Lewis gave Leon a push right after speaking. “I’m going outside to check on the construction crew. I’ll leave Leon in your hands.”
Without another word, Lewis slipped away, leaving Leon alone in the room.
Fortunately, Leon had a thick skin. Surrounded by familiar faces, he didn’t feel too awkward. He moved over to the table where a large basket of plain eggs sat, waiting to be painted. “Got any more paintbrush pens? I can help.”
“Here.” Emily handed him hers without hesitation.
“Then you take a break.” Leon accepted the pen without fuss, pulled up a stool, and found himself a spot to sit.
“I’ve got spares.” Emily reached behind her chair, grabbed her bag, and pulled out a brand-new set of paintbrush pens.
“Any rules for the colors?” Leon asked Jodi. This was his first ti decorating Easter eggs. He had no experience, no knowledge to go on.
“Nope. Just make them bright and eye-catching.” Jodi smiled and demonstrated, taking a clean egg and adding a stripe of green, a stripe of red, and a stripe of purple until it looked wonderfully gaudy.
Leon followed her example, but when he dipped his brush into the paint, he caught a faint scent.
It wasn’t pungent—more like a gentle blend of flowers and fresh grass. Clearly not chemical.
“Is this all plant-based pignt?”
Emily blinked in surprise. “Wow, how did you guess that?”
“I could sll it,” Leon admitted. Ever since eating a Starfruit, he’d noticed his senses had sharpened. Even the faintest scents were easy for him to catch and recognize from mory.
“Your nose is that good? You can sll sothing this faint?” Haley looked impressed. “Sounds like I should ask you for help when I’m making perfus.”
Before Leon could answer, she added, “I’ll pay you.”
“Well then, say no more. I’m always happy to help.” Leon, who’d been ready to refuse, changed his mind instantly at the ntion of paynt.
Haley smirked, glancing at him with quiet satisfaction. She was sure she’d found his weakness.
anwhile, Jodi and Marnie exchanged knowing smiles. Leon noticed and quickly focused on painting his egg, pretending to be oblivious.
Whether it was his presence making people hesitant to chat, or simply that this group took their work seriously, no one spoke from the ti Leon sat down until he’d finished his sixth egg.
The only sounds were the gentle clink of eggs being set down and the soft swish of brush on shell. The silence was almost eerie.
Leon swallowed, breaking it at last. “So… are these eggs from Marnie?”
“Nope, we got them wholesale from Joja,” Marnie explained.
“Yeah, there are just too many for Marnie to supply on short notice. Plus, these eggs will be collected after the hunt, cleaned, and eaten. Using eggs from Marnie’s Ranch would be wasteful.” Jodi added.
Judging from their expressions, Leon realized the earlier awkwardness had co from this topic. So he took it upon himself to lighten the mood.
“Makes sense. Plant-based paint ans no chemical residue, so they’re safe to eat.”
“Exactly. And Emily and Haley mixed the pignts themselves. They’re such talented girls. Any man who marries one of them is in for a lucky life. Don’t you think so, Leon?” Jodi teased.
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right.”
No sooner had he spoken than he noticed both Emily and Haley sneaking a glance at him. He imdiately adopted a serene, expressionless focus on his work.
He’d wanted to start a friendly chat so everyone could relax. Instead, Jodi had steered it sowhere dangerous. Leon gave up on small talk and transford into a silent, egg-painting machine.
Still, breaking the silence had helped. The others resud chatting about the usual small-town gossip—nothing of great importance, but pleasant enough to listen to while working.
By the ti the basket was filled with colorful eggs, the activity was over. As the only man present, Leon was tasked with delivering them to Lewis. Relieved, he carried the basket out of the Stardrop Saloon.
Though the others still had lily flower baskets to weave, Leon had no intention of returning to help.
He spotted Lewis easily in the town square. “Lewis, the eggs are ready.”
“Good work, good work. Put them here. Tonight, I’ll get so folks to hide them around town for tomorrow’s Easter egg hunt.” Lewis gestured for Leon to set down the basket.
“Need to help?” Leon asked instinctively.
“Nope. You’re a contestant, after all. It wouldn’t be fair to the others if you helped hide them.”
“Speaking of that… Lewis, why am I even in this event? Isn’t this supposed to be for the kids?”
“It’s to help you enjoy the festival more. And who says it’s only for kids? Abigail, Maru, Penny, Alex—they’re all in it too. You’re not the only adult.”
Lewis grinned. “And don’t underestimate the kids here in Pelican Town. They’ve got endless energy. Even grown-ups can’t always keep up. You’d better give it your all tomorrow—if you end up with fewer eggs than they do, you’ll be the one embarrassed.”
“Alright, alright,” Leon said with a sigh. Lewis ant well, after all.
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