“Hey, Leon, happy Easter.”
Just as he reached the small garden, Leon heard soone calling him.
Following the voice, Leon spotted Penny and Maru huddled together, while Vincent and Jas played tag in front of them.
“Happy Easter, Penny, Maru.” Leon waved to them and naturally stepped closer, asking, “Have you tried Gus’s egg dishes yet?”
“I’ve had so, so I’m not hungry right now,” Penny replied, shaking her head.
“I’m not hungry either. My father made sure I had a well-balanced breakfast early this morning so I could do well in the Egg Hunt,” Maru added with a smile, then looked at Leon curiously.
“Leon, I thought you’d only get here right before the event started. How co you’re here so early?”
“All thanks to you. With the sprinkler pump, watering takes way less ti now.” Leon understood what Maru ant—she had assud he’d be tied up on the farm until it was nearly ti.
Without the sprinkler pump, just watering alone would take over an hour. Adding chicken feeding and a trip to the mines, he’d be lucky to reach the plaza after nine, not this early.
“Glad I could help,” Maru said warmly.
“Penny, are you joining the Egg Hunt?” Seeing Penny listening quietly, wanting to join in but unsure how, Leon steered the conversation toward her.
Penny shook her head awkwardly. “I’m sitting out. I’m not very good at sports.”
“She’s just worried she might lose to her own students,” Maru teased.
“Honestly, I’d be worried too.”
Penny flushed bright red and looked down. Leon took the chance to add, “Losing to kids really is a bit embarrassing. I can understand Penny’s concern.”
“Leon…” Penny lifted her head, touched by his words. She started to say sothing but faltered, unable to find the right words.
Maru patted Penny’s hand, lightening the atmosphere. “Don’t worry. Leon and I will work hard enough for all three of us. You can focus on consoling Vincent and Jas after the event.”
“Maru, you might not win, you know!” Vincent, having overheard, stopped running to protest.
“Yeah, we’re pretty good,” Jas chid in, half-hiding behind Vincent because she was shy with Leon around.
“Then you two had better give it your all,” Leon encouraged with a smile before slipping away—he had spotted Haley heading toward him.
Weaving through the growing crowd, Leon found Willy sitting on a bench near the Starfruit Saloon.
Noticing the colorful stains on Willy’s hands—looking suspiciously like egg paint—Leon sat down beside him. “Willy, what have you been up to?”
“Changing the egg hiding spots.”
Willy didn’t bother to hide it. “That way, any of you who scouted last night won’t have the advantage.”
“Lewis’s backup plan?” Leon asked dryly.
“Hahaha. After so many years, we know all your tricks. The eggs placed last night were just decoys. The real ones are hidden on the morning of the festival.” Willy grinned.
“If there’s no suspense, what’s the point?”
“Don’t tell there’s betting going on,” Leon joked.
“You’re overthinking it. It’s just an Easter celebration, nothing shady. We do it so everyone has a fair shot at winning.”
He went on patiently, “And don’t forget, Leon—visitors take part too. You locals already know the layout. If you also knew the egg locations, it wouldn’t be fair.
If the tourists ca all this way and couldn’t find a single egg, it’d be a sha. Even if it’s just for fun, attracting visitors is part of the festival’s goal.”
“I see.” Leon finally understood Lewis’s reasoning.
It wasn’t easy for Lewis—while everyone else enjoyed the festival, the mayor had to think about what it could bring to Pelican Town. No wonder Leon hadn’t seen him yet; he was probably busy.
“Even so,” Willy said, “I’d love to see you win. Want to tell you where so eggs are?”
“I appreciate it, but I’ll pass.” Leon shook his head.
“It’s just for fun. Better to keep it playful.”
“Fair enough. I’ll grab sothing to eat from Gus’s place. You go mingle—almost everyone in town cos out for this.” Willy stood and left.
The mont Willy’s seat was free, Haley claid it.
Seeing the sweat on her forehead and the cara in her hands, Leon grinned. “Want to take a photo together?”
“You! Running off like that—do you know how long I chased you?” Haley gave him an exasperated look, catching her breath, her chest rising and falling enough that Leon looked away.
“Because I didn’t want to take a picture with that creepy rabbit statue,” Leon said matter-of-factly.
“You could have told ,” Haley complained.
“And would you have listened? If you had, would I have needed to run?” Leon countered.
“Uh…” Haley faltered, then muttered, “You could’ve slowed down, at least. Do you know how awkward it is, standing there with my cara after you disappear? You could’ve waited for .”
“That’s why I’m here waiting for you. I even picked a spot where you could rest.” Leon smiled, not ntioning that he’d just been chatting with Willy and had forgotten about avoiding her.
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