Chapter 87 – Chapter 3: Boy at the General Store – 3
“Hey, it’s hard…”
Posao staggered inside and sat down on the bed.
Tia asked after seeing his sweaty, frowning face.
“Where does it hurt?”
“My back has been hurting since the day before yesterday. “I guess you’ve been crouching in the warehouse for too long.”
“Hmm, first of all, something to support my back…”
While looking around, I happened to see the silk pillow that Posao had left behind.
He immediately picked it up and used it to support his large body.
“How do you feel?”
“It’s a bit comfortable…”
“My back hurts, and I’m sorry for making you come here.”
“Uh-no. Hehe. Thanks to you, Joe, I saw some good things.”
“… Yes?”
The guy with a sinister smile hurriedly made an excuse.
“The scenery is great!”
“Aha- right? The scenery near the stream is nice!”
Posao scratched his head sheepishly.
At that time. Tia opened her eyes wide when she saw her elbow.
“Uh? “What’s wrong with your arm?”
“Huh?”
“You’re hurt!”
There was a wound on his arm.
Looking at the dark red scabs on it, it looked like the injury had just occurred.
“This? Rice, it’s no big deal. I was walking around yesterday… “I got a little scratched by the carriage.”
“Just stay still.”
As expected, Tia looked at her arm with a serious expression.
Even though the person said it was okay, he started treating the patient as if he were a doctor.
Is it because he looked over my shoulder and looked at my medical treatment?
I almost imitated him and asked about Posao’s condition.
“I can’t do that. It needs to be treated properly. “If you leave it like this, the wound may become worse.”
“I-I’m really fine…”
“What did you do when I got hurt like this in Deseo?”
“Ugh…”
Posao, who was directly refuted, was left with nothing to say.
Tia crossed her arms.
“Mister, please go to the general store first. “I’ll grab the supplies I need from the pharmacy and come down.”
* * *
Arriving at the pharmacy, Tia opened the drawer.
She picked it carefully and pulled out a clean rag. She also brought some herbs to wash the wounds.
It was all made right before I collapsed.
As for Tia, I didn’t mind taking out my items as I pleased. Seriously, there is no problem.
But… I didn’t know it was for Posao.
After finishing her preparations, Tia told people that she had been to the village below, and she ran to the general store.
“I’m here!”
As soon as she arrives, she kneels in front of Po Sao.
Then, I soaked the wound with water made from medicinal herbs and carefully removed the scab.
Posao asked.
“This kind of thing… “Where did you learn about boats?”
“Ritz did it for me. I got often hurt when I was young. They say that if you do this, it won’t go away, and you will heal quickly.”
I thought she wasn’t really interested in medicine. You remembered everything I told you.
Although the process was a bit clumsy, the treatment was as thorough as a professional doctor.
I was sure. Tia said she would have been great as a doctor.
Finally, she wiped her arm with a rag, and her wound was cleansed.
“Just don’t touch it like this, and it will get better in a day!”
“Thank you… Tia.”
“You’re welcome!”
Tia tidied up and got up from her seat.
“I’ll go back now.”
“Now, wait a minute…”
Jalang-!
Posao took money out of the safe and placed it on the table.
It was 5 gold.
“Chi, I also provide treatment… She also cleaned the yard… I’m giving it to you because I’m grateful.”
It’s a small amount of money, even though it’s condescending.
Still, for Tia, every penny was precious as she made my medicine, she was the best pocket money.
“She has already received a lot, so it is a bit burdensome to receive more…”
“It would be nice if you could accept it, not just ask.”
“Ugh-. All right! “I’ll take it for now!”
Tia took 5 gold.
“Then would you like me to cook for you? How about stir-fried eggs?”
“No… You don’t have to overdo it… Just…”
He cleared his throat once.
Posao spoke with a voice the size of an ant.
“Yes, a kiss of support…”
“Yes?”
“… I wish you would…”
“…”
When Tia looked blank, she must have realized something was wrong, and she hastily made an excuse.
“No, I’m just kidding. Joke…”
“Are you kidding?”
“…”
In the chilly air.
A drop of sweat ran down Posao’s ear.
Yes.
No matter how much you hide your ugly intentions, you end up getting caught.
It’s over. Posao.
Because Tia noticed your evilness.
So of course.
I thought he would turn away with a straight face.
My expectations are… It was a spectacular miss.
“Ahaha-! What is that-!”
Tia held her stomach and laughed.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“I was surprised because I thought he meant it. Really, if you keep making jokes like that, they’ll hate it!”
When you speak so cheerfully.
In an instant, something passed by the window.
It was only for a moment, but I noticed it right away.
A boy at a general store.
What’s there…
It was the ‘me’ of the past.
I was there watching this through the window.
To be honest… I didn’t want you to see me.
Maybe it was because I wanted to believe that this illusion was all just my disturbing imagination and not the truth.
But when I saw my past that exactly matched my memories of that time.
I had to admit that all these things really happened and were true.
Tia leaned against her table and wiggled her boots.
“Next time, I’ll make stir-fried eggs here. “I don’t know anything else, but I’m confident in that!”
“Ah Okay…”
“Look forward to that time. Then-.”
“I’ll open the door.”
Tuk.
As Posao stood up, she dropped something that was on the table.
Tia immediately bent down and picked up the item.
The guy tilted his head.
“Calendar?”
“Ah… Ah… Well, I’m using it at the store.”
After receiving the calendar, Posao hurriedly put it in the drawer under his desk.
“Anyway, thank you. Since the time has come like this-.”
Tia walked toward the entrance of the general store.
Posao also followed behind him to see him off.
The moment two people stand in front of the door.
Suddenly Tia turned her head.
She just lifted her heel.
Side.
It was so sudden.
I saw that too. Posao also looked dumbfounded.
Her feet, which had gone up, fell to the floor again.
Tia, who gave me a kiss on the cheek, smiled and whispered.
“I can’t kiss you, but… Please bear with me for this.”
“…”
As if shy, Tia opened the door.
And as she ran outside, she cried out:
“Then I’ll go!”
Posao, who was in a daze, also belatedly waved his hand.
“Okay. Joe, be careful. Tia.”
He slowly stroked her cheek as he watched Tia waving her hand towards him.
And then, as if satisfied, he lets out an eerie laugh.
“Huh-. Phew-. Hehe… Hehe…”
The memory illusion ended here.
I leaned against the wall helplessly.
“…”
I feel like I’m going crazy.
I am… I had a glimmer of hope.
Also, when he blocked Po Sao’s hand from touching his chest.
Still, I was happy because I thought Tia was rejecting that pig in her heart.
But at the end.
What did that kiss on the cheek mean?
Because you and I kissed with our lips as an oath…
Did you think it was okay to do it on the cheek?
No. Tia.
I hate the fact that your beautiful little lips touched that disgusting skin of a pig.
I hate the pure, clean snow field because it gives me goosebumps because it feels like I’ve been stepped on by dirty shoes.
This… It’s not normal.
My body was shaking.
I saw something shocking.
Nevertheless, the scarier fact is that there are still more gaps that I don’t know about.
What I just saw… When was it?
I looked down at Posao’s table.
I unconsciously reached out and opened the drawer underneath.
There is a calendar.
Right now this month.
It was supposed to be December.
I looked through it to calculate the exact date.
“… “What is it?”
There was something strange about this calendar.
Although the months and days are clearly written down accurately.
A circle symbol was drawn in each date cell.
These strange symbols were written periodically until the following years.
Did you write down the period for ordering the product?
No. Posao always brought in goods irregularly.
I’m not diligent enough to do this twice a month.
The cycle of the red circle is about one month.
Once a month… ? What is it?
“…”
No way.
Is that it?
At the same time as I had a shocking intuition, I felt an irresistible force at my fingertips.
Memories of the powerful man written in this calendar were blooming.
This… This is a memory of ‘Posao’ that I have never seen in person.
As if entering Tia’s memory and becoming one with Tia.
Maybe I could feel Posao’s thoughts and feelings.
Gulp.
It was very unpleasant and uncomfortable.
With the determination to see all the truth. I slowly entered the memory illusion.
* * *
“Huuuk-huuuk-.”
Posao is climbing the mountain path.
He places a bag of herbs on his large shoulder and walks down the steep path, breathing heavily.
A wooded side road that runs along the side of a cliff.
It was a ‘secret passage’ leading to Tia’s house and the general store.
No one knows.
Even the villagers didn’t know the existence of this road.
A stream flows quickly right under the cliff, and it is hidden by thick trees, so it is not even possible to see whether there is a side road like this.
Even access was difficult because it was covered with thorns.
But Tia cleared this path alone.
For the large and slow Posaoman, dangerous rocks were removed, and thorny bushes were cut down.
Nevertheless, he continued to grumble.
“Why do I have to be like this… Shit… “I can’t believe I have to go through all this trouble because of the Ritz.”
Although it was difficult, I decided to climb this path obediently because I had something I wanted.
The cheek kiss that Tia gave me yesterday…
When I think of that time, the corners of my mouth naturally turn red.
If you bring me a lot of Mushurin today, you can get another cheek kiss.
If you ask a little more, I might even be able to kiss you.
Also, since it was particularly early in the morning, you could see Tia sleeping naked.
With such expectations, Posao climbed the road with difficulty.
“Huh-. Whoop-. My back hurts…”
Early winter.
Early morning, with the sun just breaking through the cold wind.
Finally arrived at Tia’s house.
Dalgak. Dalgak.
Enter the password that Tia taught you.
I opened the wooden door and climbed the stairs.
My heart is pounding like the sound of Posao’s heavy breathing.
Wake up Tia, who is still sleeping, with her warm, warm body.
Even though you’re embarrassed, you’ll give me a hug at least once, right? Hehe…
I opened the door while wiping away the sweat.
Kkeikik-.
There, there was a scenery completely different from what I imagined.
Tia and Ritz with surprised faces.
The eyes of the two embarrassed children are focused on Posao.
“Uh, uh… Ritz?”
“Posao… Uncle?”
