✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿
I turned my head to look up at Arthur. His violet eyes, meeting mine, wavered uneasily. Seeing him like this made me feel a bit soft-hearted.
My eyes, which had been narrowed sharply, gradually relaxed. Maybe biting them was too much for kids. As I turned my gaze away with an uneasy feeling, an angry voice was heard from the front.
"That hurts!"
The yellow-haired boy who I had bitten clenched his fist and glared at me and Arthur, gritting his teeth. His fiercely curved eyebrows showed how angry he was.Come on, for such a big guy, why are you making such a fuss over a little pain?My head tilted involuntarily.
"Did you even train it properly?"
"Sorry, it's usually well-behaved… I think it was just startled."
The thoroughly angered child kept his mouth shut, but when Arthur apologized, he smirked, raising one corner of his mouth. It looked familiar, so I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.
"It's even bleeding. How are you going to take responsibility?"
Ah. This guy looked just like those malicious consumers who would use a product halfway and then demand a refund with an air of self-righteousness. It was a type I'd often seen when working part-time jobs. This kid, who looked no older than a teenager, was already acting like this? I couldn't hide my astonishment, though for a different reason than usual.
He had an expression that suggested he wanted something, but Arthur, perhaps feeling guilty about causing harm, couldn't catch the hidden meaning.
"I'm sorry. What should I do…"
Seeing Arthur busy apologizing, the annoying boy sneered and said:
"Is it really your brother's? Did you just secretly bring it again this time?"
"Yeah. It doesn't seem very well-trained either."
As the children's whispers grew louder, Arthur's fingers holding me began to tremble slightly. This seemed like an overreaction for someone who had just told a lie, so I looked up at Arthur and saw him slightly bowing his head and biting his lip lightly. His whitened lips somehow looked desperate.
As Arthur stood silently, unable to say anything, the troublemaker in front spoke with an even more triumphant voice:
"Hey. If you're sorry, give it to me."
"Peep?"
Now the situation had become incomprehensible to me. The guy who had grimaced in pain earlier now extended his hand towards me with shining eyes. He wiggled his outstretched palm. It looked like a signal to hand me over quickly. Arthur, who had been watching silently, opened his mouth.
"No. This belongs to my brother, I said."
"My brother gives me whatever I want."
This bastard speaks with an annoyingly raised eyebrow. Judging by his words and actions, it seems he's probably gotten everything he wanted at home.
I don't understand why Arthur, who always appeared strong and confident at the mansion, shows such a weak side in front of his friends—no, in front of this troublemaker. I could feel my feathers gradually getting damp, probably because Arthur's palm holding me was sweating from nervousness.
Displeased with the uncomfortable situation, I clacked my beak. Anyone could see he was making unreasonable demands, but Arthur couldn't say anything. And then I understood why Arthur couldn't stand up for himself when I heard what was said next.
"Is it because you're adopted that your brother won't even give you this?"
That guy was a real bastard. I opened my eyes wide, looking at his face to confirm if I had heard correctly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. His face showed no guilt, making me wonder if I had heard wrong, but seeing the strength in Arthur's hand holding me, I knew I hadn't misheard.
"Peep."
Even though Arthur and I weren't on good terms, this was going too far. I waited for Arthur to get angry, but he just stood there without taking any action. He was just looking down at the floor. From below, I could see Arthur's face with his eyebrows terribly furrowed.
"Peep."
Now I understood why he had desperately asked to borrow me. I could also guess what he couldn't say because I was there. This guy in front was poking at Arthur's weak spot. And in a very low and nasty way.
"Peep."
I won't let this slide. Without hesitation, I pecked Arthur's fingers holding me with my hard beak. Startled, Arthur, who had been looking down, opened his hand. Freed from the damp spot, I flew high into the sky. My target was the annoying yellow-head laughing loudly below.
"Haha! Look at that! Even the bird he brought is attacking him. Huh…?"
"Pee-eep!"
I, who had been floating high in the sky, charged straight at the yellow-head. The guy who had been laughing joyfully froze, not knowing what to do as I rapidly descended without any sign of stopping.
"Peep peep!"
Charge!
"Argh!"
I grabbed his flowing yellow hair with my sharp claws extended. At this moment, I was on par with an eagle. Then I opened my beak wide and pecked roughly at his scalp. As I repeatedly pecked the same spot at high speed, droplets of blood started to form.
Screams of pain could be heard from below as his body rolled around, but I didn't loosen my grip on his hair, determined to pluck out chunks of it. I shook my head up and down vigorously, like pounding rice.
"Ah, ouch! It stings! Let go! Let go, someone get this thing off me! You crazy bird!"
As if he had never acted arrogantly, the yellow-head sat on the ground, flailing his hands. That's right, this is your level! He tried to grab me, who was attached to his head, but I quickly raised my head and bit his fingers, causing him to fail repeatedly.
"Peep! Peep!"
Who told you to talk like that! Hurry up and apologize!
I bit furiously, my eyes wide open. The surrounding kids approached slowly, hesitating at the unbearable screaming. They cautiously reached out to try and catch me, but my rough movements made it difficult for them to approach.
"Hurry! What are you doing, ow! It hurts!"
"S-someone try to stop it."
"How can we catch that thing…?"
While engaged in intense combat, I glanced back and saw Arthur standing there, staring blankly at me. At that moment, someone grabbed my body firmly.
"Peep!"
I was caught in a moment of distraction. It couldn't be helped, but it seems my battle ends here. Huh, I let out a small sigh and looked down at the guy collapsed on the floor. His pretty yellow hair was stained red in several places. Panting heavily, probably frustrated at being suddenly attacked, he glared at me fiercely.
"Y-you…"
The guy's face gradually turned bright red.
"Peep!"
What! I raised my head high and cried out loudly. At that, he gritted his teeth and quickly got up, snatching me from his friend's hand. His grip was so rough that I couldn't escape in time.
In the confusion, he held me tightly and looked around. Then, as if he had found something he liked, he looked down at me with the corners of his mouth raised fiercely.
"You insolent animal."
"Pee-eep!"
You started it first. As I talked back without backing down, the child's eyes trembled. As I stared back without blinking, he distorted his face angrily and said:
"We'll see how long you can keep this up."
Saying that, he untied a thin string that was hanging around his waist. He let the string hang long and started wrapping it around my legs. I didn't know what he was trying to do, but it didn't feel good, so I struggled and pecked fiercely with my beak.
"Hey! Everyone, grab its wings!"
As this guy seemed to be the leader of the group, the surrounding kids, although looking scared, quietly approached and followed his orders. Only Arthur was standing far away, staring blankly at this scene. What are you just watching for? My breathing involuntarily became rough.
With my limbs restrained, I could no longer bite their fingers with my beak. In the end, after futile resistance, a thin string was tied around my legs. The other end of the short string was tied to the leg of the table I had been on earlier. Not sure what he was planning to do, the yellow-head stepped a few paces away from me and picked up a stone.
"If you succeed in hitting it, I'll give you the animal I brought before."
He laughed as if enjoying himself and handed stones to each of his friends standing nearby. I see. So that's his plan, to tie me up like this and take revenge. The stones in their hands were about the size of my body. For me, who was quite small in size, they were sufficiently threatening weapons.
I couldn't escape anywhere because of the string tied to my feet. I tried to lower my head to break the string, but it was made of tightly woven fabric mixed with some rubber, making it difficult. Probably before I could break this completely, I would be hit and killed by the stones they were holding. This is crazy!
This isn't that guy's house, it's Karhan's house. My friend Karhan! Although I was scared, I felt that if I showed fear here, that guy would become even more triumphant, so I barked with fierce eyes.
"Peep! Peep!"
"Hmph! I'll start first."
That guy, seemingly intent on fully avenging what he had suffered, picked up the largest stone and raised his hand high. Then, like a baseball player, he bent his body backward and swung quickly. Knowing where the stone was aimed, I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Peep."
I tensed my body in anticipation of the imminent impact, but I didn't feel or hear anything. Sensing something strange, I cautiously opened my tightly shut eyelids to see Arthur holding that yellow-head's hand.
"Peep…"
I opened my eyes wide at the touching scene. My eyes became moist.
"Peep!"
Arthur! I shouted loudly. As if he had heard me call his name, Arthur turned his head and met my eyes. His eyes, like mine, had turned bright red. Although I couldn't see clearly from a distance, they seemed a bit watery, reflecting the sunlight and sparkling.
You brat… Alright, if you just stand there watching, you're not Karhan's brother.
I lowered my head at this touching scene. Perhaps mistaking my reaction for fear, Arthur quickly ran over and knelt down. Then, in a somewhat urgent voice, he said:
"You must have been scared. I'll untie you."
"Peep."
I think you're the one who's scared, not me. Arthur's hands untying the string on my legs were visibly shaking, enough to be noticed at a glance. Unlike his bold appearance when he had grabbed the yellow-head's hand, he looked very frightened now.
Arthur gritted his teeth hard and hurriedly untied the string. Just as I thought the situation might be quietly resolved, a chilling shadow fell over Arthur's back.
Feeling a chill from the human-shaped shadow on the ground, Arthur and I raised our heads simultaneously, and we saw the guy with his face crumpled in anger.
✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿