Ray’s hips fidgeted. Even though he wanted to follow, he absolutely hated the idea of being cut off from Naro. He was already suppressing his emotions even more because of what Naro had said about maintaining distance.
Watching Ray unable to take his eyes off the corridor leading to the bathroom, Mellian raised the corners of her mouth meaningfully and spoke.
“Somehow I feel bad. I didn’t know Naro would be such a lightweight.”
“I didn’t know either.”
“I brought you two here hoping you’d have a candid conversation. It’s a failure.”
Mellian shrugged her shoulders.
“A candid conversation?”
“I’ll lend you the pass to Roton’s Room that Naro mentioned, but I also want to repay the favor you’ve done for me in any way I can. That’s why I arranged this meeting. Haven’t you heard? Alcohol makes people honest.”
“I don’t know about that.”
Ray withdrew his gaze from Mellian again and stared endlessly at where Naro had disappeared. It had been a while since he’d gotten up to go to the bathroom, so why wasn’t he back yet?
Ray’s anxiety grew until even his legs were trembling. Then, thinking this wouldn’t do, he shot up from his seat.
“You’ll be cut off from him though?”
“That’s better than something happening to Naro. Just stay here by yourself for a bit.”
Mellian coolly waved her hand, telling him not to worry about her. Ray strode toward the bathroom. The closer he got, the louder the murmuring voices became.
“Um… could you please move asi— *hic*, please?”
And hearing Naro’s voice mixed in among them, Ray ran urgently.
“Haha, look at this. He can’t even speak properly. You’re really cute.”
Naro was standing near the bathroom. And some unknown men were surrounding him. Even though Naro couldn’t properly control his body due to intoxication, he was somehow putting strength in his legs and enduring.
“Hey, does it make sense for a guy to be cute? He’s a man.”
“But look at how he looks.”
The hand of one of the men who had suddenly stepped forward grabbed Naro’s chin, which had been looking at the ground, and roughly lifted it up.
“Ugh…”
Naro’s face scrunched up slightly at the rough touch. When his face, flushed red from alcohol, was revealed, the men surrounding him hesitated. The scrunched-up face seemed to strangely provoke them, and someone gulped down their saliva.
“…It might be possible.”
When someone uttered those meaningful words, the men surrounding Naro began exchanging glances with each other. Just as those sordid gazes reached Naro, the body of the man holding Naro’s chin flew to the opposite side and slammed into the wall with a thud.
“Urk…!”
Ray lightly caught Naro’s body as he staggered, about to fall now that the man had let go. He pulled Naro close by the shoulder, drawing him to his side, and looked at the men who were flustered, unable to grasp what had just happened.
“…Don’t touch him carelessly.”
The man who had hit the wall couldn’t even get up, clutching his side. The moment Ray discovered him touching Naro, he had kicked his body directly.
Ray’s eyes flashed wide open. At his glinting gaze that looked ready to tear them apart right then and there, the men’s bodies trembled. It was instinct. It was the reaction that came automatically when facing a strong opponent they couldn’t even think of challenging, couldn’t even conceive of defeating.
“We’re s-sorry!”
As if someone’s loud shout had been a signal, the men scrambled about before hastily leaving the place, taking their companion sprawled on the floor with them.
“Naro.”
Ray urgently checked on Naro. But Naro, unaware of what had happened, was leaning against Ray’s body, sound asleep.
Ray slipped his hand under Naro’s knees and supported his back and shoulders with his other hand, lifting him up as he was.
When Ray walked over carrying Naro, Mellian jumped up in surprise.
“What happened?”
Mellian said that earlier some men had run out of the shop with their faces pale white.
“It’s fine. But Naro fell asleep.”
“Then let’s go. I’ll take you to the inn where you’re staying.”
Thanks to Mellian, Ray and Naro were able to arrive safely and quickly in front of the inn. After saying goodbye and asking her to tell Naro she was sorry when he woke up, Mellian also left for the mansion.
Ray entered the inn still carrying Naro. Even after climbing the stairs and arriving in front of the guest room, Naro hadn’t properly come to his senses. Resolving to never let him touch alcohol again, Ray found his room key, opened the door for him, and went inside.
Ray first laid Naro down on the bed.
“Mmm, Ray…”
Perhaps slightly coming to his senses from that movement, Naro squirmed and sat up.
“I’m… I’m so thirsty…”
“Wait just a moment.”
At Naro’s single comment, Ray immediately went to fetch water. While Ray was getting the water, Naro, who had been sitting and nodding off drowsily, must have been terribly thirsty because he downed the water in one gulp.
“Haah…”
Having quenched his thirst, he didn’t lie down on the bed. He leaned his body forward and then rested his head with a plop on Ray’s shoulder as they sat facing each other.
“…Ray.”
“…”
Ray raised his hand, then, as before, couldn’t quite touch him and lowered it again. The shoulder where Naro’s forehead touched was hot. That warmth was all he could feel right now.
“Naro is terrible.”
“Hm? Why am I terrible?”
“You won’t even let me touch you, but you let those guys do whatever they wanted.”
The moment he saw that man’s hand touch Naro, he felt like his blood was flowing backward. He even felt as if a dirty lump of filth had gotten on Naro’s body. That feeling became resentment, part of which was directed at Naro too. Since Naro had said to reestablish distance, he had held back from touching and from embracing him.
Even now he wanted to embrace Naro as he leaned against him, but he couldn’t, and recalling how Naro had stayed still even when that man touched him, for a moment he thought he resented Naro.
He still didn’t understand the difference in how they liked each other that Naro had mentioned. Naro was his life’s savior, the person who had created a place to live, a place where he could belong. He didn’t want to deny what Naro said about following him well because Naro had saved him when he was dying. But that wasn’t all of it.
So why didn’t Naro understand? Why did he only talk about creating distance and not let him touch? Was it because it was troublesome if he touched him? But why was it troublesome?
“Because it’s you, Ray… I have to say no…”
Naro spoke intermittently, as if he were conscious.
“What? Why is it because it’s me? You’re saying you can’t because it’s me?”
Naro slowly nodded his head. A surging emotion rose up from within.
“…I hate you.”
Ray tried to push Naro away. But strangely, the more he did so, the more Naro put strength in his body and clung to him.
“I’m sorry, but this can’t be helped. I have no choice but to do this.”
“What?”
“So don’t hate me.”
“Wait, Naro…”
Naro pulled Ray’s waist close and nestled into his arms. Exactly the same way Ray used to nestle into Naro’s arms.
Ray had learned what happens when humans get drunk from Garnet when he was given alcohol before. Because back then, there were other people drinking the alcohol Garnet gave besides himself.
Some of them would repeat what they’d already said, others would openly collapse and sleep, some would mutter incomprehensible words or shout at the top of their lungs. And some people would pull the person next to them close and cling to them.
Garnet had said this. When humans get drunk, another ‘self’ comes out. Was Naro, drunk now, also showing a different side from usual?
“Hm? Ray… don’t hate me…”
Naro burrowed into Ray’s embrace, rubbing his face. Witnessing that action, Ray reflexively bit his lip hard.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Naro raised his head. Perhaps saddened that Ray wasn’t saying anything, teardrops had formed on his long eyelashes. The area around his eyes was also flushed red, and though his eyes were half-closed as if he might fall asleep any moment, he was clearly looking only at Ray.
“…”
At his pleading face like a child begging for something, Ray’s expression became quite serious. Because a tingling pain had just passed through his chest. At this sensation he’d never felt before, Ray fumbled at the area near his heart with his hand. It was truly an inexplicable pain.
But the thought that came to him in that instant was that, for some reason, he couldn’t stay like this any longer. Even though he was happy to be touching Naro after so long, for the first time he thought it might be better to be apart from Naro.
“Naro, let’s just sleep for now. Hurry and lie down.”
Ray tried to remove Naro’s hands that were wrapped around his waist, but Naro, noticing this, put strength in his arms.
“Let go of this, Naro.”
“I don’t want to. You’ve always clung to me like this before, so why can’t I do it?”
Ray scratched his head as if troubled. The more Naro embraced him, the fiercer the pain he’d felt in his chest earlier became.
“That’s why I’ve been holding back lately like you said.”
Ray tried again, but the result was the same. Drunk Naro’s stubbornness was stronger than expected. If he wasn’t careful, they might have to stay like this all night. Honestly speaking, shaking him off wouldn’t be difficult. Though Naro was clinging tightly, if he just used a little strength, he could easily remove his arms.
But he couldn’t do that, and he didn’t want to. Using force against Naro? When he might get hurt? That was absolutely unacceptable.
“Naro, just try lying down.”
Ray did his best to get Naro to lie down. And perhaps his efforts worked, because Naro’s body slowly tilted backward. But something unexpected happened in an instant. Naro reached out and grabbed Ray’s collar, pulling him down.
In the end, both their bodies tumbled onto the bed together.
