Closed The Hand That Pulled Her Up PV Kim Sato

Delilah lay on the lakeshore, sputtering water, her clothes clinging to her like wet parchment. The pink-haired student stood nearby, dripping but looking unfazed. Delilah blinked up at him, her dreamy eyes wide.

Merlin's Beard! I always knew the lake was hiding something, but I didn't expect it to be a pink-haired knight in soggy armor. You're not a mermaid, are you? Do mermaids even have pink hair? Never mind, thanks for the rescue, by the way."

Delilah sat up abruptly, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that she had just been rescued from a watery fate.

"Well, this is a fine mess, isn't it? I guess swimming with the giant squid was a tad ambitious. Should've stuck to daydreaming by the edge," she mused, her tone casual despite the absurdity of the situation.

Delilah blinked up at him, her messy hair sticking in all directions.
"What's your name, Pinky? Or should I call you the Grand Lake Guardian?" she said, grinning.

Delilah, undeterred, continued her rambling monologue.

And as if struck by a sudden revelation, gasped dramatically. "Oh, wait! What if you're a lake spirit? Are you here to grant me soggy wishes or curse me with eternal dampness? Either way, it's a wild Tuesday afternoon, I'll give you that."

Delilah grinned mischievously, as if the entire lake incident had been a grand joke played just for her amusement. Of course, it was a good scare and Delilah was really grateful for the boy, but she couldn't show him that she was weak and fearful, could she ? Growing up on a steady diet of fantastical tales and heroic exploits, she had absorbed the unspoken rule that protagonists didn't show fear, weakness, or vulnerability. No one admired the character who quivered at the first sign of danger or crumbled under pressure.

Deep within, Delilah grappled with the fear that she was not the hero she portrayed herself to be. The fear of being labeled weak or inadequate, of not living up to the expectations set by the stories she so dearly loved. Her seeming nonchalance wasn't a dismissal of the genuine gratitude she felt toward her pink-haired savior; it was a battle against the internal narrative that whispered she had failed some unspoken heroism criteria. The mask of nonchalance became her armor, a defense mechanism against the fear that threatened to consume her.

With a dramatic sweep of her hand, she stood up, water cascading off her clothes.

Delilah blinked in surprise as Kim effortlessly dried her clothes with a wave of his wand, her hair, now only slightly damp, framed her face in wild, tousled waves. The sudden warmth and dryness caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but break into a wide, grateful smile.

"Oh, Prince of Sweets, you truly have a flair for the dramatic, saving damsels in distress and drying clothes with a wave of your wand! Quite the magical entrance, if I say so myself." she exclaimed, her voice a mixture of amusement and appreciation. Delilah ran her fingers through her now-dry hair, still processing the magical feat she had just witnessed. " I owe you one—literally saved me from walking around like a waterlogged ghost."

As she took a moment to gather herself, Delilah's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Prince of Sweets, huh? That's a cool title. Do you have, like, a kingdom made of candy or something?" she asked, a playful glint in her eyes. Her mind was clearly still wandering between the realms of the fantastical and the mundane.

With her plans of daydreaming and cloud-staring disrupted by the unexpected lake incident, Delilah found herself open to the spontaneous adventure that seemed to be unfolding. She glanced up at the sky, clouds drifting lazily overhead. "I guess my original plan got a bit wet," she chuckled, shaking her head.

Kim's question about the rest of the afternoon brought a thoughtful expression to Delilah's face. "Honestly, I hadn't planned much beyond staring at the clouds, but maybe today is a day for unexpected adventures," she mused, a playful glint in her hazel eyes. "Any suggestions, oh Prince of Sweets?" Her laugh echoed with a carefree spirit, reflecting the chaotic and dreamy nature that defined her.

Delilah, caught up in the whimsy of the moment, suddenly realized she hadn't shared her own name with the enigmatic Prince of Sweets. Her hazel eyes widened in realization, and she brought a hand to her mouth in a playful expression of astonishment.

"Oh, how thoughtless of me!" she exclaimed with a theatrical gasp, her blonde curls bouncing with the motion. "My name is Delilah. I find my name quite boring sometimes." she announced with a flourish, as if unveiling a hidden treasure.

If I were to choose another, I'd fancy something a tad more extravagant. Dulcibella or Angelique, perhaps, , something that screams 'adventurer' rather than 'garden party' or 'Church Maniac." She pronounced the names with an attempt at sophistication that ended up sounding more comical than refined.

"Muggle-born, you say?" she mused, twirling a strand of her blonde curls around her finger. "Well, guilty as charged. I may not be born in the wizarding ways, but I do appreciate a good bit of magic when it happens. I still can't believe I'm magical too!" She gave him a playful wink, a mix of insecurity and curiosity in her hazel eyes.

Her hazel eyes glistened with a mix of vulnerability and determination. "I may not have grown up with magic, but I've got a whole world of it waiting to be explored. Every spell, every enchanted creature is like a page in a storybook I've just opened. And I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything."


As Kim shared the tale of his title as the "Prince of Sweets" and his penchant for baking, a whimsical smile graced Delilah's lips. Her hazel eyes, usually bright with curiosity, transformed into soft crescents as they narrowed with the genuine joy that his words brought her. The corners of her eyes crinkled, forming delicate wrinkles that spoke of the sincerity of her delight.

"You know, I've always believed that sweets have a certain magical allure," she said with a smile. "And you, dear Prince, seem to wield that magic quite well. I insist, Kim, I must taste one of your enchanted sweets."

Delilah's eyes lit up at the suggestion of cloud-watching, a dreamy smile gracing her lips. "Sometimes, you just need to let your mind wander with the clouds and forget about all the mundane things. That's what I do, aside from drowning in Lakes of course. As for homework," she sighed, her expression turning more somber, "I'm the queen of procrastination. But hey, who needs homework when you have a sky full of wonders?"

As she took a seat beside Kim, she couldn't help but feel a sense of ease in his presence. The cool blades of grass tickled her fingertips, and she ran them through the verdant strands, feeling the earthy texture beneath her. A contented smile spread across her face, and her hazel eyes sparkled with a quiet happiness. His question about her name drew a thoughtful expression from her. "Yeah, some friends call me Del. It sounds cool, doesn't it? Del, the mighty," she said with a laugh.

"Call me Del, call me Delilah, just don't call me late for a baking session, Prince of Sweets! I've got a sweet tooth that's been waiting for some enchanting treats,"


When Kim presented the choice between his left and right hand, Delilah couldn't resist feeling a bit exited, she got exited for a lot of things, Quarelling with her sisters, eating her father's lasagna, cracking fire in the fireplace, running barefeet on the grass, climbing trees, sleeping on the couch, petting her cat... but she enjoyed most of all playing games with people she liked.

"Right hand, of course! Because, you see, the right side is the right side, and who wants to be left out of that?" Delilah's odd chuckle echoed through the lakeside air, and her gaze lingered on Kim's blue eyes,a habit she had developed over time—trying to decipher the unspoken stories etched in people's souls, minds, and thoughts through the windows of their eyes. However, with Kim, the task proved to be nearly insurmountable.

There was a depth to Kim that intrigued Delilah, a kind of a mystery that hung in the air like the remnants of a magical spell. "What's your story, Kim?" She wanted to ask, but thought it could come off a bit weird. She will later on regret not asking the question, but right now, she allowed the enchantment of the day to prevail,

Delilah chuckled at Kim's question, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Food dislikes? Please, I'm like a human disposal unit. I eat everything! Vegetables, desserts, potions ingredients—well, maybe not potions ingredients, but you get the idea!" She grinned, giving a playful shrug. She was talking with hand gestures, flinging her arms and hands as though an actress in a play, she always did that. Some thought it was too dramatic, too "over the top", but Del didn't care what others thought, well most of the time she didn't.

As Kim presented the chocolate frog as her prize, Delilah's eyes widened in surprise. "No way! I've never won anything before!" Her hands carefully accepted the trapezoid box with wizard designs.
She had won things before, but they were minor, often laced with a tinge of sadness—the fleeting kiss on the cheek or the tight hug she'd receive before her father locked himself away in his study or her mother left for a week of work.

Her gaze momentarily drifted, as if lost in the memories of those warm nights when her father cooked a meal and her mother, if only briefly, would sit down to pet Mr. Whiskers. Those moments, rare as they were, painted a semblance of family that she longed for. She never told anyone about her lacking family and she will never. Whiny ِcharacters were always disliked in her books.

"Thank you, Kim! This is so cool," She lifted her gaze to meet Kim's eyes once again, and like an artist retouching a masterpiece, she repainted the smile on her face.

As she took a bite, a delighted expression crossed her face. "Mmm, sweet victory!" she exclaimed, savoring the rich taste. "But what's in the other hand though ?"She took another bite with a playful hum.