“…Confirmation?”
At words he couldn’t understand at all, Ban’s eyes widened as he asked back. What is he trying to confirm? And why is he looking at me with those eyes? Is it that upsetting that I touched his hair a little?
…No, then, it’s okay for him to hold me and sleep, but I can’t even touch his hair?
They stared at each other for a long while with looks that wordlessly said they were dumbfounded by each other. The one who raised the white flag first was Orma. He grumbled while biting his lips, then ultimately sat up completely. Even while doing that, he only moved his lips without speaking properly, so in the end, Ban, who had been blankly watching that sight, carefully asked.
“Could it be you woke up because it was ticklish? I apologize. I won’t touch it from now on.”
“…”
It was something he said thinking Orma must have been annoyed by being touched while sleeping, but Orma’s face crumpled even more. If it’s not this, then what’s making him like that? With no idea of the reason, Ban just blinked his eyes with a bewildered face. At that appearance that looked innocent to the point of being pure, Orma let out a long sigh and said.
“…Never mind.”
Getting angry by himself, making up by himself.
Orma behaved similarly to the cat that occasionally appeared in the secluded garden of the temple. That black cat that would get upset and cry all day following him when he withdrew his hand thinking it didn’t like it, then not being touched… Come to think of it, he did seem similar to that cat. Ah, after feeding it for the last time, I couldn’t even say a proper goodbye… Could it be that cat is still waiting for me?
Ban blasphemously dared to associate a stray cat with his god, then blankly looked up at Orma who approached again with a fierce face. However, Orma, who seemed about to pick a fight again, unexpectedly reached out his hand, grabbed Ban’s shirt, and began roughly tearing it open. Only when it was half stripped off and his bare skin was exposed did Ban panic and hurriedly grab Orma’s arm to stop him.
“Wh-why are you suddenly doing this? Orma-nim!”
“I’m confirming too.”
So what exactly is he confirming? What does that mean? Ban struggled in shock, but it was nowhere near enough against Orma. Soon, above his snow-white skin and picture-perfect muscles, his upper body full of garish bruises that didn’t suit him was revealed. Only after confirming that sight with his own two eyes did Orma click his tongue and release the shirt he had been stripping off as if to tear it.
“I knew it. You kept groaning in your sleep yesterday.”
“That’s…”
Isn’t it natural that it hurts when you sleep while pressing down on me like that… Ban looked at him with forlorn eyes full of unjust feelings, but his eye attack didn’t work on Orma for the first time. Orma looked down at Ban with a displeased face and shook his head as if frustrated.
“What’s so special about that water that you desperately blocked it with your body like that? So what if you get hit by a few waterspouts, would I die when I’m a god?”
“…Wasn’t Banan also bewitched? It was water heavily contaminated with Blue Tears, so I didn’t know what effect it might have on Orma-nim…”
He meant that surely it was better than the risk of him losing his mind and killing him and Jaena, but Orma snorted and answered.
“I told you before. Take care of yourself.”
“But…”
“What, does that Seeds of Calamity only avoid you?”
“Of course that’s not it, but still, wouldn’t it be better than affecting Jaena-ssi and the other citizens of Siol as well?”
“Really? Since if things go wrong you’ll just die and resurrect again, so it’s fine?”
“…”
It wasn’t wrong and he had actually thought to do that, but he felt he shouldn’t ask what the problem was with that. When Ban instinctively closed his mouth, Orma slowly raised his head and looked down at Ban. His golden sparkling eyes were stern and cold.
“At least you have some sense. I thought you’d ask if you shouldn’t do that.”
“Umm…”
The sky-blue eyes rolled away in confusion at the god’s scolding, avoiding his gaze. Following that, Orma lightly swept down his face as if troubled and let out a faint sigh.
“Don’t rely on that too much. It’s easy to break.”
Though he omitted the words “like me,” Ban understood the hidden meaning. So he was flustered and couldn’t react at all, just blankly blinking his eyes. Right now, is Orma worrying about me? Is he scolding me not to die, not to use my body carelessly?
…Why?
“You need to answer, Ban.”
“…Yes, I’ll be careful.”
Though he didn’t understand the reason, he obediently answered for now. Only then did Orma wear a satisfied smile and walk to the bathroom. Whether he was so happy to be leaving Siol, his handsome face even looked refreshing. A completely different appearance from the past few days when he would irritably flee to the bathroom as if hiding…
“Ah.”
Ban, who was left alone on the bed scratching his cheek, finally understood the meaning of the “confirmation” Orma spoke of and squeezed his eyes tightly shut.
…Surely it didn’t react just because I touched his hair a little? I was too flustered to see. If it reacted, is that good? Since it should be seen as a healthy state, it’s g-good, right? Fortunately, it should be seen that human-like functions are still maintained…
“…Fuck.”
Contrary to his inner thoughts, as embarrassment rose up, Ban buried his face in his hands and involuntarily muttered a curse.
* * *
“Good morning, Ban-gong!”
“Did you sleep well too, Jaena-ssi?”
“Mm, I did have a nightmare about growing one more limb each yesterday, but fortunately I’m fine!”
Was almost being contaminated by Blue Tears that scary? But seeing that Jaena’s expression was still serious, it seemed Jaena didn’t know that Orma had completely purified them yesterday. Orma, who had been quietly watching that sight, raised the corner of his mouth crookedly and said.
“One each? If you’re going to grow them anyway, wouldn’t it be better to grow two each? That way you’d at least be able to crawl with balance.”
“U-uuuugh…”
“You might even be able to climb up walls like an insect. What, you always beg annoyingly with sparkling eyes saying you want to do whatever I do, but you don’t want that?”
Clear liquid pooled halfway in his large eyes that looked about to cry any moment. Jaena, who had his mouth firmly shut, shook his head rapidly. It must be quite fun to tease Jaena… Ban, who had been quietly watching, only picked up Jaena when he really was shocked and about to shed tears, soothing him in a calm voice.
“Jaena-ssi, that won’t happen. Didn’t Orma-nim purify everything yesterday?”
“Sniff… P-purified? When did that happen?”
“Ban, what are you doing now? Do you think he’s really a child? Disgustingly hugging and comforting someone old enough?”
Well, Jaena is older than Ban, but seeing his actions and outward appearance, he would naturally forget Jaena’s age. Moreover, after making him cry like this, what do you mean comfort him… Ban said with a troubled face while patting Jaena’s back.
“You purified him but then you’re only teasing him. Jaena-ssi, do you remember getting hit by the black rain Orma-nim brought down yesterday?”
“I remember. That… the shadow the birds shed fell into the waterway, then gathered again and rose up, and black rain fell, didn’t it? But th-that was purification?”
His round eyes sparkled as if he had never cried. When Ban smiled slightly at that cute sight, Orma clamped his mouth shut and snatched Jaena from Ban’s embrace by grabbing his nape, saying.
“Yeah, so you won’t grow more limbs, so get away. Don’t keep clinging disgustingly and act your age.”
“Ahh!”
“Ah, but Orma-nim. Were the other people of Siol purified as well?”
“Well, they must be. If we call the nature of transforming things arbitrarily ‘contamination,’ I left power in the waterway to fix things so they can’t transform. Won’t that water spread through the waterways again?”
Looking indifferent as if annoyed, he still answered every question diligently. Thinking this was the time, Ban casually asked what he was curious about.
“Fixed? You mean maintained, right? Yesterday you said if you felt like it, you could make me live forever.”
“…You believe that? I can’t do that much, obviously. Even if I could, I wouldn’t do it for you.”
“I know. To make a human live forever, it would have to be something like ‘divine liquor.'”
“…”
Anyway, Orma clearly wasn’t simply a god who governed darkness. Well, even Banan was a god who governed water and wind, abundance and love, so it would be more natural that darkness wasn’t Orma’s only source.
Ban nodded with a serious face while Orma was mistreating… no, threatening Jaena saying “If you cling to Ban like a child one more time without thinking of your age, I’ll grow your limbs by four each,” then quickly finished his meal and stood up.
To leave Siol, they first had to dispose of the jewels and purchase items necessary for travel. If they dawdled for no reason and had to stay one more day in Siol, who knew what kind of fuss Orma would make.
By the way, where should they rent a cart? At times like this, it’s regrettable that there’s no inventory function like in the game…
As he was quietly thinking that, something caught Ban’s eye.
