#53
“Let’s not do that and just talk honestly. If you tell me, I’ll share one of my secrets too. My secret is really incredible. The moment I tell you, you’ll be grateful to be my best friend.”
“Um, I like you, you know that, right?”
Noah, who had almost fallen for Raymond’s trick, realized he had safely escaped from the clutches of evil and said with a grin.
“What are you talking about?”
“I said I like you.”
“Are you crazy? Why would you like me? You like Derik.”
Noah took another step toward Raymond, who was backing away with his arms wrapped around his torso as if disgusted.
While they were squabbling—Raymond backing away each time Noah stepped forward—Aeongi came in through the window, but this wasn’t the time to pay attention to that. If Noah backed down now, Raymond would constantly bring this up to torment him, so it was better to make things clear once and for all.
“Sit down on that chair. Let’s talk calmly. Aeongi, you come here.”
Noah stroked Aeongi’s head as he sauntered over and pointed to the chair next to the window.
“Oh, the sun has already set? I think I should get going.”
Even though Noah had kindly told him to sit comfortably in the chair, Raymond didn’t appreciate it and was sneakily heading toward the window. Noah grabbed his hand and sat him down in the chair, then quickly climbed onto the bed and sat next to Aeongi, who was lying down.
“Where do you think you’re going? Let’s talk properly. Look at it objectively, how could I like Derik? I like you.”
Leaning against Aeongi and playing with his long, fluffy tail, Noah spoke.
“No… Noah, the thing is…”
“I may have more classes with Derik than with you, but what’s the first thing we do when we meet every day?”
Seeing Raymond, who had just been loudly demanding to know who Noah liked, now fidgeting uncomfortably, Noah grew more confident. Ah, so he’s the type who doesn’t know what to do when someone says they like him.
Excited by Raymond’s flustered appearance, Noah started talking even louder.
“We hug and kiss every day.”
“Hey! When did we ever…”
“Did you hug me and kiss me on the cheek this morning, or not?”
Noah’s voice grew louder as he refuted Raymond, who was now trying to back out, while his hands continued to fiddle with Aeongi’s tail.
“…Later. Um. I mean.”
“What? Are you backing out because I said I like you? Wow, that’s really harsh. Honestly, there are many people who like you, but you treat me differently from them. Hugging and kissing on the cheek when we meet. You only do that with me, right? Am I wrong? Am I imagining things? Have you ever hugged and kissed Derik like that?”
“Are you crazy?! Why would I do that with Derik? With that disgusting bastard!”
“Exactly. But you do it with me. All those people who’ve confessed to you and you’ve politely rejected, wasn’t that because of me? …Were you just playing with me?”
Wow, I’ve always wanted to try something like this. It’s like a scene from a drama.
Moreover, the situation turned even more favorable for Noah, though it wasn’t his intention at all. As he was saying lines that sounded like they were from a makjang drama, a tear rolled down from his eye. It seemed like some sand mixed with the wind coming through the open window had gotten into his eye. Every time he blinked, large teardrops kept falling from his reddened eyes.
“No! Absolutely not. How could I play with you… Noah, don’t cry. Okay? Please spare me.”
Noah lowered his head at the unusual sight of Raymond, who was always slick, now panicking. Pretending to wipe his tears, he secretly had to pull down the corners of his mouth that had risen because it was too funny.
“…I understand. You’re saying I imagined it all? I’m sorry. I thought you liked me. And then one day, I started to like you too… I won’t do that anymore. Um, I won’t show it, I’ll be careful… Raymond, can we still be friends?”
Noah felt like he needed to end this act now and send Raymond away before he burst out laughing.
“It’s not that I don’t like you. I do like you. But I like you as a friend… I mean, Noah.”
“You don’t have to feel sorry for me. Just be clear about this. I don’t like Derik. So don’t spread such rumors to Derik or anyone else.”
*Keck—*
Noah turned his head at the sound behind him. Whenever he was in this room, no matter what Noah was doing, Aeongi had always slept comfortably on the bed. So he thought Aeongi would be sleeping now too, but as soon as he turned his head, he met Aeongi’s large eyes.
“You… why are you like that?”
Aeongi’s expressions weren’t very diverse. But right now, he somehow looked wronged, bewildered, and as if he’d been rejected—in other words, he wore a strange expression that could only be described as somewhat empty.
Above all, seeing Aeongi’s downturned mouth in a C-shape, Noah hurriedly reached out and rubbed Aeongi’s cheek.
*Whip—*
What’s this now? Aeongi, who had never once rejected Noah’s touch since they first met, turned his head away.
“Ah, Noah?”
“Aeongi, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“Um, Noah?”
“Did something happen outside? Did some bastard scold you? Or did another animal mess with you?”
“Can I leave now?”
“Our Aeongi, tell hyung everything. Hyung will solve it all for you.”
Raymond’s careful attempts to leave were drowned out by Noah’s urgent voice.
“I’ll be going now…”
“Aeongi!”
Raymond, who had been trying to sneak out through the window while Noah was distracted by Aeongi, stood frozen in place as a massive figure swiftly passed in front of him.
“Where are you going? It’s night!”
Noah, holding onto the windowsill, shouted at Aeongi disappearing into the darkness, but Aeongi vanished in an instant.
“Raymond! Aren’t you a magician? Can you follow Aeongi?”
Um, I could follow, but if I do, I might really die.
Raymond stared at Noah’s face looking up at him. He had almost been fooled by Noah’s confident and honest words. If he hadn’t seen this anxious and desperate expression, he might have really believed that Noah liked him instead of Derik.
Given Noah’s unpredictable personality, a bold confession seemed exactly like him, but Aeongi’s appearance in that situation was completely unexpected. Moreover, that gaze watching him from behind Noah, as if waiting to see how far he would go, still gave him chills thinking about it.
“No. I’m still an apprentice, and it’s night now…”
“Hah… Do animals go through puberty too? Why is Aeongi acting like this lately? He must have found a lover outside.”
Watching Noah slump into the chair at his inability to follow, Raymond pressed his right hand against his left chest. He had planned to somehow bring Noah and Derik together if Noah admitted to liking Derik, but how could things get so tangled?
Fifteen. Humans in puberty often experienced their first love around this age. Sometimes first love became last love, and sometimes it remained a painful memory buried in the heart for life.
He had wanted to make this first love a last love, not the kind buried in the heart that brings a sad smile when remembered occasionally.
He had clearly shortened his own lifespan by meddling unnecessarily.
But Derik, why are you like this? Honestly, you’re not interested in humans, or in emotions like love and such.
In fact, Raymond had sensed Derik’s presence as soon as he started arguing with Noah about who he liked. Noah’s confession could have been directly conveyed to Derik without going through him, which was partly why he had encouraged it more.
But he had no idea that Derik would transform into Aeongi and enter Noah’s room, and that’s when Noah started claiming to like him.
It was partly because Noah was cute, but the pranks were also fun because every time he hugged Noah and kissed his cheek, Derik’s eyes would ferociously narrow. But hearing Noah’s words now, he realized Noah could easily misunderstand.
As Raymond realized this, the look in Aeongi’s eyes, sitting behind Noah, gradually began to change. If it had been curiosity at first, by the end it had turned ferocious enough to kill Raymond with just a gaze.
Then he just left abruptly, which also bewildered Raymond. After all, Derik’s reaction was beyond imagination, considering he had seemed like someone who wouldn’t care at all about who Noah liked.
Could it be that it’s not Noah who likes Derik, but Derik who likes Noah?
He always said he was just observing humans because they were fascinating, but the fact that it was limited to Noah already held meaning.
“Animals do go through puberty.”
“Anyway, Raymond, I like you, so never ever mention anything about me liking Derik again.”
Raymond gave an awkward smile as he looked at Noah, who stared at him with bright eyes and spoke firmly. What kind of person in this world would confess their feelings to someone for the first time with such confidence, maintaining eye contact as if threatening them?
While he was afraid of being caught and killed by Derik, an interesting idea was growing vigorously in Raymond’s mind. So basically, Derik and Noah both like each other but are just digging their own holes.
“Really? Noah, are you sure you like me?”
“Of course.”
“Then, starting today, we’re day one.”
As soon as Raymond finished speaking, seeing Noah’s eyes trembling, he stretched out his arms and hugged Noah tightly.
*Kreung—*
Derik, were you watching all along? Hearing what sounded like a beast’s roar from afar, Raymond hugged Noah even tighter.
“Why are we starting today?”
“You like me, right?”
“Yes. I like you, but I’m not going to date you.”
One mountain after another. As expected, Noah was a special being who didn’t think like ordinary humans.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
