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It had been a year since the apocalypse temporarily ended, Leonard was sitting in his armchair in his room in the basement of the Church of Saint Leonard while quietly reading the newspaper. Suddenly his spiritual perception was triggered but did not detect any danger, he felt a familiar presence and slowly lowered the newspaper he was reading.
His pupils dilated and a gentle and calm smile was etched on his handsome face. On the sofa across from his desk, sat someone he knew so well.
Klein Moretti, his close friend, as well as one of the Gods who had saved the Earth from the apocalypse, looked at him gently with his brown eyes.
He was wearing a trench coat, but without his half-top hat, making him look more relaxed, his face was now no different from the Klein Moretti that Leonard had first met a few years ago. The face of a scholarly air, but with a much calmer and gentler temperament.
Klein's appearance was relatively normal from head to waist, like a normal human, but if you looked down, you would not find a pair of human legs, but slippery tentacles that spread almost filling Leonard's room.
Leonard folded his newspaper and placed it neatly on his desk. After being parasitized by Pallez for years, Leonard's behavior gradually changed and became more like an old man, of course the potion from the Darkness pathway also affected his temperament. Leonard was no longer the mischievous man he used to be, now he was much more mature and quiet.
After putting down his newspaper, Leonard stood up and approached Klein. He wanted to sit next to his friend, but didn't know where to sit. One of Klein's tentacles was resting comfortably on the sofa and there was no room for Leonard to sit. Klein realized that and immediately lowered his tentacle from the sofa, inviting Leonard to sit next to him.
“Klein, you’re not feeling well, why did you come down to Earth?” Leonard asked, his voice soft and soothing, making Klein relax.
Klein looked at him and smiled, “I wanted to go for a walk… I was so bored being alone.”
Leonard leaned his back on the back of the sofa, carefully observing Klein’s profile as the latter sat upright and elegantly. He tilted his head and said, “But you can’t visit your family in this state, they might lose control seeing your mystical form.”
Klein shook his head slightly, “I don’t mean to visit them now, I just want to… go for a walk…”
After fighting with the other Gods in the apocalypse, Klein’s condition was actually weak, he couldn’t control his mystical form and transform into a full human form, so he couldn’t go down to Earth and meet his family who already knew that he was still alive. He might be able to use his marionette, but he wanted to meet his family in person, with his real body.
Leonard nodded in understanding, he straightened his back and turned his head and looked at Klein with a gentle smile, “Okay, where do you want to go?”
Klein was silent for a few seconds, then smiled too, “I want to drink some sweet iced tea.”
Tingen, Awwa County.
The slippery tentacles moved carefully so as not to hit buildings or people passing by on the streets. Although Klein had tried to reduce the size and length of his tentacles, they sometimes still got in the way if he was not careful. Of course, other people besides Leonard did not realize the presence of the tentacles, more precisely, other people did not realize that he and Klein were walking on the streets of Tingen.
Klein sipped his iced sweet tea while enjoying the atmosphere of the streets of Tingen in the afternoon, of course Leonard was the one who bought the iced sweet tea, while the Servant of Concealment himself did not buy anything. He wanted to buy coffee, but he had just drank coffee in his room earlier.
They walked side by side, with Klein's tentacles being careful not to hit or trip Leonard's feet. The streets were still as busy as before, but the layout of the city and its buildings had changed somewhat. Many old buildings had been renovated and parks for children to play had also been built.
Suddenly, Klein stopped and looked at a flat building that now looked much better. It was where the Moretti family used to live.
His brown eyes looked towards one of the bedroom windows, which now had a new tenant. He remembered, back when he was still in Tingen, his study table faced that window, although he had to turn on the gas lamp because the light of the red moon was not enough to illuminate it when he wanted to study at night.
Back then, his ideals were so simple, he wanted to get a job with a good salary, so that his siblings could live with better finances. Who would have thought, fate led him to another path.
Leonard turned his head, looking at Klein's profile, the God was still so calm, but Leonard knew the God's heart might not be that calm.
Leonard patted Klein's head gently, making the latter wake up from his reverie. The Servant of Concealment smiled, "Want to peek inside?"
Klein gaped slightly, then chuckled, "I'm not you, who likes to enter through windows."
Leonard's smile faded then he clicked his tongue and said, "Tch, I only do that if I want to enter your room. If it were anyone else, I would knock on the door. I'm actually such a polite person.”
“Is that so~ Why only if you come to my room?” Klein smiled, he didn’t want to steal Leonard’s thoughts, in fact he himself didn’t think much of it. Because he was used to his friend’s impulsive behavior, he didn’t feel anything strange about Leonard’s action of entering through the window.
Leonard looked away, not answering for a while, after which he muttered, “Because of habit.”
“Hn~” Klein nodded, not noticing that the tips of Leonard’s ears were slightly red.
Leonard actually knew that his behavior was somewhat similar to the fairy tale of a knight and a princess. The knight, who was the male protagonist, would climb out the window to meet the princess…
“Let’s go…” Klein’s soft voice woke Leonard who was immediately responded to with a smile and a nod from the Evernight angel.
They continued their journey along the streets of Tingen, slowly enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight.
A gentle breeze blew gently, causing the sound of rustling tree leaves and blowing dry leaves that fell to the ground. Klein’s sweet iced tea had run out.
Leonard playfully poked Klein’s tentacle, which made the latter jump slightly.
His tentacle was so sensitive….
“There’s a new bakery down the street, their lemon pie is delicious, want to try it?” Without any guilt, Leonard smiled and asked.
Klein, who was still embarrassed by the poke on his tentacle, could only nod. There was no way he could refuse, he also wanted to taste it…
Leonard without further ado grabbed the God’s hand, then led him towards the bakery in question.
Klein followed and looked at Leonard from behind, his close friend had now grown taller, his hair was also much longer, probably because of the Darkness potion he had drunk. Silently, Klein watched Leonard’s long black hair swaying in the wind, making it messy. For some reason, there was an uncomfortable feeling in the God’s heart seeing that.
“What a mess…” he muttered while pursing his lips.
Leonard came out of the shop and approached Klein with a paper bag filled with various kinds of breads and pies. Klein was so sure that Leonard said he only wanted to buy a lemon pie…
“Who are these for?” Klein asked curiously, peering into the paper bag. The fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread entered his nose, making him tempted.
“Who else? Of course it’s for you.” Leonard handed the paper bag into Klein’s arms which the latter gladly accepted.
Leonard could see the twinkling of his brown eyes.
“Let’s find a park to sit in, it’ll be more relaxing to eat while sitting.” Leonard patted Klein’s shoulder and walked ahead.
Again, Klein paused and looked at the broad back, then a gentle smile appeared on his face. He chased after Leonard and walked using his tentacles, side by side with the Evernight angel.
Equally faint, illusory legs formed below his waist, but then they disappeared again.
The setting sun gave off a warm orange glow, reflecting on the clear water of the lake. Leonard and Klein found a suitable place to relax, it was on the edge of a lake with shady trees, there was a park bench that faced the lake and the sunset.
Leonard and Klein sat on the bench, with Klein's tentacles spread out and resting on the grass, occasionally swaying gently as if following the mood of the God who was chewing on lemon pie.
"Is it delicious?" Leonard asked, which was immediately responded by Klein with a small nod.
"Good..." Leonard relaxed and leaned his back on the back of the bench.
Leonard, who was no longer wearing his red gloves, smiled while enjoying the view of the sunset, his long black hair fluttering slightly by the wind, his emerald eyes looking at the ripples of the lake water that emitted patches of orange light. It was a calm and beautiful dusk.
Suddenly, something touched his lips, he immediately turned his head and found Klein pushing a meat and cheese bread into his mouth.
"For you... I don't want to eat alone." Klein said softly.
Leonard looked at him for a moment, his dark brown eyes reflected the light of the sunset, making them seem to sparkle. The Servant of Concealment couldn't bear to refuse, so he opened his mouth and bit the bread, his eyes still not leaving the figure of the sweet young man in front of him.
Klein blinked, then said, “I mean, eat by yourself… I didn’t feed you.”
Leonard chuckled without saying anything.
Klein felt a little embarrassed, he was about to pull his hand back but was stopped by Leonard who took another bite of the bread in Klein’s hand.
“When I was little in the orphanage, my nanny also fed me like this.” Leonard suddenly told a story.
“The nanny in the orphanage was so kind to me, so I didn’t feel lonely. However, it can’t be denied that I was also curious and wanted to know who my parents were.” Leonard gently took the bread in Klein’s hand and ate it himself.
Klein didn’t interrupt and just silently listened to Leonard’s story. In all the years they had known each other, Klein had never heard his friend talk about his life in the orphanage.
“However, even though I had searched everywhere, I still couldn’t find any information about my parents. So I gave up and was determined to devote myself to the Church that had raised me sincerely.”
“When I first entered your dream, I was so amazed by the projection of the era there, as if I was in a different world. When I learned your identity, I wondered how you felt when you found out that you and your family would never see each other again.”
“When we first met in Tingen, I assumed that was the first time you realized that you had transmigrated. With that in mind, I thought, if I had known the truth earlier, maybe I could have done something for you. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to return you to your family. But at least, you could have shared your story with me and not have to bear it alone.”
“On the contrary, at that time I had always suspected you, which must have made you uncomfortable. Now, I know everything and I don’t want you to bear it alone anymore. If you need someone to accompany you, I will be there. I will not leave you.”
Leonard looked at Klein who was still silent, a gentle breeze blowing and shaking the god’s bangs, making them a little messy.
He knew Klein was lonely.
The tentacles swayed gently, sometimes the tips lightly slapping the lake water, as if they were playing with water, like a child.
Klein turned his head and his brown eyes looked at Leonard, he could see his reflection in those green pupils. His half-human self.
Remember that you are “him”…not “Him”....
His lips curved, forming a gentle and sincere smile. He remembered the reminder he wrote to himself.
When he was about to fall asleep, he realized that the one Leonard wanted to wake up was “Klein”. Waking up The Fool was to wake up “Klein”. Not the other way around.
And when Leonard learned that The Fool was a human named Zhou Mingrui who transmigrated into Klein Moretti’s body and slowly became a God, not an ancient God who had an incarnation, Leonard’s thoughts remained unchanged, Klein was the friend he was looking for.
Leonard’s feelings never changed.
“If I had known at that time that I would not be able to go home, then I would not have continued to advance to a higher sequence.” Klein looked at Leonard with a sincere gaze. The paper bag containing the bread and pies was still in his arms.
Leonard remained silent, waiting for Klein to continue.
“At most, I will only advance to sequence 7 and will stay in Tingen. My dream is just to get a job with a good salary and provide a decent life for my family. I will not keep the secret of the transmigrator, of course I will not tell it to everyone, only to you.”
“I want to live with the people I love, my family, my fellow Nighthawks including you, my neighbors and teachers and friends. I don’t want to be a God, I want to be a human.”
“But fate said otherwise. When I knew everything, the facts of the transmigration and the facts of the world, it was too late. If I don’t keep moving forward, then the people who have bet on me will be disappointed and the fact that the apocalypse is coming soon, makes me think that if I can’t return home, then I must protect my current home.”
“Divinity will be the absolute winner, sooner or later, but in the remaining time I still have humanity, I hope to do my best. I want to find the meaning of life again, I want to cherish every second I spend day by day.”
“Sadness, happiness, anger, disappointment, I want to feel all of them, because that is a form of humanity.”
Klein closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in the fresh air in the lake area with shady trees.
Then, he opened his eyes again, looking at Leonard carefully. In the past, Klein envied Leonard’s handsomeness, when they met, Klein would mutter to himself why such a messy man could look so beautiful. Now, that face was calmer and rarely smiled cheerfully like before, but his handsomeness did not fade, it was even more charming.
“Do you know why you chose The Star card?” Klein suddenly asked and got a confused look from Leonard.
Leonard wanted to answer but Klein beat him to it by saying, “Because I chose it for you.”
“What?”
“All the cards you chose at that time, I changed them all to The Star card.”
Leonard was flabbergasted, he remembered how much he wanted to change his Tarot code because “The Star” sounded like a girl. But then there was the thing he wanted to know the most, why did Klein choose The Star card for him?
“Why did you do that?” The Evernight angel asked, without any annoyance, instead he was nervous, what did Klein want to say?
Klein smiled then answered, “At first, I was just playing a prank on you. But as time went by, I realized something…”
Leonard waited for Klein to continue his words while continuing to stare at the brown-eyed man. For some reason, his heart was beating fast, as if something Klein was about to say was something so precious for him to hear.
“The Star card symbolizes hope, healing, inspiration, growth, spiritual connection and life purpose.”
“My life in Tingen, is the memory I cherish the most after I transmigrated. When I turned out to never be able to return home again, Tingen and the people there were a new home for me who could accept me sincerely. Even if my poor life didn’t change, it didn’t matter, being able to live in joy and sorrow with the people I love was my dream.”
“But because it was all too late, I couldn’t achieve my little dream in the end.”
“Several times, I was afraid that if the divinity further eroded my soul, I would forget those memories. If that happened, then I would be destroyed and perish.”
“But, when I saw you, it was as if the memories that wanted to get away from me, returned to my heart and mind.”
“Leonard is here, Leonard didn’t leave me. My brain said that over and over again, as if it wanted to nail that feeling so that it would never let go again.”
“You are the only Nighthawk who is still directly related to me. Seeing you always reminds me of who I am. I am Zhou Mingrui who transmigrated as Klein Moretti, a citizen of Tingen and a Nighthawk. I’m a human.”
“When that feeling arose and grew stronger, I felt it was hope for me, hope that I would not lose myself…”
“My separation from my siblings, the death of Captain, madam Daly and Old Niel were wounds and memories that were deeply imprinted on my heart after the transmigration. However, as my divinity accumulated, I sometimes almost forgot about them.”
“However, by looking at you. I immediately recalled those memories. As if in you, I could see all the things I dreamed of in the past, all the hopes I kept in my heart. When I saw that, I felt like I had a new purpose in life.”
“Leonard…” Klein touched Leonard’s soft cheek whose face was still so calm, but his heart felt like it was going to jump out at any moment.
“I realized, you are a symbol of my hope. My small hope that I will not lose myself. Therefore, I was so happy when you said that you would not leave me.” Klein said sincerely then slowly leaned over, placing his forehead on Leonard’s left shoulder who was immediately stunned.
“Thank you so much…My Star…”
The soft whisper that came out of Klein’s lips touched Leonard’s sharp sense of hearing. Those short, meaningful words seemed like a declaration of his role in Klein’s life.
Leonard lowered his head, his nose accidentally touching Klein’s brown black hair and inhaling the scent of the God. Then, he slowly embraced Klein’s body with his strong arms.
“Mom! I want a donut!”
“Honey~ you’ve eaten too many donuts, it’s not good for your teeth if you eat too many sweets~”
A smile was etched on Klein’s face as he and Leonard looked from a distance at a woman with her husband and child. The woman was Rozanne and her husband and child.
It was already nighttime, to end today’s tour, Klein asked Leonard to accompany him to visit the Blackthorn security company, of course no one noticed their presence.
There, Klein could see Frye who was now the captain of Nighthawk Tingen and also other his former colleagues. A feeling of nostalgia immediately enveloped him, bringing warmth to his heart. One day, he wanted to meet them in person… if that was possible…
“Let’s go…” Klein said and turned around.
Leonard didn't stop him and turned around and walked side by side with Klein. The paper bag containing the bread and pies was now almost empty, but it was still tightly hugged by the God, as if it was his most precious treasure.
The night wind was quite cold, but it did not bother them, instead they let the wind blow, as if it brought back their senses.
They did not speak for a while, as if lost in their own thoughts. Then, Klein suddenly stopped which made Leonard also stop his steps.
“... is there a place you want to go, Klein?” As if knowing what Klein was thinking, Leonard immediately asked softly.
Klein who lowered his head, looking at the tentacles that replaced his human legs, did not answer for a moment, his hands hugged the paper bag even tighter. When seeing that, the Servant of Concealment seemed to return to the past in Tingen, when he was assigned to follow Klein who was going to the market to buy some cheap bread. At that time, Klein also hugged the bag of bread tightly, while walking cautiously in the crowded market, which was prone to pickpocketing.
Lost in his thoughts, Leonard saw Klein slowly raise his head and look at him with a calm gaze, but there was another emotion in those brown eyes.
Longing.
“I…want to visit my family…just looking from afar is enough…”
A gentle and sweet smile was plastered on Klein’s face, as he and Leonard, who was standing in the shadows, looked straight at the terrace house across the street. In the yard of the house, there was a small family having a barbecue.
They were Benson, his wife and daughter, and Melissa. They looked so happy…
“Leonard…”
Klein’s soft voice called out to the tall man standing next to him, without taking his eyes off the small family across the street.
“Hm?”
“Is my niece smart?” Klein asked, somewhat curious. His eyes followed the figure of the little girl who was munching on the barbecue meat greedily.
Leonard chuckled, then took a deep breath. He replied with a funny smile, “She's a bit like you, good at insulting my poems.”
Klein chuckled, perhaps it was his most sincere laugh after fully awakening and becoming the Lord of Mysteries. He turned his head and looked at Leonard with a bright smile.
“Send me your poetry book, I want to read it.” Klein nudged Leonard’s shoulder with his.
Leonard’s face turned a little worried, he scratched his head and replied, “Seriously Klein, the poem I wrote is really not nice to read.”
“Isn’t the person in your poem not allowed to read it?”
“That…” Leonard paused for a moment then sighed before nodding and saying, “Okay…”
Leonard had always been confused, why did Klein ask him to write a poem, even though Klein knew for sure that he was not good at it. Before, he didn’t want to ask, but now his curiosity peaked.
“By the way, Klein… you know that I’m not good at writing poems, why did you ask me to write a poem for you? I know it’s for the anchor… but… why does it have to be a poem?” Leonard finally asked.
Klein tilted his head, looking at the Evernight angel intently, as if examining every inch of the figure beside him.
“Who do you think I am to you?” Klein asked back, without answering Leonard’s previous question.
Leonard didn’t protest, but cooperatively answered, “You are a human being, Zhou Mingrui who is one with Klein Moretti Tingen. To me, you are forever you, no matter what your identity is.”
Klein smiled, slightly showing his neat and white teeth. A smile that was so sincere and beautiful. He turned to face Leonard and said, “So do I. To me, you are still Leonard Mitchell, my Midnight Poet.”
The cold wind blew on the quiet night, blowing the dry leaves on the street. Leonard’s long hair swayed here and there while his emerald green eyes seemed to reflect the red moonlight, making them shine.
Klein in front of him was still smiling, his messy bangs blown by the wind somehow made the God look more beautiful than before.
That night, all the curiosity and questions that had been buried for so long were completely answered.
Leonard reached out his hand, touched Klein’s facial skin with the tip of his index finger and gently tidied up the God’s messy bangs. The tentacles that spread out slightly fluttered, like a child in joy.
“You are right, no matter what happens, I am still your Midnight Poet.”
The Evernight angel’s fingers felt warm and seemed to melt the Lord of Mysteries’ cold heart.
At that moment, Klein suddenly reached out and there appeared an emerald green hair tie that matched Leonard’s eye color.
“Since you’ve treated me, I’d like to give you a gift too.” Klein said with a gentle smile on his face.
Seeing the hair tie, Leonard smiled, he knew that his messy hair would really bother Klein’s eyes. He didn’t reject the gift, on the contrary, he was happy.
“Is this for me?”
Klein nodded.
“Then, can you put it on for me? I’m not good at tying hair…” Leonard said with a smile showing his teeth. At a glance, Klein could see that Leonard’s canine teeth were sharper and longer than ordinary humans, similar to Sanguine’s, but shorter.
Klein was silent for a moment before nodding again and saying, “Please hold it first.” He handed the paper bag in his arms to Leonard’s hand.
Leonard took it and turned around, showing Klein his long, thick black hair.
Klein touched the hair, so soft but a bit tangled, then he carefully combed it with his fingers.
“Aside from the caregivers at the orphanage, you are the second person to comb my hair in my life.” A gentle smile adorned Leonard’s face, while feeling the soft touch on his hair.
“Are you happy?”
“Of course, I feel like I have a mother.” After saying that, Leonard felt a light punch on his shoulder.
“I’m not your mother.” Klein grumbled a little, but with a funny smile on his face.
After struggling with his long, somewhat tangled hair, Klein finally managed to tidy it up and tie it into a low ponytail. Although he couldn’t tie it neatly, it actually added to Leonard’s beauty in his eyes.
They were now facing each other, with Klein taking out a mirror from the historical projection and letting Leonard see his own appearance.
The handsome face smiled in satisfaction, it seemed that he really liked the result. In fact, the low and somewhat messy hair tie style suited Leonard better than the overly neat hairstyle.
“I really like it, Klein. Thank you so much…” Leonard smiled happily, the smile was almost the same as a few years ago, when they were still in Tingen. It made Klein feel relieved.
“I can see that smile again,” he thought.
For him, being able to see the people he loved smiling and being fine was the most precious thing to him.
He nodded and replied, “you’re welcome” before turning his head across the street again, looking at the small family there.
His smile had not faded, his eyes followed wherever the figure of his beloved moved for a moment, then he looked at Leonard again and said, “Let’s go.”
Leonard nodded and walked side by side with Klein, away from the terraced house across the street.
He looked up, looking at the red moon surrounded by stars in the dark night sky.
Suddenly, he heard Klein’s soft voice ask, “Leonard, have you ever thought about getting married?”
The question successfully surprised the Evernight angel. He never expected Klein to ask something like that.
He was silent for a moment but he always knew the answer to such a question.
“No… I will not get married.” He answered with certainty.
“Why?” Klein turned to look at him.
Leonard was such a handsome and well-established man. Back when Klein was still a Nighthawk, he often saw women who came to the Church blush when they accidentally passed Leonard. So Klein thought, if Leonard wanted to get married, it would not be difficult to find a woman who liked him.
Leonard looked back at the Lord of Mysteries and smiled, “You can steal my thoughts if you want to know.”
Klein, who had become curious for some reason, finally happily stole Leonard’s thoughts. But then he was stunned and his steps stopped. Leonard, who was walking a little ahead of him, also stopped and half-turned.
Their eyes met, without speaking for a while.
Then, Leonard reached out his hand, grabbed Klein’s wrist that wasn’t holding the bread bag and pulled it gently.
He didn’t talk about his thoughts that Klein stole. For him, finally being able to express all his feelings to Klein was the most important thing, no matter what the God’s response was.
“This isn’t a poem I wrote, but it suits you. Would you like to hear it?” Leonard asked, walking slowly.
His hand held Klein’s hand tightly.
A big, warm hand.
Klein followed him, his eyes not leaving Leonard’s figure who was holding his hand. He said, “I want to hear it.”
Leonard smiled, then looked back at the calm night sky. He opened his mouth, then chanted a poem that was so famous in ancient times.
“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?”
A soft and soothing voice echoed, breaking the silence of the dark night. Two hands holding each other, swaying along with their steps.
“Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
Klein, who was still looking at Leonard's profile, listened with a smile. The night wind blew gently, making the hair and clothes of the two young men holding hands sway gently.
At that moment, the slippery tentacles that were moving forward turned into illusions and a pair of legs appeared faintly to replace them.
END