Kyaaak (2)

Kyaaak (2)

“I’m Espin. I’m one year ahead of you guys.”

Maybe because he hadn’t been treated as a senior before, or perhaps he was telling Rumi to behave well because he was her senior.

Espin emphasized that he was our senior with a somewhat haughty attitude.

I snorted at those words and looked at Espin.

In Rumi’s case, she couldn’t simply ignore it, so she straightened her back and looked at Espin with a tense posture.

She started to fidget and become restless.

“Hmm.”

Espin seemed to like Rumi’s reaction, as he spoke with an even more arrogant expression than before.

“I like it.”

“……”

Regardless of whether Espin liked it or not, Rumi didn’t seem to.

She kept glancing at me, sending signals for help.

When I ignored her, she finally started blinking one eye repeatedly, openly signaling for help. Seeing this, I sighed and opened my mouth.

“That’s enough.”

At those words, Espin laughed playfully and said to me.

“What, are you saying the owner takes care of their pet? Well… I guess that’s natural, but it’s a bit funny.””…”

Feeling it wasn’t even worth responding to, I ignored him.

Espin, thinking he had taken the joke far enough, dropped the subject and continued speaking.

“So, since you’re here, I’ll ask. Rumi, what’s your relationship with the Heaven God Cult?”

Whether it was a habit from his time as an inspector or just Espin’s personality,

He asked the question so directly it was like stabbing with a knife.

When Espin saw that Rumi had frozen in place at the question,

Like a predator that had spotted a weakness, he raised the corners of his mouth and dug even deeper into the matter.

“It’s hard to say you have no relationship with the Heaven God Cult… Because it’s been confirmed that you were living in the house of someone from the Heaven God Cult until just a few days ago. So I’m asking, what’s your true identity?”

The story hits the mark, causing Rumi to flinch and squeeze her eyes shut.

If you think from Rumi’s perspective, it must feel like she’s been blindsided.

‘The fact that foster parents paid expensive tuition to send her to the Academy already weakens the claim of living under abuse.’

The period she spent in that house is too long to say there was no relationship at all.

As a result, Rumi remains silent, unable to say anything.

Espin seems to have decided to dig deeper, bringing up an even sharper topic.

“Hmm, why can’t you say anything? Is there something that’s bothering you?”

Unlike when talking to me, he uses a confrontational tone that seems to corner her.

In a normal situation, I would have ignored it.

But knowing Rumi’s situation, I knew that such suspicion itself was misplaced, so I had to speak up.

“That’s enough.”

Espin blinks at me, apparently not expecting me to step in and mediate first.

Then, sighing as if frustrated, he quickly says.

“I’m saying this because I think there’s some misunderstanding. This is all for your sake.”

I know.

Honestly, from Espin’s point of view, Rumi must look no different from a spy planted by the Heaven God Cult, so he must have stepped up first for my sake.

‘But for me, knowing Rumi’s circumstances.’

I had no choice but to step forward and protect Rumi first.

“Then all the more reason to stop. I appreciate your intention, but Rumi and I have our own circumstances.”

At those words, Espin, still unsatisfied, blurts out as if venting his frustration.

“Hah… Junior, if you brush this off so carelessly, you’ll definitely regret it later. If you knew how many disgusting things I’ve seen during my time as an inspector, you’d come to expect even friends to betray you.”

“……”

She speaks to me, showing an uncharacteristic excess of emotion.

I calmly look at her while listening to her voice, and then I cut to the core of the matter.

“Even if what you suspect is true, the fact that Rumi saved me on the rooftop won’t change, so it’s okay if I’m betrayed once.”

“… What?”

“Besides, even if I were betrayed, do I look like someone who would break?”

Others might say this is overflowing with confidence to the point of arrogance.

‘But I actually have the capacity to handle this.’

Espin would also know that my arrogance doesn’t end as mere arrogance.

As a result, she doesn’t say much, just clicks her tongue and turns her head away.

“Fine… Do as you please. After all, even if someone gets hurt, it’ll be you, not me.”

As I nod lightly and say I understand.

Rumi, who had been quietly listening, suddenly blurts out as if squeezing out the words.

“I, I won’t ever betray Deren… so don’t worry!”

“Right. Of course you wouldn’t.”

At that curt response, Rumi flinches and shrinks, becoming as crumpled as a rain-soaked puppy.

As I look at Rumi like this, I decide to stop this topic here and try to change the subject.

Suddenly, Rumi glances at me and Espin and speaks in a small voice.

“Um, by the way, Senior Espin, what’s your relationship with Deren? Is that why you came here…?”

Not in a sharply confrontational tone, but rather.

Though it was barely more than a whisper.

It was a statement that made one’s nerves stand on edge, giving an unusually sharp and chilling feeling.

Espin, feeling that way, looked at Rumi with a somewhat bewildered expression.

He swallowed slowly and answered briefly.

“That’s… not something you need to know, is it?”

At those words, Rumi stopped fidgeting with her hands and, for a moment, glared at Espin with an expressionless face.

Quickly returning to her original expression, she apologized profusely.

“Y-You’re right… I’m sorry for asking.”

Espin nodded with a somewhat disgruntled expression at Rumi’s behavior.

Then, as if sensing something ominous, he quickly tried to smooth over the situation.

“But what’s certain is that it’s just a relationship where we discuss business. It’s not a personal relationship like you might be thinking.”

At those words, Rumi looked at Espin with a relieved expression.

She nodded with a somewhat foolish smile.

“… I-I see.”

“……”

With that one phrase, the unidentifiable sharpness seemed to have softened considerably.

I was wondering whether this pressure was simply a psychological factor or a power manifested from Rumi’s talent as the female protagonist.

Rumi, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly stiffened her expression and opened her mouth.

“… But you know what? For something like that, you seem to worry a lot about Deren.”

“That’s because if something happens to Deren, it could cause problems for the business. I’m just managing things as a business partner.”

“Ah… I see. S-Sorry for asking about this.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s much better than having a strange misunderstanding.”

With those final words, the inexplicably sharp atmosphere disappeared in an instant.

Perhaps due to the lingering effects, Espin’s expression is complex and subtle.

I’m trying hard to ignore this situation, not wanting to get involved, when Espin hurriedly stands up and says.

“Anyway, I’ll let you know right away if there’s any good business opportunity. Take a break for a while.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Then, um… Rumi? I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, it’s just a habit. I hope you’re not too upset about it.”

“Ah…! I’m not upset at all. It’s understandable that you could have such a misunderstanding.”

“… Well, that’s a relief.”

I wonder if it’s just my imagination that the positions of superior and subordinate have switched.

As I silently rest my chin on my hand, watching Espin’s retreating back as he escapes,

Rumi speaks to me with a restless face.

“De, Deren. I… I’m really not a spy or a traitor or anything like that, so you don’t have to worry.”

“I know.”

“… Yes.”

Even after giving a clear answer, she’s strangely anxious.

I stare at Rumi for a moment, then start to head back to the lab again.

Rumi fumbles for something in her pocket and speaks to me.

“Ah… um, you know.”

“What is it?”

“Would you like to eat this while you study…?”

When I checked what it was, I saw a small muffin.

Judging by its not-so-high quality, it seems Rumi made it herself.

At first, I wanted to refuse, but fearing Rumi might cry if I did, I reluctantly took it.

“Thank you.”

At those words, Rumi seemed quite pleased, wagging her bottom and grinning.

Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she started to tilt her head towards me, gradually leaning in.

‘Could she be asking me to pat her head?’

Maybe so.

I was about to refuse, thinking that patting her head wouldn’t be in character for Deren.

But since she was so blatantly offering her head, I had no choice but to pat it.

It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant sensation.

Or to be more precise, it would be correct to say it wasn’t unpleasant, but rather enjoyable.

While I was thinking it felt healing, like petting a puppy,

Suddenly, as if Rumi remembered something, she grabbed my hand that was patting her head.

She brought it to her chin and said proudly,

“You can pat this part too!”