Chyou looked at the rifle she was holding tightly as if it was her favorite doll.
It was true that instead of hugging a doll as a child, she used to hug a rifle. When she was young, her aunt often taught her how to shoot. Often her aunt would take her hunting in the forest. They would often hunt weasels, birds, partridges, and even wild boars.
Not only was she taught how to hold a rifle. Chyou was also often taught how to defend herself by utilizing the objects around her. Her aunt deliberately taught her to utilize everything around her. Because of that, all the things inside her, Chyou tried to take advantage of them. Including utilizing her appearance that looks like a child.
Even her aunt advised her even if she did dirty deeds. She must be able to protect herself. Because there was no one else who could protect herself, other than herself.
And Chyou took her aunt's words to heart. Just as well as she took care of herself to prove that she really did hold her aunt's words true.
As she was busy staring at the rifle her aunt had given her. She felt more and more homesick for her aunt. It had been almost four years since she had separated from her aunt to continue her education.
“I miss you Aunt Zhang Lian,” Chyou muttered as she stroked the rifle her aunt had given her. The only thing her aunt had given her, and also the only thing that made her remember home.
“Excuse me! Chyou, are you inside?” someone asked from behind the outer door.
Chyou put away her rifle and walked towards the door. He then opened the door and found Helian standing in front of it.
“Is there something you need?” asked Chyou as the young man came into his room.
Helian didn't answer right away, choosing instead to sit on Chyou's bed. “I just wanted to see you. I don't know why my heart feels so restless.” And sure enough, it was not like usual where, Helian often showed off his trademark crocodile smile. Now his face looked very haggard, just like a cat that had just been sterilized.
Chyou, who was still standing at the door, looked at Helian with an annoyed face. “It's not like you can just come into my room on a whim.”
“You're so harsh with me but not with Gaeul. It seems like you have a personal grudge with me. Did I do something wrong to you?” Helian was now lying on Chyou's bed comfortably. “Your mattress is soft. Then from now on I will make your room my escape.” Helian casually made a claim just like that.
Chyou who felt annoyed. Wanted to chase away the lanky young man. But instead of shooing him away, she chose to observe him silently. Somehow he could slowly see that Helian's movements seemed suspicious.
“Are you crying?” And Chyou realized that it looked like Helian was crying. Even though it was furtive, the young man's tears still seemed to be falling, albeit just a little. Chyou himself had a pretty good sense of sensitivity. Somehow his heart also felt pain.
Chyou's hand reached out to rub the top of Helian's head. While Helian herself had covered her face with a pillow, after Chyou asked her if she was crying.
“Does your heart ache?” asked Chyou softly. “I think... you're suffering a bit right now.”
Helian was surprised, as she wondered why Chyou could guess her feelings so well. He moved the pillow away from his face. Then looked at Chyou with a puffy face. “Why did you figure it out so well?” asked Helian curiously. He wiped away the remaining snot and tears on his face with his shirt.
“It's simple. You came here with a face like you were holding your bowels. I thought it was pretty obvious that you had a problem. After all, you've always been synonymous with innocence, so it's strange to see you here with a face like this.” Chyou flicked Helian's forehead anxiously. “I thought you were a heartless young man because you love to play with women's hearts. But after I took a good look at you, you're just a little kid trapped in a big body. I kind of feel sorry for you. It seems like you like to look up to adults to be your role models.”
“How do you know about that?” With sparkling eyes, she then looked at Chyou intently as if the man who was slightly older than her was her new hope.
“You're too stupid. You don't even know this. It's like your brain is just filled with a bunch of women.” Chyou pushed Helian's face away from her because she was uncomfortable with Helian bringing his face too close to hers.
Helian scowled in annoyance. “Just now I thought that you were a good person. But apparently not.” He then recalled the nickname Casanova that was often applied to him. “Even though my external appearance is often likened to that international land crocodile man. Still, no one can ever realize how empty my heart is.”
“Huh?” Chyou's eyebrows shot up one side.
“My heart is really empty. I mean right here!” Helian tapped his chest so hard that it made a sound.
“Are you talking seriously or flirting? I'm rather amused by you.” Chyou automatically moved away from Helian and wore an amused expression.
“Your mind has really moved to Germany,” quipped Helian who seemed to understand where Chyou was going with this. “I spoke like that because I really did feel empty in the sense of loneliness. But you interpreted it as a form of ambiguous same-sex feelings. What do you think I am? I'm a straight heterosexual!” said Helian with an annoyed face. It seemed like he was really angry at the moment. His face was as red as a baboon's ass.
“Ah, that's good.” Chyou let out a sigh of relief and succeeded in making Helian almost throw a chair at Chyou's head. “So do you want to continue your vent session? If you intend to I can listen to you well.”
Helian snorted, he should have expressed his feelings earlier. But what the heck, it seemed like Chyou continued to engage him in random ramblings. So finally Helian decided to express it immediately before, the young man with the milky bebelac face asked him to talk randomly again.
“You know this sounds really sensitive. But because I feel trust in you, I choose to talk to you.” Helian took a deep breath then exhaled slowly, he deliberately did that to make his feelings more relieved. “My father is a businessman in Korea. And I was sent here to look for my brother by my father. It seems that my father had slept with a woman and did not marry her, so he intends to find the child of the woman he had slept with,” Helian said very honestly. I don't know why Helian, who was supposed to be keeping this secret, could so easily tell it to other people who had no special relationship with him.