Chapter 43 – Episode 43. A Thrilling First, Thrilling Realization.
‘Anyway, no matter how ignorant it is, it’s going to be hard to just pass by this atmosphere.’
Surely he would have noticed.
The fact that many people’s attention is focused on them in the city where they came out with a light heart.
How would he act if he realized that the reason was himself?
“There are a lot of people in the city today.”
The answer was soon to be found.
As he expected.
“I will lead the way. I will open the way for you, so please follow me.”
Dave speeds up his steps, which were walking side by side, and soon settles down in front of me.
Afterwards, Yumir, noticing his hand reaching out behind him, reflexively grabbed his hand.
Steps confidently making their way through the crowd.
Starting from him, I felt that the gaze around me that I had felt before had disappeared.
As there are a lot of people around me, I can easily hide my presence just by covering my face.
Even if there were people who recognized him, the attention was focused on the crab holding his hand and moving forward rather than himself.
“Look over there. That woman…”
“Are you dating that guy?”
“I envy you. I go out with a beauty like that.”
From an object of lust and jealousy, to envy and longing for those who walk with such a person.
Of course, he might also find it burdensome, but Dave just focused on going down the road, ignoring their stares.
‘… He must be considerate.’
Even the hand holding my hand right now, I could feel that feeling.
To the point where I feel rather uncomfortable with the side I’m holding…
‘Is it a date in its own way and considerate?’
I felt my lips itch because I was stung for no reason.
‘It would be nice, unlike the men around me, to be able to monopolize a person like me.’
A sarcasm that could come out of a twisted symbol, or a remark that would be considered half-joking…
Normally, I might have spit it out without hesitation, but today, for some reason, I didn’t want to say it that way.
No, it wouldn’t be because it was today.
Because it was this man who was leading him.
“… Mr. Ymir?”
Yeah, because I didn’t want to say that to this guy who still cared about him in such a busy moment.
“Are you okay? You’ve been speechless for a while…”
“…Is it?”
Not sure if her true intentions would be revealed, she turned her gaze and spoke succinctly.
“Well, it might be because the surroundings are so distracting.”
“Ah yes. It is. It’s hard to have a conversation here… Uh?”
Dave is taken aback by the outstretched hand at that moment.
Ymir still looked away from him, but the action was unstoppable.
“It’s because the road is narrow. Wouldn’t it be more convenient if we were going to pass by?”
“Ha, but…”
“Why are you dissatisfied with me clinging to you?”
The moment he crossed the hand he was holding and used both his arms to close the distance.
Eventually, when they crossed their arms, Dave’s face began to tremble with his face red.
“Oh, no, that’s not it… That, because it touches me in many ways…”
“Ah~ Looking at it, I’m a little hungry.”
Ignoring his embarrassment, Ymir clings even more.
His chest bone, which could not be covered even by his school uniform, was buried deep in his arms, but in the end he did not shake himself off and just made his way through the crowd with stiff steps.
“Coming to think of it, I didn’t eat that much in the morning… Shall we buy some snacks on the way?”
“Oh, there’s a place over there that specializes in tempura, would you like to try it?”
“No matter what. Because I don’t skip or eat anything.”
“Okay, then, let’s go right away.”
Yeah, he has a ritual too.
Even when we met for the first time, I was just pretending to be indifferent, and when I saw her naked before, and even when she forced me to touch my breasts this morning, I must have felt the same as the men around me.
But there was a difference between him and them.
At least he doesn’t put his feelings first.
In his actions, consideration for those by his side always took precedence, not his own desires.
“Eat here.”
“Thank you.”
This is also evident in the part where he buys food from a stall later.
After serving the food, he stopped eating right away and watched in silence until Ymir took a bite of his portion of fried food.
“Do you like the taste?”
It was around the time I swallowed what I was chewing that my mouth opened again. Even in the midst of that, his hand holding the plate did not even move.
Even at this moment, despite the fact that the unique aroma of tempura is transmitted to the nose.
“… Well. I’m not sure. I’m not the type to eat food for taste.”
“Oh, is that so?”
A little sad face.
It was natural for him to think that the food he recommended had received bad reviews one after another.
Ymir, who noticed that, said while bringing one of the fries to his mouth.
“Well, it’s not to the extent that I can’t eat it, so there’s no problem.”
The blunt tone is the same as usual.
However, the gesture of bringing the food to the mouth was very unrestrained.
It just shows the appearance of eating silently, making only the unique crunchy sound of tempura.
After that continued for some time, Dave looked relieved and began to eat his portion of food.
Yes, there is no need to say anything when evaluating food.
Whatever it is, as long as it’s delicious and you eat it without any reluctance, you’re good at it.
“Baby~ let’s eat~”
How long has it been since you put food in your mouth without saying a word?
Ymir’s ears pricked up at the sound he heard from the vicinity of the place where he had just settled down.
A voice that goes beyond her charms and is considered coquettish. The man standing on the other side smiled brightly at the woman’s act of serving food stamped on a fork with him and began to eat it.
“Um~~!! I think it tastes so good because it feeds it!”
“Masijeong!?”
“Mashijung!!”
‘… Hey, there really are people like that.’
Even in a public place, a couple with chicken skin starts to fall in love, trapped in their own world.
While feeling uncomfortable at their presence, I became aware that something was stretching right in front of my eyes.
“Ah, you asked. For a moment…”
The man opposite me was also eating tempura. When I noticed his presence, his hand had already passed over my mouth.
It must have been that he was paying attention to the surroundings and removed the crumbs that he did not know were buried.
“Fries are also inconvenient. No matter how carefully you eat, crumbs and oil get on your mouth…”
Saying that, Dave takes the fries from my finger to his mouth.
As if unaware of what the action looked like in my eyes, he started putting his hand in my arms while maintaining his characteristic soft smile.
“Oh, do you need a handkerchief? Please let me know right away if you need it. There’s a fountain nearby, so I’ll wet it and bring it.”
“…”
“… Why, why is that?”
Without words.
And Dave begins to stiffen his shoulders as if staring at him with his eyes wide open.
In response, Ymir snorted and said.
“I eat it right away.”
“Yes?”
“You took what you put in my mouth right into your mouth.”
The part that bothers me even more is that there is a chicken couple next to each other who are intent on biting and sucking each other.
If people around you see you, they will look no different than you.
“Ah, uh, that’s habitually…”
“Then no. People are clearly seeing it, but I’m losing my share.”
While belatedly aware of my actions and panicking, I quickly took a piece of food from the plate that Ymir had brought for him.
It happened that he took a bite and put it down.
“You took mine too, so take this one.”
“Yes? That…”
Before I could say anything, Ymir bit the fries into my mouth.
That too, from the part he chewed first, without hesitation.
“… It’s delicious.”
If you’re conscious, it’s something that anyone would consider an ‘indirect kiss’.
Even so, Ymir didn’t care about that part and tried to savor the taste.
“Huh. Very, very delicious.”
Yes, at least on the surface it seems to be.
– Throbbing.
The beating of a heart that has grown so much that you can be aware of it from the moment you put it in your mouth.
As she savored the taste of her tempura without expressing it, Dave asked her cautiously.
“Are you okay?”
It was a word with many meanings.
Is it enough with what he ate, or is he not bothered by the glances around him?
Even after noticing that, Ymir just continued talking with his unique sly tone.
“Yes, boy. You are the only one who eats this kind of thing and makes a fuss. If you bring it to a restaurant, you should introduce it to the person who brought it.”
“… Is it the same menu?”
“Is it so?”
Sighing, she smiled and brought her half-remaining fries to her mouth.
“How about it, as long as it tastes good.”
Isn’t it strange?
As he said, there is a difference in the feeling of eating even though it is clearly the same menu.
A body that had never tasted food before. That’s why the specialness of her now touched her even more.
‘… No, it’s different.’
At first, it was a strange feeling.
It didn’t take long to realize that it wasn’t her illusion.
‘Because this guy ate it.’
Dave.
She suddenly came to her own life, and she was the one who put an end to her journey she had been running all along.
And even after that, the man who wants to stay by my side and open the way for me who has lost his way.
‘It’s because this guy is special.’
I feel that his presence is gradually growing. Even the countless crowds around me disappear like dust in front of the wind the moment I become aware of that feeling.
“Then, since we’re full, shall we go soon?”
Dave gets up from his seat and prepares to leave, as if he didn’t notice my feelings.
There was nothing special up to that point, but the part where he was standing was on the side of the carriageway.
Naturally, so that you can stand on the far side of the road.
– Hee hee!
The fact that he was also a part of Bae Ryeom was even more conspicuous because there was a fast and rough carriage.
Was it subconsciously permeated into the body? Or did he just think it was natural for him to act that way?
“… Do you know anything more?”
“Yes? Do you know…”
“Well, since we’ve come all the way to the city, can’t we just see the sights and go?”
Whatever it is, it feels like I don’t hate such trivial considerations. Thinking of it, Ymir put his arm on his arm as before.
Dave is nervous about crossing his arms. However, he did not panic at the end, accepted Ymir’s arm and continued on his way.
– Pounding, pounding.
In the meantime, the heart in my chest is still beating.
I could feel my body temperature rising from him, but there was still a calmness in my head.
Unlike in the morning, when his words and smiles made me feel confused.
‘I guess I’ll figure it out soon. Why am I doing this?’
Yes, it was just unfamiliar because it was the first time.
As time went by, I quickly realized what my feelings for him were.
‘Excitement and coolness can coexist. Because the human mind is very strange.’
The more unfamiliar it is, the more deeply it touches you.
It was at this moment that the Archmage, who stood at the pinnacle of humanity, realized how important and precious the concept of being first was.
