Hey, Mr. Yenika (4)
Never panic, no matter how unexpected the situation may be.
Calmly assess the situation and take the most appropriate response.
These were principles that must not be forgotten, whether living in the wild, fighting, or dealing with the various events of the scenario.
After living like this for over a year, I no longer felt embarrassed in any way, and I felt like I was able to handle anything skillfully… .
“… … .”
Yenika’s sudden fastball made me feel like my brain was turning off and on for a moment. First, I had to find a reason for her punishment to give her time to organize her thoughts.
Fortunately, there was a very easy reason. It’s a thumb with blood dripping.
I gathered up my clothes and wrapped the leftover pieces of cloth around my fingers as bandages, giving me time to give a cursory answer.
While I performed a series of first aid tasks, Yenika remained absolutely motionless.
He had his face buried in his knees and looked like he was about to blow smoke out of his face. Judging from her reaction, it seems like she knows the meaning of what she said. I think it is safe to say that there is no possibility that he misunderstood it on my part.
After first aid treatment for the finger is over, it is time to face the problem again.
“first… These are probably things you would expect yourself… . Still, I’ll have to point it out and move on.”
He roughly threw the remaining pieces of cloth into the bonfire and burned them, and spoke while wiping the blood-stained cuttlefish with a handkerchief.
This was said after deep consideration on the other side, so I had to accept it naturally, as calmly and sincerely as possible, without showing embarrassment or astonishment. That is courtesy.
“… I don’t know if I need to say it again, but first of all, I really like you. “Not only I but everyone else may think the same thing, but I think you are a really kind, sincere, and decent person.”
These words were just a cushion to start the main topic, but when Yenika heard those words, she suddenly buried her head further and her shoulders shook. The sight of her catching her breath for no reason makes me catch my breath for no reason.
I again removed the remaining peel from the apple and put it in my mouth. I cut off all the blood-stained parts and threw them away, but I felt uncomfortable handing them to Yenika to eat.
After taking some time to calm down, I spoke slowly to Yenika, who had caught her breath.
“… But what I cannot help but point out is that I am also a man.”
In situations like this, you have no choice but to remain calm and take a realistic and objective look.
“Listen carefully, Yenika. I’m not sure what you think of yourself… She has a very beautiful appearance. She’s a beauty, I mean. A normal person like you… .”
“S-Stop… .”
I was literally speechless at the sudden announcement of a halt.
Was my effort to keep my expression as low as possible, keep my tone down, and speak calmly was meaningless?
Yenika, who laid her head on her knees, was already blushing.
He complained with tears in his eyes as if he had been bullied by some kind of mean-spirited bully.
“I-I’m sorry… Soo, I can’t breathe… .”
“… … .”
“no… . Because I can’t rest… . wait for a sec… You can take a deep breath… ?”
They still treat me with respect… ? No, it’s this harsh… ?
“… is it so.”
I took this again and sat down… ?
So, we stayed still for a while, just listening to the sound of the bonfire. Well, if you feel like you’ve made a little progress, take a break, and if you feel like you’ve made a little progress, take a break… As they repeat this to each other, it almost feels like they are doing some kind of bomb dismantling work.
I grabbed two wooden mugs and filled them with cold water. I handed one to Jenica, and held the other for myself as I took a few sips to quench my thirst.
As if her throat was burning, Jenica held up a large mug with both small hands and took a single gulp of cold water.
The atmosphere is aroused with the sound of fuhaa.
I feel like the feeling that had been meaninglessly heated up has calmed down again… I brought up the topic again.
“So, let’s talk about cohabitation again… .”
I just said those words again, and it felt as if the atmosphere suddenly soared into the sky. Yenica lowers her head again and his face blushes.
It seemed like he was thinking about what he had just said. At this point, no matter how many times I try to calm the mood, there is no point.
It is important to rush like a bulldozer and quickly draw a conclusion to the story itself. If things keep going like this, the story won’t end even all night long. Yenika is in a position where she has to go back to her Dex house when curfew comes.
However, the fortunate thing is that my composure is well maintained.
Although we were briefly shaken by Yenika’s explosive remarks, this is an issue that can be dealt with rationally.
All you have to do is keep your mind as much as possible from a position of common sense, and say what needs to be said.
If you think of the wall of your heart as an image, it is a huge iron fortress.
No matter how many bombastic remarks you make, if you maintain your balance, your reason will not easily break down.
In the hellish life of the past year, haven’t you learned how to remain calm and rational in any situation?
Moreover, the opponent is Yenika. Anyway, this is Yenika.
He made people nervous by suddenly making an unexpected bombshell statement, but he is still a person with common sense. In that case, all you have to do is speak as a person with common sense.
“I can be considerate of you now and treat you as gently as possible, but… No one knows what will happen if you live under one roof. I always want to be considerate of you, I want to respect you, but… Strictly speaking, all male groups are ultimately similar. I’m grateful that you trust me. still… Never forget that the only person who can protect yourself is yourself. “Yenika.”
Even if I tried to talk about it separately, it would only have the opposite effect, so I ended up talking about it all at once.
I took a quick look at Jenica, who was hugging her knees tightly, and it seemed like she was listening to my story.
I applauded myself for maintaining my senses even in this situation.
If we’ve come this far, there won’t be any more bombshell remarks from Yenika’s position.
However, as if to prove that my thoughts are just complacency, the story of me making eye contact and being straight… .
“But it doesn’t matter if it’s Ed… .”
Yenika’s words, which came out as if she were reciting, once again silenced me.
“… … .”
“ah.”
After some time, Yenica’s response comes back. She must have realized what those words reflexively meant, as she suddenly got goosebumps all over her body, her shoulders shaking, and the color coming back to her calm face.
The expression “speechless” was truly accurate.
I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.
“Edneheun… .”
Yenika swallowed her breath again, as if she had bitten her tongue while trying to say ‘Ed.’
Then, he covers his mouth with both hands and looks at me. I was already breathing hard due to the escalating atmosphere, but after making such a seemingly innocent mistake, I felt embarrassed. As for me, I was in the middle of rubbing my chin and holding on to the strings of reason.
Bad news overlapped.
Normally, I would have been able to deal with whatever was said, but ironically, all kinds of situational variables were coming together in layers, pressuring my sense of reason to its limit.
Immediately after the really hard and difficult student council president election, I returned to camp and felt a sense of peace and freedom… This situational background.
It feels like the days of putting myself in extreme situations and being exhausted just by making a living are coming to an end. Since the basic infrastructure is in place, the amount of work itself has been reduced considerably, so I feel relieved.
With Yenica, we exchanged some kind of formality, so it felt a little more unfamiliar than usual, but at the same time familiar… A feeling of tug-of-war on a strange borderline.
Moon bright night. The moonlight softly shines down on the camp. A crackling flame. The sound of insects in the grass sounds somehow more sentimental.
The girl blushed, unable to control the sound she made half impulsively.
‘Do you want to endure this? ‘Can you survive this?’ In a situation where the world seems to be crying out… I ended up closing my eyes.
At this point, I actually felt calmer.
“Yenika.”
Now, just by softly calling that name, I can see my shoulders shaking for no reason… It wasn’t very comfortable for me either.
Still, there is something that must be pointed out.
Even if you ask hundreds of men in the world, they will all lose their reason and become yes men, but it is still something you should not miss.
That’s the part about how Jenica came to say this.
Although I was momentarily taken aback by the shock of the sudden action, as if a bomb had exploded, I couldn’t make the mistake of being caught up in the situation itself and not being able to grasp the essence of this incident.
So I asked directly.
“… “Is it very difficult?”
As if those words had been doused with cold water… The color drained from Yenika’s face. And I could clearly sense that he was becoming intimidated in an instant.
Even if Dex Hall is treated like a regular dormitory, it won’t be as bad as living in the wild. On the contrary, I heard that it was quite livable.
However, the reason why he suddenly said he wanted to come to the camp and live was obvious. Yenika was already mentally concentrated.
It’s been almost a year since I lived in a group at Dex Hall and interacted with students of the same age.
Expectations, favors, and respect. For some, it is a driving force that allows them to move forward, but for others, it can be poison.
“… … .”
There was silence again.
The texture was strangely different from the silence before.
Yenika held her knees and stared blankly at the bonfire, then smiled bitterly.
“Ed, I guess he doesn’t know anything.”
That ahaha smile is familiar. It’s that lively smile you make when you walk around the school grounds and receive greetings from your friends.
It was always a sincere smile, but not many people can read the strange burden inherent in that deep psychology.
In short, Yenika might be…
“I guess he wanted to run away. I kind of miss the days when I lived alone in a private room at the Ofilis building. Doesn’t that seem really stupid?”
Rather than giving a positive answer… I just shook my head. Is there anyone in the world who would criticize me for being stupid about that?
“What should I say about this camp…” . It was like an escape. So I guess I wanted to run away here if possible. Of course, it must have been a very burdensome story for Ed.”
“… … .”
“For Ed, this camp is the product of the effort he has been building over the past year… ? It’s also proof that they lived really fiercely in the wild. It would be absurd for me to set foot there now… .”
Rather, because he is Yenika, he knows it well.
The scorching heat of summer that can make people collapse from exhaustion, or the extreme cold of winter that can make people shiver all over.
In addition, I realized how special this camp, which was built while directly dealing with various survival issues, has a special meaning to me… The person who understands it better than anyone else is this girl.
I think it is truly shameless to try to invade such a space by bringing up one’s own emotional issues… .
Also, due to her sound temperament, there are also some areas where she misinterprets the problem. It is about the act of ‘running away’ itself.
“It’s not something that can be solved by running away. Rather than running away from problems, we should face them and think about fighting them. huh. “I also felt weak for a while.”
Yenika said that and nodded to herself. The look of intimidation was still there.
“Okay… I wanted to ask Ed at least once. I knew it would be burdensome… “I’m not sure why.”
After saying that, he sniffled and stopped talking.
We just shared the time, looking at each other at the campfire for a while.
I rested my elbows on my knees and looked up at the starry sky.
Various constellations are shining brightly, but there is only darkness on the ground below… I can’t even see what’s beyond the grass right now. Life was usually like this. It must have been the same for Yenika.
I threw the apple, with only the core remaining, into the bonfire.
“It’s definitely a burden.”
He spoke the truth quietly and clearly. As Jenika was serious, I couldn’t treat her with lies.
Yenika, who was completely intimidated by those words, put her head on her knees and smiled bitterly.
“Overall, Yenika, you’re right. Even when I hear people say that they are going to live in a camp like this, it is natural that I am just dumbfounded and do not know what to do.”
“… Ehehe, it’s like that too.”
The wetness at the end of your voice was very heartbreaking, so you decided to tell the story without dragging it on any longer.
I shook off my clothes, got up, and sat down next to Jenica. As we sit side by side, the girl’s small size becomes apparent once again.
“You don’t treat me with respect anymore.”
“Huh.”
Yenika, who had been stabbed in the crosshairs, whimpered and quickly caught her breath. Has that stubbornness, the meaning of which is still unknown, finally broken?
In fact, I think I’ve finally realized that mentality. The reason he tried to spread distance by treating people with respect was because he realized the reality.
Whether it was expectation or respect, the more pressure was placed on Yenika… Given her sincere and upstanding nature, it is likely that she tried to face it head on.
If that happens, whether it be the existence of this camp that I have always used as a refuge, or my existence… Even if you think it’s right to try to increase the distance, it can’t be helped. He must have been caught up in the obsession that running away was not the right answer.
Because they are still young and immature, they may not know much about it.
Reality is strangely different from the world in fairy tales, and when trials come, running away is often the right answer.
I have seen far more people become happy by seeking out a different direction in their lives, rather than forcing themselves to face it and only having a lot of scratches piled up in their hearts.
However, considering her life story of receiving only sincere respect and favor, it is highly likely that running away while ignoring that favor was not an option at all. That’s the problem.
“But, Yenika. “Strictly speaking, isn’t the fact that I’m burdened is a completely separate issue?”
“huh?”
“Let’s not be arrogant. Basically, when people live, they place burdens on others and also bear the burdens that others give them. Common sense tells us that there is no one who can live without being dependent on others at all. “We just live by leaning on each other like that.”
“… … .”
“And right now, I’m the only one who is indebted to you.”
Spiritual arts classes, help maintaining a secluded life, etc… . I already owe Jenica a lot. That’s why I chose a cane as my next magic engineering training goal. This was because it was a reward in its own way and I had nothing else to give.
In some ways, it is natural, but to this girl, even such natural repayment is a debt of her heart.
It is truly gratifying to be born with a kind heart and be pretty, but sometimes it can be a burden.
“I owe you something, so even if it’s a bit burdensome, I’m ready to handle it. Well, if you still feel like your financial calculations aren’t right, you can just ask me a burdensome favor next time. We don’t see each other for a day or two anyway, so isn’t this a problem that can be exchanged like the ebb and flow? “We will know each other for a long time.”
“then… .”
“… “Anyway, it’s a bit burdensome to live between one roof, so wouldn’t we have to build one more hut?”
At those words, Yenika’s pupils seemed to have subtly enlarged.
Using honorifics, reestablishing relationships, returning to somewhat awkward relationships, and looking at each other from an objective perspective may all be meaningful in their own way.
It was very refreshing to be in an awkward and awkward relationship, so I had a lot of feelings about it.
As for Yenika, no matter how stingy her relationship is, if there is someone in need, she will go out of her way to help.
If you see someone lying on the street in pain, you will first try to help them before you can tell whether they are a beggar or a robber. It’s awkward and unfamiliar so it’s hard to ask, but… It would be difficult to talk to that shoulder. Look! Do you need any help?
However, there is no law that says things in the world will always be fair. Not all good intentions are reciprocated.
Even if you have lived a life of giving… There is no way to know that someone will always be there for you when you are in pain.
I was sitting down on the street crying, and someone said to my back, ‘Look.’ How sad it is that there is no one to say a word of concern.
In the end, someone can’t stand it anymore and ends up putting a hand on that person’s shoulder. That is the difference between a person who has lived a life of giving.
“… … .”
After I finished answering, I felt a little embarrassed and just looked up at the sky.
I thought that due to Yenika’s personality, she would run around and be happy… A surprisingly calm response came back.
As we sat side by side, Jenica wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me tightly, and then Yenika spoke in a half-wet voice.
“Yes, thank you… .”
“… … .”
Holding Jenica face to face, stroking her head with one hand… I quietly looked at the sky.
The night sky of Aken Island was high and bright.
* * * [Good morning, Master Ed… ! I don’t know if this is a sudden situation, but this fire candle mug will slowly explain… ! ]
The next morning.
After sending Yenika back to Dex Hall, the scene that greeted me when I woke up was… It seemed like all kinds of spirits were filling my camp.
At the center was Tarkan, a high-ranking fire spirit whose appearance was difficult to even see with a reasonable amount of sensitivity.
“… … .”
[Oh, you’re awake. Ed Rosstaylor. ]
The figure swinging its huge tail back and forth and leading the army of spirits is truly the commander of the army.
[I just happened to need your advice. I have no experience building a cabin. If possible, I would like to create a similar feel to your hut, but cutting down the wood and trimming it can be done with the fern-like hands of the spirits… Architecture itself is a more delicate task than you might think. ]
“… First of all, can you explain this situation a little more slowly? ?”
[You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but I’m building a cabin right now. ]
As for Yenika, after being held in my arms for a long time last night, she returned to the dormitory with a blush on her face.
I planned to slowly discuss the specifics of how I would move to the camp, when I would submit my resignation application, and how I would build the cabin, sometime today or tomorrow.
[We’ll talk about the details later. Honestly, I’m a little tired too. ]
“what?”
[ Yesterday, we stayed up all night partying in the spirit world… Well, there’s no need to tell you. Anyway, it’s my fault, and we have to do what we have to do quickly. ]
No specific details are provided properly.
[First of all, the site selection work itself has been completed, but… I think it would feel much better to stand across from the campfire. There must be something romantic about the feeling of opening the door in the morning and meeting each other.
Well, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to build next to each other… . Then it feels very stuffy, and it’s hard to keep the minimum level of privacy… hmm… is not it… . After all, it is better to build it as close as possible… . ]
“You’ve made it this far in just one night… ?”
[I’m sorry, if I take out the driving force, I’m a corpse. ]
Could it be that he is holding a grudge against me for cutting off his head in the first act?
The sight of the giant fire lizard giggling and laughing almost gave me goosebumps.
[The overall plan is about 10 days, Takan. This fire mug, as the field command leader, I will establish the most efficient work plan possible… ! ] [Ten days… ? ] [ yes… ! After thinking about the shift schedule between lower-ranking spirits and establishing a rest plan, I came up with a working period of that length. The direction of further reducing the work period depending on the schedule progress is… . ] [ rest… ? Why don’t you take a break… ? ]
Tarkan opened his terrifyingly large eyes… She spoke with her voice low.
[I really don’t understand, why don’t we take a break… ? ] [ yes… ? ] [ In my time, my daily routine was to run around carrying a spirit messenger for three days and nights, and even after crossing snowy mountains for a week, I would still fight the next day. Anyway, these days, as the number of spiritists has increased and contracts have become easier, the discipline of lower-level spirits has hit rock bottom.
Everyone eats every day, and all they can think about is work while resting. With this in mind, when will I change phase, become a mid-level spirit, and meet a proper high-ranking spirit person to make a contract? ]
Mug is a spirit that can be astounding even with just one glance. Takan’s words gave me goosebumps, but I couldn’t stop myself from nodding my head.
[Well, then, let’s push the schedule as much as possible… If you give it a week… . ] [ thing… If work progresses without shift work… I wonder if we can push the schedule further… ? ] [ yes? ] [ Do you know how hard Jenica is enduring every day right now? And now that it has been decided by two weeks, I will fall asleep holding her pounding heart every night because of my anticipation. I can’t imagine that feeling… ? ]
Tarkan spoke skillfully, as if wondering what was going on with the mug’s draining expression.
[I’ll finish it in 5 days. For architectural advice, you can ask Ed Rothtaylor here. ] [ yes… ! Okay… ! ]
After saying that, he waved his huge tail and left to go about his business.
[ this… A murderous schedule… . how… How on earth… . ]
Looking at the panoramic view of the camp, all kinds of spirits are sweating profusely and moving wood.
[If you ask me… I have no choice but to crack it… . This fire candle mug… We do it… . certainly… We have to do it… !! ]
If I think about it, I am the cause of all of this.
After Tarkan left, I looked at Mug, who was sitting on a tree stump and looking frustrated… I meditated to myself.
really… I feel sorry… !! Mug… !!!
I didn’t do that on purpose… Not really… !!
