episode_0019

The crowing of a rooster woke me.

It felt like a heavy burden was on my shoulders. My body was so stiff, it was hard to even stretch.

I hadn’t slept a wink last night. I’d tossed and turned all night thinking about Tia.

“Cough, cough.” I coughed and got up. I hastily put on some clothes and left my aunt’s house.

It was early morning. This was the only time I could enjoy the quiet village, bathed in cold air. Soon, people would start to wake up, one by one.

I walked down the hill, my feet crunching on the hard, frozen ground. Crunch, crunch.

Before I knew it, I had arrived in front of Tia’s house. The wooden door was firmly locked. Unfortunately, I still didn’t know the password to this wooden door.

“…” I waited for a moment, but the house remained quiet. Was she still asleep?

I went to the window. Like last time, I peeked inside through a gap in the thick curtains.

Tia was there. Seeing the blanket on her bed rise and fall, she seemed to be in a very deep sleep.

Tap, tap. I deliberately knocked on the window, but Tia didn’t stir.

Thump, thump. This time, I knocked on the wall. Even so, Tia didn’t budge, sleeping soundly.

Thump, thump! The moment I knocked a little harder, she finally showed a faint reaction.

Waking from her sleep, Tia ruffled her messy hair and sat up.

After sitting blankly for a moment, she stretched both arms high above her head. “…”

Ah. I quickly averted my gaze. My face flushed.

Ahaha… right, that’s how it was. Tia always slept deeply in the nude. That is, she wore nothing. She said if she wore anything, it was uncomfortable and made her toss and turn often… Well, she’d always been particular about her sleeping habits.

Of course, I had never seen it directly. I had never asked, nor was I curious. She had just told me herself.

Anyway, it was a somewhat peculiar sleeping method, but it had never caused any trouble. Tia was sensitive to sounds at night, so she would wake up even at a small noise. That was also why she always greeted me properly dressed, whether it was night or morning.

But perhaps she was especially tired today. Tia seemed completely unaware of my presence beyond the window, as she threw off her blanket in the nude. Then, showing her pale back, she poured water from a kettle and drank it.

Watching her quietly, I felt somewhat embarrassed. If I called Tia through the window now, something would immediately come flying at me, accompanied by a shriek.

It was just as I was about to quietly move my feet to quickly return to the front door. Clank!

The window opened. “Haaah— so tired—” Tia sighed, rested her chin on the windowsill, and then her eyes met mine. “Ah.” “Oh.”

I froze for a moment. Sure enough, Tia shrieked and covered her chest.

“R-Ritsu? Why, why are you here?” “Well, you weren’t waking up, so I was trying to wake you, and then…” “Get out— now!” “Sorry!”

The window slammed shut with a thump, and the curtains were instantly drawn. My heart thumped.

Ah, Tia really does have a proper chest. I calmly savored the beautiful outline I’d been lucky enough to glimpse.

A little time passed. As I waited patiently in front of the wooden door, Tia, now hastily dressed, walked out.

With a tired face, she opened the wooden door for me. “…Come in.”

Entering inside, I was greeted by warm air. Mm. A rich apple scent. This must be the warmth Tia had cultivated overnight.

Still seemingly half-asleep, she had her eyes half-closed. “…Ritsu, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

“Just something I wanted to ask.” “Mm…”

Since the last incident, things between us had been a little awkward. Tia had only opened the door for me because I came to visit; she probably didn’t particularly feel like talking to me.

“Didn’t you sleep well? You still look sleepy.” “Yeah.”

To not even notice me knocking hard on the wall, she must have been truly exhausted. Tia got up from her seat and headed towards the kitchen.

“Wait a moment. I’ll make something.” As she passed, she picked up a string and held it in her mouth. Then, skillfully gathering a lock of hair with both hands, she quickly tied it with the string she’d been holding.

Gulp. The nape of her neck, exposed as she tied her hair, strangely made my heart pound. This time, she draped an apron around her neck and tied it around her slender waist. After rolling up her sleeves slightly, she took an ember from the hearth, which had been burning all night, and lit a fire.

Whoosh-! She cracked the eggs she’d received yesterday into the cast iron pan. Chop, chop, chop—.

Then, she chopped various vegetables, added them, and skillfully shook the pan. Along with the sizzling sound, a savory aroma spread throughout the room. Sizzle—.

“…” It was the first time I’d seen Tia prepare breakfast. I hadn’t particularly thought she’d be good at housework. That was purely my misconception.

Despite her messy hair from just waking up and her still slightly sleepy eyes, she cooked with meticulous care.

Her appearance was like… a mother. I didn’t have a mother, but if I did, I imagined this is what it would feel like.

If I married Tia later, I would be able to see that beautiful back view every day. I would wake up to the sound of her cooking for me, her sweet voice calling my name, and the fragrant smells, embracing a new morning in Tia’s warm arms.

And if we had children, it would be a bit noisy. Perhaps Tia would be holding a baby, her belly round. Whatever it was, just imagining it, I could conclude it would be the happiest life.

Clink. Tia served the stir-fried egg and vegetables. “Sorry. Did you wait long? I just made something simple…”

“No, not at all. Thank you so much. I’ll enjoy it.” I poked it with a fork and took a bite. Yes, this was the taste. Tia’s proudest dish. Tia’s touch, felt in the warmth, seemed to soothe even my hungry heart.

“How is it?” “It’s delicious.” “Hehe— then I’ll go wash up.” “Okay. Be back soon.”

While Tia left for the stream, I filled my stomach and leisurely looked around the house. I had checked before, but it had changed a lot from how it used to be. The most noticeable new addition was a strange pillow in the corner of Tia’s bed.

What was that? Tia hadn’t been using it to sleep on just now. I reached out and touched the pillow. It was incredibly soft and smooth. I immediately realized: this was silk. What’s more, it was an extremely expensive pillow, filled to the brim with cotton wool.

A question arose. Why was something like this in Tia’s house? Moreover, Tia hadn’t even used it as a pillow; she had just propped it against the wall, as if it wasn’t her own item.

I heard her coming back from the stream. I took my hand away again and sat on the chair. Tia came in, drying her hair with a dry cloth. “Ugh— The water’s too cold.”

“It’s winter, after all. There’s nothing to be done about freezing hands.” “Ritsu. You said earlier you wanted to ask me something. What is it?”

“Ah.” At that moment, yesterday’s events came to mind. The bright red hair I’d seen at the general store. “Tia, did you go anywhere yesterday?”

“Yesterday—? Yeah. I went to the lower village.” “For what?”

Tia looked at me for a moment, then turned her eyes away again. “…I was hoping I could find Ruyef.” “Really?”

Was she still bothered by that incident? I had earned her displeasure, but it couldn’t be helped. I had nothing to say about it, even if I had ten mouths.

“Tia. But, about something else…” The words wouldn’t come out easily. But I had to ask. Because there shouldn’t be even a single lie between us.

“By any chance, did you go to the general store yesterday too?” I wondered if there would be a different reaction, but surprisingly, she nodded obediently. “Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you mention it?” “Well— people don’t like Fosao… so I couldn’t say I’d been there…”

“But you don’t like Fosao either, do you?” “Hmm—” Tia shook her head. “…No. Not that much.”

Oh my goodness. I really didn’t expect to hear such words from Tia.

Tia was the one who would tremble just by being in his presence, would immediately reject him the moment he spoke to her, and even pleaded with me not to do business with Fosao.

Just like my aunts, I thought Tia would despise Fosao forever. “Ritsu? What’s wrong?”

“Ah. Nothing. It’s just… I was a little surprised. That you’d go to that general store again.”

“You did too, Ritsu—.” Tia gave a faint smile and looked out the window. Her soft gaze seemed to be directed towards the general store.

“He’s fat, lazy, and frustrating. But he’s nicer than he looks.” “Ah… is that so?”

Now that I thought about it, I had said something like that. That everyone misunderstood Fosao. That he was a decent person once you got to know him. But back then, I was heated from the Ruyef incident and said it out of spite.

Even though he might be kind, I didn’t truly know what kind of person he was. Nevertheless, there was a strange, unwavering trust in Tia’s voice. It seemed she had talked directly with Fosao and genuinely concluded that he was a decent person.

“Well, then… that’s a relief. Now I won’t have to get caught between the two of you.” “Hehe— I guess not!”

Well… I suppose things turned out okay, somehow. I thought it would be difficult to talk to Tia because of the Ruyef incident, but surprisingly, the atmosphere quickly softened when Fosao was mentioned.

While I thought it was good, I also felt a bit uneasy. Had I become too accustomed to the villagers’ reactions? The sight of that fat, old man and the bright, cute girl talking face-to-face and smiling at each other, in such close proximity… it seemed too foreign.

Tia. Even so, wouldn’t it be better to keep a bit of distance from Fosao? If someone else saw that… your reputation might suffer. …No. I should talk about something else now. It’s just making me feel more unsettled.

“Oh, right. Tia.” “Hm?” “I actually wanted to return this.” The moment I put my hand in my pocket to take out the pocket knife—

Clatter, clatter, clatter!

An irregular noise erupted behind us, where we were facing each other. Tia startled and lifted her head, and I froze in place.

Clink— Clack! That heavy descending sound was the wooden door’s password being disengaged.

“…Huh?” Tia, greatly flustered, stood up.

Thump, thump. Someone was walking up. The time felt as slow as eternity, yet also like a mere fleeting moment.

Creak… The door opened, and a man appeared. A massive physique blocking the morning sun. A large herb bag slung over his shoulder. A unique breathing pattern, gasping for air. And even a clumsy, stammering way of speaking.

“Hoo—hoo— It’s h-hard to climb up…” That person was… “Fosao…?” …It was him.