I'll Never Forget
Facing the scorching sunlight that poured straight through the cracks in the passageway.
“…Should I just die.”
The moment I opened my eyes, a wave of self-loathing crashed over me like a tide, and I muttered blankly while still lying there.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting the second you wake up?”
“Morning.”
Lucy, who had clearly already been up, spoke to me as if she couldn’t believe her ears, while Huey greeted me in a drained voice.
“Breakfast’s ready, so you should get up soon.”
“Forget it…”
Breakfast or whatever—right now I just wanted to die, so I wished they’d leave me alone.
“Is that so? Today’s breakfast is a delicious harpy egg dish, though.”
What?
“Harpy egg dish? What do you me—”
My mind snapped clear in an instant. I scrambled upright and looked around.
“It seemed a waste to throw them away.”
Near the campfire, Huey was awkwardly fiddling with three large eggs, looking sheepish.
More precisely, it was his thick fingers touching those eggs that caught my eye.
“Wh-wh-wh-what are you doooing—!!”
“…Preparing breakfast?”
The moment those large hands entered my vision, the memories of dawn came flooding back.
That soft, gentle pressure that soothed only the most aching places—something wings alone could never manage—rose vividly in my mind.
I covered my face, burning hot enough for even me to feel, with my wings and sank back down.
“Ugh, aaaah…”
No, no, no, that wasn’t me…!
Th-that thing at dawn wasn’t me…!
No, it was me, but still…!
“…You two seem to have had quite a wonderful time last night.”
“Ahem.”
“N-n-no we didn’t!?”
Right. It wasn’t like that.
Huey had simply helped me because I was struggling when the egg wouldn’t come out!
I was flailing my wings at Lucy with my head bowed low, insisting it wasn’t like that, when—
“That aside. Your wings seem to have improved quite a bit.”
“No… wait?”
Come to think of it, they didn’t hurt much…?
“Just a moment.”
The pain that had lingered until dawn had faded as if it had been a lie.
Flapping them fully might still be difficult, but moving them slowly or lifting light objects seemed possible.
“Oh…”
As I carefully tested their condition, Lucy wordlessly grabbed my wing.
The instant her fingers touched it, I remembered Huey’s hands pressing into my belly, and I flinched in surprise without meaning to.
“Peep—!?”
“…Just how good was it for you to be this hypersensitive.”
…I want to die. For real.
“Haa.”
Lucy looked back and forth between me and Huey with an expression of pure disbelief, and I couldn’t bear to meet her eyes.
I let out a deep sigh and stretched, trying to gather my scattered thoughts.
What happened at dawn couldn’t be helped. Yeah.
“Pffft!”
“Ah, Ren. If you move like that right now…”
Right after.
The sound of Huey spitting water, Lucy’s startled voice, and—
A cool breeze blew freely around my lower half.
“…Huh?”
At the unfamiliar sensation, I lowered my gaze.
“Shit.”
I saw the black cloth fluttering with my movements, and the white skin of my pelvis that was usually covered.
In other words, I was currently completely bare below, freely displaying my crotch.
“Well, I mean, I couldn’t exactly dress you myself…”
Huey covered his eyes with one hand, face flushed, turning away from me as he made his excuse.
Apparently, after carrying my unconscious self here at dawn, he’d considered putting clothes on me but decided it was too much after all.
“Nah, well. I’m just grateful you cleaned up after me, so what’s the big deal.”
I said that to Huey, who was still trying to make excuses.
Even if he saw, I didn’t really mind.
I was just surprised I hadn’t noticed I was wearing nothing down there.
Anyway, what embarrassed me was that he’d seen me laying an egg.
There was no reason to be embarrassed just because Huey saw my body.
“…Your lower hair is red too.”
“Cough! Kack!”
“You, please just read the room.”
As expected of a brat who didn’t even grow peach fuzz.
Lucy raised one finger meaningfully toward my lower half with an admiring look.
“Even without hands to groom it, it’s so neat…”
“My head’s starting to hurt, so could you shut up already?”
I often thought this, but Lucy really wasn’t normal either.
“Ahem. So, are you going to eat?”
After lightly bonking Lucy on the head with my still-throbbing wing, I carefully put on my clothes so my talons wouldn’t tear the bottoms, when Huey’s voice reached me.
“Is that really what matters right now?”
Just looking at the eggs made my face burn.
And he wanted me to eat them in this state? Even if I was a glutton for food, that was…
“Of course I’ll eat.”
…Saying I wouldn’t eat would be a lie, honestly. The dishes he’d made last time had been too delicious.
“Then just wait a bit. I’ll finish it up quick.”
“I was holding off on cracking the eggs until I got Ren’s permission, you see.”
With that, Huey brought over a large pot and set it on the campfire.
“Boiling them?”
“I’m not just going to boil and eat them plain, so don’t worry.”
“He’s making sandwiches.”
“Sandwiches are good.”
Sitting by the campfire with Lucy, I watched Huey start mashing the boiled eggs with various ingredients.
“…I never thought I’d see a scene like this right in the middle of the Demon Realm.”
“Is that so?”
“Obviously. Who would casually cook food in a place where the longer you stay, the higher your chances of dying?”
Cooking tools were the first luggage to be discarded when heading into the Demon Realm.
“Well, I’m fine with it.”
“If you’re fine, then it’s fine.”
“Lucy. It’s done, so could you help clean up a bit?”
“Understood.”
As Huey busily called Lucy over to clean up together, I also used my feet to lift the pot hanging over the campfire and set it aside so it wouldn’t be in the way.
“Here, you’ve been waiting, right?”
“Not really.”
“This one’s yours.”
The moment I took the large, appetizing sandwich Huey held out—more precisely, the moment his fingers brushed mine as I accepted it with both wings—
—Twitch.
“Ting… peep!?”
It felt like something deep in my belly clenched tightly.
“Ren?”
“Ah, i-it’s nothing!”
“…It really must have been good.”
“It was not—!!”
This damn bodyyy—!!
As if the touch of Huey’s fingers had instantly recalled the events of dawn, I ground my teeth while glaring at my lower abdomen, which was heating up on its own.
“Lucy. That’s enough.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Ren. Sorry. I’ll be careful for a while.”
Huey’s voice reached me, and I finally managed to pull myself together.
“Ugh. No. I’ll eat well.”
Why was the one who’d helped me the one apologizing?
I was the one who should be apologizing for receiving help.
Even while sinking into a gloomy mood over emotions I couldn’t understand myself,
“…It’s good.”
The sandwich was delicious.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“Glad you enjoyed it.”
“Master. If you can cook this well, why did you keep producing those failures when you were with me?”
“…Back then I was still unfamiliar with the ingredients here.”
After finishing the meal like that.
“Huey. Come with me for a sec.”
“Hm? Sure.”
“I’ll handle the rest.”
“Ah. Thanks.”
I called Huey and led him to the place where I’d laid the egg at dawn.
“What’s up?”
“Haa… Sorry about earlier.”
“It happens. No big deal.”
When I apologized for what had just happened, he just smirked as if it was nothing.
Time to get to the main point.
“And… thanks for this morning.”
“…Ahem. Maybe it’s better if we both just forget about that.”
Hearing my words, Huey coughed awkwardly and flushed red. I watched him in silence for a moment.
I didn’t want to admit it, but since my body was a woman’s now, his reaction wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
…In fact, that was exactly why I’d called him here.
“No. I do want to forget it. But I’ll never forget. The fact that you helped me is real.”
“Wouldn’t it just be easier to forget?”
“In return, just one thing. I’ll grant you one request. Whatever it is.”
“What?”
Huey met my eyes.
“Ren. Do you even know what you’re saying right now?”
He stepped closer, trying to put on a threatening air with a coercive attitude as he asked.
“You think I’d say it without knowing?”
“You…”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not a girl.”
Even if I’d never been interested in women, I knew full well what it meant to say something like this in a woman’s body.
“If you want it, I’ll gladly give it to you. This body too.”
It would feel unpleasant, but if he desired it, I’d smile and offer it once.
What mattered to me wasn’t the chastity of this body or anything like that.
“If it’s your request, just once—even if it means staking this life—I’ll grant it.”
Of course, I knew Huey wasn’t the type to do that.
Still, the reason I was saying this was—
“I was out of it, sure, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice anything.”
Throughout the entire time he was helping me, I could sense the lust boiling over in him.
If not for that, I probably wouldn’t have gone this far.
“Whether grace or grudge, if received, repay it threefold. That’s the motto of our mercenary band.”
“Ren…”
I’d put him through hardship even while receiving his help.
Not repaying that was something I absolutely couldn’t accept.
“So don’t feel too burdened, and whenever there’s something you want to ask of me, just say so.”
After saying that to the conflicted-looking Huey, I decided to leave him space to think comfortably.
“I’ll head back to Lucy first, then.”