The West Wind's Destination - Chapter 13
In such proximity, Bea couldn’t help but focus on his eyes.
The heterochromia of one dark and one golden eye was rare enough, but to add to that, each iris was a different color.
“What a genetic rarity… It’s quite fascinating.”
“Probably something to do with my ancestry.”
Genetics, of course. Bea had always been curious about the genetic combinations that produced such geometrically perfect, or rather, slightly more captivating human bodies.
As she was lost in thought…
Bea belatedly realized that something had touched her lips then pulled away.
She moved to touch it but found Aseph still holding her hands.
“What did you do?”
There was no need for medicine now, and she could take it herself. Moreover, this time he didn’t even pass any along from his mouth to hers.
He didn’t respond to her question. Instead, he asked something unexpected.
“May I do it again?”
“No.”
Bea scowled, annoyed by the lingering damp sensation.
It was unsettling, the feeling persisting long after the contact.
As Bea busied herself trying to rid the sensation by licking her lips, a sigh escaped from Aseph close by. It sounded almost like a lament.
“I find your eyes fascinating too. They’re like buds that have endured winter.”
“…”
“In the south, they say such colors breathe life into the barren land. After the snowy season, they’re like the spring wind returning, so intoxicating that they could steal your soul in the blink of an eye.”
“…”
“I think such a wind has caught me too.”
Aseph finished speaking and gazed intently at Bea. His face, silent for a while, was flushed red. His body seemed to be burning, not fitting for a human but as if he was on fire.
It seemed like he was waiting for a response, but Bea had no clue what he was curious about or asking.
If he meant her greenish, lightly colored irises due to a lack of pigmentation, then perhaps that was it.
After a long thought, Bea frowned,
“I don’t understand. What are you curious about?”
“…”
The usually chatty Aseph fell silent for a moment, his face a picture of confusion.
“Please, tell me your name.”
“Bea.”
Now, with nothing to hide, she replied immediately, and his expression noticeably brightened.
“Bea… Bea, yes. Bea.”
It wasn’t a difficult name, but watching him repeat it several times, Bea thought Aseph was truly a peculiar person.
Aseph, who had been absently repeating Bea’s name, smiled brightly.
His eyes, which had often lost focus as if on the brink of death, were now fully capturing her.
For the first time, Bea felt that being alive was beautiful.
If the saying about breathing life into arid land referred to Aseph, it might be accurate. The look in his eyes when he gazed at her resembled that.
Like the sprouts emerging from beneath the winter-hardened soil, a complex amalgamation of chemical reactions that occur when a life breathes.
Something multifaceted and indescribable was present in his gaze.
“What did you mean earlier?”
“It means you’ve brought spring to me.”
“Seasons aren’t something one can bring if they wish.”
He bowed his head and again pressed his lips against hers without permission.
“That’s right. It’s not for just anyone to do.”
The damp flesh pushed through her lips, but it didn’t feel as unpleasant as before. Looking into his eyes and sensing the emotions tinted within, she found it rather sweet.
❖
While no one can bring seasons, Aseph was someone who made her feel their change.
When Bea was alone, she didn’t notice how the seasons changed. She only knew it was winter when it snowed and only recognized specific seasons when collecting seasonal plants.
This time, due to Aseph, she became aware that it was spring. He’d brought in a variety of flowers from outside and decorated the lab.
She didn’t understand why he did it. Perhaps he just liked it, so she left him to his devices. It wasn’t particularly disruptive to her research.
Well, a little.
No, quite a lot, actually.
“Bea.”
Every time he called her name, she felt an electric jolt from head to toe. Her calves tingled, and goosebumps rose on her arms. She didn’t understand why. If she had known, she wouldn’t have told him her name.
Bea had always lived immersed in her research, from the moment she woke up until she briefly closed her eyes for rest. Aseph’s constant calls disrupted her focus.
All this time, she had been reducing her eating and sleeping time for her work, but gradually, he began to ensure she ate regularly and slept on the bed, reducing her time in the lab.
“Bea…”
And things like these.
“Bea, mmmh…”
After that day, Aseph frequently engaged in the act. Pressing lips and intertwining tongues – she didn’t understand the meaning of it, but once she allowed it, the frequency increased.
The time spent and the intensity grew.
And it deepened progressively.
