“What are you doing? Clean up your mess,” he said.
“Are you really going to dance with Leo?” I asked.
“Why are you suddenly bringing that up out of nowhere?” he replied.
“Well, what about me?”
He contorted his face like a betrayed lover whose spouse’s love had been stolen by the government. It was an unnecessary overinvestment, considering it was just a domestic matter and not a genuine commitment to follow through.
“Can’t you find a partner without me?”
“No, I can’t,” he answered without hesitation. It was both amusing and endearing, to the point where his head seemed incapable of functioning properly, extending to his eyes. Goodness gracious, Kamian was adorable. Perhaps it was indeed time for me to perish.
However, not a playful remark about partnering with him came out. As my silence lingered, his expression grew darker.
“I hate dancing,” he finally said, as if that was the most he could muster. Kamian opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but I was quicker to call for Sherry.
“Sherry, turn around and look at me. You look beautiful. Leo will be pleasantly surprised when he comes today.”
“I’m going to show Tom later too!”
Sherry continued to fuss with the ribbon at the tip of her hair, but when she glanced at me, she smirked playfully. I chuckled along, relieved that yesterday’s sight hadn’t deeply shocked her.
Leo arrived earlier than expected. It was during our lively game of hide-and-seek with Sherry, and she was putting on quite a performance, pretending not to find me while hiding behind the carriage.
“Liv, Kamian!” he called out.
We turned our heads as we aimlessly flipped over the pebbles on the ground. Low and behold, there came Leo, a lanky figure sporting spectacles larger than his own face. His unsteady gait, burdened by hands full of luggage, appeared precarious. Leo seemed eager to greet us, yearning to at least wave his hand in delight. However, hindered by the weight of his baggage, his arms kept twitching involuntarily.
“Oh, Leo!”
Sherry, who had been hiding behind the cart, burst forth like a lightning bolt.
“Sherry, run over slowly and be careful…”
Before the words could fully escape my lips, Sherry’s cry pierced the air.
* * *
“How long has it been? Are you doing well?” Leo embraced Sherry, offering a belated greeting.
“We’re still the same, you know.”
“Yeah, that’s true. You two still look close.”
I responded with an awkward smile, serving as a substitute for an answer.
“And how is the capital? Is it livable?”
“I understand why people flock to the capital. It’s a place where new things always happen. There’s a grander temple than in our town, and more worshippers praying there. The pagoda stands tall, piercing through the clouds, and I yearn to climb up and see what lies atop. It must feel like standing in the sky. Adventurers from various countries unveil marvellous artifacts and tales. It’s like an ever-flowing spring.”
In the midst of our long-awaited reunion, Leo enthusiastically rambled on about the conventional questions we always asked. Well, he seemed genuinely excited, appearing to be doing well.
“Liv, I really want to invite you to the capital. I’m sure you’d like it. Oh, and Kamian too.”
“Sure, if I have the opportunity, I’ll visit.”
I replied in a manner similar to a Korean saying, “Let’s have a meal next time.” I knew I wouldn’t have a reason to go to the capital, so I simply responded out of courtesy. However, Leo was genuinely pleased. He even exclaimed that he would mark it on his calendar right away… I couldn’t help but feel a bit apologetic.
“So, when will you come? I don’t mean you have to decide the exact date now, just roughly when?”
Kamian abruptly placed his arm on my shoulder and pulled me closer, as if to entice me.
“I’ll let you know after discussing it with Liv. We need to coordinate our schedules.”
I raised my head and gazed at Kamian’s chin. Is he really serious about this?
“Really? Then let’s come separately. There’s no need to come together…”
“We must not go separately.”
“Don’t worry about Liv’s condition. I have no intention of letting Liv come to the capital alone. I’ll come to pick you up right in front of your house, and we’ll ride the carriage together. The same goes for when we return.”
“What does it matter?”
“Huh?”
“I won’t be there.”
What nonsense is he spouting again? Kamian behaved as if Leo’s words were just a joke.
“Liv can’t sleep without me.”
I couldn’t remain silent after hearing that. I raised my head, staring straight at him.
“Hey, to the point where you can’t sleep without me…”
“Have you ever slept somewhere without me?”
“…”
Naturally, I thought there would be such occasions in our fifteen years of memories. Even if we didn’t sleep in the same room, whenever I called out Kamian’s name in the early hours of the morning, he would be within reach, ready to come to me.
“…Never.”
“What are you doing? Clean up your mess,” he said.
“Are you really going to dance with Leo?” I asked.
“Why are you suddenly bringing that up out of nowhere?” he replied.
“Well, what about me?”
He contorted his face like a betrayed lover whose spouse’s love had been stolen by the government. It was an unnecessary overinvestment, considering it was just a domestic matter and not a genuine commitment to follow through.
“Can’t you find a partner without me?”
“No, I can’t,” he answered without hesitation. It was both amusing and endearing, to the point where his head seemed incapable of functioning properly, extending to his eyes. Goodness gracious, Kamian was adorable. Perhaps it was indeed time for me to perish.
However, not a playful remark about partnering with him came out. As my silence lingered, his expression grew darker.
“I hate dancing,” he finally said, as if that was the most he could muster. Kamian opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but I was quicker to call for Sherry.
“Sherry, turn around and look at me. You look beautiful. Leo will be pleasantly surprised when he comes today.”
“I’m going to show Tom later too!”
Sherry continued to fuss with the ribbon at the tip of her hair, but when she glanced at me, she smirked playfully. I chuckled along, relieved that yesterday’s sight hadn’t deeply shocked her.
Leo arrived earlier than expected. It was during our lively game of hide-and-seek with Sherry, and she was putting on quite a performance, pretending not to find me while hiding behind the carriage.
“Liv, Kamian!” he called out.
We turned our heads as we aimlessly flipped over the pebbles on the ground. Low and behold, there came Leo, a lanky figure sporting spectacles larger than his own face. His unsteady gait, burdened by hands full of luggage, appeared precarious. Leo seemed eager to greet us, yearning to at least wave his hand in delight. However, hindered by the weight of his baggage, his arms kept twitching involuntarily.
“Oh, Leo!”
Sherry, who had been hiding behind the cart, burst forth like a lightning bolt.
“Sherry, run over slowly and be careful…”
Before the words could fully escape my lips, Sherry’s cry pierced the air.
* * *
“How long has it been? Are you doing well?” Leo embraced Sherry, offering a belated greeting.
“We’re still the same, you know.”
“Yeah, that’s true. You two still look close.”
I responded with an awkward smile, serving as a substitute for an answer.
“And how is the capital? Is it livable?”
“I understand why people flock to the capital. It’s a place where new things always happen. There’s a grander temple than in our town, and more worshippers praying there. The pagoda stands tall, piercing through the clouds, and I yearn to climb up and see what lies atop. It must feel like standing in the sky. Adventurers from various countries unveil marvellous artifacts and tales. It’s like an ever-flowing spring.”
In the midst of our long-awaited reunion, Leo enthusiastically rambled on about the conventional questions we always asked. Well, he seemed genuinely excited, appearing to be doing well.
“Liv, I really want to invite you to the capital. I’m sure you’d like it. Oh, and Kamian too.”
“Sure, if I have the opportunity, I’ll visit.”
I replied in a manner similar to a Korean saying, “Let’s have a meal next time.” I knew I wouldn’t have a reason to go to the capital, so I simply responded out of courtesy. However, Leo was genuinely pleased. He even exclaimed that he would mark it on his calendar right away… I couldn’t help but feel a bit apologetic.
“So, when will you come? I don’t mean you have to decide the exact date now, just roughly when?”
Kamian abruptly placed his arm on my shoulder and pulled me closer, as if to entice me.
“I’ll let you know after discussing it with Liv. We need to coordinate our schedules.”
I raised my head and gazed at Kamian’s chin. Is he really serious about this?
“Really? Then let’s come separately. There’s no need to come together…”
“We must not go separately.”
“Don’t worry about Liv’s condition. I have no intention of letting Liv come to the capital alone. I’ll come to pick you up right in front of your house, and we’ll ride the carriage together. The same goes for when we return.”
“What does it matter?”
“Huh?”
“I won’t be there.”
What nonsense is he spouting again? Kamian behaved as if Leo’s words were just a joke.
“Liv can’t sleep without me.”
I couldn’t remain silent after hearing that. I raised my head, staring straight at him.
“Hey, to the point where you can’t sleep without me…”
“Have you ever slept somewhere without me?”
“…”
Naturally, I thought there would be such occasions in our fifteen years of memories. Even if we didn’t sleep in the same room, whenever I called out Kamian’s name in the early hours of the morning, he would be within reach, ready to come to me.
“…Never.”
