Chapter 39: Moonlit Confessions & Cracking Jealousy

Even though they always sat close without hesitation, tonight felt strangely tense for some reason. Was he the only one nervous? He couldn’t even remember swallowing, yet now even the simple act of it felt painfully noticeable.

Gulp.

The awkward sound echoed unevenly as Kebel fidgeted uselessly with his hands. He brushed the long grass beneath his feet with the tip of his shoe, nudging it pointlessly.

“We’ve spent so much time together, but I think this is the first time we’ve stayed together this late at night.”

“Yeah…”

Another silence settled between them, filled only by the chirping of insects. It was the same quiet they’d shared countless times before, so why did it feel so different tonight?

Trying to shake off the embarrassment, Kebel casually looked around. Then his elbow accidentally bumped against Osh Sulleban’s firm side.

“Sorry,” he murmured softly, lifting his head to look at him.

Since when had Osh been staring at him? His gaze was heavy, sticky almost, fixed entirely on Kebel. Watching him, Osh spoke in a quiet whisper.

“They say if you receive a kiss from someone you love under a full moon, you’ll become happy.”

“Receive one? Not give one?”

“Receive one.”

Osh emphasized the words carefully. It was different from what Kebel had heard before, which made him pause in confusion, but he brushed it off. Giving or receiving, it was still just kissing the back of someone’s hand.

What really bothered him was something else.

‘Had Osh fallen for someone?’

All this time they had spent every day together, and not once had Osh ever hinted at liking someone. Naturally, Kebel had assumed there wasn’t anyone. So why did this suddenly make him feel petty?

Was he upset because Osh had kept it secret from him and found someone else? No… it wasn’t exactly that. It felt more like…

Kebel abruptly stopped himself from thinking further. If he kept going, it felt like something irreversible would spill over, like water already poured out. Quietly, he asked,

“Did you find someone you like?”

“I’ve always had someone I liked.”

“…Who is it?”

“It’s you, Kebel.”

Thunk.

It felt as if his heart had dropped all the way to his feet. Before he could even ask if it was a joke, Osh’s eyes met his directly without the slightest hesitation.

There wasn’t a trace of teasing in them. Faced with such a serious expression, Kebel couldn’t bring himself to ask, “You’re joking, right?”

All he could do was lower his eyes awkwardly.

“Why are you making that face?”

As Kebel nervously bit down on his lower lip, Osh pressed his thumb firmly against it. The pressure parted his lips slightly, creating the smallest opening. A faint breath escaped Kebel, almost like a gasp, and Osh’s eyes trembled subtly at the sound.

“…”

“So I…”

“So you what?”

The curve of Osh’s lips looked strangely dangerous, almost devilish. Perhaps annoyed by Kebel’s stubborn tone, Osh’s eyebrow lifted slowly before lowering again. Then he brushed his thumb gently across Kebel’s lips one last time and withdrew it.

“Do you hate me?”

“…Of course not.”

“Then that means you like me?”

“Th-That’s true, but…”

It wasn’t the kind of “like” Osh meant.

Kebel repeated the words silently to himself. Kebel likes Osh. To Kebel, it was affection like family, like a precious friend. Maybe Osh simply didn’t understand what romantic feelings really were and was mistaking them for something else?

Kebel wanted to explain it, but somehow pointing it out directly felt like it would only make things weird. So he only parted his lips before pressing them shut again.

“Then what’s the problem? You like me, and I like you too.”

Just as Kebel thought, Osh really seemed to be misunderstanding his feelings. Realizing that Osh’s “like” probably wasn’t the deep kind he had briefly feared brought Kebel relief… and strangely, a little disappointment too.

He quickly buried that emotion and forced a bright smile onto his face.

“You’re right. Now that you say it like that, I guess it does make sense.”

Osh stared blankly at him. The dazed look on his face made him seem almost foolish, and it made Kebel laugh. Suddenly he remembered the day, long ago, when he had picked a flower for Osh.

Back then too, Osh had stared at him just like this, ears turning red while looking completely spellbound.

With that thought, Kebel reached up toward Osh’s ear.

At the same moment, Osh clenched his jaw tightly enough that the movement twitched near his ear. Somehow that was adorable, and Kebel suddenly wanted to pat his head.

“Kebel… I told you before, didn’t I? We’re not children anymore.”

“Huh? Yeah, you did.”

“Then you understand what it means now when you touch me so carelessly like this, right?”

Before Kebel could even react, Osh caught the hand resting near his ear and lifted it to his lips. He pressed a long kiss to the back of Kebel’s hand, lingering there for several seconds before finally pulling away.

“J-Just now…”

Flustered, Kebel stammered as he touched the back of his hand. The warmth still lingering there made his entire face flush bright red.

Watching him, Osh spoke again. His emerald eyes glimmered softly as he whispered,

“I like you, Kebel.”

Osh’s confession echoed through the garden, and suddenly Kebel’s face burned as though he had truly just received a real confession. His heart creaked painfully inside his chest, beating so hard it almost felt broken.

Even worse, why did the corners of his mouth keep trying to rise? Kebel forcibly pressed them down and bit his lip.

Still unable to calm himself, Kebel pulled his hand away. In response, Osh extended the back of his own hand toward him. A lazy smile curved across his red lips.

“You have to do it too. The kiss.”

Kebel stared at Osh’s hand. Blinked. Stared again.

He wanted Osh to be happy. Even if he couldn’t escape the misfortunes waiting for him in the future, Kebel still wished things wouldn’t become any worse. So if something as insignificant as his kiss could bring Osh happiness someday, then maybe…

Kebel gently held Osh’s fingers and pressed his lips against the back of his hand. The smooth softness brushed against his mouth. Unlike Kebel’s own dry lips, Osh’s skin felt warm. Slowly, Kebel pulled away and looked back at him.

Osh smiled proudly, as though praising him for doing well.

“Now we’ll both become happy, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Was this really okay?

Ignoring the uneasy feeling crawling up behind him, Kebel licked his lips lightly. The lingering warmth of Osh’s skin made him want to taste it again for some reason.

“Even if it’s just a superstition, I’ll definitely make you happy.”

Osh’s scent drifted toward him with the wind, and the warmth lingering in his mouth only made him greedier for more.

‘…Wait.’

‘What did I just think?’

‘Greedier for more?’

Horrified by his own thoughts, Kebel shot up from the bench. Osh looked up at him immediately, and Kebel stared back stiffly.

“Let’s go back now. They’re probably looking for us by this point.”

Kebel picked up the coat he had been sitting on and dusted it off carefully. After making sure no dirt had stained it, he draped it back over Osh’s shoulders.

“Let’s go, Osh.”

****

“Why are the two of you coming back together?”

Grinding his teeth audibly, Beryl twisted his lips into a sneer. His eyes flashed viciously, as if he wanted to tear someone apart on the spot.

Seeing that, Kebel instinctively stepped in front of Osh protectively and faced Beryl.

“We ran into each other on the way.”

“Hah? And you expect me to believe that?”

Like a freezing storm sweeping in, Beryl radiated murderous hostility as he suddenly yanked hard on Kebel’s wrist. The sudden force pulled Kebel straight into his chest. Before he could even complain, his face slammed painfully against him. Wincing, Kebel rubbed his nose.

“The young duke dislikes forceful behavior very much, Your Highness.”

“Are you daring to lecture me?”

“If it sounded disrespectful, then I apologize, Your Highness. But these days, not even children treat people this violently.”

The atmosphere instantly turned sharp, like stepping onto cracking ice. While Beryl’s face twisted red with fury, Osh’s expression remained completely unmoved, as though none of this concerned him. His emotionless eyes stayed fixed only on Kebel’s captured wrist.

Then Kebel suddenly remembered Osh’s earlier words.

‘Otherwise, I really was considering killing him…’

What if Osh actually caused trouble because of him? Alarmed, Kebel hurriedly pulled his wrist free and stepped away from Beryl. Then he quickly moved back beside Osh, rubbing the sore spot on his wrist.

“What exactly are you doing?”

“Can’t you see that you hurt him?”

This time, Osh answered in Kebel’s place.

As if utterly dumbfounded by the response, Beryl glared fiercely at both of them. But Osh ignored him completely. Instead, he gently took hold of Kebel’s wrist and rubbed over the reddened skin.

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