I Thought It Was a Healing Farming Game Chapter 13

Why were the choices so weird again?

I casually dismissed them and nodded at Priam.

“I’m okay. Thanks for staying with me until I woke up. My name is Miel.”

I carefully folded the jacket he’d draped over me, handed it back, and sat up straight on the bench.

Priam got up too, then sat beside me with about a handspan of space between us.

“I’m Priam.”

His voice was shy as he pointed to himself to introduce himself.

“Um, I’m really sorry. I should’ve checked properly to see if anyone was underneath before jumping down…”

“Oh.”

Only then did my last memory of colliding with Priam as he jumped down from the tree come vividly back to me.

“People don’t usually pass through here. And the leaves were blocking my view, so I couldn’t see you at all.”

Priam looked just as flustered as I felt.

Since he hadn’t done it on purpose, I waved my hands and assured him I was fine.

“No, really, I’m okay. The tree wasn’t very tall, so the impact wasn’t that bad. I only collapsed because I’d used up too much stamina doing my part-time job… Ah!”

While explaining it myself, I suddenly realized something enormous, as if I’d just been struck by lightning.

My milk delivery job.

“What time is it? What time is it now?”

I hurriedly turned my head, searching for a clock.

Priam checked the time with practiced ease and answered.

“Three p.m.”

“What?!”

I jumped to my feet in shock, then belatedly remembered the deadline and breathed a sigh of relief.

The part-time job deadline was four p.m.

“It doesn’t take long to get from here to Town Hall, does it?”

As far as I remembered, the distance hadn’t been that great in the game either.

Priam nodded enthusiastically.

“It takes fifteen minutes on foot.”

“Thank goodness… I just have to submit the receipts.”

Seeing how relieved I was, Priam asked worriedly,

“So you were working… You must be exhausted. Should I submit them for you instead?”

“Hmm… No, it’s okay! I have to return the cart anyway. I should finish what I started.”

Since this was my very first part-time job, making another resident return the receipts for me would make me look terribly irresponsible.

“But… I delayed you by making you collapse.”

Priam fidgeted with his fingers and glanced at me anxiously. He looked just like a puppy that had gotten into trouble behind its owner’s back.

“No, you didn’t. There’s still plenty of time, and I feel perfectly fine. Besides, I’ve really wanted to meet you! I’m so happy we finally got to meet like this.”

“You wanted to meet me? Why?”

Of course, Priam had no memory of me at all, and that realization made me feel a little bittersweet.

“I heard there was someone around my age living in this village. I wanted to meet them and become friends.”

Just as I’d told Grandma Mael, I used that as my excuse, making no attempt to hide my desire to become friends with him.

“I see…”

Priam’s cheeks flushed a rosy red. A look of happiness gradually spread across the boy’s face.

“I like making new friends. Priam, do you want to be friends with me, too?”

Priam’s green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

Priam’s Affection +5

He gave a small nod, revealing what he’d been thinking.

“Actually, I’ve been wishing I had a friend around my age, too. There aren’t many in this village.”

“Really? That makes me so happy!”

As we chatted excitedly, quite a bit of time passed.

I wanted to keep talking with Priam, but it was time to go submit my receipts.

I stood up from the bench and spoke with unmistakable regret in my voice.

“I wish we could talk more, but I have to finish my part-time job now. See you next—”

Priam hurriedly called out to me as I turned away.

“Oh, wait! Miel.”

I stopped my farewell and stared at him blankly.

Priam stood up after me, picked up a basket lying on the ground, and held it out to me.

“Here. Take this.”

The basket was filled with all sorts of fruit. My eyes widened.

“What’s all this?”

“I harvested them from the tree earlier. I was going to give them to you when you woke up.”

Priam took such good care of his orchard that the quality of his harvest was excellent. His fruit could fetch up to three times the price of ordinary fruit.

“Are you sure I can have all this? You just harvested it today!”

He wasn’t giving me just three or four pieces of this precious fruit, but an entire basketful.

If I wanted to buy this much myself, I’d have to do at least ten milk delivery jobs to afford it.

“You got hurt because of me, Miel. This is my way of apologizing, so please accept it.”

Priam gave me an innocent smile.

I gazed down at the fruit basket, deeply moved, then stretched my arms toward him.

I wanted to share the same joy with Priam that I’d always felt when he came running over to greet me and threw his arms around me.

“Thank you, Priam!”

Priam’s body stiffened completely as I wrapped both arms around him.

“I love fruit. I’ll enjoy it so much… Priam?”

I was talking excitedly when I sensed something was wrong and called his name again.

But Priam still didn’t respond.

I hurriedly released him and looked up at his face.

“W-what’s wrong?”

Priam’s eyes darted about uncertainly.

His face had turned deathly pale, and beads of cold sweat had formed on his forehead.

“Are you feeling sick?”

Just as I sensed something was terribly wrong with Priam’s condition—

Priam’s Affection -20

A negative affection value appeared above his head.

The moment I saw it, my mind went blank as though I’d been struck by lightning.

“I-I’m sorry, Priam! Did I make you uncomfortable…?”

My voice trembled despite myself.

I’d never expected Priam, who had always greeted me so warmly, to react like this.

Afraid I’d made a terrible mistake, I stood there fidgeting anxiously, unable to bring myself to touch him again.

Fortunately, after a little while, color slowly returned to Priam’s face.

The unfocused look in his eyes gradually gave way to clarity.

Priam covered his mouth with one hand, his throat bobbing.

“I’m okay… Miel.”

Lowering his gaze, he murmured,

“I was just startled. I haven’t been feeling well today.”

“Should we go see Siad now? We could get you some medicine—”

“No, it’s okay. This happens sometimes, and I have medicine at home. I’ll feel better after resting there.”

Priam smiled as though everything was fine.

Seeing him pretend nothing was wrong instead of getting angry made my chest tighten until I could barely breathe.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I was so happy that I suddenly hugged you, and I must’ve startled you…”

“Miel… It really wasn’t your fault. I’m the one who startled you, so I’m sorry. Okay?”

Priam tried to comfort me, looking completely at a loss, but I could tell.

He was deliberately pretending to be okay.

Just as I’d always done in front of the nurses and my grandmother while I was hospitalized.

“But I’m not feeling very well right now… Would you be okay going to Town Hall by yourself, Miel?”

“Of course! Don’t worry about me. Hurry home and get some rest.”

At that, Priam gave me a faint smile and waved.

“See you again, Miel.”

I watched him slowly walk away, then lowered my head.

“What am I going to do…?”

Clutching the cart’s handle tightly, I let out a deep sigh.

The negative affection value that had appeared above Priam’s head had been utterly shocking.

“He must have been uncomfortable.”

The others didn’t know me anymore, but I’d gotten carried away, feeling too close to them on my own and rushing ahead of myself.

He’d said he was fine, but his affection indicator made it obvious that he wasn’t.

It was undeniably my fault.

I stood there in a daze for a while before slowly dragging the cart back to Town Hall, its wheels creaking all the way.

“Here are the receipts…”

I returned the cart and submitted the receipts.

After processing everything in the system, the employee at the reception desk handed me my part-time job reward.

“Your job has been marked as complete. Your creditworthiness will be updated right away. Good work today.”

Creditworthiness +3

Even the notification in front of me felt like nothing but an annoyance now.

I took the small purse containing five gold coins and bowed politely.

“Have a nice day…”

Carrying the basket of fruit Priam had given me, I trudged back to Siad’s house.

I should share the fruit with Siad…