◈Episode 134 Because it is not a story (2)
The sparring was postponed to tomorrow, so there was nothing to do.
But that doesn’t mean it’s too bad to spend my first holiday locked in a corner of my room. Moreover, as I sat quietly in my room and left letters, I realized only useless facts.
So I stormed out of the room. Then, rather than anyone catching me, I left the temple so fast that I didn’t even know I was leaving.
“Where are you going, Nari?”
But Dev followed suit.
It seems a little different from usual that he doesn’t let me out of his field of vision even for a moment, fearing that he will disappear in shock after leaving me behind. The same goes for the strangely pointed eyes.
I don’t know why it does that. The possible reason could be that my actions of trying to lose HP were misunderstood as self-harm.
Of course, I could roughly understand his feelings. Isn’t my concept the type that can provide relief in this way?
Just looking at his record so far, it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to die right away. There were many comments and actions that seemed like they were putting their lives on the line.
But regardless of the legitimacy of that action, it’s annoying! It’s true that you shouldn’t leave someone with depression and self-loathing alone, but self-harm is a real misunderstanding!
“go away.”
It’s true that I don’t want to be alone, but that’s also true when I’m in a lonely forest or a quiet room when I can’t communicate.
Where I am going now, it is more comfortable to be alone. Because I’m trying to do something that doesn’t fit the concept.
“I will be quiet so as not to bother you.”
no. It’s not that I don’t like being with you, I’m doing this because I want to do something without worrying about being a cat…!
“I won’t tell you twice.”
I placed my hand on the scabbard and threatened once more. However, Dev only flinched and showed no intention of leaving. It seems like he really made up his mind.
Oh my. Why aren’t you going?
I debated whether to get even more angry here or not. After thinking about it some more, I decided that it would be better to just give up.
Even if I kick him out of here, what good will it do if this guy follows me secretly? He’s also a guy who has that ability, even if he doesn’t know anything else.
“….”
In the end, I have no choice but to give up. I ran ahead without consideration with a face full of irritation.
Deb, who was a good 10cm shorter than me, followed closely behind.
And when I went down to the lower floor like that for a while. I found a spot I liked. It was on a bridge crossing the sky above a lake in the middle of the city.
“…and.”
Is it because of where I come from? Even Dev, who was strangely emotionally dry, let out an exclamation.
It was worth it. Thanks to the wonderful sunlight, the buildings shone like stars, and the waterways flowing here and there were as brilliant as thousands of jewels.
In addition, there is a strange echo every time the wind blows, and the trees that grow all over the city shake their bodies and drop their leaves.
It really was a beautiful city.
Sweet.
So, let’s leave it as a record that will last forever, not as a memory that will be scattered.
I took out the pen I was carrying from my inventory. As for the paper, I stole some of it from the temple, so there is no need to get it in particular.
“…?”
Square Square.
Black ink colored the paper, creating a world made of lines little by little.
“…Nari, you are good at drawing pictures.”
okay. I knew it would happen.
Actually, this is why I tried to come alone. It doesn’t really go against the concept, but it’s a weird hobby to say it suits, so drawing is a hobby.
However, the main character is a person who enjoys drawing so much that he has made it his profession.
After coming here, I didn’t have time to draw, and I played games without following the situation, and I thought drawing was a bit funny, so I forgot about it, but now it’s different.
As long as I have a few free days, there is no reason why I can’t enjoy this hobby.
Moreover, now, for the first time in a while, I really want to draw.
I traced the paper on the board while listening to the noise of people passing by.
I don’t like starting from a line drawing without a rough sketch, but here, there is nothing like a pencil that can be drawn and erased.
In the end, the surrounding shapes were roughly drawn in a messy manner. Because I wasn’t familiar with ink, I failed to adjust the lines in some places, and it was a very crude drawing because it had been so long since I had drawn it that the perspective was off.
But it is comfortable. The pouring wind, the pouring sunlight, and the natural noises around you.
If you close your eyes and erase the fantasy-like scenery, it’s just like Korea.
“lily.”
…Maybe coming with Deb was a godsend.
I came here to avoid thinking about other things, but I immediately start to think about other things.
“That ink is running out.”
I looked where Dev pointed. While I was dazed for a moment, there was a pretty big stain on the paper. It doesn’t matter since I’ll be throwing away the first drawing anyway, but the ink is a bit of a waste.
Ink is quite expensive.
Kugit.
“Eck! “Why are you crumpling that!”
A picture that will be thrown away anyway. I crumpled it into a ball and threw it aside.
Dev, who was horrified, unfolded the crumpled drawing again, but the already crumpled paper did not straighten completely, and in that short period of time, the less-dry ink ended up moving and sticking here and there.
“If you’re going to throw it away, give it to me.”
No, why that crap? It’s useless.
“throw away.”
“I drew it well, but why…”
“I. “I told them to throw it away.”
I watched him follow me, but I didn’t pay attention to this. I gently grabbed the handle of the knife.
Dev must have sensed my feelings and eventually crumpled the paper he had unfolded again.
Crunchy.
The drawing, which had stopped for a moment, started again on a new sheet of paper.
“Oh…”
I guess it may have been a few months, but I drew more days than I didn’t.
Fortunately, my senses returned quickly.
Thanks to this, the painting that was completed shortly was of higher quality than before.
This is thanks to the ability to adjust line thickness more naturally and regain perspective and placement skills. It’s neater with fewer lines.
“This is really well drawn─.”
I’ve been somewhat rehabilitated.
But it’s still poor work.
I commented and crumpled the paper again. Dev was complaining from here to there, but it was none of my business.
Crunchy.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Black lines eating away at random thoughts continued continuously.
“…This.”
And when the lines became sufficiently normal, I started drawing the two people.
The first person has a tiered bob, but with a voluminous hairstyle that gives off a haughty vibe.
The second person has the handsome features of a working actor.
And the wrinkles around the eyes, the nasolabial folds around the lips, and the cheekbones that naturally protrude as we age…
“…!”
ah. mom and dad.
I gently ran my fingertips over the portrait of my parents, being careful not to smudge it. Of course, I couldn’t feel any warmth.
Still, it was good.
Only the memories of you were still intact.
“…Are you family?”
Unlike the blurry voice, I still remember the face clearly.
“…that.”
I swallowed the sorrow that welled up in my throat and stared at the picture in bewilderment.
Although they don’t like comics or novels, they do like the pictures I draw, so I was fortunate to often draw family portraits.
Thanks to my familiarity with the hand, I was able to draw reflexively even if my memory was a little blurry.
It was probably portrayed that way.
“….”
I left Dev silent and drew a few more faces that I remembered.
One male friend. A female friend….
“Devil knight!!”
Then wait a moment.
I reflexively clutched the paper tightly as I heard a loud sound coming from quite far away. Thanks to that, the picture was a little distorted…
“That oblivious Saenim…”
No, you know my temperament, but when you started talking little by little from the side, you were not very tactful.
But turning your head back was a very good action. I carefully straightened the crumpled paper and put it all in my inventory without Dev looking.
I thought throwing it away would fit the concept better, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.
Isn’t it too much to throw away your paintings when you have already committed unfilial piety? My friends say yes too. I decided to take care of some of the drawings.
Instead, I got up and pretended nothing had happened. I could clearly see the redhead waving from afar. Akata and Berserker were also there.
Akata is sitting on Berserker’s shoulder, nibbling on a skewer of meat, while Berserker continues to eat two or three bites of an apple.
“Tsk.”
I crossed my arms and leaned against the railing of the bridge. Dev realized that the picture was gone and kept looking sideways at my hand, but it was already too late.
After throwing away all the remaining paper and pen.
And you will never be seen again. It’s a shame because something happened a few days ago, but I’m not the kind of person whose concept is inherently broken.
First of all… how do I know he’ll see my family in my setup? It’s a black and white painting, and due to my drawing style, it’s somewhat deformed, which is a shame. If you look at it often, you’ll end up thinking ‘Huh?’ I might do it.
I just want to stop that.
“You are here! “I’ve been looking for it for a long time!”
“If you’re going to wander around, just wander around. Why did we look for you?”
I glanced at Kimchi Dumpling, who was running towards me chubby, and Berserker, who was walking tall.
I expected it from the muttering, but both of them had their hands full of food, probably because they had stopped by the market.
“Don’t worry, I didn’t find you. Oh, would you like to eat it? Delicious!”
“Berserk is the most delicious.”
okay. Eating is what remains.
I saw the wooden cup that Kimchi Dumpling handed over and the meat skewer that Berserker shrugged off. The wooden cup contained pickled fruit, and the meat skewer Berserker was holding was a grilled scorpion.
The scent of meat was overwhelming.
“Not required.”
I’m a bit tempted by pickled fruit, but I’m not someone who will accept the concept easily.
I turned around with a look in my eyes as if this was the end of the business.
【Ah!】
Akata, who was wriggling her hand on Berserker’s shoulder, let out a small sound.
“right. “This little friend said he had something to say to you.”
Akata?
I turned my body slightly. It was because I was a little anxious and curious about what Akata was going to say.
Of course, the former reason is because I did something.
【That…】
Could it be that he is questioning why he wasn’t given a chance to kill his enemy?
But baby. No matter how much of an enemy he is, it’s not okay for an adult to watch a child kill someone. People in this day and age don’t attach much importance to killing and killing people, but that’s not the case for me.
【So.】
Or did you find out that I made a deal with the Magic Tower? So why are you so angry that you pity me?
Just because he’s a child doesn’t mean he doesn’t have pride, so this possibility may be quite high. Although it wasn’t my intention, it’s true that I harmed that child’s parents.
No matter how hard it is, it would be a bit difficult to accept money from someone like that…
“Thank you.”
…uh.
“Thank you very much.”
The thank you was expressed in a tone as awkward as if it had just been learned, but as clear as if it had been repeated dozens of times.
It was something Berserker said while proudly stepping on the ground.
“And I was sorry.”
Akata held out something. On her small hand is a white thread bracelet with a slight green tint.
【I probably won’t like you. Whenever I see you, I always think of my family. But… But I think you’re a good person. He’s a really, really good person.】
As I stood there, Akata gently held my hand and placed a thread bracelet on my palm.
Considering the fact that he dislikes contact, it would have been right to kick him out, but he couldn’t do that.
【I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. You’re not guilty, but you really helped me a lot. And yet… I…】
Oh shit.
【…Will there come a day when I can look at you directly? I really want to express my sincere gratitude. Will that day ever come?】
I suddenly feel like crying.
I grabbed my hand as my mind raced. The child reflexively grabbed the thread bracelet and withdrew his hand as if he had no regrets.
I felt dazed, as if my head had been hit.
【…I seemed to like the tea made from the leaves of Dauphin chinensis, so I made a bracelet with the stems. I want to give you something better, but I heard you have to have money here.】
If I had cried like a normal child and asked why my parents were taken away, I wouldn’t have been embarrassed.
If you were angry and asked why you took away my chance for revenge, I would have accepted it.
Why are the children of this world so stubborn?
“【I should have learned to speak more.】 Thank you. 【There is nothing else I can say.】”
Why are you being so proud that it makes me feel even sadder?
I suddenly bit my lip reflexively as my heart pounded so hard that I couldn’t even explain why.
cause? I do not know. If I had known, I wouldn’t have been embarrassed either.
But the tears in my eyes betrayed me. The edges of my vision became slightly blurred and I felt heat rising.
Oh shit.
It’s true that if too many emotions build up, your threshold becomes lower and you get easily upset and angry.
Still, you really wanted to play Jwibulnori in the Bigbol tribe. I thought I had let go of some of my anger, but maybe I still have a lot of sadness left? Have I been so stressed out that my mood suddenly changes??
“Useless.”
Oh no. I was definitely crying in the room earlier. I came here crying a lot.
“you.”
Or are you just feeling sad about thinking about your parents? That’s where he delivered a direct hit??
“It’s not for you to apologize, kid.”
I just can’t figure out what triggers this damn emotion.
But at the point when your voice starts shaking, the cause is no longer important.
escape. A breakout is urgent.
“Demon knight?”
“Oh, Nari—.”
But there’s no way to get out of here without a cafe…
“Hmm! “It won’t work either!”
“…?”
At that moment, Berserker, whose basic voice was twice that of an ordinary person, opened his mouth.
“I’m getting tired of waiting until tomorrow!”
No, you just opened it? Berserker grinned mischievously and handed the food he was holding to Dev. The wide palm pushes the food into my chest! When I attached it, Dev suddenly took over the whole thing.
“Let’s fight now, warrior!”
“─?!”
And what follows is a delightfully linear rush.
“Haha!”
It was even directed at me. Berserker’s hand grabbed me.
There was no time to react because the distance was so close and the variables were unimaginable.
“What—.”
“Uh oh!!”
Thanks to that, I was dragged by his hand over the railing right next to me.
Yes, on this bridge built over a lake, I was dragged beyond the railings of nothing else.
“You crazy fighter, Nari!! “This is on the lake!!”
“I’m not allowed to climb over the railing…! Rather, a demon knight!!”
It was a companion dive that happened unexpectedly.
“let’s go!”
But… maybe it’s actually better?
“Hahaha!”
I didn’t reach out and grab the railing at the last moment. However, he swatted away Berserker’s hand as if to change his mind.
Oh, of course I put the thread bracelet in my inventory. You can’t lose it.
“Demon Knight!!”
“I’m a great knight!!”
【What?! Suicide? Suicide?!?]
Separately, my body, which naturally missed the opportunity, began to fall down the lake along with Berserker.
“Ahh! lily!!”
“Oh, I have to go down!”
“Why are you crazy, trying to jump in!”
【It falls in!!】
Plop!
And when my body finally entered the lake.
Por!
When you reflexively rise to the surface with air bubbles and exhale.
“You guy…”
I gently wiped my eyes and thought back on the situation.
“Haha! How about you, Demon Knight? Now that your body is clean, you can have a fight!”
“…okay.”
Since I was caught up in Berserker, it’s not like I was in a cafe, and because I’m wet with water, it’s hard to tell the tears.
In other words, it prevents cabotage and catches escapes.
“I’ll drill courtesy into your bones.”
It was a development I really liked!