Does Spring Come Even for a Dying Esper

“I’m not prepared for today…”

“What is there to prepare? We just need to sleep in the same bed.”

“What?”

Sleep in the same bed? Iberis looked at Lucas with startled rabbit eyes. He couldn’t count how many times his heart had skipped a beat today.

“In the same bed? You and me?”

“The purpose of cohabitation is for guiding to occur naturally as we live together, resulting in an increased matching rate. Of course we need to sleep together for that.”

“Huh…”

Momentarily speechless at Lucas’s explanation, Iberis moved his lips with a dumbfounded expression.

“You’re already prepared for bed… I showered before coming here, so we can go to sleep like this. Ah, if there aren’t enough pillows, I can go down and bring mine.”

“There are enough pillows, but… are we really sleeping together?”

Iberis rambled in disbelief. It had only been minutes since he accepted living with Lucas, and now they had to sleep in the same bed. The pace was too fast for him to follow.

“Let’s try sleeping together tonight and see if there’s any effect. Come on, get up.”

Lucas, who had already stood up, gently pulled Iberis’s hand. Then he led Iberis to the bedroom as if it were his own home. Though he had never entered before, he was already familiar with the layout from coming to fetch Iberis for breakfast every morning.

“It’s good that the bed is large. It should be fine for both of us to lie down.”

Lucas looked satisfied as he confirmed the bed seemed spacious enough for two adult men. Then he guided the still-flustered Iberis to the bed.

After quickly getting Iberis to lie down, Lucas turned on the heated mattress pad. He was familiar with this, having brought several heating devices to Iberis’s dedicated bed in the office.

“I’ll turn off the lights.”

“Oh… okay.”

At this point, Iberis accepted the reality of his situation. It seemed odd to say anything more now. He laughed like a person who had lost their mind, then visibly flinched when the bedroom lights went out and Lucas lay down beside him. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had shared a bed with someone since his mother passed away.

“Excuse me.”

“Mmm…”

“Don’t be nervous. I won’t eat you. I won’t do anything.”

“When did I say I was nervous…”

Iberis protested indignantly. But his voice was already trembling, giving away his lie.

“I can feel how stiff your body is.”

“…I’m just not used to having someone lying next to me.”

Finally admitting his state, Iberis closed his eyes and tried to force himself to sleep. He wasn’t sure if he could, but he thought he might drift off to dreamland if he counted sheep. He started counting internally: one sheep, two sheep. Then, a low voice came from beside him.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Huh? For what?”

“I told you earlier that I wouldn’t do anything, but I think I need to do one thing.”

“What…”

Iberis’s eyes flew open, suddenly filled with an ominous premonition. But Lucas’s movements were faster than Iberis could react.

Lucas turned towards Iberis, raised his arm, and wrapped it around Iberis’s slender waist. Then he pulled Iberis tightly into his embrace.

“Wait…!”

Suddenly embraced by Lucas, Iberis opened his eyes wide in shock. Lucas’s firm chest, thick arms, and strong thighs – he could feel Lucas’s body acutely where they touched. It was the first time in his life he had been held like this by another person.

“What are you doing?”

“I just realized that for the guiding effect to work, I should probably hold you while we sleep.”

“Do you think we can sleep like this?”

“I don’t move much in my sleep. I won’t budge once I’m asleep. So just think of me as a human heater and go to sleep.”

“A human heater…”

Iberis tried to slowly slip away. But the more he tried, the tighter the arm around his waist became, pressing their bodies even closer together.

“It’s stifling, loosen up a bit.”

“Just go to sleep.”

“Ah, really…”

Finally giving up, Iberis relaxed his body with a resigned expression. As if to say “good job,” a large hand gently stroked his thin back.

“If you can’t sleep, should I sing you a lullaby?”

“…No thanks. Am I a child?”

“Then I’ll pat your back until you fall asleep.”

Lucas said in a slightly husky voice, patting Iberis’s back. His touch was as light as a feather.

“Sigh, really… do whatever you want.”

Iberis sighed deeply with a resigned expression. He no longer had the energy to argue with Lucas.

It’s warm.

Trapped in Lucas’s embrace, Iberis felt languid from the warmth transmitted through their touching bodies. Thump-thump, the sound of a heartbeat echoed in his ears, though he wasn’t sure whose it was. Just moments ago, he thought he’d never be able to sleep, but now his eyelids grew heavy with the rhythmic beating.

Drowsy, he blinked slowly. Unable to resist the wave of sleepiness, his eyes gradually closed. Soon, the sound of steady breathing could be heard. The hand stroking Iberis’s back also slowed down.

Lucas held tightly onto the body nestling into him, as if he’d never let go, and drifted off to sleep. It was the most restful sleep he’d had in a long time, despite his inner worries.

Chapter 4. 75%

“The Mars Guild has been finally selected as the Defense Force’s cooperative guild?”

Lucas frowned slightly at the bad news Winfried delivered.

– That’s how it turned out. I tried to stop it somehow…

“It can’t be helped. What about the military supply company?”

– That hasn’t been decided yet. The Mars Guild was accepted because most of its members are former Defense Force personnel, but it seems the conservative faction is finding it difficult to actively push for the new company in the military supply sector.

“That’s somewhat of a relief.”

– Still, we can’t be at ease. If the Mars Guild starts operating as the Defense Force’s mission cooperative guild…

Winfried trailed off, groaning as if the mere thought gave him a headache. After a moment’s hesitation, he lowered his voice out of habit and whispered.

– From what I hear, it seems the Mars Guild will be in charge of the Northern Defense Zone.

“The North? That includes Zone N, doesn’t it?”

– That’s right. Former Major General Logan volunteered for the Northern Defense Zone. There’s a chance he could be assigned elsewhere, but…

“The North is an unpopular region, so the probability of him coming here is high.”

– Exactly.

“Former Major General Logan volunteering for the Northern Defense Zone… it’s because of Major Hyun, isn’t it?”

– Most likely. Remember when I told you he brought up Major Hyun when we ran into each other last time?

“I remember. You said he seemed to have caught wind of something then.”

– Right. He was probing me intensely. It’s fortunate we destroyed all of Major Hyun’s medical records and relocated the doctors he met in advance… If we had been a little late, it could have been disastrous.

Winfried muttered in a troubled voice. He recruited all the doctors Iberis had met and put them into the Defense Force’s witness protection program as soon as he learned about Iberis’s condition. This was to prevent Livio and others from approaching them and digging up information.

Thanks to the quick response, no medical records indicating Iberis’s terminal condition existed in the world, and there was no worry about information leaking through the doctors’ mouths. However, there was nothing they could do about someone suspecting his physical condition.

“Since he can’t find concrete evidence, he’s probably trying to confirm it with his own eyes. If he participates in the rift offensive as part of the cooperative guild, he’ll be able to observe the Major…”

– That’s what we’re speculating. And if he becomes certain that Major Hyun has weakened, he’ll move immediately. So, how is the Major’s condition?

“He’s recovering gradually. I can’t guarantee a complete cure, but… he’s definitely better than at first.”

– That’s a relief.

Winfried sighed in relief at the positive response. If Livio found out about Iberis’s poor health, it would cause an immediate uproar. That had to be prevented at all costs.

– Take good care of Major Hyun. Ah, right. I almost forgot. I submitted to the disciplinary committee the report you sent earlier about the negligence of Zone N unit commanders. If no one else, Major Norris will definitely lose his position.

“Is that so? That’s good news.”

Lucas smiled faintly at the most satisfying news of today’s call.

– The call has gone on longer than expected. I’ll hang up now. I’ll contact you again when it’s confirmed that former Major General Logan’s Mars Guild is going to the Northern Defense Zone.

“Yes, take care.”

After ending the call with Winfried, Lucas let out a small sigh. His chest already felt tight at the thought of relaying this news to Iberis.