episode_0029

Ruyef and Tia quickly climbed the mountain and arrived at Behimors. They enthusiastically dug for herbs there, sat on a rock to rest for a moment, then began to descend again.

On the way down, Tia spoke. [Ruyef. You know, can I call you ‘Loop’ from now on?] [Loop? What kind of flimsy name is that?] [I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Our names are all short, right? Ritsu, Tia, Marie. But Ruyef has one more character, and it bothered me.] [‘One character’?] Ruyef furrowed his brow. Tia immediately acknowledged her mistake. [Ah, right. Ruyef can’t read. So, to explain—if you write our names, everyone else’s is two characters, but only Ruyef’s is three characters.] [So?] [So—if I shorten Ruyef to ‘Loop,’ it becomes two characters. Doesn’t it feel like all four of us have a similar vibe, and it makes us seem closer?] […Is that so.] He nonchalantly affirmed it. [Then call me that.] [Hehe—Thanks, Loop!]

After that, Tia continued to babble, but Ruyef only pretended to listen silently.

Ruyef did not grope or embrace Tia’s body. They weren’t even close to each other in the first place. Tia was busy exploring excitedly on her own, and Ruyef merely walked with an annoyed expression.

When the sun began to set and the time was right. Ruyef, who had been silent, spoke. [Let’s go now. If we’re late, Marie will worry.] [Can’t we stay a little longer?] [No.] [Ugh—Then, let’s make a bet.] Tia pointed to the village visible far below. [If I arrive first, you have to listen to me next time! If you win, I’ll follow without a word!] [No, kid. You’ll get hurt.] [Are you scared, perhaps? Aww—I didn’t think you were like that—.] Ruyef, who had steadfastly maintained his composure, slightly furrowed his brow. […Huh? Me, scared? You, I’ll make you regret those words.] [Alright. So you accept the challenge?] [Tch.] Without a word, Ruyef dashed off first. [Hey! Loop! That’s cheating!]

Soon, the two began to descend the mountain competitively. They were so fast that trees and rocks whizzed past. Ruyef ran stubbornly along a single path, but. Tia cleverly found faster routes, and sometimes even bravely pushed through dangerous paths.

Despite the three-year age difference and being a girl. Before long, Tia was surpassing Ruyef. [Hahaha! What, Loop! You’re slower than I thought—!] […Tch!]

Like a pursuing eagle and a fleeing rabbit. The two sped through the mountain valley. That’s when it happened.

The moment Tia stepped on a rock below. She slipped on the moss with a slide, and instantly plummeted downwards. [Ah?!] [Tia!] A perilous moment, almost rolling off the cliff. *Thud!* Tia quickly grabbed a branch and braced against the fall. Soon after, Ruyef followed and pulled Tia up from the cliff. [Hey! What did I tell you?! I said it was dangerous!] [Hehe—You’re right. But…] She couldn’t stand up. Her right leg hung limp as if paralyzed. [My leg, it won’t move.] Ruyef rolled up his sleeve. He carefully touched Tia’s leg. Starting from her ankle, up to her calf, her knee. And when he lightly touched her thigh. [Ahh!] [Here it is. Fortunately, it’s not a bone injury. Just a slight muscle strain. It’ll heal quickly if we stabilize it for a bit. The problem is… night will be here soon.] [Ugh…] [Wait here for a moment.] Ruyef brought back several thick, sturdy branches from somewhere. He swung his woodcutting knife around to trim them straight, then wove them together one by one with vines. Without any urgency. Yet, he made a splint very quickly. He placed the splint on Tia’s leg and took out bandages from his pocket to wrap around it. One wasn’t enough, so he even used Tia’s, wrapping it tightly. [Ouch!] [Bear it.] Finally, he took off his own clothes and used them to firmly secure the thigh area. Ruyef wiped his sweat. [Tch. Thanks to the bandage that Ritsu gave, I can breathe a little easier.] [Uh-huh…] [When we go back, tell him thank you. Now, quickly get on my back.] [Ugh…] [Damn it. The elders will scold me relentlessly. It’s going to be incredibly embarrassing if something the Village Head-nim graciously allowed turns out like this.] [I’m sorry…] [It’s fine.] Ruyef said with a resigned voice. [I’m the fool for losing my temper at your paltry provocation. If it were Ritsu, he wouldn’t have accepted such a bet.] [Oh, no! This is completely my fault! For suggesting we run—I’m sorry.] […] The two gradually fell silent. *Whoosh—.* A strange late-evening breeze blew. A man carrying a woman on his back, and a woman being carried. Ruyef was shirtless, and Tia was weakly carried on his back. There might not have been any particular meaning to it, but it was certain that their backs and chests were touching. Sweat flowing over his shoulders. The smell of sweat. A maddeningly hot warmth seeped into Tia’s cleavage. Sweat also seeped from Ruyef’s hands, dampening Tia’s pants. [Hoo—.] No matter how light Tia was, like a feather, carrying someone down a mountain was extremely arduous work. His brisk steps gradually began to lag, one by one. Soon, as complete darkness fell, the two could no longer see ahead. All they could rely on was each other’s warm body heat, the sticky sensation of skin pressed together, the sound of ragged breathing, and the thumping of their hearts.

Ruyef stopped for a moment to catch his breath. And glared at the path ahead, shrouded in darkness. [Tia.] […Hm?] [What are you going to tell Ritsu?] [Ritsu? Hmm—I’ll just tell him the truth, right? That I made a mistake, got hurt, and that’s why we’re late.] [What if he doesn’t believe you?] […Why?] [He might. That guy worries about you a lot more than you think. Ritsu is… smart, but sometimes he gets so engrossed in his own thoughts that he becomes blind to other things.] [Hehe—. It’s okay! Especially to Ritsu, who worries so much! I think I should be even more honest. Then he’ll definitely believe me! After all, Ritsu and I… know what each other is thinking just by looking into each other’s eyes—.] […] It was dark and hard to see clearly, but Tia was definitely smiling. Ruyef stared blankly at that smile, then lowered his head. […Is that so.] [Huh? What did you just say?] [No. That’s enough.] [Whoa?!] Ruyef immediately swung Tia onto his back. [Tia. When we get down to the village, just keep your mouth shut. I’ll take care of everything.] [Huh?! No! I’ll explain to the elders! That it was all my fault…] [No. You need to go to Ritsu.] With that, he walked silently forward. [Reassuring the person who worries about you the most. That’s the priority.]

***

*Whoosh—!* The memory scattered. “It was true.” That’s right. Tia had told nothing but the truth from beginning to end. There was nothing strange or suspicious that I had doubted. Even to me, the one at fault wasn’t Ruyef, but Tia, who had ignored the warning and acted recklessly. Yet Ruyef had simply claimed it was his fault and willingly took the blame. “…” I felt apologetic. I covered my face, ashamed of what I had done. But it was too late to feel sorry now. Ruyef had already left. If I could meet Ruyef again next time. Then, I would properly convey my apology.

I turned my head. A sudden urge to see more arose. I immediately touched another object. Each time, I could glimpse one of Tia’s memories. As I watched, I realized that I was with Tia much more than I thought. It made sense. Whatever we did, we did together. I was always present in even the smallest memories, and from an observer’s perspective, we were practically inseparable, almost like a married couple.

While looking at various objects, I suddenly saw Tia’s shirt fallen under the bed. I casually picked it up, intending to tidy it properly. At that moment. *Whoosh—!* [Haa… haa…] Suddenly, groaning sounds were heard from somewhere. It was a pitch-black night. Tia’s body was hot like lava, and sticky sweat flowed down her neck and chest. I thought she might be having a nightmare, but that wasn’t it. Tia was lying on the bed. And for some reason, she had buried her face in her discarded shirt. *Rustle— rustle—.* She placed her left arm between her legs and kept rubbing the same spot with her fingers. As Tia slightly parted her lips, hot breaths escaped. [Haa—. Haah—. Ung…] Tia half-pulled back the blanket. Then, Tia’s pure white, naked body, without a single thread on it, was revealed. [Ung…] As she continued to touch her groin with her fingers. She bit her lip slightly to suppress her moans. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her slender waist occasionally twitched. *Thump. Thump.* At that utterly sensual expression and body, my heart pounded insanely fast. I didn’t even know if this heartbeat was Tia’s or mine. She moved her fingers a little faster. Her palm and short pubic hair brushed together, making a rustling sound, and the sticky mucous membrane rubbed, making a squishing sound. *Squish. Squish.* Her fingers and inner thighs were completely soaked. They gleamed in the moonlight. From her panting breaths, a strong, rich apple scent wafted. Then, at some point. Tia suddenly squeezed her eyes shut and closed her legs as if she had felt something. […♥!!] She buried her face in the clothes she was holding. Her fervent breaths brushed through the clothes, making soft huffing sounds. Between her disheveled red hair, her reddened ears were clearly visible. [Haa—. Haa—.] Tia removed her fingers. A transparent liquid stretched between her lower abdomen and fingers. The girl, who had been staring blankly at it, seemed exhausted, and let her arm fall limply. Wiping the pooled tears on her pillow. Tia exhaled a breath filled with moisture. [Haa…]

***

*Whoosh—!* I immediately pulled myself out of the memory illusion. “W-What was that…?” My heart was pounding too hard. It was so violent that I could hear my own heartbeat reverberating. With trembling hands, I grabbed the waistband of my pants. My lower body was swollen as if it would burst, and I didn’t know what to do. To be honest, I had masturbated before while imagining something erotic. But I never expected Tia to be doing such a thing. It felt unfamiliar. It was hard to accept such a disheveled appearance. The Tia I knew wasn’t like this. She was always lively and healthy, and though a bit clumsy, she always took care of her own responsibilities. She was as bright as the sun, so I couldn’t even imagine her doing something so lewd. But… she was moaning with such an erotic voice, and rubbing herself with her fingers to masturbate? It was so unexpected that I was shocked. This was… my mistake. It was a ‘memory’ that Tia would hide and be ashamed of. I ended up peeking at it on my own accord. “Ugh…” That flushed expression of hers kept coming to mind. I’m going crazy. I’m so aroused I feel like I’m losing my mind. If that hadn’t been a memory. If she had done that in front of me… I feel like I would have unconsciously laid hands on Tia. Then would Tia also pant like Aunt Merid? Would she cover her face in embarrassment? Would she painfully hold back moans that threatened to escape, and accept me? Startled, I shook my head vigorously. …No. What am I even saying right now? Let’s get a grip. “Hoo…” I should stop peeking now.

Just as I stood up to go outside. *Clink.* Something was caught under my foot. It was a belt that had fallen out while rummaging through the wardrobe. This is… Tia’s, isn’t it? A small pocket was attached to the belt, and when I opened it, there was a single bandage inside. The bandage was unusually red. It was completely dyed red, as if it were made from red cloth from the start, rather than just being used to wrap a wound once. What is this? Out of curiosity, I picked up the bandage. *Whoosh—!* At that moment, a multitude of memories suddenly began to churn through my mind. A truly enormous and vast story, as if my soul would be pulled out. “…Gasp!” I quickly regained my senses and prevented myself from plunging completely into the past, but. The fragmented scenes I had seen… were entirely new and unfamiliar. And soon I realized. This was… the story of what happened to Tia while I was asleep. This seems like it will be a long one. If I wanted to check all the memories tied to this red bandage, I needed a comfortable and safe place. I took the bandage and immediately returned to Aunt Sherry’s house. “Ritsu, it’s late. Where have you been?” “Ah, just… took a walk.” “Hoho. Alright. Go to sleep now.” “Yes. Good night to you too, Aunt-nim.” *Clack.* I closed the door. For some reason, tonight was exceptionally quiet. I slowly lay down on the bed. And I took out the red bandage, gripping it tightly in my hand. Will it be alright? They said that if I see such a vast amount of memories, I might lose myself at some point. …No. Even so, I must see it. What Tia’s ‘untold story’ is. I must observe every single past event without omission. Because that is the only way I can trust Tia. As sleep gradually overwhelmed me. I fell into a distant and deep illusion of memories.