Ray crouched down and reached out his hand to the cat. Then the wary stray cat approached as if drawn to Ray’s touch and acted affectionately.
“Does my hand feel good?”
“Meow.”
“I feel the best too when Naro touches me like this.”
The cat twisted its body here and there, making purring sounds as if it felt good.
“Excuse me, Ray-ssi?”
While he was petting the cat, he suddenly heard a voice calling his name. Ray slowly stood up and turned his head.
Jerian was standing nearby with both hands full of luggage.
“We meet right away like this. Ah, I just got back from the capital. If it’s not too much trouble, could you help me carry my luggage to my lodging?”
Jerian smiled sheepishly, saying he’d bought way too much without thinking because he was giving out gifts here and there.
“Ah, of course if you’re busy, it’s fine.”
Ray pondered for a moment before readily sharing the load of Jerian’s luggage. Rather than wanting to help, it was the thought that Naro would have done this that made Ray move.
The lodging where Jerian temporarily stayed whenever he came to Rodelus Village was located right next to Rodelus Academy. So they had to walk a bit more from the plaza.
“I’ll stop by Naro-ssi’s pharmacy later. I bought delicious cookies from the capital.”
“Okay. Naro will like them.”
“Um, but Ray-ssi.”
Jerian, who had been observing Ray’s face somewhat carefully, cautiously opened his mouth.
“Is something wrong? You have a lot of worry on your face.”
“Is there something on my face?”
Ray groped his face with his hand. Jerian laughed softly and rephrased it in an easier-to-understand way, saying it wasn’t that, but that he looked like he had something on his mind.
“Worries? I have them.”
“What is it? If you’re okay with it, I’ll listen. I may not look it, but I’m a teacher, so I’m confident in counseling.”
“Humans are really complicated.”
“Pardon?”
“The emotions humans feel are hard to express.”
Jerian went “Uh…” and laughed awkwardly while trying his best to understand what Ray was saying. He thought it was quite strange for Ray, a human, to say with his own mouth that emotions felt by humans were difficult, when he suddenly remembered that Ray had said his Imperial language was poor last time.
“What happened?”
“I think I made Naro angry.”
“That kind Naro-ssi got angry?”
Ray naturally recalled Naro from that night, whose face had crumpled as if upset. That face had been mixed with sadness and anger together. Every time he thought that he was the one who made such an expression appear on that always clear and harmless face, his heart ached.
“How did you make him angry?”
“I told him I was leaving Naro.”
“What? What kind of talk is that?”
Jerian was being surprised multiple times today. He opened his eyes wide and asked urgently. It seemed the fight was quite serious.
“I think Naro becomes endangered when I’m around.”
Jerian, who had been listening to that story, fell into thought for a moment.
“Hmm, I don’t know the details well, but Ray-ssi thought it might be better to leave so Naro-ssi wouldn’t be in danger, right? And you made Naro-ssi angry while talking about that.”
“Teacher human has a good head.”
Ray nodded at the neat summary. As they moved away from the plaza, the surroundings gradually became quieter. The noisy voices of people faded and the sound of wind ripping through the bushes and birds chirping became clear.
Ray walked forward in a daze. Then suddenly, when he couldn’t feel the presence of Jerian who had been walking alongside him, he stopped walking.
“Why did you stop?”
When he turned his head, he saw Jerian standing one step away. Ray asked again why he was doing that there.
“Ray-ssi, if you’re really thinking of leaving for Naro-ssi’s sake, I’ll help you.”
“…”
Ray’s pupils shook slightly.
“You know I originally live in the capital, right? When I finish the remaining classes at the academy, I have to return to the capital completely. Come with me then.”
Jerian was a little different from how he’d looked until now. He always had an impression of smiling with curved eyes, but now he had a serious face. His lips were set in a straight line, and his eyes had a sharp look unlike usual.
As the wind blew once more, Jerian’s silver hair fluttered here and there.
“If you help with work in the form of assisting me, there won’t be any problem with making a living right away. After you’ve saved up some money, it’s fine if Ray-ssi becomes independent freely. The capital has more diverse experiences than here, so I don’t think it will be a losing deal. I don’t know the detailed circumstances between you two well, but Ray-ssi is already thinking of leaving for Naro-ssi’s sake anyway, right?”
Ray couldn’t say anything. Jerian’s words were hard to fully understand, but he understood clearly at least the part about helping him leave. Then if he really left following this person, would Naro be safe now?
“Why are you hesitating?”
“I…”
“Weren’t you resolved to leave for Naro-ssi’s sake?”
Ray’s Adam’s apple bobbed. If only Naro could be safe from dangers that might come in the future, he could leave anytime. No, he thought so. But then why on earth couldn’t his mouth open now?
It was perhaps because there was a clear answer.
“Is it impossible to leave Naro-ssi after all?”
“…”
Ray, who had been looking down at the dirt ground the whole time, raised his head. Jerian was smiling. The seriousness he’d seen earlier had disappeared as if washed away by water, and he wore his usual gentle smile.
“That’s Ray-ssi’s true feelings, right? That you can’t leave Naro-ssi.”
“True feelings?”
“You said that, but your real heart isn’t that.”
At Jerian’s words about helping him leave, Ray couldn’t rashly give any answer. Rather, he was only filled with the desire to refuse. And Jerian was calling that his true feelings.
“I think that Ray-ssi’s thought that you should leave for Naro-ssi’s sake is actually another feeling that could only be expressed that way.”
“Your words are too difficult.”
“Think about it carefully once. Ah, my house is just a bit more ahead, so I’ll go alone from here. Thank you for carrying the luggage.”
Jerian took back the luggage in Ray’s hands. Ray stared intently at his retreating figure as he passed by.
“Hey, was what you said earlier brought up on purpose?”
Jerian turned his head. He was still wearing a smile.
“Teachers have to be good at drawing out true feelings. Then see you next time.”
After parting with Jerian, Ray entered the plaza again to return home.
“Ah, I didn’t buy bread.”
Ray recalled the item he hadn’t bought while looking at the paper Naro had written. Originally, even before petting the cat, he had been about to go to the bakery, but he’d forgotten for a moment because Jerian had spoken to him.
“Naro likes bread, so that was almost a big problem.”
Ray immediately entered Ron’s shop.
“Ray. You came alone today?”
“Naro is working.”
“Ah, I see. Then should I give you the usual?”
Ray nodded. While Ron prepared the bread to give him, Ray looked around the interior with an indifferent face in a daze. What Jerian had said to think carefully kept floating around in his head.
Then a cylindrical bread covered in pure white caught his eye. Several fruit pieces were piled on top of it.
“Here, Ray. Here you go.”
“What’s this?”
“Ah, you mean the cake?”
“Cake?”
“You don’t know cake? It’s food like this with sweet cream and fruit on top of bread.”
Ron took out the cake and showed it directly. A sweet smell brushed past the tip of his nose. Ray’s green eyes landed on the pure white cream. Looking at this reminded him of Naro’s pure white, clear skin.
“Is this delicious?”
“Of course. Who made it? I guarantee the taste. It’s sweet and delicious enough to blow away even gloomy moods.”
Ray’s eyes tenaciously scanned the cake. Was there magic cast here that would blow away gloomy moods?
“Then give me this too.”
“Okay, share it with Naro.”
“Yeah, I’m giving it to Naro.”
Ray held luggage in both hands full and now really headed home. To faithfully keep Ron’s words to carry it carefully because it could get ruined, Ray preciously held the box containing the cake in his arms.
He could see the house far away. And he felt a familiar scent flowing in on the wind.
Naro was crouching in front of the pharmacy. Before Ray, who had discovered Naro, could even raise his hand, he jumped up and scurried over.
“You were late, so I thought you weren’t coming.”
Having met Jerian and even bought cake, he was naturally more delayed than usual.
“That’s cake…”
“Ray, you know.”
Ray stopped while trying to show off the cake he’d bought. It was because Naro grabbed Ray’s hand tightly with a tense face.
“What I said yesterday about doing as you please if you want to leave wasn’t sincere. I want Ray to continue staying with me.”
Naro continued speaking without letting go of Ray’s hand.
“But if there’s something Ray really wants, I want to respect that feeling too. So if you’re leaving because you really want to find your kin or memories, I’ll support you. But I don’t like it if the reason you want to leave is because of me.”
