(What is this? So soft...)
In a half-conscious state, Azlan felt his palm holding something round and supple, its size large enough that it couldn't be fully encompassed. The sensation reminded him of a water balloon.
"Ah~... Azlan-kun, gently..."
The sound of a woman's suppressed moan that suddenly filled the silence made Azlan jolt and open his eyes. In front of him, Akane with flushed cheeks and teary eyes was staring at him.
"..."
His eyes fixed on his own hand. Instantly, Azlan was shocked. His left hand was squeezing the girl's breast, his palm sinking into the softness he had just become aware of!
He pulled his hand back quickly as if electrocuted.
"I'm sorry, Akane. Truly, I didn't mean to." Azlan didn't try to make excuses, immediately admitting his mistake.
"I know. Azlan-kun isn't the type of man who attacks women in his sleep."
Akane smiled gently, touching Azlan's cheek to calm him like a mother coaxing her child.
"Even so, it doesn't change the fact that I harassed you. That's my fault, once again, I'm sorry."
"Good grief, Azlan-kun is so stubborn. Even though I don't mind, you keep apologizing. Alright, I accept your apology."
Giggling at Azlan's attitude, Akane leaned against the man's broad chest.
"..."
Azlan froze when hugged. Especially with the sensation of Akane's soft breasts pressing against his stomach.
"Akane, why are you hugging me?"
"The temperature is cold, this way I feel warmer. Is that not allowed?"
Akane's tone sounded sad, as if she would cry if rejected.
"Haaah... Do as you wish."
"Um, I'll do as I wish."
"..."
Seeing her change expressions faster than flipping a book page, Azlan knew Akane had just been acting. He could only resign himself.
Suddenly, Akane asked: "By the way, Azlan-kun, I'm curious, how did you wake up last night? From what that bastard said, you consumed food that had been laced with sleeping pills that could even paralyze an elephant in minutes."
"Oh, about that, it's also thanks to you, Akane."
"Huh? Explain more specifically!"
Akane looked up, her eyes full of wonder.
Azlan didn't play riddles and explained the reason he was able to wake up despite being under the influence of sleeping pills.
"Your scream—your voice calling my name—was heard by Albion, the Heavenly Dragon dwelling within me."
"Realizing something was wrong, Albion tried to wake my consciousness but didn't succeed. The sleeping pills were too strong."
"Then how did you finally wake up?" Akane asked curiously.
"Albion entered my dream. He told me you were in danger and ordered me to wake up immediately. I tried but no matter how strong my desire, my body still couldn't move."
Azlan's face wrinkled remembering his frustration at that time.
"Then Albion told me other bad news that I had been poisoned, and the drug was blocking my connection to my body. He suggested a way to detoxify the poison."
"What way?" Akane asked again.
"Using Ki. So, I trained Senjutsu in my dream. When my consciousness trained in the dream, my body in the real world automatically began absorbing Natural Energy and converting it into pure Ki. This Ki was then pushed through my body system to detoxify the poison. The process felt very long in the dream, but in the real world only a few minutes."
Akane fell silent, processing Azlan's explanation. "So... my voice is what woke you?"
"Not directly." Azlan corrected. "But your voice triggered everything. Without your scream, Albion might not have realized something was wrong until it was all too late."
He looked gently at Akane's head resting on his chest.
"If you had given up then, accepted that fate, I'm afraid I couldn't have saved you. I would have woken up without knowing anything. So, Akane, your resistance wasn't meaningless. It gave me a chance to save you."
"I see..." Akane whispered weakly, burying her face in Azlan's chest.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that her painful resistance wasn't in vain, and actually contributed to her safety, gave her some peace.
The two remained lying for a while. They both fell silent, enjoying the warmth and silence that contrasted with the chaos outside.
After all, there were no urgent matters requiring them to do anything.
No need to prepare for school or work.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say the couple was living the life of elderly retirees, who only did whatever they wanted and enjoyed their old days spending their remaining time.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
A week later.
Inside the warm greenhouse, Akane looked busy.
She wore dark gray chest-high waders with shoulder straps and a belt, like clothing for fishing or water hunting, but she used them for gardening to stay clean and warm.
The clothing protected her from soil and moisture, and made her look like a professional angler. Akane watered the seedlings she had planted, which were now beginning to sprout, showing a promising light green color.
"Look, Azlan-kun!" She exclaimed happily while pointing to rows of small plants. "In a few more days we can harvest mustard greens, red spinach, and lettuce."
Azlan, standing across from her, was applying organic fertilizer, his hands that usually held weapons now skillfully holding a small shovel. His simple t-shirt was slightly sweaty due to the warm air inside the greenhouse.
"Oh yeah, are there any vegetables you don't like or maybe you have food allergies? I need to know so I can cook what's suitable for you." Akane asked while adjusting the position of the wide straw hat on her head.
Azlan looked up from his work. "Am I picky about food? No. I can eat anything."
"Before, I even ate grass and livestock feed to avoid dying of starvation when food was scarce at the refugee camp. As long as it's digestible, I'll eat it."
Akane, hearing how miserable Azlan's life had been, immediately put down her sprayer. She walked toward him and grasped his soil-covered hands.
"I understand... But that's the past, Azlan-kun. Here, in this place, you don't need to eat grass anymore. I'll make sure you eat well. Fresh and proper food every day."
Azlan saw the unwavering determination in her eyes.
"You don't need to—"
"But I want to! Taking care of someone I... someone important to me, is what I want to do." Akane interrupted gently but firmly.
The two continued farming in the greenhouse, the winter sunlight reflecting off the glass layer, creating a peaceful atmosphere that contrasted with the world outside.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Eating after hard work always felt more satisfying. That afternoon, Azlan and Akane devoured their lunch heartily, refilling their depleted energy after farming in the greenhouse.
After the dirty dishes were washed and neatly arranged, they sat relaxing on the sofa. Akane noticed Azlan's hair had grown long to his shoulders.
"Hey, Azlan-kun, aren't you uncomfortable with your long hair?"
Azlan touched the ends of his hair. "Actually it's a bit uncomfortable. I guess it's time to cut it. Akane, where are the scissors?"
"Wait, Azlan-kun!" Akane exclaimed as Azlan stood up. "Do you know how to cut hair?"
"Just cut it short." Azlan answered innocently.
"Haaah... Just as I thought." Akane sighed while shaking her head. "You'll cut it carelessly."
She felt lucky to have asked first. If not, who knows what kind of haircut would result if Azlan cut his own hair.
"Let me do it for you."
"You can, Akane?"
"Mm. Of course! I once played the role of a hairstylist in a theater drama. You know, I'm dubbed a genius actor and often acknowledged to have extraordinary acting abilities."
"I have a deep acting method by gathering all information about the character and then acting as if becoming their original version. So, I learned a lot about hair cutting techniques for my role."
Seeing Akane so confident, Azlan accepted her offer.
"Alright then. I'll leave it to you."
Akane smiled happily. "Trust me!"
She immediately got the necessary equipment and prepared a chair in the middle of the room. When her gentle fingers touched Azlan's scalp, a strange warmth spread in both their chests.
For Azlan, who was accustomed to rough touches and violence, this feeling was completely foreign—gentle, full of attention, and... calming.
And for Akane, this was a rare opportunity to care for someone who was becoming increasingly meaningful in her life.