WARDV 38

CHAPTER 38

Idris was sure the child he encountered in the forest yesterday would never show up again.

No—he didn’t even bother thinking about that kid anymore.

After hearing what he said, it was obvious the kid wouldn’t want to come back out of sheer indignation. That was natural.

And yet…

“Hi!”

Defying Idris’s expectations, the child came back the very next day.

Boldly—even to his house.

By the time Idris registered the oddity and tried to close the door, the kid had already wedged a foot in the doorway.

“I went home yesterday and thought it over. I really want to apologize properly.”

“Don’t bo―”

“I’m really sorry for jumping to conclusions and meddling. I didn’t think about how you might feel.”

People who admit their mistakes and apologize sincerely are rare.

Idris was honestly surprised by the child’s apology—but that was all.

“You done? Then leave.”

But unlike Idris, who was trying to get rid of the kid as soon as possible, the child didn’t let go of the door.

“W-Wait! I still have more to say!”

Idris felt irritation begin to bubble up again, but instead of wrestling with the kid, he decided to hear one more thing.

“You might not need my help, but I need yours.”

A kid with perfectly working limbs needing help from a blind person—or so they thought? That made no sense.

As if answering Idris’s unspoken doubt, the child continued.

“I don’t have a single friend. So… would you be my friend?”

Pfft.

Idris let out an incredulous scoff.

That was the beginning of their first meeting.

From that day on—

Whether it was true that the kid had no friends or not, they came around so often it became exhausting.

“My name’s Aria. What’s yours?”

Idris didn’t tell Aria his name.

‘She’ll get bored of this whole “friendship” thing in a few days anyway.’

There was no reason to share his name with someone who’d leave soon.

The two wandered the forest together, caught and grilled fish, and on rainy days listened to the sound of raindrops—Aria wanted to splash in puddles, but Idris hated that.

“You can hear the bugs chirping outside. Can you hear it? I think fall is here.”

Perhaps to accommodate Idris’s blindness, Aria often described the world using sounds, smells, and textures rather than sight.

Only then did Idris realize—

It had been spring when his mother passed away.

Time, which felt like it would never move on, had slowly passed, and now they stood at the edge of autumn.

The child who came at the start of summer, whom he thought would disappear like summer rain, was still firmly by his side.

‘When is this kid going to leave me?’

Idris was curious, yet didn’t want to know the answer.

The kind of time you’re dying to know the end of—but also afraid to.

That time continued peacefully for a while.

Well—mostly peacefully.

“Hey, beggar. Where’s that girl you always hang out with?”

Idris, on his way to the forest to meet Aria, was confronted by the village boys.

They were the kind who always found a reason to bully him whenever their paths crossed.

Usually, if Idris ignored them silently, they’d mock and jeer until they got bored and left.

“You ignored us last time when we called you, huh?”

“Got a new friend, so you don’t need us anymore?”

But today, they didn’t plan on letting him go quietly. One of them kicked him without warning.

“Ugh…”

Normally, Idris would’ve just taken the beating.

If he ran, they’d enjoy it more, and even if he tried to fight, he’d be no match with his eyes covered.

‘But Aria’s going to be here any moment now.’

She’d see him getting beat up.

That thought was unbearable.

‘If I just take off this blindfold… maybe I could beat them.’

Fueled by rage, Idris reached for his blindfold.

And that’s when he heard a voice he least wanted to hear.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Hey, your girlfriend’s here!”

The boys’ taunting voices pierced his ears like knives.

Moments later, the footsteps stopped beside him, and someone helped him up.

“You okay?”

His heart pounded—not from pain, but from shame, helplessness, and fury at himself.

He wanted to rip off the blindfold and fight those boys right there.

He wanted to show them he wasn’t as weak as they thought.

But…

“Idris, you must never let anyone see your eyes. Never…”

His mother’s voice echoed in his mind, warning him of the curse that would befall anyone who saw his eyes.

If he removed the blindfold now, not just the village boys—but Aria too—might fall victim to that curse.

Idris clenched his teeth and slowly lowered his hand.

“If you bother him again, I’m telling the guards!”

“Ooh, scary~ Except the guards don’t care about our village.”

“Well, I know one of them. Want to find out if I’m lying? Try it again next time.”

The boys scoffed and mocked them, but they didn’t follow.

Once Idris confirmed they were gone, he roughly pushed away Aria’s hand that had been helping him.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Your leg’s hurt. You’re bleeding a lot…”

“I said get off!”

Idris stormed off toward home, leaving a startled Aria behind.

But she soon followed.

“I’m sorry. If I’d come just a bit earlier, that wouldn’t have happened…”

“…”

“It hurts, doesn’t it? Let me treat the wound.”

Was she clueless? Or just so stubborn that she pretended not to notice?

The anger inside Idris twisted toward an unfair direction.

“I don’t need your help. Go home.”

Aria paused for a moment, then spoke with resolve.

“I’ll leave… after I treat your injury.”

Idris curled his lip in disdain.

He thought she was just a brainless fool who stuck around no matter how cold he was, but he had to correct that assessment.

She was stubborn.

As stubborn as he was.

“Are you deaf? I said go away and stop worrying about me!”

“How can I not worry? You’re hurt! Just let me see how bad it is―”

“Why the hell do you care if I’m hurt?”

“Because we’re friends!”

Aria shouted, and Idris froze.

She always talked back, but she had never raised her voice like this.

Something felt wrong, but Idris didn’t want to admit he’d done anything wrong.

“Who said I thought of you as a friend? Mind your own business!”

His voice grew louder, as if trying to drown out his own guilt.

Then came an angry shout in return.

“You stubborn, mule-headed idiot!”

Idris was stunned—then furious.

He felt betrayed that Aria, who always seemed to be on his side, would yell at him.

“You’re the thick-headed idiot!”

“You selfish, arrogant jerk!”

They hurled insults at each other for a while until they both collapsed into silence, sitting far apart.

Though in their tiny one-room house, that still wasn’t far enough to escape each other’s heavy breathing.

‘I won… but why do I feel so bad?’

He’d gotten the last word, and Aria had slumped down first.

It was his first time clashing with a peer like this—and winning.

But the victory wasn’t sweet. It didn’t make him feel proud or triumphant.

As he was stewing in discomfort and unresolved emotions, a quiet sniffle broke the silence.

Aria was trying to hide it, but Idris, whose hearing had sharpened after years of living in darkness, could tell.

Aria was crying.