Chapter 78: A New Friend
That day as well, he went to the workshop in the morning for brewing alcohol and worked silently by himself.
Since he was the only employee, he didn’t need to worry about anyone else, and he was grateful that he could work without being on guard about his surroundings.
"...... "
There were limits to what one person could do, but for someone like him, who harbored distrust toward people, this was just right.
It used to be lively.
The workshop that had been run by his family and many employees became his overnight when his family passed away and it was passed down from his father to him, and as if everything before had been a lie, they left the shop, even taking with them the precious sake and tools.
Being left alone in the workshop that had lost everything, he lay there in a daze, unable to understand what he should do.
The one who came to visit him then was his uncle.
Seeing how shocked he was by his emaciated state, unable to swallow even water or food, and being asked what had happened, he could no longer hold it in.
When he cried and said that all the employees were gone and even the sake had been stolen, a few days later his uncle caught the culprits, sold the sake they had taken, and recovered both the money they had made and the tools.
No matter how much he thanked him, it didn’t feel like enough, and on top of that, his uncle even tried to arrange new employees for him, but he refused.
Rather than brewing sake while trembling in fear that he might be betrayed again, he thought it was better for him to make a small amount of sake alone.
His uncle worried about him like that, but after some thought, they decided that the sake he made would be distributed to shops through his uncle.
That way, if anything happened again, someone would notice, and he could focus solely on brewing sake.
Because he felt guilty about relying on him so much, he tried to give his uncle a portion of the profits, but that was refused as well, and instead they settled on the agreement that when a batch turned out well, he would bring some sake with him.
He was still terribly afraid of people other than his uncle, but even so, he was happy that he could live like this, doing only what he loved.
Thinking that today would be another day like that, for some reason, someone other than his uncle came to visit the workshop.
The visitor was a boy around his own age, not flashy but handsome, accompanied by a young man who was probably a beastman slave.
The boy was very unusual, he smiling as he spoke to him, and even though his voice was probably hard to hear, he didn’t get angry and spoke to him again and again.
"Koji... we have it."
He didn’t know what it would be used for, but because the boy treated him kindly, he gathered a little courage.
That, and the fact that the boy knew his uncle.
If his uncle had guided them here, then he believed that these people were safe for him.
"That’s good to hear. Would it be possible for me to purchase some?"
"Y-yes. Um, it’s fine."
Not wanting to keep waiting someone who treated him so politely with a smile, he quickly running, but in his haste he almost tripped several times.
"H-h-here it is."
"Thank you very much. I’ve been looking for this for a long time, so I’m really happy. Are you acquainted with the person at that shop?"
As he thanked him and carefully put it away in his bag, it was clear that he was genuinely pleased.
"H-he’s... my uncle."
"I see. You run this workshop by yourself?"
"...For now... yes."
Remembering the past, his voice grew quiet.
"...Eh?"
As his face naturally lowered, something gently touched his cheek.
By the time he realized it was a hand, his face had already been lifted, and the boy’s face was right in front of him.
"That’s all in the past, isn’t it? The fact that you’re brewing sake on your own like this now is wonderful, and truly admirable."
Being told that there was no need to look down like that, he was reminded of his mother, who used to gently pat his head long ago.
"I’m not admirable at all... I-I’m really no good. I truly can’t do anything on my own. B-being with people is s-s-scary, and s-so... that’s why, alone..."
He knew in his head that saying things like this wouldn’t help, but his mouth wouldn’t stop.
He must have looked just like a small child as he crying while spoke aloud about his weakness.
"Everyone has one or two things they’re bad at. Besides, you’re able to talk with me like this right now, aren’t you?"
Just when he thought the hand touching his cheek had been withdrawn, his trembling hands were gently clasped by those beautiful hands.
"If you’d like, would you become friends with me? I don’t have any friends my own age yet, so if you don’t mind."
He was happy.
It wasn’t that the boy knew about his past.
Nor was he trying to pry it out of him.
And yet, treating it as something already in the past, he was saying that since they could talk like this now, why not become friends.
"W-would someone like me really be okay?"
He couldn’t help but feel uneasy, wondering if someone as beautiful as him should really become friends with someone like himself.
"You are the one I want. I’d be happy if, even just occasionally, you would talk with me."
He wasn’t asking for anything in return, just that he be someone to talk to.
"I-if someone like me is alright..."
When he nodded so hard it looked like it might make a sound, he was met with a smile and a soft thank-you.