《I Thought I Tamed The Villain》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡®How did I end up like this?¡¯ I rolled my eyes slowly. I was dazzled by the light shining through the clear water. ¡®Jess was about to fall into the lake¡­ I followed him and jumped in to save him¡­¡¯ At that moment, I instinctively moved my limbs because of my choked breath. However, my body was already sinking to the bottom of the water with tension and bewilderment. It seemed that there was no use in moving my body any longer. I reached out towards the light, but it felt like I was already too far away. I closed my eyes so slowly. ~*~ ¡°Iris, Iris!¡± I heard through my ears, someone¡­ There was a voice calling for someone. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± When I lifted my heavy eyelids, I could see Serena¡¯s face, the oldest in the orphanage. She was soaked just like me as if she had saved me from drowning. ¡°Iris¡­!¡± Jess, the reason I jumped fearlessly into the lake, came into my arms. His face was covered with tears as if he was worried that something would go wrong. ¡°¡­¡± Normally, I would have wiped away Jess¡¯ tears and laughed saying it was okay, but unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have time for that now. ¡°Iris, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Even with Serena¡¯s hand on my shoulder, I couldn¡¯t move. What caught my eye was a person hiding behind a tree far away. I was looking at it. Theo. The child¡¯s red eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a big problem, so if you rest well, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Mr. Haley, who is in charge of the orphanage, looked at me while smiling helplessly. ¡°I know you wanted to save your little brother in front of you, Iris, but it¡¯s not a good thing for you to jump into the water yourself. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll even give you a bed if you come to me like this in the future.¡± He was trying to intimidate me, but there was still a deep concern behind those words. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Somehow every time, you only get hurt trying to help others. You have to think about your body and health too.¡± Listening to Mr. Haley¡¯s bruised nagging, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. What do you mean, sir? I may have to risk my life as collateral to help this time¡­ Iris. A child who has been raised since birth in an orphanage established under the auspices of the Goddess Hylia Temple. Even though her birth is unknown, a bright and beautiful ten-year-old child with golden hair like the goddess who saved the world in the beginning and blue eyes shining like crystals¡­ Until I jumped into the lake to rescue Jess from drowning. It was good until I pulled Jess up and sent him ashore. The problem was that, on the contrary, I fell back into the water as my body lost strength there. And I, who lost consciousness like that, remembered my previous life on the brink of death. Besides, the world I live in now is in a book I read in my previous life. ¡°Yeah, everything is fine. In an instant, I went from an 18-year-old to a conscious child, but I also realized that my hard-working life was just a book! Am I mentally strong? I can accept it all. However¡­¡± Why is it that the place of my rebirth is a devastating novel with no dreams or hopes? I screamed silently and buried my face in the pillow. If no one was listening, I felt like screaming. I wish I was born into a romance novel where petals fell like others, but this novel that I was born in was just a crime thriller novel that depicts the process of a person becoming a villain. Collaboration with the original female protagonist? Romance with a male protagonist? ¡°Dream big. In this novel, there are only the main characters and the person who dies at the hands of the main character. I just have to worry about surviving.¡± I smiled and burst into tears. Theo was the main character and the villain of this novel. He was called a child with demon blood because he had both dark hair and blood-red eyes, known as the symbol of the devil. And as time passed and he grew up, he gradually built up animosity towards the world¡­ After he becomes an adult, he goes to the orphanage to find all the people he grew up with and commit a murder that horribly kills them all. It was because of the memory of being despised and pointed at as a devil in the orphanage. Of course, not everyone despised and pointed at him. Some of the children who grew up in the orphanage did not even know Theo¡¯s existence. Hylia Orphanage was that large. But he didn¡¯t care about it at all. The murder he committed was sole to satisfy his vengeance. And I was also one of those who died in his hands in the future. ¡°That¡¯s unfair. I didn¡¯t know anything about him either.¡± Moreover, unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t remember the contents of the book perfectly. I only knew fragments of the content and the fact that I died from him. No matter how much I tried to come up with other details, my mind went blank like an empty page, as if something was blocking me. After all, I decided to focus on the facts I learned, and I came up with the most essential point. ¡°The way to survive is¡­¡± To stop Theo who will later become a villain. That was all. Even if I remembered my past life, the most important thing to me was also this life which I live in now. Whoever I was in my previous life, I¡¯m living as Iris now. Therefore, it was a natural step to find a way to live safely in this novel. ¡°I have to change him.¡± It seemed impossible, but it was something I could try. Even if he later grew up to be a murderer, he¡¯s still a child now. We already knew how much someone¡¯s childhood can affect a person¡¯s personality. ¡®Can I do it?¡¯ Anxiety suddenly rose, but I shook my head. Now that this happened, I had to get my head straight. ¡°I have to do it even if it doesn¡¯t work. Let¡¯s think of saving a man.¡± I can¡¯t say exactly whether the ¡°person to save¡± is me or him. And from the very next day, my villain rehabilitation project began. I first headed to the library in the orphanage. And I started reading carefully by choosing things that I could use among the few books. Evelyn, who accidentally passed by, looked at me and spoke to me wondering. ¡°My son has changed. Animals are amazing. There are no bad children in the world¡­ Iris, why are you reading these all of a sudden?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as bad knowledge in the world. It¡¯s preparing for the future.¡± I wrinkled my nose and smiled at Evelyn, then moved my gaze back to the letters in the book. ¡°I see¡­ But, it seems that they are all strangely mixed¡­¡± Evelyn looked at me and tilted her head, but soon left my side since she didn¡¯t want to interrupt my reading time anymore. Being alone, I nodded as I read the important sentences over and over again. ¡°Always show consistency¡­¡± Be consistent. Probably no one has ever shown Theo anything like that. From what I remember In the book, he was always alone, and none of the usual conversation scenes with him came out well. It was clearly what Theo lacked the most. No one becomes a devil in the first place. You can¡¯t have malice from the moment you first open your eyes after being born into this world. Everything has a cause. Given that Theo¡¯s first murder spree had something to do with the orphanage, it was thought that the cause may have originated here. Perhaps being rejected by children my age played a big role¡­ Children are pure and the cruelty that comes from that innocence is indescribably heinous. Discrimination from differences would have crushed and hurt Theo relentlessly. Having concluded, I closed the books and stood up. Perhaps this moment was the only key to stopping Theo from the future. ~*~ ¡°Oh, why is it so hard to meet you?¡± I leaned on my weary legs and took a deep breath. I eagerly set out to find Theo, but it was difficult to see his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know some places here existed. We¡¯re in the same building, how can we not run into each other?¡± It was true that the Hylia orphanage was large, but this was somehow strange. Unless he¡¯s deliberately hiding¡­! ¡°Hiding¡­?¡± My body tingled as if I had been hit in the back of the head. Why didn¡¯t I think of that? There was no way a child who was teased because of the color of his hair and eyes would be in a place where others could easily find him. I had to turn my eyes towards a more shady, gloomy place. ¡°There¡­!¡± And after five hours of wandering, I finally found him. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°Found¡­!¡± Theo was found in an abandoned building where no one goes to anymore. It was a very difficult place to find for me, who did not even know that such a place existed on the site of the orphanage. Having found Theo after hard work, I hurried to visit him. I was so happy to see him even though he¡¯s a villain because I had been looking for him for so long. ¡°Hi!¡± I waved my hand in a hoarse voice and ran in his direction. First impressions always went very well with Iris¡¯ cute face like a doll. ¡°¡­¡± But Theo¡¯s eyes looking at me were as cold as ice. ¡°My name is Iris.¡± But I expected this kind of reaction! Let¡¯s hit it somewhere! I will never give up! ¡°Go away before I kill you.¡± ¡°¡­Ah¡± I turned my body toward the same direction I had been running. ¡®This isn¡¯t it¡­!¡¯ My head thought I should stop running now, but my body wouldn¡¯t listen. What he probably thought was, ¡®Who are you?¡¯ ¡®Disappear from my sight.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t bother me.¡¯ I¡¯m scared of him¡­! ~*~ The next day, after running away from Theo in such an unnatural way, I mustered up my courage again and sneaked to see him. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Last time, I ran away without thinking, but this time it¡¯ll be different. I was frightened because the future killer was going to kill me, but when I came to think of it, I don¡¯t have a mother, so I have nothing to lose¡­ Anyway, I changed my mind and decided to talk to him again. Try to do it as naturally as possible. Natural! I let go of the hand holding the ball and gently rolled it in front of Theo. Roll. ¡°Oh my. Did the ball roll this way?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I quickly glanced at Theo and sprinted towards the ball. Theo, who turned his head at the sight, met my gaze. His red eyes were staring right at me. ¡®Red.¡¯ But it didn¡¯t feel that bad. Rather, I was fascinated by the intense colors. ¡°Uh¡­ Hello. Good to see you again?¡± I picked up the ball and greeted him. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t swear at me this time. In fact, it was a reaction that was close to utter ignorance, but even that was something I was willing to put up with. At least he won¡¯t hurt me now. ¡°Theo right? As I said yesterday, my name is Iris. Won¡¯t you play ball with me?¡± I said so and held out a pink ball. It¡¯s best for children to play together. If we get closer naturally, we can talk about various things. Then¡­ Pop- And then, and then¡­ I froze as I saw a bright smile. It was because Theo, who received the ball from me, mercilessly popped it with his hand. ¡®No, I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s so scary!¡¯ Theo, who threw the ball that had now become a piece of rubber, came closer to me. I looked at Theo, holding my breath. Beyond the black hair that covered his face, a well-groomed look that would have been praised everywhere else if not called the symbol of the devil. And right next to my ear, my slender neck, a sound was heard. ¡°Was I not clear? Do you want me to take your intestines out?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was scary. The child in front of me did not feel like a child. I just really felt like he was going to kill me, and tears came to my eyes from fear. Theo smiled as he saw me trembling in front of him. Then he gently pushed my shoulder away as if there was nothing more to see. As if it were a signal, I took a small step backward. The sound of shoes being dragged to the floor disturbed the quiet air. That was then. Several children were heard laughing and chatting in the immediate vicinity. I looked at them subconsciously. I thought no one would come to the abandoned building except Theo¡­ Should I run away? Maybe run to those kids¡­ The children were trying to turn around. ¡°Ah!¡± But at that moment, I felt a hand push me away. As a result, I was pushed toward the pillars of the building. ¡®Why so sudden?¡¯ As I was about to stick my head out in front of me, something blocked me. ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ It was none other than Theo¡¯s back. ¡®Did you hide me?¡¯ I followed his will and held my breath quietly. ¡°Hmm, what is it? Aren¡¯t you the son of a devil? Have you been hiding in this place?¡± After a while, the voice of a boy of the same age was heard. Apparently, the children who turned their heads this way were approaching Theo. ¡°This place suits someone as ominous as you.¡± When I listened closely, it was a voice I knew. ¡®William? Is that William?¡¯ William, who I knew, was a rather timid and shy child. I remember having a few conversations because I met him sometimes. But in front of Theo, he was even smiling while saying this casually. ¡®That double-faced guy¡­¡¯ No matter how young a child is, I couldn¡¯t let go of such vicious harassment. But¡­ What did they even know? Theo, who blocked my view, held one hand back. I could tell without having to think about it. That means to stay still. ¡°Turn around before I rip that unlucky face off.¡± Soon after, Theo¡¯s threatening voice was heard. It was a quiet and low voice, but it felt more brutal. ¡°Why should I be scared by such words? You dirty devil!¡± Led by William¡¯s cry, several children began to curse Theo at once. I covered my mouth with both hands and held my breath. The moment I actually saw the scene I imagined, the shock felt bigger than I expected. At a young age, he would have had to listen to such harsh words countless times. ¡°So, you¡¯re going to come at me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Theo took a step forward, the children¡¯s mouths shut up. As he approached a little closer, I heard the sound of footsteps stepping back. The children who were scared and stepped back looked the same as I did just earlier. I felt my head go blank. It was because my appearance overlapped with the children who bullied Theo. ¡®I was judging Theo on my own too.¡¯ For Theo, the threat was as a means of survival. But I was frightened by the defensive posture and treated him like a murderer. Theo hasn¡¯t done anything yet. My heart was troubled by guilt. Even though I knew he was still a child, I was implicitly afraid of him and thinking of him as a monster, just like those who despised him. ¡®What makes me different from those kids now?¡¯ I bit my lip and apologized to Theo inwardly. And decided. I want to see Theo as he is. No matter what the future holds, I will face the Theo of the present. Theo smiled as he saw me step back. He must have been hurt once more when he saw me frightened. But he nevertheless hid me from children¡¯s eyes¡­ ¡®Because you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to hear when you¡¯re with them.¡¯ I shut my eyes tight. I wanted to repay Theo for trying to protect me despite my rude attitude. And I couldn¡¯t pretend to be ignorant of what made Theo a real demon in front of my eyes. Because I was supposed to save Theo. ¡°Hey! William!¡± Eventually, I pushed Theo out and stood in front of him. William and the children looked at me with their eyes wide open. ¡°Oh, Iris? Why are you¡­¡± ¡°You coward! Are you only good at talking badly in front of other people, but also abusing Theo?¡± It was surprising that I suddenly appeared on the side of Theo. William gasped his mouth, unable to answer my words. ¡°Iris. Do you know who he is?¡± Then one of the children by William¡¯s side pointed a finger at Theo. ¡®Is he really¡­?¡¯ I strode forward in front of him and bent his finger as hard as I could. ¡°Ahhh! what¡¯s the matter?!¡± ¡°Why are you pointing? And I know Theo well. He¡¯s my best friend!¡± ¡­That was a lie ¡°Nonsense! Iris is like an angel¡­¡± I snorted. The nickname ¡°angel¡± was a bit embarrassing for me because I had unusually bright blonde hair and was kind to everyone. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re still young, so they don¡¯t know, but they would often follow me, calling me an angel. Until yesterday, I too had been really kind to such children like an angel. But now it¡¯s different. As I recalled my past life, I no longer am an ordinary child, and I saw the other side of the children I thought were good friends. There will no longer be an angel who was kind to everyone. ¡°You know what? Angels are kind to people. Only to those who do a lot of good things.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°You know what? In fact, angels are only kind to those who have done a lot of good things.¡± Simply put, I won¡¯t treat you nicely. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying! ¡°Hey!¡± I pushed William and the kids away with both arms. Then I put my hands on my waist and shouted. ¡°If you point your finger at Theo again or tease him, I won¡¯t let you go!¡± ¡°Iris got weird!¡± When William ran away saying so, the other children rushed after him. ¡°I know how to scold you!¡± Shouting in the air, I turned around, catching my breath. The cool wind that dried off the unpleasant sweat shook the leaves, and Theo and my hair fluttered. Theo was looking at me silently. I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. ¡°Sorry.¡± I approached him and apologized. If it were Theo anyway, he would have sent the children back easily by himself. It may have been hypocritical of me to step up and confront them, or it was perhaps to eliminate guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to know you properly before being scared at will.¡± Before recalling his future appearance, I should have looked at Theo, a child. A child who was just hurt countless times by his appearance. ¡°I want to be your friend.¡± I meant it. Now that I can see Theo straight. It¡¯s not for my life, but because I just want to get close to a child named Theo. I smiled and reached out to Theo. He was still expressionless, but somehow, he seemed to feel less cold than before. He looked down at my hand and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I told you to be scared. So get lost.¡± Before I pulled out all my hair, a cold, sword-like voice spoke. ¡°What?¡± Huh? Can¡¯t it flow like this? Isn¡¯t it time to shake hands? It felt like a large stone fell on my head. Or I became a rock. However, Theo, who was looking at me with a silly expression, suddenly disappeared. Huh? What is it? I couldn¡¯t move for a long time. The wind, which felt only cool, blew my hair around. Wasn¡¯t it the perfect timing just now? Whether the floor is spinning or my head is spinning. It was a confusing moment. ~*~ I was bitterly rejected. But I can¡¯t give up like this! I was no longer afraid of Theo. Quite frankly, I was a little scared, but I tried not to think about my future as much as possible. From the day I was rejected by Theo, I started looking for Theo every day and wandering around him. It started with ten steps away. I read a book next to Theo and took a step. ¡°Wow¡­ Also Joseph and Philip! Best Friendship! It really fills my heart!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I like to read aloud.¡± I deliberately ate a delicious snack in front of him and took a step. ¡°These macarons are delicious. I want to share it with my friends, but who doesn¡¯t have a friend to eat with me!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to eat alone¡­ .¡± He fell in front of his eyes as if he was arrogant and approached Theo, one step at a time. ¡°¡­¡± Each time, I cringed at Theo¡¯s cold gaze, who seemed to despise me. Still, it wasn¡¯t completely useless. ¡®Now one step!¡¯ After starting to narrow the distance little by little, in the end, the distance between me and Theo was only about one step. Now, even at such a close distance, Theo didn¡¯t say harsh words to me, such as skinning me or grinding my bones. Even if it was just air, it was possible to exist next to Theo. Today was a cool summer day. The sweltering heat came, but the side of the abandoned building with lots of shade and trees was cool in its own way. If even a gust of wind blew there, it was refreshing as if drinking sweet, cool water in the desert. It was a scary place when I first saw it, but now that I got used to it, it has become a cozy space where I can just relax. ¡°How did Theo get to know this place? It¡¯s a great place to hang out.¡± Talking to myself has become a habit now. I was talking as if Theo wasn¡¯t there, because he wouldn¡¯t answer anyway. Again, there was no answer this time. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know this place existed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for me to hide.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I felt sorry for Theo¡¯s answer, but I was surprised that he actually answered. It has only been two weeks after I approached Theo that I had received a non-threatening answer from him. ¡®Hey, calm down. If you overreact, you may not be able to get an answer again.¡¯ I calmed my beating heart and tried to speak calmly. ¡°Oh, wow! That¡¯s great! This place is really good for hiding. It¡¯s genius.¡± But this time, my body and mind were separate. Anyone could tell that was an overreaction. I rubbed my forehead and fell backwards. ¡°Because people who have no reason to hide will not find it.¡± But contrary to my expectations that he would ignore me as usual, Theo continued speaking quietly. I laid on the floor of the building, looking at Theo sitting next to me. A reason to hide. My heart ached at the injustice I felt in those words. ¡°But, I mean, I think it¡¯s nonsense. It¡¯s just a color, isn¡¯t it?¡± Theo was no different from the other children. Except for the colors that other people have given names and specially decided. ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Theo¡¯s gaze, staring into the air, reached me. Theo¡¯s gaze was not reproaching me as usual. He was really curious about my thoughts. Theo wasn¡¯t even sure of himself. As people say, is he really a demon, or is he just a person named Theo himself? ¡°Huh? It¡¯s just a standard that people set their own way. No one can be sure about others. You decide who you are. I just don¡¯t believe in the standards other people set.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Theo frowned silently. He didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was talking about. ¡°So, no matter what other people say, what you think is more important.¡± Theo¡¯s eyes fluttered. In the Latras Empire where I was born, the power of the high priest was second to that of the emperor. The myth of the founding of the Latras Empire was also a story about a goddess who saved the world and a demon who was destroyed by her hand. Because of this, almost everyone believes in the existence of goddesses and demons, and there are bound to be many myths about how to find the devil mixed with the general public. And one of them was the black hair and red eyes. Having decided such a characteristic at a glance as a rule, Theo must have been persecuted by countless people until now. That¡¯s why Theo seemed unsure of himself. ¡°Even if everyone else tells you you are the devil, don¡¯t believe it.¡± No matter how hard-hearted people are, if they are told that they are wrong, they will doubt their thoughts. Even less so, since everyone in the world drove him to be a devil, now he may be just suspicious, but later he will admit that he really is a devil. I thought it was the recognition that later stained Theo with malice. As the saying goes and he grows up, Theo has been brainwashed from all the ridicule. Under the name of the devil. ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Theo, who had been looking at me all the time, asked me. ¡°How can you believe that that standard is wrong?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± As he opened his mouth to answer Theo, the door of the old building opened violently. ¡°What?¡± The sound of footsteps and sharp voices of several children were heard, and then there was the sound of dull bursts. ¡°Stay still.¡± Theo spoke dryly, as if he were pleading with me. Then he got up and headed towards the sound. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to go alone!¡± But I too got up straight away and followed Theo. Then I saw the children destroying the entrance of the old building. ¡°William¡­ !¡± It¡¯s him again Now just looking at William¡¯s face made me angry. I approached them and tried to restrain them. ¡°Wait, then what if the building collapses? It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± The children were quite serious. They were smashing wooden posts and shattering glass, as if they were trying to demolish a really old abandoned building. ¡°This place must be gone! With the devil!¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°This kind of place needs to disappear! With the devil!¡± William exclaimed as he picked up a long iron rod. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. If that part collapses, it¡¯ll be dangerous for you too!¡± ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s okay because I¡¯m only going to break the door so you can¡¯t go back in.¡± I slapped my forehead with my hands in exasperation. No one could predict what would happen if this small neglected building, which had narrowly maintained its shape, continued to be destroyed. The children were holding tools, and the building was so old. ¡°Stop it right now.¡± Theo stepped up to grab William by the collar. His hand, which held enough strength to punch him right away, was shaking finely. ¡°Will you kill me? Well, I wouldn¡¯t doubt it since you¡¯re the devil.¡± At William¡¯s words, Theo¡¯s fist rose. Now, Theo only had to hit William in the face. ¡°No!¡± I dashed to Theo, who raised his hand. Quickly clasping his hand, I said. ¡°Theo, you can¡¯t do that. You were never the kind of person William talks about. Right?¡± Theo¡¯s gaze drifted towards my hand, squeezing tightly. ¡°If you get caught up in his provocation, you¡¯ll have to admit William¡¯s words. I mean¡­¡± William, who was watching Theo and I, suddenly stepped in and said. ¡°Hey, you touched it, Iris. You¡¯re going to get it from Theo too. The devil could be transmitted to you.¡± I felt my patience crumbling at his words. Thanks to this, I uttered something completely different from what I originally intended to say. ¡°So¡­¡± I bit my lower lip slightly. Then I smiled brightly and grabbed William¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it for you.¡± ¡°Ouch!¡± William¡¯s scream, in an instant, drew the attention of the children who were destroying the building. I pulled William¡¯s ear toward me, keeping a smile regardless. ¡°Oh, it hurts! Iris!¡± William quickly shed tears, promptly displacing the look of cruelty with the face of a 10-year-old-child. I let go of William¡¯s ear and spoke calmly. ¡°What did Theo do wrong? Just leave him alone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me!¡± ¡°I thought you would be like an ordinary girl, but if you keep involving yourself with him¡­!¡± I burst into laughter at the children¡¯s words. The children, left alone on the side, were quick to become hostile to me who harassed William. No matter what happens, violence is not allowed. I felt an ache in my heart as I vowed to do so. Yeah. Sometimes, you just have to face it head-on. ¡°That¡¯s funny! Theo, don¡¯t move and stay right there!¡± As I shouted, the children all dashed at me. From that moment on, it became a fierce battle. The children and I began a childish fight consisting of biting and pinching each other. I was lacking in numbers, but I steadily returned the punishment being delivered. ¡°Let go! Let go, you girl!¡± ¡°See! What¡¯s this? My nose is bleeding!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Have you heard of the legend at the orphanage?¡± Of course, there was no such legend. As the fight got longer and longer, the children stopped rushing at me, exhausted of their energy. Some children had already left the building as a means of escaping.. I blew my breath, causing my bangs to fly from my forehead. ¡°Are you going to give up now? Or do you want more?¡± The boy who was about to clench his fist and run towards me suddenly stopped. The child¡¯s anxious gaze was directed over my head. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Naturally, I followed the gaze and turned my eyes only to discover the ceiling shaking precariously right above me. How fateful it was, only the part above my head was battered and torn down. Perhaps it was due to the iron rod William was holding. ¡®Ah. This time, I¡¯m really in trouble.¡¯ It¡¯s dangerous so don¡¯t break it! With that in mind, I reflexively closed my eyes. Thud-! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± But what I immediately felt was neither the fear of getting hurt nor the pain of my skin being torn. A warm embrace. It was that warmth. ¡°Theo, Theo¡­ Are you okay?¡± I quickly got out of Theo¡¯s arms and looked at his face. Blood was dripping down Theo¡¯s face, probably from the large cut on his forehead. But nevertheless, Theo nodded his head at me without saying a word. ¡°What is this?¡± From afar, the director¡¯s sharp voice could be heard. It seems that one of the children who ran away reported it. With tears in my eyes, I buried my face into Theo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sorry¡­ Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± The director, who soon found Theo and I, shouted loudly. ¡°Oh my God, what is all this? What the hell happened?¡± I couldn¡¯t even answer his words, and I just cried. It was because I was too ashamed to see Theo hurt because of me right in front of my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Theo¡¯s soft voice whispered in my ear. In the end, the director punished everyone in the abandoned building. ¡®Get down on your knees and raise your arms for an hour. Never enter the waste building again.¡¯ Those were our punishments. I initially argued that I shouldn¡¯t be given the same punishment as William was for harassing Theo, but my opinion was simply dismissed. It was because we were in such a dangerous building. With our hands up, the director warned that we should not enter dangerous buildings and fighting with friends is not acceptable. The issue that you shouldn¡¯t bully your friends was omitted. I kept trying to inform the director, but each time Theo stopped me with a stern look. ¡®It¡¯s an unwarranted punishment.¡¯ It felt so unfair. But I couldn¡¯t correct it. The reason being that Theo¡¯s eyes were so sad looking at me. A hellish hour of lecturing from the director passed before we were finally permitted to lower our arms. The director did not leave immediately, but instead came up to talk to me. ¡°Iris. You¡¯ve always been nice and good to your friends. Why are you fighting this time?¡± ¡°I just did a good deed of my own standards this time.¡± The director sighed in response to my blunt answer and placed his hand on my shoulder. Then, looking into Theo¡¯s eyes behind me, he whispered. ¡°Did you discover Theo¡¯s weakness? Otherwise, why did you suddenly become friends with him? Iris, you¡¯re a great kid. You shouldn¡¯t be hanging out with someone like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the director¡¯s cruel words, I reflexively turned my head to look at Theo. But, as if Theo had already heard everything, he hurriedly left the place with empty eyes. It was a desperate and sad gesture, as if he was running away from something. I turned my head to the director. There was no way to gently correct his words. I grabbed his hand and flung it off my shoulder. ¡°The director shouldn¡¯t be doing that.¡± ¡°What?¡± I smiled weakly at the director who looked at me with embarrassment. His words really drained me of my strength.. ¡°They¡¯re just kids¡­ It¡¯s really bad, but they¡¯re still young. But the director is an adult.¡± Tears welled up in sorrow. I didn¡¯t know exactly what was so sad, but it was so heartbreaking that I couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°Iris, what are you¡­¡± I knew very well that the director would think I was strange because of what I said. An ordinary ten-year-old would never say such a thing. But I couldn¡¯t stand it. I felt pity for Theo, who disappeared as if he had committed a crime. ¡°As an adult, don¡¯t hurt a child so recklessly. To young children, a word from the director has a much greater impact than the director can imagine.¡± I looked into his eyes and continued. ¡°Please remember this. Theo saved me.¡± I turned around and started running after Theo. My breath hit the tip of my chin. My forehead was soaked with sweat. But no matter how much I ran, I couldn¡¯t see where Theo was. I stomped my feet in a hurry and frowned. The sun was already setting. ¡®He hasn¡¯t received treatment yet¡­¡¯ I was worried because I couldn¡¯t properly stop the bleeding on Theo¡¯s wound. Eventually, I had to go to Miss Haley to grab some first aid kits. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Iris?!¡± When I opened the door to the ward,Miss Haley jumped up from her seat, startled. ¡°Who else did you help this time?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This isn¡¯t my blood.¡± ¡°Aside from that, your face is full of scratches.¡± I hurriedly grabbed the arm of the teacher who was examining my body. ¡°More than that, we need things that can provide first aid. Ummm, please give me antiseptics, wound medication, and some bandages!¡± ¡°What the hell is going on?! Where is the injured child? I will treat them myself.¡± ¡°No!¡± I instinctively shouted. Miss Haley looked at me in shock, surprised by the words spilling out of my mouth. END OF CHAPTER 4 Chapter 5 ¡°No!¡± I begged Miss Haley. ¡°I can¡¯t show you right now. Teacher, I¡¯m really sorry. I¡¯ll definitely let you know later, so please.¡± I didn¡¯t want Theo, who was already hurt by an adult, to suffer any further. I liked and believed in Miss Haley, but I didn¡¯t want to risk it ¨C just as a precaution. Miss Haleynodded slightly as she looked at me. ¡°Alright. But a kid should not play with medicine. If the wound is severe, I need to check on it after first aid, okay? ¡°Yes, thank you. Oh, and¡­¡± I hesitated. It was because I wondered if Miss Haley would think the question was strange once she heard it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Where do you think of when you want to hide?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Miss Haley looked at me for a long time as if trying to grasp my intentions. ¡°Well, behind the nursery is a forest where people rarely visit, so I would go there if I want to be alone.¡± But she sincerely told me her thoughts and gently touched my cheek. ¡°Iris. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but let¡¯s calm down first. Wouldn¡¯t the child in hiding be more anxious when he sees you now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded at her words. Without a doubt, I was nervous. ¡°It¡¯s going to be dark out soon, so come back as soon as possible. If it¡¯s too late, I¡¯ll go search for you at once.¡± ¡°Thank you, teacher.¡± With the kindness of the teacher, I was able to calm down. Having received medicine from Miss Haley, I headed straight to the place behind the nursery. It was a small hill that was embarrassing to say it was a mountain, but it was a place where a dense forest was located. ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re really scared.¡¯ Thinking of Theo hiding all alone in a dark place made my heart ache. How far did he wander in the forest? After traversing for a while, I finally discovered a rock cave. In front of it, small footprints and bloodstains were connected like a road. ¡°Theo¡­¡± I tried to get rid of any signs of agitation. There was a lot of grass on my hair and clothes, but it was inevitable. As I walked slowly into the cave, the sun completely set and a round moon rose above my head. ¡°Theo.¡± As expected, Theo was crouched down in the small cave. When he heard my voice, he flinched in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up¡±. Theo slowly looked up at those words. Theo¡¯s face under the moonlight unmistakably had traces of tears. My heart was throbbing at the sight, but I smiled as brightly as possible. Holding this smile, I crouched down in front of him to wipe away his tears. ¡°Hey, how can you believe that standard is wrong?¡± Theo asked. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t believe in the fact that the standard was wrong. I just trusted you.¡± I spoke softly while unfolded the medicines I received from Miss Haley, and I began to treat the wound on Theo¡¯s forehead. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I smiled and nodded, I could see tears glistening in Theo¡¯s eyes. ¡°A devil wouldn¡¯t do anything of this sort, like jumping in to save others, and he wouldn¡¯t try to protect others while speaking harsh words. The day I approached him, I remembered Theo trying to hide me from the eyes of other children. ¡°You protected me.¡±¡¯ ¡°But I¡­ If you¡¯re with me, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll keep getting hurt.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re ominous?¡± ¡°What was above your head suddenly fell¡­¡± That was ridiculous. In the first place, these superstitions could not be thwarted without the premise that Theo having the devil¡¯s blood was false. ¡°Theo, do you think you¡¯re a devil yourself?¡±¡± Theo could not answer immediately. Instead, clear tears flowed from his eyes. ¡°Are you really a devil?¡± When asked again, Theo shook his head. And he softly replied, choking up as he did so. ¡°No¡­ No¡­¡± Theo¡¯s small voice grew louder and louder. In the end, it was like he was desperately shouting at someone. ¡°I¡¯m not a devil!¡± I smiled at Theo and hugged his shoulder to comfort him. ¡°Yes. I trust you. I¡¯m going to believe you.¡± Even if everyone in the world calls you the devil, I promise to trust you. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done.¡± Once I finished treating Theo¡¯s wounds with my poor skills, I took a step back from him. But there was something that I forgot. ¡°Oh, right! There¡¯s still one thing left.¡± I blocked Theo¡¯s rising hand and leaned in to gently blow on his wound. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s ¡®ho¡¯.¡± Theo¡¯s face crumpled strangely in response to my answer. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong with my face?¡± You were able to enjoy the best service! You punk. Theo tilted his head and said. ¡°No, I think the wound is all better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all the effect of ¡®ho¡¯. I mean, you like it, right? ¡°Yeah.¡± Theo rubbed his forehead with his hands as if embarrassed. I reached out to him. ¡°Hurry up. Let¡¯s go back before it¡¯s too late. I have to show Miss Haley the wounds quickly.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you treat it all?¡± ¡°But I have to show it to the teacher properly. What I did was just first aid.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Theo and I held hands as we walked along the forest path. He followed me without a word and then spoke carefully. ¡°Thank you.¡± I stopped at his abrupt words and looked back at Theo. Embarrassment could be seen blooming all over his face. ¡°Come on, why did you suddenly turn around?¡± ¡°Because I like it.¡± When I said with a big smile, Theo¡¯s face heated up. It looked like cherry tomatoes in midsummer. ¡°What, what¡­¡± ¡°After hearing you say ¡®thank you¡¯, we¡¯re really friends now, right?¡±¡± ¡°¡­What friends¡­.¡± ¡°What? So you¡¯re saying no?¡±¡± I asked as I approached him closer. I¡¯ve done this much, but we¡¯re still not friends? How can I get the title of ¡°Theo¡¯s friend¡±? ¡°Hey, get away from me!¡± ¡°Tell me why!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason!¡± Theo took the lead and walked on the dark path. I felt like the ground was ringing because I walked huffing and puffing over in anger. ¡°Wait for me! I¡¯ll go with you.¡± But if there¡¯s anything that¡¯s changed¡­ It was him waiting for me while slowing his pace. ~*~ ¡°¡­That¡¯s interesting.¡± Miss Haley looked at Theo¡¯s wounds for a long time. ¡°Teacher, is there something wrong?¡± I asked Miss Haley, getting close to her. I hope there was nothing wrong because if that was the case, William, I¡¯ll never let you go! However, the teacher shook her head with an ambiguous smile. ¡°No. He¡¯s in good condition. I thought it was a deep tear, but it seemed to have healed in such a short period.¡± ¡°It¡¯s healed?¡± Miss Haley nodded. However, as the atmosphere became a little heavy, she quickly smiled and said. ¡°Theo must have a good recovery ability. I don¡¯t think you need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But Theo¡¯s face got dark. ¡®You don¡¯t want to be different from others, even just a little.¡¯ I spoke brightly, intervening between the teacher and Theo. ¡°It¡¯s all because I said ¡®ho¡¯! Hurry up and thank me!¡± Theo looked pitifully at me, crossing his arms and shrugging. ¡°Anyways, that¡¯s good. If it goes like this, he won¡¯t get hurt easily.¡± ¡°Good for you!¡± In the end, Theo nodded reluctantly. ~*~ ¡°What? Why is Iris hanging out with a kid like that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he the one who has the devil¡¯s blood?¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s really creepy.¡± The next morning, the cafeteria was noisy. It was because Theo and I, whose appearance were opposites of each other, , arrived side by side. ¡°Bon app¨¦tit!¡± ¡°Do you really have to eat at a time when there are so many people present?¡± Theo murmured in dissatisfaction. But I smiled and nodded firmly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with us that we can¡¯t even eat at this hour? We have the right to eat too.¡± As I said, pounding on my chest, Theo looked at me with a strange face. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The word ¡®we¡¯.¡± Theo turned his head forward, blatantly avoiding my eyes. ¡°Without me, it doesn¡¯t matter if you eat at the busiest hour.¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, my heart was pounding and I couldn¡¯t say a word. He was clearly a small child, but sometimes, Theo seemed to be too mature for his age. Theo¡¯s words were so sharp that I occasionally had a hard time figuring out how to respond. ¡°But we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You share everything with your friends. Good and bad. So, your difficulties are also my difficulties.¡± ¡°¡­That doesn¡¯t sound like a friend.¡± Chapter 6 ¡°¡­It¡¯s not like we¡¯re friends.¡± Theo spoke bluntly until the end. ¡°Someday, you¡¯ll say that I¡¯m your friend.¡± I spoke with confidence. ¡°Strange.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gotten weird. You-.¡± Theo said while looking at me like that. ¡®Did he notice that my personality has changed?¡¯ ¡°In the past, you used to be a little more¡­¡± I felt like my back was sweating. I hurriedly gave Theo the sausage in my bowl and glossed over. ¡°Wow! It looks delicious. Hurry up and eat a lot!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Theo closed his mouth with a dissatisfied face. After breakfast, we spent time in a sunny place like the other children. It was because I wanted to give Theo a new experience, who typically hid from the sight of the other children. In fact, I thought he would refuse coldly again this time, but Theo surprisingly followed me as I had wanted. Looking at Theo, I couldn¡¯t hide my pride, recalling all the books I¡¯ve read so far. Yes, there are no bad cats in the world, and all animals are great! Tuk- ¡°Do you want to die?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Oh, no!¡± ¡­We still have a long way to go. I rushed to Theo, who was grabbing the collar of a child whose shoulders bumped accidentally. ¡°Theo! No! You can¡¯t do that!¡± It was after the kid dropped the pink ball in his hand out of fear. ¡°But you¡­¡± The desperate cries of the trembling child could be heard. ¡°It¡¯s a mistake! I swear it was a mistake!¡± ¡°Theo!¡± I looked Theo in the eye and called his name. Fortunately,I could see Theo¡¯s hand losing strength. The child caught by Theo was busy running away. I sighed as I saw the child who had disappeared without sparing any time to talk. Did I intervene too quickly? I grasped Theo¡¯s hand and took a step to a deserted place. Theo, alone with me, had a softer expression than before. By the way, this was why it seemed like you were a really fierce animal. ¡°Theo, why did you grab him by the collar all of a sudden?¡± ¡°¡­He was trying to bother you again¡­¡± Theo couldn¡¯t finish his speech and kept his mouth shut. To cover his red face, he roughly brushed his hair down to hide his embarrassment. I stared blankly at Theo. What did he just say? Theo was worried about me right now? That must be why he was sensitive to a child who bumped into him, right? ¡°Theo¡­¡± I covered my mouth with my hands and teared up. You strongly insisted that we weren¡¯t friends. Were you thinking otherwise inside your heart? ¡°¡­what? W-why are you looking at me like that?¡± I immediately hugged Theo, who was slowly inching back. ¡°It¡¯s okay! You don¡¯t have to say it. It¡¯s my fault that I couldn¡¯t understand your heart!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!?¡± ¡°I understood your intentions to protect me. Gosh, I was a fool!¡± ¡°Stop saying creepy things and get away from me!¡± In the end, I finally came to my senses after being pushed away from him. Oh, right. I was too immersed without realizing it. I awkwardly took a step back. Now, Theo seemed to feel a bit more friendlier. By the way, if Theo growls at other children in this way, strange rumors will spread even further. I hinted at Theo. ¡°But really, Theo. Thank you for trying to protect me, but why don¡¯t you stop treating the other children so harshly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re bad at all because there were times you needed to act like that. But it¡¯s different now. I¡¯m next to you.¡± I stroked the wound on Theo¡¯s forehead with my finger. ¡°So let¡¯s get rid of those rumors ourselves.¡± ¡°Do you want me to be nice?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Theo, you¡¯re still a good kid. I just don¡¯t want you to be misunderstood and I don¡¯t want to see you get hurt anymore.¡± Theo seemed lost in thought for a moment. Feeling conflicted, I held Theo¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Alright.¡± My heart was overwhelmed by Theo¡¯s answer after a long pause. As expected, Theo was not like an irrevocable villain. ¡°Really? Really!? I¡¯m so happy right now!¡± I jumped on the spot clutching Theo¡¯s hand. I could then see Theo¡¯s mouth moving very slightly, as if it were going up. ¡°If you want.¡± I was about to swell up with hope and fly into the sky. But the laughter unfortunately didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Like this. Pull the corners of your mouth and smile.¡±¡± ¡°¡­Like this? ¡°¡­¡± It was because I faced a real murderous smile. ¡®I¡¯m doomed. It¡¯s such a fierce smile¡­¡¯ How can this happen? I looked at Theo, giving him a stiff smile. No, I even thought about whether it would be okay to describe that as a smile. Theo essentially always had a cold look on his face. His usual expression was blank with no emotions. But if he just opened his eyes wide and moved his mouth there¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t let you go because you¡¯d seem like a real villain.¡¯ I had to think about what to say to Theo for a long time. ¡°Theo, why don¡¯t you relax your eyes?¡± ~pls read only at pinkmuffintl~ Now Theo¡¯s eyes were so wide open that he looked like a person engulfed in madness. ¡°Relax my eyes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Theo obediently followed me. And showed me a second smile, full of determination. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh, no. I didn¡¯t mean that you should close them. When Theo relaxed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth, a rotten smile as if he were laughing at the uncivilized was revealed. ¡°What should I do?¡± I grabbed Theo¡¯s shoulder and screamed. There was no hope as it was. With that smile, Theo would have been perceived as a scary child. ¡°¡­¡± Theo glanced at me. I felt guilty because his eyes seemed to be asking, ¡®Is it that bad?¡¯ Was my reaction too much? Then, Theo¡¯s long bangs suddenly clouded my view. Dark black hair that covered his eyes. Then a good idea came to my mind as if lightning struck me. I suddenly asked Theo out loud. ¡°Theo! Do you trust me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The bewildered eyes glanced at me. It felt like he couldn¡¯t tell what I was thinking. Nevertheless, Theo nodded slightly without asking anything. I smiled broadly and led Theo by his hand. It was an opportunity to change Theo¡¯s image. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± We entered the empty lounge. I had Theo sit in a chair and placed a handkerchief around his neck. It was an emergency measure because there was no big fabric available to use now. ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± Theo, who sat calmly watching me, asked as if his curiosity had reached its limit. I secretly captured the cute Theo in my eyes and held the scissors. ¡°If I organize these long bangs, your impression will drastically transform. It¡¯ll also be comfortable for you because your hair won¡¯t block your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m sure I can¡¯t cut it properly. But no matter what happens, wouldn¡¯t it be better than your hair now?¡± I smiled brightly and gently shut Theo¡¯s eyes, which were full of distrust, with my palm. To be honest, this is the first time I have personally cut someone¡¯s hair, but I decided to take this fact to the grave. I gingerly brushed his hair. At the same time, Theo¡¯s face, which I saw closely, was still naturally handsome as I had seen before. It was upsetting that his hair had been concealing his beauty. ¡°How could you hide this pretty face? This is a national loss.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I gripped the scissors with my nervous hand and drew closer to Theo¡¯s hair. I can faintly remember going to the hair salon and seeing others getting their haircut. I started to poorly snip away his hair. Theo¡¯s black hair was seen being cut off with a crackling sound. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± As Theo¡¯s bangs were cut off, his neat features were becoming clearer and clearer. ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± I shouted, pretending to wipe the sweat off my forehead that didn¡¯t even flow. Then Theo¡¯s closed eyes gradually opened. ¡°You really seem like a different person.¡± I stared blankly at Theo¡¯s face as if possessed. The sparkling red eyes seen through the dense eyelashes seemed to captivate me. Black hair, which has always been viewed unfavorably, harmonized with Theo¡¯s cold features, making his appearance stand out even more. He was so handsome even when he was a very young kid, but I couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like when he grew up. ¡°Is it weird?¡± Theo raised his hand and fiddled with his hair. It seemed frustrating not being able to look in the mirror. ¡°What do you mean weird? Such nonsense.¡± I grabbed Theo¡¯s shoulder and spoke resolutely. Chapter 7 ¡°This is the best!¡± ¡°The best¡­¡± Theo echoed, as if it was the first time he heard ¡®the best¡¯. I held out a mirror to Theo. ¡°¡­¡± Theo stared at his own face for a long time. I spoke with high expectations. ¡°Maybe I actually have a huge talent for cutting hair?¡± There were some awkward spots here and there, but it looked very good overall. I couldn¡¯t really tell if it¡¯s because of my skills or Theo¡¯s face. Let¡¯s just ignore that. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± But maybe that¡¯s just my opinion, for Theo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look very good. I carefully observed Theo¡¯s face in the mirror, feeling extremely anxious. Did he catch the mistake I made? It¡¯s in a place where you can¡¯t see! ¡°If you do this, you can clearly see my eyes.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I tilted my head and looked at Theo. Theo was pressing down on his bangs with his hands to make them appear longer. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like it when my eyes are visible.¡± ¡°But you knew I was going to cut your hair.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Theo, uncertain of this change, studied his reflection once more. Theo¡¯s wound was bigger than I thought, as he couldn¡¯t even properly make eye contact with himself . I cautiously began speaking. ¡°Theo, if I say this, you might laugh. But still¡­ .¡± I was very different compared to Theo. Contrary to Theo¡¯s color, which is said to be the symbol of the devil, I had revered golden hair and blue eyes. Because of that, I speculated that if I complimented Theo¡¯s hair or eye color, it wouldn¡¯t sound sincere. Perhaps, if he believed it was all a deception, I would feel terrible about it. However, I still wanted to express my feelings to Theo. ¡°I like your black hair because it reminds me of the night sky, and your red eyes glisten beautifully like rubies.¡± Even the colors that seem mundane are pretty. I like you as you are. ¡°I¡¯m serious. I truly think so.¡± I hesitated, still holding the mirror. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to hide it. I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯d think of me saying this¡­ Still, I wish you had the confidence¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was then. I fell silent and blankly looked at Theo. As if spring had come after enduring a long winter, like finding a sprout in a barren land¡­ The warm feeling that tickled my stomach made me feel dizzy. I could feel my heart pounding in my small body. ¡°Other times, you were always confident, but now, why do you look at me like that?¡± I wasn¡¯t the only one whom spring had arrived for. A bright smile spread across Theo¡¯s face as the sun was shining. Theo was looking at me, beaming as he did so. ¡°Iris?¡± I stood there like a fool and blinked my eyes. Theo waved his hand in front of my face like that. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What¡­ You¡¯re smiling.¡± Theo¡¯s face hardened at the mumbled words. He didn¡¯t even know he was smiling. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Theo probably won¡¯t know for the rest of his life what kind of smile he just had. ¡°I cut your hair. You¡¯ve got a nice smile. All you have left is to make friends. Phew, I¡¯m so proud.¡± I made a fuss to release the air that became a little awkward. No answer came to me while I busily moved in a hurry to organize the mirror and scissors. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy? Or is it because you¡¯re still worried?¡± Turning my back while organizing, I couldn¡¯t see Theo¡¯s face. What I heard was a subdued mutter. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to make friends.¡± ¡°What?¡± When I heard that, I turned around to approach Theo. I cut his hair and trained him to smile. What does this mean all of a sudden? ¡°Why? It¡¯s good to have a lot of friends. Then you¡¯ll have a shield to protect you from the strange rumors.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that, you¡¯re here.¡± Theo looked straight at me as he spoke. ¡°Huh?¡± I stopped and asked back. My face seemed to have hardened because I was so shocked. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­¡± With the most confident face I¡¯ve ever seen, Theo held my hand without hesitation. And said with that bright smile of courtesy. ¡°I only need you.¡± Something that will make my heart drop to the ground¡­ It was a very unconventional remark. ¡°Uh¡­ What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Theo burst into laughter when he saw me pouting. I just got teased by a 10-year-old kid? ¡°You¡­ You did it on purpose! Where did you learn this?¡± I grabbed my cheeks, which must have been blazing red, and asked. Theo, who was smiling while I was huffing, took a breath and calmed me down. ¡°Your reaction was fun to see, but I wasn¡¯t kidding.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I don¡¯t need anyone else. I only cut my hair because you wanted me to.¡± Pls read only at pink muffin tl. ¡°What?¡± I doubted my ears at Theo¡¯s words. However, the following words were even more shocking. ¡°Just, because you were happy.¡± My jaw dropped when I saw Theo talking casually. I felt like I¡¯ve never seen Theo talk this long. And he¡¯s so skilled at saying such things. ¡°Theo, since when did you start talking this well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh. I shouldn¡¯t have said it. I regretted seeing Theo shut his mouth again. He transformed into a human but turned back into a robot not long after. ¡°Anyway¡­ You said we were friends.¡± I patted Theo¡¯s head. I was so proud that this little kitten seemed to have opened his heart to me. Theo smiled crookedly. I glanced at Theo and clicked my tongue. ¡°You¡¯re so soft-hearted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s done. I¡¯ve cut all your hair, so let¡¯s go now.¡± I said quietly and walked out of the room. No, I was going to walk¡ªuntil Theo pulled on the hand that always held his. ¡°That¡¯s right, we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Theo, holding me back, left those short words and started walking past me. His steps seemed busy, as if he was running away. ¡°Now¡­ Are you ashamed?¡± I said as I slowly followed behind Theo. ¡°¡­¡± Theo looked straight ahead and didn¡¯t answer. However, there was no way to hide his red-hot ears due to his shortened hair. ¡°Aww!¡± Are you worried that I might be really hurt? I held back the desire to pinch Theo¡¯s cheek and walked side by side next to him. My project to change the perception of Theo is not over yet. Because Theo still has a very important problem. ¡°First. Don¡¯t say you¡¯re going to kill someone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t mean to kill them, it¡¯s absurd and it ultimately means the same thing. For example, you can¡¯t take out their intestines. You can¡¯t even break their head.¡± I explained, writing hard on the ground in front of Theo. ¡°Got it? A person sees their inner self from the language they speak.¡± ¡°Then what should I do if there is a bad guy?¡± Theo, who was also squatting next to me, frowned and said. ¡°I¡¯ll get there, but not now.¡± I held out my clenched fist. ¡°¡­¡± Then Theo¡¯s gaze looked at me pitifully. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± I shook my head in a hurry after revealing my wild nature without realizing it. And I corrected the explanation with a gentle smile. ¡°There are many ways to express anger without using cruel words.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°For example¡­¡± I fell into a dilemma. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t been able to hold back my anger for a while, so I think I forgot how to speak without the use of swear words. I wasn¡¯t this kind of person. I could sense myself becoming corrupted and felt despondent. Prior to remembering my previous life, I was also a pure child. Theo, who was watching me with his chin on his hand, smiled shallowly. He could see a lot of emotions passing by my face clearly. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in a position to teach you that myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t provide a proper answer and silently glanced at Theo. ¡°Hmm, second. Don¡¯t use violence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I felt a strange gaze on me again. I was annoyed at Theo, who was giving me a look. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His eyes! I grumbled inside and scratched the floor with a branch. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Next¡­ Be kind!¡± ¡°Kind? To whom?¡± Theo¡¯s forehead wrinkled in confusion. Theo, who tilted his head to the side, stared at me. I smiled at Theo with corners of my mouth raised high. ¡°To everyone.¡± While saying something that probably sounded horrific to Theo.