episode_0205

Side Story – Long Live Life #4

“Luhuh, look at the squirrel that this mini caught… ! It is clear that no daughter can catch a squirrel as cool as that Minnie… !”

“It’s really cool… ! Neo also wants to pet that squirrel… !”

Ssuk seu-.

The children gathered around were clamoring to pet a squirrel.

The squirrel makes a ━crumbling sound as if it is annoyed by children stroking its fur or pulling its tail. ! He cried and ran away.

As many as ten children came after the squirrel and chased after it.

It was not a very common sight in the kingdom these days for there to be more children than squirrels running around in the fields.

Looking around, there were many children.

When you see a lot of children, no matter how cruel the men are, they are bound to tidy up their bodies once in a while.

Grumbling-.

The flame of a bonfire burning in the wide open space of Agarpe Estate.

People put meat on sticks and grilled it over an open flame while watching the children playing.

Sizzling-.

The children who were running around at the evening banquet, dripping with oil and giving off a delicious smell, stopped one by one and returned to their mothers’ arms.

“You have to share it among yourselves.”

Psyche cut the grilled barbecue into small pieces that were easy for the children to eat, and distributed them to each person on their plate.

Other mothers also took care of their children like Psyche, and the children’s father, who watched them happily, filled each other’s beer glasses and chatted with each other.

“What does the deer I hunt taste like? Isn’t it great?”

“The wild boar I caught was better… .”

It was a peaceful and comfortable Thanksgiving celebration.

It was a summer night so it was a little hot and there were mosquitoes buzzing around my ears, but other than that it was an extremely satisfying day.

“Hyde, would you like a drink too?”

Sze-.

At that time, Milione approached me with a cold cup of beer.

I shook my head calmly.

“I don’t drink alcohol.”

“Unchangingly a weird guy. Even if the world changes, you never change.”

is it.

That was also correct.

In fact, people do not change easily once they reach a certain age.

Sze-.

Milione held out something to me.

It was a cast iron mask with a red pattern.

“I found it in the warehouse. There was dust piled up. It’s been a long time, right?”

“It’s definitely been a while. I looked to see where it was, but couldn’t find it, so I just gave up.”

This mask was my face.

But it’s been a long time since I stopped using it.

I wonder when was the last time I wore a mask.

Milione sat next to me as I slowly recollected my memories, like harvesting fallen grain, and asked.

“Why did you find the mask? Do you want to use it again?”

“No. just. Rather, it looks a little different from when I knew it.”

“Ah, that. It was so dusty and worn that I cleaned it, but the cross drawn on it was also erased. So I drew it again, but for some reason it ended up like this.”

The mask, which was supposed to have a red cross drawn on a cast iron plate, had an odd heart shape (♡) in red.

“What must happen for a cross to become a heart?”

I asked.

However, I was able to understand the situation without even hearing an answer from Milione.

The heart shape was very crooked, and if you looked closely, there were small letters scribbled on it like ‘Melong’ or ‘Fool’.

It seemed like the kids were playing around by drawing various pictures on the masks.

“Would you like me to wipe it clean? That mask is still quite a precious item.”

Milione asked.

After staring at the mask with hearts and children’s scribbles on it for a while, I thought about all the adventures I had done while wearing this mask, and finally shook my head.

“No. This will be fine as is.”

“I knew you would say that, but whatever. The cross is actually a symbol of love, right? There is really no difference between a heart shape and a cross.”

For some reason, Milione displayed a sharp intellect.

As Milione said, the meaning of the cross was actually love.

This is because (│), which means love between the Lord Elohim and humans, and (─), which means love between people, meet to form (┼).

Sze-.

Milione took something out of her arms.

It was a whirlpool mask.

“I am. Actually, I might have wanted to complain. I think I wanted to get angry about things not going my way. When I wore a mask, it was easy to get angry.”

Shook-.

The mask thrown from Milione’s hand went into the bonfire and burned. Now Milione will no longer have to wear a mask.

“Are you no longer angry?”

I asked.

Then Milione said.

“No. However, I learned how to be angry properly without wearing a mask. Hyde, what about you? You are. You actually love people, right?”

“Well.”

“People who are ugly and blushing, who point and shake their fists at each other and hate each other terribly, but you loved those people.”

Maybe Milione was right.

I liked this world.

That’s why I can’t hate it.

Isn’t this world itself a masterpiece created by the Lord Elohim?

“No matter what, Rust, wearing a mask, eventually discussed love. We talked about loves that were too shameful to be talked about with a bare face. People liked that story.”

Sze-.

Milione’s hand held mine.

The hands that used to hit and crush people were now used for things like petting children, cooking, and doing laundry.

“Hyde, I am. Love you. Neo, who looks like you, and although I haven’t said it honestly, I think it’s good to be noisy with Psyche and Lucy. How about you?”

“I… .”

love-.

Is there any other story as shameful as that?

I still dreamed of becoming a faithful pastor, but I couldn’t easily say that out loud.

Maybe it’s because they didn’t receive adequate affection from their parents when they were young.

Or maybe it’s because I got older and rolled in all kinds of mud.

Maybe it’s just that I’m less honest and shy than I thought.

Sze-.

I looked at the mask in my hand.

I knew very well that if I wrote this, I, the coward I was, would hide in the name of Hyde and show my brave side.

But it didn’t seem necessary.

“I want to burn myself in a fire like this. Since there are drawings made by children, it would be a shame to throw them away. Hedone, Mini, Neo. Come here and get this for anyone.”

As I stood up and spoke, the children came over and took the mask from me.

“I want to use Hedone… ! It means that if you wear this heart-shaped mask, you will definitely become the magical girl Hedone… !”

“This mini also wants to become a supermini… !”

“I, too, want to become Neo Neo… !”

The children clamored to wear heart-shaped masks. Masks would be a fun toy for children.

Psyche and Lucy saw that and slowly approached me.

“Hyde, that’s what that mask is.”

“Are you okay? Even if you give that to your kids. It’s a precious thing in its own way.”

It probably means that my future life will be okay without that mask.

Hmm.

I cleared my throat calmly.

And said:

“It’s okay. Because I love everyone. Now I can say things like that without a mask. In the first place, such a story had to be told without a mask.”

OK-.

Everyone’s gaze changed moment by moment, and their expressions changed drastically.

Pot-.

Milione takes my hand again.

“What? I love Milione so much that I want to give her the world as a gift?”

“From what I heard, it sounded like I loved Psyche more than all the flowers in the world.”

“I was told that he would make sure I never get bored with love for the rest of my life! This is my first time hearing such a romantic confession of love!”

Did I say those things?

People seem to hear only what they want to hear and see only what they want to see.

I should do the same.

“Then, shall I present my new work, “Dreamland of the Back Alley Nymph”?”

Sze-.

I stood up and shouted at everyone.

# # #

Excited, Excited-.

I thought it was something I had gotten used to, but it was always a thrill to show others my newly written story.

What if the response is not good?

Because I thought, what if other people don’t like the stories of the characters I worked so hard to write?

So I covered my face with a piece of wood that was lying nearby. Then I calmed down a little and was able to muster the courage to shout out.

“I’m selling books. book. The title is “The Back Alley Nymph’s Dream Garden,” and as far as this book is concerned, it is a masterpiece among masterpieces that contains all my theological essence and reflections on life!”

I went towards the city and shouted.

People looked at me and grumbled, saying “You’re wearing a strange mask!” or “Who buys books like that?”.

I wondered if price might be the problem.

Five gold coins per book could have been a burdensome price even in today’s post-war world where prices are stabilizing.

“1 gold coin per book! This is completely free!”

But it didn’t sell.

5 silver coins.

1 fairy tale.

Finally, the price of my book gradually went down until it finally became free.

Originally, the Bible says to give food to the hungry and take off your clothes to the naked.

It was natural for me to give away the “Backstreet Nymph” series, which was both bread and clothing, for free to spiritually starving and spiritually naked people.

but-.

My story was somehow strangely unpopular.

People were just busy walking around the streets and either ignored me or treated me like I didn’t exist.

“Hey, give me that book.”

Then someone came up to me.

I don’t know if he was a retired soldier or a robber, but he had a bald head full of scars, a very grim look, and seemed uncultured.

“Are you planning to use it as a pot holder?”

I asked.

Then the man shook his head.

“No.”

“So, are you planning to use it as cleaning paper when you go to the bathroom?”

“No.”

“So, are you planning to tear up the paper and take it with you to fold the scabs, blow your nose, etc.?”

“No. Hyde, a young priest. What on earth do you think of books? I just want to read it.”

I was surprised.

Even though I’m wearing a mask, they recognize me as Hyde.

“How did you know I was Hyde?”

“Wouldn’t it be natural to find out that much? We all know.”

is it.

It seemed that I could no longer hide my identity even with a mask.

It feels strange.

anyway.

The man who looked like a bandit accepted and offered to read the book I had written. He opened the book on the spot, read a few pages, and was impressed.

“It’s quite fun. It’s much better than anything I’ve read so far.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. I’d like to take some copies and give them to my children. Please give me 5 volumes. I will buy each book for 1 silver coin.”

Sze-.

The man disappeared into the distance carrying several books.

Now I see that there are pretty girls waiting for a man in the alley.

As I watched the back of the man disappearing with them, I took off the piece of wood I was wearing on my face.

“Tomorrow, I have to come out a little earlier in the morning and promote it.”

But today it is late.

Like that man, I should go to where my family is waiting.

As I turned around and headed home, I suddenly realized that I was not lonely.

My steps got faster and faster and I finally went to the dinner table where my family was gathered and spoke.

“Everyone, listen! Today I sold five books, one silver coin each!”

Life was truly unknown and enjoyable.