of the vacation, Rayn returned to his hometown. Meanwhile, Haarun started learning about his family business and spent most of his time at home.

  All the other students of the school spent their break in their own ways— but Mayya neither went back home nor went anywhere to travel.

  She spent her time studying, doing chores in her apartment, and talking to her family over the phone. Sometimes, she would also chat with Haarun.

  Just like that, a week passed, and the Lumina Festival arrived. During this time, Mayya began to feel strangely alone — especially without Haarun.

  Even while working, she would find herself thinking about him all day, without even realizing it.

  At night, Mayya stood by the balcony of her apartment with all the lights turned off.

  Though winter had passed, she still had a red muffler wrapped around her neck. Countless stars shimmered in the sky, and among them hung the moon.

  Its soft light brushed against the darkness, filling everything with a gentle glow — that same light spilled quietly into Mayya’s silent apartment.

  Standing on the balcony, she gazed up at the sky; the moonlight gave her face a soft radiance, and her eyes glimmered faintly in that tender glow.

  Just then, a cool breeze began to blow. The leaves of nearby trees swayed softly, and somewhere far away, the faint chirping of birds could be heard.

  The wind caught Mayya’s long hair, making it sway gently like the waves of the sea.

  Mayya smiled faintly to herself and thought:— “I wonder what Inazum is doing right now… It’s already been a week since we last met.”

  Then she slowly closed her eyes and thought again:— “Maybe… he’s at the festival right now.”

  Lost in her thoughts, she kept her eyes closed, feeling the touch of the night air. At that moment, her phone began to ring.

  She took it out and saw the caller ID— It was Haarun. Mayya stared at the screen for a moment and said softly:— “Inazum is calling me? He usually just texts…”

  Then she answered the call and said in a gentle voice:— “Hello, Inazum.”

  From the other side, Haarun’s cheerful voice came through:— “Hello, Shizqar! What are you doing at this hour?”

  Mayya smiled lightly, a hint of shyness in her tone:— “I… I was standing on the balcony, thinking about you… and look, you called right then.”

  Haarun’s voice rose in mild surprise:— “About me?”

  Hearing that, Mayya froze. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and she thought to herself:— “Oh no… what did I just say!”

  She quickly stammered:— “N-no, I mean, I was just—”

  But before she could finish, Haarun laughed and said playfully:— “Alright, alright, forget it! I’m heading to the festival now. If you’re free, you could come along.”

  Mayya stayed silent for a moment, then said quietly:— “What festival…? No, I don’t think I’ll go.”

  Haarun’s tone turned straightforward:— “Oh… you’re not coming? Alright then, I’ll just go with someone else.”

  And with that, he hung up. Mayya stood on the balcony with her head lowered, her heart slowly grew deep.

  After a few moments, she suddenly grabbed her phone and quickly called Haarun back.

  As soon as the call connected, she spoke in a trembling voice:— “I–Inazum… I changed my mind. I want to go with you.”

  Haarun chuckled softly, then said in a playful tone:— “I knew it! Alright then—now open your door.”

  Mayya blinked, confused:— “What… what do you mean?” she asked.

  Still smiling, Haarun replied through the phone:— “Well, your guest has arrived at your apartment— won’t you let me in?”

  The moment she heard that, Mayya ran toward the door. When she opened it— there stood Haarun, smiling with that familiar, warm grin.

  Mayya stared at Haarun in surprise. There was no sound—only the soft, cold breeze passing by.

  Then she lowered her eyes and noticed a shopping bag in Haarun’s hand. Haarun glanced past her, looking into her apartment, which was completely dark.

  In a straightforward tone, he asked:— “Why is your apartment so dark? Didn’t you pay the electric bill or what?”

  Hearing that, Mayya puffed up her cheeks a little and replied with a soft, annoyed tone:— “I’m not some poor person who can’t pay the bill! I just turned the lights off, that’s all.”

  Then she calmed down and continued:— “Anyway, forget that—tell me first, what’s in that shopping bag you’re holding?”

  Haarun looked at the bag and said in a playful tone:— “Oh, this? It’s a dress—I bought it for you. I really liked it, and I want you to wear it when we go to the festival together.”

  Mayya frowned, puffing her cheeks again, and replied in a slightly angry tone:— “Who told you to buy me a dress? I would’ve gone with you even in my usual clothes! You didn’t need to bring a dress just to take me along.”

  Hearing that, Haarun looked a bit flustered and hurriedly said:— “Hey, why are you getting so upset? I just liked the dress, so I got it for you. Don’t you like the things I pick out?”

  Mayya’s expression softened a little, and she replied in a gentle voice:— “No, I didn’t mean it like that… I just—”

  Before she could finish, Haarun cut her off in a casual tone:— “Alright, alright. But tell me—are we just going to stand here, or are you going to invite me in?”

  Mayya led Haarun inside just as he’d asked, turning on the lights one by one throughout the apartment.

  Walking behind her, Haarun said casually:— “I called Taqeesh too, but he said he’ll enjoy the festival from his hometown.”

  Mayya turned around, surprised:— “You two already exchanged numbers that fast?” she asked.

  Then she frowned slightly, narrowing her eyes with mock suspicion:— “Be honest—what’s really going on between you two?”

  Haarun laughed and replied in a playful tone:— “Yeah, you guessed it exactly right—absolutely nothing’s going on. I just like bothering him a little every day. It’s fun.”

  Mayya sighed softly and said under her breath:— “You really are... different.”

  As they walked further inside, Haarun suddenly stopped and said firmly:— “We don’t have much time to waste here.”

  Then he handed the bag to Mayya and said in a calm voice:— “Here, take this. If you like the dress, wear it. If you don’t, then there’s no need.”

  Mayya accepted the bag and said gently:— “Alright... you sit on the sofa, I’ll go change.”

  With that, she quietly walked into her bedroom, while Haarun sat down on the sofa, glancing around the apartment.

  When Mayya opened the bag, a soft shimmer of fabric caught the light — a faint, moonlit glow that seemed to spill out gently.

  She slowly lifted the dress out. It was deep lavender in color, made of light chiffon that glimmered faintly when touched by light.

  The surface was adorned with countless silver patterns, with delicate silver embroidery around the neckline, and soft floral motifs flowing toward the hem — as if the spring breeze itself had brushed against it.

  Inside the bag, there was also a small silver ribbon choker — simple, yet strangely elegant.

  Mayya stared at the dress for a while. It felt as though it had been made just for her — quiet, gentle, and pure. A few minutes later, Mayya stepped out of her room wearing the dress.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  She walked slowly toward Haarun. Her cheeks were lightly flushed, and a shy, almost magical smile lingered on her lips.

  In a soft, embarrassed voice, she asked:— “I–Inazum... do I look good? I feel like this dress is a bit too long.”

  Haarun kept staring at Mayya for a while — as if time itself had stopped. A strange gentleness flickered in his eyes, and a soft, tender smile appeared on his lips. After a moment, Haarun spoke in a gentle voice:— “Unbelievable… you look just like a fairy.”

  Hearing that, Mayya’s face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she quickly covered her face with her hands.

  She was about to say something, but before she could, Haarun took her hand, pulled her closer, and said with a cheerful smile:— “Come on, we’re getting late.”

  Mayya looked at his smile, her eyes lighting up with a brief spark of surprise. Then she hurriedly stopped him and said:— “Wait, wait… you go outside first. I’ll be right there.”

  Saying that, Mayya went back to her bedroom.

  A few moments later—

  Haarun was standing beside the car, talking to the driver. Just then, Mayya returned, holding a small bag in her hand.

  Without saying a word, the two of them got into the car and headed off together toward the festival.

  After about an hour, they finally reached the festival grounds — right at the edge of the city. Even from a distance, it was clear that this wasn’t just any ordinary festival.

  The entire place shimmered with colorful lights, the air was filled with the sweet aroma of food, and the lively chatter of people blended together into a melody full of life and joy.

  Mayya and Haarun stepped out of the car and looked toward the entrance. As they reached the gateway, Mayya’s eyes widened — the lights of the festival sparkled within them.

  On both sides of the entrance hung rows of colorful lanterns, as if they were guiding the way into a realm of dreams.

  Inside, there were rows of stalls — some selling handmade masks, others cotton candy, and some offering small trinkets and gifts.

  Seeing all this, Mayya’s face lit up with excitement; she kept looking around, eyes shining with delight.

  Watching her happiness, Haarun could only smile softly. A little farther ahead, they saw a giant Ferris wheel — every seat glowing with twinkling lights, spinning so high it seemed to brush the sky, scattering radiance into the air all around.

  All around were smaller game booths — Goldfish Scooping, Shooting Gallery, Ring Toss, Lottery Stalls, and countless other fun games.

  After a while, they moved away from the crowded part of the festival. Beside them flowed a quiet river — its surface glimmering under the moonlight, spreading a calm and cool serenity into the night air.

  Mayya slowly lifted her head and looked up at the sky — there wasn’t a single cloud tonight.

  Above, countless stars sparkled, and below, the reflections of city lights, the river, and the glowing buildings — together, they painted a dream made entirely of light.

  A gentle, blissful smile appeared on Mayya’s face, as if the entire scene before her was a kind of new magic made just for her.

  After spending some quiet time by the riverside, they returned once again to the lively bustle of the festival.

  At first, they wandered around, tasting all sorts of junk food — fried chicken wings, French fries, cheeseburgers, and slices of pizza.

  The colorful lights, the sound of laughter, and the aroma of food made everything around them feel even more alive.

  While walking through the crowd, Mayya suddenly stopped in front of a shooting gallery.

  Various prizes were hanging there, but her eyes got stuck on one thing — a cute teddy cat, its fur the same color as Haarun’s hair.

  With an excited tone, Mayya tugged at Haarun’s hand and said:— “Inazum, look at that! Isn’t it so cute?”

  Haarun looked at the teddy, smiled softly, and said in a calm voice:— “If you like it that much, then come on — it should be yours.”

  Hearing that, Mayya’s eyes sparkled with joy. Without wasting another second, she ran toward the shooting gallery, laughing happily. Mayya tried several times to win that teddy cat, but she couldn’t get it even once.

  Sometimes her shots went off to the side, sometimes too high — and in the end, she almost ended up shooting the gallery owner himself.

  After failing again and again, Mayya looked utterly disappointed. Just then, Haarun smiled faintly, placed his hand gently on her shoulder, and said softly:— “Mind if I give it a try?”

  Saying that, Haarun picked up the shooting gun and got ready — as if he were a professional shooter.

  There was a confident glint in his eyes and a faint smirk on his face. Then, without hesitation, Haarun fired.

  The rubber bullet hit the teddy cat perfectly, and as it bounced, it also struck a purple-colored hair clip nearby.

  Everyone around was amazed by Haarun’s flawless aim, and Mayya just stared at him, her eyes glowing with joy. The shooting gallery owner chuckled and said:— “Looks like your luck’s really good today.”

  Haarun immediately replied in a straightforward tone:— “Luck? If you’d like, I can do it again — this time with my eyes closed.”

  The crowd was both surprised and amused by his confidence, a few even smiling at his words.

  After the shooting gallery, the two of them went over to the Goldfish Scooping stall.

  This time too, Mayya couldn’t catch a single goldfish and looked disappointed, while Haarun effortlessly scooped one after another. Seeing him catch so many, the stall owner whispered under his breath:— “This guy’s gonna make me go broke.”

  In just a few minutes, Haarun had caught nearly all the goldfish. Everyone nearby stared in disbelief. But then, Haarun quietly released most of the goldfish back into the tank, keeping only a few.

  Seeing that, Mayya looked surprised — but deeply happy at the same time. After that, they went to try some sweets. To start with, they both got ice cream cones.

  As soon as Mayya took a bite of her ice cream, she began smiling like a little child — pure and innocent joy lighting up her face.

  Seeing her act so adorably childish, Haarun burst out laughing — loudly and freely.

  At first, Mayya didn’t understand why he was laughing, but after a few moments, she suddenly realized it — her face turned bright red, like the petals of a rose.

  After that, they tried cotton candy, donuts, churros with chocolate dip, and butter-grilled corn.

  Before they knew it, night had fallen. Mayya and Haarun walked back to the riverside again. The cool, gentle breeze from the river seemed to brush softly against their hearts.

  For a while, they both gazed silently at the countless stars scattered across the night sky. Then, in a soft voice, Mayya asked:— “Inazum... I liked how you gave the goldfish back, but... why did you return them?”

  Haarun lowered his head slightly, a calm smile forming on his lips, and replied quietly:— “I played the game just for fun. But that man was selling them to earn a little money.”

  Then, looking up at Mayya again, Haarun added:— “I could buy a thousand goldfish if I wanted to, but he can’t. So I didn’t want to take the smile off his face.”

  Hearing those gentle words, a soft light shimmered in Mayya’s eyes. She finally understood — Haarun wasn’t like the other Royals.

  He was someone who could truly understand the struggles of ordinary people.

  Mayya was about to say something when, all of a sudden, a streak of light tore across the sky — and then, one after another, bursts of color exploded above them.

  The night sky lit up with fireworks. Mayya and Haarun, along with everyone else at the festival, stopped in their tracks and looked up in awe.

  Red, blue, gold, violet—every color bloomed like fiery flowers in the darkness.

  With every explosion, the entire city seemed to glow, and the river reflected the dazzling dance of lights.

  Wonder filled every eye, laughter every face — joy and brightness overflowed in every direction.

  Each spark of the fireworks seemed to write its own story across the night — a story of light, hope, and fleeting magic.

  After a while, the fireworks faded away. In a calm voice, Haarun said:— “We’ve seen everything the festival has to offer.”

  Then he looked toward the giant Ferris wheel and added:— “Except for one thing.”

  Understanding his hint, Mayya’s eyes lit up with excitement. Without wasting a moment, they ran toward the Ferris wheel, grabbing a cup of iced coffee each along the way.

  They climbed into one of the gondolas, and behind them stood the towering city buildings — their window lights reflected on the river below, glittering like scattered stars.

  The tops of the skyscrapers shimmered in the distance, as if they had even joined in celebrating the festival.

  As the Ferris wheel began to rise, Mayya started to feel a little scared — and Haarun, of course, noticed immediately.

  Haarun looked straight at Mayya and asked in a calm voice:— “Shizqar… I’ve been watching you since the start of the festival. You’ve been having so much fun — almost like it’s your first time at something like this. But when I called you earlier and asked you to come, why did you refuse?”

  In his words, Mayya’s full attention shifted to Haarun. She stayed quiet for a while, then finally answered in a soft voice:— “To tell you the truth… I’ve never been to a festival before. Not with my family, and not with any friends either.”

  Then, lowering her gaze, she whispered:— “Sorry… I said that wrong. Actually… I never had any friends.”

  As soon as she said that, Haarun gently asked:— “Why have you never been to a festival? And didn’t you have any friends in middle school either?”

  Hearing that, Mayya slowly replied:— “My parents didn’t like crowded places. That’s why they built a house in Haqthir Town — a place where very few people live.”

  She let out a quiet sigh before continuing:— “There weren’t many students in my middle school either. I always ranked first every year, so a lot of the girls were jealous of me. I was really quiet, so no one ever came close to me.”

  Haarun didn’t interrupt—he just listened silently. After a brief pause, Mayya closed her eyes and said softly:— “That’s why… I never had any friends.”

  After finishing her words, Mayya looked at Haarun with a gentle smile and said:— “All of that is in the past. Now, I have a good friend too — someone who brought me to this festival today.”

  Saying that, Mayya picked up the teddy cat and said happily:— “And because of that friend, I got this cute little teddy cat! I’m thinking of giving it a name.”

  Hearing her, Haarun looked a bit confused and muttered:— “What? You’re going to name a teddy?”

  Mayya’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she said brightly:— “Of course! It’s super cute! And since it’s a teddy, its name will be Cutie! And you know what, Inazum? Cutie looks just like you!”

  Haarun replied in a straightforward tone:— “Don’t drag me into your teddy’s name. I’m not cute.”

  Then, turning his gaze outside, he said calmly:— “Anyway, forget all that. Look outside and tell me—are you scared now?”

  Following his words, Mayya slowly turned to look outside — and instantly froze in awe. Her eyes widened in surprise — they were now at the very top of the Ferris wheel.

  Above them, the stars sparkled like scattered diamonds; Below, the festival lights shimmered in countless colors; the moon’s soft reflection rippled on the river; and the tall buildings glowed nearby, their windows shining like constellations.

  It felt as if the stars themselves were swirling around them — as if a fairy-tale kingdom of lights had come alive before their eyes.

  Seeing this, Mayya’s heart filled with joy—her eyes gleamed with light and wonder.

  She glanced at Haarun, who was also quietly watching the view.

  With a soft smile, Mayya thought to herself:— “Inazum was saying all that just to help me overcome my fear…”

  A few hours later—

  Mayya and Haarun finally returned to Mayya’s apartment. Haarun walked her to the door, gave her a soft smile, said a few words, and then got into the car with his driver to head back home.

  Mayya closed the door and slowly stepped inside. The room, bathed in gentle light, felt as calm and quiet as the silence that follows a festival.

  Lowering her head, she whispered softly to herself:— “…Inazum, I’ve never met anyone like you before. Being by your side today gave me a strange kind of peace. I don’t know when I’ll be able to tell you this… but right now, I really don’t want to be away from you.”

  Mayya's outfit: