Translator: mii
Editors: sleepchaser, con
“If you didn"t know, it can"t be helped… I hope you can forget about what happened tonight, if possible.”
“Sure…” I gave a small nod, forgiving him for what he did to me.
Since we were born and raised in different worlds, it was inevitable that there would be times when we would misunderstand each other and be disappointed. Thinking of that… extreme skinship… well. It was just a kiss, but…
“Won"t you come out?”
My shoulders flinched at Sig"s voice.
Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, I didn"t have to worry about such things happening again. So it"d be better to sleep on a bed rather than spend the night in a place like this…
I gently lifted the chickens off my knees and placed them on the ground.
However, just as I was about to leave the pen, I found my feet stuck to the ground. “Sorry. I"ll return soon. You can go back first,” I said, feeling his gaze on me but not meeting his eyes.
“Minoru, I"m really sorry for doing such a terrible thing to you.”
I shook my head, silent. Eventually, I saw Sig"s shadow stand from the corner of my eye, and heard his footsteps fade into the distance.
I knew that it had been an accident. He didn"t try to hurt me. I wasn"t angry or uncomfortable, either but…My hands hadn"t stopped shaking since a while ago, my pounding heart unable to calm. And I had no idea why.
My cheeks burned to the touch.
If he touched me now, I would probably make a strange sound before running off.
Actually, I had planned to return home as soon as I calmed down.
Fortunately there were small animals nearby, helping me to relax. The so-called animal-a.s.sisted therapy.
It sure was warm.
Not to say the pen was dirty, but there was a faint smell of dung in the air… It"s probably from the chickens. These chickens had a habit of doing their business in one particular spot, so the pen was clean for the most part.
I might have dozed off a little there.
Out of the blue, one of the chickens on my knees broke out into a continuous string of chirping. Several other chicks also gathered around me, their tiny necks raised in alarm.
“What happened?”
Then I heard it. A scratching from the back of the pen. As the source of the sound gradually moved from the rear to the side, I followed it with my eyes. The cries of the chickens grew louder.
There was something outside!
I moved away from the walls with the chickens, trying to keep my distance from the noises. Something was trying to sneak in, scratching the walls and sc.r.a.ping the ground as it moved to the front of the pen. Judging from the sounds, it should be pretty big. In a flash, gooseb.u.mps spread over my skin.
There shouldn"t be any beasts in this world, so what was that thing outside?
The front side of the pen was made with a thin bamboo lattice, allowing people to see inside. Through there, I could make out a large shadow, its black body soaked in moonlight. Then it finally came close enough for me to see clearly: a terrible, elongated figure.
It was as thick as my arm.
Ah, I knew what this creature was. It was a centipede, a dangerous insect with many legs.
Then my brain finally caught up and I screamed.
There was no need to think about disturbing the neighborhood. I only screamed and screamed, calling for Sig"s help. The huge centipede started to push his head through the pen"s lattice― Aaaaaaaahhhh!!!
"Minoru, move back as far as you can."
Which reached the hero, my cries or the chickens"? The moment I had heard his voice, I was so relieved that all my strength left my body
Sig had no weapons with him, and other than his warning, I had not heard a sound from him. Nothing to suggest his arrival.
What was he going to do? I stared with horror, wondering whether he would fight the centipede with his bare hands. Instead, I watched as he picked up a branch that had fallen nearby while clinging to the pen. Watched as he stabbed it into the centipede and flung it away.
Once it had reached the ground, Sig stabbed it several more times, killing it.
How did Sig pierce through the armored exoskeleton of the centipede with just a tree branch?
Sig peeked through the gaps in the lattice. His gaze fell upon the noisy chickens and my trembling self hidden in a corner of the pen.
"It"s safe now. Come out, Minoru.”
This was bad. I could see a halo shining above Sig"s head.
I stumbled through the narrow entrance, Sig"s hands shooting out to help me stand.
I clung to his chest without hesitation.
So scary! My gooseb.u.mps wouldn"t go away!
“You don"t seem to have any injuries." Sig hugged me tight. His hold was firm enough to make me uneasy, almost on the brink of being painful. Anxious, I patted his chest, and he relaxed his hold.
I looked down after hearing chirps nearby. Before I"d realized it, the chicks gathered at Sig"s feet. All of you were scared too, right?I
“I never knew there was such a terrible thing lurking around here!”
“I told you that it"s dangerous.”
“But I"m remember you saying there weren"t any dangerous beasts here…" I gave Sig a reproachful stare as we placed the chicks back in their pen. Even though I knew it was wrong to blame him, I couldn"t help saying that. I was a bit upset.
“I said there were no beasts, not that there were no insects.” Sig shrugged, returning the last chicken.
…I should"ve guessed it when I encountered that earthworm.