Warnings Under Lantern Lights
894 Words
CHAPTER 6:
The literature club booth somehow survived the first half of the Moonlight Festival.
Barely.
Mostly because Carl prevented Chris from accidentally destroying everything every ten minutes.
“Stop climbing things,” Carl said tiredly.
“I’m improving visibility.”
“You’re standing on a table.”
“That’s strategy.”
“That’s stupidity,” Ren corrected calmly while fixing the price signs.
Chris pointed dramatically.
“Why is everyone bullying me today?”
“Because you deserve it,” Kai answered while arranging pastries.
Leanne laughed quietly beside them.
Honestly, she couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this much around other people.
Everything felt warm tonight.
Comfortable.
The lantern lights glowing around the booth.
The soft festival music.
Chris being dramatic as usual.
Ren quietly roasting him.
Kai pretending not to care while secretly making extra desserts for everyone.
And Carl looking after all of them like an exhausted father.
It was nice.
Dangerously nice.
Chris suddenly leaned against the counter beside Leanne dramatically.
“Lea.”
“What now?”
“If I collapse from hard work tonight, tell people I died heroically.”
“You spilled juice on yourself thirty minutes ago.”
“That was part of the struggle.”
Kai snorted.
Ren sighed quietly.
Carl shook his head fondly.
Leanne smiled before noticing something.
“…Wait. Why are there fewer lanterns now?”
Silence.
Everyone slowly turned toward Chris.
Chris blinked innocently.
“…What?”
“You gave them away again, didn’t you?” Carl asked.
“There was a crying child.”
“So you gave him six lanterns?”
“He looked sad!”
Kai covered his face.
“We needed those decorations.”
Chris gasped dramatically.
“So materialistic.”
Leanne burst into laughter again.
Honestly, Chris was ridiculous.
But somehow—
Nobody in the club ever stayed annoyed at him for long.
Then Carl suddenly handed Leanne a small box.
“Can you grab extra decorations from storage? We’re running out.”
Leanne nodded.
“Sure.”
Chris immediately straightened.
“I’ll go with—”
“No,” Kai interrupted instantly. “You’ll get distracted.”
“That’s offensive.”
“That’s accurate,” Ren added quietly.
Chris looked betrayed.
Leanne laughed before taking the box.
“I’ll be back.”
The farther Leanne walked from the festival center, the quieter everything became.
The storage area near the academy gardens was dimly lit by lanterns hanging from trees.
Cool night air brushed against her skin softly.
Honestly?
The peaceful silence felt nice after all the chaos.
Until suddenly—
THUD.
Leanne bumped directly into someone.
“Oh—sorry—”
She looked up.
And froze slightly.
Sabrina Villareal stared back at her calmly.
Elegant as always.
Perfectly composed.
Though unlike earlier—
She wasn’t smiling now.
Leanne stepped back politely.
“…Sorry.”
Sabrina crossed her arms.
“You’re close to Christopher.”
Straight to the point.
Leanne blinked slowly.
“…We’re friends.”
“You’re becoming more than that.”
Leanne frowned slightly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sabrina stared at her quietly for a moment before speaking again.
“I’ve known Chris for years.”
The way she said his name sounded soft.
Familiar.
Painfully genuine.
“He gets attached easily,” Sabrina continued quietly. “Especially to people who are kind to him.”
Leanne stayed silent.
Sabrina looked toward the glowing festival lights in the distance.
“Chris acts cheerful with everyone,” she said softly. “He jokes around, makes people laugh, acts spoiled…”
A small smile appeared briefly on her face.
“But he’s more fragile than people think.”
Leanne blinked slightly.
Fragile?
That wasn’t exactly the word she imagined for Chris.
Sabrina looked back at her again.
“And once he cares about someone…” she continued quietly, “…he cares too much.”
The atmosphere suddenly felt heavier.
Leanne crossed her arms slowly.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Sabrina’s expression hardened slightly again.
“Because I don’t want him getting hurt.”
Silence.
Then finally—
Sabrina spoke clearly.
“So stay away from him.”
Leanne froze slightly.
The words were calm.
But sharp.
Possessive.
Protective.
“I’m serious,” Sabrina continued. “Chris is already attached to you. I can tell.”
Leanne looked away briefly.
Her chest suddenly felt weirdly tight.
“That’s not really your decision to make,” she answered quietly.
Sabrina narrowed her eyes slightly.
“You think this is about jealousy?”
“…Isn’t it?”
For the first time—
Sabrina looked genuinely frustrated.
“You don’t understand how difficult he can be.”
Leanne frowned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
But Sabrina suddenly stopped herself.
Then sighed quietly.
“…Forget it.”
The tension between them remained heavy.
Then distant laughter echoed from the festival nearby.
Chris’s voice.
Loud as usual.
Sabrina’s expression softened instantly at the sound.
Just for a second.
And somehow—
That tiny expression hurt more than her warning did.
Because it made one thing painfully obvious.
Sabrina truly loved him.
Then Sabrina looked back at Leanne one last time.
“…Just be careful with his feelings.”
And without another word—
She walked away beneath the glowing lantern lights.
Leaving Leanne standing there alone.
Confused.
And somehow strangely unsettled.
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