The Extra Works Hard

Thump! 

It was louder than I thought. The sound of pain leaks out through the gap in the slightly open mouth. There were no knees, arms, or faces that hit the floor. A chill crept up on my face touching the cold floor. My head is thumping. The view was spinning and dizzy. 

Nathan couldn’t get up right away because he was aching all over. On top of that, the ticking still continued to be heard. His head was messed up, and his body, forgetting his sense of balance, did not think of getting up so upside down. Nathan had no choice but to lie still on the cold floor for a while, closing his eyes and waiting for the dizziness to go away.

That was all he could think of now. Even if Nathan opened his eyes, his vision would only blink, so he thought it would be better to close it. Familiar darkness falls behind the eyelids that have fallen heavily. The still loud sound of the clock prevented his head from returning to normal, causing him to return to square one constantly missing his train of thought.

I wanted to cover my ears, but I couldn’t move my body. As if pins were pressed to stop movement, the body attached to the floor is as heavy as lead. Therefore, there was no way to prevent him from shaking in the cold air climbing over the thin saliva. 

His weak breath comes out slower than usual through the gap in his dry mouth.

It was time for the hazy mind to fade away like that.

His consciousness, which had been extinguished under the floor by a sudden knock, was raised to the surface at once. Nathan took a breath and opened his closed eyes. As if he swam under the water and was coming up to breathe. Nathan’s lungs hurt as if they were torn and his whole body was wet with cold sweat.

“Nathan, are you up?”

Then a familiar voice could be heard outside the door. Nathan slowly raised his heavy body to the voice. His arms trembled on the floor. But Nathan didn’t understand. The noise of the second hand, which had been noisy, has long disappeared. When he stood up with only two feet, the floor that touched his bare feet felt cold. Nathan, who stood with his hand on his head for a moment in the dizzying dizziness in front of his eyes, walked a little later and headed to the door. He tried to stop shaking his arms and legs. Even after arriving at the door, Nathan managed to grab the doorknob and turn it after several fumblings in the dark.

Squeak…

I opened the door and found Hazard.

Maybe it’s because he’s only been in a dark room all this time, but he’s exceptionally dazzling standing in the light. Nathan frowned automatically. There was no other fluorescent lamp that sparkled.

“What?”

His voice was infinitely low.

“I woke up. I was downstairs and I heard a loud noise, so I was wondering…”

Hazard slurred his words and looked up and down at Nathan. His countenance fluttered as he leaned against the door frame and breathed lightly. His hair clung to his face as if he had sweated. And one cheek was red against that pale countenance. 

As I lowered my gaze against the light, Hazard’s gaze stayed for a moment and came up again on my bare feet, which revealed that I had thrown away the slippers under the bed.

“What’s wrong with your face?”

With a slight frown, Hazard asked, tapping his finger on one cheek. Nathan faltered at him and rubbed his pointed cheek. It was where I hit the floor earlier.

“I fell off the bed.”

“You aren’t being careful… This won’t work. I’d better get you some medicine just in case. Wait a minute, don’t sleep again.”

Nathan unconsciously grabbed Hazard, who was about to turn around and leave. Azar was held without any strength in his arm, turning to me.

Face to face, Nathan said calmly,

“It’s all right. You don’t have to. Why did you have to do this? I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“You’ll regret it but…Well, if you say so. All right.”

Nathan thought Hazard was making a fuss for nothing. Regret? No way. Why do you have to put medicine on something like this? Nathan smiled and shook his head gently. 

He raised one slightly trembling hand to brush his disheveled hair and asked what suddenly came to mind.

“Oh, how long have I been doing this anyway? Actually, I don’t remember when I fell asleep.”

“It’s been a while since you fell asleep. From what point do you want me to tell you? Do you want me to start from the beginning, including how you pretended to be asleep?”

“…If you noticed that I pretended to sleep, then let’s move on.”

Nathan murmured grimly. At that moment, I thought I was caught, so I quickly returned with a fever on my face. The look on Nathan’s is playful. With his arms folded, Azar tilted his head slightly to the side and said, “Well, it’s been about six hours. But don’t you remember?”

“Yeah, I remember going around the house… Oh, sorry. Come to think of it, I just walked around.”

“There’s a lot to be sorry about, Kyung Nathan Norbert.”

“Why do you call me that? Goosebumps.”

Nathan unwittingly swept his arms with goosebumps. Although “Kyung” and “Nathan” inherited the title, this was the first time he was called “Kyung” because he was only in the academy. It’s uncomfortable as if I’m wearing clothes that don’t fit me.

“You fell down on your way to the room. It was fortunate that the maid found you quickly.”

“Oh, I see. I did get car sick. Is it because of that?”

“Maybe, aren’t you hungry? You didn’t eat anything but breakfast. I’ll get you something. Since it’s time, helpers will make simple things for you even if you can’t do great things.”

“That’s alright. I don’t have an appetite, and I think I’ll get an upset stomach if I eat it now.”

“Then you’d better go back to sleep. You still look pale.”

“Whew, I don’t want to sleep…”

Nathan murmured softly, rubbing his stiff neck. He didn’t want to fall asleep. 

I’ve already slept for a long time, and even if I lie down on the bed like this, I won’t be able to fall asleep again anyway. So I’d rather get some fresh air. Suddenly, I remembered the balcony on the first floor facing the sea.

“Shall we go see the sea?”

I vaguely think so, but Hazard, who thought he would leave now that the conversation was over, was still standing in front of him and looking at Nathan. Nathan looked at him wonderingly and tilted his head.

“…Why aren’t you going? You go to bed, too.”

“Oh, I forgot to say…”

Azar folded his cool eyes and said with a smile as if he had something to say.

“Actually, this is my room.”

“What?”

Nathan opened his eyes wide. Did I hear that right? This is Hazard’s room? Nathan was visibly agitated. Barcella’s summer home was where Hazard often stayed with Remburton since childhood. Therefore, there was a separate room for Hazard. And that’s where it is! There was a reason for the strange sense of life that I felt when I first saw this room.

“Well, then I’ll go to the other room. I thought this was a guest room.”

Nathan opened the half-opened door in dismay and hurried out of the room. Then Hazard looked at him still. Nathan didn’t even notice Hazard’s gaze because he was forcing his head not to roll.

“Azar, just tell me where to go and I’ll be there. I’m sorry. You must be tired.”

I don’t know where to go for now, but I’m sure there’s at least one place to stay in this spacious mansion. If that’s a private room that Hazard uses every time he comes here, it’s right for me to go somewhere else. But to Nathan, Hazard swept his chin as if he were in trouble.

“Well, you know what? I brought you here without contacting you, and they said no other guest rooms were prepared.”

“Then where am I going?

Nathan asked back in vain.

His expression becomes grim in an instant as if representing his feelings. If Nathan had remained a little more sober than he is now, he would have known that Hazard’s words were nonsense, but unfortunately, Nathan’s thoughts have not reached there. So Hazard, who was watching Nathan, bit his lips and swallowed the laughter that was about to burst out.

“Where are you going? Why do you ask such obvious questions?”

Hazard smiled one step closer. Nathan flinched and involuntarily stepped back.

“…What is it?”

Looking at Hazard with suspicion in his voice, Nathan was like a cat on guard. If Nathan was a cat, wouldn’t he have his tail raised and his claws out? Azar opened his hands and strode up to Nathan again, thinking so foolishly.