These People Called Heroes!!
I had an ominous feeling!
Don’t tell me these guys, these people called Heroes, live without eating anything? Is that it!? I’m actually hungry! I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday evening! All I had was the hot chocolate harabeom gave me and the cookies Ruman gave me! After causing all that commotion, we left early today, and there’s nothing to eat?!
My body trembled.
No! I need to take my medicine too…
As soon as I thought there was nothing to eat, the hunger rushed in even more rapidly!
“There’s really nothing to eat? Not even snacks??”
“You seem quite hungry.”
At Ruman’s troubled voice, Temarr knocked on the carriage window again.
“Ren.”
“Nothing??”
I looked at hyung desperately with glistening eyes.
I’m hungry! Hyung!! I might faint from hunger!
Hyung’s eyebrows furrowed.
“It seems you’ll have to endure until tonight.”
“…Ah, okay! Of course I can endure it.”
“That’s right. Ren’s not a little kid, so of course you can endure it, right?”
“Why are you picking a fight??”
What the heck. Where did the person who gave me macarons go, why the attitude!
I glared at Ruman, who was smiling and being sarcastic, then closed my eyes.
It’s better to conserve my energy…
Until night, I can endure until night.
Ah! I need to take my medicine.
I slyly opened my eyes and after closing the window, secretly took out my medicine and chewed it.
Right, let’s think of this as a snack, a very delicious… like hell. It’s disgustingly bad! It’s such a bitter and harsh medicine that I want to scrape off my entire tongue. How harsh is it? On bad days, my lips swell up completely!
Damn it.
Still, I chewed the herbs thoroughly while thinking of the apothecary harabeom.
***
Following the narrow path, the day had darkened before I knew it.
Maybe because I took medicine without eating, my stomach hurt. But I can’t show it. More than that, I decided not to be a burden and here I am complaining about food, I’m really stupid too. Am I a child? I need to get it together.
I slapped my cheek to wake myself from my drowsy state from the medicine.
“Hmm? What’s that?”
Through the carriage window that I’d opened briefly for ventilation, I saw something swaying.
What is it? I stuck my head out to see better.
But what I saw wasn’t bushes but a firm chest. Following up the chest, I saw hyung making a stern expression.
“Hyuuung?”
When I called out in a hoarse voice, Temarr hyung pushed my forehead with his hand.
“Ren.”
It was a very stern voice.
“Why?”
What did I do wrong?!
My voice came out quite sharp.
“Don’t stick your head out while we’re moving, it’s dangerous.”
“Yeah, sorry.”
I answered obediently.
Hyung’s face seemed to soften a bit.
“We’ll stay here tonight. I’ll go hunt something to eat, so stay with Ruman. Got it?”
“Yeah! But hyung, I just now…”
“Okay.”
Hyung didn’t listen to the rest and lightly jumped off the horse.
“Hyung!”
That’s not it, I think I saw something!
“No, really… Damn it!”
I shook my head vigorously.
Hyung sometimes definitely can’t hear my voice.
I fumed while glaring at hyung’s back as he disappeared into the mountains, no longer visible.
“Temarr really is quite the lone wolf.”
The carriage door opened wide.
Ruman extended his hand with a grin.
“Shall we take a rest?”
“What am I, your girlfriend?”
“This is called manners.”
Ugh! What’s with the wink!
“Suit yourself.”
I pushed his hand far away and jumped! down.
Does he think I’m some loser who can’t even get down by myself!!
More. Over.
“And hyung is good at leading, not a lone wolf? It’s nothing like that at all, okay?? Don’t you know the saying that if you talk behind someone’s back when they’re not around, your tongue will be cut off??”
What a ridiculous man.
“Hmm.”
Ruman made a humming sound and casually lifted me with one hand just as I was about to plant my face on the ground.
Fuck. I am a loser.
Why did I have to step on a rock when getting down and stumble!! As I glared at the innocent rock like I wanted to kill it, Ruman’s hand poked my cheek.
Damn it! How embarrassing.
Ruman was snickering.
Is this person even listening to me? I want to argue but I’m too embarrassed.
Maybe this person is closer to hyung than I am…
“What are you doing?”
I slapped his hand away and rubbed my cheek roughly.
“I was worried your eyes might fall out.”
“I’m fine, okay?? I can take care of my own eyes, okay?”
“Hmm. Really?”
“Yes!! Mind your own business.”
Why are you staring like that!
Ruman’s gaze was burdensome.
It wasn’t unpleasant or annoying or anything like that.
Just…
It felt like he was seeing through me. The feeling of looking deep into me? From listening to his conversation with hyung, he seems like someone who moves according to calculations… What’s with the favor he’s showing me? Is he trying to use me in his relationship with hyung?
There’s no one in this world who’s nice without a reason!!
I did accept and eat the macarons though… Anyway. I’m not a loser, and somehow even though that guy seems suspicious, I could tell he had some goodwill toward me.
It’s probably not something sleazy like the baker’s son… Anyway. He must have a reason for acting like this.
Even though I was glaring at him with wary eyes, Ruman didn’t seem to care much.
The person who was twisting my arm tightly at first meeting, what change of heart is this?
“Sit.”
Ruman spread his cloak on a rock.
“It’s fine.”
When I plopped down on the dirt ground, Ruman stood silently for a moment.
He left the cloak there and sat down roughly next to me, spreading his palm.
Like fireflies, small lights bloomed from his hand and spread around us. The sparkling lights were small but gave a bright and warm feeling.
It wasn’t just a feeling.
The outside air was so cold my hands were freezing, but I could feel a gentle warmth.
“What is this?? Is this magic too? Is it the same as what you showed me earlier? Right?”
“Are you interested in magic?”
“…Well. Not really.”
Argh! Why did I lean in so close!!
I straightened my upper body that had leaned toward Ruman and turned my head.
The night in the mountains was very dark, but today the moon was bright so it was okay.
Our village really is in a mountain valley.
The village itself is a wide plain so I didn’t know since I never went out. Did hyung always go to the capital passing through such dark and winding roads?
Thinking about the path hyung must have walked countless times, I felt choked up and like I might cry for no reason.
What am I! I’m not a pubescent boy! I’m all grown up. I need to be resolute. I can’t be a burden.
Ahem. When I cleared my throat alone, Ruman looked puzzled.
“If it’s magic, it’s magic, and if it’s not, it’s not.”
Following Ruman’s hand gestures, the cluster of lights flew around like flying insects.
“If you don’t want to tell me, just say so. I’m not particularly inclined to pry.”
“When you get to the capital later, ask Verdi. That guy is good at explaining.”
“The same Hero?”
Hyung’s colleague?
“Yeah. He’s exceptionally smart so he explains difficult things well.”
Verdi. Verdi.
I etched the name Ruman told me into my head.
Actually, my dream when I was young was to be a mage! A mage who helps hyung, defeats Dragons, and rescues princesses! A Hero’s companion standing shoulder to shoulder with hyung!!
Because of my damn body, I didn’t hope or imagine it would actually come true.
But seeing the reality of something like magic right before my eyes, it felt like the curiosity I’d buried was popping up.
There are people who discover their talents late, so maybe I could be like that too!
I was fiddling with my hands and imagining what I could do if I became a mage when Ruman suddenly grabbed my arm.
“What?”
Slap!
When I flinched and immediately slapped away Ruman’s hand, Ruman nodded.
“What was that, all of a sudden?”
Why are you suddenly grabbing someone’s wrist? Want to fight?
As I was revving up, Ruman smiled as if relieved. Seeing that face, I was so dumbfounded my anger subsided.
What is it, really! What does he want with me?
“Your prickly personality seems fortunate.”
“What is it? Why are you talking to yourself and making a fuss?”
If you’re going to talk to yourself, do it so I can’t hear. When will hyung come back? It’s awkward with this man…!
“Hey.”
“……?”
Ruman seemed to glow even in the night.
Rather than thinking of him as a Hero, his face made me think he was some successful noble.
He gazed at me intently with deep amber eyes, as if trying to seduce me.
“Say, it.”
I gulped.
Wait! That’s like a pervert! Let’s not swallow!
I suppressed my breath and waited for Ruman’s answer, and a very light and cheerful voice flowed out, contrary to his serious face.
“Should I kill him?”
“What? Who?”
“That guy.”
Ruman said secretively.
His eyes were sparkling with mischief.
“……?”
What. Is he trying to joke around?
“From what I saw earlier, it seems his bad habits aren’t just from a day or two. Maybe something…”
“What?”
“Nothing. Wouldn’t it be better if that kind of human wasn’t in that village?”
“Not really.”
I responded with an uninterested attitude.
Whether that guy lives or dies, what does it have to do with me?
“You looked disgusted and hated it earlier. Don’t tell me he was a guy you had feelings for?”
One of Ruman’s eyebrows furrowed.
He was putting on quite the understanding look.
“What? Why would I like that stupid fool?? Is there something wrong with your head? Why are you picking a fight with someone who’s just sitting qui—, doing that?”
Phew!
No matter what, he’s hyung’s friend so I can’t say ‘acting crazy.’ I’ll only shout it inside! Crazy, crazy, crazy! I don’t like the sarcastic-sounding voice either! I fumed inwardly.
Good job, Ren!! You endured well, Ren!
Ruman’s face changed oddly.
“You cursed and made a fuss telling him to get lost, didn’t you?”
“Is that the same as killing him?”
How absurd!
“If you commit a crime, you must be punished.”
What is this?
I blinked slowly.
The words spoken calmly with an excessively beautiful face seemed sincere.
