Chapter 35:
Trouble If You Know
Deon wrapped an arm around Riche’s shoulder, pulling her close, and looked at the two of them.
One was familiar, and the other, seen recently at the hunting ground, had a guarded expression.
“Serdia, Gerwer. What did you do to my little brother?”
“Nothing.”
“Hello, senior Derkedion. We were just greeting Trixie.”
Deon nodded towards Riche, meaning for her to speak up.
But how could she?
“…”
“…”
Riche desperately signaled to Deon, “Nothing really happened. Don’t fight.”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Well, of course not.
Neither Python nor Zickbert nor Deon would hear my thoughts.
To resigned Riche, Deon said in a muffled voice, “I get it, you’re nagging.”
It’s a warning not to start a fight.
Deon turned towards the classroom, still holding Riche.
“You guys, come in.”
“Yeah.”
“Excuse us.”
Robenharf was sitting at a desk by the window.
He turned his head with a smile as he heard the sound of Deon entering with the kids.
“You’re here? Riche, brought a friend… then…”
He paused as he noticed Ian following Deon.
“Ian Dwayne?”
“Hello.”
He was a boy as dazzling as his blonde hair.
Why him?
Robenharf glanced aside, wondering if more people were coming in, but Zigbert was closing the classroom door.
It seemed that Ian Dwayne was indeed the friend Riche had brought.
‘I didn’t expect this…’
Robenharf was puzzled.
He thought Riche would bring a girl from the same class. He wanted to show Riche a kind senior image by treating her friend well.
Although it wasn’t someone he was particularly fond of, it was in front of Riche.
With a forced smile, Robenharf casually greeted, “Welcome. So, Ian Dwayne is Riche’s friend. Did the club really become a talented one as Riche said?”
Ian nodded.
Riche nodded at Robenharf’s words.
Robenharf thought Riche was strangely quiet, but he didn’t pay much attention to Ian.
A little later, under Robenharf’s lead, the five of them sat facing each other at the desk.
In the quiet and awkward atmosphere, Riche whispered to Deon, who was sitting next to her.
After listening quietly, Deon suddenly got up and led Riche towards the door.
Seeing this, Robenharf stood up, grasping the edge of the desk, and spoke to Deon.
“Derkedion! Where are you going?”
“To feed the dog.”
“What?”
What nonsense. How would you know where the dog is?
With an incredulous expression, Robenharf watched the two figures leaving the classroom.
“And Riche?”
“Uh.”
He asked Riche, but why did he get an answer from Deon?
He was accustomed to Deon’s sudden actions. Robenharf glanced at the closing door and then sat back down.
“He’ll come back later.”
Or rather, he trusted Riche.
Even if Deon didn’t, Riche would come back.
The problem was this combination without the Rodwick siblings. Robenharf turned his eyes to the desks aligned on his right.
“…Serdia is silent.”
“…?”
Ian Dwayne, still unknown what he was thinking, perhaps secretly wanting to return to his former self.
Both were quietly holding their ground, but deep down, they might want to go back to how things were now.
Zigbert became a member under the condition of Riche’s enrollment, and Ian Dwayne was Riche’s friend.
The absence of the people who were supposed to be the core of the club’s founding. With diminished enthusiasm, Robenharf asked them,
“Only three of us are left. Any questions?”
“Do we write the club application form together?”
“Yeah. Since I explained everything to Riche and Derkedion, we just need to fill it out and get the signatures.”
Even though the explanation was just what he had told Riche last time.
What detailed discussion was needed for a club that’s all about having fun?
Robenharf picked up a pen. He had already filled out most of the application when he was with Deon earlier, so he just needed to fill in a few blanks.
“…But, Ian Dwayne. Did everything go well that day?”
While fixing his gaze on the application form he was writing, Robenharf asked Ian as if he was talking to himself.
He felt Ian’s gaze on him.
He wondered if Ian didn’t know what happened that day when he was being supported by Phillip.
‘Does he know?’
Pretending not to notice Ian’s gaze, Robenharf casually continued to fill out the blank spaces on the application.
“I even gave you pajamas. Brand new ones, not the ones you wore.”
“…Pajamas?”
“Yeah. When you lost consciousness that day, I…”
“That, kid!”
It’s a relationship where I even ask Riche for a favor in the middle of the night, a relationship of trust between us.
Robenharf, who was trying to appeal Riche and his relationship in that way, halted his words at Ian’s urgent interruption.
“That kid, do you know who saved me?”
Robenharf looked up to see Ian standing up from his seat.
How urgently did he stand up that he even fell backward off his chair?
“Senior, do you know? Please tell me…!”
Ian leaned his upper body towards Robenharf, grasping the desk, pleading for him to reveal the person who saved him, as if searching for salvation in a world about to collapse at any moment.
Even someone begging for a sip of water after wandering in the desert for days wouldn’t have such a desperate expression.
…Why is he so transparent?
‘You can see right through him.’
Robenharf looked at Ian with a surprised expression, thinking to himself.
Despite searching desperately for the person who saved him, Ian Dwayne didn’t know it was Riche.
“…Trouble if you know.”
Robenharf murmured softly, smiling at Ian, who was looking at him with pleading eyes.
“Sorry. I don’t know.”
—
“You’re not friends with him.”
Riche rolled her eyes sheepishly at Deon’s words.
Deon and Riche were walking along the street after leaving the restaurant.
“What, what do you mean?”
“Gerwer.”
How did he find out?
After hesitating for a moment, Riche confessed honestly.
“He’s not my friend, he’s Zig’s friend.”
Once Deon started suspecting, it would be easy to unravel any lies she made as excuses.
“So?”
“What?”
“Why did you say you’re hungry? Is it uncomfortable being with him?”
“…”
Riche blushed. Why was he so observant today?
It seemed Deon had caught on to the lie she told him earlier in a whisper.
“Oppa, I’m hungry.”
She just wanted to get out of there for now, hence the excuse to Deon.
Do I have to cover for you even with excuses?
Grumbling, Deon then handed Riche a cupcake from the restaurant.
Then, with Riche looking sheepish, he asked,
“Want me to chase him away?”
“Who? Ian?”
Riche hurriedly shook her head at Deon.
Ian already had it hard enough with everything going on, there was no need for Deon to add to it.
As they walked together, Riche, holding the cupcake, continued to urge Deon not to do anything to Ian.
But no matter how many times she said it, he didn’t seem to listen, so her voice grew louder.
“Oppa, never ever harass Ian!”
“Shh. Keep quiet and eat that.”
Fine, maybe it would be better if I just shut my mouth, as Deon said. Ian shouldn’t be hurt because of being chased away by Deon.
“…Shut my mouth?”
“Either eat or shut up.”
Riche stopped in her tracks, standing firm in her place. She looked up at Deon, who had stopped walking with her.
“Oppa.”
It wasn’t a bad idea.
“Help me out a bit.”
—
Not long after, the two of them returned to the classroom.
The three who were still holding their positions welcomed them.
“My sister can’t talk for a while.”
“Riche? Why?”
“Sore throat.”
Seated, Deon pulled out the chair next to him, indicating Riche to sit, and covered her throat with a warm cloth.
The cloth, wrapped around her neck to provide warmth, was noticeable.
Concerned about the serious condition, Robenharf asked in surprise, “Wasn’t your throat hurting earlier too? Is it severe?”
– I’m okay.
After writing on a small chalkboard she brought, Riche showed it to Robenharf.
Seeing how she had to resort to such a method of communication because of her pain, Robenharf felt a pang in his heart.
“Riche, I’ll bring you some tea for your throat tonight. Besides that, if there’s anything you need, I’ll be happy to provide from my dorm.”
Robenharf promised to take care of Riche’s needs, saying he would go to any lengths to help her.
Zekebert and Ian also expressed their concern for Riche’s throat.
– I’m okay. Thank you for worrying.
Though she felt Deon watching from the side, Riche ignored him.
You have to be shameless to do this.
‘But…’
Riche looked around at the three people.
As the conversation died down, she noticed a change in the atmosphere of the classroom.
Ian seemed gloomy, while Robenharf appeared normal, but Zekebert, sandwiched between them, seemed to be watching the two of them closely.
– Is something wrong?
Riche wrote on the chalkboard with a worried expression.
“No.”
“Nothing happened, Riche.”
“Yeah. Nothing happened.”
All three of them denied it.
‘Was it just my imagination?’
Wanting to ask Deon, who seemed unusually perceptive today, she glanced at him, but he seemed uninterested, turning his pen in his hand.
But Ian’s expression bothered her.
Riche opened the box she had brought and took out cupcakes.
After giving one each to Robenharf and Zekebert, she offered one to Ian.
When their eyes met, Riche smiled brightly and pointed to the chalkboard.
It was the same message she had shown Robenharf and Zekebert earlier.
– It’s delicious.
Ah, right.
She wasn’t supposed to talk to Ian informally like she usually did. They were seniors and juniors. So, she had left it in informal language as it was and showed it to him.
Riche quickly brought the chalkboard and added a ‘요’ at the end before showing it to Ian.
Ian smiled affectionately at Riche and said, “You can speak comfortably. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
Now she felt relieved.
Riche nodded and took the eraser to erase the writing.
‘I should erase it now.’
It was better to erase it beforehand to write the next message immediately.
It was a bit inconvenient to erase it every time, but it was better than not being able to communicate at all.
‘Luckily, Deon got the chalkboard for me. I should thank him later.’
Riche bowed her head and diligently erased the letters with the eraser.
Simple labor was quite enjoyable. Riche was so focused that she even erased the indentations on the chalkboard in the corner.
Ian, watching Riche’s bowed head, suddenly gasped and covered his mouth with his hand.
“…?”
Hearing the sound, Riche looked up. Why was he reacting like that?
‘Was the cake so bad that it surprised him…? It was delicious though…’
Ian couldn’t take his eyes off Riche, who was blinking in confusion.
Riche’s silver hair shimmered in Ian’s black pupils, like the moonlight.
“Ian Dwayne!”
That day, there was one thing that had reflected in his eyes alone.
In the blurry scene, there was something he could never forget.
‘Moon, silver.’
Ian’s lips twitched.
