Chapter 1. Prologue
‘I was curious.
So, try loving me.’
.
.
Long ago, there was a junior who followed him devotedly. He gave him the nickname ‘Ruby’ in his heart for the jewel-like beautiful red eyes that contrasted with his black hair.
The junior would naturally turn and follow whenever they happened to meet, and when he sat absentmindedly in the garden, the junior would sit beside him and stare intently. He waited, wondering if the junior had something to say, but no words came back.
He found it puzzling why the junior lingered around him without any business or words to share, but he didn’t particularly discourage it. After all, that boy was so pretty and cute. Though he seemed to have a complex about his somewhat short stature…
As usual, the junior quietly approached and claimed the spot next to him, like a black cat grooming its fur.
“What are you looking at?”
After finishing training, while blankly staring at the pond in the school garden, the junior rarely spoke up. His gruff tone and expression that showed no curiosity at all made the question somewhat surprising.
“The frog…”
“Frog?”
“I think it’s waking up from hibernation.”
Now the cold winter was passing, and spring was coming.
His knees would ache and hurt whenever the cold wind blew, but fortunately, this winter seemed to pass quickly. No, perhaps the reason it felt short was because of this cute, gruff, cat-like junior beside him.
The junior stared intensely with a puzzling face before opening his small mouth.
“Should I catch it for you?”
“Huh?”
“That frog, I’ll catch it for you.”
“…”
Harriet looked down at the junior whose baby fat still filled his cheeks, and covered his mouth to hide a troubled laugh. At the small voice that sounded like a moan, the junior’s ears perked up. It had been a long time since Harriet, who was often perceived as aloof because emotions rarely showed on his face, laughed out loud.
“No, that would be pitiful.”
“But at this rate, it will escape.”
Harriet smiled again at the bold-speaking junior and stared at the frog digging through the damp soil.
It was a green frog with black spots scattered like patterns. He didn’t want to needlessly disturb and frighten a creature that wasn’t even venomous.
Harriet carefully touched the tips of the junior’s hair. Even with Harriet touching his hair, the junior showed no signs of discomfort and continued to stare intensely. This time, he stared so deeply that Harriet had to let go of the hair that felt as soft and pleasant as cat fur.
“They have their own world, so I don’t really want to interfere.”
“…”
“When the war ends, I’d like to study creatures like that.”
The junior didn’t particularly comment on Harriet’s words. Still, the occasional remarks the junior made always brought Harriet joy. Whenever those pretty red eyes looked at him steadfastly, it felt like a cat following its owner, and he really liked that.
Then a bell interrupted their moment. It was nearly the end of lunch time. Harriet took out his pocket watch and frowned.
“Oh my… lunch time is almost over… did you eat?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll give you this.”
Harriet took out chocolates and candies from his pocket and poured them onto the small fern-like hand. These were the sweets that Harriet carried around because he liked sweet things.
“Thank you.”
The junior murmured softly with a subtle expression.
Before Harriet could get up, the junior rose. Then he picked up the cane carefully placed beside Harriet and dusted it off. The cane with a red jewel at the end was a custom-made item tailored to Harriet’s body and quite expensive.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you, Ender.”
Harriet received the cane from his junior and used it as support to stand up. Then he moved slowly with a limping gait. Class would be starting now, but the junior, conscientious as ever, walked slowly to match Harriet’s pace.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
