Chapter 328: Something She Liked Even More
Yelena's pure-white figure crashed straight into Steven's chest. The impact was like a little cannonball, forcing a muffled grunt out of him.
It didn't hurt, not really. But it was impossible not to notice the visible, almost tangible air of grievance radiating from the girl in his arms.
"Hey now, was that really necessary? I finally manage to come back, and that's how you greet me? Kinda hurts my feelings, you know."
Even as he said that, Steven's hand was already gently stroking Yelena's long silver hair. His focus, of course, was especially drawn to those fluffy, twitching ears—clearly his favorite.
Pressed against his chest, surrounded by the long-lost warmth of his presence, Yelena finally convinced herself that this wasn't an illusion.
Honestly, she couldn't even explain why—why the instant she saw him, an uncontrollable urge had surged up inside her to throw herself into his arms.
It wasn't like she had missed him that much before…
But after he had been gone for so long, that vague sense of longing had grown stronger and stronger until, in the end, her body simply acted on its own.
And now that it had already happened, that she was buried snugly in his embrace, Yelena only realized what she'd done after the fact. Helpless, she could only bury her head deeper against his chest, resigned, while his palm kneaded at her ears.
"Why so quiet? I'm just teasing, you know. Don't worry, my body's tough—next time you can hit me even harder."
Steven's grin only grew wider when he noticed the shy little rabbit trying to hide her face against his chest. Even so, her pale neck betrayed her, a soft blush spreading visibly across it.
"Hmph. Next time I'll just ram you to death, you heartless guy. Running off on your own to enjoy yourself, never thinking to come back sooner."
She shot him a glare, gave his chest a light thump with her small fist, then slipped free from his arms. Standing off to the side, she muttered as if nothing at all had happened.
"Now that's just unfair. It's not like I wouldn't want to take you with me to see the world beyond the Ursus tundra… but do you really have the time to come along? With everything you're caught up in right now… ah, forget it."
Steven had half a mind to say that even if he did invite her, she probably wouldn't come—her beliefs and responsibilities made leaving impossible. But the thought alone was enough to make him drop the subject before it soured.
"So? Where's my gift? You've been gone so long—you'd better have brought me a little something."
Yelena held out her hand, palm up, as if expecting tribute.
Clearly, she had no intention of digging any deeper into that earlier subject.
She knew perfectly well that as long as the Guerrilla Fighter still held out here in the tundra, she could never leave this land behind.
That was why she longed for Steven's return. Through him, she could catch glimpses of the world beyond, stories from places she herself might never see.
"Uh… about that…" Steven scratched his head, looking sheepish, as though the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.
"I'm joking. Having you back is already more than enough. Just tell me—what interesting things did you see while you were away? Or what fun stories happened to you?"
A faint trace of disappointment flickered in Yelena's eyes, but she quickly cut off Steven's attempt to continue speaking. Having guessed his thoughts from a tiny detail, she naturally wasn't about to let him feel awkward.
"Of course I can't keep teasing you with riddles any longer. You're my friend, after all—how could I really forget about you?"
Steven's embarrassed expression instantly melted away, replaced by a slightly mischievous smile. Reaching into his pocket (Inventory), he began pulling out one item after another—gifts he had specially prepared for Yelena.
Most of them were simply candies from the different countries he'd passed through: Iberian gummies, Kazimierz malt candies, and other local specialties.
And of course, thanks to that rascal Kal'tsit, he had picked up even more varieties—many whose names he couldn't even pronounce himself.
To someone who knew the truth, it was clearly a collection gathered just for Yelena. But to someone who didn't, the sight of this scene would probably make them think he was a candy vendor setting up shop outside some elementary school.
"I only managed to collect this many kinds for now. But don't eat them all at once—if you get a toothache later, don't come blaming me."
As if performing a magic trick, Steven kept pulling colorful sweets from his pocket (Inventory) while reminding the girl beside him, whose eyes had already lit up at the sight.
Gathering these candies had taken him a fair bit of effort—but if Yelena liked them, then it was worth it.
Later, once his foundation was established, he could even have people buy candies from all over the world. At that point, fattening up this slightly plump little bunny into a big fluffy rabbit would be no problem at all.
What Steven failed to notice, however, was that once Yelena's initial delight at the candy faded, her gaze toward him softened immeasurably.
She only remembered mentioning her love for sweets in passing once, and yet… he had remembered it so carefully?
Looking at the small mountain of candies piling up, Yelena knew that even for someone as seemingly capable of anything as Steven, collecting this many different kinds wasn't something easily done.
After all, there are some things that raw strength alone can't accomplish.
So when Steven looked at her with pride, his expression practically shouting, Well? Aren't I impressive? Yelena only smiled softly, reached out, and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder.
"What is it? I brought you all these sweets and you're still not satisfied? Or… do you prefer something else now?"
Steven blinked, puzzled, staring into the girl's silver eyes that reflected his own figure.
He couldn't guess what she was planning by doing this.
But a moment later, when Yelena rose up on tiptoe and leaned in to brush a faint kiss against his cheek, he froze completely.
"In a sense, you're right," she whispered. "Compared to candy, I've found something I like even more. And now that I've received it, consider this my way of thanking you."
Loosening the arm that had been supporting Steven's shoulder, Yelena pressed her slender fingers gently against her delicate lips. A faint blush crept across her cheeks, and with her radiant smile, she looked like a snow lotus blooming in the middle of a vast frozen plain.
For a moment, Steven couldn't help but lose himself in the sight, dazed until Yelena gave him a gentle push to wake him from his trance.
"This gift… I'm very satisfied with it. But if it's possible, I'd also like to hear about the things you've experienced along the way. Would you be willing to share them with me?"
She tilted her head slightly, speaking as if nothing unusual had just happened, unlike the somewhat flustered Steven. To her, it was as if the earlier moment had never even existed.
"Of course," Steven nodded. "After all, the reason I became a traveler was to seek out new and exciting stories. Sharing them with others is just another way of making happiness multiply."
Her sudden shift in tone back to something so normal left Steven completely unable to figure out what she was thinking. If she wanted to tease him, then she should've followed through instead of suddenly changing gears—it left him more than a little bewildered.
But then, after thinking about it again, he realized: wasn't this exactly how his own thought process usually went? Maybe this really was how strange it felt to be on the receiving end.
He let out a helpless chuckle.
Since Yelena herself had steered the topic away, he couldn't very well press her about what her earlier gesture had meant.
It would be better to just let things flow naturally.
Hearing his response, Yelena's smile softened even more.
Without a word, she slipped closer to him, quietly lacing her cold, slender fingers into his palm as she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes.
"This time… how long will our traveler be staying on the snowfields? I imagine it should be long enough for you to share all your stories with me, shouldn't it?"
Her hand was colder than most people's, and Steven could wrap it up completely within his own. As his warmth slowly spread into her delicate fingers, he returned her look with a gentle smile of his own.
"Of course. I have plenty of time. The real question is—do you, my lovely Miss Yelena?"
Neither of them spoke further. They simply leaned a little closer, sharing each other's warmth, until it gradually settled into a quiet, balanced harmony.
But just then, the heavy doors of the chamber where the Waystone was kept suddenly creaked open from the outside.
The massive figure of a Wendigo—like a walking mountain—poked its head in through the doorway. Its skull-like visage was monstrous, but its eyes flickered once as it exchanged a glance with the startled boy and girl.
Then, without a word, the Wendigo pulled its hulking body back out of the room, leaving only a brief reminder behind:
"Don't forget to come out for dinner."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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