Miss Witch Doesn’t Want to Become a Songstress

The ground was still damp from last night’s rain. The sky was bright, with fluffy white clouds forming various adorable shapes.

A hover car sped along the coastline, the wind rushing through the cabin like a playful fish, strong and invigorating.

Inside the car, Dolores wore a rare light-blue, near-white summer dress and tea-colored sunglasses. Resting one hand lightly against the window, she gazed at the sea outside. Beside her sat another girl with black hair, wearing a baseball cap, a black T-shirt, and jeans.

“Thilan, we’ll be heading out to sea soon. This car is pretty nice—fast and smooth.”

“Mm,” the girl responded softly, her dark eyes glancing at the bustling seaside below. She held a pair of sunglasses identical to Dolores’s.

Thilan’s slender fingers played with the sunglasses for a while before she finally put them on. Paired with her baseball cap, she looked so different that even acquaintances would find it hard to recognize her.

The luxurious red hovercar they rode was a gift to Thilan from the “Hot Lizard Motors” some time ago, but she hadn’t used it until Dolores suggested it today.

It was midsummer, and Dolores had invited Thilan to her family’s private beach. After some light preparations, the two set out in the brand-new hovercar.

As they drove along the long coastline, the crowds gradually thinned out. This was the seaside module where the wealthy gathered, dotted with private beaches along the shoreline.

The hover car slowed down and parked inside a semicircular building. Once the dome opened and then closed behind them, the two got out of the car.

“The seawater here is much cleaner. This is one of the rare Grade A beaches on Verdant Veil. There’s a long filtration net set up several dozen miles offshore to keep the toxic seawater outside from contaminating this area,” Dolores explained as she took Thilan’s hand and led her toward a nearby lounge. The lounge was equipped for showering, swimming, changing clothes, and more.

The spacious lounge featured a crystal-clear pool in the center, with a transparent glass ceiling offering a view of the sky above. One wall was lined with rows of automatic drink vending machines, which, for now, were set to free mode, allowing the two to take whatever they wanted.

The large lounge felt empty with just the two of them inside. Dolores chatted with Thilan while selecting her favorite drink.

“I used to come to this beach a lot with my mom when I was little. She’d teach me how to swim and help me build sandcastles,” Dolores reminisced.

“Sometimes, she’d invite relatives and friends to bring their kids along for a vacation, so I’d have company to play with.” Dolores picked a chilled red jade tea, pressed the button, and a bottle of icy drink rolled out.

Thilan crouched in front of a vending machine, examining the unfamiliar drink names on the rows of bottles. After a while, she chose a raspberry fruit tea that looked appetizing.

“That one’s pretty good,” Dolores remarked, nodding at Thilan’s choice. The two then moved to a reclining chair to sit down.

Opening their bottles, they drank while enjoying the natural breeze inside the lounge.

“I spent so many summers here as a kid. Time flies,” Dolores continued, reflecting.

“But my dad rarely came. He was always so busy. I guess that’s just the burden of running a big company.”

“After Mom passed away, I came here alone a few times, but it always reminded me of her, so I stopped coming as much.”

“If you like it here, Thilan, you can come anytime. I’ll set up an access permit for you later. Honestly, this beach has been mostly unused since I stopped visiting in recent years.”

As Dolores talked about her childhood, Thilan thought about a time she went camping in the wilderness of the 5th District with Themisia. That trip had ended with her scared awake by ghost stories and crawling into her parents’ tent.

“By the way, can you swim, Thilan?” Dolores asked suddenly, making Thilan’s fingers freeze for a moment.

“Uh, no,” she admitted. Themisia, on the other hand, was a great swimmer with an enviable figure, but Thilan had never learned and was a bit afraid of water.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” Dolores said with a soft laugh, seeming to relish the thought.

“Alright, let’s go change first.” With their drinks nearly finished, Dolores stood up.

“Mm,” Thilan replied, her expression timid like a little rabbit, evading Dolores’s gaze.

“Are you shy, Thilan? Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. The changing rooms are over there, and they’re all private.”

“Okay.” Thilan hugged her swimsuit and ran off to the changing room with small, hesitant steps.

Inside the white changing room, Thilan sat on a bench, staring up at the sealed white dome overhead. She took a deep breath and shook her head, wondering if she was overreacting.

Girls wearing swimsuits was perfectly normal, wasn’t it? Besides, there were no strangers here, much less men.

After calming herself, Thilan stood up and began changing. She took off her outer clothes and slowly, somewhat awkwardly, put on the white one-piece swimsuit.

After some time adjusting the fit, Thilan finally stood before the mirror, taking a careful look.

In the mirror stood a beautiful girl with a dreamlike presence. Her legs were slender and well-proportioned, not overly thin but healthy-looking. Her swimsuit accentuated her waist and abdomen’s curves. Though her chest wasn’t large, it had a noticeable contour, likely around a C cup. Her soft, silky hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her elegant neck and collarbones.

After hesitating a while longer in the changing room, Thilan cautiously pushed open the door and stepped out barefoot.

The clean, smooth floor sent cool sensations through her soles. A gentle breeze brushed against her legs, leaving her both curious and a little shy.

Dolores was already outside by the pool, waving at her. She wore a swimsuit adorned with overlapping ribbons of blue and white. The large satin ribbons crossed over her chest and tied behind her neck, with a semi-transparent asymmetrical skirt as decoration. The outfit was both elegant and stunning, perfectly complementing Dolores’s alluring figure.

Compared to Thilan, Dolores had more pronounced curves. If this wealthy heiress were to appear on a public beach, it would surely leave countless people in awe. Even in an era filled with beautiful women, Dolores was an exceptionally rare beauty.

“Our Thilan has finally decided to come out.” Dolores leaned on the pool’s edge railing, smiling at the approaching girl.

“I’m not very familiar with swimsuits, so it took me a little longer to put it on.” The girl glanced to the side, hesitant to meet Dolores’s gaze at this moment.

“Alright, come on over. Why not start by soaking in the shallow water to get used to it?” Dolores led Thilan to the edge of the pool, pointing to the ladder below.

“Okay.” The girl grasped the silver metal railing with both hands, cautiously extending her toes to touch the cool water’s surface.

Encouraged by Dolores from behind, the girl stepped into the pool. The icy water climbed her legs, gradually engulfing her waist.

Once half-submerged, the girl began to feel a slight buoyancy, her body swaying gently with the water. If she let go of the nearby railing, she might drift toward the center of the pool.

But she didn’t dare release her grip, slowly continuing downward until her feet touched the pool’s bottom. The water now reached up to her chest.

Walking underwater… there’s so much resistance, the girl thought as she moved slightly.

Just as she was adjusting to the water, there was a splash beside her. Dolores dove into the pool, gliding effortlessly and gracefully before surfacing.

“Thilan, come here~” She floated on the water, beckoning to the girl.

The girl shook her head, indicating she wasn’t very good at swimming, and held onto the pool wall as she moved forward. Dolores swam to her side, and the two ended up leaning against the pool’s edge together.

“I’ll teach you, Thilan.” Dolores supported Thilan, guiding her to place her hands on her shoulders.

“Take it slow at first, practice paddling. Go ahead.”

“Alright.” The girl was eager to give it a try.

Under the bright sunny sky, the two moved along the pool’s edge, walking slowly at first. Dolores then encouraged Thilan to attempt swimming, gradually helping her grasp the techniques of moving in water. Slowly, the somewhat timid girl began to paddle forward.

“Great job! You’re learning so quickly, Thilan~” Dolores praised her, bringing a shy smile to the girl’s face.

When the girl started to tire, Dolores helped her back to the poolside. They sat by the edge, their legs still immersed in the water. At Dolores’s call, a service robot brought over two servings of ice cream.

With their feet still splashing occasionally in the water, they ate their ice cream and chatted until they finished.

“Now it’s time to take a walk on the beach.” After disposing of the ice cream containers in a trash bin, Dolores led the girl out of the lounge and onto the white sand beach.

It was around 3 p.m., and the sun was blazing. Both put on sunglasses and strolled along the shore.

The sand was hot underfoot due to the sun, but closer to the water, it turned moist and cool.

Occasionally, they spotted a few seashells and conch pieces on the beach but no crabs.

“Although this is Southern 1st District, there aren’t many sea creatures around. Only the protected nearshore areas have marine life,” Dolores explained about the sea’s condition.

“Environmental impact must be significant,” Thilan remarked, feeling the warm sea breeze tinged with a salty aroma. She removed her sunglasses, spreading her arms slightly to savor the grandeur of the wind brushing past her.

She always loved the vastness of nature, likely because she had grown up in an underground city where such experiences were rare.

After walking for a while, they waded into ankle-deep water, enjoying the sensation, and then returned to the shore. They rested under a parasol, reclining on chairs to soak up the sun.

The sound of waves in her ears and the sun’s warmth made the girl feel drowsy, and she drifted into a light nap.

When she woke up half an hour later, Dolores was leaning beside her, gently brushing the girl’s eyebrows with a strand of her hair.

“Thilan, are you awake?” Dolores withdrew her hair with a smile, watching the girl rub her eyes and sit up.

“Mm…” The girl still sounded a bit drowsy, her voice soft and lazy.

“Let’s rinse off with some cool water.” With that, Dolores led Thilan back to the lounge’s shower room.

After rinsing and drying off, they went to the second-floor terrace of the lounge, which also had parasols and beach chairs.

Seated under a parasol, they opened a bag of snacks and began discussing tonight’s competition.

“Tonight is the first match of the Winter Festival Gala. Since it’s just a preliminary, it won’t be too intense. Students from the top six academies of the Verdant Veil will participate,” Dolores explained.

“What about the other academies?” Thilan asked, knowing Southern 1st District was home to the top six schools of the Verdant Veil.

“The other academies must compete for a spot in earlier rounds. They must defeat one of the top six to qualify.”

“But this hasn’t happened in over a decade. The top six’s positions are very stable, they’re in a league of their own, hard to shake.” Dolores adjusted the newly donned sun hat on her head as she spoke.

The wide-brimmed hat was adorned with black and blue silk flowers, pearls, and gemstones, making it quite striking.

“Does it look good, Thilan?” After securing the hat, Dolores stood and strolled around the terrace. The sea breeze lifted strands of hair beneath the hat, her smile radiant in the interplay of shadow and sunlight.

“Very beautiful,” the girl nodded. Dolores was already stunning, and the sun hat only enhanced her charm.

Closing her eyes, Dolores twirled lightly on her toes like a ballerina, spinning and leaping in the breeze. She repeated this several times before returning to Thilan’s side.

“I seem to have forgotten a bit,” she said, brushing against Thilan’s arm before resting her chin gently on the girl’s shoulder.

“I used to be good at this. My mother insisted I learn ballet and other dances as a child. But I never liked performing for others, so I stopped practicing.”

“After my mother passed away, there were so many things I stopped doing,” Dolores said, raising her hand to shield her eyes as she gazed at the sky.

“Are you reminiscing about the past, Dolores?” Thilan asked curiously.

“A little, but not too much,” Dolores shook her head.

“I didn’t hate those things, but I wasn’t very interested either. So it felt natural to stop.”

“You can’t force yourself to relive the past out of nostalgia.”

“But performing a few of my skills in front of Thilan is quite enjoyable,” Dolores added with a laugh.

“Learning something new but having no friends to share it with makes it hard to stay motivated,” Dolores said, spreading her hair with a carefree tone.

“Even dressing up beautifully feels a bit lonely without anyone to appreciate it.”

“Thanks to you, Thilan, my life has become much more exciting and interesting since high school. Before, it was just school and the company, learning business matters from my father.”

“There were many people around me, but I think they all saw me as the perfect young lady. I had to maintain that image. I’ve gotten used to it, but sometimes I just want to relax.”

“When I first met you, Thilan, I thought you were the serious and meticulous type. But after getting to know you, I realized you’re actually very understanding and easy to talk to. That’s why I enjoy spending time with you so much.”

“Do I like you? Maybe a little. If I never marry, being lifelong friends with you would make me very happy,” Dolores said, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her finger.

“Ah, is Thilan feeling shy?” Dolores teased, laughing brightly as she noticed the girl’s blushing face turn away in embarrassment.