I'll Cherish It
When I opened my eyes, I saw my friend's face.
After comforting the friend who had cried so much the previous day, I laid them down on the bed to sleep. Since I was tired too, I fell asleep right there.
And when I woke up, it was morning. Glancing sideways out the window, my gaze fixed on Ryly.
He always had a furrowed brow, so seeing him with eyes relaxed and closed like this now was something I'd never seen before—it was surprising.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Oh.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I immediately furrowed my brows. Was he dreaming? His mouth kept twitching as he let out constant groaning sounds.
I poked Ryly's nose.
“It’s fine… right?”
Isn’t he awake? Surprised, I poked his cheek this time. It was dry because he hadn’t eaten, but the cheek was surprisingly soft and pleasant to touch.
Should I pull it?
I slightly pinched it and stretched it sideways.
“Ooh…”
It stretched. It stretched.
Even a scrawny slum kid’s cheek could stretch like that! I was amazed.
“…”
The friend who had been frowning and groaning suddenly opened their eyes.
Our eyes met.
“Good morning.”
Smiling gently, I greeted them. But since the situation wasn’t clear, my eyes blinked, then I looked at Sugar, touched my own cheek.
“Ah… aah…”
“Tommy?”
“Aaaaaah-!!”
I jumped off the bed in panic and rolled away, hiding underneath. Not even a wild animal.
“Wait… why suddenly? Are you hurt somewhere?”
“Shut up! Don’t talk to me!”
Even if I was worried, what could I say? Puberty must have come too soon.
Actually, it was because all the events from last night came flooding back at once. The crying, the embarrassing thoughts, and even the one who saw it first thing in the morning. The embarrassment would come crashing down.
Soon, Ryly, who had calmed down in the darkness, suddenly grabbed my cheek.
“Ah! Why are you grabbing my cheek all of a sudden!”
“I-I-don't-know-! I’m just annoyed! You were grabbing my cheek first anyway!”
“You’re a kid, so I can give you a cheek—!”
“We’re the same age!?”
My cheek stretched much more than Ryly’s.
After the boy’s consolation hug, which held a sweet-sour feeling, ended.
Both of us sat on the bed, breathing heavily.
“Hoo…”
“Well, it’s okay… you can be embarrassed, Tommy. There was that incident yesterday, and when I woke up, there was this super cute me.”
It seemed to calm down, but reminding me like this made it heat up again.
Ryly took the staff from the box on the bedside table.
“Why suddenly? Want to try using it?”
Without answering, he chanted something, then put the spell into his mouth.
“Blind Curse.”
He slightly swept the staff towards me, and at the same time, my vision darkened.
“Oo! Oooo!”
Still, wondering what was good about it, I fumbled around with my right arm and smiled brightly.
I know this magic. I remember it clearly. In the original game, there were monsters that cast this repeatedly. If hit, accuracy would drop to the floor, and it would drive one crazy with endless ‘miss’s.
With vision this dark, it’s only natural!
It was like the characters in the game felt.
I only saw them floating objects with mana or body reinforcement, now finally seeing magic-like magic, it was enjoyable.
“Amazing…! Want to show you other things too?”
When such an atmosphere was emitted, without saying anything, only rustling sounds were heard.
“Tommy? First, dispel this magic…”
“…”
“Tom, Tommy. Magic cancel…”
“…”
“Tommy-ssi… ”
“…”
Ah, this.
The continuing silence was strange.
If this way, it would be troublesome. If I pranked in the future and responded with magic each time, it would be very troublesome.
Should I only prank in places where I can’t take the staff out? When there was no choice but not to prank, I was sweating.
The friend’s quiet voice kept making rustling sounds.
“Dispel Magic.”
My front became bright.
Again surprised, ooo, and at the same time, the thing caught in my vision was a box wrapped in cute wrapping paper.
“Surprise. What is this?”
“... Take it.”
Ryly was handing it to me.
The rustling sound was when taking it out? I, in a daze, received it.
“It’s a gift?”
“...”
I turned my head away. My cheeks were red.
Hmm. So that’s it.
I didn’t say more and unwrapped the wrapping paper. One arm injured, slowly. With expectation of what the content was, I opened the lid with excitement.
“Waaah…”
The content was quite nice. Not particularly my preferred type, but since this kid thought about it, it was appropriate. Generally, for ‘girls’, it was perfect.
“It’s for me?”
“Then it’s for you, who else would it be for…”
The friend speaks so nicely. Always sarcastic.
But since I knew the heart, hiding embarrassment, it was okay.
The content was a hair accessory made of pink ribbon. Headband or hairband accessory.
When touched, the material was soft. Something strange aura felt, maybe mana was contained.
When I took it out from the box, suddenly Ryly extended his hand.
“Wait, give it to me.”
“Eh?”
Since I gave it as requested, immediately turned back and whispered the chant.
“What are you trying to do? What magic is that?”
“Just.”
Mumbling, handed it back. I stared blankly without receiving it.
“... Take it. It’s not some weird magic.”
“Uhm, that’s fine.”
As if asking what, Ryly handed it again, I laughed like a mischievous child.
“Put it on. With your hands.”
“What? Can’t you use this alone?”
“I can’t. My arm is injured.”
When I lifted the arm wrapped in bandage, the other side clicked their tongue. Not because annoyed, but because the injury was worrying.
“Okay… stay still.”
Holding the headband, approaching, I closed my eyes.
Hesitant, the touch on my head was felt. Whether this was okay, whether touching was okay, trying to touch as gently as possible, but that felt ticklish.
Still, waited leisurely. This was also fun.
Combed the front hair down and brushed the side hair back. With rustling sound and stimulating connection to head, good feeling. Gentle touch, quite ticklish. Held back the laughter wanting to come out.
“So this is how…”
Soon something was placed on my head, and the presence faded.
I slightly opened my eyes.
There stood a boy with a flushed face. Couldn’t match gazes properly, just staring at the floor.
“How is it? Does it suit me?”
Look at me. When asked with that meaning, blue eyes slightly glanced at me.
“... Well. It’s okay.”
As expected, not honest.
When like this, isn’t it okay to give a compliment?
Still, grateful. Preparing a surprise gift for me, impressive, decided to overlook.
When was this prepared? Couldn’t imagine. That the person preparing the gift wasn’t just me, what to say, really.
“... Hoo.”
My chest warmed. Because too happy, a smile came out naturally.
A laughing face full of joy. Cheeks lightly tinted with vitality, lips shyly raised, lovely.
A pink headband matching the sparkling white hair.
Eyes full of affection emit jewel-like multi-colors.
The boy watching this scene endlessly.
“Thank you… I’ll cherish it.”
The words falling softly on my ear, embarrassed, I turned back.
“Oo, oo, oo, oo…!”
Ryly’s favorite pencil floated in the air.
It floated for about 5 seconds then stuck to the attic ceiling. But Ryly shouted ‘Aaaak!’
Anyway, since it was actually lifted in air, I jumped in surprise.
One hand bandaged, one hand holding staff.
The thing given as gift to Ryly, until my own is ready, we decided to use commonly. With staff, handling mana is easier. For smooth training.
“Is this the first time lifting an object with my will?”
The thing done in the factory was a phenomenon unrelated to my will, and now it’s an action with firm will to lift objects.
Finally first success. With staff in hand, felt like a proper magician.
Proud expression, Ryly snatched the staff and waved it towards the pencil. The pencil with broken lead, life almost over, came floating.
“Ah… sorry.”
“Idiot. Fix the roof. You made a hole because of you…”
Rushed to get repair tools.
If caught by adults, no soup, so hid in the warehouse, took out hammer, nails, boards.
Went up the ladder to the roof. While hammering, presence felt. Saw a dry mud-colored hair bun. Probably came out from the attic.
“Almost done. Wait a bit.”
“No, that’s not the issue…”
As if choosing words, closed mouth for a moment.
“... Because of what happened in the sewer.”
“Hm?”
I turned head from hammering position. What is he trying to say.
I know the reason I was there was due to request.
Thinking about it, was Tommy’s reason for being there that day also for earning money?
From the gift received today, inferred that.
Since we already said sorry to each other. Curious what else to say, quietly watching, Ryly opened mouth.
“The monster I saw that day… how did we encounter it?”
“Ah. It was really unusual.”
Recalled memory. Since I wrote it in memo once, no difficulty recalling.
“Something in a wide square-like place, monster corpses… pieces… fragments everywhere. You were there that day, probably saw it?”
You saw it or not, the boy who made that scene is the one. Same for the explosion sound.
Ryly quietly nodded.
“Seeing that, thought it was a memo, quickly scribbled, picked up fragments, heard some slithering sound. Watching, the monster pieces crawled like snails to one place, instantly gathered together, and became that shape.”
“And chased you?”
“Uhm. Those are originally such monsters?”
“No. Not like that.”
Monsters that die if pieces separate. Like dark, dirty places, useless. Such monsters that can be wiped with a gesture.
Ryly became quiet as if thinking about it.
Seeing that, I shrugged shoulders and continued hammering.
Originally not such monsters, but suddenly such abnormal phenomenon. Thought the strong adults would investigate this anomaly, but still strange.
Thinking about it, what happened after?
After I fell.
No matter how much this friend knows magic, at that time no staff or anything, how did they safely escape from the giant monster?
Even after waking, asked, but at that time the atmosphere was atmosphere, didn’t hear the answer.
Now, thinking it’s fine, asked friend immediately, ‘There was a small passage we couldn’t see, escaped through that gap.’ short answer.
“Hmm…”
If that’s the case, well. I shrugged again and continued hammering.
Kyaak—
While focused, suddenly heard crow cawing, looked around. In this area, many dark pigeons, crows don’t live well.
“Who is hammering on the roof now!?”
Not a time to be curious. If only lion roar, general feeling. The orphanage director’s shout, without saying who first, both jumped down from the roof.
“Tommy said that!”
“Ya! You did it! Sugar! Sugar did it!”
If I, who didn’t want to starve, tried to frame, Ryly stood up in protest.
“Again you guys!!”
Since caught anyway, no choice. After shouting, ran to the backyard.
While running, Ryly pinched my cheek. As if to punish, I hugged, jumped in surprise.
Still young kids.
While trotting, both had not displeased expressions.