Morning light slowly filtered through the trees.
Birds began chirping somewhere above.
My eyes slowly opened.
"…Mm…"
The warmth around me felt different. Not the hot spring anymore.
"Is it… morning already?" I muttered, my voice still sleepy.
"Oh, you're awake," a calm voice answered.
My eyes widened instantly.
Wrath.
Dravic.
Then I realized something.
I wasn't lying on stone.
I was lying on him.
My head was resting against his chest, and one of his arms was wrapped around my waist, holding me close.
"W-what the—?!" I quickly tried to move back. "W-why are you still here?!"
He looked completely relaxed, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
Instead of answering right away, he leaned closer. His red hair brushed lightly against my forehead.
Before I could react—
He hugged me tighter and gently kissed my forehead.
My face heated up.
I immediately pushed myself up and sat a short distance away from him.
"What's wrong?" he asked lazily. "Wanna do it again?" He laughed softly.
"W-what are you talking about?! I—I have to go back. I still need to hunt," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
He sat up slowly, stretching like nothing bothered him.
"Alright. We'll do it again later, okay?" he said casually.
"Later? What are you talking about?" I frowned.
He smiled at me.
"Since we're done with our research, this week is basically my day off."
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.
"So I'll keep accompanying you during your hunts this whole week."
He looked back at me with that same confident smile.
"It's okay. Come on."
My peaceful life was officially over for the week.
We walked side by side through the forest, heading back toward town. The morning air was cool, and sunlight slipped through the trees.
Dravic stretched his arms behind his head casually.
"Hm. By the way, Pride and Gluttony didn't stay the whole week because we were busy with something," he said. "That's why after they—"
"S-stop it. I don't want to hear it," I cut him off quickly, my face heating up.
He only smirked.
Then suddenly—
He touched my butt.
"H-hey! What are you doing?!" I snapped, jumping slightly.
He just laughed as if it was nothing and kept walking.
"So…" he said lightly, "where will we do it?"
I looked at him with clear worry in my eyes.
"I feel like the hot spring would be a good place," he added thoughtfully.
"W-what is good about doing that kind of thing? I—I mean, we're both men, and t-this is wrong," I said, struggling to explain myself.
He looked at me calmly.
"Don't worry. It's your first time dealing with us like this," he said. "And we're your first too, aren't we?"
I stayed silent.
"Hm. No wonder your body still feels… fresh," he added with a teasing tone.
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it," he said confidently.
I didn't know how to respond to that.
By the time we arrived at the town gates, the place was already lively. Merchants were setting up stalls. Adventurers were coming and going. The sound of people talking filled the air.
"This town is livelier than I expected," Dravic said, glancing around. "So, where are we going?"
My mind felt blank.
I couldn't think properly with him standing so close.
Then he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Renji. I'm asking," he said softly, leaning closer as if about to kiss my cheek.
"W-wait! There are a lot of people here. What are you doing?!" I whispered urgently, stepping slightly away.
He just looked amused.
"So, where should we go now?" he asked again.
I forced myself to focus.
"I'm… hungry. So we're going to eat first," I said quickly.
"Ah," he smiled. "Food first. I like that idea."
And just like that, we walked deeper into town—
with him staying far too close to my side.
We arrived at a small restaurant near the center of town and stepped inside.
A soft bell rang above the door as we entered.
The place was simple but cozy. Wooden tables were neatly arranged, and warm light from hanging lanterns filled the room. The smell of freshly cooked food drifted through the air—grilled meat, warm bread, and something sweet.
There were only a few people eating. A pair of adventurers sat in the corner, quietly talking. An old man near the window slowly sipped soup.
We chose a table near the window and sat down across from each other.
"Good morning. What are your orders?" a middle-aged man approached us with a friendly smile.
He handed us a flat wooden board with drawings and names of the dishes carved into it.
Dravic picked it up first.
"We'll take this… and this," he said casually.
He pointed at herb-roasted field chicken with buttered root vegetables and a bowl of thick barley stew with sliced forest mushrooms. Then he added, "And two cups of honeyed leaf tea."
Simple food. Not expensive. Just something filling.
"Alright. I'll prepare it right away," the man said before heading back to the kitchen.
Dravic leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Hm. It's my first time eating in a place like this," he said, looking around with mild interest.
I simply nodded in agreement, not trusting myself to say much.
Then he leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, and looked at me with a small smile.
His red eyes were focused only on me.
Under the table, I suddenly felt something brush against my leg.
I stiffened.
His foot slowly slid against my calf.
"W-what are you doing?" I asked in a low voice.
He just smiled at me, calm and confident.
"Relax."
A while later, the man returned carrying a wooden tray filled with steaming dishes.
"Here. Enjoy," he said as he carefully placed everything on the table.
The aroma of roasted chicken and warm stew instantly filled the air between us.
"How much for all of this?" I asked.
"That will be fifteen silver coins," he replied.
I reached into my bag, took out the coins, and slowly handed them to him.
"Thank you," he said before walking away.
I stared at the food but didn't touch it.
Something was bothering my mind.
Maybe it was Dravic sitting in front of me so casually.
Or the way he kept smiling like he knew exactly what I was thinking.
Suddenly—
A spoon stopped right in front of my mouth.
"Open," he said softly. "Aaah."
Because I wasn't fully paying attention, I opened my mouth on instinct—
Then I froze.
The warm stew touched my lips, and I quickly realized what was happening.
I looked up at him.
He was smiling.
"You weren't starting, so I decided to feed you," he said lightly. "Do you want me to feed you, Renji?"
"N-no. I can do it myself," I replied quickly, feeling my face warm.
He gave me a strange, amused smile before pulling the spoon back.
"As you wish."
I picked up my own spoon and began eating the stew. It was thick and rich, with soft mushrooms and tender barley. The roasted chicken smelled even better, the skin slightly crispy and seasoned with herbs.
Dravic took a bite and leaned back slightly.
"Hm… this one isn't bad," he said. "I like this too."
He took another bite of the chicken.
"Simple. But satisfying."
Then his eyes shifted to me again.
"But you're much tastier than any of these," he added smoothly.
I nearly choked on my food.
"W-what are you saying?!" I whispered harshly, glancing around to make sure no one heard.
He only chuckled softly and continued eating like he hadn't just said something outrageous.
The rest of the meal continued with him casually commenting on the food—
"Hm. The tea is good too."
"The stew could use more salt."
"I prefer stronger flavors."
And every now and then, he would glance at me with that same teasing look.
I focused on my plate, trying to ignore him.
But with Dravic sitting right in front of me—
Ignoring him was impossible.