TFOA Chapter 16

Benjamin didn't let go of her wrist until he reached the dark, deserted field.

"Painter."

"What are you trying to do right now?"

"What?"

She shrugged as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Didn't I tell you? If you want to settle down in this village for a long time, don't act like you know me."

Only then did Niksi, who exclaimed "Oh, there was such a thing?" continue speaking.

"I'm tired of that now."

"You, who do you think I am..."

"German soldier? So what. Do you still praise Nazis or something?"

Benjamin shut his mouth tight. She knew and still did this? Then it was even more incomprehensible. Why would she...

"Seeing how quiet you are, you're not still steeped in Nazism, I suppose."

"Ha."

When he concluded that he absolutely couldn't understand the other person's thoughts, he was flabbergasted. Could it be some half-hearted sympathy? She probably still thinks this world is full of love.

"You're crazy."

He turned around sharply. He wasn't someone who would grovel in gratitude for her sympathy. Moreover, he didn't want to be involved any longer with this brat in front of him who would probably feel proud like someone who gave charity to a beggar.

She probably thought she had courageously saved him amidst people's harsh gazes. If he ignored her this much, she probably wouldn't chase after him again, even if only out of humiliation.

"Painter, painterrrr."

Was she really crazy?

Benjamin thought as he looked at Niksi who was following him around.

"But why won't you be friends with me?"

"Don't follow me."

"Huh? It would be good if you were friends with me."

She circled around him humming. Someone with no sense. No, someone who didn't care about his annoying mood at all.

If he didn't stop her, it seemed like she would chase him all the way to his house, chattering about becoming friends.

Benjamin walked to the right at the fork where left led to his house and right led to the sea. Niksi was still circling around him.

"Isn't that a bit too picky? Are all Germanic people like that?"

"......"

"But your house isn't this way, is it..."

She fell silent when the sound of waves could be faintly heard in the distance.

Beyond the long horizon where the sun remained only a sliver, the evening sea where pale crimson foam contrasted with deep blue waves. The salty breeze that whooshed in was spectacular enough to refresh the soul, but not for her.

'I hate the sea, you know.'

'She said she hated the sea. It wasn't a lie.'

The footsteps that had been frantically following stopped being heard. Benjamin glanced back.

Her face was dyed with the red light of the sunset, yet it was pale and soaked.

"......"

"Painter... wh-where are you going now?"

"......"

She hesitated with a face as if she had seen a ghost, but still followed.

As the sound of the sea got closer, as the salty smell deepened, Niksi's whimpering voice gradually faded.

"Hey painterrrr..."

In the end, she only uttered that dragging death rattle of a word ending before falling silent.

'Now it's finally quiet...'

"......"

"......"

"...Are you not letting go of this?"

Benjamin muttered to Niksi, who was tightly gripping his belt.

"No! If I let go, you'll go to the sea!"

Originally, he hadn't intended to go all the way to the sea. But from now on, he decided to go even if she didn't let go.

'Even a leech isn't this much of a leech...'

Benjamin gritted his teeth and walked on to shake off the yellow leech. From behind, goose-like single-note screams rang out, trying to stop him.

The ground being dragged under his feet passed through dirt roads, rough sandstone, sand, and finally reached the pure white sandy beach when the sun had already set. The sky and sea were dyed similar colors, and the vast sea without sunlight had become a dim dark blue light.

"On purpose, you came here on purpose to shake me off!"

"If you knew, then get lost!"

"How can I go alone from here! No! It's scary!"

Benjamin pushed Niksi's face away with his palm as she tightly held onto his waist. She wailed and grabbed his waist even tighter.

What the hell. It's not like the sea would suddenly swallow her up, so why the fuss?

The pushing and grabbing wrestling between Benjamin and Niksi continued. Benjamin trying to go to the sea, Niksi trying to return to the dirt road.

Then, when they were both exhausted and panting in the awkward middle between the sea and the dirt road, Niksi grabbed the hem of Benjamin's clothes instead of his waist, and Benjamin could finally escape from her hands.

Benjamin plopped down on the sandy beach. What had he done to be out of breath?

"...What the hell."

Niksi, still with a bug-bitten expression, sat down next to him with her arms crossed, glaring at the sea.

It was truly incomprehensible. If she hated it that much, she shouldn't have followed him. Why...

"What's so good about being involved with you?"

Benjamin let out a sigh-like statement. He had shown such obvious distaste, so why...

"Tell me. What's so good about being friends with you?"

Why did she keep... He was suddenly annoyed. At the foreigner's childish carefree attitude and ignorance.

He wasn't someone to say anything about anyone's future, but he felt he had to with the person in front of him. This person who seemed to live without thinking at all made someone want to fuss and say 'please think before you live.'

And that someone was unfortunately himself right now.

Niksi stared straight at Benjamin's violet eyes. She showed a sly smile. Then she suddenly lifted her upper garment.

"Ta-da."

It was an unexpected reveal. Benjamin froze at the sudden surprise.

Niksi pulled out a long, bulging bottle that had been tightly tucked into her skirt pocket. It was red wine she had brought from Raul's bar.

"If you become friends with me, at least you won't have to drink cheap liquor like absinthe."

"...Did you steal it?"

"Oh my. I didn't steal it, I borrowed it."

That's stealing. The sound of the cork popping rang out cheerfully.

Even without glasses, sharing the alcohol wasn't difficult. Whether it had aged for a long time, the alcohol scent going down the throat was strong, but the aftertaste was smooth, so the two could quickly empty the bottle of wine.

The night sea was not only very windy but also cool.

When Niksi shivered saying she was cold, Benjamin laid her sideways on the sandy beach and then buried her with sand.

When Niksi made a bewildered expression, only then did he grin slightly.

"Painter, was this your preference?"

"...What are you talking about now? Strange girl."

"You're no ordinary guy either, you know? Usually, no one refuses to be friends when I approach them like this."

"They all got tired and went along with you."

"What? Philip and Jackie aren't those kinds of guys."

"Send them a thank-you note."

"I can't send it because you haven't finished the painting."

"...Good excuse."

Inside the sand was surprisingly warm. Hidden in the coolness, she slowly closed and opened her eyes in the subtle alcohol buzz that belatedly lingered.

"...It's fortunate that it's low tide now. If it had been high tide, I would have already run away to beyond those fields."

The dark blue sea. When she closed her eyes, memories from that time kept coming back. Rippling waves, comrades lying side by side on the sandy beach.

Niksi turned her head.

"Anyway, painter, the reason I wanted to talk to you was to get permission. In your house yard..."

What? She acted tough but turned out to be really weak.

Benjamin was lying next to her without knowing when he had started lying down. His faintly reddened cheeks, his milk tea-colored hair scattered messily with sand on it without him knowing.

Snort. Niksi showed a chuckling laugh that smelled of wine. How fortunate, nice.

"If there's no answer, I'll consider it permission, okay?"

"......"

"Thanks!"

She got up from her spot. The sand that had been piled on top of her fell down.

This way of sleeping is nice. It's romantic. But if she just fell asleep like this, she'd obviously catch a cold again.

Niksi brought a shovel that had been stuck in a field far away.

Thud, thud. Rustle...

With it, she scooped up plenty of sand and piled it on top of Benjamin. Being buried in the ground was surprisingly warm, so it would be helpful. It would be ruined if he tossed and turned, but it was better than nothing.

Thud. Rustle. The shovel went deep into the sand and then scattered sand over his body.

Wave sounds, salty scent. Shovel. Someone lying down.

The reason she came to hate the sea started when she threw the corpses of dead comrades into the sea during the war.

During war, things like making someone's grave or cremating them were all luxuries. In a situation where it was hard to preserve a single corpse, having all limbs intact was fortunate if anything.

In the early days of the war, they still held proper funerals to honor comrades who died for their country. But that was gone within six months.

Only the military ID tags around the neck for identification were collected. The corpses were discarded with excuses like 'blown away by shells,' 'exploded stepping on mines,' or 'this was all we could recover after being crushed by buildings.'

Those abandoned by both country and comrades were thrown into the sea.

Whoosh.

Using the sound of incoming waves as a funeral march, silently hoping there would be nothing left to throw. Like throwing luggage, they sent them to the sea.

At some point, the sea had become a graveyard for her.

Thud.

Niksi's knuckles holding the shovel turned white. Without realizing it, she had been gripping with force, and her hands were trembling.

It was already over. What's the point now? She had come saying she would try to forget everything, but still...

"Niksi."

Someone's hand was placed on her hand holding the shovel. She looked up in surprise.

"It's time to go home."

It was Gilbert.

Before going home, Gilbert had briefly stopped at the sight of an unfamiliar, strange combination in the distance. His neighbor Benjamin Richter, like dry grass on the hill, and the kind neighbor Niksi from beyond the fields.

A strange combination he had never seen together. Like a dog and cat?

He didn't know when they had become friends, but seeing an empty wine bottle rolling between them, they seemed to be on comfortable terms.

'Come to think of it, Niksi said she had commissioned a painting from the painter. And that painter accepted. Then that makes sense.'

"What to do. Should I acknowledge them?"

Gilbert scratched his head.

He had business with both of them regarding Auvers' spring festival tomorrow anyway. Niksi, who was a new person, and Benjamin, who was always invited but always absent.

In various ways, they were the type that a village head should care about.

'It's late, so I should tell them tomorrow.'

'...It would be awkward to intrude between the two. They seem to be having quite an enjoyable time.'

Gilbert turned around. At the same time, Niksi picked up a shovel that had been stuck in a cabbage field near the sandy beach in the distance.

What was she doing? Gilbert looked at her through squinted eyes. She began burying Benjamin who was lying down with it.

That's why Gilbert hurriedly appeared to stop her.