episode_0010

Usher decided to take the ailing Velka to his house. Moving the girl, who couldn’t move properly, was uncomfortable, but she was lighter than he thought, so he managed to carry her through the passage to his house. His heart sank every time Velka breathed out in pain. When Usher saw Velka curl up as if she were cold and tremble pitifully, he took out all his meager blankets, spread them out in the room, and laid the girl down. Nevertheless, he felt a burning heat when he placed his hand on the girl’s forehead, who couldn’t hide her chills, to gauge her temperature.

“She has such a high fever.”

Usher immediately found a towel, soaked it thoroughly in the water tub in the yard. Then, squeezing it tightly until no more water dripped, he placed the wet towel on her forehead. Usher sensed that the girl’s pain was not just due to a simple fever, but if he didn’t do even this, he was too worried to stay still. But he didn’t know what else to do beyond this.

“Huu, Usher.”

“I’m here.”

It was his limit to hold Velka’s small hand, who called his name occasionally as if to check, and stay by the 불안해하는 girl’s side. The girl’s fever showed no signs of going down, and when the towel became lukewarm, he soaked it in water again and placed it on her forehead. He was so busy taking care of Velka that he lost track of time, repeating the process of soaking lukewarm towels in water all day long.

“Usher! Are you home?”

It was then. Robert’s voice came from outside the gate. Now that he looked, the sun was already setting over the mountains. He had been so busy taking care of the girl that he forgot to eat lunch, and it was already sunset. He felt uncomfortable thinking that the big zelkova tree had finally been cut down. He cautiously opened the gate to look outside, and sure enough, Robert and Kerner were standing side by side in front of the gate.

“What?”

“What do you mean, what? We came because we were worried.”

Robert answered, seemingly offended by his displeased look. But Usher wasn’t happy to see them at all. Velka was asleep in his house right now.

“The adults said they were worried about you and told us to come check on you.”

“Okay, you’ve seen me? Now leave.”

He clearly told them to go back and tried to close the gate, but Robert stuck his foot between the gate to prevent it from closing.

“What now?”

“Hey! Why are you being so cold lately?”

Robert spoke in an angry voice, but Usher’s gaze towards him remained cold. He hadn’t forgotten how they had done that to the idiot in his room. He wouldn’t have cared if they had done it willingly, but it was hard to believe that the idiot had wanted to do it. She had clearly said that Mac had made her do it. If Velka hadn’t taught him what that act meant, he would have done the same to the idiot who had come to him, which made him feel even more disgusted. When Robert hesitated at Usher’s gaze, Kerner grabbed his shoulder.

“He says he’s okay, let’s go back.”

In the end, Robert nodded at Kerner’s words, unable to erase his dissatisfied expression. And just before Usher closed the gate, Kerner spoke to Usher as well.

“And you’re acting strange too, lately. What’s wrong with you?”

“Mind your own business.”

Usher immediately closed the gate even at Kerner’s words. With no more interference, the gate closed properly. He sighed and was about to go back with the wet towel when.

“Usher.”

“Velka!”

Turning around at the familiar voice coming from behind, he saw Velka, who had opened the door and come out, looking at him. He hurriedly ran to the girl with the towel and asked.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Yes, it’s thanks to Usher.”

Velka’s complexion, saying so, was still pale and white, so she didn’t look very well.

“I didn’t do much at all. You should have stayed in bed longer.”

His face flushed at the sight of the girl smiling at him, saying it was thanks to him anyway. But despite his concern, the girl shook her head and refused to lie down.

“I’m okay. But were those children just now your friends?”

“I don’t know, those guys.”

He would have confidently said they were friends in the past, but recently everything in this village was suspicious and unsettling, making it unbearable.

“Then, doesn’t Usher have any friends?”

“I don’t care as long as I have Velka.”

His affection for this village had already fallen to the bottom. He thought it was a good thing since he was going to leave anyway. It was then that Velka blocked his lips with her slender finger.

“You can’t do that. Being alone is dangerous.”

“I’m not alone. I have Velka.”

Still, her finger blocking his mouth was weak, so he could open his mouth.

“But Usher. It’s dangerous to be hostile to others more than necessary.”

The girl’s golden eyes, as if she knew everything, yet innocent as if she knew nothing, stared into his eyes. Velka’s voice tickled his ears, calm and 평이하게 as usual. Like the girl he first met, who didn’t know emotions back then.

“Being isolated is something that humans should naturally fear. Humans cannot essentially become completely one, but they can gather under the name of a group. And that can sometimes become a huge monster and threaten you. So Usher. Please fear being isolated.”

Velka closed her lips that seemed to have bitten a flower as she finished speaking. Usher was dissatisfied with the girl’s words that seemed to distance herself from him.

“I don’t care if people reject me! I don’t care about that at all. I only need Velka!”

He didn’t care if people rejected him or if he was alone. He just wanted to be with the girl. At Usher’s confession, which was all that mattered, Velka’s eyes, which had been expressionless until now, widened and showed surprise. Her eyes, which had been as calm as a peaceful lake, shook together. She no longer seemed to know everything and seemed to be watching from afar as if she didn’t exist even though she existed here.

“I wish I had known your feelings sooner.”

There was only one girl who couldn’t hide her confused, yet happy, yet sad expression. Usher wanted to ask why she was making that expression, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Because Velka opened her mouth first.

“You know. Usher, I’m greedy. I know it’s all futile, but I keep getting attached.”

“I’m greedy too.”

So it wasn’t strange.

“Originally, I should have let you go a long time ago, but I liked you so much that I couldn’t let you go until this moment.”

“Then don’t let go.”

Usher didn’t want to let go of Velka either. He couldn’t let go.

“Yeah, to be honest, I’m happy. That you weren’t even afraid of being rejected by people because of me.”

The girl’s voice trembled slightly.

“But Usher, I’m scared. What if you’re isolated from this village because of me? Because of me…”

Velka didn’t need to blame herself.

“It’s better to be isolated than to be in this kind of village. So Velka, let’s leave here together.”

The girl’s golden eyes, widened as if surprised by his words, looked at him. What if the girl didn’t accept him? Usher was finally able to say those words that he had been agonizing and hesitating over so much. How long had he waited for Velka’s answer? The girl approached him and kissed him. A seven-colored rainbow rose up like a 환상처럼 in the sunset behind her. And when her lips separated from him, leaving behind a small thread of saliva, Usher awkwardly asked.

“Um, it’s okay if I go with you, right?”

“Yeah.”

Velka giggled playfully and promised to leave with him. Usher scratched the back of his head, embarrassed by the sight, and soon the day was over. The rainbow that had briefly appeared also disappeared with the sun. As the day got colder, Usher took Velka, who was trembling as if the effects of being sick all day remained, into the room. Perhaps because he had been outside for so long, taking care of the girl all day? The room was filled with the scent of camellias that he hadn’t even noticed. Usher inadvertently felt a sexy feeling from the sweet and deep scent.

“Ah.”

At the moment, he heard Velka’s voice. When he looked at her, he saw the girl’s eyes staring blankly down at his crotch. Usher could tell what state his thing was in without even looking. Usher scolded himself inwardly for his thing that had grown without understanding the atmosphere, and tried to calm it down.

“Usher.”

Velka called him.

“Will you, wipe my body?”

Velka was avoiding his gaze, but the girl’s hand, which she held out to him, was already holding the wet towel that he had dropped. Usher nodded blankly. The wet towel swept across the girl’s white skin as she sat there. The towel, crumpled from squeezing out the water, looked tough like 새끼줄, but it wouldn’t be rough, but the girl’s skin was so delicate that it seemed like it could be hurt even by such a towel.

“Hiss!”

Had the towel brushed against the girl’s waist? The girl’s moan, which echoed softly in the dark room, scattered like the smoke of a extinguished candle. Her ears turned red because of it, but the torment and swelling lust that came with it were all his share, which was frustrating. He wiped the dew that was flowing down the girl’s skin with the remaining water with the towel, unable to squeeze all the water out of the towel. Currently, the girl was showing her back to him, with not a single thread on her body. It was all because the girl had asked him to wipe her body. Certainly, the girl had been sick enough to sweat a lot from when Usher found her until before sunset, so her body must have felt sticky.

He tried hard not to be conscious of the fact that it wasn’t strange for the girl to ask him to wipe her body. The girl’s back that he was looking at looked even more frail because she was 움츠리고 her small body. He wondered where there was anything to wipe on the girl’s flawless white porcelain-like skin, so he wiped the girl’s body with the towel as carefully as possible so as not to injure her.

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