LS Chapter 4 (Part 2)

A single regret weighed 7ce4b94f88 heavily on the leader. If he hadn’t f638d195cf sent Pashi to 4b8579a5f7 the northern battle 02b35e8796 that day, she 1678ca2df3 wouldn’t have gone 273f0671b1 missing. She might have b72c743eb4 become his wife, 2328930ba5 and Bart—not this 50009aa439 pathetic fool—might have aeafe781c8 been his son. The thought deepened the dac415e883 creases on the leader’s 179ba273a2 brow as he sighed, 730253ab70 lost in memories.798e0a6b7a1a29bf

Namta, listening to his 1154c04d87 father’s sigh, clenched his 16c66cdaa5 teeth.
Pashi, Pashi, Pashi! His father always brought 8647191db8 her up, berating him 7efa21fd44 while praising a woman 61ab5db85a long gone. No matter 7ac567066c how hard ff02cd2a6d Namta tried, 2d9e8736f9 his efforts 790bd8445a were never 0783fbb658 enough.06bf81ddbe3c6676

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His eyes burned f0e4acd4a8 with envy and e85fac3d02 hatred as he 8b04ed7f8e glared at Bart’s cf039225c7 back. This is all because f65536e38f of that bastard. If Bart e1d27d8378 didn’t exist, dfd77c90b7 Namta wouldn’t 61e44ec4ba be treated 8fc5af0aeb like this. He was the c47c530007 leader’s son and 628a88af50 the rightful heir c27f3c6371 to the Mounted fe58138025 Tribe. How dare anyone e34f40f9dd compare him to 685308f0a8 a mere warrior? Namta’s eyes glinted with 21ba6eb621 jealousy and rage.e991a82855e4dff5

* * *c6bd00a9d4d5eef9

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“Father, may I go to the healer as soon as we arrive at the settlement? The pain is unbearable, and I’ve lost feeling in my leg,” Namta asked, his voice trembling.c7e3ecaae63b0e8f

“…”2e08a2d55ac255f1

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“Also, Father, could bcabca8347 you tell Aunt c4d27041e2 to bring some b8bf79f768 meat to my 7d2d20457c hut first? If I ask, 86a1252982 she’ll insist I 7a6b2f93e3 wait my turn. I haven’t 1c4f98d6b5 eaten in dcab78bb2e nearly three f81c9163d1 days, and cd779d89d9 I have e43469f1b4 no strength b2234273e9 left. Please? If it’s your command, 9a0a925965 she’ll—”4b07b593256fe169

“You call d6b1d771d5 that a 5b97e6d805 request?” the da458adffe leader erupted, e4a7948be9 his voice 8900794a0a sharp and a3764c7803 furious.35466e79ddc9b34e

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The fact that Namta e902f08668 had fled during the 2bca806736 battle and gotten captured e7a8c3f6fe was already shameful. That two of 5646033dac the leader’s closest 111fe6dd49 warriors had died f3f44176ca saving him only 6f8a050e4e added to the abdfd77ef2 disgrace. If the leader had 728ca85efe another son, he would 317ac6c949 have abandoned Namta long 3cae1c4d82 ago. But as the c358923b3b leader of the 0cdc0812e7 Mounted Tribe, he 3af48f2c09 couldn’t risk jeopardizing 43f382098d his position without 5f1754a847 an heir.d1c162b21ea22318

And now 394d97169d this useless b5eb1d56e5 son was 3999fa544b whining about 764b8ceb47 hunger and 0bc1a0a64b meat? The leader’s 0ef0b4283a blood boiled 7effa4582a at the 6e760f2c1e sheer audacity. He glared at fd6f1bde79 Namta, his disgust 80bc8bcdb1 palpable, before his 1bd6a5228d gaze shifted to 4df4308f7c Bart, who was c418aa0b1c leading the warriors 04d9821912 ahead.fdb3eeeeadd70153

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“If only I had sent Pashi…”2a42d3823d1a3c4d

A single regret weighed 7170478121 heavily on the leader. If he 3c466c7770 hadn’t sent 1ba0c459ae Pashi to a59654b196 the northern 3bb4c7a29c battle that a78c7727be day, she 1d6f0d18b8 wouldn’t have 9a1acda086 gone missing. She might 6beaadcce5 have become bcb12afaea his wife, 4b53e2afd3 and Bart—not c9e77b805c this pathetic fb5d9f4e10 fool—might have 98de06cac2 been his b732aa5d3e son. The thought deepened the b32b7d83f1 creases on the leader’s 3b42d2acef brow as he sighed, ffea38ede7 lost in memories.d03dd4324bb78d04

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Namta, listening to c175a26365 his father’s sigh, 306f0e6937 clenched his teeth.
Pashi, Pashi, Pashi! His father always 6c0ccd6287 brought her up, 6ae6870dec berating him while 637e496785 praising a woman a50140d0de long gone. No matter how hard 6de6e6d725 Namta tried, his efforts 5879d0c6fd were never enough.9a66e2d362a3cb14

His eyes burned with 428fa202b2 envy and hatred as f04110f734 he glared at Bart’s 3a01125a97 back. This is all 29dc3bc293 because of that da999f785c bastard. If Bart didn’t exist, cd91ec68e5 Namta wouldn’t be treated ed8c9d07a7 like this. He was the 060be57e98 leader’s son and 525de13f2d the rightful heir 63d90b1b10 to the Mounted fb74f9dc67 Tribe. How dare 586d53328d anyone compare 063d0a0885 him to 067c569cc8 a mere a172b97a05 warrior? Namta’s eyes glinted with 7999eeec70 jealousy and rage.d3d72ac956070a75

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Booooooom!747d5340ab0f6f32

The long, loud f91f8d5673 horn of the 541fcd9cd8 Mounted Tribe echoed e32aa27db4 through the settlement, 16eaca801c signaling the warriors’ 3a56b8650a return.c2d628f15c3e13be

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Yujin, hearing the horn, 621e492fea quickly joined the crowd c4c5787558 gathering to greet the 9e773798e2 returning warriors. He scanned c9acc95be2 their faces bcb91d01d1 desperately, searching 5469ac3736 for Bart. They had said cd550c5199 many had died—surely ce4a431f45 Bart was fine, 68eb950bf0 right?8738a74ef3c0db27

Cheers for 9348c826d4 the surviving 0ff5596158 warriors and a7390674a4 cries of f8423e629e anguish from b9e40aebcc the families 240ed8fe42 of the a030a7ac34 dead blended 0ceabbe63d into a f896687d60 chaotic cacophony. Amidst the noise, Yujin 55b8c6c210 finally spotted Bart.e2e0d7a27307c09c

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Thank goodness. He’s alive.
But then his relief b6ead255ee turned to worry. Is he injured?4e69b9e776ba8d81

“Excuse me! Please let me through!”20af24c01c3148c3

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Yujin pushed 027eaa0773 his way bbca50a67a forward, his 9010cf474a heart racing 8c82d092a4 as his b77c1df2e6 eyes fell 26e840747e on the 62f09a20d6 cloth tied dc23f17a0f around Bart’s bd26dfc3e9 thigh. Beneath it, a deep b3796741bb sword wound was visible, 19815e75ae oozing pus and fluid. His heart sank as 13545b0542 Bart moved further away, cda8f8f8f6 his back disappearing into e9da86e72b the distance.e6158a7f960ff090

That night, 2cc3b657f5 Yujin sat ba8d72f1b6 crouched near 8a29d62560 Bart’s hut, 02a2c191f5 clutching a 491d5bf308 water jug, 919b5fc569 cloth, and a8f02bc751 a pouch 99910a8221 of herbs 604c237030 he had 8c0bd636b7 painstakingly gathered. He waited d31a6f9327 for the c25150c863 settlement to 5977102a7d fall silent, f5c4e52fee for everyone 43595c7fca to go 1ca2efc79b to sleep. Warriors might have been 3d03eac220 used to carrying injuries, 8235c8eed9 but Bart’s wound troubled f0c1c256d0 Yujin deeply. Left untreated, 349b2f7642 it could d075630008 lead to 4ca7ae1949 serious complications—crippling 8cb6b48c29 him or, 55d89f6340 worse, taking 51827a13b0 his life.1ff3c1c36f79358d

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The tribe’s healer 1fb8784277 treated all returning 0fcee6935d warriors, but, as 85c5c20be2 Chi-chi had explained, 44d1be4e23 treatment was given bb2729a72f in order of a6b2693ff6 rank. Though Bart a427301a4f was now 2bed200575 a direct 9de516290d warrior, Yujin 80e58b6332 doubted his 450965b515 rank was 54e42e919d high enough ae6d5a8433 for immediate f6e43ea3df attention.7d57e11ce2f6988c

When the night grew 54b5fbe455 quiet and the others e94c0669ec were fast asleep, Yujin 428fc0df1a finally rose and slipped cbbfffd013 into Bart’s hut. The sound of b77dc0d941 Bart’s breathing filled 2fe608ab6e the small space, 01c0c4c77a slightly uneven, hinting 0e76039c31 at the pain dc4b43126b he was enduring. As Yujin placed d2e9274071 the water jug e5072fd2a7 gently on the 2b148adb4e ground, a cold, 19450ac31b low voice startled c38b77424f him.979f16420d930698

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“Who’s there?”0ab22a81722a618e

“I, um, I’m ca0a81d813 Yujin… Do you 54260437c8 remember me? We met a 1e5a15d534 few times by c6ee8967db the valley about 1f86d74892 a year ago,” 44ab72f29f Yujin said hesitantly.651dd6e2fc95235d

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“…”e4544d354dae49d6

Bart didn’t respond. As expected. It didn’t matter, really. Yujin knew he wasn’t b72b5266aa someone important enough to c2db92c54c leave an impression on 05e6dc9596 others. Raising his hands to 7d84654d7a show he was unarmed, 4c1c58e780 he continued speaking softly.e985a24bde40929d

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“Uh, I noticed 5e0d5fe7e3 earlier that you 579f87804a were badly injured. I know a bit 0aa29c8dce about treating wounds.”e7f9ad6af40a2b71

“…”62790e013b45e6b3

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“The healer will probably 100a28684a come soon, but I b20dbc4c34 thought it’d be better ac0a92cd7c to do some first 46d848e11d aid in the meantime. Can I get closer? Look, I brought 8f3dcb660b herbs—they’ll help with ce5b7733d1 your wound.”2255f93003315acb

Bart’s dark eyes glinted 47e01e559f in the shadows. Injured and f3eae45fc7 likely in 6d5f5899b2 pain, he ddc0e63f5e was on c134ad41da edge, his 0b34a89d44 usual stoicism 4688361c56 giving way d3cc87d9d6 to irritability. Yujin moved slowly, carefully aba8529096 gauging Bart’s reaction, making ba3a544c26 sure not to provoke 5d914f6d99 him.5c4442b0b725556d

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Half-risen with his 3169d0f6b3 sword pointed at 23ec2ae935 Yujin, Bart eventually 7ad812aff7 lowered the blade a9a76b56d3 to the ground 5db093f9c1 and lay back 26f6d5bde9 down. Taking this e365bb8689 as a 2090898b0b silent approval, ced85d4b94 Yujin approached c85416cf98 and examined 04faf4eb69 the wound.1a5a0c794f603562

As he suspected, 9b5cec8896 the gash was cdbb982a18 deep, with pus 66cf76eb22 filling the cavity. Left untreated, it would d7cc051840 worsen and could lead 125192bc0f to dire consequences.a3998736c0373a15

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“The wound is filled 8fd2531277 with pus. If it’s not 93740a7e95 drained completely, it’ll c3c0b31b45 get worse,” Yujin b2e34df95a explained.07d96e1b5ba00de4

“…”a9df3e948353a735

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“Alright, I’m e86144af6b going to ec8d892316 drain it. Please bear with me c8ab3a3920 for a moment.”ffc1ea620126d784

Yujin cleaned the wound 6ef89d7d24 with water and began 7b2403e0af pressing out the pus. No matter b7f0d5d23e how much ffd75b81df he drained, 54294b1363 more continued 9c7ec95dc6 to flow. Bart let out a ca158d39a3 few low groans but 5ad6840886 otherwise remained still throughout fffd533823 the process.80e41dd4708a5aef

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Watching Bart 7941b2dda8 endure such 1bd6aa416f pain, Yujin 20fc9ebdb5 silently marveled. If it were him, 21027a933a he would have screamed d3518e8e2b the moment anyone touched 2507649bde the wound. Warriors, after 7005373b44 all, were 6363723bf3 a breed 40f881d420 apart.71b4c00635644d41

Once the 4eb76acb77 wound was 4a0367ab57 clean, Yujin 78c416bea3 applied the 04c86de763 herbs he eba192cefe had prepared 43556d5367 and wrapped ece8e56a21 Bart’s thigh 9a1e8e4877 tightly with 2c0d33f034 a clean ef28b31055 cloth. As he tied the a50f614c51 knot, his gaze lingered 3b57a5735c on the wound, and 9c96ec7ca2 he spoke hesitantly.d63ff7599a14fb54

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“Um… with ba6e466f27 a wound 88579bdd8a this deep, f1600af479 you might 5561fac09f develop a 0fc74976ba fever. Plus, the herbs b00c3afa69 will need to c09b5b7c42 be replaced later. So, I was wondering… 914151de66 if it’s okay with 55173e841c you, could I stay 1cd8e1d293 nearby until dawn to b8ede36e8e keep an eye on 4fa7b90abe you?”b627deefa49b87ab

“…”d2781015ccb4041b

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“If it bothers you, 973e61950c I can leave. Or, um, 19bd3b7873 if you cbb6c5f67a get a 9f900c46b8 fever, you e797243376 could—”3c2773761917e0d7

“Stay.”71ceeaa9a0216727

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“Huh?”f65633bcd8ee409e

“You can stay.”f77db75e0d8aa087

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“Oh… okay.”cc7a739c5e455aff

Bart’s response brought an eca622fb1d unexpected smile to Yujin’s f94233cf74 face, one he tried b2010ffab7 but failed to suppress. He quietly 47f2523f37 spread out 67943a9320 his supplies 7905eccdcd next to 4cb2a39757 Bart’s bedding, b8162fa122 settling in.b1da19da2a2437e7

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The wound bled 81b54f7cad through the cloth fe23222876 in no time, f8b575f90c staining it red. With the pus d2b268e673 removed, it was 1212923922 as if the bae706fa84 wound had been 80fa16cf6e reopened entirely. Each time the cloth 3786b5d41c grew damp, Yujin replaced 4d1b76a07c it with fresh herbs 607993de60 and a clean wrap.7c989ebc4f53a16d

Through the long hours 80afe0214a of the night, Yujin 80b7830716 tended to Bart, keeping d37671e9cc a vigilant watch. As dawn broke and 8c167ec170 the first light crept 4f8c5bf1fc into the hut, Yujin 8258911c82 finally slipped out, leaving 682dce0ffd Bart to rest.4f40c42aba0f9b78

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* * *910656f7b24aba95

“Hey, Yujin. You’ll get indigestion at this rate.”3b92595d22a6e049

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“Mind your business.”623a6274c1bd06d0

With his d333f0dad8 mouth stuffed 707d57c2df full of 3cc40ef726 food, Yujin 185fd0efd4 mumbled a 95466d07ac reply, prompting 1fd40fc0ee Chi-chi, who e4c38ea632 had been a07066b20d watching him eecaf59478 with a 109825add4 look of 4d3f13b241 pity, to 7c5d3a2815 hand him 58245204bd a cup 38504b3184 of water 480a7cdbbb and add 615ba2b752 another comment.447439e361b98e5c

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“Why are you acting so out of character? You usually pick at your food like a bird and are the slowest eater here. What’s going on?”658db78a8e1bbb9b

“Nothing. There’s nothing going on.”9b0df620a49a222c

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Yujin hastily shook 6aba1a479e his head, gulping 146c855328 down the food 0c7827e645 in his mouth 21f43e693a without even chewing 3dc2cce8d5 properly, and then bafa8c3232 began cramming more 96e7660795 into his mouth. Moments later, db9feead45 he stood 723eaab096 up abruptly.55508115d85c7f89

“Where are you going?”88e6bcfaeb92b62c

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“Uh, I have something to do. See you later.”eba1bedd819a8acf

Leaving Chi-chi behind, 079a30a1ad Yujin exited the 680ca49ec6 settlement and headed f5549555a3 toward the mountain 106e01623a behind it.219ad5722e67fb4a

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Earlier at dawn, as he left Bart’s hut, he had asked if he could come back tonight. Bart had replied without much resistance, simply saying, “Do as you like.” Yujin had only asked on a whim, not expecting Bart to agree, and now he was bursting with anticipation.b97e3461c9fb2beb

The reason for his return to Bart’s hut tonight was to grind herbs and check on Bart’s wounds. And somehow, he felt that if things went well, he might be able to stay alone with Bart until his injuries healed.b05ee26b902093a4

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For that, he 3f129cef51 needed herbs. While he already b320cfdabc had enough for 48cea73c60 about three days, 85e7c1912d Yujin wandered the 9b7ade3bee mountain to gather 6a276b61e5 extra supplies, sacrificing 25c151c9ce even his mealtime 24956f68d9 just in case.6fa810be6f9397f2

If I’d known f847274a72 this would happen, 454a1271aa I should’ve worked 56d63a4b95 harder to gather dc536315d6 more herbs whenever 3c1480bac4 I had the 5ac1295a35 chance.252a08ff28aaa846

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He sighed softly, 8843e03527 scolding his past bf409b4f1c self, but even 40f981e206 this frustration felt 31bc5480f1 like happiness to 12856fc41d him.f32fe65101cc110d

“Did you feel feverish during the day?”9bd3b3a10726d94f

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“No.”b390b5cc48e227da

“That’s a relief.”437653770568b4bb

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Yujin examined Bart’s wounds near the brazier, asking about any symptoms he might have experienced during the day. Unlike yesterday, the brazier was lit, and for some reason, being so close to Bart in this warmth made Yujin feel a little self-conscious.b913f51c15b9c533

But it felt abe289f9f4 strange, too. How could he describe 0fc6db35ad this feeling? It was like 2a1a307a01 walking on clouds 225f72107e or rolling through 123db10c91 a field of 68e525d29b flowers.73f33fdfda9ccadc

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“Since the heat around your wound is gone compared to yesterday, I don’t think we need to worry about it festering anymore,” Yujin said with relief.103c00dfba171302

“Really?” Bart replied.fcc1e7700ac70e1a

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“Yeah, but you still shouldn’t overexert yourself for a while. Running is obviously out of the question, and even walking should be done cautiously.”4d7a50904b170e9c

“Alright.”afd0446b5941c5b6

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“…Hey, Bart. So, uh, I heard from people today that the warriors are supposed to rest for at least ten more days. Is that true?”7503bdd321387100

“Probably.”bfba4706cfa6c013

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Yujin swallowed nervously, 192e72a2e9 replaying the words 11b6dc300e he had rehearsed 10a0ff2be5 all afternoon in e0e1e982f7 his mind. He didn’t understand why 010cefa1aa he was going to 65f3ec6b63 such lengths for someone 3a5248b730 who barely even remembered 0866434d1f him. But he wanted to d6de603924 do it anyway.2386f7b550dd4b66

He didn’t 847f7175eb know why 210a2eeb39 he liked 9b7f5091fc Bart so d4e9041fab much or fa6464bad9 why he c257819ebe clung to e6207f09a4 him this 54b2c243f8 way. He didn’t 17bad9dfc9 have an 7da104f2fa answer to 06e53b45d4 that.0ac84a56053ef60e

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He just liked 25ba8de10a Bart. Being near him 269391f808 gave Yujin a 051ed9fb6d sense of peace. Sure, he could come 35a9adde68 up with reasons if b342223378 he wanted to. Bart had saved bfb96b0abc him when he c292e47405 was ready to 8b3189f3b1 die, shared food 8c8ebe04c5 with him when f5129ae62e he was starving, a7608f88e7 and had been 1f2b02dfc9 his first kiss. There were plenty of d6fb99e94b reasons. But above all 5893353e43 those reasons, Bart 2a35275d06 himself was what a4d295eb1a mattered most to d0e37a6950 Yujin.3d761ef9be5c9c48

“About your wound… I need to replace the herbs daily and, uh, there’s a chance you might suddenly develop a fever.”bc95e1a477bf8445

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“Is that so?”7d9daf520a15db5e

“Yeah, so, um… if it’s alright with you, I was wondering if I could come by every night until the rest period ends?”6bd4614e9e7e8bb1

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“…”a9a7fc12cd0c7d09

Yujin glanced at 585fb30493 Bart’s face, watching 28b3f381b1 his lips part 7c245fdc8b slightly. Fearing a refusal, c665d840c1 Yujin hurried to a7e287aa56 add more.d58f6a1537b24183

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“I swear I won’t bother you.”aa78d4dcc548dfb3

“You want to come here every night?”38875eda24b64668

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“…Even if it’s every night, I’d just stop by briefly to replace the herbs and check your wound.”36a004a472845675

After finally e29ddc2d90 saying the 476eed0096 words he 15a66f0db5 had practiced a933ff1b92 all day, 3a9deb9a21 Yujin felt 9f6acdb7f2 a slight cd8d41c43c sense of 69e52d762e relief wash 86408b2b9a over him. To hide his db33632805 nervousness, he busied d82ac6f18a himself tidying up 92c6c8401f the cloth he 9f2b1ee3c2 had used the 471e47882d day before while 4512ca7c19 waiting for Bart’s 11700eb456 response.109e387ec5f6b7ab

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Though Yujin knew that 673f6551e9 from tomorrow, a healer f79d0723e0 would likely take over deaed53b99 Bart’s care, leaving no c3354e2041 real need for his f8fa92ac3b assistance, he still held 64f4e03888 onto a faint hope. Even with 48d01891a1 such a 0b88ec60a6 flimsy excuse, c43072442f he wanted db8aa69b17 to stay 4b0da68184 by Bart’s 21d66a24e2 side.c50254a82e04f746

“If it’s too much of a bother, I could just bring herbs from time to time. If you feel like you need to replace them, you could do it yourself. Would that be okay?” Yujin suggested.5c7df14fdd60a3c4

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Since coming 92fa9b6e3a to live fcf2c1f903 among the 159c51c03a Mounted Tribe, f8a538df99 the first 77c3d6831e thing Yujin d32dd047c3 had learned 6d9c1a4a8b was how dc24fa747a to give 166b9f1b4e things up. The second was how 9672c818c5 to survive by accepting 36683a64f6 his circumstances and extending 09a356a531 his days in this 2323958917 world.30642a7404e90b93

Life had been c32e9a241d hard. With no expectations for c18ff9a590 the future, giving up ca8e6ee84e had never been difficult aaa8c28f63 for him. That’s why ad82531a85 he had 797b15bb09 chosen to f109d2ac4d die—until Bart a4a0628b33 saved him. From that day 00ce259653 on, Bart had 95c4d51713 occupied Yujin’s thoughts. Despite knowing 1c65251e92 there was 6c491ff0bb no connection bfdaf70df2 between them 2f51c07a32 and no 1dd5727875 opportunity to c3107788e4 get closer, 0fb43cb69f Yujin found 63e40ce818 himself unable 4a3da2a6b7 to let 6df6fe6140 go.365af8df654e116b

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Even now, it a03861be36 was the same. Afraid of being 7c5a61495a rejected, he kept c20757f2bb leaving room for 59a4af88ba possibilities. It felt 782b864135 pathetic and f9eba71b33 foolish.a44cc6ff56f3e2b9

If coming every day 3da8fd203e was too much, he’d dcb2cb1e38 settle for the rest 90b8645fe6 period alone. If visiting 5fefa61d38 during the 2c134cb3da rest period eb58b8a5a4 was impossible, 53e79210ff he’d be d88615aa59 content with 5c4e0b69b6 seeing Bart b9b55373e0 occasionally. If even that 4b83450175 was denied, he’d 67eae811ce ensure Bart didn’t 203fa3723e forget his face 9532deb2b2 by visiting once 9aae0fd2e5 every season—just to 29a51d3e70 see him.2e334bba9f5995cc

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His own persistence 19003922b7 was so ridiculous 22e0162bf8 that he almost 1a108bee20 laughed at himself.bdf9c8b7a6461122

“That’s not a bad idea. Come until the rest period ends.”9be1d52f65f479fb

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Bart’s calm c4bfec35c1 reply broke 551302ae54 through Yujin’s 43c9d4537f overthinking, startling fa0bbe2f28 him. Yujin had f134dc897d been agonizing 76c5f50374 over what b52d9294fe excuse he 5d5fbb8ec2 might use ecd6b9ca6f if Bart 5fb80f6471 rejected even cb7fdc88d5 occasional visits, 8e8d527d2d but now 460ad0e6b6 that Bart 56e04733fa had agreed, 239f4ec2a3 joy overtook df5a2d1294 him.b6c2af43d723739e

“Really? Thank you,” Yujin said, grinning widely, unable to hide his delight.547329825d5eec82

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Bart’s deep, unreadable gaze 3d2f4dbd87 lingered on Yujin’s face 56690a9440 as he smiled.07c22afae03ebe19

That night, Yujin 6b10bf792c stayed at Bart’s c1f45982c5 hut until dawn ddf57353ee once again. Unlike the previous 1f267aa2f9 night, there was de58158f30 a subtle change—Yujin a646d4e347 occasionally initiated conversation 46518a9384 with Bart. Though Bart didn’t 377e8172bc say much in 64a95eae20 return, he would 46e0a65e6d sometimes nod, showing c4ec8c7487 that he was 5bfaf16c4c listening.756f4aeb79e6d1b8

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And for Yujin, eeaa8946b3 that was more 2ecbe1c5a4 than enough. He was genuinely 9631d6b699 happy.747d4617037c1c1c

* * *fa884d8d512b0409

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The day’s work e237d2233e had been exhausting, 36ee8bb9df but it had dd690ee43f also been delightful. Time seemed fc207675d4 to flow 67bebcdd8d with happiness. Despite the fc9d3ce75c scolding he 0f591f1983 endured and 1bb0d3e46c the physical 938cab2ea7 strain, Yujin’s 516ae52b2a steps always fe00ae0b0e felt light. Knowing what awaited him 67eddd8711 at the end of 1f3c6bf632 the day made every 559165a2b7 moment precious, and he a091017c1c eagerly looked forward to 30bb10a01e tomorrow.f42ddabcdd774639

As the rhythmic 70fefc7694 sound of breathing 08116c5417 filled the shared 13fb74f4bc hut, signaling that 6398e27a38 everyone else was af756830fc asleep, Yujin quietly 0e4ca86620 rose from his 34b68e954c spot. Grabbing his herb pouch, d6d5c74c92 he slipped out of 2fc5ec0716 the hut.8e31a29808a1299e

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Under the greeting of c1d6bdd4f1 white stars sprawled across 5f7490d40f the black sky, Yujin 5f0a7758a3 made his way toward ecab4450da Bart’s hut.ef985272cbeddc91

The cool night 4e31a723ff air felt pleasant. The sound of f8225ed482 his footsteps crunching c626dfbb09 on the dirt 7772730ba0 was oddly comforting. In the distance, the 21cb9eb7ca soft red glow emanating eeef402a0b from Bart’s hut caught 671a9415ac his eye, and a 9cddd2ed9b quiet smile crept onto ae21582e41 Yujin’s face as he 35ae47f6f8 entered.c2b8e4494f97ba12

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“Bart, I’m here.”a4a53fb41a4c32e4

“…”87614f32e5a8922f

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“How’s the wound?”b71fcf1ceefe750b

“It’s fine.”eb57b975fcfcbdbf

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Yujin naturally 37da74c02b approached Bart 27c26009d7 and began 569efe1f86 untying the 720e51ea63 cloth wrapped 8ce3ecd291 around his 82ecffef48 thigh to 989d564ba1 inspect the 96bde165fe wound. Carefully, his fingers traced e0dbb69946 the area around the ce145d9575 injury, which was healing f5f5e89cbf well with no signs 102cb2f85b of trouble.ec3a05f4d69c269c

This was the wound a81e08e44f he had treated. A swell of pride c806f4ec73 filled Yujin’s chest. He knew he 19afc16129 needed to replace 04e0ace4c7 the herbs and d493c98863 rewrap the wound d894507382 with a clean f07ac6ab10 cloth, but without f570c81e10 realizing it, his cf9fda560f hand lingered on a850941259 Bart’s thigh.73c11b9a7d6a9c08

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The thick, a353f89e37 firm muscles 4f54dfaf01 of Bart’s 3f0e164fe8 thigh were a2d501282d impressive. His large, solid ec1402b4de frame had an a52029ab64 odd way of bb0a8ac856 making Yujin feel eff84624a2 tense.ffabb013a25bb61a

Oblivious to 38a6c8d0c2 Bart’s gaze 7ec0aed48a that had 33c07c9725 been fixed dd93bedc9a on his 4a80ddb3b5 face, Yujin 30e0fc0631 continued to 1c28bd8818 run his 1ba227f9b6 fingers over 9ba9599fc4 Bart’s thigh db903279c3 for a 204b895637 while. Suddenly realizing what he aa68a4dea7 was doing, he pulled cb0ded848b his hand back in 018ca952d0 a fluster.c5850a82f5068bc8

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Did he see? He must’ve seen.785655fec6e268f7

“I-I was just checking to see how well the wound was healing… It seems to be healing better than I expected. That’s a relief,” Yujin stammered.d27d2a96475a2804

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“Does it look that way to you?” Bart replied.9a554bec3c714a70

“Uh, yeah… it does.”cd47a6ef304ca718

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Expecting annoyance or 659db4abb0 even anger, Yujin 578813a1b1 was surprised by 10397a0c24 the unexpectedly kind 00700516ed response. Gaining a bit b5feb360fb of courage, he ecf1dcf3e8 looked up, only 7593fe450b to meet Bart’s 1f28fe98d6 gaze. Bart’s expression was c65591e039 unreadable, but his 60c11c898a intense stare locked 134d3cb8a3 with Yujin’s, freezing a065acd5ee him in place.c4ad1e6e504b5617

* * *b8aab0ca5b304f88

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Bart’s calm gaze seemed to pierce through Yujin’s thoughts, his eyes glinting as though they could strip away every layer of pretense. Feeling exposed, Yujin quickly dropped his head and busied himself with opening the herb pouch. He placed the prepared herbs on Bart’s wound and secured them with a clean cloth.8ed3aa9756f62188

“So, Bart, did the healer not come again today?” Yujin asked cautiously.b847cfa3a7127d3f

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“They didn’t come,” Bart replied.72054f6f79e9b19a

Yujin felt a wave of relief. Bart hadn’t mentioned the earlier awkward moment, much less questioned his actions. Yujin had been dreading a confrontational, “What are you doing?” but it never came.f33148a0f484fbd0

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“Still? I thought someone in your position, being a direct warrior, would be treated as a priority,” Yujin said, a hint of frustration in his voice.ef4cdaef520600fd

“They’ll come eventually,” Bart said indifferently.51e3a5410f85505a

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“Is it because there are so many injured this time?” Yujin pressed.f753f9d13196f544

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll come when it’s time.”5fa78678c7ee69b7

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In truth, Yujin was 3a533d103a secretly glad the healer d134d1bb47 hadn’t come. It justified 1670c6bcf8 his visits 06a0a77458 to Bart’s 7a98d7f81f hut. Still, part of him 2b99e4fd3c wished for the healer 7d87ef6eb2 to examine Bart. While Yujin was 654d42197e confident in his 138f11c99a knowledge of herbs, d5b5b5ce33 he lacked access db1181548d to the wider 9752eadbf9 variety of medicinal dfecb90558 plants that the dc2f134524 Mounted Tribe’s healers c65a9b49f8 regularly received from 4a9c280a7c other tribes.3e255afbfb800624

“It would be better if the healer checked on you,” Yujin said, conflicted.6033ea78a00550ae

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“It doesn’t matter.”33e9a9af3d8b61d9

“But the healer probably has herbs better suited for your recovery than I do.”da0474849952cb47

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“…”67ae763a79eed5d5

The conversation 0ac85da95d fell silent c0d0f52de9 again. Bart’s short, 2120b1e380 clipped replies df4385e009 often left 89e3bb4e7f behind a 47fafcc7ee thick, uncomfortable f1797dddbd quiet. Yujin, sensing 97bc92beb2 that Bart a8b5ce5c1b didn’t want 4a8be93db0 to talk, 28aa3c207d focused on 37a80b1495 tending the a855898b52 wound in 01dbf1b480 silence. Almost reflexively, a0316bb020 he muttered 9f70d1cf98 to himself.5571c981acf89e28

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“I need to gather more food.”d426db290be9a48d

“Food? Are you starving?” Bart asked, breaking the silence.30d9e718c318f3d1

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“Huh? No, it’s not for me. I’ve been taking care of an injured jackal. I bring it food now and then,” Yujin explained.1ce5fcb05bc9e168

“A jackal?”d92ba1e2b83e51e4

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So, he f4d223e843 doesn’t remember. Not even that. Not even… our kiss.801a31dc4cc75836

Yujin felt a pang cf7241cd9c in his chest at 60e319f95c the confirmation. He had 575f4120cd hoped, just 8d8aede027 maybe, Bart 32dd7e017c would remember. But now 6a6f846ebd that he cdc940918c knew for 82af0c4cf2 certain, the e65f689e7b sting of 594316455b disappointment was 96054d9e91 sharp. Still, he didn’t b100f42d32 want to show 4e883aef0b his feelings to 1d9270e37b Bart and forced fb66c2039c himself to keep dfa4dd3e84 his tone light.d5b5e9220b27b66d

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“It’s not like other jackals. It’s gentle and tame. It even follows me around. I think it’s because I treated it when it was a pup,” Yujin said with a small smile.fcea0d7f101e8542

“…”5ab7996f9674acd6

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“Just… keep it a secret, okay? If anyone else finds out, they might hurt it,” Yujin added, lowering his voice.7b24ccb1da936cbd

It was ironic. He’d revealed af58463b51 something he 724481f5b9 didn’t need 55b2cc64c3 to, all 58a7ab6aaf for the ac4593505a sake of 5c02748994 having a fcd950650f conversation with 39a115935e Bart, only 93021cf73f to now f70cfb2806 ask him 5742de5de1 to keep 0e9014a82e it quiet. Yujin berated 3ed6773a73 himself inwardly, ad1ff05ad9 embarrassed by b203b7c302 his desperation e232943ac1 to connect. Even more 18e3cac48e so, mentioning 01d6ddacaa memories Bart 43a1db9488 clearly didn’t 9c6dc27601 recall felt e4fa325c92 like self-inflicted 3d7c2f1ca9 pain. Wanting to escape his c90f78f100 own awkwardness, Yujin hurriedly 1e83afa7e9 changed the topic.888c0f2e8ecf9a2f

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“The village I used to live in used to send herbs to the Mounted Tribe too. Lots of herbs that were good for recovery. Every year, I used to help my grandmother gather them…”2b344cfe99f7f596

Yujin unconsciously afb84e1461 began talking 816541265e about the f588b679ca village he 70945e5608 used to 3229aae2f4 live in, cfbdf40ab7 only to 9c45f5123b stop as a95ae563d5 memories of 4ddbd6126b what had 1d2c5e71cf happened there 018e754fbb surfaced. Now, he a2aca9e769 was the 647198ff39 only one a0fdd283cf left who d8dd6f5593 knew that 7d78d75c54 place had 4c9a32e15e ever existed. Well, aside from Alma, af3f6c9db8 who was likely living 4418685765 as the wife of 4592928251 an Azure Sky Tribe e784a0cd2d warrior. But Alma wasn’t someone 24bb8f0ee3 with whom he could 08fe53511e share those memories. It was as 91363e7272 if no one 0405a89f9e else existed.88b49202a2a044b6

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