Arkan’s eyes narrowed. His lips were shut straight and the corners of his mouth drooped down.
Arkan stared at her with a grumpy expression and said,
“How many times do I have to tell you not to try to solve things with violence?”
Erdene immediately retorted.
“That’s why I’m linking arms.”
“You can’t possibly not even think about punching me?”
Erdene’s eyes rolled around.
“No.”
There are things like this. Arkan thought.
He’d thought the same thing thousands of times since meeting her, but it felt new every time... It was a separate thing from the fact that he was used to being openly mean.
As Arkan’s expression crumpled even more, Erdene giggled like a mischievous child who had succeeded in a bad prank.
“I'm not the only one who thinks about punching you. Fists, what should I say...”
Erdene raised his eyebrows as he pulled out one of his crossed arms and shook his tightly clenched fist slightly.
“I guess you could say it’s similar to always having the easiest solution on hand.”
“You call that comforting?”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“I’m hurt because I thought I could get punched by my only wife every time, so don’t you plan on comforting me?”
“I’ll comfort you after you get punched.”
I can’t stand it anymore. Arkan stomped his foot and pounded his thigh.
I wanted to slam the table, but there were still too many dishes...
Erdene watched him struggling with irritation as if it was fun, then threw her head back and laughed.
“You solve things violently too, huh?”
“What?”
“You’re swinging your fist because you’re angry. Just admit it.”
“I can’t admit it! It’s always like this.”
Arkan grumbled, stretching his legs out under the table.
Erdene frowned as if she was dying of laughter, then wiggled her fingers on the table.
“Chocho, good boy. Don’t be so funny and come here.”
“I’m not going. You’re calling me a dog again.”
“Really? Then I’ll go.”
Erdene suddenly stood up and strode around the wide round table in one step toward Arkan.
Then she hugged his head tightly in her arms and rubbed his cheek until his hair was all messed up.
“Oh, stop it! My hair is all messed up!”
“Don’t you want to turn into a real dog? The more I touch your hair, the more it reminds me of a big dog. I wish the range was a little wider.”
“Get out of the way!”
Arkan pushed with all his might, but Erdene only pushed her body back and didn’t release the grip on his head.
As a result, Arkan felt a fear similar to having his head caught between iron rings.
“Are you planning to smash my head?”
Only then did the strength leave Erdene’s arms.
When he could move his head, Arkan ran his hand through his messy hair and looked up at her.
“That won’t break it. Humans are surprisingly strong. If you want to smash it, at least...”
“No, no, no. That’s enough. I don’t want to know anything about how to smash a head. Not a single thing!”
“Why? It’s just a fun story to hear after dinner.”
Arkan stared at her with a grumpy expression and said,
“How many times do I have to tell you not to try to solve things with violence?”
Erdene immediately retorted.
“That’s why I’m linking arms.”
“You can’t possibly not even think about punching me?”
Erdene’s eyes rolled around.
“No.”
There are things like this. Arkan thought.
He’d thought the same thing thousands of times since meeting her, but it felt new every time... It was a separate thing from the fact that he was used to being openly mean.
As Arkan’s expression crumpled even more, Erdene giggled like a mischievous child who had succeeded in a bad prank.
“I'm not the only one who thinks about punching you. Fists, what should I say...”
Erdene raised his eyebrows as he pulled out one of his crossed arms and shook his tightly clenched fist slightly.
“I guess you could say it’s similar to always having the easiest solution on hand.”
“You call that comforting?”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“I’m hurt because I thought I could get punched by my only wife every time, so don’t you plan on comforting me?”
“I’ll comfort you after you get punched.”
I can’t stand it anymore. Arkan stomped his foot and pounded his thigh.
I wanted to slam the table, but there were still too many dishes...
Erdene watched him struggling with irritation as if it was fun, then threw her head back and laughed.
“You solve things violently too, huh?”
“What?”
“You’re swinging your fist because you’re angry. Just admit it.”
“I can’t admit it! It’s always like this.”
Arkan grumbled, stretching his legs out under the table.
Erdene frowned as if she was dying of laughter, then wiggled her fingers on the table.
“Chocho, good boy. Don’t be so funny and come here.”
“I’m not going. You’re calling me a dog again.”
“Really? Then I’ll go.”
Erdene suddenly stood up and strode around the wide round table in one step toward Arkan.
Then she hugged his head tightly in her arms and rubbed his cheek until his hair was all messed up.
“Oh, stop it! My hair is all messed up!”
“Don’t you want to turn into a real dog? The more I touch your hair, the more it reminds me of a big dog. I wish the range was a little wider.”
“Get out of the way!”
Arkan pushed with all his might, but Erdene only pushed her body back and didn’t release the grip on his head.
As a result, Arkan felt a fear similar to having his head caught between iron rings.
“Are you planning to smash my head?”
Only then did the strength leave Erdene’s arms.
When he could move his head, Arkan ran his hand through his messy hair and looked up at her.
“That won’t break it. Humans are surprisingly strong. If you want to smash it, at least...”
“No, no, no. That’s enough. I don’t want to know anything about how to smash a head. Not a single thing!”
“Why? It’s just a fun story to hear after dinner.”
If it’s only fun twice, the table will be covered in blood, Arkan thought.
He might end up eating in a place that felt like the middle of hell. Since a story that he’d heard once wouldn’t easily leave his head, maybe he’d continue to...
“I’ll have to show you what a fun story to hear after dinner is. Follow me.”
The moment he grabbed her wrist and stood up, Erdene realized that she had missed her chance to strike and run away.
It was obvious where Arkan would take her, somewhere that would bring up the words ‘interesting stories’...
“Oh, you're going to read me some weird book again! I can’t even digest it and I’ll get diarrhea!”
“No one in the world gets diarrhea from reading a book. The human stomach is surprisingly strong.”
Erdene’s mouth fell open, never expecting that she would get her prank back in this way.
At that moment, Arkan turned his head and smiled at Erdene’s expression. As if he had hit her hard.
Arkan took Erdene to the study, just as she had expected. They had been busy and out of their minds for a while, so it had been a long time since either of them had been to the study.
Erdene looked displeased with the smell of books she had not smelled in a long time, but Arkan smiled happily as if he had returned to his hometown.
He walked to the bookshelf without hesitation, chose a book without hesitation, and made a seat by arranging the sofa and cushions.
“Come and sit here.”
“What’s the title?”
Arkan turned the book cover toward Erdene.
The first thing that caught her eye was the ornate decoration surrounding the letters in the center.
“<The Passion of the Dahlia Garden>.”
Erdene’s eyes narrowed even further as she recited it as if reciting a solemn spell.
The title was unfamiliar, but the author’s name below it was very familiar, and there was a reason for that.
“Is this author’s book again?”
“No, how do you know this author?”
“How could I not know? You read <Cold Lover> every other day. He's the author of that! And this time, it looks like a pornographic novel.”
“No, how can I... I don’t read it every other day! I don’t read it that often! And a pornographic novel, that’s not it! Don’t have such prejudices without even reading it!”
Among the books Arkan liked, “Cold Lover” was a particularly famous romance novel.
He read it so often that he could almost memorize the important sentences on every page, but whenever Flat or people close to him told him to 'stop reading that book,' Arkan would protest like this.
“Cold Lover” is not your average romance novel. Do you know how deeply it reflects on humanity? This work is on a different level from pornographic novels. All of this author’s works are like that.”
“Everything? You’ve read everything he’s written.”
“Isn’t that obvious? He’s my favorite author, so of course I’ve read them all. I have them all.”
Arkan’s attitude as he answered was not only joyful but also proud. It was a feeling Erdene would never understand... No matter how much she tried to find a replacement, nothing came to mind.
Arkan said.
“This writer is really amazing. First of all, the strange thing is that no one knows who this person is. No one among the people who publish books or those who have a sense of the literary world knows who this person is.”
Erdene snorted.
“How can that be possible unless the writing falls from the sky?”
He might end up eating in a place that felt like the middle of hell. Since a story that he’d heard once wouldn’t easily leave his head, maybe he’d continue to...
“I’ll have to show you what a fun story to hear after dinner is. Follow me.”
The moment he grabbed her wrist and stood up, Erdene realized that she had missed her chance to strike and run away.
It was obvious where Arkan would take her, somewhere that would bring up the words ‘interesting stories’...
“Oh, you're going to read me some weird book again! I can’t even digest it and I’ll get diarrhea!”
“No one in the world gets diarrhea from reading a book. The human stomach is surprisingly strong.”
Erdene’s mouth fell open, never expecting that she would get her prank back in this way.
At that moment, Arkan turned his head and smiled at Erdene’s expression. As if he had hit her hard.
Arkan took Erdene to the study, just as she had expected. They had been busy and out of their minds for a while, so it had been a long time since either of them had been to the study.
Erdene looked displeased with the smell of books she had not smelled in a long time, but Arkan smiled happily as if he had returned to his hometown.
He walked to the bookshelf without hesitation, chose a book without hesitation, and made a seat by arranging the sofa and cushions.
“Come and sit here.”
“What’s the title?”
Arkan turned the book cover toward Erdene.
The first thing that caught her eye was the ornate decoration surrounding the letters in the center.
“<The Passion of the Dahlia Garden>.”
Erdene’s eyes narrowed even further as she recited it as if reciting a solemn spell.
The title was unfamiliar, but the author’s name below it was very familiar, and there was a reason for that.
“Is this author’s book again?”
“No, how do you know this author?”
“How could I not know? You read <Cold Lover> every other day. He's the author of that! And this time, it looks like a pornographic novel.”
“No, how can I... I don’t read it every other day! I don’t read it that often! And a pornographic novel, that’s not it! Don’t have such prejudices without even reading it!”
Among the books Arkan liked, “Cold Lover” was a particularly famous romance novel.
He read it so often that he could almost memorize the important sentences on every page, but whenever Flat or people close to him told him to 'stop reading that book,' Arkan would protest like this.
“Cold Lover” is not your average romance novel. Do you know how deeply it reflects on humanity? This work is on a different level from pornographic novels. All of this author’s works are like that.”
“Everything? You’ve read everything he’s written.”
“Isn’t that obvious? He’s my favorite author, so of course I’ve read them all. I have them all.”
Arkan’s attitude as he answered was not only joyful but also proud. It was a feeling Erdene would never understand... No matter how much she tried to find a replacement, nothing came to mind.
Arkan said.
“This writer is really amazing. First of all, the strange thing is that no one knows who this person is. No one among the people who publish books or those who have a sense of the literary world knows who this person is.”
Erdene snorted.
“How can that be possible unless the writing falls from the sky?”
“He always sends errand boys. Anyway, if no one knows who this person is, then he must have started without any connections. He published another work before “Cold Lover,” but it didn’t get much of a response. I have that book, and of course, I like it, but it’s not something people would like. It’s full of moral lessons. But the next book, “Cold Lover,” was the real deal. He’s been publishing romance novels since then. I don’t know who he is, but he must have been in a passionate love affair dozens of times. Otherwise, he couldn’t write such vivid stories.”
Erdene’s face got a little tired as he watched Arkan, who didn’t even breathe while he spoke at length.
But his words were not over yet! Arkan grabbed Erdene’s wrist, who was still standing awkwardly, and sat her down next to him. He suddenly opened the book and began to show her the preface.
“Look, this person’s characteristic is that he writes his prefaces very concisely. If you read the work and then reread the preface, you can see how much effort he put into this short piece. You can also see how delicately he chose his words. The sentences are really beautiful and gentle. I think he must be a fragile and sensitive person... Aren’t you really curious about who he is? Sometimes I can’t sleep when I think about who this person is.”
“I won’t be able to sleep today because I’m thinking about why you’re acting like this.”
Erdene replied with her still-tired eyes.
Regardless, Arkan held Erdene’s waist tightly as if he didn’t want to let go of her, and began to open the book in earnest.
“I told you not to read it!”
“No. You have to read the book since you’re here. What else is there to do in the study besides reading books?”
“There are so many things to do. For example, this isn’t a dahlia garden, but you could think of it as something like that and spend your time in raptures.”
At those words, Arkan’s fingers, which were about to turn the pages of a book, stopped in their tracks. Arkan, who had been staring at Erdene with a flushed face, licked his lips.
“...Are you serious?”
Gotcha.
Erdene chuckled and deliberately placed a hand on the back of Arkan’s hand. Arkan swallowed hard and his throat throbbed loudly.
Erdene said,
“I’m really serious. The sun is so bright, but I think that’s okay in its own way. What do you think?”
Arkan blinked and stared at her, then grinned like a big dog that had eaten a snack.
“Then let’s cut down on the time by selecting only the fun parts. Someday, you too will finish reading this book.”
Erdene’s face got a little tired as he watched Arkan, who didn’t even breathe while he spoke at length.
But his words were not over yet! Arkan grabbed Erdene’s wrist, who was still standing awkwardly, and sat her down next to him. He suddenly opened the book and began to show her the preface.
“Look, this person’s characteristic is that he writes his prefaces very concisely. If you read the work and then reread the preface, you can see how much effort he put into this short piece. You can also see how delicately he chose his words. The sentences are really beautiful and gentle. I think he must be a fragile and sensitive person... Aren’t you really curious about who he is? Sometimes I can’t sleep when I think about who this person is.”
“I won’t be able to sleep today because I’m thinking about why you’re acting like this.”
Erdene replied with her still-tired eyes.
Regardless, Arkan held Erdene’s waist tightly as if he didn’t want to let go of her, and began to open the book in earnest.
“I told you not to read it!”
“No. You have to read the book since you’re here. What else is there to do in the study besides reading books?”
“There are so many things to do. For example, this isn’t a dahlia garden, but you could think of it as something like that and spend your time in raptures.”
At those words, Arkan’s fingers, which were about to turn the pages of a book, stopped in their tracks. Arkan, who had been staring at Erdene with a flushed face, licked his lips.
“...Are you serious?”
Gotcha.
Erdene chuckled and deliberately placed a hand on the back of Arkan’s hand. Arkan swallowed hard and his throat throbbed loudly.
Erdene said,
“I’m really serious. The sun is so bright, but I think that’s okay in its own way. What do you think?”
Arkan blinked and stared at her, then grinned like a big dog that had eaten a snack.
“Then let’s cut down on the time by selecting only the fun parts. Someday, you too will finish reading this book.”
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment