You’re My Flame

Chapter 7

Startled by his raspy voice cutting through the quiet of the room, Chersinia quickly drew her hand back. Her heart raced as if she’d been caught doing something wrong.

No, what wrongdoing am I guilty of? It was hardly a crime to help him sleep. If anything, she deserved a thank-you.

Yes. Exactly. Chersinia nodded, trying to convince herself she was free of any guilt.

Ben, still groggy from sleep, blinked. He tried to discern if he was still in a dream, or if this was reality.

“Go back to sleep,” the young woman said brusquely, trying to mask her embarrassment.

Hearing her voice, Ben realized he was awake. He smiled, his eyes crinkling. With such a pure-hearted smile directed toward her, Chersinia felt a bit like a villain who had messed with an innocent child.

“I just thought your hair might be bothering you,” she blurted out before Ben could speak, confessing readily as if to a priest.

“Right. Your hands are always so warm.” He smiled broadly at her, unbothered.

“Oh… Really?”

“Every night, your hands are warm and comforting. Just like you.”

Chersinia’s eyes widened in surprise. Wait, he knew? Each time, she thought he was sleeping. How embarrassing.

“I’m sorry I pretended to sleep. I didn’t think you’d do it if I was awake. Thank you.” He gently placed his hand over Chersinia’s as she rested it on the floor. She flinched at his sudden touch. “Because of you, I could sleep comfortably.” He smiled innocently again, clearly acting only out of gratitude.

Chersinia chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Go back to sleep. Goodnight.”

She removed her hand and climbed back into bed. It would take a while to fall asleep again, but if she just closed her eyes, she’d eventually drift off.

“Goodnight to you too, Chersinia…”

She closed her eyes, listening to Ben’s small, wavering voice.

Ben stared at the bed. His heart thudded wildly.

Wh-what’s going on? He blinked curiously in thought. The skin her hand had brushed felt burning hot. When he slowly raised his hand to touch his hair where she had caressed him, a thrill shot through his fingertips. His cheeks flushed hotly.

Surprised by his rapidly beating heart, he clutched his chest. It did not seem to slow.

Soon, soft snores came from the bed, but still Ben had yet to fall back asleep. Instead, his heart raced even faster with each of Chersinia’s breaths.

***

“I’ll just trim your bangs a little, okay?”

“Yes… That’s fine.”

Chersinia was trying to reassure him to ease his anxiety, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect. Ben’s eyes darted around, his body trembling. Dark circles drooped under his eyes and he looked unwell, probably from a sleepless night.

Lowering the scissors, Chersinia asked, “Are you all right? Should I just leave them?”

“No! It’s fine, please cut them.”

“Then sit still. I can’t use the scissors with you fidgeting.” Ben’s legs had been nervously jiggling, making it impossible to cut his hair straight.

Startled, the young man glanced down at his legs, and stilled his movements. From his expression, it was clear he hadn’t realized he was shaking them.

Today, Chersinia had decided to trim the annoying bangs that hung over Ben’s eyes. Scissors in hand, she had sat him down in the yard that morning. But he was jittery with nerves.

Seeing him so restless peaked her own worries. Was he scared she’d hurt him? Given his troubled past, he might have some trauma around scissors.

“If you’re afraid of scissors, I—”

“Oh, no, not at all!”

“Really?” she asked, looking at him in suspicion.

Ben nodded vigorously. “I mean it. I’m sorry, Chersinia. Please, cut my hair.” He closed his eyes slowly.

Relieved, Chersinia started to lift his overgrown bangs. But the moment she touched him, Ben jerked, as if shocked by electricity. His pale cheeks flushed bright red.

Startled, she lowered her hand again. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not running a fever, are you?” she asked, placing a hand against his forehead.

He flinched again, even more dramatically than before, and jumped up. He fanned his hot face and stared off into the distance. Unable to calm himself, he began to pace back and forth across the yard.

A worried Chersinia grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him. When she did, Ben shouted in surprise and slumped to the ground.

“What’s wrong with you?! Are you sick?” Chersinia crouched down next to him as he hugged his knees tightly, his body curled into a ball. His ears were bright red. When she tried to catch his eyes to check his complexion, he buried his face deeper in his knees.

“Aren’t you going to tell me what’s wrong?” she said. She kept asking him if he was okay, but he hadn’t answered. Her patience was wearing thin.

Noticing her voice had gone cold, Ben slowly lifted his head.

Chersinia checked into his wandering eyes. He didn’t seem to be physically ill, at least. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words escaped his tight throat. She glared at him, her eyes flashing intensely.

Ben’s shoulders twitched. Realizing she was on the verge of getting truly angry, he finally said, “My… My heart keeps…”

“Your heart? Does your chest hurt?” Chersinia was stunned. If it was heart pain, his condition could be serious.

As she wondered if she ought to get him to a hospital, Ben shook his head. Quickly, he said, “No… It’s just beating really fast.”

Both of them fell silent, puzzled by his condition.

A cool morning breeze swept through the yard. Though summer had arrived, the forest’s morning wind was still chilly.

Ben’s curled back rose and fell as he took deep breaths. Chersinia watched him try to calm himself. His cheeks gradually faded, and he returned to his usual complexion. The cold air must have soothed him a little, though his ears still retained a bright red.

Chersinia fretted quietly. Heart palpitations, maybe? Was it from being physically overtaxed? If he was already experiencing these problems at such a young age, he’d surely suffer more later.

Ben stood and sat back in the chair. “I’m fine now. You can cut my hair now. I’m trusting you!” he said with a bright smile, closing his eyes. Sunlight brushed his cheeks, and his clear skin seemed to glow.

Chersinia studied him quietly. He genuinely seemed better, so she straightened up and approached the chair. “Okay, I’m really doing it this time.”

She took his hair gingerly, checking that he wouldn’t flinch again. This time, he seemed ready, and did not react. Chersinia opened the scissors’ blades.

Snip, snip.

With each snip, black hair fell. She trimmed the bangs obscuring his forehead, slowly revealing his brow bone. She concentrated on cutting neatly, focused on sparing him a silly haircut.

When she was done, his bangs reached just above his eyebrows, revealing his long and neat eyelashes. They look as if they would feel like silk, just like his hair.

He’s really handsome. With his hair out of the way, his features were much more pronounced. His face was not full, but that only amplified his delicate, youthful appearance. Once he got healthy, he’d be good-looking indeed. It was a shame she wouldn’t be able to see his transformation when it was complete.

“Are you done, Chersinia?” Ben’s voice ripped her from her thoughts.

“Uh… Oh, just a moment.” She hastily stepped back to check that his bangs were even. It was her first attempt at cutting hair, but it seemed successful. She brushed off the stray clippings clinging to his face with her sleeve.

“There, take a look. Good, huh?” With a satisfied look on her face, she handed him a mirror.

Without even looking at his reflection, Ben copied her smile. “Yes, it’s lovely.” The corners of his eyes curved softly, forming gentle arcs.

Her heart skipped a beat. There was definitely magic in his disarming grin. There was no other reason her heart would react in such a way. Besides, he hadn’t even looked in the mirror, so how could he decide it looked nice?

“You should see it in the mirror.” Chersinia lifted the mirror in Ben’s hand.

Reluctantly, he finally looked at his reflection. He touched his shortened bangs as if they felt foreign.

“You don’t like it?”

“That’s not it. It’s just that my hair’s still warm where you held it.” Ben ducked his face again, flushing red.

Chersinia felt an aching pain in her chest. Had she been the one suffering a heart attack? She couldn’t understand why her body was reacting this way.

“L-let’s eat.” All she wanted was an escape from the confusing situation. She quickly turned and headed back into the house.

“I’ll help!” said Ben, his footsteps hurried as he followed behind her.