#102
“What’s this now? Did you play in the sand by yourself while I was away?”
The sandcastle was quite large and impressive in appearance. It had turrets and walls all around, and even a moat filled with water in front of the gate. Although it was all made of sand, the surface was strangely smooth and shiny.
“Did I do a good job?”
Riyekan stood up, placing his chin on Jin-ha’s shoulder from behind and wrapping his arm around his waist. Jin-ha hesitated for a moment before awkwardly leaning into him.
“Yes, you did well… But did you really make this yourself? It’s too well-made. Did you use magic?”
“Why are you doubting me? I’m just good at playing with sand because I did it a lot when I was young.”
When he was young. Hearing that, Jin-ha could guess what period he was referring to.
“Is it about your ‘first love’?”
“That was a lie. Me and a kid like that…”
“You said a five-year age gap is just right.”
Jin-ha pointed out, and Riyekan closed his mouth. His gesture of pressing his chin into the shoulder seemed to contain a silent protest.
“Can I take a look?”
“Of course.”
Riyekan, who had suddenly stood up, grabbed Jin-ha under the armpits and lifted him up. Jin-ha, who had unconsciously let himself be lifted, was displeased.
“Don’t do things like this.”
“Why? Oh, should I have done it more affectionately, like a serious couple?”
“Stop doing unnecessary things.”
“I only do necessary things.”
“I can stand up by myself, so don’t do that.”
“In a serious relationship, you do things for each other that you can do yourself. Didn’t you know that?”
This time, Jin-ha was at a loss for words. Although Riyekan’s tone was somewhat frivolous, that was indeed what lovers did. They found happiness in doing things for each other that they could do themselves…
But was he happy now? Jin-ha looked at Riyekan, who was being playful in a situation where he couldn’t speak honestly, feeling uneasy.
“Why? Am I being a bit lovable? If so, you can kiss me.”
“…Let’s go.”
Jin-ha pretended not to hear and started walking, and Riyekan followed him with a smile. It seemed he hadn’t expected him to actually do it.
Jin-ha, who had reached the edge of the rug, looked around for his shoes but went out barefoot. The feel of the sand under his feet was surprisingly soft.
The castle that Riyekan had made by hand was so delicately shaped that it was hard to believe it was made of sand. It was amazing that he had made such a sturdy-looking sandcastle with sand that softly scattered underfoot. Could it be true that he hadn’t used magic?
“Well, I put the most effort into this turret. How is it?”
The turret walls had lines drawn to resemble bricks, and small shells were stacked on the roof to mimic tiles. And at the top, a large, flat shell like a scallop was placed vertically.
It was the way young Jin-ha had proudly taught Riyekan. He had enthusiastically built sandcastles, showing off how to play with them like this. Of course, the sandcastles he had made back then were shabby compared to the one in front of him now.
“You really did a good job.”
His feelings were strange. For some reason, Jin-ha had lost his childhood memories. Until recently, he had even forgotten Riyekan’s existence. But Riri, Riyekan, seemed to vividly remember those memories and had even made a sandcastle by himself.
His chest felt ticklish and at the same time, a bit tight.
“Did that first love you mentioned teach you how to make sandcastles?”
“How did you… know that?”
“Because I couldn’t think of any other childhood friend who would have played with sand with you.”
Unable to deny the subject, Riyekan seemed annoyed and narrowed his eyes.
“Was I wrong?”
“No, it’s true that I didn’t have other friends. But what I said about my first love was just a joke.”
“Don’t lie just because I’m not jealous. I just… want to hear about Master Senistry out of interest.”
“Still, no. It’s not… probably.”
The stubborn claim that popped out immediately crumbled without confidence.
“But it’s true that it had a big influence on my memories. Your room in the tower, this beach that follows it.”
“…How did you know?”
“The feel of the sand is similar, the color of the sea is similar, and most of all, you, who avoided me because of past trauma, were looking at the sea on the beach. It must have been a place to remember that child who saved you. Right?”
At Jin-ha’s deduction, Riyekan frowned displeasedly and then finally sighed.
“…It’s somewhat correct. When I feel painful remembering that time, I feel a little better when I think of that kid I saw as soon as I opened my eyes. Maybe because it was a face I saw after almost dying, I feel like I can overcome everything.”
“I understand.”
“So it’s like a charm… probably.”
“Why are you so adamantly denying it?”
It was just a story about a childhood friend. Even if it was called a first love back then, it only felt like a child’s affection for a friend they liked too much. It wasn’t a story worth insisting wasn’t true.
Jin-ha looked at him strangely, and Riyekan closed his mouth tightly, pondered for a moment, and finally opened his mouth.
“I’m jealous.”
“…What?”
“If I talk about that kid, you talk about some weird guy named Li Jin-ha or Li Ra without hesitation, so I’m jealous.”
“…Riyekan.”
Even as Jin-ha looked at him with a dismayed expression, Riyekan ignored it and crossed his arms.
“What’s the problem with being a little jealous in a serious relationship?”
What’s the problem? Did he really not know why he was asking? Even if we set aside the fact that Riri was himself, it was strange to be jealous of a friend he had just played with as a child. Why didn’t he know that?
“He was just a little kid back then.”
Jin-ha said, gesturing around his waist, and Riyekan smirked.
“Even if he was back then, who knows how tall he is now.”
“Well… but.”
Jin-ha unconsciously glanced at the top of Riyekan’s head, and Riyekan’s eyes narrowed.
“…Is he about the same height as me? You said he was a childhood friend? Aren’t you not meeting him anymore?”
“We didn’t meet… “
“Why are you speaking in the past tense? Tell me honestly. Did you meet him recently?”
Well, they had met. To be precise, they were meeting now. Jin-ha, unable to lie, closed his mouth, and Riyekan let out a laugh as if it were absurd.
Jin-ha hurriedly defended himself.
“We just happened to meet while working. Riyekan, I’m not the kind of person who makes friends carelessly like that. You know that, right?”
“…Yeah. Jin-ha only does serious relationships.”
“And now I’m doing that with you.”
Jin-ha said seriously, and Riyekan finally seemed a little relieved. But he still looked a bit sulky, so Jin-ha had no choice but to try to soothe him.
As he reached out his hand, Riyekan placed his hand on top of it as if he had been waiting. Jin-ha, rubbing that hand, opened his mouth. The warm temperature strongly rubbing his hand made Riyekan seem a little melted, even though he pretended not to be.
“Then I won’t talk about Riri, so you tell me about that kid.”
“Why are you so curious about that story?”
“Because I’m curious about you.”
“…About me?”
“Yes. I want to know more about you. Is that not okay?”
“……”
At Jin-ha’s question, Riyekan was silent for a moment and then let out a low sigh as if giving up.
“If that’s an essential conversation in your serious relationship, then I have to. But, whenever I ask, you have to tell me the truth about that guy named Riri. Don’t ever mention it unless I ask.”
It was clear that he was thinking of asking if he had met him whenever he was suspicious. The words “That’s you” came up to the tip of his tongue, but Jin-ha held back. The thought of the numerous troubles that would follow if he confessed that fact sealed his lips.
“I understand.”
“Then you can ask me now.”
“Did you make the sandcastle alone in your room the way that kid taught you?”
“…It seems like you want to tease me rather than know about me?”
Riyekan raised his eyebrows and retorted, and Jin-ha quickly reached out to gently stroke Riyekan’s cheek. The eyes that had risen in protest quickly softened.
“Whoever it is, it seems like they’ve passed on a bad habit of teasing.”
“I don’t know who that someone is, but since they’ve passed on a bad habit to Jin-ha, I should punish them. Should I do it?”
At Riyekan’s shamelessly feigned ignorance, Jin-ha smiled and gently rubbed his earlobe with his thumb before sliding his hand through his hair.
A moan-like sound escaped Riyekan’s mouth.
“It’s okay. I’m punishing them right now.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
