"And in those nights that I've sought peace, I found it only...in you."
【너와 함께 하는 게 꿈이라면, 깨워주지 말아줘】
Why must we face reality when the truth can be so easily concealed?
But it is this very thing we do to experience "growth."
But take a re...
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The color of red was truly beautiful.
It represented various concepts of humanity: the roses gifted by loved ones, the maroon skies as the tip of the sun begins to touch the surface of the earth, and the indent of kisses left behind by scandalous lovers. But most of all, red represented the heart -- beating and breathing with life.
But Xiao never really liked the color red. He favored the lukewarm blues that flowed across Wangshu Inn, the brilliant blue that greeted him every morning, reminding him that he was alive -- that he still remained, despite his past.
And as he gazed upon the view before him, he felt this rare sense of...serenity. A sense of peace, of calm, a moment of pleasurable nothingness that chased his inner demons away. But how peculiar it was to him, this unfamiliar sensation that washed over him like a tidal wave. Where could it possibly have...?
"Xiao!"
As a familiar voice echoed his name, a hum of recognition resonated through him. It was akin to the chorus of angels, perhaps, or the faraway murmur of the Eternal Oasis...
"Xiao?" The voice continued to call out his name, desperately searching for his whereabouts, "Xiao! I brought Almond Tofu!"
Perhaps the last statement was said to merely bait out the male with the presumably favored dish of his. But Xiao simply answered to the cry of his name, unwilling to further dive into indulgences whilst his home still required his protection.
Teleporting into a cloud of teal, he reappeared before the seeker, staring down with his aloof eyes. "Your insolent cries disturb the peace within the Inn, mortal." Xiao spoke with a distant tone.
The addressed individual simply let out a sheepish chuckle at his statement, looking away awkwardly as they rubbed at the back of their neck. "I just wanted to find you...is all."
Raising a brow at their anxious display, Xiao merely raised an unamused brow. "Go on."
Perking up at his 'encouragement' to continue on talking, they quickly turned to him with an anticipatory smile. "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go flower picking!"
Flower...picking?
This was not the first for him to hear such silly requests, but flower picking? He simply had no leisurely time to enjoy a stroll and go flower picking, with a mortal nonetheless.
And he made sure to say exactly that.
"And who will protect the Inn if I am away...flower picking?" Xiao asks with a stern glare, waiting in silence, although it was a rhetorical question on his part. "I simply have no leisure at my disposal to join you in such frivolous matters. If that is all, then I suggest you leave."
The human before him simply let out a wince at his blunt rejection. They wanted to try to convince him further, but he was clearly stubborn about leaving the Inn to...flower pick out of all things. With a dejected sigh, they simply turned around to take their leave, respecting the yaksha's wishes.
