ORCA 50

Niah stopped abruptly mid-walk, dusted off his soil-covered hands with a few taps, and then shook his clothes vigorously from top to bottom. Only after he deemed himself somewhat presentable did he take his final steps.

Orca pulled Niah, who had been standing at an awkward distance grinning foolishly, right in front of him. Niah followed him obediently, tilting his head. He couldn’t quite feel happy yet, as he wasn’t as clean as if he’d been washed in water.

“I’m covered in dirt… Your hands will get dirty, young master.”

“It’s fine. It won’t get dirty.”

At the firm reply, Niah beamed. He even giggled while looking at Orca’s thumb rubbing the inside of his captured wrist. Orca took a deep breath, wondering if the boy had drunk wine somewhere. He checked for any scent, but there was no smell of alcohol. Yet, the way Niah had been grinning vacantly for a while now looked just like someone who was drunk.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Hm? Oh, jusssst… because.”

Niah drawled out the end of his sentence and broke into a giggle again. As time passed, he just felt happier and happier. In response, Orca pulled Niah even closer, making him stand between his thighs. The silly grinning was one thing, but his rosy cheeks really made him look like a drunkard.

When the goldfish twitched the corners of his mouth, his two cheeks bunched up into little circles. It looked as if someone had picked peaches from somewhere in the mansion and placed them there.

Orca popped a piece of crumpet, cut into the shape of a ginkgo leaf, into Niah’s mouth, which kept opening because he was laughing. He didn’t forget to top it with salty cheese and sweet jam.

While Niah chewed on the fluffy crumpet, he stared intently at Orca. He liked the young master’s chin line, which had lifted slightly to meet his gaze. Even while thinking such things, he accepted the snacks Orca offered willingly. For some reason, it tasted much better than pancakes topped with wild cherry honey.

Orca felt a slight regret that he had discarded the toxic swill, which still had more than half a cup left, in advance. He hesitated for a moment, then brought his lips to the rim, pretending nothing was wrong. He took a gulp, then poured some cream into the remaining black tea and handed it to Niah. His tongue felt thick and dry.

Niah, for his part, hesitated while looking down at his palms. Soil particles he hadn’t managed to shake off were still stuck here and there. He was worried about whether he should be touching expensive tableware with such dirty hands.

“…”

The goldfish truly had no capacity for learning. Orca set down the teacup and let go of the wrist he had been fiddling with. Then, he snatched the hand that was hesitating to accept the cup. Before Niah, startled, could say a word, Orca rubbed the boy’s hand against his own forearm to clean it. He lightly blocked Niah’s attempt to pull away, then picked up the cup again and placed it in Niah’s hand.

“There, is that better?”

Caught off guard, Niah found himself holding the teacup handle without even a moment to be flustered by Orca’s actions. Faced with the young master’s steady gaze, he had no choice but to nod quickly. Even then, he hesitated, lifting and lowering the cup. Even if it was just him and the young master, it took quite a bit of courage for a servant to use high-quality tableware meant for the master. It had been fine in the enclosed young master’s room, but out here like this, he was conscious of his surroundings. He kept wondering if someone was watching.

Niah put on a truly determined expression, as if he needed a great resolve. It was a bit late for such worries, considering he had already gobbled up the treats as fast as the young master could feed them, much like pond carp eating bait. Niah alone seemed unaware of that.

After much hesitation, Niah finally sipped the tea cautiously. The soft milk tea, rich with cream, instantly took over his mouth. The first sip was the hardest, but the next was easy. The sound of him swallowing—gulp—sounded too loud. But the rich, sweet taste made it impossible for him to stop.

Orca didn’t show any further reaction. He didn’t rush him, leaving Niah to do as he pleased. Unless Niah insisted on not drinking it, there was plenty of time. In fact, there was time to spare. He had no other business anyway, other than watching the goldfish. The mansion seemed chaotic with preparations for an upcoming party, but that was none of his concern. It was enough just to keep the goldfish by his side.

Orca took hold of the wrist he had released, treating it as if it were a matter of no consequence. He felt that the idea of keeping a “proper distance” could go get buried in the hunting grounds behind the mountain. His downward-cast gaze swept past the area around Niah’s waist, hidden beneath his clothes.

Whether he was born with slender bones or all goldfish were like this, Orca wondered how he could survive with arms like these. His legs and torso were the same. If one were to strip away the meager flesh and muscle, the bones would be nothing more than a handful. Without any flesh or muscle on such a pathetic frame, he was gaunt and unimpressive. He felt that if he hugged him too hard, he might accidentally crush him to death. The thought of the goldfish being crushed made him feel slightly annoyed.

Orca still found it a mystery how Niah had survived until now and become a servant of the Wair family. He wondered how a goldfish only two joints of his finger wide had caught the eye of an orca like him. The unnamed emotion he had never been able to define until now sipped the milk tea in a shape that resembled curiosity.

Niah, having let out a satisfied breath from being full, smacked his lips. There was no food left on the table after he’d polished off both the milk tea and the crumpets. Orca snatched the empty cup from Niah, who was staring blankly into it. He flicked his finger against the forehead of Niah, who was looking openly disappointed. It was a light gesture, one that wouldn’t even have crushed a pudding.

“Go now. It’s gone.”

“…Young master. Are you… going to leave?”

Whether or not that was the case, Niah’s interest had quickly shifted elsewhere. The young master was more important than delicious food. If he left now, he wouldn’t be able to see him until it was time for his bath or before bed. And even then, it would only be possible if the young master permitted it. He hadn’t heard that he could come in the evening this morning, so he was even more anxious. He couldn’t bring himself to ask first, fearing he might be refused.

The goldfish became visibly dejected. His eyebrows immediately drooped, and he pouted his lips. He seemed to be trying his best not to show it, but it was all too obvious. The sidelong glances were blatant. His request was clearly written all over his face.

Orca pretended not to notice on purpose. For a while, he enjoyed the innocent reactions of the boy who always returned as he expected while doing as he pleased. He didn’t answer, just kept rubbing Niah’s wrist. The boy’s increasingly desperate expression was a sight to behold. It was only when Niah lost his patience and started fidgeting that Orca finally gave the answer he wanted.

“Go. I’ll be here.”

Niah was also visibly elated. When Orca let go of his hand, he moved away a bit sluggishly, but faithfully. He turned around every two steps to beam at Orca before crouching back down in front of the flowerbed.

Orca propped his chin up in a relaxed posture. He took his ease, using Niah’s monotonous movements as music. This terrible peace wasn’t as bad as he had thought.

The goldfish would suddenly turn his head to check if he was still there or not. If their eyes met, he would giggle to himself. The green, youthful sound of his laughter fell lightly like flower petals. He would even hum a tune with a relieved face.

It was the same song he had been humming in the bathroom this morning. A few simple notes stacked up one by one. Their eyes met again. Seeing Niah smiling broadly while holding a hand trowel, Orca covered his mouth with the hand he had been propping his chin with. It was because he overlapped the image with the goldfish who had been wearing a dazed expression just after waking up. The way his mouth corners twitched unnecessarily felt awkward.

☀️🌊

Perhaps due to his sensitive hearing, the moments he spent in deep sleep were extremely short. They amounted to no more than a couple of hours in the deepest part of the dawn. Mostly, he would doze off and then wake up immediately at the slightest sudden noise. When he was fully awake, he could control his hearing to a degree, but once he fell asleep, even that became difficult.

As he drifted in and out of sleep all night, his thoughts would naturally turn to the sea. At least when he needed sleep, it was better to be an orca beneath the sea than a human. In conflict zones, he would often dive into the lower, darker depths of the water to rest after swapping shifts with the reconnaissance team. The silence of the water’s flow made his body feel at ease. He wasn’t tormented by unnecessary noises.