Chapter 44
Harriet slept without dreaming. Last night, he felt somewhat lonely because Ender had stayed out.
His cute junior had always been Harriet’s conversation partner until late at night, clinging to the outside of the window to keep the conversation going until Harriet fell asleep. Despite having slept well and feeling refreshed, Harriet held his foggy head and still felt lonely.
It was a loneliness he hadn’t even felt when Alcita Maxim, who used to visit him at the orphanage every day, suddenly stopped coming one day.
Alcita Maxim was the one who introduced Harriet to very hot cocoa. It was the first time he tasted the sweet chocolate-scented beverage that everyone in the orphanage wanted.
Harriet blew on the cocoa with “hoo-hoo” sounds and thought for the first time that hot food could be delicious. This was because while Harriet ate cold things well, he inherently couldn’t handle hot foods.
Alcita smiled bitterly and linked pinkies with Harriet.
“Next time I’ll show you how to drink it cold.”
Alcita made that promise. Harriet believed him. But Alcita Maxim never got to show Harriet how to drink cocoa cold. Never.
Harriet gathered his clothes and put them on, then walked listlessly to the bathroom. His toothpaste-squeezing and brushing motions were mechanical and consistent. After washing his face and coming out, Harriet put on a black T-shirt and military pants.
Strangely, the sense of helplessness rising from deep within his heart wouldn’t go away. Unable to define this emotion, Harriet smiled slightly in a troubled way as he opened the front door.
And then he saw those red eyes. Seeing those beautiful eyes like jewels, like rubies, the small loneliness in Harriet’s heart melted away like snow. Harriet smiled faintly.
“Welcome, Ender.”
“I’m back, Sunbae.”
Anyone watching would think they’d been apart for years, but surprisingly, they had only parted yesterday and met again today.
Harriet walked along the familiar path with the junior he was accustomed to walking with. The military base wasn’t far, but Harriet’s limping gait was slow, so naturally, Ender’s pace slowed too.
In the beginning, Harriet had once urged Ender to go ahead without worrying about him. Now he wondered why he had done that, but anyway, he had wanted to be considerate of Ender. Perhaps he didn’t want to see his cute junior be late.
But ever since the academy days, Ender had persistently followed only Harriet.
“You can go ahead, Ender. You’ll be late for class.”
Even when Harriet said this with a troubled smile, Ender wouldn’t listen. He pretended not to notice and lingered around Harriet, following him.
“Where did you go?”
“I had something to retrieve.”
Fortunately, Ender seemed to have found what he needed to retrieve, and answered briefly. Harriet smiled slightly.
The two soon arrived at the military base. Naturally, Ender opened the door and stepped aside to let Harriet enter first.
When Harriet entered the office, as always, the first person he noticed was someone with light brown hair and an unfashionable 2:8 parted hairstyle. His glasses were so thick that his eyes were barely visible. At first glance, he looked like a dormitory supervisor from some cartoon.
He was greeting Ender and Harriet while busily moving about. Harriet tilted his head and approached him. Anschel was busy moving boxes, and when Harriet looked inside to see what they contained, they were full of colorful origami paper.
“Origami paper?”
“Yes, I ordered it yesterday. Fortunately, it arrived early.”
Anschel nodded and handed Harriet a report saying it was supplemented from the military budget. Even though there were several boxes, origami paper wasn’t that expensive, so Harriet easily signed off on the approval.
“What’s it for?”
“I plan to volunteer at the town hall. I’m thinking of participating in paper folding and other activities with the elderly.”
Anschel said, clearing his throat. The origami paper was quite colorful and pretty. Harriet thought his method wasn’t bad. It was a strategy to target the elderly first, who were conscientious voters.
The colorful paper would catch their eye, and anyone would like it if Anschel showed off with paper folding and such.
“Do you know how to fold paper?”
“Yes.”
In fact, Harriet didn’t know how to fold paper. While military orphanages had better facilities than other institutions, that was about it. When Harriet’s faded white gaze lingered on the origami paper, Anschel opened his mouth curiously.
“I know how to make a few things. I can fold planes, boats, cranes, and paper flowers too.”
“Paper flowers too?”
“Academy classes were unbearably boring.”
Anschel smiled sheepishly and skillfully folded a piece of pink origami paper. And shortly after, a beautiful flower made of paper was completed. Harriet smiled slightly.
“Anschel, you’re a magician.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
Anschel chuckled and was about to hand the paper flower to Harriet. No, he was going to hand it over, but a strong instinct that his life might end the moment he did so prevented him.
“Hahaha.”
Anschel laughed stiffly as he crumpled the paper flower and put it in his pocket. Harriet’s gaze briefly turned toward Anschel’s hand, as if wanting to have it. Then Ender sat next to Harriet and whispered:
“Sunbae, I know how to fold too.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I’ll fold something just for you.”
Ender smiled handsomely. Beside them, Anschel, getting goosebumps, had an expression that suggested he wanted to ask if Ender had eaten cooking oil yesterday. But being wise, he didn’t let the words leave his mouth. Anschel was truly a person with quick intuition and perception.
After folding a red paper a few times, Ender suddenly closed his eyes. His cheeks turned slightly reddish. Though Anschel really didn’t want to think it, he thought Ender was being shy. He wanted to give up the concept of thinking altogether.
“What’s wrong?”
When Harriet asked, Ender held up the red paper flower he was folding and lowered his head slightly. Black hair gently covered Ender’s eyes before falling away. Ender’s cheeks were tinged pink, and his red eyes were calmly looking down at the red paper flower.
“Sunbae…”
“Yes?”
“The flower… it resembles you.”
‘What the hell is he saying now!?’
Anschel, arranging origami paper nearby, looked at Ender with a start.
‘Why here, why now of all times? I don’t understand why they’re slipping into their own world!’
Ender turned the paper flower in his hand this way and that, muttering with a shy expression.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“How so?”
Harriet found it difficult to express how he resembled a flower from any angle. He was a tall, slender adult male far from the vibrant colors of the paper flower.
If anything, it was Ender who resembled a flower. He had beautiful black hair and brilliant, passionate red eyes. But Ender muttered several times while staring at the flower:
“White… with red spots.”
Since the origami paper was single-sided, one side had color, but the other side was white. When folding a paper flower, the finished product indeed showed an elegant and passionate blend of white and red.
“…Hmm, really?”
“Yes, Sunbae is all white…”
Ender, muttering shyly, stared at the flower with lowered eyes. Then he slowly raised the flower to his lips and closed his eyes. As if thinking the paper flower was Harriet, he took a long breath in.
“But your lips are red.”
Ender stuck out his red tongue and licked the paper flower. The moment he inserted his tongue between the petals and licked it wetly, Anschel stood up abruptly with a pale face.
Harriet, who had been staring at Ender’s bewitching tongue, slowly raised his head to look at Anschel who had stood up. Feeling so disturbed that he had to calm his goosebump-covered arms, Anschel shouted:
“I-I’m sorry! I have something to do!”
“Hmm… is that so?”
“Yes! I’ll make sure to relay it well to Angela and Ryan!!”
Though it wasn’t clear what he was going to relay, Anschel hurriedly left the office. He moved so quickly that Harriet couldn’t even say goodbye. Harriet turned his gaze back to Ender.
Ender, who had been sticking out his tongue and licking stickily between the paper flower petals, looked at Harriet again.
Holding the flower with one hand and inserting his tongue deeply into it, with his remaining hand he stroked up Harriet’s chest. Through the thin black T-shirt, a nipple caught on his finger and sprang up as if bouncing.
“…”
“Your chest is red too, Sunbae.”
The paper flower was already limp, soaked with saliva. Still unable to contain himself, Ender stroked down Harriet’s chest again. When Harriet flinched and stepped back, this time Ender pinched Harriet’s nipple with his thumb and index finger.
“Haah… Sunbae.”
Harriet lowered his gaze. Ender had already been erect enough to break through his pants since he started licking between the paper flower petals. Harriet just looked down at Ender’s fingers painfully pinching his chest.
Ender gently rubbed the nipple with his thumb, then flicked the now stiff bud with his index finger.
“…Ngh.”
Seeing that Harriet showed no sign of refusal, Ender moved his hand more boldly.
“Sunbae, you turn redder here when it hurts rather than when you’re caressed…”
Ender gently caressed Harriet’s chest through his clothes, then again squeezed it painfully between his fingers. Harriet, accustomed to pain, inhaled sharply as his body squirmed.
Harriet was dull to all sensations. That’s why he could withstand experiments and become the only survivor. But strangely, whenever Ender caressed him, every nerve in his body came alive as if struck by lightning.
Seeing a red flower gradually blooming on Harriet’s cheeks, Ender exhaled a long breath as if he couldn’t stand it anymore. His red eyes glistened with passion. Looking at Harriet’s nipples clearly visible through his clothes, he licked his lips as if he wanted to devour him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
