“But why you? Of all people?”
“He’s human, so his body is quite weak, and the Surface must be unfamiliar to him, so I need to look after him.”
“…Human?”
“Yeah, human.”
“Extinct?”
“Turns out they’re not.”
“…Wow…”
Taeyon kicked Matiel’s shin as he tried to peek at Kaniel’s face over his shoulder.
“Ow…! What’s wrong with just looking!”
“I need to give him medicine, so prepare some soup too.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll prepare it for you.”
This time there was no need to gesture. As soon as Taeyon spoke, one of the servants disappeared toward the kitchen. If they conveyed it was before a meal, not only soup for Kaniel but also Taeyon’s meal would be prepared.
Taeyon glanced at Kaniel’s face as he slept wheezing, breathing hot breaths soaked with fever. Fortunately, he seemed to be in slightly better condition than yesterday.
“Now, this way, Young Master.”
“……”
Taeyon stared at Matiel, who had exaggeratedly opened the door and bowed at the waist, then sighed and shook his head before entering the room. At that reaction, Matiel grinned, looking satisfied.
As if they had been waiting for the room’s owner to arrive, servants followed carrying a basin of lukewarm water and towels, along with a teapot and cup filled with warm tea.
“He says he doesn’t need nursing. You can leave.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Taeyon set Kaniel down on the bed and removed the blanket and cloak. Kaniel, who had opened his eyes at this, blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings, then saw Taeyon and smiled bashfully.
“Every time I open my eyes, cough cough, it’s a new… place….”
“We came to my friend’s house. You’ll be able to take medicine soon.”
“Mmm…. Thank you….”
Matiel stared at Kaniel with curious eyes, truly seeing someone with no ears on their head or tail on their rear, when Piyod jabbed him in the ribs. Matiel, who had only complained when Taeyon warned him earlier, now wore a remorseful expression as if acknowledging his mistake.
“We’ll take our leave now. There’s a patient here, after all.”
“It seems Matiel has acquired a good Tuner, uncharacteristically.”
Even though Matiel understood it was a roundabout criticism, he smiled brightly again.
“Right? Piyod really is too good a Tuner for me.”
“Let’s go, Matiel. Okay?”
“Yeah. Got it, Piyod.”
Matiel answered in a sweet voice and waved his hand toward Taeyon.
“This body will gracefully exit the room, so make sure you nurse him well. And you there, guest, I hope you recover well! The meal will come soon, and we’ll send medicine as soon as we secure it. That tea is probably ginger tea. Well then, see you tomorrow!”
After Matiel and Piyod left, silence finally settled in the room. Taeyon let out a deep sigh before apologizing to Kaniel.
“You’re already unwell, but I’m sorry for making things so chaotic, Kaniel.”
“No. He’s, cough cough, he’s an interesting person….”
Kaniel answered with a giggle. Since Taeyon was rather taciturn, having a friend as willful as that seemed just right. Otherwise, they’d probably just act polite with each other and end up in an awkward relationship.
“Kaniel, we should wipe down your body.”
Taeyon said as he soaked a towel in the water in the basin and wrung it tightly. He certainly looked a mess right now. Once conscious of it, he could feel his body sticky with sweat.
“Mm… Can’t I take a bath?”
“Not now. If you bathe in that state, you’ll collapse. Or would you like me to wash you?”
Kaniel, who since childhood had never bathed with anyone or shown his naked body to others, shook his head in alarm. Absolutely not.
Then Taeyon chuckled and sat him up.
“I-I’ll undress myself!”
When hands approached next, Kaniel cried out in surprise like that, then soon realized that wasn’t such a good choice either. While his outer clothes came off naturally, when it came to removing his shirt, embarrassment washed over him.
But there was no escape. Kaniel gave up entirely and removed his shirt.
“Tell me if it’s too cold.”
Saying that, Taeyon began wiping his body with the towel. It was embarrassing and awkward, yet at the same time refreshing and pleasant.
For several days, with his feverish body, he hadn’t been able to wash properly and had been wrapped tightly in blankets and cloaks. But now that his body was being wiped like this, in the end only a pleasant feeling remained.
“Mmm….”
Closing his eyes out of embarrassment and enjoying only the sensation of the towel wiping him, Kaniel was completely unaware that Taeyon’s gaze was greedily tracing over his body or that the hand holding the towel hesitated each time it touched his skin.
In fact, even Taeyon himself didn’t realize he was doing that.
Knock knock-.
As soon as the knocking sound was heard, Taeyon flipped the blanket over his body. Kaniel tactfully curled up and waited for the servant to finish arranging the food and leave.
After the sound of the door closing again, when he slightly raised his body, Taeyon scooped him up, blanket and all, and seated him at the table.
“Eat the soup, then take the medicine and sleep after that.”
“Yes. I’ll take the medicine well and get better quickly.”
How many days had the schedule been delayed because of him these past few days? Thinking from when the kidnappers chased them, it wasn’t just a day or two.
Kaniel hurriedly finished his meal, took his medicine, and lay down on the bed. Whether the medicine contained drowsy ingredients, he fell asleep in an instant.
***
Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang bang-!
At a sound closer to trying to break down the door rather than knocking, Taeyon flung the door wide open.
Matiel stood outside the door.
“Did you sleep well? Want to go boating? Taeyon.”
“…From the morning?”
“We have to go from the morning to play all day.”
Taeyon grabbed his throbbing head and let out a deep sigh.
“Kaniel’s condition still isn’t good.”
“Eh. Still?”
“I told you his body is weak.”
Matiel’s standard for ‘weak body,’ having seen only beastkin his whole life, was too high. Seeing Kaniel over Taeyon’s shoulder, still with flushed cheeks showing fever, Matiel averted his gaze as if he’d made a mistake.
“I didn’t know it was this bad….”
“Now you know, so head back.”
It was right before Taeyon closed the door. Kaniel, with the blanket draped over his shoulders, approached them barefoot.
Boating? Kaniel had never played in water before. He’d never been swimming, of course, nor had he ever been on a boat. There was only one lake on the Floating Island, and even that was off-limits to humans for nature preservation.
There were ponds, but even those were only available for strolling nearby or viewing.
“I want to go, Taeyon.”
“You can’t. You still have a fever.”
“It’s almost gone. Check.”
Kaniel pulled Taeyon’s hand and placed it on his forehead. When he looked up with earnest eyes, Taeyon hesitated for a moment, then ruffled his hair with the hand that had been checking his forehead temperature.
“Activities that could worsen your cold are prohibited.”
“Thank you!”
Kaniel smiled brightly and went back toward the bed to pick up and put on his clothes.
“You heard him, right? We’ll be there soon, so wait in the drawing room. You’re planning to have breakfast there, right? Make sure to prepare warm soup. Oh, and that ginger tea from yesterday too.”
Taeyon gave concise instructions to the dumbfounded Matiel and closed the door again.
***
Piyod, who he’d said was a giant-tailed squirrel beastkin, really did have a huge tail. The tail, as big as his torso, was slightly curled at the tip, and with its fluffy fur, it was incredibly cute. When Kaniel couldn’t help but keep his gaze fixed on it, Piyod smiled and let him touch the tail.
Kaniel got along well with Piyod. Unlike most beastkin, Piyod was thoughtful and considerate, and looked after Kaniel a lot, knowing his cold hadn’t fully healed yet.
However, it was difficult to have a comfortable conversation. That was because Matiel was sitting beside them with his arms crossed, tapping his forearm with his fingertips while staring.
Anyone could see he looked like he was timing them, waiting for his turn.
When Kaniel glanced his way, Piyod looked at him and sighed with an “Oh dear.”
“Even though I’m Matiel’s Tuner, I can’t only play with Matiel.”
“…I know. I know that….”
“If you know, then don’t interfere.”
What a strong-willed squirrel. Kaniel looked at Piyod admiringly. Then Piyod’s face turned bright red, and with a shy expression, he grabbed Kaniel’s hand and ran off.
After putting some distance between them, Piyod finally slowed his pace and sidled up to Kaniel. The way he lowered his voice made it clear he was about to share a secret.
“Hyung, have you ever dated?”
“Uh, huh? No?!”
Kaniel, who had raised his voice unconsciously at the unexpected topic, lowered it again.
“Why are you asking that…?”
“Mm…. Well, ability users often date their Tuners, you know. Matiel treats me well, but I’m wondering how to distinguish whether that’s romantic feelings or just because I’m his Tuner….”
“I just got here not long ago, so I don’t really know. Why do Tuners often date ability users?”
“Do you know what ability users are?”
“Yeah. They’re people who use amazing abilities like Taeyon, right?”
“Besides that.”
“Besides?”
Piyod, wearing an expression that said he didn’t know anything, began to explain kindly. It seemed Piyod was a strong-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside squirrel.
