14 – First Steps to Running (5)
“You…!”
A harsh voice pierced through the air. But because I had lost all strength in my body, I couldn’t continue the sentence and it trailed off between my lips. Yet, Yuna, feeling unjust about something, kept opening her mouth.
“You…you…from the beginning…”
“Huh?”
“For…planning…”
“…”
“For this…you…”
“Yuna.”
“Me…me…”
“Yuna.”
I grabbed Yuna’s trembling hand, gasping for breath. And deliberately, in a loud voice, I said,
“Take a deep breath. Deep breath.”
“Bre…deep breath…”
“Okay. Slowly… slowly…”
“Hoo… hoo… haa…”
Indeed, it was quite sudden. With deep remorse, I breathed together with Yuna for a while.
“Hoo…”
“Are you feeling a little better now?”
“A little…”
Upon hearing her response, I observed her condition for a moment. And when it seemed like Yuna’s breath had finally returned, I cautiously spoke.
“Well then, Yuna. Can I ask you something first?”
“What is it?”
“Well…”
Although our hands were still tightly clasped, Yuna paid no attention to that. Instead, it seemed like all her focus was on what this man in front of her was going to say. I earnestly looked into her eyes and struggled to speak.
“…Can we settle the money matters first?”
“…”
…
If someone doesn’t understand the concept of “eyes like a bug,”
Maybe showing them her expression would be enough.
But for me, there was no other choice. After all, I needed the money, and it was difficult to continue a serious conversation with a pile of coins on the floor.
“Haa.”
Yuna seemed to understand my awkward situation as she let out a deep sigh. Then, in a very subdued voice, she asked.
“Do you have a container?”
“That was also a problem. Can’t we solve it with something like magic?”
“…If you look back there, there should be a box for storing books. Go and get that. I’ve put them together in one place.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“Why do I have to help with this…”
It almost felt like our mom was sighing. Knowing that if I complained here, a fiery scolding would surely come my way, I silently followed her instructions, bringing the box and starting to pick up coins without a word. For a while, only the sound of coins clinking echoed in the air.
“So?”
“Yeah?”
But the silence didn’t last long. Yuna, while picking up the coins on the floor, glanced at me with a sly smile.
“Don’t ask for no reason. You know what I’m asking even though you know.”
“Ah… Yeah.”
Although her voice no longer contained irritation, her tone was still sharp. Unsure of where to start the conversation, I eventually decided to lay it all out from the beginning.
“Well… Since that day, I’ve been thinking about the sponsor’s intentions in my own way. What does this sponsor want from me? Anyway, there must be a clear intention behind continuously giving me money, right?”
“That makes sense.”
“So, looking for common ground between the sponsorships, it seems like the two of us are going through a series of processes.”
“Processes?”
“Yeah. At first, holding hands, then hugging each other. After that, giving missions and guiding various levels of other forms of intimacy. So, these actions are not really something you do in a normal relationship. Rather than that…”
“Actions more suited for couples.”
Yuna stated the answer as if solving a problem. And then, as naturally as the flow of water, she deduced the next answer.
“So, what that means is…”
“Exactly.”
“That…”
However, her words couldn’t continue. As if unable to admit the conclusion she had reached, only her lips trembled. Watching her, feeling a bit frustrated, I opened my mouth first.
“So, in other words. This sponsor hopes that we become lovers…”
“S-so, how troublesome was it today? Did you happen to count?”
Upon hearing that, Yuna tried to cover my voice by bringing up another topic. But I didn’t yield to her interference and spoke again.
“So, that sponsorship is for us…”
“Even if I only picked up what I got, it should easily be at least 1000 shillings, right? Wow, you really made a lot. Isn’t it true?”
“Between you and me…”
“At this point, I should at least get half, right? Ah…ahahahaha. Isn’t that right?”
“…Yuna.”
Despite the continued interruptions, I intentionally lowered my voice. And looking at her still rambling, I asked somewhat sadly.
“Is that so unpleasant? Even the fact that someone wishes for you and me to become lovers?”
“Huh?”
“Is even that fact hateful? Just thinking about that fact alone?”
“Um…”
I made a face like a wounded animal, and Yuna looked at my face with a little confusion. Her expression was full of apologies.
“T-that’s…”
“Do you hate it that much?”
“Well, not that… but…”
“Is that so?”
At those words, I regained my smile, as if asking when I had lost it. Approaching Yuna, I inquired.
“So, is it a good thing?”
“What?”
“Can I think of it as something good?”
“Oh… no, not necessarily in a binary way…”
“…So, is it bad?”
“Well, not really… I mean, it’s just that… um, that…”
“Is it a good thing?”
As always, seeing Yuna flustered to the point of being excessive, a playful smile crossed my face. Purposely continuing in that direction, I asked again.
“Good? Or bad?”
“That… uh…”
“Yeah? Which is it?”
“Um…”
Watching me like that, Yuna stepped back and accidentally bumped into the bookshelf. Then suddenly, something shiny fell from her skirt. Wondering what it was, I looked and found a few coins stuck to her sweaty thigh. Feeling a bit awkward, I cleared my throat.
“Ahem. Hey, Yuna.”
“Uh… yes?”
“Those, you have a few coins stuck to your thigh.”
“What?”
Surprised by my words, Yuna quickly brushed off her thigh. As she did, a few coins that were stuck fell to the floor. In the moment I was about to casually pick them up, Yuna suddenly panicked and smacked the back of my hand.
“Ouch.”
“Hey!”
“Yeah?”
“What… what are you doing right now?”
“I’m trying to pick up the coins that fell…”
“No!”
With an urgent tone, Yuna quickly swept up the fallen coins. Then, she carefully gathered them, holding them close to her chest.
“This… this is not okay.”
“Why?”
“Because… it’s embarrassing…”
“Is it because they touched your thighs?”
“Of course, isn’t that obvious?”
“But if we’re going to be strict about it, those coins in the first place, all of them exploded from my thighs.”
“What? Well…!”
Yuna, once again, looked at the coins in her hands, her body twitching. Unable to handle the situation, she closed her eyes tightly and said,
“Anyway, no! This is… this is my responsibility.”
“Yeah? Then what about the things that were on the seat where you were sitting? Are you taking those too?”
“What? Um, well…”
“And come to think of it, when you moved earlier, you swept everything on the floor with your legs. Are you taking those too?”
“That’s not it… wait! Don’t come any closer!”
“Yeah? But there are also a lot of coins under you…”
“Oh… No! This is mine too! It’s mine!”
“Yuna, lower your voice for a moment…”
Thud!
…
…
“Huh…?”
From Noble mtl dot com
Amidst the intense struggle, an unexpected sound came from the side. It wasn’t necessarily strange, but it was a sound that shouldn’t be heard right now.
Naturally impossible. Clearly the sound of someone dropping something heavy.
We immediately stopped and looked at each other. Without needing to describe it, it was a sight that would be absolutely unfavorable if seen by someone else. In an atmosphere so tense that it almost made us break out in a cold sweat, we turned our heads simultaneously.
And then, we locked eyes with the dumbfounded elf girl staring at us.
“…”
“…”
“…?”
In the midst of the stiff atmosphere, Iriya slowly tilted her head. We couldn’t say anything and just stared blankly at her actions.
“…”
Awkwardly bowing, Iriya picked up a book and slowly approached us. Taking one step at a time, she awkwardly walked past us and went to the opposite bookshelf. Yuna followed her movements with her eyes and whispered.
“Did… did she hear everything?”
“Huh? No. I don’t think so.”
“Lower your voice, you idiot! What if she heard?”
“Don’t worry. Iriya can’t hear.”
“Uh… really?”
With those words, we turned our heads back towards her. Iriya placed a book on the shelf and turned back towards us.
“…”
The elven girl, who always quietly read books in the corner of the classroom, stood up neatly and looked at us silently. Money scattered on the floor. Yuna leaning against the shelf, and me, kneeling in front of her. Her gaze swept over all of it in turn.
By the way, why did she come here? Was the noise too loud? No, wait, Iriya can’t hear that. And besides, she just put the book back on the shelf. Did she just come to return it and coincidentally ran into us? But it’s a bit strange. Because here… here is…
A decadent bookstore… a shelf…
Ugh.
At that moment, Iriya pulled a chair and sat down, crossing her legs slowly. And then, she suddenly threw a coin in front of me.
Ting!
“Huh?”
Instinctively, I caught it and looked at Iriya dumbfoundedly. She winked and placed her right fist below, then layered her left fist on top. Yuna, who didn’t know what it meant, just stared with her mouth open, but I knew the meaning of that sign.
‘When.’
While I slowly understood the meaning, Iriya moved her hand again. This time, she made a circular hole with one hand and then put another finger inside. Even at a glance, Yuna, who didn’t know sign language, would have understood the obscene gesture’s meaning.
‘s*x.’
“…”
My mind froze the moment I saw that gesture. But the meaning of those two signs was very clear. Soon, the word she conveyed through sign language popped into my head.
‘When. Do you want to have s*x?’