Chapter 60: First Love’s Sweetness and Pain

Suddenly, the girl’s fragile body was touched by warmth.

Greta stirred faintly, her consciousness returning. In front of her stood another girl, gently stroking her cold steel frame, carefully trying to tuck the scattered white cotton back in before it could be dirtied.

“Don’t be afraid, Tunneler!”

Grace suddenly stepped forward, spreading her arms wide to embrace Greta’s display screen.

Beneath the screen, the faint green glow seemed to find fuel again, regaining its luster under the girl’s warmth.

“Look! Your Mr. White is watching you!”

Grace spoke softly. The tunneling machine girl froze for a moment, dumbfounded. Then she suddenly remembered—where she was, what she had to do.

“Yaa-ha!”

Greta suddenly stiffened, forcing her still-intact half of a body to twist toward Mr. White.

Thud! Thud!

The massive machine dragged itself forward. Phaga and Ellen instinctively stepped back.

Ellen retreated half a step behind Phaga, her strong tail pressing against his back as she leaned forward, close enough to murmur in his ear, teeth clenched.

“Were you just about to laugh at me?”

“Pfft... of course not. You know I’m serious when I work.”

Phaga forced himself not to look back.

If it were a stranger making a fool of themselves, he could remain calm, detached. But knowing it was Ellen caught at the center of things, he could hardly stop the smile tugging at his lips. His lower lip had already been bitten pale from the effort.

If he turned now, Ellen—who knew him too well—would surely notice.

And Phaga knew. Even though she never said it, the look she gave after every incident made it clear Ellen never forgot being teased like that.

And sharks... well, sharks loved to bite back.

Standing behind him, Ellen narrowed her eyes. If Phaga’s answer slipped even slightly, she’d have her excuse to sink her teeth in.

“You really didn’t think anything weird?”

“No. In front of our master, a member of Victoria Housekeeping must maintain proper decorum.”

“...Tsk.”

“Ellen, keep your decorum. The tunneler’s about to turn.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Ellen lowered her giant scissors to the ground with a thud, answering perfunctorily before propping herself against them and shifting her gaze aside.

...

While this little exchange played out, Grace’s voice carried from the other side.

She pointed toward the unfinished building where Greta had first leapt, her tone filled with infectious passion.

“Look! That’s your Mr. White! He’s been watching you all this time!”

“Mr. White...”

The girl’s eyes softened with affection. Then, suddenly, her display screen filled with a storm, her voice breaking into sobs.

“Waaah!!! Mr. White... Mr. White was still looking at me! But I couldn’t hold on... Mr. White, I’ve let you down!!!”

“Don’t cry, dear. You’ve done wonderfully.”

Grace gently patted Greta’s display, coaxing her gently.

“The Mr. White you love so much is a good one too. No matter how hard it’s been, it never abandoned you. It truly, truly loves you!”

“Waaah! Mr. White, I want to stay with you forever!”

Tears streaming, Greta shouted desperately. Using her demolition saw as a crutch, she dragged her crippled frame, forcing herself to crawl toward the unfinished building.

It was noon now. Her first love, fragile as cherry blossoms, bloomed in its most fervent season. Her cold steel frame, under love’s blessing, grew hot step by step. Even the road seemed willing to ignite sparks of passion for the devoted pair.

Grace walked beside her silently, like the family of a bride escorting her child step by step into the arms of the groom.

“Mr. White...”

Finally, Greta reached him. Machine and building stood side by side, bathed in sunlight.

Grace clasped her hands together, eyes shining as she admired cement and love.

Thud!

A sudden crash dragged her back to reality.

Greta had lifted her demolition saw, trying to touch her beloved Mr. White. But she’d misjudged her strength, and a dent appeared in one of his pillars.

Grace’s face paled. Translated into human terms, it was like a girl playfully punching a boy’s chest—only for her “soft little fist” to break his rib.

No... no way!

She couldn’t let this child destroy her own lover—at least not realize it herself. That would be far too cruel!

Grace stepped forward, tapped Greta’s display screen, and whispered, “Come back with me.”

“No!”

The girl stubbornly turned her head, lunging forward. Wrapping one leg and her demolition saw tightly around Mr. White’s pillar, she clung to it with all her strength.

“I’ll stay with Mr. White forever! Not even Ethereal can tear us apart!”

“But if this continues, you’ll run out of fuel!”

Grace pleaded: “You’re a mechanical girl, the cutest girl there is. Do you want Mr. White to watch as you age, your legs too weak to move, your saw too heavy to lift, your eyes too dim to open... to watch you die silently in front of him?”

“Do you want to break Mr. White’s heart?!”

“I... I don’t want that...”

Her voice faltered. Greta lifted her screen slightly, staring at the pillar she clung to, her eyes full of reluctance.

Seeing her sway, Grace climbed up the machine’s body, crouching before the display. Her voice softened.

“Mr. White is right here. He’ll always wait for you. He’ll guard your faithful love.”

“Look closely. Can’t you feel it? Mr. White is embracing you right now.”

“Don’t you believe in him?”

“I... I... Waaahhhhh!!!!”

Greta broke down crying once again. Her display pressed forward, and Grace caught her in her arms, patting gently.

“There, there... it’s alright.”

“First love carries both sweetness and pain. A young girl’s pursuit beneath the blossoms is unwavering...”

“This is what it means to grow.”

“Greta, come back with me. Grow into a truly remarkable young woman.”

“Yes... I’ll go back with you!”