Hesta opened the door suspiciously.
Calvin was the only one outside the door. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt from the base and carrying a bag of mangoes, a bottle of wine and a white paper box with a red bow in his hands.
Their eyes met, and neither of them spoke for a moment.
After a while, Calvin suddenly coughed. He held his breath and said the opening remarks he had prepared for a long time.
"(Honorific) Good afternoon, Miss Hesta."
Hesta's expression was serious - she had memorized this passage in the textbook just now.
She scratched the back of her head a few times and replied with some stumbling, "(honorific) Hello, sir... um, M. Gringoire, what can I do for you?"
Calvin: "(Honorific) I'm sorry that I have come to visit you now. In fact, I have come to see you many times this month, but you are not here every time."
As he spoke, Calvin lifted the gift bag in his hand.
"(Honorific) I am here today not only to apologize to you, but also to express my gratitude to you. These are some of our thoughts, please be sure to accept them."
For a moment, Hesta, who was standing at the door, had a lot to say.
For example, does the "we" you just mentioned refer to you and Sean?
All things related to Sean, let it be settled as it is. I don’t want to pursue anything further.
As long as Sean stays away from me in the future and stops making annoying little moves, there will be nothing else between us.
Take these things back, no need to do this.
but……
Hesta rubbed her palms together.
What are the honorific conjugations of so many verbs...
"Miss Hesta?" Calvin raised the object in his hand a little higher, "(Honorific) These are some of our thoughts, please accept them."
Hesta put her hand on her forehead and hesitated several times.
"(Honorific) What do you want to say?" Calvin asked.
Hesta frowned and thought for a long time.
After an awkward silence, Hesta looked up at Calvin.
"(Honorific)...Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?"
…
After entering the room, Calvin sat down quietly. Although Hesta just said "tea", she turned around and made two cups of hot chocolate - the tea and coffee in the dormitory had just been finished. There is only hot chocolate.
Calvin was a little hesitant to say that he could just drink water - the hot chocolate at the base was too bitter, and although the bitter taste was called "mellow taste" by others, he and Sean couldn't get used to it.
However, Hesta had already placed the cup in front of her.
"Please use it," Hesta said softly.
Calvin took the cup with both hands, "(honorific) Thank you, I -"
"I appreciate your kindness." Hesta interrupted Calvin first. At this moment, the scene finally changed from the entrance hall to the living room. She had to seize the advantage of her home field and change the language from honorifics to everyday language. .
"How is Sean? Is he recovering well?"
"It's not very good, but it's not a big problem." Calvin looked at her, "Ms. Morley told me the ins and outs of that day, thanks to you——"
"No need to thank me," Hesta pulled up his chair and sat across from Calvin, "If it weren't for me, Sean wouldn't be there. Although I did save him, it was just a matter of course... ...Is it a tie? As long as he doesn't come looking for trouble because he holds a grudge against me, I'll be thankful."
"Probably not," Calvin replied. "After he started giving computer security classes to the city hall, he changed a lot - I mean the good side. Miss Valenti thinks this is due to you. .”
Hesta thought she had heard wrongly. She repeated Calvin's words with doubts and emphasized the word "merit".
Calvin nodded, "It was Miss Valenti's suggestion that I come to visit today. In fact, I have wanted to come and see you alone a long time ago, but I was worried that this would make things more complicated..."
Calvin's hand grasped the handle of the mug, and the mug slowly turned in circles in his palm. He stared at the pattern on the mug, thinking over every word, so he spoke very slowly.
"You know, things like that often happen. It was originally just a grudge between two people. As more and more people are involved, it becomes more and more complicated and dangerous..."
"Well, I understand, I understand..." Hesta lowered his eyes and suddenly remembered many past events in Short Call Alley, "Indeed, such things often happen."
"I have tried to make some efforts. Regarding Sean, the base often gives me such orders, such as restricting Sean from doing some-"
"Liz told me," Hesta looked at him, "As long as Sean's hands and feet are on his body, you can't stay with him 24 hours a day."
Calvin didn't expect that Hestad would give his understanding so easily, which made him a little at a loss. Calvin slumped his shoulders, breathed a sigh of relief, then straightened his waist and leaned forward slightly, "Anyway, I'm here to apologize for all the offenses we have committed before, and I hope to get your forgiveness."
Hesta frowned slightly, "...do you need me to sign some kind of understanding letter?"
"Oh, no, it's not necessary." Calvin shook his head quickly, "Sorry, I may have brought some misunderstanding, because the paragraph I practiced before was all said in honorifics. I don't need to change my position now. Uh, I don’t know how—”
Hesta suddenly laughed.
Calvin immediately stopped and looked at Hesta with some confusion.
Hesta thought deeply for a moment, then spoke at a very slow speed: "(Honorific) You are also learning the "Social Etiquette and Safety Regulations of the Third District"... right?"
"Yes." Calvin nodded quickly - this course is quite useless, and it is an elective course, so few people usually take it, but it is different for reserve forces like Sean who often violate regulations.
Thanks to Sean, Calvin has taken this course three times in the past two years.
However, these terms have little use in daily life, so for Calvin, these long-lost languages and etiquette will always be learned and forgotten.
Hesta pondered for a moment, "(Honorific) I've been learning this on my own recently, because Mrs. Lavitt gave me a set of teaching materials, but language, language, is something you can't learn if you don't speak often. I don't know if you mind, being... uh, being..."
"...the partner you practice with?"
"Yes." Hesta nodded immediately, "That's what I mean. Do you have time?"
"Yes." Calvin answered simply, "I should be free at this time every week, including after the rest week."
"Me too." Hesta breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, "That's it, then? Starting from next week?"
Calvin stood up and extended his hand to Hesta, "It's an honor."
