By Zephyria 
Thump, thump.
The faint, rhythmic sound of a heartbeat echoed in his ears. It was the sound of Cassian’s heart beating. Bliss simply blinked his wide eyes, remaining motionless in the embrace. Gently stroking Bliss’s hair, Cassian continued.
“It’s okay, don’t cry. You don’t have to be afraid; it’s nothing.”
What do you mean it’s nothing? A bird the size of that was flying around, a tree that big was shaking, and a wind that cold was howling behind my back!
…Bliss thought this, but strangely, the words wouldn’t come out. The panic in his mind gradually subsided, and the surroundings that had seemed so terrifying until a moment ago now felt like an ordinary park. Consequently, his trembling body, the constant flow of tears, and his shoulders stiffened with fear began to relax.
Hic. A sob still remained, and as he took a sharp breath, Cassian’s large hand patted his back comfortingly. It was a gesture one would use for a small child, but it was enough to calm Bliss down. As his reason returned after a while, a wave of embarrassment and apology washed over him simultaneously.
“U-um….”
Bliss opened his mouth cautiously. He had to apologize. Papa had always strictly told him that when he did something wrong, he must say he was sorry.
However, receiving a lesson and putting it into practice were two different things. To force out the words that wouldn’t easily come, Bliss cleared his throat with a “hem,” stalling for time. Of course, that didn’t last very long.
Everything was silent. The sounds of the birds that had seemed so loud earlier, the rustling of the leaves, and even the sound of the wind brushing against his skin were gone.
Despite that, a sound louder and more magnificent than ever seemed to fill Bliss’s ears. It was the sound of Cassian’s heart.
Thump, thump. That rhythmic, slow beat had certainly reassured Bliss. But for some reason, now that he realized it was Cassian’s heartbeat, the inside of his chest suddenly felt strange.
The thick arm was still wrapped around Bliss’s waist. The large hand slowly patting his back remained as well. It seemed that Bliss was the only one who had changed.
This is ridiculous. Get a grip.
He hurriedly scolded himself. Apologize quickly and let’s get out of here. I must have lost my mind because I was scared.
He thought so, yet far from speaking, he couldn’t even bring himself to think about pulling away from Cassian. The beating sound continued to echo.
Cassian’s heartbeat.
Bliss hesitated before cautiously lifting his head. He immediately locked eyes with Cassian. How long has he been looking at me like that? He wondered vaguely, but it didn’t matter. Neither he nor Bliss looked away.
The hand patting his back seemed to slow down before stopping altogether. The two simply gazed at each other. The sound of the man’s heart was no longer audible in his ears. Instead, Bliss felt as if the sound of his own heartbeat was spreading through his ears. Unlike Cassian’s slow, rhythmic beat, his own was hammering against his chest as if racing frantically.
A cool breeze brushed past the nape of his neck. However, instead of fear, Bliss felt a pleasant shiver. He was still cradled in Cassian’s arms.
Suddenly, Cassian’s lips entered his field of vision. Staring blankly at those lips, Bliss remembered. They were soft. Very.
Along with the forgotten sensation, a fragment of a vanished memory resurfaced. He didn’t know if it had been a dream or something else. He simply wanted to overlap their lips again, just like then.
Haa. A sigh escaped through his unconsciously parted lips like a lament. Bliss slowly closed his eyes. His long eyelashes shimmered faintly under the moonlight. He felt the hand that had been resting on his back flinch and move slightly. Just as he was about to feel a sense of loss at the warmth slowly receding, the hand gently cupped the back of his head.
Cassian leaned his tall frame down toward Bliss. Bliss did not pull away; instead, he held his breath and waited. Waiting for that man’s lips to touch his own once more.
…Once more?
Just as a vague question formed in his mind.
Bliss saw it. The stone statue behind Cassian was making eye contact with him. Simultaneously, a bird flew up from behind, and an eerie sound that seemed to shake the entire forest echoed out.
“Aaaaaah!”
In that instant, Bliss let out a tremendous scream, as if squeezing his lungs dry.
“Wha—what is it?!”
Startled by the sudden scream, Cassian also jumped, his voice pitching higher than usual. But it didn’t end there. Scrambling away from Cassian, Bliss grabbed his head with both hands and began running around the area, screaming.
“Kieeeek! Kyaaa! Help me! Uwaaa! The statue, the statue is moving!”
“Bliss, get a grip! Bliss!”
In his urgency, Cassian called out his real name, but it was useless. No sound reached Bliss’s ears. Cassian was bewildered by the sight of Bliss running around and screaming like a monkey in a total panic.
He’s not going to faint, is he? The way he was spinning in circles, pale and clutching his head, was clearly a sign of terror. I have to calm him down quickly.
“Bl—”
Just as Cassian hurriedly tried to call him, Bliss suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and looked around urgently with wide, terror-stricken eyes. As if he were searching for something.
No way.
An ominous premonition flashed through Cassian’s mind. At that exact moment, Bliss found it. Of all things, a broken branch rolling on the ground—one that happened to be the perfect length and thickness for Bliss to grip with both hands and swing.
“Wait, stop! Don’t grab that!”
A pale Cassian shouted, but it was too late. Bliss dashed forward like a bullet, snatched it up with both hands, and slowly turned toward him. Along with that, Cassian yelled.
“Wha—what is it? Why are you holding that? Put it down this instant!”
He shouted while hurriedly backing away, but Bliss could no longer see anything. Seeing Bliss charging straight toward him while swinging the wooden stick haphazardly, Cassian extended one arm.
“Stop, I said stop! Fuck, don’t come over here!”
He threatened by extending his arm as far as possible, as if dealing with a fierce dog, but it was useless. Faced with the charge of a crazed capybara that refused to stop, Cassian, unable to escape in time, hunched over and covered his head. While praying to God that the branch was very fragile, a vision of the painful future flashed through his mind. Just protect my head. No, it’ll hurt if it hits my back too. …Are my legs in danger as well? Dammit, it’s the same everywhere!
It was just as he finally spat out a curse. Something whooshed past his back like a gust of wind.
…Eh?
Bliss’s attack took longer than expected. Confused, Cassian awkwardly stood up. And then he saw it. The crazed capybara sprinting toward Mozart’s tombstone.
“You monster statue! I’ll kill you!”
“Nooooooo!”
Immediately turning pale, Cassian chased after Bliss with all his might. Taat! The capybara kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. Gripping the weapon held high with both hands, he glared straight at his target. Then, he swung it mercilessly—
“Tsk.”
With a sound like teeth grinding, someone snatched him by the waist from behind. Bliss, who had been dragged back, blinked blankly for a moment. What happened?
Rough breathing could be heard above the head of Bliss, who had unfortunately failed to take down his target. Exhaling a breath mixed with relief and irritation, Cassian spoke.
“What on earth are you doing? Trying to destroy a tombstone—have you completely lost your mind?”
Even as he spoke, he remembered that this small animal in his arms had been crazy from the start, and this time he let out a hollow sigh. However, the capybara had something to say.
“That statue moved! It glared at me, you devil! I have to break it, let go! Let me go!”
He struggled with all his might, but Cassian didn’t budge. Instead, looking down at Bliss with a pathetic gaze, he barked coldly.
“Stop talking nonsense. You’d destroy a statue because of some stupid delusion? What you were trying to do is terrorism. If you were ten years younger, I would have spanked you.”
Frowning deeply, Cassian looked at the branch Bliss was still holding and simply snatched it away.
“No!”