Sweaty Dreams and Reptile Lessons
Tae-il dreamed. It was a dream of soaring freely through a night sky brimming with a full moon, like a bird in flight. Sure, the mythical Icarus had plummeted to his doom when the sun melted his wax wings after flying too high, but at night, there was no solar heat to fear. Tae-il darted effortlessly between clouds. A refreshing breeze brushed his face with every touch, and the vibrant, sweet scent of spring flowers teased his senses. After flying for what felt like ages and growing weary, he descended to the ground—and right before him lay a natural hot spring. What luck! Tae-il thought, stripping off his clothes and slipping into the steaming waters. Pure bliss. A light sweat beaded on his skin, but that was unavoidable with the spring's heat. As he soaked alone, a fairy's song drifted in from somewhere.
[On this night, the fireflies of that day, yours...]
A familiar voice and lyrics. Tae-il naturally recalled the soothing lullaby Iris had sung him before bed.
"Lullaby?"
Has Iris ever sung me one? And why was I flying through the sky? Questions and truths shattered over him like fragments, and Tae-il realized this was a dream. And in dreams, touching water was rarely a good omen.
"Ah."
Tae-il's eyes snapped open. The bizarre sensation of his eyes opening while already awake made him grimace. But more than that, the damp chill on his sweaty back from the heat had him bolting upright, shoving off the covers.
"Haaa. Close call..."
Tae-il wiped his chest in relief, letting out a deep sigh. "That would've shaved ten years off my life."
At his age, drawing a map on the sheets would've been mortifying enough to die from embarrassment. The dampness on his back was just sweat from the heat. With the window open and curtains undrawn, the harsh sunlight and humid air overwhelmed the lone fan. No wonder.
"Ugh, I feel wrecked."
The environment sucked, so even after sleeping well, the fatigue lingered. Habitually checking the clock, Tae-il saw it was 8 a.m. About six hours of sleep—not bad.
"Still, that's decent."
He stretched languidly to loosen his stiff body, straightened the bed, and especially hung the sweat-dampened blanket over a chair, cranking the fan to high. Heading out, he splashed water on his face at the sink before descending to the first floor, greeted by the empty, windswept quiet. Straight to the kitchen, he confirmed milk in the fridge, filled up on cereal, and zoned out for a few minutes.
"...Gotta snap out of it."
Smack! He slapped his cheeks to jolt his foggy mind. Today would be busier than usual. Tae-il cleared his bowl and utensils, grabbed clothes from his room, showered, and prepped to head out. With his afternoon meetup with Yahiro, he paid a bit more attention to his appearance.
"Hat or no hat? Too obvious?"
He fiddled with the fedora Yahiro had gifted him, putting it on and off repeatedly. Finally, he grabbed his smartphone from the bedside to check the weather forecast. But the heat searing his fingers made him yelp and drop it on the bed.
"Hot!"
The phone felt like it'd been running mobile games all night. Recalling how the old battery overheated just from charging, Tae-il sighed. "Gotta replace the battery soon..." He fetched an ice pack from the hallway mini-fridge and pressed it to the back. That's when a strange screen caught his eye.
"Huh?"
A number glowed on the display: 06:38:12. And the last digits ticked up relentlessly by one.
"What? The call never ended?"
Panicking, Tae-il cautiously held the phone to his ear.
[Suuuuu...]
Iris's steady breathing filled it—must've been right next to her. Feeling like a criminal, he hung up immediately.
"No wonder it was extra hot..."
Once the phone cooled to lukewarm, he thanked Iris for the unexpectedly good sleep. And it wasn't just her. Lately, Tae-il realized, his mornings involved messaging and checking replies from a growing list. He confirmed the meetup time with Yahiro, gave Ayane a quick update, asked Yuuya about today's Animal Husbandry Club tasks, cheered Sakuya on, and reviewed the practice video Rena had sent. Fiddling nonstop with his phone, Tae-il's steps to school were light as air. Replies trickled in along the way. Yahiro reconfirmed the exact time, location, and even attached a map. Ayane sent a sticker urging him to be safe and have a great day. Yuuya listed the tasks. Sakuya shared a photo of herself proudly wearing a gold medal. No word yet from Iris or Rena—probably still asleep. At the Animal Husbandry Club room, he pocketed his phone. Time for tedious labor.
"Alright. Let's kick off the day."
"Kyaaaaah!"
Iris screamed, kicking off the covers. The light summer blanket fluttered airborne before flopping back onto the bed.
"Am I losing it?! What the hell...!"
The call duration on her phone. And the timestamp of Tae-il's message. Her teenage mind painted an mortifying picture.
"H-he heard, didn't he...?"
Blushing furiously, she glared at his message. "What if I was snoring?!" The thought that she might've woken him made her face stay beet red. The heiress of the Arisugawa family snoring in front of some guy? Unthinkable.
"Auuu..."
Too embarrassed to show her face, Iris's tiny hands fidgeted, clenching and unclenching. "How am I supposed to face Shin Tae-il now..." She slumped her head. Then, on the phone screen atop her thigh, his messages popped as read.
"Aaaah!" Better if he'd been embarrassed too! Iris felt unjustly furious at his casual tone.
"I can't let this slide..."
Her eyes flashed with demonic resolve amid the shame. "He's meeting Yahiro today, right? Perfect..." Might as well catch proof he's a zeroth-gen fan. Iris bolted upright. "Kiriko! Prep the car—I'm heading out!"
Kiriko, who'd woken her at dawn and dozed by the door, peeked in.
"Where to...?"
"School!"
Kiriko sighed in relief at the short trip.
The Animal Husbandry Club ran on strict rotations and divisions among members. Raising animals isn't easy—especially during breeding season, when intense management is needed until safe hatching. Even advisor Asakura got edgy. If eggs neared hatch time without results, she'd openly hysterics. Their main lizards bred mainly winter to spring, overlapping new semester and breaks when student gaps hit hardest, burdening self-appointed advisor Asakura. Yuuya had improved things a lot in the past year, though.
Yuuya was laid-back yet diligent. As Tae-il said, she communed with reptiles like a druid—no anxiety showed. But her pace frustrated some.
"Why's senpai here today?"
"Why?"
Yuuya tilted her head innocently at Tae-il's question, as if it were obvious. He paused work to look; her jade eyes blinked innocently, staring right back.
"Uh. It's your day off, senpai. Rest at home. Rare break and all."
"I'm good. I like it here."
She stroked Coco the lizard mid-handling, swept back stray mint-green locks, and smiled softly. Tae-il stared blankly. It was Friday—his shift by agreement—but entering the club, he'd been flustered from the morning greeting by smiling Yuuya in the office. Tae-il sighed.
"Haa. If senpai's here, what does that make me for skipping yesterday?"
"Don't worry about it."
She insisted she came because she wanted to, handling and bonding with Coco. Seeing the reptile act cute, Tae-il shrugged.
"Seriously like a druid..."
Muttering, he double-checked Rexa's enclosures, noting the kids' states. He hated touching them but diligently marked Yuuya's charts: shedding remnants? Sudden estrus in females or males? Tails plump, no bends? Coloration he snapped photos of cluelessly—lines divided by patterns, but he was clueless on names. Yuuya watched every moment with a faint smile, unfazed even as Coco scratched or nipped for attention.
"Kids checked."
"Good work."
"Scary how I might get attached."
"Hate that?"
"More worries piling up..."
Tae-il smiled wryly, passing her to open the cricket bin. Band stuff already overwhelmed him—no room for reptiles. Yuuya welcomed his shift; like her wanting to help him, he showed the same. Hating bugs but working diligently was adorable. As Asakura said, upright and earnest for a kid nowadays. Yuuya slyly rested her chin on his shoulder, leaning in.
"Need help?"
"N-no, just rest... Yaaah!"
"Pffft!"
The tonged cricket escaped; Tae-il flailed in panic. Yuuya stepped back, watching him crawl the floor to recapture it.
Cute.
She swallowed the thought. Tae-il was a guy; hearing "cute" from her would've irked even his gentle self. Still...
Helping's fine, right?
Giggling, she snatched the fugitive barehanded.
"Here."
"A-amazing, senpai..."
Beaming at his awe, she yanked off its antennae. Will broken, it slumped. Then, for daring escape, limbs and body fed to lizards piecemeal. Yuuya shadowed Tae-il like a ghost: correcting slips, handling oversights. In the empty space, stuck close managing reptiles, she found it romantic. Tae-il oblivious, time flew enjoyably.
"Enclosures done. Feeding done. Mated pairs checked. What's next...?"
"Incubator practice."
"Right."
Winter's peak busy for the club. Summer had occasional needy breeders, but prime was winter-spring. Crucial for students too; Asakura dreaded it most.
"But why incubator practice?"
"Tae-chi, winter's busy, right?"
"Uh... yeah."
Tae-il planned busking wrap-up then winter Live House tours for experience and fame—club duties might slack.
Yuuya prepared.
"No practice time then. Prep now."
"Too early? Not set in stone yet..."
"You'll be busy. Definitely. You'll nail it."
Her voice held magic, making him believe. Stunned by encouragement, he chuckled helplessly and nodded.
"Haha. Okay, let's knock it out. My hands aren't bad. How?"
"Here."
She dragged him to a chair, piled plastics and tools before him. Coco dozed on her head.
"Step by step. I'll teach everything."
"You came today for this?"
"Yup."
"Such a hassle. Coulda sent a video..."
"Wanted to teach personally. Important."
"Fair. Revenue source and all."
Breeding and sales funded the club; new member Tae-il couldn't slack.
"Hatching here too?"
"Yup. Wine cellar there."
She pointed: shoulder-high, filled with transparent tubs.
"Whoa. Looks suffocating just staring..."
"It's fine. I'll teach gently."
Clinging to his back, she detailed: mating seasons, ideal laying setups, substrate types/pros, fertile vs. infertile eggs, mold/rot prevention, hatchling care. The info flood overwhelmed; Tae-il crammed, blind to her closeness. Yuuya explained patiently, detailed, waiting for grasp. Truthfully, even if dim Tae-il took forever, she didn't mind—pretext for togetherness. Midway, he noted her YouTube vlogs lacked such info—recent club watches differed.
"No plans to vid this for content?"
"Content?"
"Not vlog—simple tips for home breeders."
Her lessons sufficed; no deep expertise needed. Intrigued, she lit up.
"Good idea."
"Right? Might draw newbies next year."
"Camera from staff room."
Realizing the incubator done, Tae-il panicked.
"Wait! Now?!"
"Yup."
He eyed his creation and her alternately.
"It's already built!"
"Fine."
Dismissing worries, she beamed. "Other content too!"
"..."
His meddling added to her load; despairing Tae-il contrasted her pure joy at filming their duo.