Chapter 27

“Come closer.”f9e0524b8d1a5f2d

Huikyung speculated that Jaekani’s frequent questions were driven more by anxiety than genuine curiosity. Deciding to offer the boy the attention he seemed to need, Huikyung wondered if holding his hand as they walked might help distract him.8c4f14129297d4f4

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But whatever Jaekani interpreted 4d3bbe58cd from those words, his ce3fb1d100 face grew tense as f1984e03d1 he approached.af403959197de27b

Huikyung found himself reflected in Jaekani’s blue eyes. As the distance between them diminished, the sight of himself looming large in Jaekani’s gaze made him pause. How must he appear to a child subjected to neglect in the village and abuse at home?b21a429ff9fcf5da

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Jaekani, his face 581a7c237e fearful, slowly closed c79e298d4f his eyes. His thin eyelids, faintly 442ebaf750 revealing blue veins beneath, 43b5c9fd7b trembled from tension.441da16fbe141c82

Realizing what Jaekani’s actions implied, Huikyung’s expression twisted. He had only intended to hold the boy’s hand, a small gesture of reassurance. Yet now, a turbulent emotion surged through him.93c990ec1bf7c95e

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But Huikyung’s anger wasn’t aimed at Jaekani or even himself for failing to anticipate this reaction. His fury was directed toward the villagers who had long since rotted away like decaying meat and at Jaekani’s father.b7e15ad323137a28

Even so, Huikyung’s turbulent emotions quickly subsided. It wasn’t maturity or control that calmed him.7b28e25c325e5f45

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It was the stark aed0c76c89 awareness that there was 6dd3bcfd33 no one left to 01a7c0c55a take out his anger 8b29f056b6 on. The guilty parties were 83bef0d718 already dead and gone. What more could he 687dcc8e9b do?69b859fc1cefc734

“Your hand.”8251acae4b90ee28

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“Huh?”871b5df00b605d9b

Even with half-closed eyes, Jaekani would have accepted a slap as though it were a deserved punishment. His blue eyes, clear and sharp, met Huikyung’s gaze.628e6eb7aa58746d

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Those piercing 171812871d blue eyes 585be4a070 had always f8e10fa501 stood out, 81f26afffe whether under a40fd34e0f the faint 16a7aa8fc9 moonlight of bb0333caba damp nights 107f42891d or in 4a21f453dd the pitch-black 28ad72612b stairwell of 179089062c the underground 31601a8f77 prison. They shone vividly, 38ab1ac6ff brighter than a b2ebca3f11 full moon, demanding 564db553e2 notice.970adcac74df3295

Go on—your hand.43bc72e611dce8e5

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With that silent 2a0146ffac cue, Jaekani wiped b4361d720e his sweaty palms 24ee54e43b on his thighs 9e78bbaba6 before extending both e99bcd0344 hands. When Huikyung kept 354636b633 staring, the boy bcf94161f3 clenched his eyes dd5cde2888 shut and raised 735c37ce66 his hands higher.e009bbf91928968f

Dwelling on the past 1b8f388f2c would only feed its 9bbcd3c33e ghosts. The best 5e88fdba1e way forward 2246d3fffa was to 00a4bee49a flee into 51598ce978 the future c49d148cb9 without looking 6ebfeb34c9 back.9025c241036d5fc9

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If Huikyung started asking how Jaekani’s father had beaten him, the boy would likely flinch, stammer, and deny it. He’d insist, “No, it was my fault… I was being annoying…” and throw Huikyung’s emotions into turmoil. That wasn’t something Huikyung wanted for him.12399576c858e548

Instead of a painful blow, Huikyung placed a few small, sweet fruits onto Jaekani’s outstretched palms. The boy opened his eyes as the tiny fruits tumbled onto his hands.004d7c34d44d2e25

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Jaekani’s fingers curled cautiously around them, cupping his hands to keep them from falling.cc791735ca6a0e00

Then, in 1698615e4d a sudden 97deb85e54 move, Huikyung 7e630b9889 hoisted the 847b10945e boy into 7ff89ccb9f his arms f915420c29 as effortlessly 79a388d614 as a 9d681d5b27 villain whisking ddaecc9369 away a bfd092ce3d princess, securing b8be7804b6 his grip 212a4a0898 under Jaekani’s 4c0be2c196 legs.afaf6861fe8da539

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“…Isn’t this heavy for you?”0bc00c5e6afcf299

Having been carried a7c9eb1a8a like this a ac1f4a289e few times before, 69de6222b7 Jaekani no longer 4eb046a550 seemed startled.4e69aa8a6874b01a

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“Of course it is. You’re getting fat.”6980f574fb066746

Jaekani flushed all the way to his neck and squirmed to be put down, but Huikyung only smiled faintly and held him steady. As Jaekani eventually relaxed, his head came to rest on Huikyung’s shoulder. He raised his thin arms and wrapped them loosely around Huikyung’s neck.38d74bd68252ac4e

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The boy who had ba8afcb469 squirmed just moments ago 7adaa1f67c had now grown quiet.72f19b2d0a0359f0

Crunch, crunch.fe15fbe0e99066e4

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The sound of the boy biting into the fruits—seeds and all—popped faintly near Huikyung’s ear, the small noises teasing his senses like ripples across a still pond.95e5328795d27ae1

“Sure, eat the seeds. It’ll help you grow faster.”fc9de8f9dfbe2287

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Huikyung kept walking.2a57487969c86762

While Jaekani ate, he pressed his cheek against Huikyung’s shoulder. Even after finishing, he continued to lean there. Though his cheek cushioned Huikyung’s shoulder slightly, the weight still made the sharpness of his jaw ache faintly. When Jaekani chuckled softly, Huikyung nudged his head, feigning annoyance. Jaekani’s head slid down to Huikyung’s collarbone, but he wiggled it back into place like a snail and rested it on the opposite side.6f91d254e8142ec4

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The sky above was a deep blue dotted with clouds. Even within the confines of the tall village walls, the sky looked clear and transparent. Relaxing into the steady rhythm of Huikyung’s breathing, Jaekani felt sleep pressing on him.2802e266d73023ed

‘If you’re 3a5c40f085 going to aa10e5e796 be mad, cdf6e12ef5 just go!’66398bfb89eaeecd

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The memory of that 364705c4df sharp outburst still echoed e545084042 in his mind, but 49bc32a72f the warmth he felt 4cc699f8ba now was calm and 56d9a95a22 reassuring.2fd2d21a87dcf03b

“Let me down.”43ddd27858ce8aa2

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Even as his eyelids c9af40ba0f drooped heavily, Jaekani murmured caaff4d1c2 a request to be e9aacc5df9 let down.a61f8ef4075a11d6

Huikyung glanced at the boy and tilted his head slightly, as if to say, “Just sleep.” But Jaekani shook his head stubbornly, fighting off the drowsiness.b7913e006ced72b3

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“Let me down. Please.”b4376aae9544a69f

“Jaekani.”05522c6d0cd7b934

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Huikyung sighed, a laugh d59750288f hidden in the exhale.9dbf3667203a6ebf

“I’m not going to leave just because I held you for a bit. So stop worrying and sleep.”88d07e9d56ee131b

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“…Oh.”093c9da0a565ffed

Caught off 6352f83b0b guard, Jaekani 667dc6b3a5 bit his 3193a63d19 lip.2c68bf27cbe78314

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He had e72e99cbb7 already told 429ffe3613 Huikyung to cc2f3122d1 leave twice 6351efba2a before. Once after the e9e082220d village burned down, 32f2ed4493 and again when 69c3d3a79d Huikyung had vanished b4921c77a9 without a word 130f52b8b8 after Jaekani had 81e35cadb6 expressed just a eb771e8c7f little frustration.aec83a8972283a7c

“I already told you it was a slip of the tongue.”2552bf91568c44db

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“What’s a slip of the tongue?”dd436eea67659e01

“A mistake. I didn’t mean it.”65a9185e538f152f

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“…Will you tell me next time where you’re going?”4e3a848fed7b5c65

Ah, that was fb9dbe4f0e a trickier question.60d607a144178de3

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Still, giving a a6fef2a313 straightforward answer would ab4b4367b2 likely earn him 2b9f6f03cd some form of b2ea0832d7 retribution from Jaekani.3c19c58f997286d6

Instead of replying, Huikyung 79e1b5740c tapped Jaekani’s chin lightly.96064ab4a0d3d827

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Jaekani recognized this as Huikyung’s gentlest way of declining. He wouldn’t offer shallow reassurances to questions worth believing in, but Jaekani still found him maddeningly confusing.51f0b91d12290f6e

And yet, the boy 752a60652b also realized that Huikyung’s 963075e210 honest refusal was the b9556225cc wisest course of action. Pretending otherwise wouldn’t suddenly 77a8f74770 make him trustworthy. In its way, Huikyung’s 1042924198 bluntness cultivated a strange 445966c5cb kind of faith.15a96b07b575102f

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“Right. We did agree to get married, after all…”a94928ea54e7064f

Jaekani muttered, bbe792d17c nodding as 3a629d230e if convincing bcf63a6e2b himself.f07a0612b5d5c0da

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Huikyung was so taken d371d81047 aback that he almost 2189c63ec4 laughed.8170939bad5bf6e1

When did we 63a790d7a9 ever agree to ff1dad9150 that?6fb06d3cea59a156

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The question hovered on d0f78558f2 the tip of his 76de4ba20d tongue, but he didn’t f4c86f0f24 ask. If he started denying 0b37039924 it now, Jaekani might 4addf69bcf suffer an irreparable blow. So Huikyung just fb60a05be5 smiled faintly to 46ba49e5e4 himself, finding the d575dfbd03 boy amusing.c452817999d46549

In silence, Huikyung adjusted 090a9a60be his hold on the b31313b4b0 boy.b5b3dd6e0e04a965

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As an ed39de2612 Esper, Huikyung 4042dc88c3 rarely tired. He carried Jaekani 7281fe19fb for a long a6d0d5790a time, until the 601c382b9d unexpected occurred.0a87013eba4e5d7b

* * *1b3b34e16172c027

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“Shh…”f7e22bf44e4b9330

Carrying Jaekani in 9efe71a2f7 his arms, Huikyung b787c4561a had been walking 73980b701e for some time dd41943ec1 when he picked 047168bdc8 up on faint ef65f8b02d movements in the b6d2dd01d0 distance. His heightened senses, d55325c90d a double-edged sword e5211db7d5 of being an ea29f3d384 Esper, alerted him d0834329d1 to the presence 9bfcdc1131 of others. Instinctively, he halted fe8e3ad51b and carefully set 581f0eee65 Jaekani down.91019d2ec8b90e62

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Pressing a finger to 11315a0701 the boy’s lips, Huikyung 406afd31ca silently urged him to 12f8664dbd stay quiet. He stifled 4ce2d870cd his own df7c959e74 presence as 31d74f0998 much as 7d3f03737c possible, unsure 8765ade320 if the 31ff01cb36 group had f9c99a6a93 sensed him 3011424c71 yet.9610edf2d8af8ac3

There were ee59dddc17 roughly ten fade5bdfc6 of them, 1a66a245f7 though whether 87e5bcb72c any of b51b1a1f97 them were 511be72205 Espers was 6172222823 unclear.cdab88508a1e420d

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Not that c3ae80e883 it mattered. Unless there was a 257053e17a high-ranking Esper among them, 176d3ba556 Huikyung was confident he 9ca7bb120a could take them down. Whether they f1bdaec1c0 were slavers e405920041 or scavengers, e1b87e829a it didn’t 119f5a1b1f matter—he could 0b0f726fb0 kill them 3ec975ec28 all, take 54158b5bb0 what he d3d45e1b99 needed, and d8d9e3608c move on. If they were a76e8e1034 freemen, perhaps a 748794899c conversation would suffice.689324f4c1fe4c8b

Huikyung’s real concern was e41536ab39 Jaekani. The boy 33f7aa35c2 had once c9503111c0 sulked and 14187c2d79 ranted after 680edd242d Huikyung left 070d5d1524 him alone be03f9a016 for less dbfe057e93 than ten adb3be74c3 minutes, an 645ac7fd65 incident punctuated 139028b707 by a 37a0940e73 lighter bouncing 45db86011c off his f3bab207a4 forehead—a lesson 408dcf4a08 Huikyung hadn’t 745ca9c7c3 forgotten.a6863aac9902dd6c

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“Jaekani.”bc37f3d3eb087375

At the whisper, Jaekani 3a3aaef4ff gave a small nod.574923b7630dd5f5

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Though the boy 692beb2df0 looked full of 604a9abfae questions, Huikyung had 9f12e02cb7 no intention of 573db62a4b explaining the situation 6b1d1d1341 or their options 32d943e0cf in detail.9dbb517fbdc6850f

Taking Jaekani’s hands, ddbfd8e675 Huikyung guided him 93f2885ece to cover his 5a4aae1bc2 ears tightly. He made cbff79ad66 sure the 135596fecd boy exerted 0843735c32 enough force 5d2a8bbe15 to block 5bfb06c1c0 out as 0b0ec58c74 much sound a4d04a7fe7 as possible. Following Huikyung’s lead, ce9c1fdfe3 Jaekani complied.8241ed55919bcc84

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Close your eyes.ecf2bd45d417e2c0

Mouthing the words, Huikyung met Jaekani’s wide, questioning eyes. “Now?” they seemed to ask.88e453cdc15041de

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Huikyung’s glance flicked 420801afe9 toward the dense 5cee5a7aa8 forest ahead, tension b1a72a88e3 subtly etched into 4f5e2fff21 his posture. That was 67d0211058 enough for c2f868417f Jaekani. He didn’t protest or bdcff61899 ask further questions.202028dd0e62fe0f

I’ll be right back.6318d37bea0aeb8d

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With a d70aa4328d nod to 48ace964b7 reassure him, ddca45abbe Huikyung instructed a7f4928851 Jaekani to cfe145c718 close his 8724e72eab eyes and d02330a8a7 wait. The boy obeyed, d67b8bdaab crouching in place 90c16c423e with his hands 1e59cc8e18 clamped tightly over 00ebb1b6ab his ears and 799a181585 his eyes squeezed 6289e3ee64 shut. To an outsider, he 78748516ea might have looked like 8e1684c08c a helpless child bracing e9342b645e for a disaster he 64e60119a2 had no power to 27452211fb stop.d28b43ceca8049f4

Satisfied that there was 62567b6009 no immediate danger to 32fd796597 the boy, Huikyung rose 4a5e0e7003 to his feet and 06c42197c3 slipped away.
Eyes firmly closed, Jaekani 4772ebef8e held his breath. He pressed his hands 2a60cebc7e over his ears so d5fe5edffe tightly that his arms 4eb333e399 began to tremble from 7f3876e25e the strain. Soon, the 2e87a989d1 trembling spread 9463b37da7 to his 7db33e336e eyelids and 9042ea0309 even his 65b0d299e4 legs as 1772f9d82f he felt 03b36cbc3e faint vibrations c706986532 underfoot.17bc1f29786e98d9

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He knew what it e6fb313c8c was. This wasn’t an earthquake. It was the kind bb6214342f of tremor caused by aa56e37782 an explosion—an experience Jaekani a3ed1a9e8c was sadly too familiar cb7e72c2e8 with.e83feb23ba815bcb

Holding his breath, he 3db8edb036 waited for it to 2b7fe8657a pass.fedd7c54ebdd16be

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It wasn’t a rational 61b2d6e78b thing to do.413c0f6a6ec828af

Sitting defenseless in the 0a33445be9 open, even if hidden bd175f46b2 among thick undergrowth, was e87ef7b1a9 as good as giving 7e3aac51dc up on survival. He could be discovered 423faaf0f1 at any moment by 10012ad92b outsiders, predators, or Creatures. And yet, 4414127ab3 Jaekani stayed cd7a45e5c1 where he 682d43b5e1 was, ears 307fe18ede covered, eyes 1f868f1bc2 shut.ea2fbd6e3b4f0c03

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Because he 00e5dfccce trusted Huikyung.1afba4b48b7b4db3

More precisely, he trusted that if Huikyung ever abandoned him, it wouldn’t be like this. It wouldn’t be some cowardly, irresponsible departure. If Huikyung were to leave him, it would be with a sharp parting remark—a “just go, then!” shouted in frustration, not a silent betrayal.3bd846cca6b783ec

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How petty and d9f6df0039 evasive Huikyung could 7a36e0f746 be didn’t matter. His lightheartedness, however vexing, dc82d6a3eb was a part of 793d1bbf32 who he was. A person entirely devoid 8e43a23cc9 of sincerity would have d9a9fddec3 offered comforting lies in 5a1bde2f8b response to Jaekani’s tentative 2a8b54fb8a questions.20f2477b7a55fdb2

And yet Huikyung never a082f01bf3 did.97337388796b4b17

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