episode_0092

It was time to make dinner for the villagers.

In front of Aunt Merid’s house, men who had finished their work were gathered in small groups, resting.

On the contrary, the women busily moved in and out of the kitchen.

Every week on this day, they regularly prepared a meat feast, so it naturally required a lot of effort.

Tia helped with making the stew.

It was a task of continuously stirring with a long stick in a large pot that could fit a person.

Bubbling.

The intense heat of the fiercely burning fire.

Her cheeks flushed in the subtly warm air.

“……”

Gazing at the air bubbles rising haphazardly from the stew, with no discernible pattern.

Tia blankly stirred the stick.

The events of the day kept coming to mind.

What she had accidentally witnessed… Uncle Fosao masturbating.

At the time, she was so startled that goosebumps rose, and not knowing what to do, she had just run away.

Thinking about it now, she wondered if there had been any need for that.

Uncle Fosao must have been incredibly ashamed to be caught masturbating.

For her to also be scared and try to run away at that moment must have made him feel wronged and embarrassed.

Even though she had glossed over it due to the confusion.

The fact that she hadn’t apologized immediately bothered her deep down.

If there was any silver lining…

It was that she would have a chance to properly apologize tonight.

‘Then… c-can you come again tonight?’

Uncle Fosao had asked that at the end.

She didn’t know the details.

It was just a request to come once at night, so she had said yes.

But she was still curious now.

What kind of story could it be?

She had already received the medicinal herbs, so it wouldn’t be about that.

Why did it have to be at night?

Was it something that needed to be said so secretly?

Perhaps… a story about the war that would break out in Deseo?

But could such a serious story suddenly emerge in an awkward atmosphere?

Bubbling.

Aunt Olivia passed behind Tia, who was stirring the stew.

“Merid. What about the lean meat?”

“Marvin cut it and put it over there.”

“Hmm, so it’s here. Oh, my.”

The aunt giggled, having discovered something.

“Look at this, Merid. My husband accidentally put in the ‘big one’ too.”

“What? Ugh—. Get that away.”

“Hahaha!”

It became noisy inside the kitchen.

Tia unconsciously turned her head that way.

Aunt Olivia was poking something with the tip of a skewer.

Among the neatly cut pieces of pork, there was a large, swollen pouch.

…It was a pig’s genitalia.

Aunt Merid snatched it away and threw it into the trash bag.

“Seriously…. Ollie, tell Marvin not to play such jokes.”

“Wasn’t it just mixed in by mistake? It doesn’t seem like a joke.”

“It’s definitely a joke. Does it make sense? Mistaking something that big for lean meat?”

“Well, he could have mistaken it—.”

Aunt Olivia artfully stir-fried the vegetables.

“Because there’s something similar hanging below, you know. Haha—”

“……”

The kitchen became quiet again.

Aunt Merid silently sliced the lean meat, Tia began stirring the stew again, and Aunt Olivia just hummed as she cooked.

A subtle atmosphere lingered.

In the past, with Grandma Madrina, Aunt Sherry, and even Marie, it was always harmonious and bustling.

Now, however, an inexplicable tense atmosphere hung in the air.

Bubbling.

She had just managed to focus elsewhere.

As soon as she saw the pig’s genitalia, that grotesque object came to mind again.

That remark about something similar hanging below…

Indeed, it must have been referring to ‘that thing on a man,’ right?

The moment she recalled what Uncle Fosao’s hand had been holding.

Tia’s hand inadvertently tensed up.

Splat!

“Ah!”

Hot stew splashed onto Tia’s hand.

Aunt Merid asked.

“Tia? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“Be careful. And you’ve seemed spaced out for a while, so pay attention.”

“……Yes.”

Having been reprimanded, Tia clutched her stinging hand.

The feast was successfully completed.

She portioned out some food and took it to Aunt Sherry’s house.

She wanted to see Ritsu, but he had just fallen sound asleep, so she couldn’t meet him.

Night fell.

As the villagers undressed and went to bed, Tia dressed warmly and left her house.

Quietly, she went down the hill and naturally entered the secret passage in the bushes.

Even the strong winter wind blowing fiercely through the valley could not stop Tia’s steps.

Fosao’s general store had lights on.

With a slightly tense expression, Tia knocked on the door.

Tap. Tap-tap.

“C-come in…”

The uncle’s voice was small.

At the same time, there was a hint of melancholy, as if he wasn’t welcoming Tia.

The moment she opened the door and entered, Tia’s keen senses immediately noticed.

That it wasn’t the unique smell of boiling mushrooms, but a pungent odor one might find in a tavern.

Sure enough.

Fosao had bottles of liquor lined up on the table and was drinking.

Tia was surprised to see him like this for the first time.

“…Uncle? Are you drinking right now?”

“Mm-hmm…”

Fosao’s shoulders drooped.

Something, something must have happened.

Tia carefully approached the table and stared intently at Fosao’s face.

It was a sad face.

“What happened?”

“W-well…”

The uncle sullenly lowered his head.

“I was going to t-tell you good news, but… it didn’t work out…”

“Tell me properly.”

“L-listening to Tia’s words, I g-gathered courage… and confessed. To the woman I l-liked…”

He said he had gone down to the lower village and confessed to a woman he had feelings for, but what he got in return was unspeakable insults. And a beating from the men around them.

“A-as expected… I… can’t do it. I’m o-old… and ugly…”

“Uncle…”

“I’m u-useless trash…. I’ll l-live alone forever…”

“Uncle!”

Tia firmly grabbed both of Fosao’s shoulders and spoke decisively.

“I told you! You’re a perfectly fine person!”

“But… T-Tia doesn’t know…”

“I do.”

“No…”

Usually, if she reprimanded him this sternly, he would come to his senses and apologize, bowing his head.

Perhaps because the shock was too great, Fosao still spoke in a sad voice.

“I-I’ve been alone my whole life… but T-Tia… you have Ritsu, don’t you?”

“……!”

“I-I’m wrong.”

“……”

Fosao, who had gulped down his drink, spoke softly.

“Tia.”

“Yes?”

“T-Tia, why do you… keep saying… that I… can meet a woman?”

Tia closed her mouth.

She wasn’t confident she could claim to understand all of Uncle Fosao’s lonely life.

Her assessment that he was a ‘perfectly fine person’ was, after all, based on her own standards.

In the eyes of other women, it might not be the case at all.

Wasn’t telling him to keep trying just giving Uncle Fosao false hope and pushing him into continued painful situations?

She replied, almost defensively.

“Because I believe Uncle can do it.”

“Are you serious…?”

“Yes! Really!”

Fosao smiled weakly.

“If e-every woman in the world were as k-kind as Tia… I could gather more courage…”

“So, gather your strength again and…”

“P-please stop now. I’m tired…”

As if he didn’t want to hear any more words of encouragement, Fosao let out a deep sigh.

“Meeting women is still… s-scary.”

“……”

Tia cast her eyes down.

That wasn’t what she meant.

She truly had been encouraging him with the hope that Uncle Fosao would succeed…

The uncle was right.

For her, who always had Ritsu by her side, to tell an uncle who had been alone his whole life to find a partner… it was rude to speak without understanding his situation.

Still.

She wanted to help the uncle, who was in despair, somehow.

“…Uncle. You’re scared of women?”

“Yeah.”

“Then am I not a woman? We’re talking face to face right now.”

“T-Tia is… a little different.”

“How am I different? Am I too young to be seen as a woman?”

“No…”

Fosao said hesitantly.

“Tia is… too much for me.”

“……Huh?”

“How should I put it… I c-can’t even dare to… that kind of thought comes to mind. It’s fine.”

“What does that even mean…”

Tia’s ears turned bright red.

The girl shook her head vigorously and stammered, shouting.

“I-I’m not that good!”

“You are.”

“Anyway! That’s not what I meant…. Ugh—!”

Clasp.

Suddenly, Tia hugged Fosao tightly.

It was an impossibly small hug compared to his pig-like body.

But it was enough to warmly embrace the hermit who had been hurt and hidden deep within.

Tia closed her eyes and whispered softly.

“Uncle, you’re not alone.”

“Tia?”

“You have me.”

“……”

If she had Ritsu, then the uncle could have her.

“Th-thank you.”

Fortunately, her warm comfort seemed to have been conveyed.

She felt the uncle also hug her with force.

They pressed their bodies tightly against each other.

“……!”

At that moment.

Tia opened her eyes.

It was because something touched her above her navel.

At first, she thought it was the uncle’s protruding belly fat, but as it kept pressing against her skin, it felt more like a stick-like shape.

She silently shifted her gaze sideways.

Uncle… he got an erection.

It was a little uncomfortable, but Tia closed her eyes again.

She felt sorry about the previous incident. And it would be awkward to pull away when she had hugged him to comfort him…

After a heartfelt hug, they pulled apart.

Fosao hesitantly bent at the waist and said.

“I-I’m sorry for calling you out so l-late at night for no reason.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad I could be of help.”

“Mm-hmm… S-so, are you going now…?”

“Yes.”

Tia walked towards the door.

Fosao also came along to see her off.

Whoosh!

The sound of the fierce winter wind blowing outside was heard.

Tia placed her hand on the door to open it and said goodbye.

“I’ll get going.”

“Mm-hmm…”

The farewell was over.

Now she just needed to push the door open with force.

“……”

Tia’s hand remained as if frozen.

After a moment like that.

She turned back again and looked up at Fosao.

She had vaguely felt it, but…

The uncle still seemed dejected.

“W-what’s wrong, Tia?”

“……”

With her hand still on the door, Tia quietly asked.

“Uncle.”

“Hmm?”

“That thing earlier… haven’t you done it since then?”

“Ah…”

A flustered Fosao scratched his head.

“I guess… I was a l-little bothered by it… I c-couldn’t do it.”

“Then…”

Her fingers curled, forming a small fist.

“…What should I do?”

There was no answer.

Only the sound of their breathing and the howling winter wind rushing through the door crack could be heard.

*Slide.*

Fosao’s large hand came over Tia’s shoulder.

And gently took the pure white hand resting on the door.

“Y-you don’t have to do anything.”

“……”

“But if you d-do help… I-I won’t stop you.”

Fosao asked.

“A-are you alright?”

Thump-thump.

Her heart pounded as if it were broken.

She felt the thrumming echo in her ears.

Only after a long time.

Tia nodded with a small tilt of her head.

“C-come with me…”

As if led.

The girl’s pure hand, held by Fosao, left the door.

Clank.

The general store’s latch went down.

The hearth fire went out, signaling the close of business.

In the general store, dark at night, where she had never been before.

Tia, holding Fosao’s hand, looked up at the second floor.

Her chest tightened with tension.

‘Help him.’

She didn’t know exactly what that meant.

But she had a vague idea.

…Still.

If this could bring comfort to the uncle.

If she could repay the kindness he had shown her so far.

“……”

*Rustle.*

Tia followed Fosao up the stairs.