Raga of the Dry Branch - Chapter 22

“Is this because you are dressed as a man? Don’t worry. I have a pretty great sense of gender.”

“…!”

“Are you wondering about how I knew? Surely the uniforms here are unisex, but there is one difference.”

Right, Corin said, pressing the button on my neck.

“Apart from everything, men come to the right and women to the left.”

“Ah!”

I only remembered it after hearing Corilint’s words. It wasn’t just the uniforms. The direction of the buttons on the same clothes differed based on gender.

Growing up as a man, I had never worn women’s clothes, so I never really cared about the differences, and I never even thought about it.

“But why are you hiding it? Surely the men’s clothes look good on you, but looking at you it is clear that you are noona, right?”

“Well it is nothing.”

He only has good eyes, not a brain. As I was still shocked on how to solve it, I heard a voice calling for me.

“Sir Alkeris! Over here. Look, a guest of yours has come!”

I was sure that the way of speaking and cheerful attitude belonged to my captain…. But a guest?

A familiar black figure followed him.

“Yo yo. I am here.”

In a blood robe and hood, the tall black form was definitely Juli! Why was he here now?

I looked in surprise, but Juli approached me and pinched my cheeks tightly. Who pinches the cheeks of other people out of nowhere?

However, it was more painful than I expected, and it seemed like he was turning my face into a blowfish.

I quietly clenched my fist and slammed it into Juli’s stomach.

“… you didn’t control your strength on purpose right? You hit me on purpose, right?”

I nodded my head to Juli, who asked me, and then turned to the captain.

“Thank you, Captain, he is someone I know.”

“Is that so? I was surprised when he showed up with his whole body covered in black. A lot of people thought he was scary on, but I guess it was worthwhile to guide you.”

“Then, doesn’t it mean that you brought in someone even when they were suspicious?”

… hey, Captain, aren’t you being too easygoing now?

He was the captain of the 2nd division – he should use his mind sometimes, at least. Like now. Exactly in a moment like now.

However, the problem was…

How will the division even work in the future? What will happen to it? Aren’t we going to be shut down for these acts?

“Yah, at least look at me. Do you keep punching people who come to see you!?”

Juli screamed at me as I was mourning for the future of the division.

“You pinched me first. Shut it!”

He went silent and then said.

“I have been such a nice person, and what is with that sullen look! Are you treating me like this because you know why I am here?”

“I was really surprised, but as you know my facial muscles lack flexibility.”

It wasn’t once or twice; he should know this about me. But that was just my expectation.

“I don’t know, I can’t figure it out.”

The way he talked while folding his arms and arrogantly raising his chin was charming,. I shrugged my shoulders. Right, I forgot, I forgot that this one is naturally stupid, right.

“So, why did you come here?”

I decided to let this problem out of the building because Juli suddenly held something in front of me.

“Uh?”

Maybe to threaten me? Well, he was one good thing and one bad thing.

“I know you are a complete nerd. Thanks to you, I had to come here even when I was in the middle of a meeting. Is this the one you left?”

“Ohh.”

The document which I was planning to get by leaving at lunchtime was now in my hands.

“This is right. I was planning to come get it.”

“Aren’t you thankful?”

“Yes.”

I nodded my head, and Juli stroked my head with his hand. And a low laugh, as if he was satisfied with this.

Even when the hood covered his face, I could imagine him smiling underneath it triumphantly at what happened. It was kind of silly, but I did feel thankful for what he did today. In the evening, I have to thank Ren too for making Juli get this.

“But, who is that?”

Juli, who I thought would head back, suddenly pointed to someone with his finger and asked.

Where was he pointing?

Juli’s slender finger was pointing to where Corilint was.

Corilint, whom we had forgotten for a while, looked at us.

“You seem close. Family?”

When our eyes met, Corin smiled.

I tried to answer when Juli bested me.

“No, we don’t share even a single drop of blood.”

“…”

I couldn’t speak! After hearing Juli’s answer, Corin smiled more brightly than before.

But the smile didn’t seem like a smile!

The atmosphere is so strange….

Suddenly, the instinct to run away began to soar in me.

“Yes, this is turning interesting…”

And when I heard the Captain’s voice from behind.

I thought you went back…!

Instead of doing that, he was looking at what was happening with a lot of enthusiasm.

It was as if he was watching a movie with popcorn in his hand.

I’ll have to sort this out and go back to work. So I decided to introduce the two of them. With a great sigh, I said, “This is Julius, we don’t share blood, but he is my family. And that is Corilint, a colleague in a different division. Greet.”

“Hello.”

Corilint, who had a subtle expression for a moment, smiled brightly again, but Juli didn’t say anything. It was more like, ‘I don’t want to! Don’t feel like it! Don’t care!’ that aura kept spreading around. It wasn’t like he was a child or anything…

I approached Juli and secretly stabbed him in the side with my finger. Honestly, there was no reason for Juli to greet Corin. However, There were too many people looking at us. And this is my job. And bringing in too much attention wasn’t good.

And it would cause huge misunderstandings if Juli didn’t say anything here.

And I would be on the wrong side of gossip in here… and gossip was terrible anyways!

Gossips spread so quickly that I can’t even stop them, and all that a hello?

I poked him once more.

“Ack! Al… you!”

“Juli, come on, say hello.”

I could feel Juli giving out a murderous aura, but I didn’t give in.

I smiled at Corin. And I knew he was saying, and I don’t like you either, just say and get this done so I can get away from this place.

Hurry up and say hello and go back to your meeting. Maybe he read my mind and opened his mouth with a trembling hand.

“Phew…. Right, hello.”

“Yes. But shouldn’t you take off the hood? But shouldn’t you take off the hood and seeing that you didn’t, you must have some reason.”

He threw those words with a lively laugh, but the tone was sarcastic and criticizing.

Wasn’t this the call for a new argument now? This had to end with a simple greeting, but now it was a fight. Juli wouldn’t take off his hood, right? He wouldn’t. And I can’t let this go on for longer.

If things went like this, I was sure Juli would curse Corin and make him have a hard time. I had to send Juli away.

As I was making up my mind like that, my captain intervened.

“Right, I am curious too. Do you have scars on your face? Or are you really handsome? Ah! Of course you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. After all, that is a personal matter of yours. Asking such a question could be a nuisance, right Sir Corilint?”

Why were they asking for someone’s personal information? And I really hoped it was just a misunderstanding, but it felt like Corin was trolling Juli – or was he trying to control him? I was here guessing all this, and my Captain honestly doesn’t have the brain to think much.

As I kept thinking, I heard a voice which I didn’t want to hear at all.

“Woah, I came back to call for captain Ong, but what is this interesting situation? This seems like a love triangle with Sir Alkeris. Captain, tell me what happened before I came here!”

Even Sir Shuzlin, who had left…. just how bad was my luck?

“…”

Juli looked at me without saying a word. I couldn’t say anything. No matter who looked, this was weird.

“You…”

Juli was about to say something, but then he bent towards my face and asked.

“That bastard, when did you meet him?”

It seemed like he was asking about Corin, so he faintly mumbled when I replied it was yesterday.

“That was why he asked if bad luck was from ‘yesterday’?”

Juli nodded his head as if understanding, straightened himself again, and spoke to Corin in a characteristic come-fight-with-me tone.

“Did you ask if there was something wrong? There is no such thing, this is because this suits my taste.”

When I was about to ask what he meant to say… I just laughed hearing what he said.

However, the words from the others were weird.

“You look ugly.”