Stardew Valley’s Farming Master

“Wait, you can dance with a second partner at the Flower Dance? I thought you could only choose one partner.”

Hearing Emily’s answer, Leon was genuinely overjoyed.

He had been worried that if the Flower Dance allowed only one partner, his promise to Emily might lead Abigail to feel upset. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all.

“Of course. The Flower Dance starts at ten in the morning and lasts until ten at night. That’s plenty of time for everyone to get to know each other. As the festival that bids farewell to spring, it’s also a ball designed for romantic encounters. How could they possibly restrict single participants to only one partner?”

Emily’s tone made it sound perfectly obvious.

“Oh? Have you found another partner, then?” Leon asked curiously.

“Of course. Sandy will be coming to the Flower Dance, so I’ve already invited her.”

Leon couldn’t help but give a wry smile. When she first said “of course,” he was a little surprised. But when Sandy’s name came up, it all made sense.

“Then why did you want me to ask Haley? She’s so pretty—surely she’ll get plenty of invitations. Wouldn’t I be ruining her plans if I went up to her?”

“Hahaha, Haley’s a perfectionist, and she takes the title of Flower Dance Queen very seriously. She won’t agree to dance with anyone whose moves are clumsy. Usually, I dance the first round with her, and then she doesn’t go back out.

“Since both of us have formal dance training, we can almost always help Haley secure that title. And this year, with an excellent male dancer like you, I’m sure she’ll be delighted. Besides, men can’t be chosen as Flower Dance Queen, so you and Haley won’t be in competition. She’ll be more than happy to dance with you.” Emily smiled as she explained.

“We’ll see when the time comes. For now, tell me what last year’s Flower Dance was like—I’m curious.”

Leon didn’t give Emily a direct answer. He wasn’t sure Haley would even want to, and forcing the matter could be awkward. Honestly, his second choice for a partner was leaning toward Abigail.

In the past, he might have thought Abigail wouldn’t be lacking partners. But after getting to know her better, he could tell she was a lonely soul in Pelican Town. On such a lively day, Leon didn’t want her to be left on the sidelines.

“Last year? Nothing particularly special happened. Everyone joined in as usual—Gus prepared the food, and Mr. Pierre never missed a chance to do business. People danced, but honestly, the locals here treat the Flower Dance more like a spectacle. The liveliest and most enthusiastic participants are actually tourists from out of town. Haley and I danced one round, then went to admire the flowers with others.”

Emily thought for a long while before giving this rather bland recollection. Judging by how long it took her to remember, last year’s festival clearly hadn’t left any deep impression on her.

“I thought everyone would be more enthusiastic,” Leon remarked.

“Well, it’s a festival that happens every year. If it weren’t for being a Stardew Valley tradition, and the fact that the town is practically empty on that day, most of the younger locals wouldn’t bother showing up. Take Sebastian for example—he hasn’t attended the Flower Dance in years because female tourists keep hitting on him, which makes him uncomfortable.

“Sam also gets a lot of attention, but he enjoys it. Abigail, though, dislikes the festival, yet Caroline drags her there every time,” Emily said with a shrug.

“You never thought about pairing up among yourselves before?”

Leon’s mind flashed back to his first Flower Dance in the game. He’d been too focused on farming and fishing to build relationships with the romanceable townsfolk, so he’d shown up full of anticipation… only to end up as a spectator. He couldn’t help but ask.

“No. Why would we? If the younger generation in Pelican Town was really going to pair off, they’d have done it already without needing the Flower Dance as an excuse,” Emily replied, puzzled.

“Nothing, just feels like the real-life Flower Dance is different from how I imagined it.” Leon shook his head.

“When the day comes, you’ll see for yourself.” Emily smiled reassuringly.

“Mm.”

Their conversation ended there. They sat on the grass for a little while longer, until Emily suggested a third round of practice.

This time, Leon made no mistakes. He and Emily executed a flawless, stunning dance, after which she clapped in satisfaction and teased, “Leon, I can already imagine how many girls you’re going to attract at the festival.”

“Forget it. I don’t want to dance too many times. It’s not physically exhausting, but it’s mentally draining.” Leon waved his hand. The need to focus on his steps and match his partner’s moves kept him in constant concentration. Staying like that for long was inevitably tiring.

“Hehe, well, then I’ll just wish those girls good luck. I’ve already claimed your first dance anyway,” Emily said smugly before adding, “By the way, I’ve already sketched an initial design for your outfit. I should be able to finish sewing it before the Flower Dance. I’ll bring it to you personally—you have to wear it, okay?”

“No problem,” Leon agreed.

Emily’s smile lingered as she fell silent for a moment, then bent down to pick up her radio. She waved goodbye.

“I should get home to shower and change before heading to work at the Stardrop Saloon. This afternoon was really fun. See you.”

“Mm. I’ll walk you back.”

Leon offered, figuring it was the least he could do after Emily had spent her whole afternoon teaching him to dance—helping her carry the radio was only right.

“If you’re free, I don’t mind,” Emily said with a playful wink.

“Of course I’m free. Even if I weren’t, it wouldn’t stop me from seeing you home.”

He took the radio from her. It wasn’t huge, but it was surprisingly heavy—like carrying a brick.

“Let’s go, then.” Emily smiled as Leon gallantly freed her hands. She stepped closer as he started walking, and the two of them strolled back toward Pelican Town, shoulder to shoulder.