"Honestly, your words sound so convincing it's a little scary... But don't worry, I was just venting."
Fully aware of his position, Shin was merely running his mouth, so he waved his hand dismissively with a smile before looking at the sweet potato in Rem's hands, deliberately feigning surprise.
"A steamed sweet potato? Is that for me?"
"Yup!" Rem nodded vigorously, squinting with a cute smile as she carefully handed the sweet potato over with both hands.
"You must be hungry, right? This is for you."
"Thanks~! I won't hold back then!"
At first, Shin's adult pride had kept him from accepting food from a child, but over time, he'd gotten used to being fed.
A real man could bend and stretch as needed—this wasn't shameful. Besides, he couldn't let his stomach suffer.
If he ended up malnourished and stunted, there'd be no place to cry... and anyway, he was a kid now too.
Seeing him eat eagerly, Rem looked delighted. With a little "heave-ho~," she sat beside him and mimicked his earlier pose, lying on the big rock with her hands behind her head, gazing up at the moon.
She murmured in admiration,
"The moon is so beautiful tonight, isn't it?"
"... Cough, cough!"
The innocent comment from the young girl sent Shin's mind to strange places, and he nearly choked on the sweet potato, tears welling up.
"Eek? W-What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Startled, Rem hurriedly sat up and patted his back repeatedly.
"N-Nothing... I was just a bit startled, that's all."
"Startled by how pretty the moon is?"
Rem tilted her head in confusion, her pure and innocent expression so adorable it could make someone with odd tastes fall in an instant.
It also made Shin realize he shouldn't corrupt a kid so casually, so after a long pause, he could only nod silently.
"... Let's just say that's it."
"If Carlos says so, then that's how it is!"
Without a hint of doubt, Rem flashed a radiant smile, fully believing him.
"Wow~ Pure kids are just dazzling, aren't they? But it's cute, and that's nice."
Feeling as if his soul had been purified, Shin couldn't help but wipe his hand on his clothes and ruffle Rem's hair.
"N-No, don't do that! Even if you wiped it a little, your hand's still dirty from eating!"
"It's fine, it's fine~ My hand's so clean you could lick it, totally not dirty!"
"Even so..."
"—What are you two doing out here at this hour?"
Just as Shin was teasing Rem to relieve his life's stresses, another young girl's voice came from behind.
This time, though equally soft and pleasant, it carried a sharp, commanding tone.
Hearing it, Rem quickly hopped off the rock and ran over, tattling,
"Sister! Carlos is bullying me!"
A girl who looked identical to Rem, except for her pink hair and eyes and a kimono accented with pink instead of blue, narrowed her eyes at the complaint.
Ram shot Shin a stern glare.
"Oh~ Quite bold, Carlos, bullying Rem while Ram's not around?"
"No way, we were just playing a game!"
Bathed in the young girl's icy stare, Shin felt a mix of helplessness and amusement, especially since his energy points didn't increase at all.
"You're the only one having fun here. Get over here, Ram's gonna ruffle you back!"
"Don't be silly. I'm older than you, so ruffling heads is an elder's privilege."
"Older by less than a day? In terms of height, Ram and Rem are taller, aren't they? Less talk, if you don't come over, Ram's coming to you!"
Ram gestured to compare their heights, smirking triumphantly.
Though he hated to admit it, girls developed faster than boys, so during childhood, they were often taller.
This meant Shin was, in fact, slightly shorter than Ram. The girl's knack for hitting sore spots left him a bit sulky.
"Height aside, don't you think this is too much? You're trampling on my dignity as a man."
"A man? Hmph, a kid like you can talk about being a man when you're taller than Ram. Now be good and let Ram ruffle you! Otherwise, Ram's eating this sweet potato herself!"
Ram scoffed and revealed her left hand, which had been hidden behind her back, showing off a sweet potato identical to Rem's, dangling it in front of him as bait.
"... I've told you before, that bullying personality of yours is gonna get you in trouble when you grow up."
"What? You didn't think Ram prepared this for you, did you? This is Ram's late-night snack, Ram's own treat!"
"Fine, I can't steal your snack. Guess I'll just starve."
Shin was unfazed, dramatically turning away and rubbing his stomach with an exaggerated sigh.
"... What to do? One sweet potato might not last me till breakfast tomorrow. Should I jump in the river to catch fish or head to the forest to forage?"
"Y-You're pulling that trick again?!"
Ram, who'd been smug moments ago, now looked like she'd swallowed a fly, gritting her teeth.
"The same tactic won't work on Ram... for the sixteenth time!"
"It's okay, Ram, don't force yourself. It's not your fault. Even if I accidentally drown in the river or eat a poisonous mushroom and kick the bucket, it's just my problem. We've known each other for years, but you don't have any obligation to save me."
Shin put on a strained smile, patting Ram's head as if comforting her.
"Ugh..."
Unable to even resist his gesture, Ram's heart wavered. Rem tugged at her clothes, looking pitiful as she whispered,
"S-Sister..."
"—F-Fine, I get it! Here, take it! Ram's giving it to you, happy now?!"
Unable to withstand her sister's plea and her own conscience, Ram huffed and shoved the sweet potato into Shin's hands. Instantly, Shin dropped his gloomy act and grinned broadly.
"Thanks~ You're my best friend! When it counts, you two are the ones I can rely on!"
"Ughhh~~ You were faking again! You're so despicable!"
Her sixteenth defeat made Ram stomp her foot in frustration.
Shin, meanwhile, savored his victory, chuckling as he watched the young girl throw her tantrum. But... as he ate, he suddenly paused, staring at the sweet potato in his hand and letting out another inexplicable sigh.
Ram caught it and glared at him, exasperated.
"What now? Why're you sighing again? Don't tell me Rem's sweet potato tastes bad! Say it's bad, and Ram's really gonna hit you!"
"Huh? R-Really? Does it taste bad?"
Unlike her fiery sister, Rem looked on the verge of tears, which made Shin quickly shake his head.
"No, no, it's not that. I just suddenly felt like I'm too pathetic. Sure, things are better than when we used to forage in the forest together, but now... I'm always mooching food off kids. Mentally, it feels like even the bugs we caught in the forest were tastier."
"You're a kid just like us, aren't you? Why do you always act like an adult? Do you really like eating bugs that much?"
Ram gave him a look like he was spouting nonsense, then hesitated before adding kindly,
"If you really want to eat them that badly, we could help you catch some... but the first time Ram shoved a bug in your mouth, didn't you puke your guts out? And every time after, you acted like you were gonna die."
"... Why would you think I like eating live bugs? And don't bring that up! Just thinking about it makes me feel like there's a bug squirming in my mouth!"
The memory of their desperate hunger forcing them to eat bugs—especially the first time Ram stuffed a live one in his mouth—brought back the tactile sensation and nauseating taste. The sweet potato in his hand suddenly became hard to swallow.
***