TPCF 72

CHAPTER 72……………….

Anita was continuing excitedly, but Rutger suddenly cut her off.

“Who’s Andy?”

“He’s the main character from the book I read yesterday—a man who refused to submit to civilized society and spent his whole life living in the trees.”

“Then why on earth am I naturally included in this stupid plan?”

Twelve-year-old Rutger Vaylan had a lot of complaints. When Anita had first met him, she often got hurt by his abrasive words and behavior, but after a few years, she had learned to adapt. Now, Anita had enough mental strength to ignore his grumbling when necessary.

“I’m even going to hang up a nameplate, though I’m still thinking about what it should say. Want to go up?”

Too annoyed even to refuse, Rutger just plopped down on the ground. Left with no choice, Anita grabbed the rope ladder. She could have made the rungs wide and flat like a normal ladder, but because she valued “naturalness,” the rungs were thin, cylindrical pieces of wood, not even half the length of a human foot. Climbing up to the treehouse on them was no easy task.

Halfway up, Anita missed a step and staggered. One foot was on a rung, the other left dangling in the air.

“Stay calm! I’ll catch you!”

Rutger jumped up, saying that, though he looked anything but calm. With one leg hanging free, Anita’s balance collapsed, and the unsupported rope ladder swayed wildly. In that moment, a useless thought shot through Anita’s head: Imagine being the kid who broke her leg falling off a rope ladder in her own garden. How pathetic would that sound?

Rutger rushed over, trying to steady the ladder as it swung helplessly. He grabbed it, but it wasn’t much help. Trying to stop it abruptly, as though halting a swinging pendulum, only made the ladder thrash even harder.

Anita lost her grip. Instinctively, she thrust out a leg, hooking it around a rung like a tackle.

“Wait—!”

Like an acrobat showing off a stunt, Anita dangled upside down, one leg hooked over a rung, swinging back and forth like a cocoon. Maybe out of pity, Rutger stepped forward to help her down. Unfortunately, before he could, Anita’s strength gave out. She slid right off the ladder and landed directly on top of Rutger.

The next thing Anita remembered was a flash of blinding light. Her skull throbbed. Groaning and clutching her head, she realized the ground beneath her felt oddly soft. Softer than grass should be. Her spinning vision finally cleared, and she realized what she was sitting on. Anita gasped.

“S-sorry. Are you okay? Your forehead—there’s a bump…”

Through his jet-black hair, so stark against his pale skin, she saw a faintly reddened spot. Without thinking, Anita reached toward Rutger’s forehead. Just before her hand touched him, he flinched. His eyes, usually a light hue somewhere between peridot and sapphire, looked a deep, dark green today. He slapped her hovering hand away.

Irritated, Rutger brushed Anita’s hair aside—it had been falling around his face like a curtain. Only then did Anita realize why his eyes had seemed darker. It was because her shadow had been cast over them.

“Move.”

“Huh?”

Annoyed by her hair tickling his cheek and neck, he tucked it behind her ear. But gravity pulled it right back down like a waterfall. At the same moment, Rutger shoved her away.

“Ah!”

Anita rolled across the lawn. With how roughly he had pushed her, if the ground hadn’t been grass she probably would have jumped up, fuming. But instead, she lay there, staring blankly up at the sky. Maybe feeling a twinge of guilt, Rutger muttered,

“You okay?”

“……”

“Hey.”

Anita didn’t answer. No—she couldn’t.

Though she was looking up at the cloudy sky, she kept seeing those dark green eyes flicker before her. And his black hair, scattered over the grass. And the trembling corners of his lips, as though caught off guard.

Wordlessly, Anita pressed her hands to her eyes. The visions wouldn’t go away.

“You’re bleeding on your knee.”

At his words, the numb pain suddenly returned.

“Get up.”

When Anita only squirmed on the ground without standing, Rutger pulled her up by force. She extended an arm for support, but as soon as she was on her feet, she covered her eyes again. Clicking his tongue in exasperation, Rutger brushed bits of grass off her scraped knee.

“What are you doing?”

“…It hurts.”

Her faint complaint leaked out from behind her hands, but Rutger ignored it.

“Who told you to climb the ladder? You always pick the dumbest things to do.”

“……”

“What was it you said earlier? That you’re going to live up there? Don’t be ridiculous. What about heating? Where are you going to wash? What about safety? You think you’re the only one in the world who can climb a ladder?”

“……”

“Just sleep in your room. What are you, homeless?”

Since it was true she’d made a foolish mistake, Anita couldn’t argue back.

“Give me your hand.”

The mouth that had been running on just fine a few minutes earlier was now clamped shut. In the meantime, Rutger took her hand and led her to the front gate, as though she were a lost child. Even though it was only ten steps away.

When Mrs. Rodel saw Anita being dragged along by her strict “older brother,” she couldn’t help bursting out laughing.

Rutger Vaylan, age twelve, asked seriously,

“Can’t we just tear down that treehouse again?”

Anita stomped hard on his foot.

“Sorry. I’m busy today.”

At some point, Rutger had started drawing a line with Anita. She could understand why. Boys his age usually stuck together, and girls did the same.

Of course, Anita didn’t have any friends.

“You okay?”

Once again, Rutger came home with a bruised face, a dark purple swelling standing out. His expression was calm, but his aura bristled with hostility.

Anita, reading on the garden swing, gasped and rushed over.

“Tray, that bastard. Cowardly…”

Rutger, realizing he’d gotten too worked up, quickly calmed himself.