Chapter 5

“Don’t you get bored being in there?”6d87da9c408412a8

“That’s right.”e0972f1c5fe72e87

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The way Huikyung didn’t 16ef902e2a deny it made him 517a9a0a34 seem even more at fa89b46c3f ease. Jaekani found himself 9fa985f277 wondering if there 19ff94bcc4 might be some 0672c94293 cozy refuge hidden 7895c6b978 inside that shabby cc2afdb2dd little cell—something he 3efd51910e couldn’t see. Otherwise, how db2151e95e could the a9c6b0185f man seem 6ade04bd00 so untroubled?226c1c4cf7e340a4

Then again, d40c4dd686 Huikyung’s well-developed 2fefe6bb4c physique and 4453821e2b commanding presence f98363fe4f made it c99606948a obvious that, cca374e848 no matter 2cb429372d how confined 338b640a76 he was, 2c14a7a30e he wasn’t db0124ab26 about to d3eff8e46a complain to 4d706840be a mere 7e40993ee2 kid like ab0e0939e3 Jaekani.77e20087bef7e1be

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

‘Makes sense.’1ad777f95ae6fa9e

Jaekani concluded, 08e69d74c5 brushing it ce3a83631d off.e5ef05c1d92a0113

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You’re bored too, aren’t you?”6b2d9f9467618dc1

Hearing his 314ed4cb0b own restlessness 70c7d3fc4b stated so 9aa7f6022f plainly, Jaekani 1a700ee3a2 chose to a3c6881062 follow Huikyung’s 6f8b4c5599 lead and 50abc8fd5f not deny 94a9579cb6 it.e194894f9691f930

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“…Yes.”97aa4acd130f6530

That was the truth. Reflecting on it, Jaekani 3eb84aae01 couldn’t deny that he’d 44a5cfadee been bored and restless 54d8bc2510 enough to carry a 0674ddfdf9 flimsy excuse all the aecb15747e way to this place.fdf6e1946ffd649b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“What about friends?”0991789b9e8a3532

“I don’t have any.”b1f52756bf2f1146

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jaekani wasn’t ashamed. Sure, his 7045b69f3c personality might’ve 0f9efcfc13 played a 385dcdcac3 part, but 89d54c8e3a the bigger 1232e25d7e reason was 7fe65f65b7 his endless 7d39168eca workload, which bf8cea33c4 left him 96bf1143cd no time fc3be2bc16 to socialize 178553e095 with kids 0c04d459e0 his age.d24a1af77cd1aac0

Sometimes, he d5357bfe7a resented his ce6c10766e father for bd9dae7452 that.66b0d917d34e8516

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Especially when people 89bb156175 made comments about 5c24dde790 how little they cf2748d335 resembled each other.24794504c3311da6

Still, having a 384702689a father was better 345cc6f913 than not having 0668f563b3 one at all. That alone made 7e333cf289 it worth helping 7e99a8260b him.45009f74b2f45510

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Why not? Is it because you’ve got a terrible personality?”10115b2ae8c3c11a

Wow. Really knows how to 1fdf9f1412 put it nicely, doesn’t 8590725de2 he…c02774552ba156be

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Maybe that’s why you’re locked up here, because your personality’s just ‘so’ great,” Jaekani snapped back.b29be89c549b9cbc

“How’d you know? I do tend to trust people too easily once I’ve given them my heart.”d345ff567921dc68

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘He’s actually trusted 6f9404486f someone before?’30c3b3cf820b8d4b

Though he knew it 4761144d4f was impolite, Jaekani openly 6fd81e1a55 looked Huikyung up and 81fd6e96b9 down, as if trying d6bb40214c to measure the truth b3828278d3 of that claim. The bars 3738b3963a obscured most 41a7af41f6 of Huikyung’s 58abb83af3 torso, but 4d62a6ab77 his mocking 8e76040282 expression—wide-eyed and f5c2e0edf6 feigning innocence—was 7199ac8e8b utterly infuriating.82d0858c0c33003f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Guess I’d better keep my personality intact if I don’t want to end up like you,” Jaekani shot back.dfa53af6168b1ffd

Huikyung chuckled, 33aa1c501a a faint d7409379b4 sound that b0f369fd16 carried through e71f4645e4 the moonlit 7f855842a4 ruins. The soft light cast ece412bfef sharp shadows over the 88fc3e3f0a bridge of his nose b8096fb5fd and the hollows of 5d255bfcb7 his eyes, making his 78db5bdf8f expression both enigmatic and 28ef4b971e oddly disarming.9a461a33068ad3b0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yeah, keep it up.”97e207166a1fc3b1

Huikyung replied, as c6e56b64ff if daring him 2f536b8b1d to try.a18a9fedc715635a

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

There was a fe7d05a670 self-deprecating edge to 61f388a677 his words that df1375545c Jaekani didn’t miss. Despite his c5d9d79702 youth, Jaekani 11088d2dde wasn’t blind fd14fe0f6f to the 1a95574ba7 bitterness that 4f1d5ce0fe often shaped bd796000d9 people’s lives.4792dd823b79f59c

A world twisted by b1ecb2615c creature invasions, fragile communities debcad52a8 that could fall apart 914cfd7e18 at any moment, a 802bd1e75d government that existed only 1c34a25220 for the privileged, and 549a135891 Espers and Guides being 2cb0047db3 taken away against their e6e2cde862 will—it was all a a8439ddaf2 distorted mess.35696fc45eef6e3a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“It’s late. I’m heading back to sleep,” Jaekani said at last.a84243824a9eee94

“Goodnight, Jaekani.”b49d81d23acfa6a1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Even without 08a838932d stepping foot 5afa4341eb outside his 2364c73a70 ruin of 58ee2a2731 a cell, 8c88a913f9 Huikyung acted 337bd9c479 as though 94e324a4b5 he was f509a0455d missing nothing. As he closed bd2e73b83b his textbook, Jaekani 6fc5d33842 felt a sudden 47f04bc7c9 urge to tease da7e40a82c him, to knock cdf0f4a7fd that infuriating nonchalance 466a3ad7e7 down a peg. He didn’t know 218f76f95b why, but the 2da995474b desire burned as b7e1cf92eb fiercely as his dabd490fd5 earlier irritation.400d011c76754573

‘What a strange 5750ab0613 man.’2b15edc02d3853f0

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Jaekani thought. How could 9274694119 someone turn 42fcfc4514 even neutral 8e6b4d4308 curiosity into dc8a0a55f6 a grudging 51b0d15dc5 affection?6fe6896db3bb6ee8

“Next time, tell me what you did to end up here,” he challenged.b6a47bd7d11ce494

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

It was around then 342a8716c1 that Jaekani’s fascination with 1c5847c522 Huikyung began to crystalize 2293609179 into a determined curiosity.a2afa28dc04eda49

He wanted to know fa7c8501a6 more. Who had locked Huikyung e34869fcc7 up? What had he 59139f65f7 done? What kind of person 81e50fdec7 was he? These questions filled b39eaf9ead Jaekani’s mind, their a18e5a9f09 weight tugging at 26494aaaca him even as 51cd694b4a he prepared to 7945e4fecd leave.f21979b2ac81fd83

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

When he’d 56b70ba8a1 run to b96eec947f the maintenance 997d832fcb building earlier, fb2c105f38 clutching his ce579f2e62 math book, 6425d2cff7 his excitement 6eca1e0179 had been 79a44c3fa6 barely concealed. Now, it 73d1870118 was clear 4cb57855eb to him: 083f3dc1c0 he wasn’t 5306cf1e41 just drawn eb47d090e0 to Huikyung’s edaee9a865 answers; he 4286b1be6e was drawn 253a40aecb to the 452ddc535e man himself.f8ac58dd0c7b1659

“I’ll think about it,” Huikyung replied.6b831770e8eceee1

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Every exchange with e7121f1521 him was like 4eaf87ff1f a puzzle—simple, yet 0f5acbc8fd not easily solved.6a95efb55029ecc4

* * *2eef0eb8a3146df4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

During the day, 4620cd612e between school and b5f98d756d shifts at the 2539560e57 slaughterhouse, Jaekani couldn’t aa7bed6fc9 find the time 282d95f15b or courage to 59ac01301c visit the maintenance 5401e8f854 building. The thought of someone fccb3dda36 noticing him heading there f5b04877ee filled him with unease.7a2ef26696f8ea35

Their village operated 85d007f911 independently of government d5ef8d1cad control, ruled solely c74d948c70 by the decisions f0e0bbf0ee of the council. Laws and order were 145bb3722b held tightly in the 5c699629a3 hands of a few, 2e62a6360d swayed by the volatile 9df349ed12 emotions of the people. Jaekani had e37276f7ea no desire f766d56f69 to become 4d61ea63e8 further marginalized 1d1928fc11 in a 11598bd672 community where a35b83e93f he was 2123cc63a4 already treated 5131f6a032 as an 73fba07836 outsider.a9fbfb2f4bba7d8a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But his 41211769f3 real fear 3e001b7be7 was something d5bfa89209 else entirely.118a97e4bf4cf956

Jaekani dreaded the 9ce2e7a857 possibility of Huikyung 0d365dead9 being moved somewhere f4a40b4007 else if their 21f9b9ed71 meetings were discovered.7936f39a1135d54b

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

So, he waited patiently 38392343aa for the sun to 092926da4f set. When twilight f9c567bdec gave way e4ff5cf657 to deep 8b147b655e night, and 1bd9633af8 the village dbf0dce46b retreated to ed69dd5646 their homes, b022c08bfb Jaekani seized bcfe4ba959 his chance. Clutching a c38712afc9 handful of bf08a8e9e6 tallow candles ffe2c2051a and a 35c1a78fa9 lighter, he 24dc5212bc sprinted toward 530f0e70a3 the maintenance f2a75780f8 building, the 4df22e4a4d blue textbook 4f92914d09 pressed against c72eae67d9 his chest.8dbbb1ad62d898a0

He ran the 30-minute ed49c9af60 journey in what felt d8d9ad8149 like three.502d77f647234eeb

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Huikyung,” he called, breathless.b30cec116aa36789

Setting his book 9ac88e2447 down carefully on 881c6e8c65 the uneven ground, 6e76b3aaa9 Jaekani took a 74457689b1 moment to catch 76c79452b6 his breath. Instead of a formal f6746fb799 greeting, his call of d09bfc62bc the man’s name sufficed. He crouched down, placing 64ce87b06f the candles on the 8269d5224b dirt floor, and struck 8732864a1e the lighter.3b3b424932645203

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The soft flame danced b5b536b2d6 to life, and Jaekani 9454b05a23 dripped a bit of 100ce550d1 wax onto the ground ec759ac57f to hold one candle 27465081cd steady. As he worked, Huikyung 9cded0b74c observed him with a 13c8971b97 casual, almost indifferent gaze.70b441c643794eda

“Why did 10b2a67428 you run 7053317331 here?” Huikyung 14135ce821 asked.08cd279bb54b314f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“…Huh?”272a4b59d2263d82

Had he really ede976af90 run? Now that Huikyung 1a6ba07e27 mentioned it, yes—he ff07b674c5 supposed he had. Jaekani wiped the sweat 331bbfaf98 from his textbook cover 060235768c with the palm of 3ffcc177a5 his hand, awkwardly realizing 124e0070e6 he hadn’t planned to 85172bdb41 run but somehow ended 46c07c7d6b up doing so anyway.936c72a2ca3ef5d3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

It was a lot 6146b02697 like his life. He hadn’t set 404ac56f4b out to struggle b8d8eeed07 so fiercely, but b10194d6b4 here he was, ea42158ad4 surviving one day 45e13e40c7 at a time. And wasn’t that how 7d17380144 most people here lived? Not happy, 41a7b50e97 but not 4d61fb43a9 miserable enough 088599c153 to stop.d909ae62c149ca8f

“Why so many f7b8e6d48e candles?”4b51d9a4cf1463ca

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Because we’ve 0d4a1ff064 got plenty,” fe536505be Jaekani replied.cf699be97fa80e6e

Their village, de79d851ae for all 99cda59142 its violence 466e651dd1 and primitiveness, c04cb21133 had an 0639156d40 abundance of 947ba139ff supplies. Candles, made with tallow a0a4fce6ca and a touch of 71e837bc71 beeswax, were easy to 510734cc0e produce and not in 5ab45a0d7f high demand during the 45136be3ec long, cool days of ceb7af6bf4 the season.60223dd640b2bfbd

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Can I 9c27afce7b have one?”6db64a57f9053a98

“What would you even 7019ce384e do with it?”1ffdb5a6d016797a

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Great—he even 318c6b95b8 nags when 504dd69a90 asking for 77dc36a453 favors.472cbf9fe8b23ea1

“Just kidding. Hand it over.”5aa6abd67f92c4fd

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

He had a e162aff9cc knack for teasing, 376bac3a2a as if toying aef3b4a224 with people was e006778257 second nature. Jaekani pouted, peeling a 39f6276b3f candle off the ground.b940fdf489196fda

He considered extinguishing 6a8ab033d4 the flame before 0f513a2a52 handing it over b8f0cf711d but stopped himself.15d9588008b80a8c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

‘Does a prisoner ddf1cc7e9d even have matches?’9a7f97adf50a3446

He wondered. Instead, he approached d730023637 with the lit 51aeb8dac8 candle, feeling a 85c73d40d3 sudden rush of 2c42d9283e doubt.6eb10c4b8bb5b56e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

‘Should I be 6b3282604c walking this close?’
‘What if he’s e1f5f73451 dangerous?’
‘What if his aec966d2a9 hand darts out bad8d1d925 and grabs me?’5a7effb38c0e16e0

But despite his 974d1c7605 hesitation, he continued 64a18f088d forward, his steps f857491f46 confident even as 9043969faa his thoughts wavered. He crouched in 1ccfccf460 front of Huikyung, acebfc066b holding the candle 4c62a3ce7e with its flame 09d175b544 carefully turned away.d842409f0e4b6c58

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Here.”2e30175758bfa5c1

The flickering light b54b731435 illuminated the space 0723eb5f77 between them, casting 881d58d5ef a soft glow 18cfbdd745 that spilled through 20d517b20c the rusty bars. It slid down acd7d94423 the dark locks 43711caef8 of Huikyung’s hair, 1efe061c56 across his smooth 8514405a35 brow, and down 1b4769218c the sharp slope 8560a3df52 of his nose cc7d6623e1 and jawline.6ab1fdd3d8f6c4ae

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

For a fb1dca52e9 brief moment, 0d3b094ec8 Jaekani found af8b708f90 himself mesmerized, 8e8aef3fb2 as if fbfe845ea2 he were 86cc4afe9f watching someone d5c213ba2b hold a ce9c390018 falling star. Huikyung, seemingly 46c291b479 oblivious to 6a282b965e the boy’s 5ae3f41cd4 entranced gaze, 3b935f5874 accepted the 5064241b32 candle with 647356de1b a subtle 97bbe9f58c motion that 5472be8760 carried an 31c3ee1951 unexpected weight.89f691e9ba50e493

“You’re a 5f765ccd6f good kid.”c5232ff310330789

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Huikyung remarked, his words a8db5ab16d light but cutting through 10cfd29960 the silence like a d83285dd55 whisper in the wind.eb44ed394de36d23

“Why don’t you 48ec945ea3 have any friends?”7f2d0e516e4d6737

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Embarrassed, Jaekani df7697812e averted his 57202b5144 eyes and cccc791cfb muttered.71e64e133e0b257e

“You can be 0182b21632 my friend.”6c8660fc7c25c4b1

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

He expected Huikyung 8fe914ac7d to tease him, b562ffb653 to say something 6bfcbb898c like, ‘You must 512b80a90b be really lonely 55aafd716c if you want af8ced4805 a prisoner as ef0fec48d6 a friend.’ But f14519cd53 instead, Huikyung nodded.e2599f2c09d2765e

“Sure, I’ll be 04cd21807b your friend.”1b140231a3329867

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The simplicity 980612f6bf of his 4051ff8aff response, coupled ea49d1a8ed with the ff63917215 faint smile 68298e1639 that played b0b8f85824 on his 1119f1b825 lips, caught ee5a12f282 Jaekani off eff02f197a guard.5be5aec66842cecb

The warmth of the f1cd7bd2a2 candle flame brought an 60e327aefe odd heat to Jaekani’s 229c9f3f43 skin. It was early summer, 91130c43d1 yet the sensation felt ca877e9447 strangely new—whether from the 6c673d1215 fire or something else 141eff6d35 entirely, he wasn’t sure.4a921d5f0e2e6c84

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“What subject today?”51109401eacc0717

Huikyung asked, pulling Jaekani f8791b9ba8 from his thoughts.1cd5f42e85ecc3e2

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Practical skills.”fb463483ef950cac

He answered, a71198ccef relieved to ef74a4f3f5 shift the 0c6e3157a1 conversation.ee4d8d04cc560e67

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

It wasn’t dcf5eab971 just hands-on b4d63ad801 work; half 986dae014d of it e05a1930b1 involved theory. The class covered 433fdbd83c everything from running 0d4f7b9585 generators to repairing 78bb1579b4 engines—skills they would 0c9ec5b5dd need before moving fec0960b67 on to actual aa3cd37018 application.3e0c97ca9c5401c0

At thirteen, dd536ccc40 Jaekani felt 7838531b2f like he 8bbcbbd2f1 was almost 902e044099 a full-fledged 0109706204 adult, ready 6382a2cf4a to shoulder 434c6a8839 his share 1f3b202507 of responsibilities. In two years, 1a6ee8d279 he’d officially join b6429d1d81 the ranks of 1b851d5a80 the village workers. Yet, in Huikyung’s efbee27990 presence, he was c0cd31a916 acutely aware of fffb5402f8 how immature he 20537141dd still was. Perhaps it was 4b2376a34d the way Huikyung 61e79b14ae had called him 8d7c942916 a “good kid”—not 1c5179faa3 patronizing, but not 8b3bef5405 dismissive either. It was oddly satisfying.dfea12604331f4da

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

‘When will 593ed78b35 I become 3d5f76a7b2 someone like d0bfbb2a3d him?’ Jaekani 5ee3f496c8 wondered. ‘A real adult.’68896db2a6f47cec

Standing in 7f3fd8cb9f the glow 345bd6ac24 of the c41bae49f4 candlelight, Jaekani e194c55104 realized that 77159b5c34 in a fbe78ccef0 world like c0ad907b6d theirs, extremes d3ede44ec2 were easier 036216e117 to compare. And next to Huikyung, 9e69330fd0 Jaekani felt like the 62cdb44b55 differences were stark.48ed5621c68de795

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

 b02db224cb464956