episode_0004

Asher skillfully climbed through the hole and walked through the forest filled with enormous trees to meet Belka, who, as always, would be waiting for him. The trees in this forest were unbelievably large. Compared to the relatively small trees surrounding the village, this forest was probably the place adults repeatedly warned them never to enter. His village had some strange rules. For example, unless you were a lumberjack, you were absolutely forbidden from entering the forest where the large trees grew, and even lumberjacks were prohibited from entering at night.

He remembered a few other rules, but Asher didn’t pay much attention to them. The villagers spoke as if a great disaster would befall anyone who entered this forest, but wasn’t he wandering around just fine? Thanks to this, he had a secret place known only to him, and a friend like Belka. To Asher, the village rules were simply exaggerated and incomprehensible. Even though the path was rough, the forest air was so refreshing and he felt incredibly good. Soon, he could see dazzling sunlight filtering through the tall trees.

Whoooosh, a gust of wind playfully tangled his hair. Emerging from the dark forest, his momentarily dazzled eyes, overwhelmed by the strong sunlight, recovered their vision. He saw the clear sky and the enormous zelkova tree supporting it. The undulating green plains stirred by the wind and the warm sunlight pouring down upon this place were worlds apart from anything Asher knew. Instead of the clatter of wooden objects colliding, the sound of soft grass brushing against each other in the breeze reached his ears; instead of human voices, he heard birdsong.

“Belka! I’m here!”

As he shouted, announcing his arrival, he spotted a flash of red cautiously peeking out from near the base of the zelkova tree. Under the large, gnarled zelkova trunk, there was a hollow large enough for a small girl to fit, a place where she often sat and hid with him. The girl confirmed it was him and walked down the gentle slope of the tree trunk.

“You came early today.”

“R-really?”

Asher was flustered by Belka’s words. Come to think of it, he realized that he had arrived earlier than usual, as the girl said. Usually, he came to meet Belka after the sun had passed its zenith and was further inclined. This was because by then, the villagers would be busy working, and no one would pay attention to him until evening. But today, he hadn’t had the time to think about that. He’d wanted to ask Belka about what his friends had done to the village idiot yesterday and about how he’d suddenly felt strange, so he’d run off without even going home. It was noon.

Belka looked at him quizzically, her bright golden eyes finding his somewhat bewildered expression and tilting her head. Asher’s gaze followed the flow of her red hair, which shimmered softly, and noticed Belka’s eyes falling on his hands. He realized he was still holding the bread. “Ah, this is…” he began, thinking it a fortunate turn of events. “Right, I got this from Aunt Kate today. Want some?”

He often brought food like this, usually hard-to-get bread, to share with Belka.

“But this…”

“Here, I got two today.”

Belka seemed hesitant, but when he pressed a piece of bread into her hands, she reluctantly accepted it. This was always the case when he brought her food. He didn’t know exactly what she ate, but she seemed smaller and frailer than other children her age and didn’t seem to eat properly. Thus when he got bread, he always brought some for her. Although Asher wasn’t in the position to be criticizing someone, the small girl seemed precarious to even him, and he insisted on bringing this food even when she said she didn’t need it.

“Thanks, as always.”

“Y-yeah.”

Her pure joy and smile made a strange ache bloom in Asher’s chest. He did want to ask Belka about what his friends had done to the village idiot and how he had felt so strange since witnessing it, but he couldn’t deny the subtle expectation he felt. Feeling uneasy, Asher avoided her gaze, and Belka’s curious stare followed him.

“Are you sick? Should I heal you?”

She seemed to think he was ill. He wasn’t exactly sick, but his chest felt unusually achy today. Concluding he was unwell, Asher was about to tell the girl about what happened yesterday and afterward, when…plop, a trickle of water fell.

“Rain?”

Looking up at the sky, he realized, hidden by the large zelkova tree, murky clouds covered the heavens. Rain was falling from those clouds onto the ground.

“Let’s go further inside.”

They sought shelter under the zelkova’s trunk, sitting side-by-side on the same part of the tree where the girl was earlier, watching the rain fall. The sudden downpour crashed against the trees and fields, shattering into a million pieces. The fields, as if seeking refuge from the rain, seemed to be wrapped in a white down comforter; the ever-present grassy scent of this place now held a damp, watery aroma. Fortunately, under the zelkova, the leaves and branches were dense enough that the rain didn’t directly hit them, but it wasn’t completely shielded. Asher, and Belka seemed to have agreed to say nothing, continuing to watch the rain fall. Asher suddenly felt a chill run through him.

He realized his clothes and skin were completely soaked. Because it seemed as if the rain wasn’t falling under the zelkova tree, he hadn’t noticed his clothes getting wet. The thought of potentially getting a cold filled Asher with dread, when Belka’s worried voice broke through his despair.

“Are you cold?”

“Gasp?!”

Seeing Belka, Asher could only gasp. He should have realized it sooner. As much as the rain had soaked him through the gaps in the zelkova tree, it had also soaked the girl. That alone wouldn’t have been too bad, however, her crimson dress, now clinging to her lithe frame, had become semi-transparent, revealing the delicate, supple curves of her young body. Although not large, her well-defined breasts, and the small fruit hanging from their peak, were impossible to conceal under her thin, wet garment.

Further down, her dainty navel subtly peeked out above a smooth stomach, and beneath it, her sleek thighs barely covered her most private valley. Had it not been for the thin drape of fabric between her thighs, barely holding despite the wet crimson dress, all of it would have been on full display. Asher gulped, desperately trying to suppress his burgeoning member while looking at the girl’s worried golden eyes.

“I’m fine! This isn’t even cold!”

Of course, it was a bluff. He wanted to appear cool in front of Belka, but it would be truly awful if she saw his aroused member. Asher did not want to lose this adorable secret friend. But whether or not she understood, the girl approached without a second thought and continued with a gesture that stiffed Asher. The girl sat on his lap and leaned against him.

“It won’t be cold if we’re together.”

And she said so in her usual emotionless voice, though it had a hint of amusement. As Belka said, he no longer felt the cold. However, it was due to the overwhelmingly soft touch and warmth of the girl’s body against his. Even though he had always thought she was small, she felt even lighter in his embrace. Her skin, separated only by damp fabric, transmitted its supple softness to him, and although wet, her warmth was intensely comforting, making him feel as if he were pressed against a hot stove.

Belka’s action wasn’t unusual. They often held each other like this. The problem lay with Asher; he simply could not accept the girl’s otherwise ordinary actions as such. The girl, completely oblivious to his thoughts, leaned against him. Asher found his attention fixated on her defenseless, pale nape. Was he mistaken or did her sweet camellia scent seem even more intoxicating today? He felt a desire to bury his face in her hair and breathe in its fragrance. The member he’d been trying to hide between his thighs stirred.

Soaaaa, the sound of rain could be heard in the distance. The rain trickled down the branches and trunks of the zelkova tree, and the occasional drop’s plop echoed in their silence. Asher didn’t know how many times he’d gulped, and the sound seemed unusually loud to him, making him anxious that Belka would notice. He tried to suppress his erection, squeezing it tightly between his thighs. He wished it would calm down as quickly as it had risen, but it wasn’t that easy. Rather, the more he tried to calm it, the more he was aroused by the feeling of the girl’s soft skin through her wet clothes and her tantalizing scent, making it worse.

His member felt hot between his thighs. Asher was reminded of the sight of the boys inserting and withdrawing their members from the girls’ holes. He’d planned on asking Belka what that act was, but he couldn’t get the words out. Even as he considered whether to tell her, his eyes remained fixed on the girl sitting nestled in his lap. When he thought, *I want to touch her*, he already moved. Slowly, very slowly, as not to startle Belka, he moved his hands. He gently encircled her slender waist.

He felt her soft skin through his arms. The damp clothes offered no proper protection. Belka, as if it were completely normal to be suddenly hugged, didn’t seem to sense anything strange about his behavior. A sudden surge of petulance overcame Asher and he buried his face in her white nape. The sweet scent became more intense.

“…Asher?”

Having finally noticed something unusual about his actions, Belka called his name with a curious tone. Was it because his excitement hadn’t subsided, even escalating? He finally found the courage to ask her about his friends’ actions and how he’d suddenly changed.

“Belka, I have a question.”

“A question?”

Using a voice that imitated his usual tone, Belka didn’t suspect anything and turned to face him. As she moved, the feel of her body against his arms and torso was undeniably sharp and intense. This graceful secret friend always met his gaze, never becoming annoyed by even his most trivial questions, always teaching him; when words were insufficient, she would draw pictures; if necessary, she’d demonstrate it physically, always so kindly. Her innocent golden eyes seemed to sparkle, as if beckoning him to ask whatever he wanted.

Although always expressionless and speaking in a matter-of-fact tone, Belka’s emotions were remarkably clear. In the quiet countryside, for someone like Asher who had no connections, how could he describe the affection and instructions constantly showered on him by this girl? She was far too special to him to be merely his friend. He found his throat tightening as he sought to express his burning desire.

“Asher?”

Belka called his name again when he hesitated. It was too difficult to articulate, so he finally relaxed his grip on his thighs and parted them slightly. The member instantly sprang out and pricked Belka, who was sitting on his lap. The girl flinched at the unexpected contact, her gaze darting to his member with extreme surprise. A blush spread across her cheeks.

“This…”

Watching her delicate face, blooming with a blush resembling the henna design upon a white petal, Asher lowered his head, ashamed.

“It’s just… unexpectedly… it’s been weird since yesterday.”

He began to recount his friends’ actions towards the village idiot, and how things changed for him after witnessing it. It was a cowardly way to partially shift blame, an attempt to justify his wrongdoings and sinful desires toward Lena onto his friends, a subtle attempt to absolve himself. The girl, however, listening to Asher’s tale; trapped in his embrace, unable to move, her eyes darted around. She resembled a deer that has caught sight of a hunter; unfortunately for her, she had already been ensnared and could not escape.

Her transgression, if any, was nothing more than believing Asher would be his usual self. Her red face didn’t calm down and didn’t meet his gaze, instead looking down. It felt as if she was gazing toward his still firm member, covered with damp fabric. Asher was curious to see how she would react to his current state. Thus, he deliberately feigned innocence and questioned her:

“Tell me, Belka.”

Asher knew this was a mischievous thing to ask her as she always explained whatever he questioned. He hoped she would teach him as always; about his changed body and about this act his friends had committed. His newfound strange lust desired the usual girl and yet, he still wondered; would Belka hate him because of this? His heart pounded, and he berated himself as pathetic and foolish, but it was too late. Eventually, a mumble escaped from the girl’s lips.

“…It’s grown this big already.”

It was a small voice–a voice that seemed to hold both sadness and joy, and yet neither, making it difficult to discern her exact emotions. In his inability to fully comprehend what Belka had said, he feared she was rejecting him and tightened his grip on her slender waist, afraid to let go. However, she did not resist his actions, nor did she struggle to escape. Asher, perplexed, met her eyes and his face flushed.

“If you wish.”

Although hidden by her blush, the relentless affection in her golden eyes remained unchanged. Overwhelmed by the shame of his ill intentions and mischievous behavior, he buried his face in her breasts. Belka, as if understanding, caressed his head with her small hand. He became even more embarrassed by her kind touch, yet his member remained stubbornly hard. Now that his face was pressed against her breasts, he felt her soft skin against his cheek, its fragrance combined with the smell of rainwater, becoming even more intense and making his member even more firm.

It poked her somewhere again, a vicious cycle renewing the unfamiliar lust. He tried to relax his muscles, but instead of softening, his hard member sprang up, causing her to flinch.

“Hmph?!”

Belka let out a surprised gasp, looking at him. Asher felt utterly embarrassed, unsure of what to do. He wanted to hide, but when their gazes locked, she briefly showed determination, preventing him from looking away. Then, two delicate hands moved downwards. Asher’s eyes followed Belka’s hands. He didn’t know why, but couldn’t take his eyes off her. His instincts urged him to continue watching. The moment her hands reached the damp hem of her skirt, Asher understood.

Her trembling small hands seemed hesitant but didn’t stop moving. As she lifted the hem of her dress, clinging to her slender body, the first things revealed were her smooth thighs. The gap between her legs bent slightly since she was seated on him. He couldn’t look without losing his reason entirely, so he looked away, yet heard Belka’s voice.

“Look this way, Asher.”

The sweet, pleading tone gently tickled his ears. Turning his gaze back, he saw her crimson face, tears of shame welling up in her golden eyes. Asher’s gaze followed the path of her hand. The curve of her small breasts, visible through the transparent dress, continued down to the middle of her stomach. When Belka lifted the hem, the line disappeared, but it continued down, revealing smooth flesh, a delicate line that stretched down toward her thighs. The thin fabric, barely a scrap of cloth, that served as underwear between her thigh and her lower belly was also soaked through, failing to completely cover the mound where her genitalia sat; the slightly rough, dark line was visible.

Even that would have been an unbearable amount of arousal, but it was more than that. Her mound was slightly flattened against something hard; when Asher finally saw what it was, he realized what his member had been pressing against.