Noroi was walking ahead of them as usual, holding the open map in his hands and guiding them along the path, while the two followed closely behind him like ducklings following their mother.
Yamka lagged two or three steps behind, her gaze fixed on the blue sky above, most of it covered by the dense leaves and branches of tall trees. Her hands rested behind her head, using them as a pillow, while Haruki walked behind her, both palms pressed against his stomach, aching from hunger.
The air around them was calm, and the only sounds reaching their ears were the rustling of leaves or the distant movement of creatures.
Her eyes drifted down from the sky to Noroi's back ahead of her,his shoulders slightly hunched, and his black hair strands covering the back of his neck.
She averted her gaze from him, looking to her side instead, clearing her throat loudly to break the silence between them before speaking.
"Remind me again, why are we heading to this Ash Fort?"
Noroi cast her a glance over his shoulder, his expression empty and bored. He then refocused on the old map in his hands, his eyes scanning the faded drawings on the worn-out paper.
He sighed before replying in a cold voice that betrayed no emotion.
"According to that old woman, level-three monsters use Ash fort as their base and military post. That's where we can find the location of our target in the first place."
Yamka hummed in understanding, recalling their plan and goal. And amid their conversation, neither of them noticed that Haruki had drifted away, moving toward a nearby bush that bore round fruits, their colors shifting in a mix of dark blue and orange.
Haruki's mouth watered at the sight of the delicious-looking fruit from the perspective of a hungry man. He didn't spend much time thinking before reaching his hand toward it, but froze in midair just a few millimeters before his fingers touched the fruit.
He replayed Noroi's words in his head about how some beautiful things could be poisonous.
"I should make sure it's not poisonous."
Haruki muttered to himself before his eyes drifted toward Tomoi, who had been watching him from the start.
Haruki's lips curled into a wicked smile the moment his mind lit up with what he thought was one of his brightest ideas.
Tomoi's black eyes widened as he realized what was going on in the big guy's head. He began chirping frantically in panic, his wings fluttering as he tried to fly away.
But Haruki's hand caught him quickly, wrapping around the pink bird before it could escape. Haruki brought him a little closer to his face and spoke in a falsely innocent tone.
"Tomoi~"
He stopped to stretch out his hand and pluck a single fruit from the bush, bringing it close to Tomi's small beak as he presented his suggestion to the poor bird.
"What if you tried this first?"
Tomoi chirped loudly, firmly rejecting Haruki's offer ,he had no intention of eating that fruit. Haruki let out an exaggerated sigh, placing his hand dramatically over his chest before speaking in a sorrowful tone.
"So you want me to starve to death instead of helping me! Fine then, I'll do it myself."
Haruki released Tomi's body, and the bird flew up to the boy's shoulder, watching him as he opened his mouth wide and brought the fruit closer, his eyes tightly shut, ready for whatever might happen.
Just then, a hand snatched it away before the peel could touch his tongue.
Haruki's eyes shot open the instant his hand was empty, and he quickly turned his head toward the person who had stolen it, only to find Noroi's face directly in front of his.
Haruki jumped back, letting out a terrified scream, causing Noroi to raise an eyebrow, wondering what had scared the other boy so much.
Haruki placed both hands on his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat, then took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking wearily.
"Man, I've watched hundreds of horror movies, but I've never seen anything as scary as your face."
Noroi's frown deepened. He crossed his arms over his chest and decided to ignore the comment this time, focusing instead on his point.
"You idiot, how many times do I have to warn you not to touch everything you like?"
Noroi scolded him in a stern tone, making Haruki open his mouth to argue and defend himself, but Noroi raised his hand in his face, cutting him off before he could even start, continuing his words coldly.
"I don't care if you're hungry. These fruits are poisonous. Now move."
Noroi's last words came out in an authoritative tone, causing Haruki to close his mouth with an annoyed frown.
He hunched his back as he turned toward Yamka and began walking toward her, looking like a puppy that had just been scolded by its owner, while Noroi walked right behind him, making sure he stayed on the path and didn't stray again.
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐