The Day of Leaving the Village (1) Farewell Greetings
“Temarrrr Hyuuuung!”
Flutter!
Startled by my voice, the birds sitting in the trees flew away.
Temarr hyung smiled with a somewhat awkward expression, but that’s fine too!
“You’ll fall…! Ren!! You need to be careful.”
“Hehe.”
Even scolding me with a stern face is good.
Because it’s my first time leaving with hyung!! To. Geth. Er!
The word “together” is a good thing.
“Hehehehe.”
“Goodness…”
Ruman, who had quickly caught up, lightly pressed down on the back of my head again.
I was about to swat his hand away, but I was in too good a mood to bother. Earlier, that, it’s not because I felt sorry. Absolutely not!
“……Ruman. What did you just do?”
“What?”
Neigh.
The two horses hitched to the carriage neighed and swished their tails sharply.
It seemed like sparks were flying between the two, but that must be some other story I don’t know about, right? I forcibly suppressed my curiosity and slyly linked my arm with hyung’s! Hyung’s arm, which had always belonged to others!!
The carriage is super big too!
We’re going on a trip, for real! I’m leaving with hyung!
I was about to tug on hyung’s arm, who was making eye contact with Ruman, and tell him let’s go already when…
“I say, Temarr.”
The white-haired old man had come out at some point, leaning on his cane.
It was our village chief, the old man.
“Elder.”
“Fuck.”
I muttered quietly.
Temarr hyung didn’t even seem to see the arm I was holding! Embarrassed by my arm floating in the air, I quickly hid my hand inside my cloak.
“Leaving again, are ye?”
“Yes. I apologize.”
“What’s there to apologize for? It’s the kingdom’s summons. Kekeke. So, is Hen going with ye this time too?”
“I’ve told you countless times it’s Ren, you deaf old geezer!”
I muttered in a timid voice.
Hyung with his good hearing must have heard, but that old geezer wouldn’t have! Because he’s deaf and can’t even hear or remember my name properly!
But why are you glaring at me!? You old geezer!!
Before I knew it, the village people had come streaming out behind the old man.
There was even a guy clearing his throat and joining the crowd!! The baker’s son! The shameless bastard who took every opportunity to target my butt! When I glared at him, he slyly averted his gaze! Such a worthless thing! I should’ve punched him in that jaw of his! My fists trembled.
“Hen!”
It’s Ren, you damn old geezer!
“What.”
“Ren.”
Temarr hyung scolded me.
“Hehe. It’s fine. He’s still just a child.”
Fine my ass. You swung your cane at me saying I was rude, you old man!! If my forehead weren’t so sturdy, your cane would’ve already poked ten more holes in it!
When I stuck out my lips, the old man’s eyes widened before he grinned again.
That, that fox-like old man!! Only pretending to be benevolent in front of hyung!
“What, why!”
“You must listen well to your hyung. You must be a good younger brother. Would you bring shame to your hyung’s reputation? We’re the people of the village where you were born, so we understood and accepted you, but it’ll be serious when you go to the capital. There won’t be anyone to look after you. Understand? You. Must. Be. A. Good. Younger. Brother. Befitting the younger brother of a ‘Hero.'”
With those words, the old man grabbed my hand and stroked it with his other hand.
Goosebumps rose along my back.
The old man’s wrinkled, clammy hand seemed to stick clammily to me. While shuddering inside, I couldn’t bring myself to shake it off. If I pushed away the old man when we’re about to leave and he rolled on the ground even if just for show!! Hyung would scold me! What if he says he’ll leave without me?
I could only grind my teeth and fume inwardly.
It’s unfair, so unfair!
“That’s right, Ren~! You have to listen well to your hyung!”
“Hen. Don’t cause trouble! Ahem. Isn’t your temper a bit fiery?”
“Fuuuck… What do you know when you don’t even know my name properly…”
“Tsk tsk!”
“That’s enough. Now line up and hand over your gifts.”
At the old man’s words, a long line formed in front of hyung.
“Let go of this now!”
When I growled, the old man grinned and released my hand. Then he slyly brought his hand to his nose.
Ugh!! That’s disgusting!! What are you doing! Did you just smell it?! Aaaaagh!! I want to kill him!
“Temarr, you’re our village’s treasure. You must be worried about your brother, but if he goes with you, Ren’s personality will improve too.”
“That’s right, Ren is a troublemaker so I’m worried.”
“Here, some provisions.”
“Let me add to your travel expenses.”
“Ahem. You’ll come back again, right? We’ll take good care of the cabin, so don’t forget about ‘that thing.'”
“Thank you, elder.”
“It’s fine. Your sentiment is enough, elder.”
“We’ll always send it, so don’t worry.”
“Hyung, send what?”
If they’re giving, you should take it, why refuse! I wanted to snatch the money instead of hyung but barely held back. But what are they sending anyway? I lightly grabbed hyung’s sleeve, but again!! Hyung was only looking at the village people.
Argh! So frustrating!
“Temarr, take care.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Harabeom!”
The apothecary old man!! I saw him at dawn but I couldn’t be happier to see him! The old man walked over, leaning on his cane with his frail legs trembling.
“How did someone with bad legs come all the way here!?”
“Ren! How rude…”
“Inseok-ah. Tsk tsk. Even though I told you it’ll be hard if you don’t fix that nasty way of speaking. Hmm? Tsk tsk.”
“Hehe.”
The old man patted my head gently.
The apothecary old man’s back was bent so he was shorter than me. When I bowed my head and pushed it toward him, the old man smiled and stroked my head with both hands.
“……”
Hyung and Ruman were looking at me with strange eyes, but I didn’t care about that.
This old man was the only one who took care of me! He’s different from those people who only talk. Look even now. I saw him at dawn, but he came to see me again like this. Sniff. I cleared my throat and secretly swallowed my snot.
“Here, take this.”
“……”
The old man held out a small bundle. His eyes were full of worry.
“You’re going to the capital?”
“Well… that’s what they say.”
I grumbled in response. Because he kept my illness a secret, the fact that we met at dawn was also a secret! He already gave me a lot earlier. What more is he giving me? When I hesitated without taking it, the old man placed the bundle in my arms. It was quite heavy.
“I see. Always take care of yourself. Ren is ‘frail,’ you know. Temarr, you must take good care of Ren. Okay? Ren is quite frail…”
The old man spoke persistently while looking at hyung.
“Harabeom!! Stop it!!”
Though dense hyung probably won’t notice!!
When I grabbed the old man’s forearm, he sighed.
“Ren-ah, Ren.”
Why don’t you tell him? Hmm?
I know what the old man swallowed.
The words hidden in his dark eyes were the words the old man had said countless times over the past dozen or so years. The very words he said this dawn too.
To tell hyung. To go to the capital and look for a cure.
But I don’t want to be a burden to hyung! Even if I said I was sick, hyung would still go on his mission. Because to hyung, being a Hero is like a great cause and the reason for living. If his mission gets disrupted because he’s worrying about me… I won’t be able to bear it.
“Keep the secret.”
I whispered quietly.
“Thank you so much, harabeom. Really, really.”
Don’t show it with your eyes either, absolutely forbidden, harabeom!!
I firmly held the old man’s arm as he kept trying to send glances toward Temarr hyung.
It was also thanks to the old man going up to the capital several times to investigate and bringing back various things to make medicine that I could delay the seizures and maintain my body. Without his devotion and persistence, I probably would have died several years ago. It would have been my grave, not me, that greeted hyung.
“Harabeom…”
My heart swelled again. I already cried my eyes out at dawn! I bit my lip hard.
“Hehe. Will you be staying in the capital continuously?”
The old man stroked my face and spoke to Temarr hyung.
“Yes.”
“Go then. Hmm? Take care. Understood? Eat well too. Okay?”
“I will…”
“Good, good.”
The old man squeezed my hand once tightly and then let go.
The old man was different. Everyone told me to be a good younger brother, but the old man wished for my well-being.
“…? Hehehe. Ren is being so clingy.”
“Harabeom… don’t die.”
I suddenly became scared. You never know when people will die.
“Ren.”
“Okay? Stay healthy and alive. You don’t have to come to the capital…”
“Okay, okay.”
Hyung called me, but I didn’t have the presence of mind to look at him.
I know that telling someone not to die isn’t a normal greeting! But… that’s my best greeting.
Both I and hyung are people who could die at any time without it being strange.
The old man, as if understanding, gently patted my back as I clung to him.
“Now, Ren. We have to go.”
“……”
The old man shielded me so I could secretly wipe my tears.
“I’ll be going. Thank you.”
Hyung bowed his head in greeting.
I stood awkwardly and bowed silently only toward the old man. The old man’s eyes also seemed a bit red.
Will I be able to see the old man again?
If I thought of this as a final farewell, my feet wouldn’t move. Can I do something like letters? My heart fluttered and breath kept puffing from my nose. Don’t cry! I absolutely won’t cry in front of the village people, how embarrassing!
“Are you done?”
A cold voice poured cold water on me.
Ruman opened the carriage door with an emotionless voice. Somehow his gaze feels cold?? Why? Did I do something wrong? When my eyes met Ruman’s, his gaze softened a bit. Then why is he in a bad mood??
I was about to board the carriage with a bewildered expression when someone suddenly jumped out from the crowd.
“Ren―!!”
A burly, shaggy-haired guy.
It was that bastard from yesterday.
With a box full of bread in one hand, he pushed through the people and came forward. Even when the baker grabbed and pulled at his clothes, it was useless. Only the clothes stretched out grotesquely!
“Reeeeen!!”
Watching him come out loudly calling my name made me think about yesterday night and past events, and I was thinking about kicking his shin when the guy’s face, who seemed to be holding out the bread box, was excessively close.
“?”
“Ren!!”
Along with a smacking sound on my cheek, something squishy touched me.
