A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Chapter 60: Night in the Forest (2)

Kara's day could be explained like this.

It was frustrating and boring. These thoughts had been on her mind ever since her teammates had fallen for Antonio’s coaxing.

Survival itself was easier here compared to the desert. Unlike the desert, which had nothing but sand, there was at least something in the forest.

As the dull day wore on, consuming insects occasionally for protein, night fell before she knew it.

In the Tatars, the temperature dropped at night, so people usually dressed warmly, but it wasn't necessary here.

However, she hadn't anticipated the early evening and hadn't prepared a shelter.

"Excuse me for a moment."

In such a situation, while wandering aimlessly, she happened upon a campfire by chance.

In the dense darkness of the forest or mountains, even a cigarette’s glow is vivid, let alone a campfire.

The possibility of encountering another team was high and so was the possibility of a skirmish, but she was first and foremost determined to try and negotiate.

Luckily, the campfire belonged to Sivar's team, and she could settle down comfortably in their hideout.

"You took all of them down by yourself? I knew it. I can't understand why they made that choice. Did Luna join them too?"

"First off."

"I don't understand why she did that, even after seeing my dad fight with you. Is there another reason?"

But she had no intention of lying down and resting too comfortably. Staying up all night wasn't a big deal, and it wasn’t polite.

One should at least take a turn at keeping watch. It would be noticeable and awkward to lie down and rest without doing anything.

Conveniently, she found a pleasant companion to talk to, which was perfect for Kara.

"How's your team?"

"Good."

"In what way?"

"Everything."

After hearing that, Kara turned to look behind her. Grace and Yeonhwa were sound asleep, snoring away.

Both of them had the appearance and aura of being sheltered flowers in a greenhouse. Especially Grace, Kara was well aware of who she was— one of the people consistently showing interest in Sivar. To be honest, she didn't really like that.

It was all too clear that she coveted Sivar, or more precisely, his power. It was too blatant.

‘Sivar thinks everyone is nice as long as they don't bother him.'

That’s why Kara didn't take Sivar’s words at face value. The Sivar she knew was too kind for his own good.josei

He wouldn't react unless provoked and would even apologize if he ever acted out of turn.

If he had a nasty temper, he surely would have resisted and not apologized to Rod who punished him.

‘I just hope he doesn't get taken advantage of for his kindness.'

Kara didn’t mind if someone cunningly used Sivar’s power. In this harsh world, it's fine to use someone else's power.

But if it wasn't a dire situation and someone took advantage of Sivar's kind nature, that would trouble her.

‘Eloquent speech is a power, too, if you think about it.'

Certainly, Sivar's case was unique, and while she didn’t discredit the power of speech itself, she definitely had seen its strength. Hector had demonstrated this during the unification of the tribes.

With his own brute force, born charisma, and resonating eloquence, Hector managed to unite the tribes.

That led to the foundation of the Tatars and raised the nation to a position where other countries couldn't easily interfere.

Although she was wandering now, she had seen firsthand how powerful oration could be.

Disliking something and not recognizing its value were different matters.

"Sivar."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Kara stopped herself from saying something she was about to say. Originally she wanted to offer advice.

[You shouldn’t take good words at face value, it's always good to reflect on them.]

But she wasn’t sure if Sivar would understand that advice, and she knew better than anyone that she was not exactly a paragon of virtue in that respect herself.

It would be troublesome if she said it, leading Sivar to misunderstand her later.

‘I might not be believed if I say good things, too.'

That was her biggest concern. Even after Hector was beaten half to death, Sivar's liking for him didn't diminish.

So, it should be her apologizing on Hector's behalf for any impulsive actions hurting Sivar.

What if she brought up that advice and Sivar started to doubt her words?

It would be more than frustrating; it would be bitter and disappointing.

‘It would be strange to say my words are believable, too.'

Kara, a savage scorned by others, was now firmly part of civilization, and civilization sometimes requires ‘lies’.

Lying is not an invention of civilization, but a skill humanity has gained on its own.

There might come a time when she has to lie to Sivar; that made her hesitate to bring up the advice.

"Ah."

"?!"

Conflicted, Kara ran her hands through her hair while Sivar just looked at her curiously.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced aside. Thanks to the campfire, she could see Sivar's face clearly, even in the dark.

How could he make such a dumb yet adorable face? His near beautiful features emphasized his innocence.

Pinch-

Unable to resist, Kara reached out and gently pinched Sivar's cheek.

Despite her action, Sivar simply blinked without reaction, though he seemed to ask what she was doing.

Reacting to that, Kara pinched Sivar’s other cheek with her opposite hand. His milky-white complexion was so soft to the touch.

No wonder Ellie loves to knead Sivar’s cheeks. They are irresistibly squishy like sticky rice.

"I'm jealous. I am, really. Life's so complex for some, while others look so thoughtless."

"…Me?"

"I didn’t specifically say ‘you'?"

Kara coquettishly lied again. Could Sivar understand the meaning of her words?

Though still expressionless, it hardly mattered to her. She needed only one thing from Sivar.

"Sivar."

"Yes."

"We'll still be friends, right?"

She wished for their relationship to continue. They got along well, and their personalities oddly matched.

Luna and other friends had come along, but none were as comfortable as Sivar.

Luna is dogmatic, Ellie is lively though a bit awkward to deal with.

Of all, Sivar was her closest friend. A true friend who held no prejudice.

"I won't let go until you answer."

Whether Sivar becomes a civilized person or not didn't matter. Whether he learned to lie or not didn't matter.

As long as they remained friends, that’s all there was to it. Friends can lie and tease each other, just no betrayal.

‘What if he betrays me eventually?'

That thought made her loosen her pinch on Sivar's cheek, accompanied by the ominous tide of unease.

He had no reason to betray her, but human affairs are unpredictable.

Betrayal, or even just drifting apart would be equally hurtful.

That would be quite sad.

It was as if Sivar had read Kara’s emotions. He gently removed her hand from his cheek.

"…Sivar?"

"Promise."

Just as Kara voiced her uncertainty, Sivar responded with an action. He extended his pinky finger as a gesture of promise.

Kara stared blankly, then looked at Sivar’s face, still showing that typical impassiveness.

What was his thought process behind such an action? So cute that she wanted to bite his cheek.

This also made her speechless. The worries that had been gnawing at her seemed utterly pointless now.

"Friend."

"…Haha."

She laughed in surrender, wondering what she had been so concerned about.

At times, actions speak louder than words, but Sivar excelled at both, effortlessly swaying her emotions.

Did he truly understand the effects of his words and actions? It's curious, considering he was raised in the wild.

Ssshh-

Kara intertwined her pinky finger with Sivar’s, linking them as if chaining together their friendship.

Although they had done this before, it felt different this time, as if their bond had grown stronger.

It was just Kara’s feeling, but it was satisfying enough.

"Sivar."

"Yes."

"I'm really glad you're my friend."

Sivar looked a bit surprised, as if he hadn't expected such sincerity. His expression seldom broke, usually only showing sadness when chastised by Rod.

For Kara, it was a refreshing experience. Sincerity never misses the mark.

‘Now that I think about it…'

She looked at Sivar, who wore a surprised face. She realized she had never seen him smile.

Even during the Deathbeam incident, he only showed excitement, never an actual smile.

Perhaps he was too awkward to show it.

"Sivar."

"Yes?"

"Want to try smiling? Like this."

She showed him an example, pulling up the corners of her mouth with her fingers.

It wasn’t a genuine smile, but it was enough of a demonstration, and Sivar watched attentively.

He then mimicked her action, using his hands to lift his mouth corners.

"This?"

"… …"

Kara's face flushed red at the sight, thankfully hidden by her complexion and the campfire glow.

"Right, that. Can you smile like that?"

"Yes."

"Then keep smiling like… "

Kara stopped mid-sentence.

Perhaps it was best if Sivar’s smile wasn’t exposed to others. The impassiveness was better.

‘It’s too cute, how could I stand it?'

The feeling was rather nice, albeit a bit dangerous for her heart.

Holding back the sudden quickening of her pulse, Kara softly spoke.

"…No. Don’t smile."

"Why?"

"Just… it’s a bit much."

And with that, Kara lied to Sivar for the second time.