I was cutting wood diligently, trying to finish the work as soon as possible. I had no doubt Annoying was the same, so I didn't check on him... until I heard a thud.
Turning around, I saw him sitting on his knees, his hands around the handle of the axe, supporting his body. Although his long hair was blocking most of his face, I could see his grimace.
I stood there like a statue, not knowing what to do. Obviously, Annoying couldn't take care of himself, but if I helped him, he could cling on to me. They were all my enemies and I wanted them to know it, but...
While I was torn between my contradicting thoughts, Annoying called out to me.
"Hmm?" I just mumbled, getting a bit closer to hear him.
"Do you mind... if I... take a... short rest?" he asked, shyness colouring his voice.
I heaved a sigh in the face of his wrong priorities. Even when he was in pain, he was still thinking of the stupid work. He was indeed very different from the others.
"Let me see your back," the words spilled from my mouth unwittingly. Why the hell I was doing it?! As if I cared...
"What?" he looked at me with disbelief as he hardly managed to stand on his feet.
I feigned a cough as I tried to come with a solid reason. "I have to be sure you are not faking it like him," I said when I decided it was reasonable.
Annoying just stood there with his wide open eyes, still processing my words. I took advantage of the situation and pulled his sash loose before leaning forward to check his back from the gap.
Damn, even with a glance, I could see it was bad. Very bad. The whip wounds were leaking blood and as they weren't cleaned properly, they were infected. With astonishment, I let him go. How come he could endure it? How come he didn't ask for any help or medicine?
"I-"
"Shut up!" I cut him off angrily, though I didn't know why I was angry. He was my enemy, but it bothered me seeing him like that. Maybe because it was my fault... I didn't know, whatever!
I grabbed his arm and dragged him to the riverside. After checking around to see if the other group was around, I pushed him into the river. Of course, I could tell him to go into the river, but then he would think I was nice.
"Cold!" he griped at me when his head broke the surface and a soft chuckle escaped from my lips.
"Did you just laugh?" Annoying asked, shocked as he pushed his wet hair from his face.
"No," I lied and put my cold mask on my face, "get out, will you stand there the whole day?"
"Oh," he finally noticed where he was, so he rushed out of the river, shivering like a puppy.
"Take your upper garment," I ordered him before I collected some random plants. I thought he would never agree to do it, but when I turned around, I saw him sitting on a piece of wood, his bare back facing me.
HIS BACK FACING ME! I was flabbergasted by his courage. People didn't even dare to look me in the eye while he turned his back on me half-naked! How come he trusted a half-demon that easily?
Sighing with irritation for his stupidity, I crouched down behind him and felt him get tense for a second when I pushed his wet hair over his shoulder to see his back. Even though I saw it before and the cold water helped with the swelling and washed the blood, my frozen heart dropped at the sight.
Five nasty chain marks covered his porcelain white back randomly; blood-red and inflamed.
Tearing my eyes off of his back, I bit my finger and let my dark red blood drop to the leaf I was holding. My blood was darker than human beings' and had a healing power which nobody knew except me. When there was enough blood, I rubbed the leaf to the wounds gently, but Annoying winced nonetheless.
"What is it?" he asked, turning his head to see what I was doing. I hastily grabbed his neck, preventing him from seeing the blood. It was my biggest secret, so I wouldn't let anyone know about it.
"It is chewed plants," I lied effortlessly.
"Which plants are those? I am from Mu Clan, but never knew such effective plants! Can-"
I pressed a wound intentionally and Annoying shut up immediately, hissing. Understanding my intention, he kept quiet until I was done.
"Thank you, I am already feeling heaps better," he thanked me politely as he tightened his sash.
It was the second time I was thanked in my entire life, and both of them came from Annoying. Like the first time, I was frozen and hid my timidness behind my rude remark.
"I did help you so that you can help me carry the wood, nothing more."
He tugged on his robe with an embarrassed expression before looking at me. "Still, it helped a lot, so thank you," he murmured fast and rushed back where we were cutting wood.
I could neither laugh nor cry.