I tilted my head. “That’s quite selfish. Is that a human trait?”
“W-what?” he spat, flustered.
He looked upset. Did I offend him?
“Wow.” He let out a weak laugh. “You’re the first person who’s ever called meselfish.”
“I’m sorry. We thrive by helping one another. It is considered selfish to refuse help because it implies you think you know best for everything. But perhaps our cultures are different.”
After a pause, he sighed heavily. “No. You’re right. It’s a me thing. I’ve always been like this. Ihavealways been expected to succeed at everything, no questions asked. And I usually do—because there’s no other option.” He grimaced at the orange fibers between his fingers. “But then, when I’m not good at something right away, it frustrates me.”
My chest felt unusually warm. I’d never heard him speak so much at once. Did he finally feel comfortable enough to open up to me?
“That is a heavy responsibility,” I said, stepping closer to him. “You must feel tired from carrying that weight.”
He blinked at me, wide-eyed. He acted like he’d never heard such reassuring words before.
Staring into the half-stretched orange tufts between his fingers, he murmured, “I hadn’t thought about it like that.”
I placed my tentacles on the back of his hands and guided them like an extension of my own hands. Jaeyoung’s fingers were in the correct position. All he had to do was keep going.
With my gentle encouragement, the featureless blob evolved into a usable piece of fabric. His face softened with hope, astonished at his own creation.
“See?” I said. “You can be good at this, too. You simply had to try.”
He huffed, the corner of his mouth turning up. “Only because you helped.”
I mirrored the expression. “That’s what Maeleons do.”
My tentacle scooped the orange patch from his hands and brought it to my still-knitting claws. I worked quickly, incorporating Jaeyoung’s novice patch with my skilled blue one. In no time at all, the result was a striking orange-and-blue onesie—perfectly sized for Jaeyoung.
“Here,” I offered.
Again, he looked shocked. “Wait. This is for me?”
I trilled with amusement. “Who else would it be for? The trees?”
“Linn’ar, I...”
“Take it. Please.”
Jaeyoung hesitantly reached for the onesie. As his fingers grazed the silky soft garment, his black eyes glinted with emotion, wet and fathomless.
“Thank you,” he said quietly, bowing his head. “I appreciate this gift.”
A fuzzy warmth unfurled between my ribs. Being with Jaeyoung planted seeds of joy inside my body, and seeing him happy made them sprout and bloom.
“Guess I should put it on,” he suggested with a wry smile. “Could you help me out of this hard suit? There are a couple small red buttons on the back of my neck.”
Excitement rippled down my spine as I recalled Zat’tor’s knowledge about humans and their nudity shyness. If Jaeyoung was willing to undress in front of me, did that mean he was willing to go further, too?
5 /Jaeyoung
I was still reelingfrom being calledselfishas Linn’ar’s claw pressed the buttons on the back of my neck.
Me. Selfish.
It felt like he slapped me in the face with that word. I wasn’t upset. More like flabbergasted.
