NOVEL NEXT Chapter 102.2
Adults, Children, And What’s Needed Now
Since Urgus wasn’t around, everyone felt free to say whatever they pleased. In truth, despite his foul mouth, Urgus was the big-brotherly, tough-love type who looked after everyone in his own way. He routinely wrangled the free-spirited Magg by the scruff, interpreting for him and handling all sorts of things. Magg, for his part, only accepted this from Urgus.
“What’s up? Got a funny story? Oh, that looks tasty. Aroru, gimme a bite.”
“Get your own.”
Camille popped in and begged for Aroru’s warabi mochi, only to have the entire bowl shoved at him in annoyance. Unbothered, Camille casually snacked on the treats, as laid-back as ever. His well-bred features suggested a proper upbringing, but his attitude remained as carefree as usual.
“So, what’s the topic?”
“Hmm? Just that Magg seems attached to Urgus.”
“Wait, attached? That guy?”
When Camille murmured in surprise, the three others merely shrugged. His baffled expression persisted as he munched on the warabi mochi, thinking it over. To Camille, Urgus and Magg were always squabbling—a classic senior-junior pair. Were they actually close? The thought was odd because Magg’s behavior toward Urgus was, well, a lot.
But their overly familiar interactions and Magg’s casual disrespect were, in fact, proof of trust. A prime example of this dynamic echoed from the kitchen, audible to everyone.
“You bastard, Magg! I told you that’s mine!”
“Denied.”
“It’s not ‘denied’! Don’t eat it! You already had yours!”
“…Denied.”
“You get two each! You ate both of yours, so don’t touch mine—don’t bite it, idiot!”
When they glanced toward the commotion, they couldn’t see the two of them. Urgus and Magg were having a noisy fight in the kitchen, far removed from the relaxed atmosphere in the living room. Camille decided to explain after checking it out.
“They’re eating the rice balls Yuuri made earlier.”
“Ah, makes sense.”
“Did you and Yakk eat properly?”
“Yeah, we did. Urgus got here late, so Magg probably ambushed him mid-meal.”
“Classic Magg.”
Yuuri chuckled despite herself, prompting a puzzled look from Camille. Magg always pounced on broth-based dishes, and the flavorful dashi-infused rice balls were a guaranteed bait. That much was obvious. Still, Camille couldn’t fathom what was so amusing about Magg targeting Urgus’s portion.
“Hey, Camille. Did you notice Magg only goes after personal portions like that with Urgus?”
“…Huh?”
“Fighting over shared dishes is one thing, but he only takes directly from Urgus.”
“Now that you mention it, yeah. He’s never taken mine or Yakk’s.”
As Camille clapped his hands in realization, Yuuri and Jake grinned knowingly. Aroru muttered something about his obliviousness in a low voice, but since this sharp-tongued 10-year-old was always like that, Camille didn’t mind. Satisfied with his newfound understanding, he continued eating the warabi mochi. How he still had room after two rice balls was a testament to his growing appetite.
“So, he’s being clingy?”
“Exactly.”
“And Urgus?”
“Urgus probably gets it, more or less.”
“For real?”
Camille looked surprised, but a conversation overheard from afar made him murmur, “Maybe so.” He already knew Urgus had a sharp tongue but a kind heart, and that he often translated for Magg. Their current exchange was another example of that.
“Fine, just give back half at least.”
“………Agreed.”
“It was mine to begin with! And don’t take so long to respond!”
“…Ow.”
“Shut up.”
Apparently, Urgus had caved and handed over half of his rice ball to Magg. Since it was more of a snack than a meal, he probably figured it was fine to share. It was just another day for the two of them.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if Magg could be honest with everyone someday?”
“Not happening anytime soon.”
“Wait, Magg being honest with us? Is that even possible?”
“Well, for now, we’ll leave it to Urgus and Yuuri, yeah?”
Jake’s cheerful remark earned unanimous agreement from Aroru and Camille, while Yuuri chuckled wryly. Their responsibilities wouldn’t change, after all. Watching over Magg, clumsy yet striving to grow, was something they all shared.
This is a story about how, sometimes, things you missed long ago can still be recovered along the way.