Xenon had not only fulfilled the mission Ellyn gave him 100 percent, but had exceeded it by 200 percent.
However, for Ben, who definitely did not want to be present for the success of this mission, the situation was simply difficult.
Unlike the twins, he was not the type of person who could casually offer congratulations or say that the outfit suited Xenon in this situation; even if he tried, it would only be bad acting.
The impending headache was an inevitable development.
Ben sat upright on the bed and buried his face in the long sleeves of the oversized sweater.
“But Ben is super cute, too! Pinka likes it!”
“Penka already said he was cute!”
Lately, the twins kept saying absurd things like he was cute or pretty.
Unless it was some new self-esteem protection project, it was obviously a tease.
Since he was never getting immune to these kinds of remarks, Ben responded half-heartedly.
“I’d rather hear things like, ‘He’s strong,’ or ‘He’s charismatic.’ That would be more believable.”
“Penka is just telling the tLus. And Ben, you’re not strong.”
“I don’t know about strong or charismatic. Ben, you shouldn’t lie.”
“It’s just an expression. But how exactly are you going to help me?”
It was not normal for him to expose his neck or collarbone, but wearing an ill-fitting, oversized sweater made him extremely self-conscious, so Ben couldn’t take his hand away from his neck.
Even if people thought he was overreacting, he couldn’t help it; wearing clothes like this was practically asking people to stare.
Among the exposed areas were small, unhealed scratches, scars, and messy kiss marks, all mixed together, which made him feel ashamed to show others.
However, a moan suddenly came from behind him, accompanied by a subtle weight, and the conversation abruptly stopped.
“Uhhng!”
“Mr. Xenon?”
It was a sound similar to a dog’s piteous whine, which stimulates the urge to protect.
Add elements that naturally make one blush, and it perfectly matched Xenon.
When Ben stiffly turned his head, Xenon, who had been leaning his head on Ben’s shoulder, looked tearful.
“M-my waist… I can’t put any strength into it…”
“…Uh, that’s… that’s because of what’s in-inside… You know that better than anyone!”
“Heeeng…”
“I’m not angry. Don’t cry. Stop!”
Suddenly, Ben had become a caretaker looking after a dog.
He didn’t know what to do about Xenon’s state, who was breathing hot air right next to him and gripping his arm.
Knowing that Xenon wasn’t like this due to pain only made him more worried about what to do.
Perhaps the right thing to do here was to call the guardian instead of acting as the caretaker.
“Sh-shouldn’t we call Ms. Ellyn?”
“There’s still more! Penka and Pinka! Let’s finish up now!”
“Finish what?”
Wasn’t it all done?
Ben had changed clothes, and Xenon was ready, so what more was there?
Even if there was something left, the most urgent matter was to take Xenon to Ellyn.
However, unlike the desperate Ben, the twins were whistling a tune, perfectly at ease.
They went to the corner, took out something from their stuff, and then stood in front of the seated Ben and Xenon to display it.
“A present is best when it’s packaged! Right, Penka?!”
“Right! Penka and Pinka bought ribbons! Ben should have one, too!”
“No! I refuse!”
What Penka and Pinka were holding in bunches were ribbons of various colors.
The twins shared the bundles of predominantly pink and red ribbons, interspersed with lace.
Judging by their momentum and what they said, they meant to cover his neck with those.
That was too much of a joke.
It was true that a present should be wrapped before giving it, but “wrapping” was not a word used for people in a common-sense way, and there were many other objects he could use to cover the marks, such as a handkerchief or a band-aid.
It was his mistake to be tempted by the promise of help.
He’d rather wrap his neck with toilet paper or not cover it at all than wear those flimsy little ribbons!
Ben was completely aghast.
“Whyyy? You wanted to cover it up! Penka will help you!”
“No! No!”
“Pinka will help you too!”
“I said no!”
A shadowy presence crept closer.
To avoid the twins, Ben hugged Xenon and leaned backward.
Something sneaky and sinister lurked in their smiling amber eyes.
What was that called?
Ah, a lewd spirit.
Yes, they were possessed by lewd spirits.
Just as Ben was plotting to throw Xenon over his shoulder and flee if necessary, a hand grabbed his arm with a quick thump.
“Fufufufu, just trust Penka.”
“Fufufufu, trust Pinka, too.”
“Now that I think about it, I wore a scarf!”
The thought of the scarf he had been wearing suddenly flashed, and Ben shouted like a person grabbing a rope lowered from heaven.
However, the twins paid no mind and reached out their wicked hands.
“Hmmmm? Penka doesn’t know about that~”
“Hmmmm? Pinka doesn’t know either~”
You heard me, you brats!
“Get away from me, whoa!”
The small, firm hands gripping the ribbons approached relentlessly, pretending not to hear.
With Xenon clinging to one arm, Ben flailed like a drowning person to avoid the twins’ hands.
However, avoiding four hands while struggling to save just himself, let alone with another person attached, was impossible, and he ended up becoming a capsizing small boat, falling backward.
What followed was exactly what the twins wanted.
“You know, Ben. Ellyn said that if you combine cute with cute…”
“…it makes super cute!”
What are these guys talking about!
They moved in perfect sync as if they were one body, and their hands were so fast that Ben, who was helplessly tied up with ribbons around his neck, only managed to break free after a major struggle.
Exhausted from all the struggling, he looked to his side and saw that Xenon was already done with the “operation,” even faster than him.
Since Xenon had remained still like a docile puppy, it was naturally problem-free.
“Fufufu, Penka and Pinka’s masterpiece is complete!”
“Yay!”
The twins, who were the only ones immensely satisfied, were despicable.
Ben slowly sat on the bed and, as payment for the prank, gently tapped Penka and Pinka with his knuckles, signifying that he had tolerated enough.
But even after being hit, the two just kept grinning at each other.
He hadn’t hit them hard enough to hurt, but seeing the twins completely unfazed still made Ben let out a helpless laugh.
“Hoo… I can’t live like this…”
It seemed that the nature of these twins was to be impossible to hate.
He knew the inner beings were adults, but their actions were perfectly like the fresh innocence of pure teenage boys and girls.
Backed by their adorable looks, he simply couldn’t get angry anymore.
If this was a calculated move, they were extraordinarily cunning individuals.
But embarrassing was still embarrassing.
What greater shame could there be?
This was it.
Ben tried to calmly look back and forth between Xenon and himself.
As they had said, for the “packaging,” Xenon had a rich, large ribbon made of a mix of red and pink lace ribbon placed beneath the collar of his shirt.
Ben had a similar design, but without the lace, with ribbons of various harmoniously woven colors tied around his neck into a bow, with the ends trailing down the back.
The way the ribbon completely covered his neck hid most of the marks, and the skill with which the scattered ribbons distracted the eye from the marks near his shoulders and collarbone was unnecessarily good.
Ben could perfectly imagine his unsightly appearance and vowed not to look in a mirror or even a window until he was back in normal clothes.
He was extremely disturbed, feeling that a massive wave of self-loathing would wash over him if he looked in the mirror.
What would Haimar say if he saw him like this?
If he just jumped out the window and got into the car, would that be possible somehow?
“You both look really, really good… Penka is in love!”
“So, so pretty! Pinka, can I take a picture?”
Ah, I don’t know anymore.
He couldn’t argue anymore.
What was so appealing about a tall, large-built man looking like this?
Ben decided to just conclude that the twins had an extremely peculiar taste.
The reality was that he had thrown up his hands, almost in utter despair, thinking, “Just take me, I give up.”
“Still not ready?! Hurry up and come out!”
Thump, thump.
Unable to wait, the loud knocking prompted the twins to jump up and lead Xenon and Ben out the door.
The main party began, and the curtain rose on the pandemonium.
“Come on, everybody drink! Drink!”
The drinking party masquerading as a birthday celebration continued in the living room, leaving the dining room.
After spending over ten minutes fawning over Xenon and Ben, Ellyn took the lead, pushing everyone to pour, eat, and drink.
The first thing Ben, who had been dragged out of the room, sought was the unfinished wine.
He felt he needed alcohol to endure his current abnormal state.
Anyway, his drinking habit wasn’t the kind where he blacked out or caused an unsightly scene.
Ben completely forgot his resolve from the morning to drink only in moderation and picked up the glass in front of him.
“Try this too! It’s a fruit wine, so it’s delicious.”
“Wow, Ben, you can hold your liquor well?”
“This is delicious too! Want to try it?”
One glass quickly turned into two, and two into three.
The drinks prepared by Ellyn, who was knowledgeable about alcohol as much as she loved it, all suited his taste and went down easily.
First, it was wine, then a refreshing fruit wine made with peaches, followed by a crisp highball and a sky-blue liqueur.
As he diligently accepted and drank every drink offered, a pleasant buzz quickly set in.
