You, Who’s Kind Only To Me - Chapter 15

“Didn’t you say you would repay me? I’d like to invite you, and I think it’s quite a reasonable deal if you accept my invitation.”

Listening to the man’s voice, Ren suddenly recalled the words spoken by the con artist Bill.

Bill had always been a homeless drunkard near the beach, begging for alcohol from door to door. One time, he had even come all the way to the front of her house, banging on the door, and when Ren peeked out of the attic window, their eyes had met.

‘Hiccup, uh! You… hiccup! That’s her, right? Hiccup! The one that gloomy and moody guy was looking for…’

Bill’s words were somewhat garbled, making it difficult to understand his pronunciation. However, Ren was partially delighted because it had been a long time since she had seen someone other than her parents.

‘Do you know me?’

‘Suure! Hiccup… Back in the day I was… like you, hiccup!”

The reason Bill was known as a con artist was that, before he had arrived on the island, he had been a gambler. He was caught by gangsters when trying to make a big hit, resulting in the loss of one arm, and then he escaped to the island. Ren, who was confined to the attic, knew this fact quite well.

How did she know?

Well….. Would it make sense if she said the wind told her? She occasionally heard the whispers of the waves, the voices of the wind spirits, and the moonlight that gently settled on her shoulder often murmured, sharing the world’s secrets with her.

Nobody believed her, of course.

‘Well, believe it or not.’

In any case, the con artist Bill looked at Ren and chuckled before saying.

‘I can read a bit of fortune….. hiccup! In my opinion, you..,,. will end up being sold to a weirdo with a flashy face….. huh? Hiccup!”

Ren’s reaction to his words was simply, I see’. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Bill, it was just that she found it fascinating that people could buy and trade people.

‘Human beings can be quite cruel.’

With such thoughts in her mind, she wondered if, when she got sold, her life debt would be transferred to the person who bought her. What should she do now? Those were the kinds of thoughts swirling in her head.

‘But that guy undoubtedly has some peculiar tastes… in bed, huhu… You probably won’t last even a day, kuk.’

When the con artist Bill had said that far, the Uncle suddenly burst out, complaining that Bill was being loud and kicked him away.

With a brief scream and a tumble on the floor, Bill fell silent, and Ren’s reminiscences ended there.

‘His place… does he mean the bed?’

Ren wondered what she would do in a bed, but she wasn’t sure.

After all, her attic bed was incredibly small and cramped. It was a highly unproductive space for doing anything. Although she had some understanding of the world’s complexities, hearing the whispers of the waves and the winds had only given her a partial glimpse of human behavior.

Understanding the intricacies of politics, history, and other matters would still be a challenge for her, as she had been isolated from the outside world.

She asked in an innocent, curious voice.

“Is there something I’ll be doing there?”

Lucas stopped a few steps away from a point where the fog thickened and set her down on the ground.

Shaaa- The sound of waves, somewhere distant, rushed towards them, and foam from the gray sea brushed their feet.

Swish, the man who had drawn a sword from his waistband and held it in his hand looked down at her.

“This island is going to be closed off from now on. Do you have anywhere to go?”

“…..No.”

She shook her head. As she did, the man tightened his grip on the sword handle.

Wheewoo-

A rush of red light swirled around the blade. Observing the woman, who didn’t seem particularly scared despite him holding the sword, Lucas narrowed his eyes, then turned his gaze towards the thick fog ahead.

“Well, how about coming together then? I’m quite curious about you, and you do owe me.”

Ren looked at Lucas, and Lucas also turned his gaze toward her. After a moment of silence, the sword, which had gently sliced through the fog, was sheathed back into its scabbard.

The man released his grip on the sword. Instead, he extended his large hand toward Ren and said,

“Won’t you come with me?”

A swirling red light enveloped the two of them. Light particles scattered like embers, cutting through the fog. The thick fog gradually dispersed, revealing hazy silhouettes outside.

Ren felt the warmth of the sun pouring down brightly in the spot where the fog had dissipated.

The moonlight faded away, and the gray sea vanished. As the wind blew, the world transformed. The salt beach sparkled brilliantly under the sunshine that peeked through the clouds.

The sea, as if molten from sapphire, roared to announce its presence. Above it, a pair of nameless birds gracefully traversed the sky. However, in a world where the sun was still high, the man, who resembled the night more than anyone else, didn’t hesitate to extend his hand to her.

“It may not be as comfortable as your place.”

“…..”

“But it won’t be too bad.”

The man’s demeanor is somewhat mischievous.

‘What a peculiar person.’

The breeze from the sea brought a pleasant sensation. The feeling of her hair brushing against her cheeks made Ren’s neck tingle, even though it wasn’t the cold seawater.

There seemed to be musical notes in the air floated along with the fluffy white clouds.

A gentle cantabile, a soaring allegro, and a heartfelt capriccioso…..

For reasons she couldn’t fathom, Ren felt a longing for familiarity in the man. It was a longing that made her chest ache and her eyes fill with tears.

‘Who are you?’

Ren wanted to ask but restrained herself, choosing instead to hold the man’s hand.

“Sure.”

Their clasped hands were surprisingly warm, unlike the sea.