Could there have been an intruder?
In such a dangerous world, it wasn't an impossibility. Rising to his feet, Sihyun gripped his staff, leaning against the wall prepared for a counterattack if the intruder had malicious intentions.
"Pyap pyap pyap!"
A surprising cry echoed through the room. It was a sound unlike any he had heard from other Irregulars, a pure cry that seemed impossible for a human vocal cord to mimic. Startled, Sihyun blinked.
"...Pia?"
Stepping away from the wall, Sihyun approached the entrance. The door clicked shut, and to his relief, two familiar boys came into view. The tension in his body dissipated, replaced by amusement at his own wariness.
"What's with you guys, making no noise...?"
"Pyap!"
"Cough!"
Perhaps still believing she was a small bird from her youth, Pia, disregarding her own size, flew directly at Sihyun and struck him in the chest with her round head. The sudden impact left Sihyun coughing, unable to finish his sentence.
"Pyap pyap?"
As Sihyun coughed repeatedly, Pia, nestled in the arms of her master whom she hadn't seen in a week, tilted her head in confusion, seemingly unaware of what had transpired.
Gently stroking the fantastical creature that had now grown too large to easily hold in one arm, Sihyun finally managed to stop coughing and took a deep breath. Pia's significant growth had left his arm feeling slightly weak.
Frowning inadvertently, Pia seemed to catch on and called out to him with a "Pyap!" Snapping out of his reverie to check on Hamin and Geonwoo, Sihyun lowered his gaze at the sound.
Fluttering her wings, Pia shook her body from side to side. Sihyun, puzzled if she had gotten something on her, watched as an astonishing transformation unfolded before his eyes.
Pia's body, once as large as a teenager's torso, began to shrink. She gradually reduced to the size of a fist, returning to the size she was when Sihyun first met her, leaving him bewildered.
"Pia?"
"Pyap pyap!"
"Why have you...?"
"She can shrink herself like that. But besides her, shouldn't you be welcoming us too? We've been away for a week, and all you see is Pia?"
Complaining that Sihyun only had eyes for Pia, the boy took off his shoes and entered, waving his hand. Only then did Sihyun's gaze shift to Hamin. Behind him, Geonwoo was still removing his shoes.
The room felt lively again after a long while.
"It took you guys long enough."
"If you knew how quickly we came, you'd be shocked."
"Quickly?"
"Yeah. You should've seen the size of that rift."
Hamin shivered, conveying the enormity of their task. Sihyun was reminded of friends who had returned from military service, often showing similar reactions when discussing their training.
Wondering why Hamin evoked such nostalgia, Sihyun moved towards the sofa in the room. Taking a seat on one sofa, Hamin and Geonwoo naturally collapsed onto the opposite one.
"Is the rift taken care of?"
"They sent us back first, saying it needs more observation."
"So after milking us dry for a week, they treat us like temporary guild members?"
Geonwoo's complaint was met with Hamin's irritated agreement. Both boys looked exhausted, evident from the dark circles under their eyes.
"What kind of rift was it?"
"Treasure."
"Ah..."
It was a Treasure Hunter Irregular, akin to Venom, capable of establishing its own domain, making it a particularly troublesome Catastrophe-Class Irregular to deal with. Sihyun sympathized, understanding why they struggled for a week.
When did Pia learn to shrink?
"How did you figure out how to shrink, Pia?"
The question felt odd, given the topic, making Sihyun's statement seem awkward. As he tried to rephrase, Hamin, who seemed to understand, drank some water from the table before speaking. Sihyun decided not to mention that the water had been sitting there for a week.
"People kept paying her too much attention, touching her because she was so big. She must've disliked it because she started shrinking."
"Suddenly?"
"Yeah. Seems like she could always control her size. She can't get any bigger, but she can shrink from her original size."
"...Oh, so she always could."
Sihyun looked at Pia with a mix of betrayal and amusement. As their eyes met, Pia, glowing with pride, flapped her wings in a self-congratulatory manner.
Had I known you could shrink, I would've asked you to do it sooner.
Recalling the effort of embracing, feeding mana to, and putting
the enlarged Pia to sleep, Sihyun showed a rueful smile before playfully touching her purple horn. Tickled, Pia laughed joyously.
Lost in her infectious laughter, Sihyun set her down on the sofa. Hamin stood up, announcing he'd take the first shower, leaving Geonwoo alone on the sofa.
Watching the vivid blue eyes, tired from the ordeal, Sihyun asked if he was hurt. Geonwoo nodded, then inquired about Sihyun's well-being.
"How are you feeling?"
"Why ask about my body all of a sudden?"
"You were sick."
"Ah..."
Sihyun remembered being bedridden just before Hamin and Geonwoo were drafted for the large-scale rift operation. A sudden onslaught of exhaustion had forced him to declare a day off, much to their concern.
"I'm fine now," Sihyun assured, even though Geonwoo looked unconvinced, scrutinizing him with his observant gaze.
"Really, I'm okay."
"Only say you're okay when you actually are. That way, I won't worry."
The rebuke left Sihyun speechless. Geonwoo fetched a thermometer, and only after verifying Sihyun's temperature had normalized did he finally relax.
"It's good your fever's gone."
"It's been gone since last week."
"Then that's good."
Unable to argue, Sihyun simply nodded, settling into a comfortable silence. The return of their roommates warmed the room, easing the tension in his body.
As sleep finally approached, Sihyun's head drooped onto the sofa's armrest.
"Going to sleep there?"
"No, I'll go to my bed."
"Do you need help moving?"
"It's fine."
About to add that he'd be too heavy, Sihyun remembered Geonwoo effortlessly carrying him in the infirmary and decided against it. Not feeling particularly unwell, he rose and headed to his bed, leaving Geonwoo with a look of mock disappointment.
Choosing rest over pointless conversation, Sihyun pulled the covers over himself. Geonwoo, understanding his intent, turned off the lights. Hamin, just out of the shower, protested the darkness until a mood light softly illuminated the room.
As Sihyun settled in, ready to sleep, a question about Pia's experience during their absence slipped out.
"How was it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You took Pia with you. Was she of any help?"
"If you consider crying every night help, then yes."
"Crying?"
"Yeah. Seems she missed you. Without you or Haru, she cried like a child who lost her parents."
Thinking they had forgotten his own caregiving efforts, Hamin muttered with feigned indignation. Sihyun, catching a glimpse of betrayal in his gaze, gently stroked Pia's wings.
"Were you unsettled by the unfamiliar place? Did you have any special dreams or anything?"
"Not really."
"Really?"
The lack of any significant insights surprised Sihyun, who then observed Pia happily flapping her wings as if proud of her own secrets.
"Still, take her with you next time. It's too early to conclude anything from just this one occasion."
"What, are you cursing me to get drafted for another large-scale operation?"
Hamin's expression soured, suggesting the recent mission had been challenging. Sihyun, feeling no need to correct him, let the comment pass and closed his eyes, ready for the rest needed for another early start.
As he found a comfortable position, he sensed movement nearby. Hamin must have climbed into his bed.
"Sleeping?"
"Yeah."
"You're talking in your sleep pretty well."
"...Why again?"
Hamin initiated another conversation just as Sihyun was about to drift off, prompting a sigh. When Sihyun inquired further, Hamin hesitated before asking.
"...Anything happen while I was gone?"
"Like what?"
"Yoo Seowoo, Ban Haru..."
Mumbling, Hamin hinted at potential issues, prompting Sihyun to narrow his eyes in mild annoyance. As Hamin defensively asked "Why?", Sihyun clarified there had been no incidents.
"Go to sleep. Don't talk anymore."
But the conversation veered to whether Haru or Seowoo had caused any trouble, leaving Sihyun exasperated. Responding tersely, Hamin accused him of only caring about himself before storming off to bed.
Sihyun, feeling no need to engage further, turned away, only for Pia to snuggle up, disrupting his attempt to sleep once more. Calling out to Pia, Hamin picked her up, telling her to stop bothering her "dad" who was trying to sleep.
Despite the irony of being disturbed by Hamin just moments earlier, Sihyun couldn't help but find their concern endearing. As he took a deep breath, the sounds of Pia playfully resisting Hamin filled the room. It
appeared Pia was play-biting Hamin's hand in annoyance.
"Did we bring back a dog instead of a bird?"
"Pyap pyap!"
"Whatever. You can't do anything about it. Your dad's tired. See, he's already asleep."
"Pyaaa..."
Hamin, who seemed to have mastered "Pia language" over the week, engaged in a hilariously nonsensical conversation with her. Chuckling, Sihyun buried his face deeper into the pillow, only for Geonwoo, freshly showered, to inquire if he was already asleep. Hamin responded on Sihyun's behalf, prompting a soft sigh from Geonwoo.
"He must've been tired."
"I heard from the info team he's been called out an average of five times a day."
"That's too much..."
The concern in their low voices faded as Sihyun succumbed to sleep, the room's sounds and darkness deepening around him.
Surrendering to the onslaught of drowsiness, Sihyun finally found peace in sleep, nestled in the warmth of trivial conversations...
"...Where am I now?"
Caught in an unfamiliar dream, Sihyun murmured wearily, finding himself not in the usual dark waters but in a desert, a new setting for his relentless dreams.
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