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“I heard that one of the groups in the Lyllion Woods killed one of the Gorgon Bears!”

“Are you serious? It was a level 5 beast! There's no way they could've done it with only one group.”

“Come one, Lyle! Don't be such a killjoy! There must be at least one strong knight in the group. I heard that the knight in the capital was crazy strong, they could fight a Dozer Bull!”

Hikaru choked on his water and chortled. Seriously? ‘Dozer Bull'? Like, ‘bulldozer’?

Lyle and Zac turned their head towards Hikaru almost at the same time. Zac pouted his lips and crossed his arm against his chest in annoyance. The Fehu's eyes was squinted at Hikaru.

“You didn't believe me too, did you?” said Zac while clenching his teeth.

Lyle shrugged and a smirk hanging on his mouth. “No one will believe a nonsensical story, sweetheart... It's like you're telling someone that you could float in the air while you're sleeping. It's doesn't make any sense.”

Zac pouted and huffed at the smirking Lyle. Noon suddenly walked inside the room and threw them a joyful smile. Hikaru noticed Noon's weird behaviour and was afraid that something bad was going on. Did Noon hit his head somewhere? Why did he smiling like a fool when this morning he was like a shrivelled up corpse?

“Actually, Zac was right.” Noon shifted his glance in Hikaru's direction. A meaningful smile spread on his mouth like a butter on a toast – evenly and wide. “I’ve got news that Reese was one of the group members who had killed the Gorgon Bear.”

“Ah.. I forgot that Reese was there too....” Lyle sighed.

“If it's Reese, I'm sure they'll be fine...” Zac correspondingly agreed.

Hikaru furrowed his forehead. How strong could Reese be, where almost all of the of the people Hikaru knew to acknowledge his strength? But no matter how strong Reese was, Hikaru was still worried for his friend.

Noon looked at Hikaru and gave him a reassuring smile. He patted Hikaru's head and said,

“Reese would be okay. Don't worry.”

Hikaru exhaled a long discontented sigh. “He should be. After all the words about him being crazily strong by the townspeople.”

Even their customers was saying the same thing as Zac. Like how the knights were doing a great job, exactly as what the townspeople expected from them. Or like how the mercenary groups mercilessly exterminate all the wild beasts that were coming at them nonstop. Those heroic acts that were passing around had raised the spirits of the citizens of Lowell Town, erasing almost all of their worries about the animal attacks.

Supposedly, the animals belonged to the inner part of the forest and weren't supposed to be out here. Something must had happened for them to be panicking and attacked the humans who entered the forest.

Hikaru was really glad that everything seemed to work out and there was no one injured in the hunt, especially Reese. He wouldn't want to see someone he knew got injured right in front of his eyes, knowing that if there were accidents or injuries, they would be the one who had to treat them considering that the hunting area was close to their sick house.

“Come to think of it...” Noon brushed Hikaru's hair out of his face and turned the boy's face around to check his complexion. “You look better today. What happened yesterday?“

Recalling yesterday's happening, Hikaru's face quickly turning red. The room was silence. Zac and Lyle quietly exited the as soon as they noticed that the two needed their privacy. Noon looked troubled by Hikaru's reaction to his question. His eyebrows linked into one, mouth opened and closed a few times. He didn't know how he should ask Hikaru the question he had on his mind.

“Noon?”

The deep emerald haired young man stopped himself to take a deep breath before letting it out, slow and steady. The only way to say this was his way, direct and clear.

“Did you... slept with Hyde last night?” Noon asked, chickening out in the end and only use the indirect word. Very unlike him.

Hikaru's eyes were opening wide. He covered his reddening face with his pair of hands and awkwardly laughed. Noon was speechless.

“How did you know?”

Hikaru's question was like a huge rock falling on top of his head from above. No way. Sure, the two kids were Jiwas, so there was nothing wrong with it.

Except!

Hikaru's body was still immature and underdeveloped! It was wrong! Probably.

“I didn't even realized when, but this morning, I was already on his bed. He probably carried me to his room when I was asleep.”

*Gasp!*

Noon took a glance at Hikaru and asked, “D- did you at least use protection?“

“From what?”

There was silence. That creeping silence really helped in clearing Noon's dirtied adult mind. Oh! Thank innocence for existing! Thank youuuu!!

Noon wasted no time from pulling his innocent boy into his arms. That little naive child was so small that he fitted perfectly within his embrace. Hikaru was shocked.

“My sweet summer child! Oh! Bless you!” Hyde screamed.

He was almost exploded from jealousy, not because Hikaru was with Hyde, but he felt left out. He knew that Hikaru didn't give him any answer about wanting to be his official Jiwa, but he still wanted to have this boy as his mate. He didn't mind that Hikaru had been closer to Hyde or Reese, but he didn't want to be left out of the group. He would feel annoyed and sulky.

“So, you just slept together, and nothing else?” Noon asked again for confirmation. He stared directly into Hikaru's obsidian eyes.

He couldn't help it. Noon could see that Hikaru's mana was mixed with Hyde's mana, and the amount of the latter's mana was bigger than usual.

“What do you exp- Oh...” Hikaru could feel his cheeks warming up. “Oh, no! Nonono! It wasn't like that! I swear! We just kissed, and I felt calm and I fell asleep. That's all!”

Noon's relieved sigh was slowly deflating his chest, lifting the tension from his shoulders that he felt a few minutes before. Just right then, he felt the urge to tease the boy who was still in his arms.

“Maybe some day, you could kiss me too,” he said with a half whisper and a low voice.

Hikaru felt a shiver on his spine when the almost seductive voice reached his ears. Even though Noon didn't mean to voice it as a seduction. Noon realized his mistake and let go of the boy. He allowed himself a wry smile before pinching both sides of Hikaru's chubby cheeks.

“Sorry. It was just a joke.”

Hikaru stared into Noon's eyes with confusion written all over the boy's face. Noon chuckled and flicked gently at Hikaru's forehead. Hikaru automatically covered the spot where Noon flicked him.

“I’ve promised you I'll wait. So that's what I'm going to do.”

Then, the emerald haired man left. Hikaru's heart clenched as he felt sorry for Noon. Deep inside his heart, he didn't mind it if Noon kissed him. Maybe not right now, but later... if Noon wanted it, Hikaru would just comply.

Hikaru thought that he was too adaptable. He didn't even like guys before, but now, he was kissing one, and probably will marry three of them. The thought of it didn't even scared Hikaru at this moment, and that made him scared.

At that time, Zac barged in with a panicked face. Sweat trickled down the young man's forehead.

“Zac? What's the matter?”

“A group of knights were severely injured! We need your help!”

Hikaru could feel blood drained out of his face.

Reese!