episode_0015

“Can I sleep at your house today?”

-Cluck, cluck, cluck…!

Cerys looked back and forth between me and Kara with an expression of disbelief.

“Kara! I suddenly want to sleep at Yoosung’s house! Are you out of your mind?!”

“Sister, why are you screaming?”

“You don’t seem to be screaming anymore?! How could a girl say something like that so easily…”

“Seris I was so excited. Calm down.”

Cerise was so excited that she stood up with her hands on the table. I sat her down again and calmed her down.

“Anyway, Kara, do you want to sleep at my house? Can I ask why?”

“No money saved…”

Kara made a rare shady face.

“No money saved?”

“Do you mean the daily wage here is 7 copper? Here, if you spend 2 copper for accommodation and 2 copper for food, you will only have 3 copper per day left. When will I become an adventurer with all this money? So, I’m trying to reduce my lodging expenses. …No?”

“No!!”

“I didn’t ask my sister! Can’t you, brother?”

“I said it wouldn’t work!!”

“Well, it’s not like it can’t be done… My house would be very shabby. Are you okay?”

“Yuseong?!”

“Yes, it’s okay! I’m staying for free, so what if it’s shabby!”

“Kara! What can I say…”

“I understand. Don’t complain later.”

“What…”

“Don’t worry. Because all I really need to do is sleep. Hehe.”

“What…”

“No bed?”

“What…”

“Eck… That’s a bit…”

“ㅁ…”

“If you don’t like it, there’s nothing you can do. Just pay 2 copper and sleep at the inn.”

“…”

“Ugh… I understand. It’s okay even if you don’t have a bed or anything else!”

“…”

Kara and I laughed and talked. Seris just sat blankly.

* * *

“…are you really going to follow me?”

“Yes! why? Can’t you go?”

“It’s not like that…”

Kara looked somewhat dissatisfied. I chuckled and handed the cloth to Kara.

“Why is this?”

“You should cover your face too. My house is in a place with poor security.”

“…Yes?”

Cerise’s voice became anxious.

“Is that… okay..?”

“It’s okay as long as you listen to me carefully. Never do something when you are told not to. If you do something strange, you could get kidnapped.”

“…Are you kidding?”

I wordlessly rolled up Kara’s face with a cloth. Cerise grabbed my sleeve and shook me, urging me to answer.

“You’re kidding, right? Right?”

“Sister, stop it. Why are you like this from earlier? Really?”

“Kara. It’s called kidnapping! Kidnapping! Something might happen…!”

“You can clearly see that my brother was just joking. Otherwise, how is your brother doing well there?”

“Ah…”

“If you’re that scared, you should sleep at the inn. That’s okay, right?”

“That’s not possible.”

It was a firm tone. Like a father who objects when his daughter says she wants to go on a two-day, one-night trip with her lover.

“Tch…”

Kara clicked her tongue. I laughed lightly and walked towards the cabin with the two of us.

As we got closer to the slums, there were fewer lights illuminating the dark streets. Soon, the only thing left to brighten the dark streets was the moonlight in the sky.

“…I stayed at the inn too long.”

I should have made some noise and left.

As the street became dark and the atmosphere became cold, not only Seris but even Kara looked nervous.

I tried to ease their tension with a joke.

“Stand there. If you don’t want to break the bank, give me anything that can make money.”

However, the robber who appeared in front of him interfered. The guy had his face covered with a cloth, and he came towards me holding a small dagger.

“Hi..!”

Seris was appalled. Kara swallowed so loudly that a gulping sound could be heard.

“Oh? There are women too. I can enjoy it for the first time in a long time.”

The robber chuckled and laughed. As I was wondering how to react, a trembling hand grabbed my hand.

It was Seris.

Her eyes, visible through the cloth, were filled with tears.

I think it would be better not to joke around.

“Calix stop fucking and put the knife in.”

“Hang? Who is Calix again?”

“Don’t be damned, just put it in.”

“…It’s not fun anyway.”

Calix, who was pretending to be a robber, put his knife away.

“If I adjust it a little, what will happen?”

“If you did well, I would have guessed it. But it looked so fucking lifeless.”

“It’s too much. But what about the women in the back? Lover?”

Calix glanced at Seris and Kara. I covered them in front of him.

“Pay attention. What brought you here?”

Since the Masked Group was ruined, there was no reason for Calix to come visit me. Still, the fact that I came meant that I had something to do.

“Between us…”

“I told you not to be a dick, right?”

“Ah, okay. It’s become even more difficult now. Let’s talk with me for a moment.”

Calix said, pointing to an alleyway. He said he had something to talk about in secret.

I shook my head. Not only was it not a good decision to go into an alley at this late hour, especially in the slums, but Kara and Ceris were right behind me.

“Come to the square tomorrow at noon. Let’s talk there.”

“Um… Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. See you then. Having a good time with my lovers.”

Calix patted my shoulder and left.

“Are you Yoosung’s friend?”

“Not a friend. Just someone I know.”

“I see… Still, I’m glad it was a joke from an acquaintance of Yoosung. How surprised I was…”

“I was so surprised that my mouth fell open. Why is that oppa acting like that?”

Kara asked as if she didn’t understand.

But Calix wasn’t just playing around, he was really going around robbing. Then I got noticed.

Since I couldn’t tell the truth, I just made up some excuses.

“It’s just because he’s a bad kid. And I told you not to say it here, right? It’s dangerous.”

“Oh, right… sorry.”

“I just need to go a little further… Seris, will you please let go of my hand?”

Seris was still holding my hand tightly. She was startled and withdrew her hand. Kara narrowed her eyes at Seris.

“Ahh,..! Sorry!”

“Sister…”

“Kara, this is…”

“I told you to be quiet.”

“Yes…”

“Yes…”

* * *

Kara’s reaction upon seeing the cabin was not good.

“Living in a place like this..?”

Kara looked around the cabin with a shocked expression.

The hut is about the size of a studio, and there are many gaps here and there, so the wind blows in, so it’s understandable.

“Kara, aren’t you rude.”

Surprisingly, Seris didn’t react much. She squatted down and started a bonfire.

“It looks like the accommodation fee was a waste of money.”

“Yes?”

“No. It’s late, so let’s get some sleep. Kara also has to go to work tomorrow.”

We lay down in that order: me, Seris, and Kara. It’s because Seris got in between Kara and me. Kara had a sullen expression on her face, but fell asleep shortly after lying down on the floor.

‘Anyway, it’s been a long time since my house felt small.’

I remembered my past as a runaway family. At that time, five or six people slept in one studio.

As I was smiling and reminiscing about old memories, I heard a murmur next to me.

‘I’m sorry… I’m sorry…’

I raised my upper body and turned toward the sound. Kara was talking in her sleep with a pained expression.

“It’s been like this ever since I left the village.”

Cerise said, stroking Kara’s head.

“I guess I was very upset about giving up on the village that day.”

“…I thought it was okay to live brightly.”

“Sure.”

Seris continued to stroke Kara’s head. Until Kara’s expression became relaxed.

“If it’s hard, it would be better if you tell me that it’s hard.”

When Kara’s drooling subsided, Cerise covered Kara with the blanket again. She looked at her sister with worried eyes.

“Are you okay? Leaving the village behind.”

Goblins were attracted to the village. Sister Cerise’s feelings were not taken into consideration there. I just did it because it was something I had to do.

However, it is true that I felt uneasy seeing Kara, who was always cheerful, secretly suffering from guilt.

I asked Seris, wondering if she might be in a similar state to Kara.

Cerise smiled awkwardly at my question.

“It may seem a little cold to say this, but honestly, I don’t mind. I didn’t really like the village itself to begin with…”

That’s a good thing. I suddenly became curious, so I asked, but even if she felt guilty, there was nothing I could do. It was something that only time could solve.

“More than that, I want to hear Yoosung’s story.”

Seris said with a bright smile.

The moment I saw that smile, a throbbing pain arose in my chest. I tried to ignore that.

“My story? Why is that suddenly happening?”

“It’s a little unfair. Yoosung knows my past, but I don’t know Yoosung.”

“Is that unfair?”

“Yes! It’s so great!”

Seris nodded her head furiously. Every time her slender chin moved, her beautiful blue-silver hair followed suit.

“Mr. Yoosung?”

Oh my, I was so absorbed in it that I just watched it. I had to come to my senses when Seris revealed her face. It is my mistake.

I answered as casually as possible.

“My story? It wouldn’t be fun.”

It wasn’t that it wasn’t fun, it was just impossible to tell about it.

Because it’s a different story.

I looked like I was worried, but Seris was persistent and said that it was okay if it wasn’t interesting, and that she just wanted to hear my story.

I thought about making up a story and telling it, but I just lay down on the floor.

“Mr. Yoosung?”

“Let’s sleep. It’s late.”

“Oh, what is it? It’s unfair. Unfair!”

“Noisy. Kara I’m going to wake up.”

“Ugh… it’s too much.”

Seris lay down in her seat, pouting her mouth. He complained as if he wanted me to listen and then fell asleep.

“Ugh…”

Kara tossed and turned. It was because Seris hugged him from the side. I smiled and closed my eyes, looking at Sister Cerise who was sleeping soundly.

Because the bonfire was warm today, I was able to fall asleep easily.

And the next day.

I met Calix in the square.

“Lend me some money.”

“What?”