Once the fear disappeared from Ruslan’s eyes, Sarka’s momentum began to become more violent.
Ruslan felt the darts fly straight toward his pupils as if testing him, or threaten him at angles so precarious his hair would slightly lift. Sometimes the sound of them tearing slightly as they grazed his collar could be heard.
But Ruslan didn’t turn his gaze away.
His navy blue eyes, filled with conviction, remained fixed straight on the green eyes without wavering.
Sarka’s eyes were now completely dyed red, shining with a frighteningly sharp and violent light.
Occasionally, his faintly moving gaze swept down over Ruslan’s lips and muscles as if observing his body.
However, Ruslan’s body no longer froze or tensed, just stood straight and stopped peacefully.
Ruslan noticed Sarka’s fingers often curving inward and gripping the armrest as if lost in thought, but didn’t turn his gaze away.
For a moment in the living room, no sound could be heard except the sound of darts cutting through the air and the sharp bursting sound they made as their awl-like blades embedded in the wall.
Thud!
The sound of the last dart embedding in the wall rang out.
The dart case was empty.
“…….”
Ruslan stood peacefully looking down at Sarka, not even out of breath.
Sarka’s eyes, which had been silently staring at Ruslan, moved.
Ruslan watched as Sarka’s green eyes scattered as if lost in thought, then lowered downward.
Sarka, who had been stopped for a moment looking toward the edge of the table, let out a light breath.
Sarka stood up from his seat. Ruslan unconsciously moved his gaze following Sarka, but Sarka didn’t turn to look at Ruslan.
“……Clean up and come in.”
Sarka briefly spat out while pointing behind Ruslan with the tip of his chin.
Sarka, who turned around immediately, crossed the living room without looking back at Ruslan.
Ruslan silently watched Sarka’s back as he entered the bedroom.
It was clear that some kind of test had taken place, but Ruslan found it hard to guess whether he had received a passing grade, or if he still hadn’t met that standard and other stages remained.
Sarka’s expression was still cold, and his green eyes were coolly locked.
……If he followed that order and entered the room, what would happen next?
After swallowing dry saliva for a moment, Ruslan soon exhaled and turned around.
In any case, it felt like the game had started again. If Sarka had started throwing the ball, from the beginning this was a game where Ruslan had no choice to run away.
Ruslan began to pick up the fallen items while trying to guess what he would experience going forward.
He threw the broken decorations in the trash and set up the intact ones back on the fireplace.
Ruslan, who raised his hand to pull out the darts embedded in the wall, suddenly realized the darts were stuck particularly clustered in one spot.
Ruslan, who unconsciously raised his head to check that spot, froze in place with his hand stretched toward empty air.
Ruslan’s lips parted.
All the darts were stuck in the paper airplane hanging on the wall.
Ruslan’s gaze shook wildly like a ball floating on rough waves. Ruslan couldn’t even think of touching it and froze with his mouth hanging open.
The paper airplane had been ravaged by dozens of darts, mounted on the wall like a hunted bird.
That symbol he had driven home saying humans and vampires could not be <friends>, that it was a rule determined from birth.
“…….”
His head went completely white.
Ruslan’s fingertips trembled faintly.
Ruslan stared at the violently attacked paper airplane for a moment unable to breathe, then fumblingly grabbed and pulled out one dart.
The paper airplane, fixed in place pressed by the other darts, briefly came out attached to the dart, then fluttered as it tore when the penetrating blade was pulled.
Ruslan began to pull out the remaining darts while trembling and standing on tiptoe. His heart pounded, and strangely the area below his neck became hot.
Too many thoughts tangled in his head to the point where even Ruslan couldn’t know what he was thinking right now.
Finally when all the darts were pulled out, the shredded paper airplane slid weakly from the wall and flowed down to the floor.
Ruslan, who bent down and picked up the wretched paper airplane, hesitated for a moment then carefully threw it in the trash.
Ruslan, who swallowed saliva while looking down at the discarded paper airplane, slowly turned around.
After putting the pulled darts in the case and carefully closing the lid, Ruslan looked at the bedroom door with a tense expression.
Ruslan, who walked stealthily, knocked on the door with a trembling hand and slightly opened it.
“……I finished cleaning up……”
Ruslan, who murmured in a voice that crept in, swallowed saliva while looking at Sarka.
Sarka, who had been sitting on the sofa, turned to look at Ruslan, then jerked his chin to point at the opposite side from the one he used, the unused bed.
“Unpack your luggage.”
Ruslan froze unable to let go of the doorknob, staring at the bed, then opened his mouth blankly.
Luggage……?
Sarka didn’t explain further and turned his head again to continue the assignment he had been working on.
Ruslan, who had been blankly staring at Sarka’s back for a moment, moved haltingly and returned to the living room.
Ruslan, who moved his hands with a half-dazed feeling, awkwardly gathered his old blanket and books, stuffed them into his bag, and carefully returned to Sarka’s room.
When the door opened, Sarka turned to look at Ruslan, confirmed the luggage bag in his hands, then turned his head again.
Ruslan watched for a chance and awkwardly set down his luggage bag near the empty bed, then hesitantly opened the bag.
While Ruslan rustled unpacking his luggage, Sarka didn’t turn to look at Ruslan.
When the small amount of luggage was organized, Sarka stood up from his seat as is, then pulled out the chair at the left personal desk and sat down.
Sarka, who selected and pulled out several books from the bookshelf, began his assignment in earnest.
Ruslan, who had been blankly watching that, hesitated, then moved to the opposite desk holding his books.
Ruslan, who set down his books on the empty right personal desk, awkwardly pulled out the chair while watching for a chance, but Sarka didn’t turn around.
Ruslan half-lifted his bottom trying not to make noise, then carefully sat on the chair.
Sarka seemed unconcerned with whatever Ruslan was doing.
Ruslan hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly opened his book and began to continue his assignment like Sarka.
For quite a while, nothing could be heard in the room except the quiet sound of turning pages and moving fountain pens.
Sarka also seemed to have many piled-up assignments due to the week of missed classes. Sarka’s expression was indifferent as he filled out papers while flipping through notes that seemed to have been organized by friends.
Ruslan kept rolling his eyes to glance at Sarka throughout doing his assignment, but Sarka didn’t turn to look at Ruslan.
Finally, when bedtime approached, Sarka tidied his desk and stood up.
While Ruslan unnecessarily peeked, Sarka gathered clothes to change into and left the room to enter the bathroom.
Ruslan stretched out his neck to look toward the bathroom through the open door, then when the bathroom door opened after a moment, quickly turned his head pretending to continue his assignment.
Sarka, who returned after washing, opened the bed curtains in nightshirt attire.
When Sarka, who had entered the bed, began to prepare for sleep while arranging his pillow, Ruslan hesitated then asked awkwardly.
“Can I……sleep here too?”
Sarka turned his head to look at Ruslan.
Sarka, who slightly frowned at Ruslan waiting tensely for an answer, replied coldly.
“Don’t ask permission for every little thing. It’s not like I brought in a dog to keep in the room.”
Ruslan’s mouth fell open, then he hastily closed it and nodded.
“O-okay……”
Sarka didn’t say anything more and took off his gown and hung it on the wall.
Ruslan, who was blinking, picked up his nightshirt and awkwardly left the room to enter the bathroom and wash.
Ruslan, who came out of the bathroom with a still half-dazed expression after changing into his nightshirt, hesitantly emerged.
When Ruslan, who returned stealthily, opened the bedroom door, Sarka, who had been leaning against his pillow looking at a book, glanced to confirm Ruslan then closed the book.
Ruslan watched for a chance, then when Sarka finished preparing for sleep, he too awkwardly drew back the bed curtains and crawled inside.
When Ruslan settled on the bed, Sarka placed the book on the side table and pulled the lever with telekinesis to turn off the light.
The room was submerged in darkness. Ruslan blankly watched Sarka’s bed curtains move, then hastily greeted just before they completely closed.
“G-good night!”
Sarka, who had been closing the curtains, stopped and looked at Ruslan.
The expression in the darkness couldn’t be seen. After being silent for a moment, Sarka silently pulled the bed curtains to close them completely.
The sound of Sarka lying down with rustling could be heard. Ruslan blankly stared at Sarka’s closed bed curtains, then soon reached out his own hand to close the curtains.
Ruslan unnecessarily killed sound while stealthily pulling back the blanket, and wriggled to lie down. The bed in the special dormitory was incomparably softer than the scholarship dormitory, and the luxury blanket wrapped softly around his skin.
But far from falling asleep, Ruslan opened his eyes wide and looked up at the ceiling.
[Are you my servant?]
[Don’t ask permission for every little thing. It’s not like I brought in a dog to keep in the room.]
If neither <servant> nor <dog>, then…….
His head felt like it would burst with too many complex expectations and emotions. Ruslan felt like he was floating half in mid-air rather than on the bed.
However, thinking of the ravaged airplane, one thing seemed certain.
That Sarka Hütivras had……acknowledged <defeat>.
Ruslan’s lips twitched strangely.
Looking up at the canopy of the highest quality bed in the special dormitory, Ruslan felt strange feelings moving inside his body.
His heart beat thump-thump. Anxiety and anticipation, doubt and confusion, suspicion and conviction tangled together creating an indescribable feeling of unknown meaning, but it wasn’t enough to erase Ruslan’s smile.
Ruslan slowly closed his eyes.
The sound of slight tossing could be heard from beyond the curtain, but it soon became quiet.
With a faint smile on his face,
Ruslan peacefully fell asleep with the attitude befitting a victor.
