CHAPTER 37: CATCHING FISH

He’d gotten too excited and forgot he’d just finished filling almost 600 liters of water, not to mention all the intense Talent use afterward.

Letting out a sigh, he decided to continue training tomorrow instead.

Just as he was about to walk away, he heard footsteps crunching on the gravel path nearby.

A young man appeared, walking with straight posture. His whole face lit up the moment he saw Gara.

"Madha? What are you doing here?" It had only been two weeks, but it felt like ages since Gara had last seen his friend.

With steady steps, Madha approached. "I’ve been looking for you. You’re not allowed to become a Liner?"

This time, Madha’s brows furrowed in a mix of concern and sadness.

Only recently had Gara remembered to ask his mom to update Madha. Wina had promised she would if they ever ran into each other.

But in the end, Gara met him first.

"Yeah... For this year, I’ll be helping my mom at the herb field. After that, I’m free to go out. Could you let Madam Kala know for me?" Gara replied.

Madha studied his face carefully.

The boy he secretly had feelings for looked flawless. His skin was radiant and soft-looking, lips a gentle pink, and his hazel eyes clear and bright.

He looked even better than the last time they met. Madha wasn’t sure if it was just the longing playing tricks on him, or if Gara had genuinely changed.

But one thing was certain, Gara didn’t look sad. Which meant he was okay with staying in the village.

Even if it meant not becoming a Liner.

Madha gave a slow nod. "Last week, when Madam Kala realized you didn’t show up with me, she offered me another mission. Said it would help me understand my Talent better.

I didn’t accept right away. I wanted to see you first. I’ve come here almost every day for the past week but I never managed to run into you or your mom."

He wanted to say that every time he came near Gara’s house, something strange would happen. His steps would falter, and without realizing it, he’d turn around and only snap out of it when he was already far away.

Thus, today he didn’t stop by the house. He came straight to the river instead. If he hadn’t found Gara here, he planned to check the herb field next.

But now that he had found him, there was no need to say all that.

He continued, "Now that I know, I’ll head to town tomorrow to accept the mission. From what I heard, Orman’s already there."

Gara tried to recall the mission list Madam Kala had shown Madha two weeks ago. "Aren’t those missions dangerous?"

There was a flicker of worry on his face as he looked straight at Madha’s deep brown complexion. His friend’s jaw had already grown sharp, strong even though they were the same age.

Madha, under Gara’s intense gaze, couldn’t help but blush.

Ever since their trip to town two weeks ago, Gara had been looking oddly beautiful to him.

"Madha!" Gara’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

He quickly rubbed his face and replied, "New Liners like me are only assigned to support roles. I won’t be on the frontlines."

Even so, Gara still looked uneasy.

"How about I catch some fish for you?" Madha said with a cheerful voice, trying to change the subject.

Gara’s worried expression instantly lit up with excitement. But it wasn’t because Madha offered to catch fish for him—

Quite the opposite.

"Madha! I’ll catch fish for you. Watch this!"

He spun around and faced the river. Madha turned as well, though he kept stealing glances at Gara’s pretty face.

A stream of water burst from Gara’s palm and plunged into the river.

From the outside, it looked like nothing was happening. But suddenly, a large sphere of water rose into the air, floating out of the river.

And inside the shimmering bubble, there were seven fishes swimming helplessly.

The water ball hovered in front of them and then dropped, splashing to the ground, sending the fish flopping wildly on the earth.

Madha stood frozen, mouth agape.

Even after countless trips to town, nothing had prepared him for the spectacle of Gara’s Talent.

"Grab the fish, Madha!" Gara gave him a playful pat on the shoulder.

The 180-centimeter-tall boy crouched down and began placing the fish into the cloth bag he’d brought for the purpose.

Apparently, there was no need to wade into the river after all.

Once all the fish were secured, Madha stood, ready to gather firewood.

Gara, meanwhile, wanted to rest against a tree for a bit. But just as he took a step forward, his knees buckled.

Madha moved instinctively, catching him before he could fall—

And just like that, the smaller boy ended up right in Madha’s arms.

Gara’s face landed squarely against Madha’s chest, soft and oddly comforting. Without thinking, he nudged his head in a little closer.

It had felt plush at first but now it was firm and solid.

Did Madha’s body just instinctively soften to catch me? Gara thought, amused. What kind of devoted Talent is that?

He let out a quiet sigh, but truthfully, he didn’t really mind it. Even subconciously, gave a faint smile.

Madha, however, remained frozen.

His right hand was pressed against Gara’s upper back, and the left was at Gara’s slim waist.

This wasn’t the first time he had caught Gara from falling—

But it was the first time Gara had gently nudged his chest like that... and smiled.

His hand, still resting on Gara’s waist, felt suddenly hot.

And somewhere in his mind, something whispered a dangerous thought: What if I just traced that line gently?

Before Madha could give in to any reckless impulses, Gara stepped back.

"I overused my Talent. Got a little dizzy," he explained, walking slowly toward a large log and sitting down.

He had honestly forgotten how drained he was, too caught up in the excitement earlier.

...