Gifts Under the Summer Sun
Dawn breaks, and with the sun cresting the horizon comes morning. I wake to the sunlight stinging my eyes. In a world where even the most ordinary alarm clock is a magical tool, I've picked up the habit of sleeping by the sunlit window to rise on time. A silent alarm clock provided by nature itself.
I slipped on the boots I'd tossed aside the night before and was heading for the living room when a sharp creak—the unmistakable protest of wood—made me turn toward the door. Beyond the open doorway stood Mom, her face frozen in surprise. The look of someone wondering how on earth I'd woken at this hour.
"You're already up…?"
"Yeah."
Even though she could see the truth with her own eyes, Mom still asked again, disbelief written all over her face. I answered with a hint of pride, and she followed up with a few more words.
"If you're awake, help out in the fields for once. It's been a while."
"Huh?"
What greeted the son who'd returned home after a year and a half was midsummer fieldwork.
I shed the combat gear I'd been wearing like casual clothes and changed into Dad's old outfit. Even though I'd grown quite a bit, his clothes were still far too loose on me. I had to fold and roll up the sleeves and cuffs until they finally clung to my body. With that makeshift work uniform in place, I returned—however briefly—to the fields I'd abandoned years ago.
This feels nostalgic too.
Under the blazing sun, with a damp cloth draped over my head, I stood in the middle of the field flipping over leaves one by one. The crops had already grown tall and healthy; all that needed doing was pulling weeds, watering, and picking off the bugs crawling across the leaves. Even so, removing those insects was surprisingly important work. Staring at the same leaves over and over again, I felt like my eyes might fall out.
Why not just use bug repellent? Because this place was strictly organic—by force, not choice. So I kept turning leaves, plucking bugs by hand…
"So, you're staying at that woman's house?"
At some point Dad had crept right up beside me. He asked the question casually, as if it were nothing. "That woman" obviously meant Reina, who was waiting back at the house. I glanced at him briefly before returning my gaze to the leaves and gave a short answer.
"For now."
"…I see."
Right after my reply came a long, awkward silence. Dad didn't move on, as though he still had something he wanted to say. Instead he crouched down and began checking the leaves I'd already inspected, almost like he was verifying my work.
For a while the only sound was the soft rustle of leaves being turned. Then Dad spoke again, his tone almost blunt.
"City life's busy enough. What made you come all the way out here?"
"Oh, right."
Only then did I remember the gift I'd forgotten again overnight. With a small exclamation I shot to my feet, wove through the crops, and hurried back into the house. I dug through my luggage until I found a small box that fit comfortably in my hand, then returned to the field.
Dad watched me with a blank expression, clearly puzzled by my sudden dash inside. When I held out the small, elaborately wrapped box, he jutted his chin toward it.
"What's that?"
"Nothing special. Just a gift…"
I peeled off the wrapping paper and held out the stone inside. Even at a glance it was clearly no ordinary rock. A faint white mist seemed to rise from it—the Frost Pebble, a magical tool that constantly radiated cold. Nobles were said to build entire rooms out of these stones so they could stay cool even in the height of summer…
The chill seeped through my glove. I quickly passed it to Dad.
"You don't handle heat well, remember? Here."
"Oh—ooh… This is nice. Heh-heh!"
Dad had accepted it with mild suspicion at first, but the moment he felt its effect he let out an impressed laugh. Soon he was rolling the stone across his shoulders, neck, and face, visibly enjoying the brief relief from the summer heat. I was glad it seemed to suit him.
"What are you two doing over there?"
Mom, noticing we'd stopped working, walked over. We'd been chatting too long. Dad, who had been smiling moments ago, showed no intention of returning to work. Instead he thrust the Frost Pebble toward Mom the instant she arrived.
"Hey, you. Touch this."
"What's this stone? Ah—it's cold!"
Mom touched it without a second thought, then yanked her hand back in surprise. Eyes wide, she clutched her wrist with her other hand and stared at Dad in confusion.
"What is this?"
"Heh-heh. Guess they have strange things like this in the city too."
"I actually have one for Mom as well…"
Since all three of us were together, I pulled out another wrapped box and offered it to her. Unlike Dad, who hadn't cared about the packaging, Mom carefully unwrapped hers herself. Inside was another stone, but this one was the opposite of Dad's—a Scorching Pebble that radiated steady warmth. Giving someone a hand warmer in the middle of summer felt a little awkward, so I added an explanation.
"It's not really the season for it…"
"So this one gives off heat? Then it'll be perfect for winter."
Mom guessed its purpose from the warmth alone, smiled in satisfaction, and tucked the gift into her clothes. Dad couldn't stand heat; Mom couldn't stand cold. I figured I'd given them both the perfect presents. After finishing the remaining fieldwork, I perched on the fence for a short rest.
The summer afternoon breeze was nothing more than hot air, yet even that felt pleasant against my sweat-dampened skin. While I rested, thinking I should deliver the last gift to Rein's house soon…
"Seeing you like this feels strangely out of place."
"You're awake?"
I turned only my upper body at the voice coming from behind the fence and looked at Reina. She was staring at a point slightly below my eyes, saying it looked awkward. I followed her gaze and realized she was looking at Dad's oversized work clothes hanging off me.
Ah.
I roughly understood what she meant. With both palms still pressed to the fence, I lifted one corner of my mouth and asked,
"Why? Does it not suit me?"
"Yeah. It's like someone cut your face off and stuck it on someone else's body."
Her answer was immediate and direct. The comparison felt oddly familiar.
"Hah. That's exactly what I thought when I wore the uniform."
I let out a dry laugh and explained how I'd felt back then.
"That one was fine. This is just… really weird."
Even so, her response remained stubbornly straightforward and a little cold. I decided it wasn't worth dwelling on and let it go.
"Hup."
My sweat had mostly dried. I hopped down from the fence and landed on the uneven dirt path. Leaving Reina, who silently followed me all the way back to the house, I dug through my luggage again. This time I pulled out another wrapped gift box, identical to the ones I'd given my parents.
Better to deliver it now than keep worrying about it.
I was afraid my unreliable memory would forget again, so I hurried to finish packing. Reina, who had followed me all the way to my room, spoke up as I stood.
"Where are you going?"
"A friend's house."
I turned my head briefly at her question, then answered curtly. Ever since we'd arrived in the village, Reina had been sticking close to me. There was no mercenary guild in this remote place, so she probably had nothing else to do. To make my destination clearer, I added a few more words, picturing the worn, fuzzy hat from last winter.
"The one who gave me that hat back in winter…"
"…Ah."
Only then did she seem to understand which friend I meant. Her reaction was lukewarm, so I searched my memory for something else to say. Remembering that their names were similar, I added,
"Her name's similar to yours too. She's Rein, and you're Reina."
"…Hmm."
Even that effort earned only a disinterested hum. The conversation died there. I tilted my head, puzzled, and started walking toward Rein's house. If she's bored, she could at least go hunting outside the village or something. I felt a brief flicker of curiosity at Reina's silent persistence, but it didn't last long.
Before long I reached Rein's house and knocked without hesitation.
"Who is it—?"
A light tap, and Rein's faint voice answered from inside. Just like at my house, she probably assumed it was someone she knew. With no sense of caution whatsoever, the door flew open after a few footsteps.
The moment she saw me, color bloomed across Rein's previously expressionless face.
"Shen! When did you get here?!"
"Last ni—mmph…"
I'd barely started to answer when she lunged forward. My vision went dark as she threw her arms around me with all her strength, like a child who couldn't contain her emotions. I couldn't bring myself to push her away, so I simply held the gift box as far from my body as possible.
I went to the trouble of wrapping it nicely. Wouldn't want it to get crushed.
"Here. A gift from the capital."
"A gift? Why?"
Once Rein finally let go, I extended the small box toward her. Instead of taking it right away, she tilted her head, clearly wondering why I'd brought her anything.
"It's payback for the hat you gave me last winter."
I didn't really have a better reason, so I used that as an excuse. Rein's eyes sparkled.
"Really? Hehe, thanks!"
She didn't tear the wrapping so much as carefully unfold it. Inside was a single stone, its surface polished to a smooth shine. The moment she lifted it from the box, a blue light shifted across its surface, and Rein's eyes widened.
"It's beautiful…"
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah. I could even use it instead of a lantern. Hehe."
She grinned brightly and joked about carrying it around in place of a lamp. Then, as if only just noticing the person standing nearby, she suddenly looked up.
"…Who are you?"