“If you catch a cold in the fall, it’s poisonous.”
“I ran out of lighter fluid. The matches got wet too.”
When she asked why he wasn't lighting a fire, the man replied that way. He saw a discarded lighter. Leila was newly curious about the man in front of her. The lighter was an expensive item. He looked like a swindler, but he had expensive items.
“Can I help you?”
“I would appreciate it if you could do that.”
“This is a thank you for helping me yesterday. My father told me not to live in debt.”
Instead of sticks, Leila pulled out dry grass to use as firewood. She was very good at making fires because she lived in the countryside for a long time. Aaron, who was putting the candy that Leila had given him again yesterday in his mouth, looked closely at her hand.
“It’s piercing.”
“Oh, I thought it would be helpful if I looked at it carefully later.”
“You just have to practice. Don’t start a forest fire. It’s dangerous because it’s fall.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
“But what on earth do you eat to live? You don’t plan on living here forever, do you? You haven’t been here long, so you don’t know much about it, but the river is going to flood next month.”
“The person who came last time said the same thing. The Casniers are very kind.”
He felt really good, having finally realized that there were tastes in the world other than grass, bark, and the muddy taste of flour.
'What the heck is that guy?'
In his detailed and polite tone, he had an aura that you wouldn't find in country youth. Strange. He really is the greatest beggar in Casnier. If you look closely, his facial features and his way of speaking make him seem like he's not suited to the life of a beggar.
Leila blew her breath on the sparks, feeling ticklish for no reason. What was I doing? If he hadn't collapsed on the verge of starvation, she would have simply said her thanks and left.
As the embers grew, Leila smiled with satisfaction.
“Yes!”
“That’s cool.”
Then, her eyes met the man's, and she quickly fixed her expression. She heard the man burst into laughter. Leila tried to change the subject. The old pocket that had fallen to the floor became a good topic of conversation that intertwined with the conversation from earlier.
“That bag of flour, is that what Uncle Walter gave you?”
The bag was dirty, covered in flour. Because it had been stored in a damp place, it was already full of bugs and was damp, so it looked like it was not fit for human consumption. It was such a miserable life.
“I think that was the kind of person he was.”
“He may look tough, but he’s a very kind person. He runs a general store down there, and sometimes he gives things out to street kids. I can tell by the pocket. It’s made by Mrs. Shelly. Oh, Mrs. Shelly is Uncle Walter’s wife.”
Aaron looked at Leila, who was explaining softly, and slightly lowered his head. Leila suddenly asked.
“But did you steal the handkerchief? The lighter too... I heard it was a valuable item.”
Aaron realized the meaning a half beat later and answered.
“No. The handkerchief is something my mother used when I was young. Even though our living conditions are a bit difficult... I don’t do things like stealing.”
“Yes? You just casually used that to tie up some stupid donkey’s legs?”
“I don’t need it anyway. I have no intention of returning home, so I was planning to throw it away or organize it someday. Don’t worry about it.”
“...Your hometown is... Dublin.”
Aaron pursed his lips. Leila’s nose slightly wrinkled as she observed him. It was a habitual expression she made when examining something. But then the man suddenly lifted his arms and clothes, sniffed as if smelling them, and stood up.
“Oh, excuse me.”
Leila tilted her head and watched the man's actions. The man approached the dark river and quickly began to wash his face. He then took off his shirt and washed his arms, armpits, and waist with the river water. Finally, he put his head in the water as if he were washing it and began to rub it. What a diligent move. Leila was taken aback.
'What on earth are you doing?'
Bathing in the river in this weather? What's wrong with your hair? She was inwardly shocked, but soon a man came back drenched from head to toe.
“Are you crazy? Aren’t you cold? No matter what, it’s going to be really cold.”
“I’m sorry if it stank. Living like this is living, but living alone... Even if I try to be careful, sometimes.”
"Ah."
For someone who lived like a beggar, he was clean. Even though his beard was dirty, his old clothes looked like they had been washed, and there was no bad smell at all. But Leila did not console him for his embarrassment.
She was secretly surprised by the appearance of the man who came out of the shower. His body, which shook off his hair dripping with water, was quite muscular. His skin was slightly tanned, but it was much whiter than that of the country boys. When he brushed away his wet hair, his forehead was clearly visible, and his facial features were more distinct. It was shocking to see that his face was so handsome that it was almost like a statue. However, her eyes were drawn more to the dog tag hanging around his neck.
The man smiled awkwardly and touched the back of his neck.
The announcement was quite late. She asked, touching her hot cheek for no reason.
"...What's your name?"
Aaron introduced himself belatedly with a look of embarrassment on his face.
“Oh, sorry for the late introduction. This is Aaron.”
“Leila.”
“It’s Miss Leila.”
His voice is really nice.
Aaron was drying his hair in the heat of the campfire. His cheeks were bulging like candy. Leila took advantage of the moment of silence to glance at him.
Aaron, who didn't reveal his real name, washed his hair and stripped his entire body - she think that's the only way to describe his transformation - and was revealed to have blonde hair that was more beautiful than she had expected.
Unlike ordinary soldiers who always swear, he is polite and speaks softly. If she hadn't seen his military number, she would have doubted whether he was really a soldier.
“I guess you’re very hungry.”
“I’ve been living a nomadic life for a little over a year now, and during that time I’ve only had a few opportunities to eat sweet food like this.”
“So what do you usually eat?”
“Just this and that.”
“Are these things like that?”
When Leila gestured to the bag of soggy flour, Aaron didn't answer for a long time before smiling faintly and lowering his head.
“Yes, that’s still a decent meal.”
“I can guess your financial situation just by looking at how you live, so it’s not surprising. I’ll make sure to wash the handkerchief and bring it to you.”
“...Ah, that’s good.”
“Of course it should be like that. It’s your mother’s.”
“Oh, not in that sense.”
What should I say about Aaron's expression as he chose his words? He had the scent of an adult. Leila savored the strange tickling sensation on her toes. It was such a strange feeling. Why is her face so hot? Is it because she has a cold? She doesn't know.
“I’m glad you came back... That’s what I meant. I hope you didn’t take it as something strange. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a conversation like this with a person.”
Leila dug through her pockets again, took out all the sweets, and laid them down. Oh, how pitiful of words. When you say something so sympathetic, even the most Dublin soldier can't help but open his pockets. Sadly, Leila is just like her father, selectively sympathetic. Why should a Dubliner be so pitiful?
“...Eat. There’s a lot.”
“Can you give me some more?”
“Because there are a lot at home.”
Aaron didn't refuse twice. He really must be a beggar. Leila was once again struck by his confident begging. Aaron, who was biting the candy in his mouth and saying something like, 'Ah, um. Uh.', smiled naturally when their eyes met.
"It is delicious."
“Eat a lot. Thanks to you, I was able to avoid trouble yesterday.”
“It was nothing special.”
He is a person with pretty, smiling eyes. Leila advised him, looking at his military ID tag.
“Isn’t it better to walk around with that off?”
"...Ah."
“As you know, um... these days, soldiers come and go from Casnier a lot.”
Aaron looked at Leila with a strange expression, then smiled softly again.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Strange eyes appeared. There was a long silence, as if the word soldier had been a taboo word. Leila kept trying to keep her eyes from going to Aaron, and stood up, shaking out her skirt.
“It’s late, I’ll go back now.”
"I."
"...yes?"
“Well, if you don’t mind, it’s a bit dark out at night... If you don’t mind, I’d like to offer you a ride. I also don’t think it’s polite to send the young lady away like this.”
What am I to be concerned about, a native village girl? It seemed funny. Leila giggled and declined.
“I’ll decline. I don’t know you very well.”
Aaron nodded without asking twice. 'That's right.' Even the self-deprecating voice was soft. Leila took a few steps back and turned her head again to stare at Aaron. Aaron was standing up to see her off, shaking off his slightly dry hair.
“You don’t look like a soldier.”
Aaron smiled faintly.
“Not anymore.”
Leila's house was busy preparing for the typhoon that came every fall. There was going to be a lot of rain next month. It happened every year.
Leila rolled up her sleeves to help her father add planks to the roof to keep the water out. The hay shed had to be especially careful. If it got wet and started to rot, it would become a sad thing that even the cows wouldn't pay attention to.
“I ran out of lighter fluid. The matches got wet too.”
When she asked why he wasn't lighting a fire, the man replied that way. He saw a discarded lighter. Leila was newly curious about the man in front of her. The lighter was an expensive item. He looked like a swindler, but he had expensive items.
“Can I help you?”
“I would appreciate it if you could do that.”
“This is a thank you for helping me yesterday. My father told me not to live in debt.”
Instead of sticks, Leila pulled out dry grass to use as firewood. She was very good at making fires because she lived in the countryside for a long time. Aaron, who was putting the candy that Leila had given him again yesterday in his mouth, looked closely at her hand.
“It’s piercing.”
“Oh, I thought it would be helpful if I looked at it carefully later.”
“You just have to practice. Don’t start a forest fire. It’s dangerous because it’s fall.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
“But what on earth do you eat to live? You don’t plan on living here forever, do you? You haven’t been here long, so you don’t know much about it, but the river is going to flood next month.”
“The person who came last time said the same thing. The Casniers are very kind.”
He felt really good, having finally realized that there were tastes in the world other than grass, bark, and the muddy taste of flour.
'What the heck is that guy?'
In his detailed and polite tone, he had an aura that you wouldn't find in country youth. Strange. He really is the greatest beggar in Casnier. If you look closely, his facial features and his way of speaking make him seem like he's not suited to the life of a beggar.
Leila blew her breath on the sparks, feeling ticklish for no reason. What was I doing? If he hadn't collapsed on the verge of starvation, she would have simply said her thanks and left.
As the embers grew, Leila smiled with satisfaction.
“Yes!”
“That’s cool.”
Then, her eyes met the man's, and she quickly fixed her expression. She heard the man burst into laughter. Leila tried to change the subject. The old pocket that had fallen to the floor became a good topic of conversation that intertwined with the conversation from earlier.
“That bag of flour, is that what Uncle Walter gave you?”
The bag was dirty, covered in flour. Because it had been stored in a damp place, it was already full of bugs and was damp, so it looked like it was not fit for human consumption. It was such a miserable life.
“I think that was the kind of person he was.”
“He may look tough, but he’s a very kind person. He runs a general store down there, and sometimes he gives things out to street kids. I can tell by the pocket. It’s made by Mrs. Shelly. Oh, Mrs. Shelly is Uncle Walter’s wife.”
Aaron looked at Leila, who was explaining softly, and slightly lowered his head. Leila suddenly asked.
“But did you steal the handkerchief? The lighter too... I heard it was a valuable item.”
Aaron realized the meaning a half beat later and answered.
“No. The handkerchief is something my mother used when I was young. Even though our living conditions are a bit difficult... I don’t do things like stealing.”
“Yes? You just casually used that to tie up some stupid donkey’s legs?”
“I don’t need it anyway. I have no intention of returning home, so I was planning to throw it away or organize it someday. Don’t worry about it.”
“...Your hometown is... Dublin.”
Aaron pursed his lips. Leila’s nose slightly wrinkled as she observed him. It was a habitual expression she made when examining something. But then the man suddenly lifted his arms and clothes, sniffed as if smelling them, and stood up.
“Oh, excuse me.”
Leila tilted her head and watched the man's actions. The man approached the dark river and quickly began to wash his face. He then took off his shirt and washed his arms, armpits, and waist with the river water. Finally, he put his head in the water as if he were washing it and began to rub it. What a diligent move. Leila was taken aback.
'What on earth are you doing?'
Bathing in the river in this weather? What's wrong with your hair? She was inwardly shocked, but soon a man came back drenched from head to toe.
“Are you crazy? Aren’t you cold? No matter what, it’s going to be really cold.”
“I’m sorry if it stank. Living like this is living, but living alone... Even if I try to be careful, sometimes.”
"Ah."
For someone who lived like a beggar, he was clean. Even though his beard was dirty, his old clothes looked like they had been washed, and there was no bad smell at all. But Leila did not console him for his embarrassment.
She was secretly surprised by the appearance of the man who came out of the shower. His body, which shook off his hair dripping with water, was quite muscular. His skin was slightly tanned, but it was much whiter than that of the country boys. When he brushed away his wet hair, his forehead was clearly visible, and his facial features were more distinct. It was shocking to see that his face was so handsome that it was almost like a statue. However, her eyes were drawn more to the dog tag hanging around his neck.
The man smiled awkwardly and touched the back of his neck.
The announcement was quite late. She asked, touching her hot cheek for no reason.
"...What's your name?"
Aaron introduced himself belatedly with a look of embarrassment on his face.
“Oh, sorry for the late introduction. This is Aaron.”
“Leila.”
“It’s Miss Leila.”
His voice is really nice.
Aaron was drying his hair in the heat of the campfire. His cheeks were bulging like candy. Leila took advantage of the moment of silence to glance at him.
Aaron, who didn't reveal his real name, washed his hair and stripped his entire body - she think that's the only way to describe his transformation - and was revealed to have blonde hair that was more beautiful than she had expected.
Unlike ordinary soldiers who always swear, he is polite and speaks softly. If she hadn't seen his military number, she would have doubted whether he was really a soldier.
“I guess you’re very hungry.”
“I’ve been living a nomadic life for a little over a year now, and during that time I’ve only had a few opportunities to eat sweet food like this.”
“So what do you usually eat?”
“Just this and that.”
“Are these things like that?”
When Leila gestured to the bag of soggy flour, Aaron didn't answer for a long time before smiling faintly and lowering his head.
“Yes, that’s still a decent meal.”
“I can guess your financial situation just by looking at how you live, so it’s not surprising. I’ll make sure to wash the handkerchief and bring it to you.”
“...Ah, that’s good.”
“Of course it should be like that. It’s your mother’s.”
“Oh, not in that sense.”
What should I say about Aaron's expression as he chose his words? He had the scent of an adult. Leila savored the strange tickling sensation on her toes. It was such a strange feeling. Why is her face so hot? Is it because she has a cold? She doesn't know.
“I’m glad you came back... That’s what I meant. I hope you didn’t take it as something strange. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a conversation like this with a person.”
Leila dug through her pockets again, took out all the sweets, and laid them down. Oh, how pitiful of words. When you say something so sympathetic, even the most Dublin soldier can't help but open his pockets. Sadly, Leila is just like her father, selectively sympathetic. Why should a Dubliner be so pitiful?
“...Eat. There’s a lot.”
“Can you give me some more?”
“Because there are a lot at home.”
Aaron didn't refuse twice. He really must be a beggar. Leila was once again struck by his confident begging. Aaron, who was biting the candy in his mouth and saying something like, 'Ah, um. Uh.', smiled naturally when their eyes met.
"It is delicious."
“Eat a lot. Thanks to you, I was able to avoid trouble yesterday.”
“It was nothing special.”
He is a person with pretty, smiling eyes. Leila advised him, looking at his military ID tag.
“Isn’t it better to walk around with that off?”
"...Ah."
“As you know, um... these days, soldiers come and go from Casnier a lot.”
Aaron looked at Leila with a strange expression, then smiled softly again.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Strange eyes appeared. There was a long silence, as if the word soldier had been a taboo word. Leila kept trying to keep her eyes from going to Aaron, and stood up, shaking out her skirt.
“It’s late, I’ll go back now.”
"I."
"...yes?"
“Well, if you don’t mind, it’s a bit dark out at night... If you don’t mind, I’d like to offer you a ride. I also don’t think it’s polite to send the young lady away like this.”
What am I to be concerned about, a native village girl? It seemed funny. Leila giggled and declined.
“I’ll decline. I don’t know you very well.”
Aaron nodded without asking twice. 'That's right.' Even the self-deprecating voice was soft. Leila took a few steps back and turned her head again to stare at Aaron. Aaron was standing up to see her off, shaking off his slightly dry hair.
“You don’t look like a soldier.”
Aaron smiled faintly.
“Not anymore.”
***
Leila's house was busy preparing for the typhoon that came every fall. There was going to be a lot of rain next month. It happened every year.
Leila rolled up her sleeves to help her father add planks to the roof to keep the water out. The hay shed had to be especially careful. If it got wet and started to rot, it would become a sad thing that even the cows wouldn't pay attention to.
Bang bang bang. The sound of her father's hammer was deafening.
Leila also hammered hard, staring at the crooked nail. Normally, this would have been done by her uncle and father. However, the burden of her uncle’s death fell entirely on Leila. Whenever she was conscious of the place her family had left behind, she would always feel sadness or longing. It was not the kind that surged up, but more like a surging wave.
'Uncle, why did you like money so much? Even if you hadn't become a soldier, you could have lived comfortably.'
It's sad.
“Get out of your mind! I’m not going to stab you with a tool!”
Her father shouted at Leila, who was sitting on the roof of the warehouse, lost in thought.
“Ahhhhh, sorry. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”
“What are you doing with a brain the size of a soybean? Just do your job well!”
“I said I was good!”
“Do better!”
“I’ll do better! Want to have a competition to see who can finish faster, Dad?”
Leila laughed and pretended to hit the hammer hard. Her father climbed down the ladder and down to the roof, shouting again, "This is not for fun!"
Leila also hammered hard, staring at the crooked nail. Normally, this would have been done by her uncle and father. However, the burden of her uncle’s death fell entirely on Leila. Whenever she was conscious of the place her family had left behind, she would always feel sadness or longing. It was not the kind that surged up, but more like a surging wave.
'Uncle, why did you like money so much? Even if you hadn't become a soldier, you could have lived comfortably.'
It's sad.
“Get out of your mind! I’m not going to stab you with a tool!”
Her father shouted at Leila, who was sitting on the roof of the warehouse, lost in thought.
“Ahhhhh, sorry. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”
“What are you doing with a brain the size of a soybean? Just do your job well!”
“I said I was good!”
“Do better!”
“I’ll do better! Want to have a competition to see who can finish faster, Dad?”
Leila laughed and pretended to hit the hammer hard. Her father climbed down the ladder and down to the roof, shouting again, "This is not for fun!"
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