I Don’t Want to Attack You! - Chapter 1

“Will you buy me a cane?”

“There’s nothing I can’t buy.”

“Will you buy me a dream while living? It’s a dream in which a pink elephant appeared, but this is a huge dream. You said you couldn’t find news articles these days and only wandered around the opera house. If you buy this dream, I’ll get the scoop immediately.”

Olga crossed her arms and her back buried deep in the chair. I looked at myself and the lottery paper I blew with disapproving glances.

“You said you were suspended for a month, so I wondered why you bought a lottery ticket.”

“I robbed all my emergency money, so buy some of my dreams. That’s all I can sell.”

All five lottery tickets I bought are bad dreams just in case. While I was feeling discouraged, the waitress brought out the food. Tonight, too, Olga bought it to comfort her friend of ten years.

As I was slowly stirring my broad bean soup and feeling discouraged, Olga presented me with a clipping of a daily newspaper. It came from an advertisement in the corner of a daily newspaper. When I saw it, I had no choice but to drop the spoon on the table I was holding in my mouth.

“They say that Chevanya’s dressing room is looking for a new designer. It’s not as good an opportunity as Terdi’s Throne, but finding a new designer is not common.”

It wasn’t that uncommon, like finding a needle in the desert! It is because most fashion studios hire new designers from the same academy as the owner designer. It has become a custom, and the design world is divided into factions. There was no place for me to fit in that intense place, with no academic ties, personal connections, or background.

Olga, who asked me for this golden opportunity, seemed like an angel who came to my rescue. I took the flyer with both hands.

“Olga, I only have you.”

“In preparation for a large crowd, it seems this flyer was used like an exam ticket. Don’t forget and take good care of it. Isn’t this enough for the price of a dream?”

I nodded vigorously. Coincidentally, the application deadline was one month later. It is perfect if you apply right after the temple work is over.

I pushed the flyer Olga gave me deep into my Boston bag. Yesterday’s dream seems like it wasn’t a dream at all.

“Since I bought your dream, can I get a solo scoop tomorrow?”

“I heard you also go to the temple tomorrow for the building donation dedication ceremony. Isn’t the amount of Mrs. Carlotta’s contribution enough? I heard that you can build a building the size of a small sanctuary.”

“They even took the camera with them.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise and opened my eyes wide.

“Even a camera?”

However, Olga was not happy about being able to publish the dedication ceremony alone in a daily newspaper.

“ I need to film the priest Ashur, not the dedication ceremony.”

Mrs. Carlotta donates, but why should we take a picture of priest Ashur out of the blue? When I tilted my head, Olga rubbed my temple as if it hurt.

“They say offerings are pouring into the Arhezium Temple explosively these days. I assure you, Mrs. Carlotta’s donations for construction will soon be buried in the numerous donations from other noble ladies.”

“Is it enough money to build a new small sanctuary?”

“The influence of Priest Ashur is that destructive. Believers flock to the temple to see the face of the Ashur priest rather than God. Even if I go to the temple this time, take a picture of Priest Ashur’s profile, and publish it in a daily newspaper, it’s a jackpot.”

People are praising it with their mouths like this, so I’m curious about it. A young, handsome priest with mighty divine power…

Olga desperately hoped that Mrs. Carlotta had encouraged Priest Ashur to participate in the dedication ceremony under the pretext of building donations. I’m not sure if the temple will listen to that subtle request.

While eating, a young street musician picked up a lute and started playing. A pure and cheerful melody was interposed to the clamorous noise. People who had been eating at the fast-paced dance song kicked off their seats one by one and started dancing.

After one song that wasn’t short-ended, people’s clothes were wet with sweat. Olga whistled at the musician who had given her an excellent performance, then flicked his hand and threw a coin. A silver coin drew a parabolic line and entered the hat exactly where the musician had left it. The paid musician seemed to be choosing a song for the next performance.

I looked at Olga as I poured water into an empty cup.

“Do you like that musician?”

“He’s Cute.”

“Why don’t you try talking to him?”

Olga shook her head in regret.

“He is not interested in me. I can tell just by looking into his eyes.”

It’s not even a god, so I wonder how you can tell by looking in the eyes. However, when she thought about it, she asked if she would know if she hadn’t taken a break from her relationship for more than a month since ten years ago when she first met me.

The young musician started playing calmly, contrasting with the first song. After finishing my meal before Olga, I sat on my chin and watched the musicians perform. Around the time the body relaxed from satiety, something alien approached the musician. I slowly straightened my hunched back and opened my eyes wide.

“… Elephant.”

It was the elephant I met in my dream yesterday. The pink elephant flew up toward the musician’s face with its big ears fluttering. Then, he pressed his long nose onto the musician’s cheek and pulled it off. The musician didn’t seem to notice what had been done to him. At this time, the musician turned his head towards us. The place where his gaze landed was Olga’s profile. He, who had not been interested in Olga the whole time, couldn’t take his eyes off her until the performance was over.

As soon as the performance was over, the musician organized his belongings like someone with urgent matters. Without pretending to hear the cheers for one more song, he strode towards the table where we were sitting.

When Olga noticed the musician, she raised her eyebrows as if it was no big deal. I asked Olga.

“You said he wasn’t interested in you?”

“I know. Maybe it’s a magic trick to fall in love.”

Olga packed her things and stood up as if the reasons for the change in the musician’s attitude were unimportant. I waved at Olga, and Olga, quite naturally, left the restaurant with the young musician.

And a pink elephant stood where the musicians were. When our eyes meet, he winks.

“Do you still think it’s a dream?”

After rubbing my eyes with my hands, I looked again, and the elephant was gone.

There was an enormous amount of luggage, including daily necessities for a month, fabrics for priestly clothes, accessories, and sewing tools. I went back and forth between the carriage and the dressing room three times with both hands full of heavy bags. Even though Ben’s wagon had been fully loaded, there was not enough space, and the luggage eventually invaded the seamstresses’ seats.

“It must be faster to reach the underworld than to the temple.”

The seamstresses, including myself, had to sit face-to-face without a break in the suffocating hot weather. Moreover, since the wagon we rode had to accommodate numerous people, it was not a structure that could open windows but a transport wagon with walls and ceilings covered with tarpaulin.

The densely populated place was full of the smell of sweat, not to mention the heat. I flapped my shirt and muttered with my eyes closed.

“One on the left thumb and two on the index finger.”

“Heather, what are you talking about?”

Ben asked in a dying voice. Ben came along as a mediator between the seamstresses and the temple manager.

“A needle pricked me in my dream, and the marks remain on my hand.”

“Do not worry about it. After getting off this infernal wagon, drink a glass of cool water, and it will be gone.”

Ben thought I was blind because of the heat. I wouldn’t be so disturbed if this were in vain. This mark was found last night. Last night, a cool breeze blew in through the window.

At this time, the wagon rattled loudly. Each of the seamstresses, who had become sensitive to the heat, spat out annoyed curses. It was the same for me that the discomfort rose. I frowned and caught my breath.

Let’s get down and think. Get down

“Haa- I think I’m going to live.”

“I have never been so thankful for God’s blessings as I am today.”

The seamstresses admired the artifacts inside the temple rather than the splendid pure white buildings. The temple maintained a constant temperature throughout the year thanks to artifacts made with divine power. As the sweat dried up, priests came to us across the wide hallway.

The seamstresses seemed to be expecting that Ashur might be among those priests. But soon, the expectations turned to disappointment. Ben stood one step ahead of the seamstresses.

“Nice to meet you. This is Ben Chaplin, general manager of the Evgeny Dressing Room.”

“You had a hard time coming on a hot day. So the seamstresses can rest in their lodgings, we will move the luggage. Adjutant Berti will help guide you.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Leaving only Ben behind, the seamstresses followed Vice Priest Berti to their lodgings. Only the sound of footsteps of several pairs filled the white marble hallway, large enough for ten men to walk side by side. The new tailors, who like to chatter, were quiet, either because they were exhausted from the heat or stunned by the temple’s majesty

“The garden in Jungnang has been renovated. It’s not far from where the seamstresses are staying, so let’s look around. It’s going to be hard to make time from tomorrow.”

Are you going to drive the people into the sun again who have almost steamed in the wagon just a moment ago? Is that something a priest can say? I couldn’t control my facial expression due to Priest Berti’s demonic idea.

“If I go out to the outdoor garden, I think it would be faster to see the five gods than to see the flowers.”

“What?”

“If we go outside now, we will all faint from the heat.”

“Ah…”

Priest Berti rubbed the nape of his neck shyly. We could reach the front of the hostel safely without leaking anywhere else.

Seven seamstresses, including myself, were each assigned a private room. Beds, tables, cabinets, and wardrobes. Everything is there. First, I quickly packed my things and took a bath.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

Although Priest Berti explained, it was impossible to find a bathroom in this large temple with just one explanation. I had no choice but to search for the toilet while searching for memories of when I came here eight years ago.

“I bet the location of the bathroom hasn’t changed.”

As I was wandering around the accommodation, a wide floor-to-ceiling window appeared in front of me. It was the garden Priest Berti had spoken of. Statues of angels enshrining five gods stood guard at the courtyard’s four corners and the center.
Purple wisteria and flowers in full bloom decorated the surroundings. I can understand why Priest Berti asked us to take a look. As I was walking while admiring the garden beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw that the door leading to the courtyard was open.

“… uh?”

I would not have stopped and panicked if the door had simply been left open. A swarm of black bees was flying around the open door.

“…”

I took a slow step back. Please don’t come outside. When I was begging, the bee, which looked as big and fierce as my thumb, looked precisely at my face. Tuuk- I dropped the clothes I brought to change.

“Crazy…… Crazy!”

The bees that found the target of attack rushed towards me as if they were sucked in through the door. Buzzing-The creepy sound was getting closer in an instant. The swarm raised its fierce eyes and menacingly pulled out its stinger.

“What, what! There are so many flowers in the garden, so why do I… !”

My eyes were dizzy. A crisis paralyzed the accident. In case of fire, you can pour water on it, and in case of an earthquake, you can get under the table, but the school has never taught you what to do if bees target you in the temple! Indeed, if you stand still like this, you will be in trouble.

There is only one best defense I can take now. Escape! I started running recklessly until my eyebrows flew.

“Help me! A swarm of bees is after me!”

I shouted so that the hallway of the vast temple reverberated, but somehow no one was seen to rescue me from the swarm of bees. Where are you all stuck at such an urgent time? It is clear that God saves human beings in adversity, but it is all bullshit. If that was true, it shouldn’t have happened that I was stung by a swarm of bees in a sacred temple.

“Gasp, gasp…”

Those crazy bees, not at flowers but at people, don’t look tired, but I’m out of breath. Both legs became heavy like lead, and the running speed was plodding. I intuited my future. Sooner or later, I’ll be a human cactus.

Someone appeared miraculously when I felt the limit of my stamina and gave up everything. I lived! I threw myself without even knowing my face.

“Save me!”

“What the…”

As I nearly jumped at the person in front of me, the person who suddenly bumped into me lost control. And we fell side by side. A dull sound rang out loud.

“Ugh!”

I hit my knees on the hard marble floor. A painful moan escaped from her mouth. However, the instinct to survive the swarm of bees targeting me was more potent than the immediate pain. In the state of falling, I caught everything I could reach.

“Kuu… … .”

I felt something in my hand filled with an enormous sense of volume. Of course, it wasn’t clothes, nor a part where you could feel the bones like wrists or ankles. What is this? I rubbed it boldly with my hand.

“Huh.”

Then, above my head, I heard the sound of a rapid inhalation. I then raised my head.

“…”

An enormous sight unfolded in front of my eyes, enough to make me instantly forget the swarm of bees.

Wow… He’s handsome.

I knew at once that the man I had pushed and fallen was the rumored priest, ‘Ashur Renver.’ I immediately understood why the noble ladies had not spared their donations and why the daily newspapers constantly wrote praises of Priest Ashur. People are weak to beautiful things. And Ashur was lethal enough to shake the rationality of the soft side.

Like the other people mesmerized by Priest Ashur’s beauty, I was fascinated by him too. His wide-open eyes were twisted with bewilderment. The black hair that sat down on the straight forehead was bright as if embroidered, and the dark features matched with the white skin without any blemishes, so it was divine as if I was looking at an angel rather than a human.

His face was flawless everywhere, but his eyes particularly caught my eye. How can a person’s eyes shine that much? No jewel crafted with great care will shine as pretty as Ashur’s golden eyes.

He sat and stared at me, half-prostrate between my legs. Excited breath escaped from his slightly parted red lips. He seemed to have something he wanted to say, but he couldn’t put it into his mouth. Eventually, Priest Ashur covered his face with one hand.

Even your hands are pretty.

It was a long, large hand with bones prominent at every joint. His hand covered the entire bridge of the nose and lips with prominent intaglios, leaving only the eyes. The golden eyes looking straight at me soon fell below the oblique line. I could see the dark eyelashes quivering under the lightly shaded eyes.