I had a dream.
A dream with him.
I dread of him smiling at on a green lawn, sharing peaceful conversations.
"How’s the weather today?"
"What happened?"
Though it was a trivial conversation, the dream felt incredibly sweet.
So much so that I wished that mont could last forever.
-Hahaha! Hurry and follow !
When Ricardo, with a beaming smile, gestured for him to follow, Mikhail smiled back.
Even though it was a dream.
Even though everything would return to dust in the end, he was still happy to have such a dream in his final monts….
-Rustle.
At the sound of rustling near his ear, Mikhail’s eyes began to slowly open.
"Are you awake?"
"Ugh...!"
"Don’t move. We stopped the explosion, but we couldn’t completely block the impact."
Feeling pain as if his body had shattered like glass, Mikhail let out a faint groan. Unable to move his legs, arms, or chest due to the searing pain, he tightly shut his sleepy eyes before forcing them open.
’Where… am I?’
Everything around him was dark.
The ceiling seed so close it was right above his nose, and the space before him was just large enough for two people to sit in.
And then.
In the dark space, he saw a man smiling brightly, causing his eyes to widen.
It was Ricardo.
Ricardo, whom he thought was dead, was burying sothing in the ground with a faint smile, greeting him.
"You’re awake?"
"..."
"You wouldn’t open your eyes, so I thought you were dead, Miha… no, Miss Misa."
Mikhail looked at Ricardo with an awkward expression.
"..."
It didn’t feel real.
What he was seeing before him.
Even though the damp sll of soil in his nose told him this was reality, Mikhail couldn’t collect his thoughts as he stared at Ricardo, who was smiling calmly at him.
After all that had happened.
After all the hardships he had endured because of him, Mikhail couldn’t understand Ricardo’s smiling face.
"Ah... Ugh…"
Words wouldn’t co out easily.
Afraid of what to say or how to begin, Mikhail hesitantly opened his lips and spoke to Ricardo.
The first words that ca out were.
"Is this a dream?"
That, of course.
At Mikhail’s question, Ricardo turned indifferently, pinched his cheek, and smiled.
"It hurts, doesn’t it?"
-Nod.
"Then it can’t be a dream, right?"
-Nod.
Absentmindedly rubbing the cheek Ricardo had pinched, Mikhail nodded again.
"It hurts."
"Did I pinch too hard?"
-Shake.
"No. It’s just… my heart… it hurts."
Feeling his heart ache, Mikhail’s eyes began to redden. Relief that Ricardo was alive and gratitude that he had survived crashed over him like a tsunami, pounding against his chest.
"Sniff…"
He couldn’t help but cry.
He was truly grateful.
"Sniff... I’m sorry."
That he was alive.
"Why are you crying…!"
"I’m sorry. It’s just that I can’t stop the tears…."
"No… Wait, that’s…"
Even though he thought he shouldn’t approach him, feeling guilty for the wounds he had caused, Mikhail found himself wanting to say just one more thing to Ricardo.
"I’m really sorry."
He truly was.
What right did he have to speak to him?
What words could possibly console him? Knowing it was impossible, Mikhail hated and resented his cowardly heart for moving nonetheless.
He wanted to know more about him.
He wanted to ask about the life he’d lived.
He wanted to understand him better.
"...I’m sorry."
Even though he knew it was shaless.
Still.
He wanted to be selfish.
"I… I’m really sorry…"
"This is awkward."
"And… thank you so much for being alive…"
Unable to contain his emotions as the one he thought he’d lost forever stood before him, Mikhail tightly embraced Ricardo.
"Sniff… Sob…"
"Why are you crying? You barely made it back alive."
"Waaaah… Sniff… Huuu…"
How much ti passed like that?
Finally calming down, Mikhail found solace in Ricardo’s gentle pats on his back.
Ricardo wiped the tears from Mikhail’s eyes and smiled softly.
"Were you very startled?"
"...Yes."
"Because you thought I was dead?"
-Nod. Nod.
"If I could die that easily, I wouldn’t even qualify as a Sword Master. Look."
Ricardo gestured to his torn shirt, revealing where his wounds had disappeared.
"See? They’re gone."
"Sniff…"
"Why are you crying again!"
"The… the scars."
Pointing at Ricardo’s scars with trembling fingers, Mikhail’s eyes reddened once more.
"Huuu… Hic…"
Ricardo, looking troubled, hurriedly covered himself.
"These are, uh… old wounds. From living a rough life…"
"Because of …"
"No, that’s not it…! Wait, no, it is, but…"
"Right…"
"Ah… No, no, that’s not what I ant."
Seeing Ricardo flustered, Mikhail’s expression grew even more sorrowful. It felt as if all the scars had been caused by him. Perhaps they had, and the thought made Mikhail’s chest ache even more as he lowered his head and rubbed his eyes weakly.
"Was this your original image?"
-Nod. Nod.
"The image you show at the Academy is…"
"Sniff… At the Academy… because I’m a man. To look strong."
"No… Hah."
Ricardo let out a deep sigh and spoke to Mikhail.
"No, but why disguise yourself as a man in the first place? You could just live proudly as a woman."
"Well… Lee Minhyuk knows as a man, so I thought if he were alive, he might recognize ."
"Good grief…"
Ricardo rubbed his forehead at the absurd reality and muttered quietly to himself, ’At this rate, isn’t the protagonist of this novel , not Yuria?’ as he mumbled.
The extra character ’Ricardo,’ who wasn’t even given a single line in the novel, tried hard to hide his flustered feelings as he looked at Mikhail, who was shedding tears like a waterfall.
"Stop."
"…Sniff. Sob…"
"Let’s stop crying now."
"Sniff… Okay."
"Good. Now let’s have a serious conversation."
Ricardo looked up at the blocked sky and spoke to Mikhail.
"We’re trapped."
"…"
"We managed to stop the explosion, but it turns out we’re deeper underground than expected, so digging our way out is difficult. I did call a friend, but it’s soone you know too, Mikhail."
"Sniff…"
"Why are you crying again!"
"It’s because of …"
"Well, yes, but still."
"Waaahhhh…"
"Why now! Again!"
"My na…"
Mikhail, who seed to have an endless supply of tears, had apparently unleashed a flood of pent-up emotions, crying uncontrollably.
"My na… isn’t Mikhail."
"Ah. Then Miss Misa."
"Hehe… You called Misa…"
"Why is your face turning red?"
"…Hehe."
Ricardo sighed and shook his head at Mikhail’s unfamiliar behavior. He couldn’t help but think that Mikhail’s head must have been seriously injured by the falling bricks.
"Hoo…"
Suddenly, Mikhail leaned in close to Ricardo’s face, startling him so much that he recoiled backward.
"W-What are you doing?"
"I wanted to check if you’re hurt… Sniff."
"Didn’t I already show you?"
"You might be hurt emotionally."
"What…?"
"…Yes."
What is this?
Ricardo frowned as he watched Mikhail spout such nonsense with a serious face.
"Mikhail. No, Miss Misa."
-Nod.
"Did a brick hit your head, or is Yung still alive… No, wait, I just buried him, so that’s not it… Anyway, are you okay? Specifically, ntally…."
"Sniff… Yes?"
"No, no… Don’t start crying again. It’s not because you’re strange, it’s just hard to adjust."
"Am I that strange?"
"Yes."
"Then…!"
"Yes."
"Should I just die…?"
Seeing Mikhail’s serious expression as if he were about to commit seppuku, Ricardo was startled and shook his head vigorously.
"Why is the conversation going in that direction!"
"Because I’m a burden. I thought it might be better to repay with my life."
"Sigh… This is really difficult."
"…Should I just die then?"
"I said stop it! And why are you suddenly using formal speech?"
"I usually use formal speech well."
"Then why didn’t you use it with ?"
"…"
Mikhail, unable to answer, awkwardly smiled and lowered his head.
"I knew it. I should just die."
At so point, Mikhail had taken Tirbing and was now staring at the blade with a serious expression, prompting Ricardo to frantically wave his hands.
"Let’s talk! Let’s just talk for now."
-Nod. Nod.
"Today has been full of surprises, and my head is spinning. Honestly, I was worried about how I would face you, Mikhail… No, Miss Misa."
"…"
"I was worried it might be awkward…."
"Sniff…"
"Stop!"
-…Nod.
Ricardo awkwardly smiled at Mikhail’s unexpected reaction.
"Anyway, I’m sorry for startling you."
"No… I’m the one who should apologize."
-Tightly…
"I know there are still so many things I need to apologize for, but at least for today… I really wanted to apologize."
"You’ll have to keep apologizing."
"…I know."
Mikhail, who had been wearing a sorrowful expression, hardened his face and replied in a serious tone to Ricardo’s words.
"I will keep apologizing. Until the day I die… Until you push away, I’ll keep apologizing."
"…"
"Because the wounds I’ve caused… won’t heal easily."
Seeing Mikhail’s serious deanor, Ricardo closed his eyes lightly and forced a faint smile. He didn’t know how to resolve this, but for now, it seed this was all he could do in the current situation.
He couldn’t question recklessly.
He couldn’t scold him for what he’d done.
For now, Ricardo thought it best to stop the reprimand at this level.
As Ricardo maintained his silence, Mikhail cautiously opened his mouth.
"Lee…"
"Lee?"
"Lee Min… hyuk…"
"…Your pronunciation is still clumsy. How many tis have I told you, and you still can’t get it right?"
"…It’s hard to pronounce."
"Lee. Min. Hyuk."
"Leeminhyuk?"
"Oh, co on…"
Only after seeing Ricardo’s sigh, tinged with laughter, did Mikhail let out a small chuckle. After all, there was only one person in the world who would correct his pronunciation like that.
Mikhail, with tears welling up in his eyes, looked at Ricardo.
"Uh, um, Minhyuk."
"Please call Ricardo."
"Then, Ricardo..."
"Yes."
"Why didn’t you tell ...?"
Ricardo smiled silently.
"You already knew, didn’t you? That I’m Mikhail..."
"..."
"If you had told , I wouldn’t have hurt you. Or maybe... maybe I wouldn’t have changed anyway because I’m such a flawed person..."
Ricardo interrupted Mikhail’s words. He didn’t want to hear any more self-deprecating remarks.
In a calm voice, he spoke to Mikhail.
"Because you seed to be doing well."
Ricardo lied to Mikhail. Possessor. Status Window. He knew such things wouldn’t be believed even if he spoke of them. Besides, it was forbidden.
"You seed to be living well enough, so I didn’t approach you. Miss Misa was doing fine without ."
"..."
"Just as Miss Misa wanted to succeed under the na Mikhail, I also wanted to succeed in my own way before approaching you."
"...But still!"
"And in doing so, the distance between us grew."
"..."
"Resentnt began to build up."
Mikhail clenched his fist.
After all, it was true that he had inflicted an irreparable wound.
Many things remained.
The unresolved burdens in each of their hearts.
Things that needed an apology.
And their relationship with each other.
There were still many stories left to resolve. There was no need to rush. What mattered was that they had taken the first step.
He didn’t think this bitterness would be resolved all at once, but if he could offer even a small excuse...
"I..."
That alone was enough for Mikhail.
"I did sothing terrible to you."
"..."
"I trampled on soone you cared about."
"..."
"I ignored the path you were on and dismissed your advice. Maybe... no, Ricardo, I hated you."
"I understand, to so extent, since I also played a part in that..."
"No. It’s because I’m a terrible person. It’s my fault."
Mikhail shook his head at Ricardo’s words, stubbornly holding onto his guilt. No matter what anyone said, this was a burden he felt he had to carry.
"So... I’ll keep apologizing. I’ll beco a better person, and one day..."
Just as Mikhail’s true feelings were about to surface.
-Rumble.
"Huh."
Feeling the trembling of the ground, Ricardo reached out to protect Mikhail. In his current state, Mikhail wouldn’t be able to withstand the shock.
"It’s dangerou—"
-Squish.
"Hm?"
’A young lady? No, smaller than that...’
For a mont, the soft sensation he felt made the lewd thoughts in his mind vanish as a moan escaped soone’s lips.
"Ah..."
"Oh..."
He couldn’t lift his head.
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