The Exciting Adventure Begins?! (5) – Crisis: Ren’s Luggage Defense and a Woman’s Scream
Before he knew it, Ren had also woken up and was glaring at Temarr’s back with flickering vision.
It was hard to control his body, but his ears were open.
Ren’s breathing became more rapid with excitement.
Hyung! Are you finally refusing someone else’s request for me?!
“Hero-nim……!”
“…I apologize.”
A delayed apology came out. From Temarr’s mouth at that.
Oh my God! Oh my God!
Ren completely forgot to pretend to be sleeping and raised his head with a start.
Has hyung finally, finally changed?!
His heart pounded wildly and his lips dried up. Ren moistened his lips with saliva and prayed for that Del guy to stop pestering and get lost!
Now accept it and get lost!
Del couldn’t continue speaking as if he hadn’t expected words of refusal until the very end.
“Her…”
But there’s always a last of the last!
Looking at Temarr’s face, it seemed like he’d cave if Del persuaded him just one more time.
Will he cave?
Ruman wasn’t stepping in because he was curious about Temarr’s reaction. It was also because the pouch of compensation money he received from Del was heavy. Enduring discomfort for a day or two was nothing. Literally just ‘uncomfortable.’ In fact, Ruman wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.
The problem would be Ren. Is he still sleeping?
‘Kup….’
Ruman bit his lip with all his might.
Because Ren’s face looking at them so intensely was too funny.
Did he hear Temarr’s refusal, or rather, when did he even wake up? With a face reddened from fever, he was making a smile as big as a washbasin. His clenched fists were both cute and pitiful.
“Hero-nim…!”
‘This could be dangerous.’
Del was now clutching Temarr’s arm.
‘This side might be dangerous too…. Khup….’
Ruman, who looked at Ren again, bit his lip as if chewing it.
Where did that deflating face go? Ren was scrunching his face up like the cloak he was gripping. Like some kind of luminous stone had been embedded, light was beaming from Ren’s two eyes.
Seeing his lips move, it seemed like he was muttering something to himself?
When Ruman narrowed his eyes, he could slowly hear the words mumbled with small lips.
“‘Won’t let it go…. Won’t let it go…! Idiot! Idiot….’ Pffft….”
Ruman, who had been quietly following the mumbling speech with his mouth, eventually buried his face in his palm.
I can’t hold it! You’re saying just ‘idiot’ with that face! Huhuk, just hit me instead! I’ll be in big trouble if I laugh in this situation, whooo…. I hate to lose the compensation money though…….
Ruman shook off his laughter and shook his head too.
Temarr narrowed his eyebrows as if reproaching Ruman for his suddenly unhinged behavior.
“Hahaha…! If we’re fated, won’t we meet again on the way?”
It was an obviously awkward smile.
“Ruman-nim….”
“Hahaha!”
“……”
“Ruman. Why are you suddenly like this?”
Temarr grabbed Ruman’s arm with a serious face.
“Hey! You should think of your younger brother.”
Ruman shook his head side to side.
“You?”
Why is the form of address suddenly like this?
Temarr felt like his head was throbbing.
More than that, why are you worrying about Ren?
“Hahaha!”
“Enough! Del――!”
Boom!
Like when she first appeared, Coco flung the carriage door wide open.
She scanned the party with a contemptuous gaze and glared at Del.
“Who told you to beg? You, are you so lacking in skill that you can’t even get out of this mountain road alone? If you’re afraid of them, just hang yourself from a tree here instead! To think I attached such a pathetic guy as a skilled person!”
For a moment, it seemed like veins stood out on Del’s neck.
Is a noble still a noble? His eyes gleamed fiercely. The way he glared with a razor-sharp gaze could be felt as arrogance or impetuousness but— nice look in his eyes? That’s what Ruman thought.
“Del―!”
Coco, who called the silent Del as if scolding him, turned her body while fluttering her purple hair like a curtain and sat back in the carriage.
An awkward silence flowed.
However, Del still smiled with narrowed eyes and closed the carriage door without any particular farewell. As he lightly jumped onto the coachman’s seat, gripped the reins and pulled, the carriage began to move slowly. The large wheels rolled, leaving traces on the mountain road.
“Ruman. Why did you suddenly butt in?”
“After finally refusing, why are you like this? Watching you reverse your decision really isn’t my cup of tea.”
“……”
“Uncomfortable?”
That’s right. What Temarr was feeling right now would be ‘discomfort.’
Ruman meant that emotion he’d shed long ago. Perhaps it was like an occupational disease of being a Hero.
“Temarr, can I give you one last piece of advice? As comrades who swept the battlefield together.”
It was an uncharacteristic seriousness for Ruman.
Unlike him, who always avoided difficult questions or seriousness with a smile like a well-drawn picture.
“Alright.”
He couldn’t refuse saying he didn’t want to.
“You can’t help everyone.”
“……”
Ruman and Temarr’s gazes intertwined.
It was a fact they both knew well.
“You know this well already.”
Ruman patted Temarr’s shoulder. ‘Cannot intervene in personal matters during a mission’—this order was actually created to control a certain meddlesome Hero.
“He―y. Ren! You’re awake?”
“……Grr… Well… yes.”
Where does he suddenly start talking! Ren, who had perked up his ears thinking they were having a serious conversation, turned red all the way to his neck, perhaps embarrassed about what he’d been eavesdropping on (?).
At the stupid answer he gave out after hesitating, Ren wanted to hit his own head but didn’t have the strength to do so.
Ah, I should take medicine.
Ren’s eyes, who was getting up unsteadily, widened.
Because Ruman was unwrapping his bundle.
“Waaait―!”
Where did such strength come from?
It was a resounding voice that came from deep in his belly, enough to make every living thing in the mountains focus.
Ruman was so impressed by Ren’s vocal power that he forgot what he was doing!
“Wow!”
“Wh-what are you doing!? Why, why are you rummaging through someone else’s luggage without permission? Can a person be that rude!? Why, why, why!! Without even asking, hup, are you going through it!”
Ren, who staggered and ran right up to him, snatched the bundle away.
“The more I know, the less I understand….”
Ruman stood up wrinkling his nose bridge. Both hands were raised high.
“Temarr. Does your younger brother happen to have germophobia?”
When one or two tears welled up in the huffing Ren’s eyes, Ruman truly became troubled. If he patted his head, it was obvious he’d shake his head saying he didn’t like it…… I don’t know how to soothe kids! He knew that when boys who got excited after winning a war said ‘I want to be a Hero too!’ you just had to say ‘How cool!’ but…. Ruman had no idea what would be good medicine for a boy who had a Hero hyung and seemed to hate even the ‘Hero’ part with trembling disgust.
It seemed Temarr didn’t know either.
“I don’t understand kids these days.”
Ruman sighed and laughed. The way he smiled in circles was definitely meant to tease Ren on purpose. Just as Ren was about to shout wah! at such a Ruman, Temarr intervened.
“Ren. What’s in the bag that you’re acting like this?”
“……”
Closing the mouth he’d opened wide to shout, Ren’s eyes trembled as if troubled.
“Ren?”
“Temarr. Why are you asking again?”
You can just search it later.
It was Ruman who swallowed the last words.
“Ren.”
Temarr grabbed the bundle Ren was clutching tightly.
“Let go! It’s mine! It’s mine!! Don’t touch it! What have you ever done for me that you’re hup, stealing my stuff!”
“……Ren.”
Suddenly in Temarr’s mind, Ren’s face floated up—Ren who had looked disgusted when he took out and drank tea.
As expected… Ren hates me. Of course. Excluding when Ren was young, the only time they spent together was just this past year. It makes sense there’d be no affection.
Temarr tried to understand Ren and nodded his head.
But it tasted bitter. With a bitter smile, Temarr let go of the hand that had been gripping the bundle.
It’s mine, don’t touch it! What have you ever done for me! Why are you stealing it!
Temarr felt the triple combo that evenly pounded him really hurt. He turned around and rubbed his chest.
And Ruman…. bent over and trembled.
“What….”
Why aren’t you leaving and doing that?!
“……”
“What are you doing by yourself!!”
Ren opened his fierce eyes and glared at the back of Ruman’s head.
“What… are you sick somewhere?”
Ren, who was gripping his bundle tightly, staggered toward Ruman.
“Hey!! I’m asking if you’re sick somewhere….”
Ren grabbed Ruman’s shoulder and looked down.
“Kup…puhup……”
“……So annoying!!”
Ruman was giggling with laughter!
He wasn’t sick, he was bent over laughing!
Ren, who felt wronged for worrying even for a moment, stomped his feet unable to contain his anger and pushed Ruman with his body, bang! But unfortunately, Ren’s paper-thin body was pushed back by the recoil and fell backward.
“Khukuk….”
Ruman, who hastily reached out and lightly caught Ren, finally couldn’t hold back his laughter seeing the face that looked like it would die of frustration.
“Uhahahaha……”
“Really annoying!”
Ren shook off Ruman’s hand that caught him as if brushing it away, then threw a tantrum and walked stomp stomp stomp to the carriage, and Ruman could only straighten his back after laughing for quite a while.
“Whew―.”
Ruman wiped the tears that had welled up a little.
Temarr was lost in thought while heating soup, and Ren went into the carriage closing the door by himself, doing who knows what.
How long has it been since he laughed this simply―anyway, being a Hero is really not worth it.
“Khup….”
Seeing Ren emerge from the carriage, Ruman turned his head.
He thought his laughter had stopped, but seeing Ren’s sulky face made it burst out again!
Ren, who came out huffing, had a red face whether from fever or anger, and seeing him wobble, it seemed his condition was bad today too. He wanted to go support him, but Ruman thought he should just catch him if he falls since he’d probably get angry.
No! More than that, why is this sibling pair so serious! What are they being serious about!
To Ruman, it wasn’t a big deal and also… it was just funny.
They’re probably serious because they’re the parties involved but…. Ahem.
Ruman, who wrapped up his laughter, scratched his cheek.
Communication is the problem, communication. Temarr is clumsy and Ren is clumsy too. Should I help? Should I watch a bit more since it’s fun? This was truly a difficult dilemma.
“Hmm. Did I laugh too much?”
Seeing Ren glaring as if to kill him, Ruman regretted thinking it would take time to become friends with him again. He should have held back his laughter even if he had to stuff his fist in his mouth.
“Now, let’s quickly eat with the remaining meat and move. Ren, can you move?”
Even when he spoke deliberately kindly, Ruman’s kindness seemed unnecessary to Ren.
“Can’t you see?? Are your eyes crooked? Then did I break a leg just now? Can’t you tell by seeing me walk around?”
The problem was that Ren was swaying and trembling.
“Hmm…. Right.”
My eyes aren’t crooked, but let’s say so! Since Ren says so!
Ruman nodded and hit the elbow of Temarr who was still spaced out.
“Are you going to burn it all? There won’t be anything left to eat if it’s overcooked.”
“Right….”
“What ‘right.'”
Kup. If I laugh this time too, I might really be hated by Ren!
Ruman quickly lowered his head.
Hold it! I must hold it!
It was Ruman taking on an unexpected laughter-holding challenge.
Three people each doing their own thing in awkward silence.
Temarr tried to forget what he heard from Ren, Ren tensed his legs ready to run to the carriage at any moment while hugging the tightly bound bundle, and Ruman lowered his head holding back laughter for quite a while—at that moment, an ominous wind blew.
Kiiiiiii―
A wind like a woman’s wailing.
It was the sound made by wind howling between cliffs.
The look in Temarr and Ruman’s eyes changed. The two people stood as if protecting Ren’s side as he flinched at the sound, and concentrated on the noise.
“Kyaaaaaaaaak―”
What came carried on the sharp wind was a woman’s scream.
Temarr looked at Ren.
“Hyung……?”
And disappeared in an instant.
“Hyung! Hyuuuung!!”
