“You’re sleeping pretty soundly.”
Luman let out a sigh and smiled.
Looking at Ren’s face, all loosened up from sleeping curled against his brother like a baby, made sleep creep up on him too. His eyelids grew heavy, his eyes blinking more and more slowly. It had been a long time since he’d felt drowsiness hit him like this, and Luman welcomed it.
His mind sank blankly, his body going pleasantly slack. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d fallen asleep without tension in him. Ah, had he grown too lax? Really, he shouldn’t be like this right now. He ought to stay alert—hadn’t he relaxed far too much? He still hadn’t properly uncovered the assassin group Dell Belkerman belonged to, and if he let his guard down like this...
...Then again, it had nothing to do with him anymore.
Still sitting there, Luman drifted off.
As he floated in the shallow edges of sleep, Ren’s lips twitched. His softened brows drew tight. Words stumbled out through those trembling lips.
“Bro... brother......”
Whatever he was dreaming, the hand clutching Temar twitched.
“Don’t go... don’t go...!”
His voice was faint, thin enough to snap, desperate with longing. Temar didn’t move at all, as if he couldn’t hear him.
“Hhk... don’t go... brother...”
It was such a pitiful, aching voice. The call soon broke into little sobs.
Luman flinched and snapped his eyes open.
Ren’s tiny, choked sobbing had reached his ears. The last trace of sleep vanished in an instant. Luman shot to his feet and went to him.
“Ren. Wake up.”
His gold eyes were clear now, sharp with wakefulness as they fixed on Ren. Tears were running from the reddened corners of Ren’s eyes.
“Ren.”
Even when Luman carefully shook his shoulder, Ren showed no sign of waking.
What kind of dream was he having?
Luman wrapped Ren’s hand completely in his own and kept trying, stubbornly, to pull him out of whatever dream he was wandering through.
***
“...Ren. Wake...”
“Mmnn...”
“The toy... take the toy...”
Ren shifted in his sleep, mumbling. It felt like someone kept talking to him beside him. He’d been sleeping so good—what the hell was this? When Ren flung an arm out, somebody made a sound like, “Ugh.” Ren ignored it completely, smacking his lips in his sleep and tightening the arm wrapped around Temar’s waist.
Then he felt someone’s touch on the back of his hand.
“Ren. Wake up. Let’s go launch the toy.”
The word toy punched straight into Ren’s ears.
When he started twitching awake, the one trying to wake him must have gained confidence, because he carefully shook him again.
Ren opened his eyes blearily.
“Luman......”
It was Luman, leaning over him and trying earnestly to wake him. Those gold eyes were fixed on him. The lukewarm hand covering the back of his own was Luman’s too.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
“Go where......”
Ren blinked with sleepy eyes. He didn’t seem fully awake yet. His voice was all thick with sleep too, and when he gave a rough little cough, Luman got up and brought him some water.
“Drink.”
“Ugh......”
“Hurry.”
Ren, squirming because he didn’t want to get up, absently tightened his arm around Temar—then suddenly realized Luman was right there in front of him and jerked upright.
“Ugh.”
“Eek—s-sorry......”
“Clumsy thing.”
Luman clicked his tongue, but he was smiling.
Ren had sat up so fast that he knocked Luman’s arm while he was holding the water. More than half of it spilled, soaking the front of his clothes, but Luman didn’t look especially irritated. Ren made a miserable face.
Had he gotten a little more honest?
Ren was fairly good about saying thank you, but apologizing still seemed especially hard for him. Not that he stayed stubbornly silent when he ought to apologize. It was more like... his apologies were starting to come a little more naturally now.
“Why?”
Ren stared at Luman. His expression was hard to read.
“Hm? I’m not mad.”
Did he think that look meant I was angry? So this is that famous beauty trap, huh.
Luman was entertaining that ridiculous thought to himself when Ren twitched his lips, then looked away.
The way he hesitated made Luman frown in puzzlement.
“Ren, what is it? Is something wrong?”
He’d only asked lightly, but then, for one alarming second, he got scared and grabbed Ren’s arm.
“No, it’s not that... why are you looking at me like that?! You’re making this embarrassing.”
Luman just blinked blankly.
What kind of face had he been making for Ren to react like that... embarrassed?
Luman awkwardly touched the corner of his mouth, then let a sly smile spread there. He bent at the waist and tilted his head. A few strands of his slightly overlong blond hair slipped down along the soft line of his face.
“What kind of face?”
“I don’t know!”
Ren snapped, irritated for no reason.
“What kind of face did I make that has you blushing like this, Ren?”
“Would you quit shoving your face at me?!”
Now truly annoyed, Ren yanked his brows together hard. Luman didn’t especially want to keep poking him until he got genuinely angry, so he straightened up again with a faint laugh.
There was never a dull second with Ren.
“But why’d you wake me up? Didn’t you say something about the toy earlier?”
Ren tried to sound like he didn’t care, but it was written all over his face. He wanted Luman to ask him to go out first. Now that Luman was awake, his plan to sneak out alone and play with the toy had fallen apart, and that was clearly making him antsy.
What should I do. I kind of want to tease him.
“Mmm, I don’t know. Why did ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) I wake you up?”
“......Forget it!!”
Ren whipped around. He started toward Temar’s bed again, then halted and stomped over to his own instead. Seeing how quick he moved, Luman swallowed down a laugh and called to him as he flopped back onto the bed.
“Ah! I remember now. Since you got the toy, why not try using it? I’m curious too.”
“......”
Ren’s back twitched.
“It’d be rude to ignore the sincerity of the person who gave it to you. Come on, let’s go.”
“......”
“Hm. If you won’t go, then I might as well try it by myself. You’ll lend it to me—”
“Fine! I’ll go, okay? I’ll go!”
Ren grumbled like he was being forced into it, but his actions were absurdly fast. He kicked off the blanket and sprang up. Whoosh—the blanket he flung aside smacked Luman in the face. Luman quickly caught Ren’s hand.
Because he didn’t want to see him go stiff and awkward trying to apologize again.
“Let’s go!”
“Aah!”
The sudden pull nearly made Ren lose his balance, but Luman caught him easily. Ren glared up at him, and Luman grinned. A bright, sparkling grin.
***
Ren and Luman found an open space.
“Is this it? This one?”
Turning the toy Tommy had given him over and over in his hands, Ren wore a deadly serious expression. Watching from behind, Luman considered helping, then decided against it. He could feel Ren’s excitement plain as day in the way he pouted and thought it over. He didn’t want to ruin a good moment. Those little fidgeting hands, careful not to break it as he fiddled with it, were cute enough to keep drawing quiet snickers out of him.
“Oh—oh?! Whoa......!”
He must’ve found how it worked, because fwee!—the leaf-shaped wing started spinning in circles. Then the toy shot high into the air, scattering glittering light from the wings as it traced a huge arc.
“Oh. That goes pretty far.”
Ren’s eyes were shining as he watched it climb, and the second it started falling, he tore off after it like an arrow.
“You’ll trip like that!”
Is he really that excited?
Luman felt like he’d never seen such an open, radiant smile on him before. Ren dashed over, launched it again with another fwee!, ran to grab it, then sent it flying again, over and over. His face flushed red as he bounced around like an overexcited puppy.
Now that he’d come out here with him, Luman could see it clearly.
For all his prickly personality, Ren had a very innocent side to him.
Was it because he’d grown up in the countryside? Or because he’d never had much of a chance to own toys like this—or play with kids his own age?
Ren’s bright, guileless smile had been lifting Luman’s mood right along with it, but suddenly his thoughts turned heavy.
He’ll have plenty of chances from now on.
Even if, once they reached the capital, he didn’t get much time with Temar, there should still be more than enough opportunities for him to meet people. The problem was that too many of those people would be rotten trash. Luman thought it over. He couldn’t rely on that blockhead Temar, so maybe it would be better to ask someone else to keep an eye on him.
Shaking off the dark turn in his mood, Luman watched Ren running around.
He hadn’t been at it long at all, but apparently he was already worn out. Ren bent over with his hands on his knees, panting hard as he tried to catch his breath.
“Tired already?”
“Hah... hah... no, I’m not... hah... tired......”
“Sure you’re not.”
There was color in his usually pale face now, and beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead. Luman clicked his tongue.
“What are we supposed to do with you when you’re this weak? Ren, are you actually taking the medicine Jepeto gives you properly?”
Ren had been about to flare up at the teasing mixed with concern, but the instant Luman brought up medicine, his body gave an involuntary twitch. There was no way Luman, with eyesight as sharp as his, would miss that.
His eyes narrowed.
“Don’t tell me you’re not taking it properly.”
“Hah... it’s not... like that! I take it... hah... just... fine......”
“Alright, alright. Save your breath.”
Giving up on pressing him, Luman patted his back instead.
“Hah... hah......”
“How little do you exercise, exactly?”
Luman clicked his tongue again.
Temar, you bastard. Not even taking proper care of your own little brother—what the hell have you been doing all this time...
What had he been doing? Saving the country.
Damn it.
The taste in Luman’s mouth turned bitter.
“Hm?”
He’d been waiting for Ren to catch his breath when he felt hesitant eyes peeking their way. The kids might have thought they were hiding behind the wall, but those round heads were way too obvious.
“Ren. Looks like there are some kids who want to be friends with you.”
Still patting Ren’s back, Luman turned and beckoned toward the children hiding behind the wall.
Kids were a nuisance, sure—but it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Ren made friends his own age.
At Luman’s gesture, one by one, the children cautiously poked their heads out. Tommy was among them. He crooked a finger, telling them to come over, and the kids who had started running forward with bright smiles all stopped at once.
What’s wrong?
Before Luman could even ask, he realized the hand that had been patting Ren’s back had suddenly found nothing there.
He whipped his head around.
And there, in his sight, was Ren clutching his heart and pitching forward.
