MTM 11

It’s been five days since Harto and Zed started living together in the cabin.

As time passed, Harto came to learn many things from Zed. He could not help it because Zed knew so much. Even though they were the same age, Zed’s experience and knowledge were as vast as someone who had lived ten years longer. Of course, since Zed was a character in this novel, it was natural that he knew more than Harto. And Harto had lived most of his life in a hospital in his original world because of a chronic illness, so he was even more ignorant.

Zed said he had left home three years ago and had wandered wherever his feet led him. Then he met the mercenary group he was now in, and because their goals aligned and the pay was good, he had been traveling with them for almost a year.

He knew how to keep prepared venison from spoiling. He knew how to salt the meat and tie it carefully so it would not get contaminated.

Harto remembered the survivalists he had once seen on television.

A survivor. Zed was someone who had lived only to stay alive.

Harto wondered what would have happened that day if he had not gone into the cave after smelling the meat. He was lucky that he met Zed. He also liked that Zed was not one of the main characters of the novel.

Harto wanted to stay with Zed. Even if the ending was already decided.

“When the rain stops, winter will begin.”

Zed pointed at the rain that had started last night.

“Did you hear me?”

Zed looked toward the fireplace when there was no answer.

He was on the sofa and Harto sat in front of the fireplace. They had agreed to take turns sleeping on the sofa.

Harto thought that maybe he could sleep on the sofa together with Zed while staying in his monster form, but he did not say it because he thought Zed might feel uncomfortable.

“Yes, I heard you. You’re right. When winter comes, snow will fall.”

“If snow falls, it will get colder.”

“Yes. Then we’ll need more firewood.”

“……”

Harto spoke with an innocent face as if he had never gone through harsh cold before. Since he always was in the hospital, he did not know how bitter winter’s cold could be.

“Harto.”

“Yes?”

“Look at this.”

Zed stood up from the sofa and held something out to Harto. It was a ruby necklace. He always wore it around his neck, so Harto did not expect him to take it off and show it like this.

Click.

When Zed opened the pendant of the ruby necklace, two healing pills appeared inside, the ones he thought had all run out.

“What happened? Huh? Did the necklace make them?”

“Do you think that makes sense?”

When Harto asked in surprise, Zed smiled and said he would not tell him. When Harto asked why he showed it then, Zed only said “Just because” and lay back down on the sofa.

“When the rain stops, let’s go get water.”

“Why?”

“That’s when it’s the cleanest.”

‘I can make water too…’

But he could not be sure if it was purified.

“Yes, let’s do that. I’m sleepy now, so I’ll sleep.”

It was not that late at night. Since it had rained today, they had not gone far, but they had dug a simple drain around the cabin in case it flooded, and that already made him tired.

“Do you want to sleep on the sofa?”

Zed offered while Harto rubbed his eyes and lay down on the floor.

“Huh? What about you?”

“I can sleep on the floor. I got wet in the rain today, and I’m tired.”

“That’s true, but…”

Harto blinked and looked up at Zed.

Zed must have been tired too from being out in the rain.

Maybe it was because he was sleepy. Zed seemed kinder than usual today. The necklace earlier too… maybe he wanted to get closer to him?

The moment he thought that, something warm spread through his heart. He decided to be brave.

“Alright. But….”

Harto got up and walked to Zed.

“I want to sleep with you.”

“What…?”

For a moment, Zed’s pupils trembled aimlessly. He was so shocked that he forgot to breathe, and his mind became a mess.

“You, you… what do you mean by that…?”

“There’s something I didn’t tell you, Zed. The day you lost consciousness, we slept together.”

“…What?”

“What does that even mean?” Zed asked, looking extremely confused.

Harto, unaware of Zed’s turmoil, smiled shyly, and in the blink of an eye, he turned into a monster. His clothes dropped to the floor, and the small black creature wriggled and jumped onto the sofa with a “pop.”

“I slept on Zed’s back in my monster form. It was so warm!”

“……”

“Ah. If it’s uncomfortable to sleep on your back, I can just curl up between the cushion and sleep….”

Only then did Zed understand what Harto meant by “slept together,” and he hollowly laughed.

“Now that I look at you, you have a knack for picking people up and putting them down.”

“Huh?”

“Alright. But don’t squeeze yourself between the cushions.”

Zed agreed and lay down on the sofa. Maybe because of the heavy rain outside, the chill had grown stronger than before. It was a night when they needed each other’s warmth.

“Come up here.”

“Is it okay…?”

Zed tapped his chest, and Harto, who was clinging awkwardly to the backrest of the sofa, carefully asked. His head peeked out as he spoke, and it looked cute. Before, Zed only thought he was a strange monster, but today he looked cute to him.

‘Well… maybe I should just think of it as sleeping with a puppy…’

The monster was lighter than any puppy. He looked like he had fur, but he was more like slime, soft to the touch. And he was warm.

“Hehe. It’s warm…”

Harto happily lay across Zed’s broad chest. When Zed gently patted his head, Harto smiled and he slowly closed his eyes.

“You like warmth this much, but how are you planning to survive winter?”

Zed spoke softly, and Harto opened his eyes and answered shyly.

“But when winter comes, snow falls. When snow falls… I want to make a snowman.”

Harto, who had spent his whole life in the hospital, had always wanted to touch real snow and make a snowman. That was why he especially liked Christmas cards with snowmen drawn on them and ornaments shaped like snow. Snow would be very cold to touch, but from a distance, snowmen looked warm and gentle. He wanted to be someone like a snowman.

“A snowman?”

Zed’s eyes showed that he had never heard of such a thing.

“Uh… well…”

Did this world not have snowmen?

Harto explained to Zed how to make one. He told him to gather snow into round shapes, stack them up, use stones and branches to make a face like a person, and finally add a hat and a scarf. Zed made a strange expression.

“Wouldn’t an ice sculpture be better than that?”

“Ice sculpture?”

“It’s the same idea, piling up packed snow. But instead of using stones or branches, you use magic to shape it like a person. Some people even use preservation magic to keep it from melting for a while. Oh, and I think they sometimes place flower crowns on the head.”

“Oh…”

Harto pictured the ice sculpture Zed described. An ice sculpture standing proudly on a white snow-covered field. The pure sculpture looked just like handsome Zed.

“Yes… that sounds nice too…”

“Really? When the snow falls…”

Zed tried to say what he had been meaning to tell Harto, but he closed his mouth again. Harto had already fallen asleep.

“Asleep?”

Even though it was obvious, Zed still asked because he wanted to speak to him.

“Harto. Winter is harsher than you think. It won’t be warm like this. Will you still be okay?”

“……”

Harto remained silent. Zed stared at his sleeping face for a while, then poked his soft cheek as if scolding him for not listening.

“Will you be alright… even if I’m not here?”

Of course, there was no answer. Harto only made small chewing sounds as if he was dreaming.