𝓝𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓼 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷 𝓞𝓾𝓻 𝓖𝓻𝓪𝓼𝓹𝓼 || кαмαвσкσ тяισ χ яєα∂єяѕ

Chapter 26 : His Number One Underling

But obviously, it was close to impossible to avoid everything that's related to using a fire, especially when you were a traveling merchant with only a minimal amount of resources to use for your daily necessities. Sooner or later, you're bound to have to cook and prepare something yourself, especially back when you didn't have the money to even purchase a bowl of ramen from a street vendor.

That's why you offered Hisa to help without a second thought; you assumed that you already overcame your fear long ago. You assumed that everything around you is gradually becoming even more.. Approachable, what with after meeting several new acquaintances from the past month or so.

It was a nice thought to think about, knowing how far you've come up until this point. One might even say that it somewhat left a hint of warmth in place of the heat from an actual fire.

But now.. You might just have to think twice before coming to a conclusion about yourself. Were you really able to overcome your fear in the first place?

If so, what was it that made your body tremble from the moment you accidently burnt your hand? It was just a simple accident that even most children can handle, yet why were you so stunned from it?

Sometimes it's hard to understand what your own heart is trying to tell you, and it hurts knowing that you're still afraid of something that you thought you overcame long ago.

The infinite thoughts and questions that kept overlapping with one another is driving you insane the more you ask yourself about it—just what do you even plan to achieve from asking them in the first place?

Maybe.. You were just afraid of getting those horrible nightmares back. Maybe you were just scared of your companions finding out the truth; scared of failing to overcome it in time; scared of being a coward and couldn't face your problems properly; scared of–

"Idiot! You could've just told me earlier!"

Huh?

That grumpy yet loud voice rang inside your head, quick to turn your attention away from getting yourself consumed by your own negative thoughts. Inosuke rolled his eyes seeing your dumbfounded look, slightly pouting before he continues his words.

"It's the boss' duty to look after his underlings!" he exclaimed, not releasing his grip just yet. "Didn't I tell you once that you're my number one underling?? If you need help, just say the word and I'll come for you!"

"Am I wrong!?"

He inched closer towards your face, slightly taken you aback by his sudden outburst especially in the middle of the night like this. It was all beginning to go silent once more, and the fluorescent lighting upon the place was not too dark, but not too bright either. Inosuke's eyes at this point were practically as if they emitted a fine glow, given how bright they seemed to you when you look at them closely in this distance.