“Ha.”
Rev’s chest, which was seen through his shirt with his head down, swelled and soon faded.
Rev let out a long breath and raised his head.
His eyes, which were sharp and fierce but also flustered and scared, were already rounded.
As if he had sorted out all of his thoughts.
“It’s not for any other reason. It’s just, this is where you fell. That’s why I’m worried you’re here. A lot.”
“I understand what you mean. But now there’s no fire, there’s no one here, and the danger…”
Before she could finish her words, smoke rose with a thud.
She could see through Rev’s shoulder, who reflexively blocked Luce’s path.
The pillar of the staircase leading up to the second floor collapsed in an instant.
Looking at the broken house as if to refute Luce’s words head-on, the two didn’t say anything for a while.
Surprisingly, Rev was the first to open his mouth among the two who stared blankly at the rising dust and charcoal soot.
“Let’s go back for now.”
“….’
“You left the party early because you had a headache. If you stay in a cold place for a long time, you may catch a cold. Eung? Luce.”
A soft smile, a low, friendly voice, and cold hands.
Rev was the same as usual.
But Luce had to breathe in and out several times before she could act normally.
*****
After washing her soot-stained body and changing her clothes, Luce holds hot cocoa in her hand.
Rev, who was sitting across from her, also had cocoa in his hand.
This was unusual, considering he doesn’t like sweet drinks.
Thinking of the sticky green medicine that should have been filled there, Luce suddenly recalled that it had been quite a while since Rev had taken out the medicine in front of her and stopped drinking it.
Is it because his body is better than before?
As soon as she passed the sweet cocoa down her throat, her stomach felt warm, but the tingling felt the same.
“My mom also said she had a headache because she breathes in a lot of smoke. Isn’t it the same for you?”
Dominic’s words came to mind.
Could it be because she inhaled a lot of smoke? Or because of a headache?
‘No.’
There were a lot of questions, but none of them were answered.
Luce thought for a moment what it would be like if the answers to things in the world were fixed like formulas.
She thought the man across from her would. Luce asked.
“Really, did you come because you were worried about me being there? Rev?”
“Eung.”
The immediate answer came back.
Luce took a sip of her cocoa and thought about it.
“I know you came running there because you were worried about me. But if you’re worried that the place might be dangerous, you’d better get me away from it quickly. You shouldn’t hold me there and ask me why I went there.”
“Eung.”
“But you asked why first. As if the reason I went there is more important than anything else. Why did you do that?”
Luce asked one question after another.
“I don’t understand why anyone asked me to go there. Does it make any difference if I went there because someone told me to? I didn’t go there on my own, but if someone ordered me to go, I shouldn’t? Anyway, the act of going is the same.”
“….”
“And how did you know I was there? I heard that there is no window outside in your studio on the second floor.”
When she threw out a lot of questions, Rev would think slowly and then tell her what he could answer in order.
Luce thought it would be the same today.
But Rev’s silence today wasn’t long.
“The reason was important. There are rare cases of confusion in people who have inhaled excessive smoke. I was worried that you might have gone through delirium or delusion and headed there without your knowledge.”
As if waiting for Luce’s question to end, Rev answered clearly.
“It’s the same reason I asked if someone urged you to go to that burnt house.”
“Why is that the same reason?”
“If there was someone who asked you to go there alone. Is that a good person for you, Luce?”
Luce’s eyebrows narrowed subtly.
“I have no particular reason to know that you were there. I came out for a while because I just wanted to see you. But you haven’t come back yet. I couldn’t see you even if I looked in the direction of Dominic’s house, so I came out in a hurry to find you. Fortunately, our first destinations overlapped.”
Rev glanced at Luce’s necklace, which was shining blue. It seemed that the coordinate tracking had not been turned off to find out where Luce had gone.
Rev gently touched his necklace. The light went out.
Luce, lost in thought, didn’t notice Rev’s movement.
‘Let’s say he was worried about delirium or delusion. But if you put it that way, this town is full of dangerous things. What if I soak up the stream because I think it’s a hot spring, not a burnt house? What if I got a bruise from rolling over because I thought the hill in the birch forest was a smooth sledding slope? The fact that he came straight to the burned house without thinking of such a possibility…’
The conversation strangely doesn’t fit.
It often happened in conversations with Rev, but today the sense of difference was even greater.
Luce was chewing on her innocent lips when a cold, smooth hand touched them.
“It hurts. Don’t do that.”
The owner of the hand that approached her brushing the rough skin of her lips, smiled brightly as if he didn’t know anything.
Luce replied while staring at the eyes that had grown closer.
“It’s fine. You tend to be a little overprotective of me, Rev.”
“That’s true, but even though I’m overprotective like this, you sometimes get hurt when I’m not paying attention.”
Then he pointed to her arm.
It was as he said. Nox’s scratches were all over the place.
These were places she hadn’t noticed while taking a shower because she was so deep in her thoughts.
“I’ll put some medicine on you. I don’t want it to leave scars.”
“I’ll do it.”
“If I had been hurt like this, would you have left me alone to apply it?”
“Of course not, but sometimes I just want to do it by myself.”
“It’s going to be difficult behind your elbows or in places like your calves. I’ll help you. Let’s put it on and go to bed, eung? I want to help you get a good rest.”
There were occasional equations in his conversation.
You do that too, so I’ll do that too.
Most of them were positive things, so she didn’t realize it.
That Luce’s own actions serve as the basis for Rev.
So, the kindness she did to him will definitely be returned.
‘Is it because of me?’
Can he give her back the things she did because she wanted to be nice to Rev, who wasn’t used to receiving, or because she wanted to take care of him?
Is it okay if this is how he treats people?
‘Rev’s standard is me…it’s become me.’
Luce looked at his behavior with a little bewilderment.
The movements of warming her hands in a cup of warm cocoa, melting the ointment, carefully applying it, and applying a bandage were obviously friendly.
It was a thoughtful and delicate attitude that couldn’t be better. Even if she try to find fault, there is nothing to catch.
‘But why is it so…’
It’s a bit uncomfortable.
Luce murmured.
‘For what? There’s definitely something different than usual. Clearly. What the hell is it?’
Rev opened his mouth as soon as Luce’s thoughts were over, even though she had no idea what to say in her mouth.
“Luce, you said it would be fine if it were for me, right?”
“…Ah, eung? What?”
“You said it. It’s my wish, but why do I keep using it for you? I asked you to accept the necklace, and you told me not to get hurt. You told me to use it for me, too.”
As he folded the gauze around the wound, his gaze was always on Luce’s wound.
“Ah, yes. I did.”
“Since it’s a wish you granted, I’ll be happy to use it for myself, Luce.”
The hand that tied the ribbon beautifully was white.
As if suppressing a lot of power.
“Call me Rev.”
A hot, dark word was seated on his hand, where blue-green veins stood out.
His words seemed to be staring straight at her.
“Not Revinas.”
“….”
“That’s the name you gave me. Rev.”
No, it wasn’t his words.
It was Rev’s eyes that looked directly at Luce.
In her red, beautiful, intense eyes, as if possessed somewhere, sorrowful words were engraved one by one.
“Will you?”
Rev’s lips lightly touched Luce’s fingertips.
Receiving Rev’s kiss in a daze, Luce thought.
‘Okay.’
The reason why she felt different.
Rev never said sorry today.
As soon as she realized the fact, she felt sleepy.
“Ha.”
Rev’s chest, which was seen through his shirt with his head down, swelled and soon faded.
Rev let out a long breath and raised his head.
His eyes, which were sharp and fierce but also flustered and scared, were already rounded.
As if he had sorted out all of his thoughts.
“It’s not for any other reason. It’s just, this is where you fell. That’s why I’m worried you’re here. A lot.”
“I understand what you mean. But now there’s no fire, there’s no one here, and the danger…”
Before she could finish her words, smoke rose with a thud.
She could see through Rev’s shoulder, who reflexively blocked Luce’s path.
The pillar of the staircase leading up to the second floor collapsed in an instant.
Looking at the broken house as if to refute Luce’s words head-on, the two didn’t say anything for a while.
Surprisingly, Rev was the first to open his mouth among the two who stared blankly at the rising dust and charcoal soot.
“Let’s go back for now.”
“….’
“You left the party early because you had a headache. If you stay in a cold place for a long time, you may catch a cold. Eung? Luce.”
A soft smile, a low, friendly voice, and cold hands.
Rev was the same as usual.
But Luce had to breathe in and out several times before she could act normally.
*****
After washing her soot-stained body and changing her clothes, Luce holds hot cocoa in her hand.
Rev, who was sitting across from her, also had cocoa in his hand.
This was unusual, considering he doesn’t like sweet drinks.
Thinking of the sticky green medicine that should have been filled there, Luce suddenly recalled that it had been quite a while since Rev had taken out the medicine in front of her and stopped drinking it.
Is it because his body is better than before?
As soon as she passed the sweet cocoa down her throat, her stomach felt warm, but the tingling felt the same.
“My mom also said she had a headache because she breathes in a lot of smoke. Isn’t it the same for you?”
Dominic’s words came to mind.
Could it be because she inhaled a lot of smoke? Or because of a headache?
‘No.’
There were a lot of questions, but none of them were answered.
Luce thought for a moment what it would be like if the answers to things in the world were fixed like formulas.
She thought the man across from her would. Luce asked.
“Really, did you come because you were worried about me being there? Rev?”
“Eung.”
The immediate answer came back.
Luce took a sip of her cocoa and thought about it.
“I know you came running there because you were worried about me. But if you’re worried that the place might be dangerous, you’d better get me away from it quickly. You shouldn’t hold me there and ask me why I went there.”
“Eung.”
“But you asked why first. As if the reason I went there is more important than anything else. Why did you do that?”
Luce asked one question after another.
“I don’t understand why anyone asked me to go there. Does it make any difference if I went there because someone told me to? I didn’t go there on my own, but if someone ordered me to go, I shouldn’t? Anyway, the act of going is the same.”
“….”
“And how did you know I was there? I heard that there is no window outside in your studio on the second floor.”
When she threw out a lot of questions, Rev would think slowly and then tell her what he could answer in order.
Luce thought it would be the same today.
But Rev’s silence today wasn’t long.
“The reason was important. There are rare cases of confusion in people who have inhaled excessive smoke. I was worried that you might have gone through delirium or delusion and headed there without your knowledge.”
As if waiting for Luce’s question to end, Rev answered clearly.
“It’s the same reason I asked if someone urged you to go to that burnt house.”
“Why is that the same reason?”
“If there was someone who asked you to go there alone. Is that a good person for you, Luce?”
Luce’s eyebrows narrowed subtly.
“I have no particular reason to know that you were there. I came out for a while because I just wanted to see you. But you haven’t come back yet. I couldn’t see you even if I looked in the direction of Dominic’s house, so I came out in a hurry to find you. Fortunately, our first destinations overlapped.”
Rev glanced at Luce’s necklace, which was shining blue. It seemed that the coordinate tracking had not been turned off to find out where Luce had gone.
Rev gently touched his necklace. The light went out.
Luce, lost in thought, didn’t notice Rev’s movement.
‘Let’s say he was worried about delirium or delusion. But if you put it that way, this town is full of dangerous things. What if I soak up the stream because I think it’s a hot spring, not a burnt house? What if I got a bruise from rolling over because I thought the hill in the birch forest was a smooth sledding slope? The fact that he came straight to the burned house without thinking of such a possibility…’
The conversation strangely doesn’t fit.
It often happened in conversations with Rev, but today the sense of difference was even greater.
Luce was chewing on her innocent lips when a cold, smooth hand touched them.
“It hurts. Don’t do that.”
The owner of the hand that approached her brushing the rough skin of her lips, smiled brightly as if he didn’t know anything.
Luce replied while staring at the eyes that had grown closer.
“It’s fine. You tend to be a little overprotective of me, Rev.”
“That’s true, but even though I’m overprotective like this, you sometimes get hurt when I’m not paying attention.”
Then he pointed to her arm.
It was as he said. Nox’s scratches were all over the place.
These were places she hadn’t noticed while taking a shower because she was so deep in her thoughts.
“I’ll put some medicine on you. I don’t want it to leave scars.”
“I’ll do it.”
“If I had been hurt like this, would you have left me alone to apply it?”
“Of course not, but sometimes I just want to do it by myself.”
“It’s going to be difficult behind your elbows or in places like your calves. I’ll help you. Let’s put it on and go to bed, eung? I want to help you get a good rest.”
There were occasional equations in his conversation.
You do that too, so I’ll do that too.
Most of them were positive things, so she didn’t realize it.
That Luce’s own actions serve as the basis for Rev.
So, the kindness she did to him will definitely be returned.
‘Is it because of me?’
Can he give her back the things she did because she wanted to be nice to Rev, who wasn’t used to receiving, or because she wanted to take care of him?
Is it okay if this is how he treats people?
‘Rev’s standard is me…it’s become me.’
Luce looked at his behavior with a little bewilderment.
The movements of warming her hands in a cup of warm cocoa, melting the ointment, carefully applying it, and applying a bandage were obviously friendly.
It was a thoughtful and delicate attitude that couldn’t be better. Even if she try to find fault, there is nothing to catch.
‘But why is it so…’
It’s a bit uncomfortable.
Luce murmured.
‘For what? There’s definitely something different than usual. Clearly. What the hell is it?’
Rev opened his mouth as soon as Luce’s thoughts were over, even though she had no idea what to say in her mouth.
“Luce, you said it would be fine if it were for me, right?”
“…Ah, eung? What?”
“You said it. It’s my wish, but why do I keep using it for you? I asked you to accept the necklace, and you told me not to get hurt. You told me to use it for me, too.”
As he folded the gauze around the wound, his gaze was always on Luce’s wound.
“Ah, yes. I did.”
“Since it’s a wish you granted, I’ll be happy to use it for myself, Luce.”
The hand that tied the ribbon beautifully was white.
As if suppressing a lot of power.
“Call me Rev.”
A hot, dark word was seated on his hand, where blue-green veins stood out.
His words seemed to be staring straight at her.
“Not Revinas.”
“….”
“That’s the name you gave me. Rev.”
No, it wasn’t his words.
It was Rev’s eyes that looked directly at Luce.
In her red, beautiful, intense eyes, as if possessed somewhere, sorrowful words were engraved one by one.
“Will you?”
Rev’s lips lightly touched Luce’s fingertips.
Receiving Rev’s kiss in a daze, Luce thought.
‘Okay.’
The reason why she felt different.
Rev never said sorry today.
As soon as she realized the fact, she felt sleepy.
