At that thought, Hifni couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out her question.
“Then why did you pay for me? It’s not like I can’t afford it. Is there some reason I absolutely must let you pay?”
After saying this, Hifni stared at Colin expectantly, and what he said next made hope rise within her once again.
“Of course there is! I definitely want to pay for you, because…”
Hearing this, Hifni felt a surge of motivation welling up inside her again. It seemed like she really still had a chance! And it wasn’t just a simple chance—she felt like she was about to end the competition!
Meanwhile, before Colin could finish his sentence, the owner of this prop shop came over. Apparently, noticing they’d been lingering for quite a while, he wanted to see if they needed any help.
Just as Colin was about to explain, Hifni quickly shooed him away and told him not to come over here for now. Although the owner felt a little baffled, seeing the aura around them—completely different from ordinary people—he ultimately said nothing and walked away.
This was a critical moment! How could she let some irrelevant outsider come and cause trouble!
Hifni glared angrily at the owner’s retreating figure. Once he was completely out of sight, she eagerly looked back at Colin.
Just thinking about what might happen next made Hifni unable to hold back and she hurriedly pressed for an answer, desperate to hear Colin’s explanation immediately.
“So… what is it? What exactly?”
Though Colin was a bit confused by Hifni’s excitement, he still went on to explain why he wanted to pay for her.
“Because you’ve been so busy trying to help Liamy find a way to revert back, I wanted to give you some compensation—to reward your hard work.”
Colin’s words plunged Hifni’s heart into an icy abyss. She opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say. In the end, she still refused to give up and asked, “…That’s it? There’s no other reason?”
“Uh, no. Is there supposed to be? Isn’t that enough? Is there a problem?”
Hearing this, Hifni silently stared at Colin, making him a little uneasy.
Well, of course Colin wouldn’t have that kind of feelings for her. He was just helping pay to repay a favor, nothing like what she had imagined.
Hifni finally understood completely: it was all just her own fantasy. Reality wasn’t nearly as beautiful as she had hoped.
Just as Colin was about to ask what was wrong with Hifni, she lightly muttered.
“…I see… no, there’s no problem.”
“Uh, really? Okay then, so I can go pay now?”
Though Colin still didn’t understand why Hifni’s mood had suddenly dropped, seeing she didn’t want to explain, he wisely kept silent. Still, he needed to ask if she wanted to buy the item.
Hifni didn’t say anything, only giving a slight nod to show she understood.
Seeing this, Colin had no choice but to stop asking and went to find the owner to pay.
Watching Colin’s retreating figure, Hifni gave a self-mocking smile. She felt so foolish just now, thinking she still had a chance—that ridiculous hope.
Now, more than anything, she wished she could erase that memory. But unfortunately, with her current abilities, she couldn’t do such a thing.
Hifni lowered her head in disappointment, staring blankly at the ground. She knew from Colin’s tone earlier that she really didn’t have any chance. Instead of continuing to act like a loser, it would be better to just quit.
With this in mind, Hifni lifted her head again toward Colin’s direction. At this moment, Colin was discussing the price with the owner.
After watching Colin for a while longer, Hifni closed her eyes again. She had made up her mind—not to participate in this fight anymore. That glance just now was the last spark of feeling she would have for Colin.
She swore she would never have those kinds of thoughts about Colin again!
After a while, Colin came back after paying. He handed Hifni the item she had been eyeing, but noticed she didn’t show any happiness; instead, she took the item with a gloomy expression, as if she hadn’t wanted to buy it at all.
Seeing this, Colin frowned deeply. He couldn’t ignore it any longer. In a slightly serious tone, he asked, “Hifni, what’s really bothering you? You can just tell me—I can help you think of a way.”
But Colin’s question didn’t improve Hifni’s mood. She just casually replied.
“Whatever’s bothering me, even if I tell you, you can’t solve it.”
Hearing that, Colin frowned even more.
“Even if I can’t solve it, at least I can help you share the burden. It’s better than you carrying it all alone, isn’t it?”
Unfortunately, his words didn’t make Hifni reveal what was troubling her.
Colin stared at her with knitted brows for a moment longer. Then he sighed, softening his tone.
“Hifni, you know, I’ve always thought you were the most reliable person on our team. No matter what it is, you always face it calmly.”
“But now? You’re so down and troubled, yet you won’t talk about it. You just bury it deep inside, planning to bear it alone. That’s not like you. If you still trust me as your captain, then at least tell me what problem you’re facing.”
Colin’s heartfelt words finally stirred something in Hifni. She raised her head and met his gaze. She could clearly feel Colin’s sincerity. Even if he couldn’t understand her problem right now, he would surely do whatever it took to figure out what was troubling her. That was not a development she wanted to see.
So she reluctantly spoke about her troubles in vague terms.
“…Actually, it’s nothing major. I just gave up on something that was never really possible to accomplish.”
“Why give up?”
Hifni hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “…Because I don’t see any hope.”
“…I see.” Colin was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “…Is this matter important to you?”
Hearing that, Hifni looked conflicted. But in the end, she nodded and admitted it.
“Is that so… then all the more reason you shouldn’t give up.”
Colin suddenly shifted gears, beginning to encourage Hifni. Hearing his words, she looked at him with a puzzled expression.