You! Don’t Press that Button! - Chap 124

While I stood mesmerized by the door, the bird perched on my shoulder suddenly took flight and landed on the floor. Stretching its neck out, it looked up at my face. Unable to guess why it had suddenly descended, I tilted my head similarly.

“Let’s go together!”

I reached out toward the bird, but it only stared at my hand without moving an inch. Why are you just standing there when the door has appeared? Frustrated, I knelt down to catch it, but the bird raised its wings threateningly.

“…Why?”

Anxiety stirred my heart. Though I reached out again, the bird only swiftly struck my hand with its fully spread wings. While it looked fierce, it didn’t actually hurt, but it was enough to stop my actions.

“Let’s go together… If we go there, you can eat lots of delicious things, and sleep in the fluffy places you like.”

Though I tried speaking in a bright voice as if soothing an angry child, the bird shook its head. Its plump bottom swayed side to side from the motion. Though it was clearly cute, I don’t know why tears came to my eyes. I seem to have become quite the crybaby without realizing it.

“Let’s go together…”

My voice trembled at the end. Even when I spoke desperately as if pleading, the bird only narrowed its eyes into triangles and shook its head again. With an expression that seemed somewhat sulky, it raised just one wing and waved it side to side.

That gesture looked just like people waving goodbye, making my eyebrows twist further. Why are you doing this? I bit my lip slightly.

“This time I’ll protect you. I won’t let go like before… Let’s go together.”

Peee!

It stubbornly shook its head no. Backing away on its short legs, it kept waving goodbye to me.

I stared blankly at the bird. Was it because of my tears? It suddenly looked blurry. Even when I raised my hands to press and rub my eyes, it still appeared hazy like through fog.

Lowering my gaze from the bird to my legs, I saw my body remained clear unlike the bird’s blurry form. My heart beat slowly and quietly, as if assessing the situation.Thump, thump.The small heartbeats flowed into my ears.

Head bowed, I blinked and raised both hands to cover my face. I slowly exhaled the breath filling my lungs.

I realized why the bird wouldn’t come with me. Though I’d known for a long time, only now could I accept our parting.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I turned around to look at the door. Pressing my trembling lips firmly together, I pulled the handle. Feeling bright light embrace me, I slowly walked through the door. I didn’t look back.

Just before passing through, I heard a small “peep.”

That’s how I completely parted with the bird.

***

Epilogue

“Cough!What—hack!What is this!”

Before I could even open my eyes, I had to cough as some strange liquid rushed into my throat. Are they trying to suffocate me? As I struggled to get up frantically, something heavy collapsed onto me with a thud.

“Ugh, what!”

Opening my eyes with a dazed expression, I looked at my stomach. I saw someone with disheveled light blonde hair. Is it Asmil? Though the build seems similar, I’m not sure since his hair color looks much more faded than when I last saw him.

I tried moving my hand to brush away the hair covering his face, but couldn’t lift my arm as if all my muscles had disappeared. It felt just like the first time I transformed from bird to human.

“Ah, ahem, Asmil…?”

When I asked carefully, his head lifted slightly, wobbling. Pale pink eyes flashed through the messy hair.

“Eek!”

I couldn’t help being startled by his ghostly appearance. Though it was definitely Asmil, he looked half-dead with dark circles under his eyes.

“What, what’s wrong!”

Though he’s not someone I particularly like, seeing his usually smiling face so changed after just a few days made my heart sink. Gritting my teeth and mustering strength in my arms, I carefully lifted Asmil’s hair. When light hit his shadowed face, he looked even more serious.

“Ah… my job’s done.”

His downturned lips drawled lazily. Rising abruptly with his corpse-like appearance, he stumbled away from me unsteadily. Gone were his clear red eyes, replaced by pink ones that looked at me and curved slightly. Asmil stared at me intently with an unfathomable gaze before speaking.

“Now I can finally rest.”

Just as Asmil finished speaking, the firmly closed door burst open with a loud bang. I jumped, startled, my eyes going wide. Dark blue hair appeared behind Asmil.

For a moment, time seemed to flow slowly. I stared without looking away, eyes round and breath held.

“…Karhan.”

I tightly clenched my fist, curling fingers that still hadn’t fully regained sensation. Karhan too stared at me with wide eyes. His silver-gray eyes that felt both familiar and strange wouldn’t leave me. We both stood with only our gazes locked, unable to speak.

As if suddenly coming to his senses, Karhan’s expression hardened as he strode over to me in large steps. Then, bending his long legs, he sat beside me. His hesitant touch slowly approached before brushing away the hair covering my forehead.

Though not much time had passed since parting with Karhan, I’d missed him terribly. Barely bending my stiff arm, I covered Karhan’s hand on my forehead. When his warm temperature touched my face, I felt calm.

Heehee. Smiling like a child, I closed my eyes.

“Your hand is warm.”

“Yes… Very warm indeed.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed looking down at me, Karhan slowly lowered his head. His slightly disheveled navy hair tickled my forehead as it swayed, and his silver-gray eyes slowly disappeared beneath his eyelids. After taking in that sight, I slowly closed my eyes too.

His usually soft lips had become somewhat rough. Had he suffered much because of me? Contradictory emotions – painful yet pleasant – tickled my heart. Just as I smiled faintly before our lips could meet, an untimely voice came from right beside us.

“You haven’t forgotten I’m here, right?”

The softly touching lips suddenly stopped and hurriedly withdrew. I raised my hands to cover my face.

That, that tactless thing! I heaved a deeply annoyed sigh. Frowning intensely as I glared at Asmil, his face showed clear signs of exhaustion. Though unlike earlier, the corners of his mouth turned slightly upward.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Leaning crookedly against the wall, Asmil turned to meet Karhan’s eyes. His pink eyes curved thinly in a smile.

“Can I take this off now?”

Asmil shook his leg. What does he mean take off? I slowly lowered my round eyes to look at Asmil’s ankle. Something familiar caught my eye.

“Shackles…?”

My blinking eyes widened to the size of 500-won coins. Wait, why is Asmil wearing those shackles? Puzzled, I examined his appearance before turning to Karhan. As if they’d made some secret agreement without my knowledge, they only exchanged glances.

Karhan gently stroked my forehead as if worried I might break. After quietly examining me, he spoke to Asmil.

“Two months from now. I’ll remove them then.”

“Ah― two months… Well, fine. After doing this for two years, two months is nothing.”

Asmil answered lightly. Two years? What does he mean?

When Asmil left the room, a calm silence settled between us. I took Karhan’s hand that had been stroking my head and lowered it.

“Why is Asmil wearing those? And what’s this about two years?”

The time I spent in Korea wasn’t very long. At most, two days. Of course, I couldn’t know how much time had passed in the black space. At my words, Karhan’s lips curved into a smile before slowly parting.

“We made a deal. In exchange for saving Asdion’s life, he would provide blood until you woke up.”

“Blood?”

Karhan took out a handkerchief from his pocket and firmly dabbed my lips. Then he slowly raised it to show me. The handkerchief, previously white as drawing paper, was now stained with bright red.

“Asmil got what he wanted in his own way, so it ended well enough for both sides.”

He fed me blood through that agreement? I must have been asleep for two years then… Is that why his eye and hair color became so pale? Though I had suffered at his hands, thinking about him having his blood drawn for two years made me feel somewhat sorry. As I blinked and avoided his gaze, Karhan quickly spoke.

“You needn’t feel sorry. You left an inerasable mark on this place.”

Though two long years had passed, his voice trembled slightly as if the anger hadn’t faded. His elegant fingers followed his silver-gray eyes as they slowly descended.

Slowly removing the clothes covering my chest, he traced my collarbone languidly. Moving gradually downward, he pressed firmly at one spot.

“Mmh.”

Something felt strange. Slightly furrowing my brow, I looked down at where his firm finger pointed and saw a scar the size of a coin. Ah, the wound from that time.

Karhan’s finger traced the round shape of the scar with an odd nuance. My face gradually reddened at the ticklish sensation. Barely controlling my wavering eyes from showing bewilderment, I looked at Karhan.

“You, you shouldn’t do that to a patient!”

Only when I spoke firmly did his hand finally leave my chest. Karhan chuckled, his body shaking slightly, making the bed ripple gently. Bending over me, he raised his gaze to meet my eyes.

His warm hands cupped my cheeks, and his handsome forehead carefully approached mine. Karhan inhaled slowly as if taking in my scent. For some reason, that sight made my face heat up slightly. Karhan’s lips curved gently into a beautiful smile.

“I love you.”

His sweet voice touched my lips. Our eyelashes fluttered, almost touching, tickling each other. His round yet sharp nose tip landed on my nose bridge, tickling me.

Finally unable to hold back my laughter from the tickling, I scrunched my eyes and said:

“I love you too.”

-The end.-