Isabelle x Mayor | My Greatest Mistake

Entry 18 ~ ♡Sugary Snowfall♡

❀ (Y/n)'s POV ❀

I dug my shovel past the snow and into the ground, uncovering the fresh soil. I quickly retrieved the pine sapling from my unending pockets, gently pressing it into the dirt. Satisfied, I stood up, wiping my hands together to rid of the mucky layer that had crusted onto my palms. Once this tree grew, I could finish hanging the rest of the lights and the decorating would be complete.
I had completely switched the theme of the town from Halloween to Toy Day. Red flowers and holly bushes now dotted my symmetrical kingdom. The snow had started to make everything feel gloomy due to the gray skies, so the street lamps stayed lit throughout the day. I set up a small camp fire near the train station. Villagers could rest upon the cleverly engraved stumps (thanks to my silver axe) and enjoy a sweet cocoa.

If they even had the desire to make one, that is.

Icy wind blew past my face, reddening my already pink nose. I'd shiver, but I'm not susceptible to pretty much anything besides mosquito bites. I sifted through my pockets once more, removing a bag of red pansies. I enjoyed the deep red in the center of the flower since it complimented the dark hue of the holly bushes' leaves. After placing them next to the newly planted tree, I headed for the Town Hall.

Belle has been acting different for the past few days. I don't want to say weird, that'd be rude.

     I noticed immediately that she stopped calling me (Y/n). I'd be upset, but Belle has been used to formality for years, I can't expect her to be instantly ready to change. But it had happened so fast, I wasn't given the chance to pretend it didn't bother me, so I had to avoid conversing with her until today.
     I opened the door to the building, humming the town tune to myself. There was the recurring jingle above the door that reminded me of the bells in Belle's fur.
     "Morning Belle!" I chimed, expecting her to return my introduction with her usual polite smile. This time, it was so incredibly forced I wondered if she actually thought she was fooling anyone. She's not the best a picking up hints, so I narrowed my eyes at her, but quickly walked over to my desk, drumming the theme of our town on the wood.
     This is probably the most boring part of my day. I get frustrated easily by the complaints I receive from villagers. Why don't they try running a town! It's not like they know anything about design, plopping their houses in random spots like it's no big deal. Are they blind to the pathways I cleverly paved? They're for walking, not a marker for house building!
     Even so, I act like I'm enjoying myself to decrease tension. All actions have an impact, no matter how small. I like to enforce joy with every little thing I do. Adding compliments here and there, going out of my way to catch sharks for my friends, which is a little time consuming but it's not hurting me. I can tell Isabelle is going through something. She's constantly sulking, sighing, and getting lost in thought. She'll even tear up from time to time, but she doesn't even notice it. There's a lack of feeling in her voice. I miss her flustering and sudden bursts of determination. She's the only one who makes my time signing papers worthwhile.

Around 2:15, I had finished. I stretched and heaved myself up with a sigh, quickly gathering the extra papers into a neat stack. Glancing out the window, I could see it was already getting dark and an idea popped into my head. On my way out the door I stopped to turn around, facing Isabelle. To my surprise she looked up at me, and a worried look crossed her face.
"O-oh uhm... I'm done but you can go on without me, Mayor." I mentally cringed at the title "Mayor". I wasn't exactly given a choice on becoming mayor of this town, and that's probably part of the reason why I don't like when friends of mine call me that. I also want others to put me on the same level as them, not higher.
"Nonsense! I have something I want to show you!" She looked away for a moment.
"What is it?"
"Well, Toy Day is coming up and I put a lot of time into decorating the plaza; have you seen it?"
"No.." she said, shaking her head. I could easily see her discomfort, but I don't understand why she's feeling this way. I hope it's not something I did.
"Well you can see them better at night, and I want you to join me." She sighed quietly and pressed her lips together, restraining something.
"I can.. go see them in my own time, it's fine." I tried my best not to look upset, but I couldn't hold back my frown.
"Do you just not want to go with me?" I pouted teasingly. Normally that gets to her.
"No! I want to—!" she zoomed up out of her seat to my surprise, covering her mouth but it had been too late.
"Oh okay! Great! Let's go." I grinned as she tried to hide her blush.
"Why.." she whispered, but I couldn't hear the rest.

✿ • ✿ • ✿

     I led her swiftly to the plaza. She didn't speak much, as usual, but her eyes were glued to the ground as we walked. Isabelle isn't the best at explaining, especially when she's uncomfortable, so I won't ask her what was wrong.
A colorful gleam came into view, and I felt myself smile.
     "We're here!" I grabbed her hand and rushed over, forgetting about boundaries... again. I customized the town tree in a glorious selection of lights. Though it's not the right kind of tree, this one is just as special in my eyes. It's the representation of how much (T/n) has grown these past months. Heck, I seem to remember all sorts of memories when I sit next to it.

     "It's beautiful..." Belle said hesitantly.
     "Well, thank you. I try my best." I smirked and she rolled her eyes. Soon after, I noticed I still had her hand, so I made sure to let go. As my fingers slipped away from hers, her grip randomly tightened.
     "Uh... is something wrong Belle?" Her eyes widened before she quickly loosened, my hand falling to my side.
    "I'm sorry!" She yelled probably louder than intended. The apology seemed to have more weight on it than just this minor incident.
     "I don't mind Belle, it's cold out here anyways." I reassured and she looked away yet again, somewhat annoyed. Why? I have no idea, and it's starting to pinch a nerve. I'll just have to try my best to be there for her until she's ready to talk.
    I looked back up towards the lights, suddenly noticing small, white flakes falling from the sky. I beamed at the sight, glancing at Belle to hopefully see her mesmerized face. When I looked over, my eyes met hers unexpectedly. I stopped myself from blushing, and gained control of my voice.
     "You have snow all over your fur." I said, laughing in order to hide my embarrassment. She brushed some of it away, sighing to herself. The night began to feel a lot colder, so I took shelter in the warmth of the lights. I want to help Isabelle feel better, but it's too hard without asking directly. Maybe there's something else I can do.

♡ Authors Note ♡
Sorry for any spelling mistakes!

HI I'M BACK AGAIN WOO!

*Gasp* (Y/n) had his own chapter for once?! WHOA OMG

Chill out. This chapter is sort of revealing how he feels about Isabelle and her sudden change. He always tries to look on the bright side but also refuses to show his weaknesses. After reading this, consider re-reading older chapters and use context clues to figure out how (Y/n) was probably feeling then!

I'm gonna start working on the next chapter ASAP because school starts in three days and I'm crying.

I hope you liked it!