TNZKMA 107

１０７

 

I received the grilled meat and also some stir-fried vegetables that the man had made for me as a service.

I watched how it was made and tried exactly the same, but I just couldn’t get the flavor right. I asked the man for tips and tried again, but it didn’t work. I guess the only way to do this is through special training. You have to remember with your body how long to heat the oil, when to add the ingredients and things like that.

 

We buy rice, alcohol, and juice for me and head to a table. After cleaning up the stall, Haruka and the uncle joined us.

The uncle who almost killed me and Saine who beat the uncle half to death are eating together. It was a peaceful and amusing sight.

I wonder if Haruka’s husband has stopped trying to sell him. I’m not sure. When I ask Haruka, he just laughs faintly. Before I knew it, Haruka had left the Daryss family and gone back home, and he always seems to be smiling and having fun. He doesn’t have any bruises, so maybe it’s fine the way it is.

 

My mom and dad would hit me many times, saying they wouldn’t do it again, but maybe Haruka’s husband really doesn’t want to do it anymore. After all, he’s stopped drinking.

Haruka’s husband has thrown away all the liquor bottles that were lined up in the house. He apparently threw away all the brand new bottles as well.

Haruka’s husband must be as strong-willed as Saine. Even now, in front of Saine drinking, the he was sipping juice.

 

[Do you ever have thoughts about wanting to drink alcohol?]

 

When I asked, the uncle laughed heartily and shook his head.

 

[No, no. When I was drinking, my mind was always hazy, but now it’s clear. It’s like the fog has cleared, and I can see everything clearly.]

[The people in this world don’t become alcoholics, huh? If one drinks like that, I’d assume he’d be addicted.]

 

When Haruka said this with a wry smile, the two natives tilted their heads in confusion.

 

[Alkoholik?]

 

It’s a strange pronunciation. Or rather, it’s kind of cute. The way Haruka’s husband tilted his head and muttered it was so cute that it made me laugh.

 

[It’s ‘alcohol addiction’. Alcoholic for short. When you drink too much, you see and hear things that aren’t there, but you can’t just stop drinking. When the alcohol wears off, your body starts shaking and you’re hit with unbearable pain.]

[Haruka, have you had any experience over there?]

[No, no, no. That’s what happened with the guy I was living with for a while. He was a pretty elite guy, but the stress at work was terrible. He started drinking every night, and before you knew it, the amount he was drinking increased, and before you knew it, he was an alcoholic. It got to the point where he had to drink even during work, and he ended up getting fired. That was the trigger, and he became even more of an alcoholic… and in the end, he became a drug addict. I wonder if he was able to die properly…]

 

The men Haruka spoke of in his past were quite heavy. Allec said Haruka was a bad-guy getter. He only attracted the wrong men.

The uncle watched Haruka sigh as he reminisced about her past life.

 

I bought some ingredients for breakfast and went home. It was pitch black on the road, so Saine carried me on his back. I’ve grown a year and I’m a little bigger now. I think I’ve gotten heavier, but Saine carries me on his back with ease.

 

[Do you think Haruka’s husband stopped trying to sell him?]

[I don’t know.]

[You know, I thought Haruka’s husband’s violence wouldn’t be fixed, but maybe that wasn’t the case. My mom and dad are just special, and maybe most people can stop if they want to.]

[We won’t know which is normal or not.]

[You think so?]

[I think it’s important to have feelings for the other person at the core.]

 

I ponder Saine’s words. If you care for the other person, I don’t think you’d hit them. Because Saine is important to me, I don’t want even a single scratch on his body.

 

[Is it possible to hit someone even if you love them? If that happens, is it possible to stop if you decide to?]

 

I don’t really get it. Is it the same with Saine? There was no response to my whisper.

 

[But somehow, Haruka looks happy, doesn’t he?]

[You’re right.]

 

The man standing at the food stall with Haruka also looked happy. I’m a little worried, but as long as Haruka is happy, then that’s fine. No one knows what happiness really looks like.

 

Having both a mom and a dad, and having a child. If that’s what you call happiness, then Saine and I don’t fall into that category.

But I’m happy to be with Saine, and if he asked me to have a girl in exchange for him, I’d decline. I think Saine would probably do the same.

So even though it’s just Saine and I and we won’t have children, I think we can always be happy. Even if someone screams that our relationship is weird, we’re happy.

 

Maybe it’s the same thing as Haruka living with the man who beat him so hard he nearly died. No matter what things were like before, he’s happy now.

I don’t know what the future holds, but if Haruka wants to be happy like he is now, I think this is the right answer.

 

[Didn’t expect Haruka’s husband to be that young.]

 

The uncle, now half-shrunk, looked younger. He had hair and no beard, and looked just like Saine.

 

[Rather than an uncle, I guess he’s a big brother. Do you think I should call him that?] (TN: MC has been calling him “otchan” and now he’s contemplating calling him “niichan”)

 

His face has firmed up since he stopped drinking. Haruka’s husband, who used to be very fat and chubby, has become quite handsome since he lost weight. Haruka said so too. When his face firmed up, his eyes popped out, and he was happy to see that they were blue. I wonder if Haruka likes blue eyes.

He didn’t react to the sparkling Olphynn’s blonde hair and blue eyes, but he was happy with his husband’s weight loss. I wonder if Haruka has fallen in love with him after all.

I was scared of Saine at first too, and didn’t like him. But now I really love him.

 

[The meaning of ‘big brother’ you say is different from what we mean by ‘big brother’ here. Did you know that?]

 

Saine chuckles.

 

[Huh? Really?]

[You’re just calling those who are younger ‘big brother’, aren’t you? But here, But here we call immature fools that.]

[What?! Why didn’t you tell me that before?! I’m being so rude!]

 

I was so shocked that I bent back on Saine’s back.

 

[The other meaning is single. So you’re not entirely wrong.]

 

The world over there and this one are subtly different. I thought I understood it, but I guess I still have a lot of things to learn.

 

[I wonder if the brother next door and the farmer brother are upset……]

[They should be fine. They’re both single anyway. But, well, don’t call Gale that.]

 

Gale is the name of Haruka’s husband that we recently knew. I nod in agreement.

 

[I keep calling people uncle or grandpa, is that okay?]

 

I put a little more strength into my hand that was wrapped around Saine and asked, peering into his face. Even though I was this close, I couldn’t see him.

 

[That’s fine. Those who are called “grandpa” are those who are experienced, and “gramps” is something similar. No one would mind being called that.]

 

It’s a man’s world, so it’s better to look experienced than young. If you think about it, Olphynn also told me to call him by his name when I called him “Big Brother”. I see, it’s better not to use titles too much. Even if I do, I’ll use “Uncle” or “Grandpa”.

 

[If I say anything weird, let me know.]

[…If you feel like it.]

[What’s that!?]

 

Saine laughed, and my body shook as I was carried on his back. I’m sure I’m saying strange things in this world. Saine is probably just enjoying it without telling me.

I tensed my arms in annoyance. But it seemed the Dauntless had also trained his neck, and didn’t seem to mind my bindings. Just to be mean, I sunk my teeth into the hard neck in front of me. I bit into it, but Saine just laughed.

Saine’s laughter echoed in the pitch black street at night. I hoped that I’d left a teeth mark so that he’ll get teases at the guild tomorrow. Thinking that, I was chewing on Saine’s neck, but before I knew it, I was licking it.

 

[It’s hitting me.]

 

Saine shakes his body. My erect crotch rubs against him and I groan.

 

 

[What about you?]

[Well, a little bit.]

 

We started together, so what is this difference in our composure? Is it not a matter of age, but rather a difference in our feelings? Maybe I’m the only one who likes Saine, and Saine isn’t really that much into it? (TN: They started the horny journey together.)

 

[Saine, do you like me?]

 

This is something a girl would say, right? Even though I’m a guy, I feel like it’s pretty shameful to find out someone’s feelings, like whether they like me or not. But I can’t help but wonder what Saine’s feeling is.

But there was no reply to my question, and I only sensed a hint of Saine smiling faintly.

 

Saine, have you noticed?

You have never told me that you love me.