"Listen. This is important. Seriously."
I kept my voice calm, but the only thing I got in return was a gaze full of distrust.
It really was important.
I had come to see Varen not only to bring him salmon, but to begin planning his escape.
"About your chains. Do you remember if there was a key when they were put on you?"
I do not remember. I was already chained the moment I opened my eyes.
"You don’t remember?"
Correct.
So they knocked him out and dragged him here? Even if he was a young dragon, there was no way humans could do that by force.
This time too, Varen answered the question before I spoke it.
I was taken before I hatched.
"......"
The human who took me attempted to use mind-control magic on me. They failed. But the memories before I hatched were erased instead.
Ah... those fucking bastards.
Dragons possess awareness even before hatching. Their parents teach them everything while they are still in the egg.
But he was kidnapped inside the egg. He was born in this dark cave.
So he has never spread those magnificent wings freely. Never flown in the sky. No—he has likely never seen the clear open sky at all.
How could they do that? Disgusting humans. Being the same species as them made me sick.
"...Haah. I'm sorry."
I buried my face in both palms and let out a long breath. Varen flinched and stepped closer.
"It's humans' fault again. I’ll apologize for them. I really am sorry...."
My whole body trembled with anger. My heartbeat pounded so hard I couldn’t breathe properly.
We really should wipe out humanity. Fine—but how? If I was going to get reincarnated, they could’ve at least picked a broken-cheat protagonist. If they were going to stick me in a normal human body, they should’ve given me something.
Hey, human. No—Ceryl. You don’t need to apologize.
"......"
Raise your head. There is no reason for you to apologize.
What? Something in his voice was... uneasy. I peeked through my fingers.
The dragon was pressed up close to the bars, staring at me. His face—expressive as always—looked like he didn’t know what to do.
You... are not crying, are you.
Sure, his past was sad enough to cry over. But I don’t cry easily.
A man cries only three times in his life: when he is born, when his parents die, and when Berry died.
But right now... I felt like crying for him.
The moment felt too strange, too heavy. I stayed frozen.
You did nothing. There is no reason for you to weep.
"......"
This is ridiculous. Crying does not suit you. So raise your head.
Oh no. It was too late to say I wasn’t actually crying.
Since I didn’t respond, Varen swallowed. With his size, even that sound echoed.
And the tail he had snatched away earlier... slowly returned to the bars.
...Do you want to touch my tail?
"Yes. I do."
Of course I do.
I lifted my head instantly and approached the bars.
He offered it himself—no reason to refuse. I reached—only for the tail to whip away before I touched it.
"What the—! You said I could touch it!"
You... weren’t crying?
"I was joking. A man doesn’t cry so easily."
I puffed up my chest confidently.
Varen snorted and backed away. His heavy hindquarters swayed left to right as he retreated.
Just when I was melting from how cute that was—he struck.
You deceived me... So humans truly cannot be trusted.
"It was just a joke. Why are you taking it so seriously?"
You are the worst. Leave. Do not return.
And the dragon disappeared into the darkness again.
I tried being offended.
Then I tried coaxing him.
Then I tried threatening to break the door and come in.
In the end, I apologized sincerely—repeatedly.
But Varen gave no answer.
Haah... what kind of dragon gets offended this easily...
****
I ignored Jed’s warning and stole from the food storage again. Maybe he was sick of salmon. I brought every type of fish I could find.
But Varen didn’t show himself once in an entire week.
"This is insane...."
"Me-e-e-e."
When my heart is a mess, nothing calms me like Yangsooni. I buried my face in that warm, curly wool and kneaded it.
But the more I held Yangsooni, the more I thought of Varen.
The warm sheep was nice—but the cool, smooth scales were what I missed.
Once you’ve touched a dragon, there is no going back.
"Sir Ceryl! Are you here?!"
Kalen’s voice came from outside, so I ducked, hiding my face in Yangsooni’s belly. I was found immediately.
"Again! You’re slacking off again!!"
"Slacking off? I’m checking her condition—"
"Yangsooni is the healthiest creature in the entire facility!"
Yangsooni proudly raised her glossy horn and bleated. Yes—she looked perfectly healthy.
Kalen grabbed the back of my collar and dragged me along. A teenage girl shouldn’t have this kind of grip strength.
"Really. What’s gotten into you lately? You look like your soul left your body."
"...Do I?"
"YES. Did you get dumped or something?"
Dumped. Yes. I was dumped. By a dragon.
I had never struggled with animals or monsters before. But Varen... was something else.
"I KNEW IT! You DID get dumped!"
The words pierced my chest. I sagged. Kalen let go and squatted beside me, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Who is it? Who would reject you?"
"...Someone rude. And cute."
"Oh my god. Someone like that exists here? And I don’t know them?"
If it were a person, would I be like this?
Only Jed and I knew about the dragon. There were too many eyes and ears at the facility. If word spread that the dragon was communicating, someone’s greed would spark.
Kalen, unaware, bounced like a child, begging for details—asking who, how we met, wanting a romance story that didn’t exist.
Teenage girls had too much energy. Dramatic mood swings. Bad at respecting boundaries.
...Reminded me of someone else I knew.
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen. Didn’t you know?"
Different species, different gender—but teenagers °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° understood each other, maybe.
"Kalen, if you were really upset with someone..."
"What did you do to make them upset?"
"I didn’t do anything. I was just teasing a little. Anyway—"
"What kind of teasing?"
She leaned in so close I pushed her forehead back with a finger.
"Hey. Don’t interrupt when an adult is talking."
"Even adults suck at romance, I guess?"
"It’s not romance, you brat."
Romance, my ass. Human and dragon. Both male. Yeah. Okay.
"Anyway. If you were mad, what would make you forgive someone?"
"Hmm, so you do want to make up?"
"Of course. I even brought him fish."
Kalen made a face like she was physically disgusted.
"Eugh—You think bringing food solves everything? No wonder your love life is a disaster."
"It’s not romance. And what do you mean disaster—"
"This stubbornness is exactly the issue. You really don’t understand girls, do you?"
...That’s enough. Why did I even ask.
I stood up. But Kalen clasped her hands and stared dreamily at the sky.
"How lovely... Even in a place this barren, love blooms..."
"Go do your work."
Teenage girls apparently saw heart-shapes everywhere.
I was about to leave when—Kalen offered something useful.
"Sir Ceryl. Shall I tell you a sure way?"
***
I never thought I’d be doing something like this. If this didn’t work, I was wringing Kalen's neck.
"I came back."
......
Once again, Varen hid in darkness. I wanted to break in—but that would destroy everything.
So instead—I gently pushed a bouquet through the bars. The cave filled with sweet scent.
Then I unrolled the scroll. Even copying Kalen’s dictation had made my skin crawl. Reading it aloud was torture.
But I had no choice.
"Ahem... Hello? Today is another beautiful day. Did you sleep well? I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking of you."
......
"From the moment I open my eyes, to the moment I close them, I think only of you. When I see the blue sky, I think of your clear eyes. When I feel the warm sunlight, I think of your gentle smile."
God. Would this cheap garbage really work on a teenage dragon?
Then—for the first time in a week—I heard the chains move.
From the darkness, Varen shifted.
When... did I ever smile...
Unbelievable. It actually worked.
