“Lope…”

“…”

“You’re really the only one I have left…”

The scent of immorality filled the room. Affection. Desperation. And earnest longing. It was rare for such emotions to feel so profoundly indecent. It was a contradiction only my childhood friend—who had betrayed me once—could embody.

But unlike yesterday, I sensed no trace of deceit within them. Even Lena knew that nothing would reach me anymore unless she poured her true heart into it.

So this time, she entrusted that shallow heart to my hand. Her heartbeat echoed steadily beneath the soft breast I grasped. To let me feel that pulse even closer, Lena pressed her hand firmly over mine.

“Aheuk…”

As my rough fingers dug into her soft skin, Lena’s lips parted, unable to hold back a moan. Her thrown-back head trembled delicately against my shoulder.

“Haa… heut…”

“Lena.”

“Don’t… don’t talk. At least not right now.”

Exhaling ragged breaths, Lena buried her face in my shoulder. A faint fever had risen to her forehead. Through her trembling sighs, her parted lips spilled helpless evidence of her pleasure.

Hers were not the only lips drooling. Every time I moved my hand, hot beads of sweat trickled down, and her slick, damp breast clung to my palm, refusing to let go. Amid it all, as her plump nipple poked against my hand, an electric current surged through my entire body before I could even realize it.

And Lena responded to every single movement of my fingers, twisting her body. Her face, buried in my shoulder, exhaled trembling breaths with every passing moment. When I finally tried to pull my hand away, she desperately grabbed my wrist.

“It’s okay, Lope. It’s fine, so…”

“Lena.”

“You’ve wanted to touch me since before, haven’t you? Right?”

“…Stop it.”

“No. You can do at least this much for me. I… this is the first time I’ve been touched because someone actually wanted me…”

A hint of euphoria lingered in her final words. Now, Lena grabbed my other hand as well, pulling it beneath her clothes. There was no trace of a pure maiden’s modesty left. Only instinctual pleasure remained.

“Haeuk!”

As a man’s touch filled both her breasts, pure joy infused Lena’s voice. She kept grinding her thigh against my leg; it seemed the mere act of being touched had brought her to climax. Through the sheer fabric of her skirt, something—whether sweat or arousal—trickled down in streams.

Having climaxed once already, she craved stronger pleasure, pulling my hand along. No longer satisfied with just being touched, she guided my fingers to where it felt best. It was a realm of pure pleasure she had never known when being violated by beasts. Through my touch, she was awakening not to the instincts of a female, but to the joy of a woman.

“Haaak…!”

Lena, caressing herself with another’s hands, roughly squeezed her own breast. As my fingers dug deep into her plump, bursting flesh, she let out a lewd cry, unable to hold back any longer.

“Aah…! Aaaah…!”

“Lena.”

“Ha… Lope… haaah…”

It seemed she couldn’t even hear me anymore. The deeper my fingers dug, the more violently her body trembled, and tears dripped from her wide-open lips. As the pain intensified, it became harder to distinguish from pleasure. Amid another crashing orgasm, she bit down hard on my shoulder. Her legs, entwined like snakes around mine, quivered wildly.

“Lo… Lope… Lopee…”

“…”

“I love you… you love me too, right? Don’t you?”

“No.”

“Liar. You wanted this too.”

“Let’s stop, Lena.”

“No. I can’t hold back anymore. It’s just the two of us here now…”

As if the last thread tethering her reason had snapped, Lena began stripping off her clothes with frantic hands. In her flustered arousal, her fingers fumbled so badly that she ended up tearing off a few buttons. When I tried to pull my hands away from her chest, she pressed her body flush against mine to stop me.

“It’s okay. It’s really okay. So please, touch me.”

“Don’t do this.”

“Why. Was I not enough for you? Is that bitch Saya that much better? Or… is it because I look so hideous right now?”

Lena suddenly yanked at her collar, revealing dark bruises marring her shoulders. Then, with an expression on the verge of tears, she pleaded with me.

“Is it because of these? You don’t actually think they’re hideous, do you? You don’t. You’re supposed to think I’m pitiful. You’re supposed to feel sad for me.”

“I do think you’re pitiful. But that’s different from this.”

“There is no difference! Comforting me… that was always your role, so why are you trying to change now? You still like me, right? That hasn’t changed, has it?”

“I…”

“Look at me, Lope! Do you really feel nothing at all? Really?”

She kept shoving her wounds in my face. When nostalgia failed to work, it seemed she had resorted to sympathy this time. But I finally slipped my hands out from her clothes and thrust them deep into my pockets. Seeing this, Lena shook her head violently.

“No, right? After liking me for so long… you’re going to change now?”

“I changed a long time ago. I told you. I don’t like you anymore.”

“Don’t lie! That’s impossible. That can’t be true!”

Every time Lena shook her head, her bright red hair scattered like blood. Having only just lost her virginity and become a woman, she seemed unready to accept reality.

“No. Don’t do this, Lope. I’m the only one you have. Don’t try to change now.”

“I already have.”

“This is what you’ve wanted your whole life. I want it too now. So please, love me. I don’t need anything else, so please!!!”

Bang!

…

Just then, the door behind us violently swung open. Lena and I both jumped, turning our heads simultaneously. Thick darkness from inside spilled out through the rattling door.

And from within, Saya emerged, slowly walking out with her hood pulled up.

“…”

“Who… who are you.”

“…”

“Don’t tell me…”

Perhaps sensing something from my gaze, a chill settled over Lena’s face. She scowled viciously and asked in a harsh voice.

“Are you that bitch Saya?”

“…”

“It’s you, isn’t it? Right. I thought I saw you yesterday. It was you? The bitch who threw herself at Lope.”

“…”

“Why aren’t you answering? Say something. Who the hell are you to…”

“Hello, Lena.”

Without any warning, Saya’s sweet voice flowed out. Unlike her usual tone, her lowered, deep voice seeped in with exceptional softness. Even Lena unconsciously trailed off and fell silent. Saya approached her.

And then, she slowly raised her head to meet Lena’s gaze.

“You don’t seem to remember me.”

“Who… who are you to…”

“It’s okay. I expected as much.”

“You… you… what in the world…”

Saya neatly clasped her hands together before the bewildered girl. Lena hesitated and took a step back. At that moment, whether by chance or fate, sunlight spilled in through the window, scattering radiantly over Saya’s hair.

Like an elegantly dressed noblewoman, Saya naturally tossed her hair and tilted her head. The sunlight streaming in shimmered like jewels as it cascaded down, revealing an exceptionally pale nape. The faint fragrance of forget-me-nots softly permeated the air.

In that moment, the hierarchy between them was already decided. Yet Saya simply blinked her long eyelashes, continuing to stare straight ahead. As if pierced by that gaze, Lena hesitated before slowly pulling up her disheveled collar.

“You… you’re…”

“Lope.”

“Hm?”

“Are you hurt?”

Caught off guard by Saya’s sudden question, I turned my gaze toward my shoulder. Lena’s bite marks were still vividly imprinted there.

“She bit you.”

“Yeah. But it’s not that bad. It’s just…”

“I’ll disinfect it.”

“What? No, there’s no need for that…”

Despite my adamant refusal, Saya was suddenly right in front of me. And, quite unlike her, she pressed her lips to my shoulder without any hesitation.

“…!”

“…”

The moment Saya’s moist lips made contact, I clenched my fist without realizing it. It wasn’t the first time her lips had touched my body, but unlike the palm, the nape was an overly sensitive area. The thin saliva trickling down. The texture of her soft flesh. And above all, the wet, sucking sound of her drawing out the wound. All of it pushed my senses to the absolute limit, ultimately paralyzing me.

“Eugh…”

“…”

“Ah…”

Different voices spilled from three different mouths. But no one paid attention to the others’ reactions. Each was simply engrossed in their own actions. Because of that, I couldn’t even tell what kind of expression Lena was making right now.

Only after a long while did Saya pull her lips away with a soft jjok sound. She had kissed it so deeply that the warmth lingered on my shoulder for some time. When I subtly turned my head to look, Lena’s bite marks were completely gone without a trace, replaced instead by a deep impression of Saya’s lips.

In the midst of it all, Lena stared at us blankly, at a loss for words. I was the same, unable to even think of opening my mouth. Only Saya could break that silence.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah… yeah.”

“Lope…”

Barely coming to her senses, Lena managed to call out my name. But before she could finish her sentence, Saya grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. Ultimately, Lena’s final words scattered on the floor, left unspoken.

As the door closed, the sunlight streaming in tickled my cheeks. Even after stepping completely outside, Saya didn’t let go of my hand. I slowly opened my mouth to speak to her as she kept her head slightly bowed.

“Saya.”

“…Don’t.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t say anything.”

I tilted my head in puzzlement. Then, very slowly, Saya’s face began to flush a deep crimson. Only then did a sigh of relief escape me unknowingly.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because you looked like you were in trouble.”

“Is that all?”

“I’m not… really sure about that.”

Her final words faded away, lacking confidence. Saya fidgeted with her clasped hands before peeking up at me.

“Are you close with Lena?”

“I used to be.”

“Then is she someone precious to you?”

“She might have been, but not anymore. At least, not right now.”

“I see…”

Saya trailed off once again. Her flushed face only continued to burn hotter, as if it would never return to its original color. An incomprehensible emotion was tossing and turning inside her.

“To be honest, I don’t know why I did that. It’s just… I felt so anxious seeing you with her.”

“Anxious?”

“I felt like something bad might happen to you if you stayed with her. And more than anything… I felt like I was losing you.”

Her unexpected answer left me flustered. Saya, too, seemed bewildered by her own feelings, stumbling over her words badly.

“It’s… weird, right? I know it’s weird. I know I’m not your only friend, and I know you have many precious people. But seeing someone actually get that close to you… it makes me feel… really strange.”

“Are you saying…”

“I can’t even sum it up in a single word. I guess before Haru came along, I thought I might really be your only friend. Of course, I knew it was a ridiculous thought, but it still made me feel good. Because with my mom gone, you’re truly all I have left.”

The very words Lena had pleaded with me returned to me once more. But the weight behind them was entirely different from Lena’s. And so were the emotions I felt.

“Ever since I came to the land of humans, I’ve done nothing but regret every moment. Being neither elf nor human, I could never blend into this society. If it weren’t for my mom, and if you hadn’t looked out for me, I would have given up on everything.”

“…”

“But now, my mom is gone from this land. I couldn’t even be there for her final moments; I only know that she passed away. With the person I loved most in the world gone like that, to be completely honest, I don’t know if I have any reason left to live. If there’s even a possibility, it’s just one thing.”

“Saya.”

“…I’m sorry, Lope. I know I shouldn’t be like this.”

Saya looked my way once more. Her hood slipped back slightly, revealing her hidden ears. She twitched her reddened ears slightly and spoke in a low voice.

“Maybe you really are the only one I have left now.”

“…”

Those words, spoken once more, lingered exceptionally deep in our hearts. Saya, in particular, seemed unable to bear the weight of her own words, casting her gaze toward the sky as she always did.

An elf’s gaze always pierced through things I couldn’t see. After staring at the horizon for a long time, she repeated the words she had said that morning.

“Something is coming, Lope.”

“That thing you mentioned this morning?”

“Yeah. I keep smelling salt. It could just be my imagination, but I’m sure of it. Someone needs to keep watch at the beach.”

“Are you saying…”

“I’ll keep watch.”

Saya looked at me as she fastened her collar. Then, sporting a smile for the first time in a while, she spoke.

“There’s no one else who can do it but me. And I don’t need to worry about things like food. Besides, if I stay here, there’s a high risk my identity will be exposed.”

“That’s true, but…”

“More than anything, I have too much on my mind. If what you say is true, the ship will be here soon, so I won’t need to stay there for long.”

“…Alright.”

A bitter voice slipped out before I could stop it. At that, Saya suddenly raised her hand and brought it toward my face. But her hand didn’t sweep across my cheek; it only trembled faintly before dropping limply to her side.

“I’ll always keep my ears open for you.”

In the end, Saya left only those words behind and dashed off toward the horizon. Her footsteps were unlike a human’s—unnaturally light and swift. I watched beyond the horizon until her retreating figure became smaller than a dot.

Ms. Rebecca didn’t return until evening. I had been standing by the door, lost in thought, the entire time. Lena seemed genuinely shocked; aside from occasionally muttering to herself, she hadn’t done anything.

Only when the clanking sound of metal approached did I turn my gaze toward the sunset. There stood girls carrying heaps of things, Erika wearing a tense expression, and Ms. Rebecca walking with Haru on her back.

…

…?

“Why are you riding on her back?”

“Because I can’t see ahead. She smells like rusted iron, but she makes for a rather decent ride.”

“Get down, hurry up. Don’t bother Ms. Rebecca.”

“Bothering her? We’re doing this because we need each other. It’s like a cripple carrying a blind person around.”

“Isn’t that the other way around?”

“It’s fine. It sort of reminds me of my son. And she’s so light that it’s not much of a burden.”

“Did you hear that? Now, let’s keep going. Deliver me to the dining table!”

Brimming with confidence, Haru stretched her arm forward, and Ms. Rebecca stepped inside with a faint smile. She’s going to pick up bad habits at this rate. A trivial worry crossed my mind.

But even as I dwelled on that worry, my heart felt strangely empty. Come to think of it, this was the first time I had been separated from Saya recently. Even though I knew it wouldn’t be for long, my emotions tangled into a strange mess.

As I was trying to rein in my feelings, a few girls passed by. But for some reason, I felt their gazes lingering on me for an unusually long time. In fact, the moment a few of them made eye contact with me, they looked away in sheer panic.

Did something happen? Sensing something amiss, I looked around. Then, Erika hesitantly approached me.

“Hey, Lope. I have something to talk to you about…”

“What is it.”

“Uh, well… that… somewhere where there aren’t any people…”

I had no idea what she wanted to say, but her tone was incredibly serious. Even after everyone had disappeared inside the house, Erika kept glancing anxiously at the door. I turned my back to shield her from view and asked quietly.

“What is it you want to say?”

“Ah… well, you see… that…”

“Stop hesitating and tell me. What is it.”

“So, um… we ran into some guys from the Academy… No, actually, we didn’t run into them. That Ms. Rebecca lady spotted them first, so we were able to hide before they saw us. Ultimately, we didn’t get caught. No one followed us either! So nothing really happened, but…”

“Erika. I understand what you’re saying. So please, get to the point.”

“Yeah…”

What in the world was she trying to say that made her act like this? It wasn’t unusual for Erika to stutter, but something was definitely off.

“Um… they seemed like guys looking for you. Of course, they didn’t know our exact location and didn’t seem too motivated, so I was going to just ignore them, but they were spouting some pretty absurd nonsense.”

“Absurd nonsense?”

“Yeah. You’d think it was completely ridiculous and dumbfounding if you heard it, but they were dead serious about it. I think it’s nonsense too, but…”

In that instant, Erika’s gaze locked onto my face. From the top of my head to the tip of my chin. Her eyes swept over every detail, lingering unusually long around my ears. The moment I felt a sense of unease from that stare, Erika dropped the bomb she had been dreading to say.

“Lope, are you… an elf?”