GDTEA Chapter 46

Sharti not seeing him as a man, as a romantic interest, was a fact he already knew.

But there was a big difference between vaguely sensing it and having a clear line drawn to his face.

“Right?”

“……”

Ren couldn’t answer right away.

The feeling of being rejected without even trying was quite complicated.

“Did I… do something wrong?”

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing. Yeah.”

As if suddenly shocked, Ren rubbed his face with a gloomy expression.

‘Not seeing me as a romantic interest, does that mean she’s not even conscious of me?’

But hadn’t Sharti, at some point, stopped the palm-writing and tried to maintain a certain distance?

She was clearly different from when they first met, when she had no hesitation in making physical contact to treat Ren, who was bare-chested with a barely covered lower body.

‘What is it?’

Could it be a kind of pledge to be careful from now on because of other people’s eyes?

Or it could be a kind of consideration from Sharti in her own way.

‘She is unexpectedly peculiar after all.’

Breathing in the increasingly cold mountain air, Ren calmed his momentarily agitated feelings.

Ren glanced at Sharti.

Sharti was looking around at the darkness that had spread. When her robe fluttered in the wind, her honey-colored hair flowed out from under the hood.

Even in the darkness that spread like a black-and-white world, Sharti’s white hands and honey-colored hair stood out distinctly.

‘…There’s no need to make things awkward.’

Ren turned his gaze away from Sharti.

He didn’t want to deny her conviction here and now, making her embarrassed.

He couldn’t let the distance they had finally closed grow apart again.

‘…Hmm?’

Just as he finished his rational judgment, Ren furrowed his brow at the sudden tightness in his chest.

It was an unpleasant feeling, like an ambiguous aftertaste sticking to him.

Ren clicked his tongue inwardly and shook his tousled hair in the wind.

“It seems winter is coming early this year.”

Sharti, who had crouched down with her knees bent at some point, blew on her hands.

There was dirt on Sharti’s fingertips, as if she had been picking herbs while he was momentarily distracted.

“……”

Virena’s concern was natural.

Living together with a man in one house. A cohabitation that started out of sympathy.

Ren understood.

Even he could see Sharti’s purity, so how much more her friend must have seen. So Sharti would have wanted to reassure her friend more firmly.

“We should go back…”

But separate from that, Ren felt a bit rebellious.

“I guess we should.”

“…!”

As Sharti was about to get up, Ren crouched in front of her and wrapped her hands with both of his.

Ren, who had been staring at Sharti’s hands as she flinched, raised his gaze.

“Your hands are cold.”

Ren blew warm breath on her hands.

As Sharti stiffened at the sudden action, Ren chuckled.

“Let’s go back, Sha.”

When Ren stood up still holding her hand, Sharti got up following him in a daze.

As Sharti, who had come to her senses belatedly, wriggled to pull out her captured hand, Ren stopped walking.

Ren turned to look at Sharti with his characteristically calm face.

“I’m holding your hand because it’s dark and you might fall, is that uncomfortable?”

“Uh, I think it would be better to hold the sleeve and walk.”

“Why?”

Ren swung the hand he was holding with her.

“I thought this much would be okay between people who absolutely don’t see each other romantically. We held hands during the day too.”

“No, that’s…”

As Sharti mumbled awkwardly, Ren let go of her hand.

“I was joking.”

“…?”

“Let’s go now.”

And then, as Sharti had said, Ren grabbed her robe sleeve and walked ahead.

His eyes, unusually accustomed to the darkness, showed a determined expression.

‘Step by step.’

While Ren was making a commitment that might be considered childish stubbornness, Sharti repeatedly clenched and unclenched the hand that had been held by him.

The spot where Ren’s breath had touched tingled.

****

As soon as they returned home, Sharti tilted her head at the warm air in the house.

It felt like the chill that had clung to her body was melting away, like the surface of ice thawing.

‘Come to think of it, when we returned from the village too…’

Sharti looked around the interior of the house.

It was less warm than in the evening, but the air inside was still warm.

‘Just like someone had turned on a stove…’

At the unconscious thought, Sharti quickly turned her head to check the fireplace.

But contrary to her expectation, the fireplace was still blocked off as Ren had left it last time.

Still, just in case, as Sharti was about to examine the fireplace with suspicious eyes, it happened.

“Sha-.”

“…?”

Sharti, who reflexively turned her head at Ren’s call, held her breath.

“Can I wash up first?”

Ren was unhesitatingly unbuttoning his top in front of her.

Sharti nodded her head while turning her gaze away as naturally as possible.

“I’ll wash up quickly and come out.”

Fortunately, Ren entered the bathroom without completely taking off his top.

With the sound of the door closing, Sharti hurriedly entered the bedroom.

‘Why, why is he doing this?!’

Sharti, who had hit her head on the still-flimsy door, was confused.

Then, glancing at the hand that Ren had held, Sharti slammed it against the door.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

She had held his hand during the day too, and hadn’t she seen his body frequently?

She had seen Ren’s uncommon smile quite a lot. His calm attitude hadn’t changed particularly.

But strangely, something was different.

‘…Maybe it’s because I keep thinking about the conversation I had with Virena.’

Was it because the remnants of her inner feelings that had burst out like a flood were still somewhere in her mind?

Unexpectedly, she was paying more attention to Ren than usual.

Wide-eyed, Sharti slapped both her cheeks hard.

Feeling the tingling pain that spread, Sharti raised her head.

‘Step by step.’

Let’s keep a distance again little by little.

Having learned that overtly avoiding him would be useless, Sharti decided to act composed for now.

And Sharti’s resolution faced a crisis as soon as she had washed up in the bathroom.

“…?”

“If you sleep without drying your hair, you’ll catch a cold.”

As if he had been waiting, Ren was standing in front of the bathroom with a towel.

Ren glanced at Sharti’s hood, which was getting wet from her hair that hadn’t dried completely.

“I’ll dry it in the room before I sleep.”

Sharti shook her head in embarrassment.

Because of that, drops of water from her hair fell onto her face and outside the hood.

“Alright.”

Ren put the towel in Sharti’s hand and immediately entered the utility room.

His attitude was clean and straightforward, as if he had only been standing there to give her a towel.

Left alone, Sharti buried her face in the towel.

‘…I think I was mistaken!’

Sharti deeply regretted having misunderstood Ren due to an embarrassing misperception.

After returning to the bedroom, Sharti took off her robe and hood and sat on the bed.

‘Let’s go to sleep soon.’

Trying to shake off the burning shame, Sharti energetically dried her hair.

Then, she noticed the bluish-purple bouquet placed on the dressing table.

Once again, the flower vase was nothing more than a medicine bottle.

‘Maybe I should buy a flower vase…’

Since she had earned money, perhaps one small indulgence would be alright.

‘I might receive more…’

Sharti buried her face in the pillow. She also kicked the blanket with her feet.

When had she become so shameless? Where did this confidence come from?

[When a man gives flowers, it has meaning.]

Sharti burrowed into the blanket like a caterpillar.

Then she stroked her curly hair.

“……”

With a heavy sigh, Sharti closed her eyes tightly.

Sleep was the best way to organize and drive away distracting thoughts.

Hoping that she would wake up feeling refreshed, Sharti slowly let go of the thread of consciousness.

However, for the next five days, Sharti did not feel refreshed.

It was because of the subtle distance that continued between her and Ren.

‘It’s strange. Definitely strange.’

There wasn’t much change in Ren’s attitude.

As he had always done, he looked for ways to help, took care of the physically demanding tasks, and was considerate of her when she was tired.

The problem was that the number of times their eyes met decreased, while the instances of their bodies touching increased.

‘He’s always the first to avoid eye contact.’

It was so natural, as if his gaze was accidentally straying, that it wasn’t enough to hurt her feelings.

What Sharti was most concerned about now was the increased amount of contact with Ren over the five days.

‘He only asked for help that was awkward to refuse, so I couldn’t help it.’

[You said it was good for scars? If it’s okay, I’d like to apply it to my back too. But I can’t do it alone. I’d like you to apply it for me. It’s just a simple ointment, so I’m asking for just a moment, Sha.]

[Sha, just a moment. …Since I’ve been careful with big movements after getting injured, I think my arm muscles are cramped up just now. I need to loosen them up… No, I think they’ll get more tense while I’m out gathering herbs.]

It wasn’t the cautious tone of before. It was an extremely calm and businesslike tone.

He had the attitude of immediately yielding and backing off if Sharti refused.

The clean and straightforward attitude made her feel a distance.

‘He’s not even wearing the clothes I made for him.’

[Ah, the clothes? Sha, it’s the clothes you made with care, so it’s precious. I’m planning to wear it only when going outside. I’ll wear something light when I’m at home.]

[It’s hot today. The sun isn’t that strong….I guess I’m naturally warm.]

Ren treasured the clothes Sharti had made for him, but instead wore worn, torn, and ripped pajamas.

Since they were clothes made for him to wear, it was too warm to tell him to wear them comfortably as the weather had suddenly become warmer.

Because the fabric of the clothes she made was thick, Ren would immediately unbutton and roll up the sleeves when he got a little hot. Following the design of mercenary clothes, even with minimal exposure, Ren’s tanned skin and muscles stood out.

So she couldn’t stop him.

‘It seems like he’s checking my reaction occasionally…’

With the sudden hypothesis that came to mind, Sharti tilted her head back and forth.

And soon, Sharti swallowed a sigh and made a complicated expression.

‘I think Ren is anxious because I’ve been avoiding him, rejecting him, and keeping a distance until now. He must still be misunderstanding that he’s going to be kicked out.’

Wondering if she hadn’t given enough trust, Sharti repented her mistake.

It seemed like it was time for a conversation with Ren.

To clear up the misunderstanding of the past five days, Sharti sat face to face with Ren at the dining table. Sharti opened her mouth with a grave air.

“I’ve been insensitive.”

At the sudden beginning, Ren raised an eyebrow.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“I’m sorry. I should have considered your feelings. I should have been more attentive.”

“…Wait, Sha. I don’t know what this is about-.”

As Ren, who had a direct sense of Sharti’s misunderstanding, opened his mouth to interrupt the flow of the atmosphere, a knock came first.

Thump thump. Thump. Thump thump.

“…Are we expecting someone?”

Ren approached the window warily, keeping an eye on the door. He held up one index finger.

It meant there was only one person at the door.

Sharti immediately pointed Ren towards the bedroom.

“Ren, go inside.”

“……”

Ren, who had naturally been reaching for the bandages first, nodded his head, hiding his dissatisfaction.

As soon as Ren entered the room, Sharti carefully moved to open the door.

“…Doctor!”

“…!”

At the door was a bespectacled young man with faded pink hair.

The young man who faced Sharti smiled with relief, as if his tension had been released. It was a clear and innocent smile.

“Th-Thank goodness. I found you safely.”

The tall, thin young man clasped his hands as if in prayer and rejoiced.

Sharti was silently surprised by the young man’s visit.

“Do you remember me, Doctor?”

Sharti nodded slowly.

‘The mountain village beyond the four great peaks…’

She had visited many villages for treatment, but there was one mountain village that particularly stood out in her memory.

It was a village that rejected outsiders and foreigners more severely than other villages and strictly controlled the entry and exit of the village. And the young man in front of her was certainly from that village…

“Doctor-.”

The young man grabbed Sharti’s hand firmly.

Unlike Sharti’s, his hand was soft and tender.

“Please help me.”

The young man’s face crumpled as if collapsing, and he desperately clung to Sharti.

His hand, which desperately held onto Sharti’s hand as she was startled, trembled.

“A disease of unknown origin has spread through the village.”

“…!”

At the same time, a large back blocked in front of Sharti.