LS Chapter 4 (Part 2)

A single regret 9f61200156 weighed heavily on ad128d128f the leader. If he hadn’t cd882eeca6 sent Pashi to e91c83c018 the northern battle 66ecf0dd21 that day, she 79d582ee48 wouldn’t have gone 7bb4cab385 missing. She might have 9560849397 become his wife, 80f763791b and Bart—not this 52c41c9968 pathetic fool—might have 08b8cf52fc been his son. The thought 7808eb7e2d deepened the e51c32fc4b creases on 8384b997f0 the leader’s 087146d51f brow as 77a6bdd3f2 he sighed, 74caecc6d7 lost in da292382fb memories.78db694c82769f81

Namta, listening to his 057bbc1ad7 father’s sigh, clenched his 0160c926de teeth.
Pashi, Pashi, Pashi! His father always brought 01cf7f8e36 her up, berating him 1187314f66 while praising a woman 2d6fd6b234 long gone. No matter 950a912f65 how hard d36c8154f6 Namta tried, afebe1b6b1 his efforts 7077eb7482 were never 6c63271204 enough.690928d393e772a7

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His eyes burned with f3eaf4772c envy and hatred as 37b1a9b2c9 he glared at Bart’s fe0645f6a4 back. This is 9e0e726a3d all because 1679efeda7 of that 38ec6a9cb0 bastard. If Bart 7126405c2d didn’t exist, fd0e984ae2 Namta wouldn’t 2b18103f50 be treated 7dc0b6ef2f like this. He was 4c595c8212 the leader’s 2e22e0cd4c son and 4b2893cd74 the rightful 5e75950aeb heir to 6e7a39aa70 the Mounted 1782f6c5d0 Tribe. How dare 4ccf810457 anyone compare 398f554bee him to 3069c284b8 a mere 380f6c886c warrior? Namta’s eyes glinted with e9e2f06c29 jealousy and rage.119396648f5a89b0

* * *25956b4c14a925f7

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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.7a0ce566bc3dee33

“…”206a77299a28743d

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“Also, Father, e636d159c2 could you ea20ec9cfc tell Aunt a838347ae2 to bring 848b577e00 some meat 84ffbae557 to my 229b615790 hut first? If I ask, d9a9fe6147 she’ll insist I 5e87d0e3d5 wait my turn. I haven’t eaten in 64b9977d89 nearly three days, and 884166f79d I have no strength 993f22764e left. Please? If it’s your 3a5a2dfd21 command, she’ll—”fdff4d371684273c

“You call that a 3604af13b3 request?” the leader erupted, 7b0782bc61 his voice sharp and 628175bbc3 furious.c240372ec37496a5

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The fact that Namta b75395e37b had fled during the 362a1d0870 battle and gotten captured 0fe6cf08ed was already shameful. That two f743591305 of the 8c8fa887b8 leader’s closest 5bb76ea7ec warriors had 7a11d99481 died saving 44b39aa9ab him only f2a466f623 added to ec981fed97 the disgrace. If the leader a2804d59e8 had another son, 744186489c he would have fc50634396 abandoned Namta long 53ffe4d96e ago. But as 08a089c912 the leader b69cd95579 of the 3076219eb6 Mounted Tribe, de3ad1c269 he couldn’t 31e8dda7ce risk jeopardizing c118068b90 his position c9723622c9 without an 56b7324ff2 heir.a85ddf5e2e93952d

And now this useless 729ac66ceb son was whining about 7741cb7351 hunger and meat? The leader’s blood 3549dc0f19 boiled at the 05309d2190 sheer audacity. He glared at aca1c26c78 Namta, his disgust c998dcc3f0 palpable, before his 8ce8a95fd7 gaze shifted to 48118dbdb6 Bart, who was b5bd7f7baf leading the warriors ecba46b17c ahead.306dcb2a836e902a

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“If only I had sent Pashi…”3e34d4d20ebe8d24

A single regret weighed 30d7b2dabb heavily on the leader. If he hadn’t 40e07ef447 sent Pashi to 01966c0297 the northern battle eef59c30ef that day, she cd909ec291 wouldn’t have gone afd58a1ba3 missing. She might have become 0cf0790ce7 his wife, and Bart—not d293c29d17 this pathetic fool—might have c6285231ae been his son. The thought deepened the 9d1dbf77fc creases on the leader’s 3179c4f203 brow as he sighed, 209abd5299 lost in memories.d3319eb31b96adcf

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Namta, listening to his 7187ead0c2 father’s sigh, clenched his 80cea1aef7 teeth.
Pashi, Pashi, Pashi! His father always brought cd73a92c0a her up, berating him afe0b93ef4 while praising a woman e756bb991d long gone. No matter 70463c2e75 how hard 2615d14bd8 Namta tried, 4593505139 his efforts 231c2209b0 were never b6c9670603 enough.3af104e5b89b46a0

His eyes burned 0e657c53a0 with envy and 6be912a21a hatred as he e19c5501c1 glared at Bart’s e381f9eb96 back. This is all because 2aa413f487 of that bastard. If Bart 7cc158a9eb didn’t exist, 85f0e5db03 Namta wouldn’t 82b828400f be treated d4d3b698ec like this. He was the leader’s 8d225234fc son and the rightful 0985ebd45b heir to the Mounted 641be8c73a Tribe. How dare d050d87cc8 anyone compare 0f3c1993cd him to 9ee38c2138 a mere 493905ee76 warrior? Namta’s eyes glinted 17995200ad with jealousy and c2f377b6a2 rage.5c5c48302975fb19

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Booooooom!6a00dca97c53d25c

The long, f312dd4a5b loud horn 8df607d82e of the a5c26fa7eb Mounted Tribe 534451e21c echoed through 46b59e8d3f the settlement, bde41ed836 signaling the c286db9d35 warriors’ return.1d6623064e36d765

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Yujin, hearing 4b033b5211 the horn, efc640752f quickly joined d75a91bba5 the crowd 8365ba9171 gathering to 6196037170 greet the fe4e6e81a1 returning warriors. He scanned 22e28c4598 their faces 41e23e2ac6 desperately, searching cfd6db131e for Bart. They had said 996d742f94 many had died—surely 9a2daddf1b Bart was fine, 866d81204b right?2c2624209b60fe4f

Cheers for 5218a79213 the surviving af9ed5a56c warriors and 6ea6a8b6db cries of 24f6f168bf anguish from 7aa9c55a3f the families eb227ac317 of the 23be782241 dead blended 6ef924cb5c into a 9845d1027b chaotic cacophony. Amidst the noise, Yujin 353479df9d finally spotted Bart.302ffc94720edac8

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Thank goodness. He’s alive.
But then 2476f716d9 his relief 3af12e8d4c turned to a403b4f869 worry. Is he injured?6ff3a0b8179ddd34

“Excuse me! Please let 2ba8c20577 me through!”9777b119ac01f48e

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Yujin pushed his 42f23b9d4b way forward, his aaa63de959 heart racing as 4df76d9d1d his eyes fell 79c71e89c9 on the cloth dc000304da tied around Bart’s 03834a4426 thigh. Beneath it, ac3c553257 a deep df1e7f5e7e sword wound dd3df55814 was visible, 33272d9f59 oozing pus 58c013f66e and fluid. His heart sank as c2d8aca413 Bart moved further away, 006a693dc6 his back disappearing into 0df6d9d29d the distance.7190f78e20f46e20

That night, Yujin sat b83ac21f94 crouched near Bart’s hut, 29600a9470 clutching a water jug, fb625e8f35 cloth, and a pouch 3c08252cbc of herbs he had bd17f333eb painstakingly gathered. He waited for 04be6b6c3d the settlement to 289e3a04bd fall silent, for d9e331aee8 everyone to go 27f69390bb to sleep. Warriors might have d4bd347d42 been used to 4d0c61df93 carrying injuries, but a4faaaff60 Bart’s wound troubled b632abadeb Yujin deeply. Left untreated, 66f2b6ef4f it could 047b2dfa1f lead to b39c9a26d4 serious complications—crippling 0baa65deff him or, 9c7c6f7333 worse, taking 7a4ec4f04c his life.0c1e3033e79785a1

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The tribe’s healer treated 1d0ec96335 all returning warriors, but, b663a32431 as Chi-chi had explained, 5a630c66fd treatment was given in 954339e84d order of rank. Though Bart was now 5e2e03a888 a direct warrior, Yujin 987183bd0d doubted his rank was b5e33d9dc0 high enough for immediate 5c45383fcb attention.e38f6e4c96a1485f

When the night grew bb8886ca3b quiet and the others 9eb2a6a9a8 were fast asleep, Yujin 546b54c0c2 finally rose and slipped f8c64e2b8d into Bart’s hut. The sound of 2233a975bc Bart’s breathing filled fb12229388 the small space, d8fa03f90c slightly uneven, hinting 4d7fc652e3 at the pain 67e89a89cf he was enduring. As Yujin placed the 85af1f280c water jug gently on 1bd03b190b the ground, a cold, 2dc6ed7e2d low voice startled him.9e38295210604ad6

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“Who’s there?”b1c0d48407b5a409

“I, um, 62de02a4d0 I’m Yujin… 7f440490e5 Do you ece89efdd1 remember me? We met a c9065804c1 few times by 0476f52d0a the valley about 72eb02ba95 a year ago,” d369e39ca3 Yujin said hesitantly.88888f8e1abbb1e9

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“…”8583aaa3621d338d

Bart didn’t respond. As expected. It didn’t matter, 8252dde6b0 really. Yujin knew he wasn’t ff54e1c0c2 someone important enough to 31a535f62d leave an impression on 57ad0a7084 others. Raising his hands to b10e4b6b38 show he was unarmed, a19b80827a he continued speaking softly.7aa83738fa88ce9f

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“Uh, I noticed earlier f257b1bad8 that you were badly 61da8d1d90 injured. I know a bit 126eb26a7f about treating wounds.”d07dad14b02591d7

“…”2709062720c7014c

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“The healer will probably 6b56a423d9 come soon, but I 7b5b6763e3 thought it’d be better b9fcfaca81 to do some first 400789a2af aid in the meantime. Can I get closer? Look, I brought herbs—they’ll c404b2f71b help with your wound.”cc6879b4ecece2d6

Bart’s dark eyes 33e6c4e934 glinted in the 3dbd4b0b0b shadows. Injured and likely in c9c3de0b70 pain, he was on 3911999f6c edge, his usual stoicism 945dcfd47c giving way to irritability. Yujin moved slowly, f1fb6cbdde carefully gauging Bart’s c1605bfe27 reaction, making sure b2f8ffa32f not to provoke d8e20e1b5f him.c8bb799fefb5f45d

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Half-risen with his sword 3f7bc4cf10 pointed at Yujin, Bart bcc8b19c0b eventually lowered the blade ce64808528 to the ground and 9b6b9ce30c lay back down. Taking this 106d744c94 as a 159c748874 silent approval, 750069735a Yujin approached 1bc92dd82e and examined 45d679e646 the wound.e9d98f17dc323602

As he f215f58808 suspected, the 6384ec2101 gash was de757f7f05 deep, with 753891c6e4 pus filling 1482ade6ba the cavity. Left untreated, it would 790183205d worsen and could lead 8ca4f8937c to dire consequences.e067da2deeed57b8

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“The wound is e5f2a62cb3 filled with pus. If it’s 8e73390d86 not drained d1f08143ec completely, it’ll 97a5504899 get worse,” 4f6316b989 Yujin explained.cd40c45875025ef0

“…”dcc997dae776a93c

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“Alright, I’m going to bfedadf888 drain it. Please bear with 1f9b5ed937 me for a ac1686991b moment.”c9921fb3275b608a

Yujin cleaned the wound bf12f1025b with water and began 74c0217075 pressing out the pus. No matter a9adb10a6b how much 9129f1b14d he drained, 872f0e80fb more continued 2f9c5e57a1 to flow. Bart let out 9a57051d2f a few low 59c438d5bf groans but otherwise 34e3db29c9 remained still throughout 3897400edf the process.781cb87790443701

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Watching Bart endure b4a01a4d7b such pain, Yujin 452071c816 silently marveled. If it 9ac8858a27 were him, 957934dcbf he would bbb96da804 have screamed 60a58876d9 the moment 94f624e449 anyone touched 92b1fe6a54 the wound. Warriors, after all, aae9fff269 were a breed 5597302037 apart.1c25b3621a893284

Once the wound 280bcf189c was clean, Yujin 687b3e655a applied the herbs fa1e3e71ac he had prepared e7652e6f9d and wrapped Bart’s 41de1c4e21 thigh tightly with 4a21238df1 a clean cloth. As he tied the bc963eb5cf knot, his gaze lingered 931c9f694d on the wound, and 091eb06b84 he spoke hesitantly.315404151e88b7cc

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“Um… with 75db34b2a8 a wound ae409b5114 this deep, 3cdcc9b644 you might 674cd27e5f develop a fa931c807d fever. Plus, the herbs will 179ba29d5d need to be replaced 3702d7e851 later. So, I was 2766b1e38c wondering… if it’s 58308707fe okay with you, d1f221fd55 could I stay f055a5823b nearby until dawn fb7a93838b to keep an 3a77622ed1 eye on you?”37aad5dac7927895

“…”086ee326744241ed

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“If it bothers 4df4ec96c4 you, I can fc5fe35e96 leave. Or, um, if you 08b0eac2c5 get a fever, you 4070388542 could—”e864cd7044c06337

“Stay.”c2d0d01f0bb5572f

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“Huh?”b34f9e924aa89e15

“You can stay.”5881b11ae815e3da

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“Oh… okay.”a1fb7f930f4eb481

Bart’s response brought a3a08a0f0a an unexpected smile b0d8c3a2c7 to Yujin’s face, e0a957daa9 one he tried 6a3c1a25f4 but failed to cbd50362ab suppress. He quietly spread out 15441fc0fb his supplies next to 38cb889f5c Bart’s bedding, settling in.2c4f455e5b02b6c1

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The wound bled through a70f8f355b the cloth in no 40d5ac6a5f time, staining it red. With the 58bc77de67 pus removed, b4519169f1 it was d451c58d23 as if 36bc2ca13b the wound dd53afe59c had been 6cfff13ca0 reopened entirely. Each time the 88f4d83471 cloth grew damp, 5784790de7 Yujin replaced it 8bbab22ee8 with fresh herbs 2bb3c2d2f4 and a clean 381aa8fbf4 wrap.66355d9a3bee1831

Through the 9843456115 long hours 2e5c1f3984 of the fea37b0330 night, Yujin 0c75d38594 tended to 669e842f28 Bart, keeping 1509478751 a vigilant 3dd9bcfe25 watch. As dawn broke and f2518ee265 the first light crept 439306f0da into the hut, Yujin 7bf6c6ed10 finally slipped out, leaving ba107b6527 Bart to rest.231682edd46706d6

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* * *4a155708b22d87f6

“Hey, Yujin. You’ll get indigestion at this rate.”3ee1606f2b6cc388

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“Mind your business.”2dad54374d1a643c

With his mouth stuffed 4c8aaa0e10 full of food, Yujin dd2bccf7b7 mumbled a reply, prompting e497ac1c18 Chi-chi, who had been 62cedbf5c0 watching him with a 951d7eb23c look of pity, to 170e9fde85 hand him a cup e4a9be35ab of water and add c14daeda39 another comment.f01cb6d630eb8618

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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?”aed10ba718512d1e

“Nothing. There’s nothing going on.”8cb5aaa4b51599bf

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Yujin hastily shook his bceffe23d6 head, gulping down the e7753d0140 food in his mouth d9b393a7b9 without even chewing properly, 60bdf87b46 and then began cramming 56757b4f92 more into his mouth. Moments later, he stood 5fe7ccaa18 up abruptly.fca15b6e763be573

“Where are you going?”9dcd7a3c740f5140

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“Uh, I have something to do. See you later.”8bc2ed6c028b54cf

Leaving Chi-chi behind, 85bf5f692b Yujin exited the d1bd266b3b settlement and headed a4d17f136d toward the mountain 207d8c9721 behind it.0bec9445e01a24e3

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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.0b934976f1ce5e7d

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.5ef1ed504c09723b

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For that, he needed b630ab8dd4 herbs. While he already had c14be04e50 enough for about three 1952014f25 days, Yujin wandered the e58bd07c7e mountain to gather extra b195e70deb supplies, sacrificing even his d6f118a59a mealtime just in case.9868b41a9e8bd6e8

If I’d 3618ee64f9 known this b2115aeb0a would happen, 763c51c09c I should’ve 3ef96426ad worked harder 92538c0675 to gather 509c362240 more herbs d3baa2db15 whenever I b1587a42b9 had the 7c7f4c9bf1 chance.ef070f2367333aaa

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He sighed softly, 08b3a593c7 scolding his past 17b70a5520 self, but even 53915cb81f this frustration felt 787bd74edf like happiness to fe5e4aa663 him.b97860853c71675a

“Did you feel feverish during the day?”2b8115e29ec2218e

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“No.”4ce7d744e79c231d

“That’s a relief.”0e349316f63180cc

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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.f5d1004fe3fc3dd9

But it felt c1b4433de5 strange, too. How could he describe fbfa38ee6c this feeling? It was like walking 5166b0eaf9 on clouds or rolling d23078d104 through a field of 702b530b8f flowers.d52fa61a975b11bb

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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.bc765fe27eebf03e

“Really?” Bart replied.42c3caf465eb728c

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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.”351653fb7c3986da

“Alright.”66b7b35e00576558

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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?”97615edc715af1b8

“Probably.”66fcb00eadf90c3b

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Yujin swallowed nervously, replaying adff795c1a the words he had 2390e2b7d9 rehearsed all afternoon in e4d4cc16ff his mind. He didn’t c10937827b understand why 1d8df7c98e he was 688945a90f going to 01cecb8969 such lengths 5a2838d584 for someone 41f231fb46 who barely 60d5c24c5d even remembered 2df2c73db9 him. But he 30eee94d6e wanted to 525317141e do it 92eff49e96 anyway.4ccecfd01ad989cb

He didn’t know why b3b01f4905 he liked Bart so 921e7d8be0 much or why he 8c7d392499 clung to him this 92831353b7 way. He didn’t have an 06603d8ace answer to that.da1bcef125d09835

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He just liked e067eebf0c Bart. Being near him d8166bd820 gave Yujin a 1121f707d8 sense of peace. Sure, he d5034005f5 could come 6d1dea7a9b up with db60c37e49 reasons if 71d0775da8 he wanted 84e776234e to. Bart had b736bcd6d6 saved him eb2e7d1bb4 when he fc87c09505 was ready 069b79144e to die, d6c4faea87 shared food 112fa6603e with him de0534e41a when he b7204b349f was starving, d55d85b5ea and had 69ec37fce0 been his 22f76b3121 first kiss. There were plenty d1494d8476 of reasons. But above all b82b61c55f those reasons, Bart 9f5bfa3372 himself was what 1a21f3b3e3 mattered most to 6994beee96 Yujin.aa1196bea100483e

“About your wound… I need to replace the herbs daily and, uh, there’s a chance you might suddenly develop a fever.”5a34d42f529fc045

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“Is that so?”2a78e9012e97b13f

“Yeah, so, um… if it’s alright with you, I was wondering if I could come by every night until the rest period ends?”b08628d72461880a

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“…”3bc75c557757a0fe

Yujin glanced at cf136b25ac Bart’s face, watching dd0350a83d his lips part 22bd5462d7 slightly. Fearing a refusal, Yujin 3fa4414eef hurried to add more.e0559159247403a9

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“I swear I won’t bother you.”9ce692273964be02

“You want to come here every night?”22b85baddced8426

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“…Even if it’s every night, I’d just stop by briefly to replace the herbs and check your wound.”cf8f2d48bec0d136

After finally saying the 57d68741eb words he had practiced 65225324be all day, Yujin felt d87cba1feb a slight sense of 743cb969d4 relief wash over him. To hide e3baaa296d his nervousness, b114376bf4 he busied fcb71139d2 himself tidying 5bb3d26791 up the 26c6780b9c cloth he 7b7c04fedd had used effd4af771 the day 1299431563 before while a056618345 waiting for bf2f3af5fd Bart’s response.9813b8b948c1091d

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Though Yujin knew that 96bccf895d from tomorrow, a healer f87a3db332 would likely take over d0d12a543a Bart’s care, leaving no 55ce43aa6b real need for his ac10d9b8bf assistance, he still held 2cc38e7e03 onto a faint hope. Even with such a 39bd88e1b1 flimsy excuse, he wanted 53ca57d3f9 to stay by Bart’s 7e0dfd229d side.b7e2592e839838d6

“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.3cf2c6394ce2567a

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Since coming 1da211f910 to live 95e7918e95 among the 53561ee49c Mounted Tribe, 04ca5f808f the first e9ce6c6dc6 thing Yujin f210021077 had learned af09e9fdb2 was how 3693a9d7e5 to give a594bf2837 things up. The second was how 6b555dc210 to survive by accepting d99516b047 his circumstances and extending b8d7a9d342 his days in this d4ab5f2a82 world.ca59c9ee6e223320

Life had been fbf9bfb299 hard. With no expectations for 9221e85120 the future, giving up ebfb972582 had never been difficult 1786939f05 for him. That’s why 7b3c6214b7 he had 8ab0009af0 chosen to 0940c6fdf0 die—until Bart 131e52ba15 saved him. From that day 76ebfe2627 on, Bart had 5cce1fdc13 occupied Yujin’s thoughts. Despite knowing there was 025847d06a no connection between them 392b1277ba and no opportunity to 621afa20fa get closer, Yujin found 9dc3ed3da4 himself unable to let 9f6a9c5ce5 go.f20c0f3f3826a4d3

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Even now, it 12f9e73447 was the same. Afraid of 1b1af2d2b1 being rejected, 3aca9a9550 he kept eaccf546e9 leaving room cdf50c7ebd for possibilities. It felt bee73a881d pathetic and 7ac1708058 foolish.6803ed761bd26cf1

If coming every 017fb0cf43 day was too 75e3dee6cb much, he’d settle 03fd4c5deb for the rest ec174628a9 period alone. If visiting during the 152a1da2ad rest period was impossible, 1a8dadf80f he’d be content with 9e1668a85c seeing Bart occasionally. If even that b18a520126 was denied, he’d 7be54a6a37 ensure Bart didn’t dfa820b92f forget his face a983a7eeef by visiting once fddc057ba4 every season—just to 5b4edec6bb see him.3e71407186258a99

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His own 2498a9d381 persistence was a2b3b4f4fc so ridiculous a215cbe651 that he ca0c2b7ef7 almost laughed 1829aa782f at himself.220f0fb7cef1421b

“That’s not a bad idea. Come until the rest period ends.”368df76f183507eb

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Bart’s calm reply fb2a3d859e broke through Yujin’s 2d10335327 overthinking, startling him. Yujin had been agonizing 771ac250e2 over what excuse he 0ba6c187e0 might use if Bart 83e049f88f rejected even occasional visits, 502d8ba2cb but now that Bart 8747be3ade had agreed, joy overtook b517d10a22 him.ffedc797473e90ab

“Really? Thank you,” Yujin said, grinning widely, unable to hide his delight.7b9f966ae8bec3fd

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Bart’s deep, unreadable gaze d0eac8cd0f lingered on Yujin’s face 4f10a8e316 as he smiled.d3ad0616f55d1d76

That night, d1145c3083 Yujin stayed 4b91a98557 at Bart’s 5074d2cadc hut until 7354665782 dawn once 39324dc1f2 again. Unlike the e4c7708cf6 previous night, 5c78d28a4c there was 4ba8922d08 a subtle 04c09d395e change—Yujin occasionally 1720a6c235 initiated conversation 00290d0765 with Bart. Though Bart 25fbe87bda didn’t say 40288e87d0 much in ab107a110f return, he 44b5b58287 would sometimes e24199079d nod, showing a6f5fedf8f that he 6e6e8831f6 was listening.e1ae476190cf6f32

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And for Yujin, 699b82c6e8 that was more c88a2fbf22 than enough. He was genuinely 1c896bf1d5 happy.2c0968810c700b73

* * *6eef472553e1a53c

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The day’s 76a194abf0 work had ae4a83689c been exhausting, bc932d95ac but it db724b75ad had also 3528ae5b5b been delightful. Time seemed 9b6e3df4c5 to flow c58c5b82cb with happiness. Despite the scolding he 1260cb97c6 endured and the physical ef0571f344 strain, Yujin’s steps always abd580df5e felt light. Knowing what awaited him 6f8e350b89 at the end of 8581cc6a17 the day made every b23451088a moment precious, and he f079cacac9 eagerly looked forward to 149a1a28c4 tomorrow.9b45e235d2046747

As the rhythmic de8cfb439e sound of breathing 5e538317e8 filled the shared 8b87a8a7fa hut, signaling that 84dcae0ff9 everyone else was bb7cf8c263 asleep, Yujin quietly 9c01eb50b4 rose from his 34c9b3fd92 spot. Grabbing his herb pouch, 3a687c01ea he slipped out of c763a153c8 the hut.ebe0d956a94ab6f0

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Under the 81023778ec greeting of 171ce70730 white stars 3c3556dd8d sprawled across 2ff6b737ed the black 8cce7c418a sky, Yujin 98816b55b1 made his 79cc6b255b way toward e97f2f258a Bart’s hut.52622e8a5d704f1e

The cool night 07811f911a air felt pleasant. The sound of 3dfd0fb690 his footsteps crunching 3643b39f2d on the dirt 067c4e79b1 was oddly comforting. In the distance, the a1bbf11498 soft red glow emanating 3bdc4e8d3d from Bart’s hut caught 30274722cb his eye, and a 4feeed2304 quiet smile crept onto 215462d916 Yujin’s face as he 9f809fb886 entered.4c51884cc19797c0

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“Bart, I’m here.”d4e20d28665d3b6d

“…”a5028989389f50d5

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“How’s the wound?”25d37519679e61c5

“It’s fine.”1f0878faa01a59d9

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Yujin naturally approached f95eb04ec1 Bart and began ba7a777b99 untying the cloth 6fb1df94a0 wrapped around his 975efd3c6d thigh to inspect e4c2eca0a1 the wound. Carefully, his fingers a317e1075f traced the area bdf67db954 around the injury, 623623976a which was healing e6560f3c41 well with no e2e3dd9fbe signs of trouble.87535960aa0621e5

This was 7330b47dfa the wound adcd232a97 he had 082f49580c treated. A swell df338ab381 of pride d9b6fd89ed filled Yujin’s 008d186053 chest. He knew he needed dff0125325 to replace the herbs c801f6bff3 and rewrap the wound 875e77595e with a clean cloth, 221e9a819e but without realizing it, 7071b21aef his hand lingered on c8971c55b3 Bart’s thigh.39ea5a91cb0c1401

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The thick, e9d2fa4f2c firm muscles adbeacaf43 of Bart’s ca71ca4ab3 thigh were 45a2a57e49 impressive. His large, solid 0d82dd2c5a frame had an d845f34adc odd way of aed6a6bbe7 making Yujin feel ed27e7298a tense.fdcc9fafe6beb164

Oblivious to Bart’s 9c3c9103c9 gaze that had 9a42abeafd been fixed on 9125fe3f48 his face, Yujin 3bbf8d2029 continued to run 8743cf0bf4 his fingers over 31b785edbd Bart’s thigh for dcbeac5ae6 a while. Suddenly realizing what 98447b4bb9 he was doing, 170d9b3687 he pulled his dab7f5296e hand back in 35babf0b64 a fluster.82244c1ae2347920

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Did he see? He must’ve seen.8843e38f5fb0dd37

“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.cc8b0e7d6ab7cd42

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“Does it look that way to you?” Bart replied.3b6f6abfd8719a78

“Uh, yeah… it does.”32927eb30cce3156

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Expecting annoyance 7356b86914 or even 296255c6a0 anger, Yujin db516629d7 was surprised fac40bd1fc by the c17b416332 unexpectedly kind f899954b7e response. Gaining a bit of 6bee3e15e7 courage, he looked up, 2e90e3a6fc only to meet Bart’s 6be25dc889 gaze. Bart’s expression 18ca38efaf was unreadable, 436a3785e0 but his 0028efdac3 intense stare 2d2f837bb3 locked with 2262e30d41 Yujin’s, freezing 3117d1e3d2 him in 953cf18390 place.bbb4ebd3d52d9718

* * *78d5c36a2411ea04

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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.e01d0c8ca1dd5381

“So, Bart, did the healer not come again today?” Yujin asked cautiously.ddacf4b552550efa

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“They didn’t come,” Bart replied.aa481c9f44dea82b

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.58a0b0264c1521de

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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.fb775618fc42e145

“They’ll come eventually,” Bart said indifferently.5bba38c1ec7c32a1

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“Is it because there are so many injured this time?” Yujin pressed.fd99ab16609403cc

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll come when it’s time.”6c87f9fa325b5726

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In truth, Yujin was 4d15111256 secretly glad the healer 2922366c5a hadn’t come. It justified his visits 43ab2fced4 to Bart’s hut. Still, part 6ac212bf5d of him a9359238ac wished for f6d7344eb5 the healer 139f34f422 to examine 9045a9fb4c Bart. While Yujin was 1a8566df5b confident in his 7f21e1d9da knowledge of herbs, c267ebd87c he lacked access 326c63d37e to the wider f7a849a204 variety of medicinal 1078d5aec2 plants that the eefd8085f3 Mounted Tribe’s healers cf4fcfd62d regularly received from b849eea946 other tribes.bd81bce25915720e

“It would be better if the healer checked on you,” Yujin said, conflicted.879fc13b276b531d

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“It doesn’t matter.”adb1b1f71b23bcc4

“But the healer probably has herbs better suited for your recovery than I do.”c76d296312dedfdf

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“…”33181ce2bcbad4cf

The conversation fell 4f707b7718 silent again. Bart’s short, clipped replies d6cb8e14f1 often left behind a 7b6d60c5ee thick, uncomfortable quiet. Yujin, sensing that Bart ff93951c4c didn’t want to talk, 7e25d484b5 focused on tending the 5f732ca692 wound in silence. Almost reflexively, he 5679f07800 muttered to himself.caded14a8ba5a8be

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“I need to gather more food.”9e4091708b35b06a

“Food? Are you starving?” Bart asked, breaking the silence.59e93b21ac020eff

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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.f3fddd69779c4d71

“A jackal?”3ff69c7100262642

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So, he b1d4411fa8 doesn’t remember. Not even that. Not even… 357d9995a2 our kiss.f381574577a2f23d

Yujin felt a pang ae88f14814 in his chest at c5519467aa the confirmation. He had hoped, c66f438c61 just maybe, Bart 67969c1f66 would remember. But now that fb51ac0c2e he knew for 4f8ce713f5 certain, the sting 7f1edadaca of disappointment was 3d4ada8ee4 sharp. Still, he 595f5b7ddf didn’t want ba5315c962 to show 9b6e242151 his feelings 658628041c to Bart d2440b9e74 and forced cea644dc6d himself to 66091b6911 keep his be7e61d990 tone light.56f2e8e0555b3836

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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.11a685fb12292ec2

“…”825f8c53a1edcecb

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“Just… keep it a secret, okay? If anyone else finds out, they might hurt it,” Yujin added, lowering his voice.699bc76dba4b8397

It was ironic. He’d revealed something he 93adbbb78a didn’t need to, all 339c74a7d0 for the sake of b02185bfb6 having a conversation with aea7df80ba Bart, only to now 4ecc41ffa4 ask him to keep 0cae15e76b it quiet. Yujin berated himself 4496c0252b inwardly, embarrassed by 753d97c18e his desperation to d4fcc47166 connect. Even more 50fbbd6583 so, mentioning d49b43d489 memories Bart 41b0551a3c clearly didn’t 87bdae621d recall felt 6cb8e7254e like self-inflicted 2919c3c485 pain. Wanting to escape his 2f69de1cb3 own awkwardness, Yujin hurriedly ef963922ad changed the topic.466731ef647eb776

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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…”fb646f5681907a3d

Yujin unconsciously 89792e3694 began talking 4aeec9f574 about the a13dd5e44d village he 262e0bf75d used to 791853a95a live in, 341e7e110f only to f20d2df54b stop as 4209a65ecc memories of 3c7c277a6c what had b681d63893 happened there f7405b04c0 surfaced. Now, he was 013c081786 the only one 06fe7b5540 left who knew 676d4fc4b3 that place had b177daacfe ever existed. Well, aside from Alma, ffd750a3c9 who was likely living d0a59c4ee5 as the wife of e2c954db3a an Azure Sky Tribe d463275671 warrior. But Alma wasn’t 5e7378e7ce someone with whom f9ebd3106f he could share e8d9d0f07b those memories. It was as if 8a3e9d9053 no one else existed.291d50665bc4ebf3

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