An Unexpected Chase
Ruman teased me for a long while before finally calming down.
I tried to think about the inn’s grandmother, but the flow had already been broken so I couldn’t remember. What came to mind was Ruman who kept shoving his face close to mine! He seems to know too well that he’s handsome. That’s why he shoves his face at me at any time! I was about to bite his cheek hard but held back.
Because I thought Ruman was a bit peculiar and might actually like it. Ugh, creepy!
Even though I frowned and bit my lips for no reason… I couldn’t concentrate.
Right, actually I… was excited.
I want to go outside! I want to see other villages!
Will there be people my age?
It’s absolutely not that I want to make friends! It’s absolutely not that! Not at all. I, I’m just curious…
This is all because of Coco and Ruman.
To navigate this harsh world I need a firm heart, but the two of them must have made my heart a little soft.
I was very excited then felt gloomy again.
It hasn’t even been a month since I left the village, is it okay for my heart to loosen up like this?
‘Let’s get it together. I didn’t come out to play.’
Right, I should just be grateful that I can be with Hyung in a comfortable place.
Huh, why does the top of my head feel tingly?
“Eek!”
“Keke… Bwahahaha!”
When I raised my head, Ruman was looking at me!
He’d pulled his chair close at some point and was staring intently. His golden eyes looked just like a feline’s eyes, so I was really startled. It was like the glowing eyes I saw in the cave.
‘Huh? Cave?’
“Ren, you really get startled easily.”
“You scared me!! Do you have nothing better to do? Why are you teasing people like crazy!”
“It was fun watching your face turn pale then red all by yourself. What were you thinking about? Hm?”
“I wasn’t thinking about anything?”
“You were though. You were thinking with your brows narrowed like this. This shows you’re brothers. Your thinking expressions are similar.”
“Really?”
“Huh?”
“Hyung and I really look alike?!”
“Ren, your face is too clo—”
“Do we look alike! Do we not look alike? Hurry up and tell me!!”
“You look alike! You look alike! You look alike!”
“Tch. Why are you saying it three times? I’m not deaf, you know?”
‘Huh. Too close maybe.’
Wow, Ruman. Your eyes are really pretty. Your eyelashes are thick and dense too… I thought it was a handsome face, but it’s a really, really pretty face! Ruman’s pupils gradually enlarged. I was faintly reflected in those eyes. Wow, amazing. Me inside his pupils.
As I stared at him as if entranced, someone swallowed their saliva.
“Ren.”
Ruman called my name quietly.
“Too close…”
Ruman whispered softly.
Close… Eek! Why so close!
“Danger…! Phew. Are you okay?”
I was startled and tried to pull back but lost my balance while floundering. I was about to fall onto the bed floor, but Ruman caught me with his hand.
As I flailed my hands in the air, he easily lifted me up and set me down on the bed. His face was awkwardly stiff.
“……”
“……”
D-damn, what is this situation!
Our eyes met once again. Ruman’s delicate hand touching my back suddenly felt unbearably ticklish!
Wh-wh-what is this awkward situation!
“I-I’m fine! What about Hyung!? I’ll go look for Hyung!”
“Ren! Wait…!”
Bang!
The wooden door closed with a loud sound.
***
Ruman’s hand clumsily grasped at the air. His ears were red. The sensation of having lifted Ren seemed to still remain in his hands. This is completely… embarrassing. It was a completely different sensation from when he’d held him to split the light to save him in the cave. What am I doing with a kid! Ruman banged his head repeatedly… then raised his hunched torso.
Gepetto was trying hard to turn his head away.
So it was you who swallowed earlier!
Because of that, my mood became strange for no reason…!
As Ruman uncharacteristically blamed others and stood there blankly, Gepetto slowly raised his head. His face was also bright red.
“Um… shouldn’t we follow him? Ahem!”
“……Wait. Did Ren go out wearing his hood?”
“Uh… I didn’t see properly…”
Thud!
He must have closed it so hard that the corners of the old wooden door crumbled and dust flew.
Ruman had already disappeared.
“Cough. Cough, cough.”
Being part of a Hero’s party isn’t easy.
Gepetto made a somewhat bitter face then suddenly raised his head.
Right now, he was alone in this room.
***
Aaaaaah!
After slamming the door shut! Ren, who had frozen briefly in front of the door, quickly ran down the stairs. Not even noticing that the gazes of people in the hallway were stabbing at his face.
Ren screamed internally.
Ah, that awkward situation from peering at someone’s face for no reason! No, there’s no reason to be awkward, right!? Why am I the one running awaaay! However, Ren’s legs were faster and more nimble than ever.
“Customer! Where are you going…”
The boy who had guided Ren’s party to this inn earlier started to speak when he saw Ren coming down with fierce momentum, then stopped blankly. In his hurry to leave, Ren didn’t even look at the boy’s face. Ah, their eyes might have brushed for about 0.01 seconds. The boy had a nosebleed.
Because the sight of him biting his lips while mumbling and his moist green eyes were too lovely. The inn fell into an untimely silence as if a ghost had passed through.
Those enjoying late meals and early drinks also froze after seeing Ren’s face, who had forgotten to wear his hood.
Thud thud thud!
The silence was broken by the noise coming from upstairs. Not long after Ren rushed out, a tall, handsome man ran out with a scary face.
“Hey, Tomi.”
“Yeeees…”
The inn owner grandmother’s grandson Tomi answered blankly while wiping his nosebleed.
“Since when has this inn had so many handsome men? Or am I dreaming! Hehehe! One more beer!”
Starting with the man’s question, the inside of the restaurant buzzed hotly.
“Whose family are they from?”
“If they were in this village, how could we not know! They’re obviously outsiders!”
“Whew. He looked like a fairy from a legendary story.”
“No, seeing how his ear tips are a bit pointed, doesn’t he resemble an elf more?”
“Well now! I’ve never seen eyes like that. His hair was blonde too, right?”
“Hic! Right, hic! So that’s why they came wrapped up tight!”
Those sitting around the table continued the conversation topic from Ren to the Hero’s party. Because their builds didn’t look like ordinary people no matter how favorably you viewed them, in fact, from the moment they entered this small village, they had been receiving the village’s hot interest. Mercenaries? Knights? They made various guesses. What they finally settled on was about the boy who had rushed out earlier.
Tomi almost pounced with venom when the uncles’ remarks were about to cross the line. The rest of the time he wiped tables while grinning. The nosebleed marks remained.
“You rascal! Why are you grinning… What’s wrong with your face! Who did you…”
“Hehe. It’s nothing, Grandmother. I understand why you looked at him like that.”
“Did you eat something wrong, what’s wrong with you!”
Tomi laughed even as his shoulders were grabbed and shaken.
“I’ve never seen someone who looks like an angel like that… Grandmother! Could he really be an elf or a fairy?!”
Tomi’s eyes, which had widened as he spoke, loosened into a grin again.
The inn owner grandmother immediately realized. The angel Tomi was talking about referred to the boy who had entered earlier.
***
“Huff. Huff. Hek. Huff huff…”
Eww.
Ren barely swallowed the thin saliva that was about to drip. He stood with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath, but his panting breath didn’t calm down easily. His shoes and trouser hems were a mess from running on the snow that was melting damply. He’d run so hard that despite the winter wind, he was sweating and his body was hot. He was actually hot enough to be warm.
“Wh-where is this…”
Running blindly, he’d arrived somewhere he didn’t recognize. Ren was briefly worried about the way back, but had the carefree thought that since he’d run in a straight line, he’d just have to turn around and run back.
The place Ren had run to was the village’s shopping district.
Small shops lined up and there was an alley where children played. The neighborhood kids made curious expressions watching Ren who had been running from afar. The adults were the same. His blonde hair sparkling in the sunlight drew attention even just standing still. Their gazes naturally turned to Ren.
“Phew.”
Ren, who had exhaled long, straightened his back.
But somehow, it seemed like everyone around was staring at him.
“Gasp.”
Someone hastily inhaled. Someone coughed and someone started hiccuping! In this small village, Ren’s face was a shocking appearance. Lovers briefly let go of each other’s hands then hastily grabbed them again, and the kids’ eyes sparkled. A young man whose face was completely flushed glanced around to see if he wanted to approach Ren.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
‘Don’t tell me they’re all looking at me… My imagination… what!’
‘They’re definitely looking at me!’
Ren, who had flinched at the gazes that opened their mouths in a gape and stared at him blankly, deliberately puffed out his chest even more proudly. Ren scowled at the young man who was staring at him and flinching!
What are you going to do about staring!
How long are you going to stare!
Look moderately and go! What am I, an animal!?
Kyaaak!
Ren glared with his eyes wide like wild animals puffing themselves up. At that fierce momentum, the young man who was about to talk to Ren fled and the little kids whimpered.
“Eek!”
He could hear someone hiccuping in surprise.
There were still many people, but when Ren raised his eyes sharply and glared fiercely, they couldn’t readily talk to him or stare openly. They just awkwardly went about their business—or made up business.
Meanwhile, Ren felt very proud!
Should I dust off my hands or something?
‘Hmph!’
Ren snorted and plopped down near a tree. It was a very slovenly posture. If he’d been like this in the capital, it was an attitude that would have gotten him caught by patrol soldiers.
“You there.”
Then, someone picked a fight.
