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“Why did you cry when you said it was okay?”
“This-this is. So…”
“Did they bother you again?”
Instead of answering, Hazard picked up a muffin and thrust it into Elphines hands.
“Well, more than that, here! I hope you like it!”
In fact, Elphines didn’t like sweets.
“All right, thanks.”
But that wasn’t the reason to refuse what her little brother brought for her. The hard dry and broken muffins were unsightly. Taking in the muffin, Elphines smiled affectionately and stroked Hazard’s head.
“Let’s eat together. It’s too much for me to eat alone.”
The two children sat down in the fountain and split the muffins Hazard brought in half sharing one side each. The sweetness that they haven’t tasted in a long time made the two children excited. The warm sunshine and the gentle breeze helped make the atmosphere calm.
There were only two children in this collapsing annex. There was a maid who brought meals from time to time, but that was all. It was a difficult environment for a child to survive, but the two still survived. Elphines mumbled like a song, gently stroking Hazard’s head lying on her knee.
“Azar, be a sweet man.’
“Yes, sir.”
“Be kind and straightforward.’
It was a word that both the listener and the speaker often heard and uttered. When Hazard was younger than this, his sister often said, ‘Be sweet and upright.’ His sister, who is five years older than him, tried to raise Hazard as a friendly and upright person.
“You should always keep a smile on your face. That smile will deceive the enemy, make allies, and strengthen you.”
“But, Noona. Good people are treated like fools.”
Hazard grumbled softly. Elphines held the tip of his nose and shakes it lightly.
“That’s a strange thing, isn’t it?
“…Yes.”
As soon as her hand fell, Hazard quickly covered his nose to protect it. He made a nasally sound in response.
“Hazard, the right path is a very difficult one. But on the contrary, the ‘mean’ path is very easy. Most people try to go the easy way. It’s comfortable. I could do that, too.”
Elphines’ tone was soft.
“But the good man always wins. They have a lot of hardships, and they are tested over and over again. But that’s why they’re stronger than anyone because they are the ones who overcome all that.”
“I don’t know…”
“You’ll understand when you’re older.”
Hazard buried his face in Elphines’ lap with a small grunt. So he didn’t know what kind of face she had at that time.
“We will survive to the end. A puppy who swears at them for being a son of a gun will always eat the tiger.”
T/N: The quote is just trying to say that someone who is determined will always rise to the top.
Shaking- Shaking.
“Oh.”
Azar opened his eyes thanks to the loud rattling train.
‘Did I fall asleep?’
Blinking his stiff eyes a couple of times, Hazard stopped trying to raise his stiff body and paused. Nathan, who was sitting next to him, caught his eye. Nathan also seemed to have woken up, thanks to the already loud train. It was natural to rub his eyes, but Hazard looked carefully at Nathan just in case.
“Did you just wake up?”
“Yes.”
The answer was mediocre. Nathan blinked blankly a couple of times and suddenly rose from his seat. However, it was faster for Hazard to hold Nathan’s hand and put him back in his seat.
“Where are you going?”
“Outside.”
“You’re going outside?”
Hazard clicked his tongue a little, looking at him nodding. You didn’t wake up completely, either. Azar, who has learned Nathan’s condition through his experience, has found Nathan’s head and made him lean on his shoulder. I held his hand tightly with my remaining hand because I thought Nathan would move again.
“Go back to sleep.”
Nathan struggled for a moment, but it soon became quiet as Hazard refused to let go. It was not until he heard regular breathing from the side that Hazard took off his hand that was pressing Nathan’s head.
Hazard looked somewhat uncomfortable with the glasses pressed on his shoulder, so he carefully peeled them off, put them on the window frame, and turned his eyes out of the window. Dawn was rising outside the window as if it had been for quite a while.
Most people were asleep on the early morning train. Therefore, it was quiet except for the sound of snoring and the sound of the train. Hazard wanted to sleep again, but he leaned his head on Nathan’s head and looked at the scenery outside the window, as it was clear that he would not be able to sleep for long anyway.
Last night the two were able to catch the last train without being late. ‘I didn’t reserve tickets in advance, so I could barely sit at the end of the regular seat where several people went back and forth, not in a room.’ As soon as he sat down, Nathan began to doze off.
“Sleep if you’re sleepy. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to get off.”
“No, I’m not going to sleep.”
Nathan shook his head and tried to open his eyes. However, he could only open half of my eyelids as if they were too heavy. There were a lot of things to do today.
Nathan slapped his cheeks. His pale skin flamed red with the loud noise. Nathan murmured, pressing his heated cheek with his palm as if it hurt after hitting him.
“What if I fall asleep and do that again?”
Hazard knew the anxiety underlying the words. There was no guarantee that he wouldn’t fall asleep in such a crowded place and get up and wander around. It was not a disease that could be cured overnight. Then Hazard wouldn’t have walked around so early in the morning.
“I’m worried about everything.”
But Hazard tried hard to talk about Nathan’s anxiety as if it were nothing. Then he lifted himself from his seat opposite Nathan and dug into the empty seat next to him. Nathan was gently bitten toward the window by a barrel that was so close that his shoulders touched.
“I’m next to you.”
Hazard said so as a reminder of the obvious. Nathan isn’t alone right now, and he’s confident right next to him, so what’s so worrying about him?
“If you do anything strange, I’ll hold you. Isn’t that enough?”
‘It was something I’ve been doing over and over again, so it wasn’t new now.’ Hazard said in secret.
It was something that could not be kept secret forever. Therefore, I regret it, but I didn’t have any thoughts of what to do. Hazard thought that if Nathan, who knew nothing about it, had a problem when I left the academy, he would have felt guilty. So it was better to learn the facts like this and help him proudly while next to them.
“I feel bad because I keep bothering you.”
“What’s wrong with bothering friends?”
He sneaks into laughter as he says so, poking Nathan playfully in the ribs with his elbow.
“I’ll lend you my lap if you want!”
“No, I don’t think that’ll be very comfortable.”
Hazard patted his solid thigh and said. But Nathan looked at Hazard’s thighs and shook his head.
“Then I’ll sleep a little.”
“Good night.”
“And you?”
“At least one of us should keep our eyes open. And I’m not sleepy yet.”
Then Hazard looked at Nathan and urged him to keep sleeping. Nathan seemed to have a long silent argument with himself. He finally sighed with one’s arms folded as soon as he leaned his head, he fell asleep in an instant.
“Sleep?”
Hazard quickly became bored when the person chatting with him fell asleep. I looked at Nathan’s face, who was asleep while playing with his hands without anything to do, and looked out the window as he moved his eyes.
The only thing in the dark night that even the light seemed faint was darkness. From time to time, the moon appeared and was covered by clouds and repeatedly disappeared. I was tired of looking at the night scenery, and now I inferred how many people were on board, how many people were on board, what was their gender, and what was their occupation.
Then, at one point, I leaned my head on Nathan’s dry shoulder and blinked blankly.
While listening to the regular breathing sound coming from the side, Hazard seemed to have fallen asleep.
“I’m tired.”
Hazard murmured languidly as he watched the sun slowly rise and the blue sky brighten. The quiet air and the sunlight pouring out of the window made him feel drowsy. As he chased the dust twinkling through the group of lights with no reason to do anything, Hazard rolled his eyes and looked at the face of the boy in front of his nose. The hair glistening in the light looked more red than usual. It was usually a dull color.
“Oh, You have a mole under your ear.”
It was when Hazard was blankly counting Nathan’s eyelashes.
“Alas, the arrival station in a moment is Elazur. Passengers who want to get off are requested to check if there are any items left behind before getting off. I’ll say it again. In a few minutes, the arrival station will be Elazur.”
Azar was surprised and straightened up when he was not guilty of anything in the sudden announcement.
My heart was pounding, perhaps because I was surprised. I felt awkward and swept down the back of my back, and there was a buzzing sound here and there.
The broadcast was repeated several more times afterward as if it were to wake up all those who were asleep. At some point, the train was filled with noise as the people who were asleep woke up, stretched, and packed up their things.
Hazard let go of Nathan’s hand and shook his shoulder.