IPDT 9

A week after I taught Yul my name, I was faced with a shocking and serious fact.

“…Fleabag, Yul is avoiding me.”

I was sprawled out dejectedly on the floor of Fleabag’s bedroom. When I rubbed my cheek against the rug, I could feel the rough surface that Fleabag had scratched and torn up.

The rug in my bedroom is soft and fluffy. What a state to be in, unable to even enter my own room because of Yul, who has taken it over. As I heaved a deep sigh, Fleabag, who had been pacing around me, spoke in a solemn voice.

“Master, I will go teach this insolent human a lesson!”

“Don’t you dare! Stay put!”

I stopped Fleabag, who looked ready to run to Yul and brandish his claws at any moment. I managed to calm Fleabag down, set him on the floor, and flopped down again.

“Stop with the useless ideas and just give me a massage…”

With a disgruntled look, Fleabag began to knead the area around my lower back. Feeling the touch of his two cotton-puff-like paws made me feel a little better.

Like a monkey grooming fur, I fiddled with the rug. After a while of doing that, Fleabag cautiously began to speak.

“Master, why do you think the human is avoiding you?”

“Well, you see, sigh… Yul won’t make eye contact with me these days, and he doesn’t talk much.”

“…Wasn’t it originally that you would do all the talking and the human would just listen, Master?”

I stopped fiddling with the rug and looked back at Fleabag. As our eyes met, Fleabag’s fur stood on end, and he began to wave his front paws vaguely in the air.

“Master, it’s a misunderstanding!”

“Be careful. Next time, I’ll really turn you into a mouse.”

“S-so, how do you plan to dispose of the human?”

“Dispose?”

When I asked back in a low voice, Fleabag frantically nodded his head.

“Yes. A pet that does not listen attentively to its master’s words is not needed, is it not?”

“You have a point. But I don’t want to dispose of Yul. I just want to know why he’s suddenly avoiding me… Did I wound the pride of an adolescent human or something?”

“Are you worried that the human might be angry?”

“It hurts my pride, but yes.”

A sigh escaped me. Yul was a rare pleasure I hadn’t had in a long time. I wanted to get along with him if possible, and I wanted to give him anything he asked for.

But if he avoids me, there’s nothing I can do for him. It’s not as fun as before, either…

“Hmm, in that case, wouldn’t his anger subside if you do something that humans enjoy during their adolescence?”

“And what’s that?”

I shot my head up. At my intense reaction, Fleabag narrowed his eyes. His stiffly raised tail swayed slightly.

“You could go to a festival with him, Master. Festivals have been the exclusive domain of the young since ancient times. That human will surely like it too.”

“Really?”

A festival, a festival… Come to think of it, it seemed like a lot of young living creatures did attend festivals. Is it because it’s a place to drink and dance?

Then I wonder if Yul would also like to drink and dance. Since he’s a young human, it seems likely. I pondered it over and then made my decision.

“Fleabag, find out about the soonest festival being held.”

“Leave it to me.”

Fleabag, standing on two feet, bowed respectfully. It was a flawless gesture, befitting the familiar of a great dragon. I stroked Fleabag’s head. He really is useful. I should put off turning him into a mouse for a while.

“Yul, Yul!”

Yul, who hadn’t made eye contact with me even during his writing lesson, headed straight for the bedroom without a backward glance as soon as the lesson was over. I called out to Yul as I chased after him, trying to catch up as he quickly disappeared.

“There’s somewhere I want to go with you. Let’s go. Okay?”

Fleabag said that the soonest festival was a coming-of-age ceremony being held ‘today’ in a small village. Today, not tomorrow or the day after!

The next closest festival was a month away, and the one after that was a year away, so we had to go to this one. I didn’t want to spend a month not even making eye contact with Yul.

“Yul, you don’t want to go?”

Yul stopped in his tracks. His gaze, which had been stubbornly fixed forward, turned to me. As I examined his expression, he didn’t seem to dislike my suggestion to go together. That alone was enough to make me smile brightly.

“That’s a yes, right?”

“…”

“Okay, I’m happy too.”

As I was grinning foolishly, Yul walked past me. I wonder what’s so great in the bedroom that he always leaves me to go in there. Adolescent humans were truly impossible to figure out.

I heaved a sigh and was about to let Yul go when a realization hit me. Ah! The festival!

“Yul! If you’re going with me, you have to get ready now.”

“…?”

“Here, go inside and change into this quickly!”

I thrust the clothes I had prepared beforehand into Yul’s chest. Then, before Yul could react, I pushed him by the back and shoved him into the bedroom. We had to get ready as quickly as possible so we wouldn’t be late for the festival. Of course, it didn’t matter if we were a little late, but we had to arrive before the dancing started.

As I waited for Yul to come out, full of anticipation, I suddenly became conscious of the clothes I was wearing. Since they were clothes worn by the great me, they were dignified enough, but they looked a bit plain for a festival.

“Should I dress up?”

I tapped my chin with my finger, thinking. Hmmm… I gave Yul some fancy clothes, so it would look strange if I was the only one dressed plainly. I crossed my fingers and snapped them together. Snap. The clothes I was wearing began to change shape.

Click.

Just as I finished changing my clothes with magic, Yul opened the bedroom door and came out. Even though he was wearing fancy clothes, Yul’s face wasn’t overshadowed. In fact, it seemed to stand out even more.

“Yul, you look good in everything!”

As I was meticulously checking Yul’s attire, piece by piece, I felt a gaze on my face. What is it? I lifted my eyes, and Yul, staring intently at me, came into view. Not only that, but Yul had a somewhat dazed expression. Why is he like that? Gasp, could it be that he’s sick again?

“Are you sick anywhere?”

My hand moved before I knew it. As I placed my palm on Yul’s forehead, he flinched his shoulders. Smack! In that instant, my hand was slapped away. I was a bit surprised by the sudden event.

“…”

“…”

I wasn’t bitten, just slapped away, so could this be called great progress? Right. Compared to when he stabbed me with a fork, he was very docile now. I nodded, quickly coming to an understanding.

In contrast, Yul looked flustered, despite being the one who had rejected me. It was all over his face. I quickly raised both hands in the air. It was also a master’s duty to soothe a startled pet human.

“I’m sorry. You were surprised because I tried to touch you so suddenly.”

Hearing my words, Yul’s lips parted as if he wanted to say something. But no sound came out. Yul clenched his jaw.

“I’ll be careful next time. But can I hold your hand?”

Yul, who had been standing still, gave a small nod. The moment I got permission, I grabbed Yul’s hand. I could feel his warm fingertips tremble slightly. I squeezed Yul’s hand even tighter and opened a gate.

Swoosh, the sound of the ocean waves washed over my ears. The coming-of-age ceremony, or rather, the festival, was being held in a small village by the sea. The festival must have already started, as I could hear a clamor coming from the direction of the village. Lights illuminating the night twinkled like stars.

“Yul, see those lights over there? A festival is in full swing in that village right now. When I found out a festival was happening today, I thought I had to come with you. You’ve been avoiding me lately, you know.”

Yul’s shoulders flinched. Goodness, did he think I wouldn’t know? To think he believed he could fool the eyes of this great Balancer. He was ten thousand years too early.

However, separate from my swelling pride, I was in a position where I had to get on Yul’s good side. Ahem, I deliberately pulled down the corners of my lips that were creeping up and spoke in a dejected voice.

“If I did something wrong, have fun at the festival today and cheer up, okay?”

Yul, who was looking at me, lowered his gaze. His face looked as if he was thinking about something, or perhaps holding something back.

Was he that angry…? What mistake did I make? Feeling a pang of guilt, I squeezed the hand I was holding even tighter. Then, I tried to hurry toward the village, but Yul stood rooted to the spot like a statue and wouldn’t move.

“…”

“…”

I tried pulling his arm. Yul was dragged along for a couple of steps before stopping again. I pulled again. He came a couple more steps and then stopped. A question mark appeared over my head. I could feel a fervent determination from Yul to absolutely not go to the village.

“You’re not going?”

Yul nodded. I was dumbfounded by the unexpected answer. Why? Does he not like festivals very much? But Fleabag said he would like it…

I stood there blankly for a moment, then let out a sigh. I didn’t know why Yul was acting this way, but he said he didn’t want to go, anyway.

“If you don’t want to go, then I won’t either.”

When we returned to the lair, I was going to give Fleabag a good smack on the head.

“Let’s go back.”

“…Home?”

Yul asked in a voice like a whisper. The scent of the sea, carried on the night breeze, wrapped around Yul’s hair. His black eyes shone serenely. Looking at that, for some reason, a laugh escaped me.

Calling the lair ‘home’. Yul was probably the first human in the world to refer to a dragon’s nest as ‘home’. It didn’t feel bad.

“Yes, let’s go home.”

As I answered in a voice tinged with laughter, Yul shook his head.

…Huh? A wave of confusion washed over me. He won’t go back to the lair and he won’t go to the village… Don’t tell me he’s trying to run away again?

“You’re not going home?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Yul licked his lips as if his mouth was dry. Then, he let out a low voice.

“…After a little while.”

Yul’s head turned toward the sea. I also looked at the night sea, which seemed to have become one with the pitch-black sky. Ah, the sea. I wonder if Yul likes the sea?

“Then do you want to sit here for a while before we go?”

I sat on a boulder piled up on the shore and patted the spot next to me. Yul didn’t refuse and obediently sat down. For some reason, I felt happy. As I swung my legs, which were dangling in the air, Yul glanced at me.

Perhaps because the village was close to the sea, the boisterous noise reached all the way here. Even though we hadn’t mingled with the festival, it felt like we were in the middle of it. It was quite a pleasant feeling.

I closed my eyes and smiled. The noise of the festival and the swoosh of the crashing waves. Every time the seawater hit the boulders, there was also a salty smell.

I wonder how long we sat like that. A song began to flow from the village. I opened my closed eyes and looked back. It was a song I knew, so this was a pretty old piece.

Let’s see, it was a song where humans who had come of age paired up and danced with each other, right?

“Yul, do you know this song?”

Yul, who had been looking at me, slowly shook his head. I clapped my hands together. A good idea came to mind.