"There’s no danger to the person repairing the ring, it’s just that the gem will turn to dust. But the item could be completely destroyed, in which case we might have to compensate the customer."
Kei bent down, continuing to hold the carving knife.
"But repairs always carry some risk, and it won’t be a huge amount of compensation anyway, since this ring is already broken."
Sora watched the side profile of his face. Kei was still very thin, his complexion pale, and his eyes hadn’t fully regained their light. Yet when talking about the magic patterns and items in front of him, his expression changed.
It wasn’t exactly cheerful or exciting, but at least, he was truly focusing on something rather than lying in bed staring at the ceiling.
To be honest, that state of Kei’s made Sora feel a bit frightened.
"Kei."
"Hm?"
"Do you like crafting items for hunters?"
The tip of the knife in Kei’s hand paused.
He nodded.
"I think so. After the awakening assessment, the system recorded my profession as Craftsman rank F, and since then I’ve always been thinking about continuing to develop this profession further."
Sora’s eyes lit up.
"Really? You like crafting items, right?"
Kei was a little startled by her reaction, shrinking back slightly.
"Yeah... I guess I like it quite a bit?"
"Then that’s great!"
Sora clapped her hands together softly, looking so excited she almost wanted to jump up.
"Just focus on developing this profession, go ahead and experiment and craft whatever you like. Leave the shop’s business to me!"
Kei looked at her, pressing his lips together.
"Can you really do it? Handling the shop’s business all by yourself will be very tough."
"Of course!"
Sora replied immediately, without any hesitation.
"My grandma ran this shop for so many years. I stayed with grandma Kim for a while, and I know most of the items in the store. If there’s something I don’t know, I’ll learn. All you need to do is do what you want to do."
Kei looked down at his hands resting on the table.
"But the shop is mine, having you worry about it all alone is too much."
A feeling of shame welled up inside Kei.
"That’s right. That’s why you need to become someone who can make it grow even more. Our shop will sell the items that Kei crafts."
Sora leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.
"Grandma handed the shop over to you, not so you could stand behind the counter selling recovery potions forever. You have your own talent, Kei."
Kei said nothing.
Talent.
That word had been said to him by many people before.
But in the old world, his talent only made Daniel and the others feel threatened and offended. The stronger he became, the colder their eyes grew. In the end, that talent became the reason he was betrayed.
Kei looked at the silver band of the ring on the table, and a vague fear quietly arose in his heart.
What if one day Sora also found out he was truly a powerful mage, would she call him a monster and run away?
"Kei?"
Sora’s voice pulled him back.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
Kei shook his head.
Sora looked at him for a moment, clearly not believing him but not pressing further either. She simply reached out and gently ran her hand through his slightly messy hair.
"You don’t have to force yourself to step out right away."
Her hand softly brushed through Kei’s hair, then patted him lightly on the back.
"Whenever you’re ready, step out. I’ll always be out there waiting for you, I definitely won’t leave you standing there alone!"
Kei looked up at her.
Sora’s eyes were as bright as usual, but there was no pity in them. She didn’t look at him like a patient, nor did she look at him like a burden that needed to be taken care of.
She was simply saying that she would wait and stand by Kei’s side, just like Grandma Kim had once waited for him to come back after every time he went out.
Kei pressed his lips together and gave a slight nod.
"Thank you."
"Alright, let’s eat."
Sora pulled her hand back, tapping lightly on the table.
"The food is getting cold now."
"If you don’t finish your food, then I’ll spend even more time in the kitchen cooking tastier meals!"
She knew how to make Kei obediently eat his food.
Kei looked at the food tray, then picked up his chopsticks. Today’s meal was still as simple as always, but he managed to eat a bit more than yesterday. Sora stood nearby watching him finish half a bowl of rice before she felt at ease enough to leave.
"Don’t work too long."
"Okay."
"And don’t forget to rest."
Sora instructed Kei as if coaxing a child.
"Okay."
"Don’t just give me a half-hearted answer."
Kei nodded gently.
Sora looked at his serious expression, finally burst into laughter, and walked out.
The door closed.
Kei sat alone at his desk. He picked up the carving knife and continued finishing the incomplete magic patterns on the silver frame.
Several times, his hand paused mid-stroke. Kei had to secretly grab a tissue from beside him, quickly wipe the slightly damp corners of his eyes, and then continue carving.
He didn’t want Sora to see this weakness, nor did he want to admit that a single simple sentence from her could make him want to cry like this.
Outside, Sora walked down to the first floor. She placed her hand on the counter, let out a sigh, and took out her phone. After a few minutes of searching, she began reading about the signs of depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD.
Insomnia or sleeping too much, loss of appetite, and withdrawing from others. Feeling like you’ve become useless and losing interest in things you once loved.
Thinking that death wouldn’t be so bad...
Sora read each line, her expression gradually turning serious. The symptoms matched Kei’s condition so closely that it made it hard for her to breathe.
She looked up at the ceiling, where Kei’s room was directly above.
"This is really tough..."
Sora muttered, her fingers still resting on the phone screen.
"I’m not that good at taking care of patients."
She sighed again, then looked toward the stairs. But just a moment later, the corners of Sora’s lips curved upward as she laughed it off with helplessness and compassion.
"But I have to do it anyway."
She put her phone in her pocket, turned back to arranging the medicine bottles on the counter, murmuring to herself:
"That kid is just so adorable..."