His chest expanded and his posture straightened abruptly on that subject.
“….”
Noticing my lack of reaction, Leo anxiously kept looking my way, his once straight posture gradually becoming more slouched.
“Am I not impressive enough?”
“…I’ve seen you cower in fear of a chicken too.”
I spoke honestly. Leo, feeling embarrassed, pressed his lips together and scratched the back of his head.
“But for you, I can face any chicken in a battle.”
“Why fight when we just need to collect the eggs?”
Unintentionally, I relayed to Leo the words Kamian had said to me. Leo, like me a moment ago, couldn’t find a rebuttal and wore an uncertain expression. I wondered if I had looked the same way. I lightly tapped his back, just like he did to me.
“Let’s gather the eggs diligently.”
Leo smiled in response to my brief encouragement, melting like a river. It felt somewhat disconcerting to witness such a radiant expression from such simple words thrown casually.
Leo swept his dishevelled hair back and flicked off the dust on his clothes with a flick, flick. His gestures to tidy himself revealed a determined resolve.
“I won’t disappoint you, Liv.”
Someone might mistake him for a general about to execute a captured enemy commander. Why make such a fuss over collecting a few eggs? However, since I had no intention of dampening his spirits, I simply nodded without saying a word.
As Leo fearlessly strode toward the chickens, I, too, opened my eyes wide. I had to gather more eggs than Leo. That way, I might have a chance to see Kamian.
But my aspirations didn’t last long. Due to Leo and I being in such a flap, the chickens became excessively sensitive. Even the slightest provocation sent them into a frenzy, chasing us aggressively as if on the verge of self-combusting.
“Ouch! Kamian!”
The voice calling Kamian eagerly wasn’t mine. Leo, with a face full of terror, was pleading for help from Kamian. Although Kamian wore a blatantly annoyed expression, none of that seemed to register in Leo’s eyes.
Why did you say you wouldn’t disappoint me? But even amidst the chaos of being chased by the chickens, Leo clung tightly to the eggs in his hands. His determination elevated him.
Kamian nonchalantly brushed past Leo, running at full speed towards him. Even though Leo desperately called out for him, Kamian continued walking without stopping. In my eyes, Kamian’s figure grew larger and larger. Thump. When Kamian stopped with both feet, my field of vision was filled with his legs.
“What are you doing here?”
Kamian suddenly bent his knees and sat down, aligning his eyes with mine.
“…Taking a short break.”
“Among the haystacks?”
“I would never dare speak of hiding because of fear of the chickens. Although it seemed safest next to Kamian, I couldn’t bring myself to seek refuge by his side, as he had previously vehemently refused to let me join him on the bench. I felt foolish.
“Rise, there’s too much dust there.”
I pushed away the arms that were approaching me and crawled out on all fours, struggling to free myself. In case Kamian tried to brush off the dust from my clothes before I could escape, I quickly flicked my garments with my hand and lightly shook my body.
Kamian silently observed my actions with his characteristic expressionless face.
“You were so eager to embrace me earlier.”
“……”
“And now you don’t even want my touch?”
“I made a mistake earlier because I got startled by the chickens. I tried to come to you, Leo.”
“So what?”
“What do you mean, ‘so what’?”
“It’s true that you don’t want my touch?”
His voice sounded as indifferent as usual, the same unemotional tone he used when saying things like “get up” or “let’s exercise.” However, I noticed a ripple in his calm lake-like eyes. I didn’t have the courage to decipher the meaning behind those waves.
“It’s just a bit of dust on my clothes, a small imperfection. Don’t make hasty judgments and blow it out of proportion.”
Kamian closed his mouth and quietly gazed at me. Before he could say anything else, I turned away from him. At that moment, Leo was shaking his hand towards me.
“Liv!”
Without hesitation, I approached Leo. He tried to show me his basket and chatted away, but I couldn’t hear a single word that reached my ears. What expression was Kamian wearing behind me? Curiosity mingled with concern filled my mind.
In truth, it was such a trivial matter. I had merely brushed off Kamian’s hand and crawled out from between the haystacks, nothing more. I couldn’t understand why it had become so grave.
“Now, let’s go back.”
His chest expanded and his posture straightened abruptly on that subject.
“….”
Noticing my lack of reaction, Leo anxiously kept looking my way, his once straight posture gradually becoming more slouched.
“Am I not impressive enough?”
“…I’ve seen you cower in fear of a chicken too.”
I spoke honestly. Leo, feeling embarrassed, pressed his lips together and scratched the back of his head.
“But for you, I can face any chicken in a battle.”
“Why fight when we just need to collect the eggs?”
Unintentionally, I relayed to Leo the words Kamian had said to me. Leo, like me a moment ago, couldn’t find a rebuttal and wore an uncertain expression. I wondered if I had looked the same way. I lightly tapped his back, just like he did to me.
“Let’s gather the eggs diligently.”
Leo smiled in response to my brief encouragement, melting like a river. It felt somewhat disconcerting to witness such a radiant expression from such simple words thrown casually.
Leo swept his dishevelled hair back and flicked off the dust on his clothes with a flick, flick. His gestures to tidy himself revealed a determined resolve.
“I won’t disappoint you, Liv.”
Someone might mistake him for a general about to execute a captured enemy commander. Why make such a fuss over collecting a few eggs? However, since I had no intention of dampening his spirits, I simply nodded without saying a word.
As Leo fearlessly strode toward the chickens, I, too, opened my eyes wide. I had to gather more eggs than Leo. That way, I might have a chance to see Kamian.
But my aspirations didn’t last long. Due to Leo and I being in such a flap, the chickens became excessively sensitive. Even the slightest provocation sent them into a frenzy, chasing us aggressively as if on the verge of self-combusting.
“Ouch! Kamian!”
The voice calling Kamian eagerly wasn’t mine. Leo, with a face full of terror, was pleading for help from Kamian. Although Kamian wore a blatantly annoyed expression, none of that seemed to register in Leo’s eyes.
Why did you say you wouldn’t disappoint me? But even amidst the chaos of being chased by the chickens, Leo clung tightly to the eggs in his hands. His determination elevated him.
Kamian nonchalantly brushed past Leo, running at full speed towards him. Even though Leo desperately called out for him, Kamian continued walking without stopping. In my eyes, Kamian’s figure grew larger and larger. Thump. When Kamian stopped with both feet, my field of vision was filled with his legs.
“What are you doing here?”
Kamian suddenly bent his knees and sat down, aligning his eyes with mine.
“…Taking a short break.”
“Among the haystacks?”
“I would never dare speak of hiding because of fear of the chickens. Although it seemed safest next to Kamian, I couldn’t bring myself to seek refuge by his side, as he had previously vehemently refused to let me join him on the bench. I felt foolish.
“Rise, there’s too much dust there.”
I pushed away the arms that were approaching me and crawled out on all fours, struggling to free myself. In case Kamian tried to brush off the dust from my clothes before I could escape, I quickly flicked my garments with my hand and lightly shook my body.
Kamian silently observed my actions with his characteristic expressionless face.
“You were so eager to embrace me earlier.”
“……”
“And now you don’t even want my touch?”
“I made a mistake earlier because I got startled by the chickens. I tried to come to you, Leo.”
“So what?”
“What do you mean, ‘so what’?”
“It’s true that you don’t want my touch?”
His voice sounded as indifferent as usual, the same unemotional tone he used when saying things like “get up” or “let’s exercise.” However, I noticed a ripple in his calm lake-like eyes. I didn’t have the courage to decipher the meaning behind those waves.
“It’s just a bit of dust on my clothes, a small imperfection. Don’t make hasty judgments and blow it out of proportion.”
Kamian closed his mouth and quietly gazed at me. Before he could say anything else, I turned away from him. At that moment, Leo was shaking his hand towards me.
“Liv!”
Without hesitation, I approached Leo. He tried to show me his basket and chatted away, but I couldn’t hear a single word that reached my ears. What expression was Kamian wearing behind me? Curiosity mingled with concern filled my mind.
In truth, it was such a trivial matter. I had merely brushed off Kamian’s hand and crawled out from between the haystacks, nothing more. I couldn’t understand why it had become so grave.
“Now, let’s go back.”
