IPDT 41

…Yul probably doesn’t want to run into me. I hesitantly rolled my eyes before sitting back down on the roof. Fleabag gripped my finger with his small hand as if to comfort me.

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

The humans, who had increased one by one, soon rushed toward Yul as a crowd.

“This child was born just a month ago. Please give him a name, hero!”

“My wife became unable to use her legs after a monster attack not long ago. But since last night, she’s been singing about how she wants to see you, hero. Please, to our house…!”

The appearance of the humans, who were rushing in while shouting, was so filled with madness that it could hardly be called normal.

“They are like fanatics.”

Fleabag, who seemed to share my thoughts, wrinkled his brow.

“But is it alright to leave Kwon Yul like that? Doesn’t Kwon Yul hate being touched?”

“That’s right… But if I interfere again, I’m afraid he’ll hate me, so I can’t go near.”

As I let out a deep sigh, I heard a final, dying scream. Yul had cut down a few of the people who were rushing at him.

“…Move.”

Yul, who spoke in a low, biting voice, looked tense. It pained my heart to see Yul, who had not been afraid even in front of a giant monster, on edge over a mere crowd of humans.

If I were by his side, I would have cleared away everyone who approached Yul. …No, no. What if even that feels like self-righteousness to him?

While I was unable to do either and was just watching Yul, the humans, who had flinched at the sight of the collapsed corpses, burst into raucous laughter. There were even humans who cheered as if something was so enjoyable.

“The hero has defeated another monster!”

“Oh, you are truly the hero!”

The humans stepped over the fallen corpses and approached Yul. Yul stumbled backward, cutting down a few more people, before he was unable to even swing his sword and was only retreating. His face was pale.

“Master, the humans in this village are indeed strange somewhere.”

“…His expression is not good.”

“Pardon?”

Looking closely, it wasn’t just his face that was pale. The hand gripping his sword was trembling. That was beyond being afraid; he was terrified. I shot up from the roof.

“Fleabag, wait here. I, I just can’t watch this.”

“Master!”

As I jumped from the roof, the wind wrapped around my body. After landing lightly on the ground, I rushed to where Yul was.

“Yul!”

As I pushed my way through the teeming crowd, if I moved one person, another would squeeze in, and then a new wave would push forward, repeating the cycle. At this rate, it seemed like it would never end.

I bit my lip firmly and gathered mana at my fingertips. Golden mana enveloped Yul’s surroundings, and his body began to turn transparent. The humans, who had been clinging to him stubbornly like leeches, stirred in confusion.

“Over there!”

Just then, someone pointed to the opposite side and shouted. Over there was an illusion, running with its black hair flying. The humans chased after the illusion I had created and rushed off in a group. In the space that had become deserted after the humans left, only Yul and I remained.

I swallowed dryly and dispelled the magic that had made Yul’s body transparent. Yul’s black hair and eyes reappeared.

In that moment, my eyes met Yul’s. His black eyes were shaking 불안하게. My heart pounded. Thump, thump. I couldn’t tell if this was Yul’s heartbeat or my own. I was anxious that Yul would hate me even more because of what had just happened.

“Hey, Yul, I wasn’t trying to meddle, but your expression was so bad… that is, I mean.”

I made excuses, glancing at Yul. Cold sweat was beaded on the forehead of Yul, who was just blinking with a pale face. Was he that scared? If he’d only let me, I wanted to wipe away his sweat like in the old days. As I fidgeted with my hands, hesitating, a low voice leaked out from between Yul’s firm lips.

“Illy.”

“Huh?”

It was an unexpected word. I pointed a finger at myself.

“…You called me?”

Yul nodded. My eyes went wide. How, no, since when did he know? If he knew, why didn’t he tell me? As I was so flustered that I couldn’t even open my mouth, Yul strode toward me.

“Why, why did you only come now.”

“‘Only now’? I was always by your side….”

Before I could even finish my words, Yul abruptly pulled me into an embrace. I blinked my eyes, my face buried in his hard chest. The hands that were embracing the back of my head and my back were trembling.

“Yul, are you okay?”

“…No.”

The strength of his embrace tightened. The hand that had been cradling the back of my head slid down and gripped the nape of my neck.

“Why did you abandon me?”

“Abandon?”

“No, that’s not important.”

Yul, who had mumbled as if to himself, pulled me away from his chest. I lifted my head and looked at Yul. Only now could I see Yul’s pupils clearly.

“Yul.”

“Let’s go back.”

His gaze was unfocused. Yul’s black eyes were looking not at me in front of him, but at some other, distant place. It was clear that he was in a panic, superimposing the ‘Ilyas of the past’ onto the me of the present.

“To a place where it can be just the two of us.”

“Yul, you’re not in a good state right now.”

I tried to cup Yul’s cheeks. I was planning to cast a spell so he could at least get some sleep for a while.

However, my hand was caught before it could reach Yul’s face. Yul looked at me silently for a moment, then carefully let go of my hand. Then, before I could even react, he lifted me up in a flash. Somehow, I ended up in a state of clinging to Yul like a sloth or a cicada.

“Yul, wait a minute.”

…Me, the great balancer, clinging to a human Yul like a cicada? In my bewilderment and embarrassment, I called Yul’s name a few more times, but he walked on briskly without answering.

I gripped Yul’s shoulders and hung my head low. It wasn’t that I couldn’t push him away if I tried, but it had been so long since we were this close that I didn’t want to be separated.

The place we arrived at, after I tried my best to forget my embarrassment, was the lodging where we were staying. Even after arriving at the lodging, Yul held me, only putting me down on the bed after we went into the room. Then, without hesitation, he climbed on top of me.

“Yul?”

I was now lying beneath Yul, looking up at him. Yul stared at me blankly, then slowly lowered his gaze to stare at my leg. No, looking closely, it wasn’t my leg, but my knee. Yul’s large hand was already gripping my knee.

“…Are you going to break it?”

I gulped. Is this how it ends? I squeezed my eyes shut. I could only hope that Yul wouldn’t be disappointed after hurting only his own hand instead of my knee.

“…”

“…”

However, even after a long time had passed, nothing happened. When I slightly opened my eyes, Yul was looking at me, his face right in front of mine. My eyes widened without me realizing it.

Yul pressed his lips against mine. The tip of his nose brushed lightly against mine. The rustling sound of Yul’s hair tickled my ear. I clutched my chest.

Ah. My heart is beating so loudly.

“Illy.”

Yul murmured, pulling his lips away slightly.

“Put me to sleep.”

I carefully stroked Yul’s hair. The soft black hair brushed between my fingers. The ticklish sensation that started from my fingertips seemed to spread all the way to my heart. With my heart pounding to the point of aching, I stared blankly with my mouth open, and then our lips met again. This time, it wasn’t an ordinary peck.

Yul bit my lower lip and pulled it gently, not painfully. Then, his soft tongue licked my lips before pulling away. Huh? When I opened my eyes wide, Yul leaned his head against my forehead with a thud, like a young animal.

“Your hand, it stopped.”

As if mesmerized, I started stroking his head again. Only then did Yul lie down beside me. To lie together on the narrow bed, we had to hold each other tightly, so it ended up looking like Yul was burrowing into my embrace. Yul closed his eyes, feeling me gently stroking his black hair.

“Yul.”

“…”

Yul, breathing evenly, seemed to have already fallen asleep. I looked at Yul’s eyes, where his eyelashes cast shadows, and then covered my mouth. The sensation of the kiss, which had been subtly different from before, still lingered on my lips. My heart pounded. Thump, thump. Listening to the muffled beat of my heart, I murmured softly.

“I guess I really like you a lot.”

This was a really big problem. Even if Yul hated me, I only liked him more as time went on.

A great being like myself could control my own sleep. That is, as long as I didn’t overuse my power, like when I used too much at once or when I gave my heart to Yul. But yesterday, I must have fallen asleep without realizing it, holding Yul’s warm body.

Crash!

With a loud noise, my body went tumbling to the floor. Waking up belatedly, I looked up with a dazed face. Yul, who had pushed me off the bed, was glaring at me with a fierce expression.

“What are you. Why are you on my bed.”

It seemed Yul didn’t remember what happened yesterday. I blinked blankly, then my lips parted.

“Yul, what do you think of dragons?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden.”

“Do you like them?”

I had a thought after seeing Yul yesterday. That maybe Yul didn’t hate me. The words about gouging out my eyes and breaking my knees might have been something like a childish tantrum.

“…”

Yul’s black eyes stared directly at me, as if to uncover the intention behind my question. I did not avoid Yul’s sharp gaze. Yul furrowed his brow.

“I don’t.”

“…Really?”

“Stop with the nonsense and answer my question.”

Listening to his voice, which held no trace of affection, I felt the strength drain from my body. Yesterday, he must have been in a state where he couldn’t distinguish anything because of his panic. I thought there was a little hope.

“…Sorry. I must have mistaken the bed.”

I answered in a small voice, my shoulders slumped. Then, I trudged over to my bed, turned my back, and lay down. The bed, which had grown cold all night, was chilly.

[Master, the human seems flustered.]

Fleabag, who had returned at some point and was hiding under my pillow, mumbled, his whiskers twitching. I scratched Fleabag’s chin with my fingertip.

[He doesn’t remember what happened yesterday, but he must be flustered because he was sleeping in the same bed as me. Yul has a soft heart, you know.]

[No, it’s not like that.]

[Not like that?]