Ren’s Panic (1) The Disappeared Temarr and Rante
He’s gone. Hyung disappeared right before my eyes.
Without a word, without saying goodbye…. Just like that day when I cried and clung to him, begging him not to leave, and he fled at dawn.
“Hyung…!! Temarr hyung!”
That’s not it, right? You’re joking, right?? You’ll come back, right?
“Hyung!”
My breathing quickened. My chest rose and fell heavily. I bit my lip hard and looked around.
Hyung. Did you abandon me? Again? That’s not it, right?
“Hyung! Temarr hyung!”
“Ren! Temarr will be back soon.”
He left. Hyung left.
Without even a chance to grab him, right before my eyes…. Hyung, hyung again…. abandoned me.
“Hueoong… hyeoong! Hyeong!!”
“Ren! Hyung will be back soon. He just left for a moment. Ren!”
I’m alone. I’m alone again…. I thought this time would be different, but it wasn’t. I’ll be abandoned anytime…. Hyung is still… someone who can leave me behind at any time.
“Hyeoong! Hyung!!”
“Ren!! Calm down!”
“Again without saying anything… Hyung!! Hyung-aaa! *huk*… hueoong….”
“Ren! If there’s danger in the mountains, we could get hurt. He didn’t leave you behind—he went to check for danger. He’ll come back. Ren! Ren!”
“Heoeok…. heoeok *huk*…. hu, hueo….”
“Ren? Ren!! What’s wrong? You need to breathe. Ren, calmly…. Good heavens. ‘Luvien.'”
“Heuuk…. heueu…. heu….”
“Ren, calm down and look at my eyes. Ren! Look at me.”
I can’t breathe…. I thought it was hard to support my body, but Ruman was holding me. As he muttered something, the cluster of light I’d seen before appeared, circled around me once, then slowly gathered to form some kind of shape.
It was a warm and gentle energy.
“Ren. Look at me.”
I slowly rolled my eyes to look at Ruman.
His eyes looked clearer and brighter than usual. His eyes were shining platinum…. And next to him was some fox-like animal.
“Temarr will be back soon. And I’ll be protecting your side.”
“*hup*…. heuuk….”
My completely blocked throat loosened again, and sobs leaked through the gaps.
“Ren. You have to answer.”
“…heueu…. Yes….”
“Good boy.”
Only now could I feel the hand patting my arm.
When I blinked several times, tears fell pitter-patter and my vision cleared. That fox-like animal circled around me, and whenever it moved, light scattered and fell. Watching it made me feel sleepy and calmed.
“*sniffle*…. *hup*… heueu….”
“……?”
The fox with long ears and tail fluttering as it ran… was cute.
When I stared at Ruman who was holding me, he made a puzzled expression.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“Well….”
“Even so, I can’t put you down. You can’t even stand properly.”
It was a voice suppressing frustration and trying hard to soothe.
No, that’s not it…. I alternately looked at the fox still circling around and Ruman’s face.
“Your eyes are all swollen… *kup*….”
Ruman, who had been worried about me, suddenly seemed to burst into laughter and clamped his mouth shut.
What, why are you laughing…. Whatever! Let’s not say it. How embarrassing! But my mouth opened on its own.
“C-can I touch it? Is that okay…?”
*Gulp.* I swallowed my saliva. It’s okay even if you say no. It can’t be helped.
“Heuhaha! Hahahahaha!”
“……”
Fuck!
I shouldn’t have said anything.
The fox that had been circling around me paused for a moment and stared at me.
It somehow seemed to be looking at me pathetically. The fox leaped and headbutted Ruman’s chest, then stared at me intently again.
Seeing its tail moving rapidly left and right…. it was definitely displeased!
But… even though it was a body made of light, its fur looked fluffy.
“Heueu…. Kids these days are really weird.”
“How much of an adult are you anyway?! The difference doesn’t even seem that big…. *sniffle*.”
*Hmph!* I secretly sniffled up my runny nose and grumbled. I also sneakily wiped it on Ruman’s clothes.
Even while grumbling, my voice had no strength.
Why? Because I have a conscience too…! I can’t be annoyed at someone who helped me.
Ruman was still laughing.
Fine, laugh all you want.
I glared at the medal attached to Ruman’s chest.
Why did I do that? After calming down, I thought my reaction just now was too excessive. My heart was still fluttering. As if swept away by the thoughts and emotions that came to mind in an instant…. I was sensitive. Let’s not get angry at hyung. I can endure it. I tried hard to shake off the thoughts.
“Hu. Haah. Ren.”
“What.”
Dammit! Why is my voice trembling!! The remnants of crying remained in my voice.
As I cleared my throat and scratched it, Ruman patted my chest as if to stop me.
“Normally it’s not allowed, but since Ren is cute, I’ll permit it.”
“If it’s not allowed… never mind. And that word ‘cute’ is annoying, so don’t say it.”
I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, okay?!
“Puhup. Hu— ‘Luvien!'”
When Ruman exhaled shortly and called out ‘Luvien’ in a stronger tone than before, a bright light suddenly burst and the fox disappeared.
What a shame.
“Ren.”
“What….”
“You should look down.”
“……?”
Woaaaah!
“That’s insane…!!”
Below… was that fox from before, showing off its pure white fur and jet-black eyes and nose!
“Puhup….”
“C-can I touch it? C-can I touch it?”
I slapped Ruman’s arm and asked him once, then also asked the fox who had a somewhat sulky face.
It seemed like the fox sighed somehow!
“I-if you don’t want me to, I won’t touch… w-woaaah…!”
When Ruman put me down, the fox pushed its head forward. As if permitting me to touch it!!
I quickly crouched down. As if entranced, I reached out my hand and carefully stroked the fox’s head, and a softness that seemed like it would swallow my hand tickled my fingertips!! The small, round head was also so cute! This is insane! Insane!
I stroked the fox’s head with both hands.
The fox’s jet-black nose twitched.
“*Keuhk*…. euheukhuk…. haah. I’m going crazy.”
“……”
“So soft…!”
“*Ptwi.*”
“……?!”
What just spat wasn’t me or Ruman.
It was the fox that had been called out with ‘Luvien’!
The fox, whose black nose had been twitching, spat on the ground and shook its head. As if its job was done and I should stop now! It seemed to be looking at me like ‘Are you done?’ or ‘Happy now?’! When I hesitantly withdrew my hand, the fox nodded as if to say I did well.
When I looked at Ruman… he was covering his face with his hand and his shoulders were shaking.
“Don’t make that expression like you’re about to cry, Ren. I’ll let you touch it again! Hahaha!”
“Who made such an expression?! I didn’t, okay? I’m telling you I didn’t!!”
The fox was facing me, and it had a somehow displeased expression.
What expression does an animal have?
It does! Definitely does!! It doesn’t even have thick eyebrows, and only its eyes, nose, and mouth are clearly jet-black!! But those twitching eyes, nose, and mouth seemed exactly like it was talking! The fox twitching its snout right now! was definitely annoyed at Ruman!
“Ouch. That hurts.”
“*Ptwi.*”
“Good job!”
Oops. Without realizing… hehe.
The fox jumped up and bit Ruman’s hand with a chomp!
“Hey, Ren.”
Ruman smiled while frowning. Ruman didn’t pull off the fox biting his hand, but rather stroked its head.
The fox snorted and naturally sat on Ruman’s shoulder.
“Is that name Luvien?”
“…You heard the designation?”
“Huh??”
What do you mean, did I hear it??
“……No. That’s just the summoning language.”
“Then what’s its name?”
“Rante.”
“Can I call its name??”
“Sure.”
“What? It’s an interesting fellow.”
A low voice that didn’t match the cute face was heard!
“……?! It, it talks….”
“Shouldn’t it? Huuuh? Shouldn’t it!”
Rante, sitting on Ruman’s shoulder, pushed its head toward me.
It was like a back-alley thug!
Its black nose twitched and it poked my shoulder with its long snout.
“I-it’s not that….”
“Rante. Stop teasing.”
“Keuhng, puheuhahaheut…… kkeee.”
Wh-what? You were teasing me?
Rante’s tail was swaying pleasantly.
The beast sounds mixed with laughter sounded a bit scary.
“It’s really interesting. You heard the title just now too?”
“The title…? You mean when you said Luvien? Why are you looking at me like that…?”
I quietly turned my head.
The fox talks! To be precise, it’s an animal that looks like a fox…! More precisely, it’s fluffier than a fox, a bit bigger and cuter!
“Turn around.”
“Huh??”
Turn around? Turn around in place?? Why?
But I followed Rante’s words, stood up from my spot, and slowly turned on my trembling legs. What’s this about!
If another human had done this, I would have been upset (or rather, wouldn’t have done it in the first place) and fought them. But is it because it’s an animal?? There was no resistance to following its words. More than anything… being cute is the best!
“Looks: Pass!”
“???”
“Personality also: Pass!”
“……!? Personality??”
My personality passed?? Really?? I’ve lived my whole life only hearing that I’m nasty, don’t listen, a troublemaker, selfish, and have no manners!?
I opened my eyes as wide as they could possibly go and my mouth hung open. Rather than opening it, my mouth fell open!
“Really??”
“Hey, Rante…. What are you doing like some street thug. Ren doesn’t need to hear it. You’re old and bored, so you’re doing this….”
“Thank you!!”
“……”
“Kkeee— keuhheung.”
Rante laughed pleasantly and Ruman closed his mouth. He had an expression of disbelief.
My personality passed!!
