The crackling of burning firewood blended with the faint sounds of the world's creatures moving about the place. The logs lay in a piled embrace, consumed together by the flames, their warm glow pushing back the surrounding darkness.
The black-haired boy sat near the fire, his small robot powered down and leaning against his side as if asleep, while he stared at a strange sheet of paper in his hands, lost deep in thought.
From a distance, specifically from behind one of the large trees, Haruki peeked out, quietly watching the boy.
He had followed him the entire way in hiding, like a little thief, unwilling to let go of the faint glimmer of hope he had finally found.
His stomach let out a growl of hunger, but he quickly covered his belly with one hand while pressing a finger from the other against his lips, as if asking his stomach to be silent.
"Shhh…"
And just as his stomach quieted down, Haruki tilted his head to peek again from the side of the tree- only to find the boy standing right in front of him.
"What are you doing here?"
Haruki jolted from the surprise and jumped back, but his foot slipped and he fell on his backside.
A short hiss escaped him from the sudden pain of the fall, then he lifted his gaze upward where the boy was standing.
"How do you move without a sound like that?"
The boy narrowed his eyes with a dangerous expression, fully aware of Haruki's attempts to escape answering the question.
And when Haruki realized his attempts at evasion had failed, he raised his hands like a guilty man and spoke with honest confession.
"Alright, alright… I was following you, but with good intentions."
The boy raised an eyebrow, waiting for a better explanation from Haruki.
Haruki could clearly see the disbelief in his eyes, so he protested louder in defense.
"Oh, come on! I just want to get out of this world. Seraphine said the way out is by fighting bosses or something like that, but I don't understand a thing, so I thought… maybe we could support each other and get out together or something like that."
The boy's expression shifted in an instant, as if an idea had struck him. He placed a hand under his chin in thought, then turned back to Haruki with a serious expression, saying.
"Alright… we're together."
Haruki's whole face lit up, and he leapt forward, hugging the boy tightly without caring about personal space, shouting in joy.
"You're the best!"
Annoyance showed on the boy's features as he curled one corner of his mouth and grabbed the back of Haruki's shirt, trying to push him off, muttering to himself.
"I'm already starting to regret this…"
Haruki released the boy from the hug, his smile stretching across his cheeks up to his eyes, excited at the thought of having a new friend.
But the moment was broken by the sound of his growling stomach.
Haruki bit his lower lip, placing both hands on his belly in embarrassment, then looked back at the boy and asked.
"Do you have any food?"
The boy rolled his eyes with a sigh, clearly exhausted from Haruki's antics. Without another word, he returned to his seat near his robot. Haruki followed closely and sat in front of him like a child waiting for his mother to serve him food.
The boy pulled his leather bag lying beside the tree trunk, untied the brown straps, and searched for something to eat. It didn't take long before he found a canned meal the last one he had. He handed it to Haruki.
Haruki's face lit up completely as he received the can eagerly, wrapping his hands around it and opening it. A strong aroma wafted toward him, instantly awakening his senses.
"Thank you!"
Haruki said gratefully, then began eating ravenously. He didn't know exactly what kind of food it was, but it was undoubtedly delicious. He felt bliss filling his stomach.
When he finished, he let out a short burp, raised his fist to his mouth, and muttered.
"Sorry."
The boy remained silent the entire time, paying no attention to any of Haruki's actions, creating an eerie quiet between them.
Finally, Haruki broke the silence, saying.
"Thanks for saving me again."
Haruki smiled as he spoke to the boy, and even when the latter stayed silent, that warm smile never left his face.
The boy cast a cold sidelong glance at Haruki and didn't respond, prompting Haruki to speak again, introducing himself.
"By the way, my name is Haruki. You should know it since we'll be together from now on."
"I don't care… I'm Noroi."
The boy's tone remained sharp and distant, as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his black hair, seemingly isolating himself once again.
Yet, Haruki was happy at the thought of having a new friend, and he managed to get closer to the boy who had saved his life. Even if he was mean and cold, Haruki still owed him his life.
Haruki moved closer to Noroi, extending his hand in a friendly handshake, saying.
"Nice to meet you, Noroi."
Noroi extended his hand and shook Haruki's, officially marking the beginning of their cooperation to escape this world.
The boys didn't know whether they would be able to get out or how long it would take, but they were together now, and that was all Haruki could think about.
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐