Everything was too chaotic, and he looked at it with some discomfort.

After tidying up everything, he returned to his original spot and sat down.

He tied the ropes around himself again.

...

Dawn broke, and the fire that had burned all night was now nothing but a few pieces of charcoal with sparks.

Hannah woke up early, without grogginess or the desire to linger in bed.

She hummed a tune as she organized her simple bedding.

She didn’t fold the blanket, just piled it up casually to one side, placing the pillow on top of it.

Upright.

Like a pink snowman.

After tidying up, she rubbed her little face before turning her head.

"Huh?"

Her eyes widened in surprise.

The noise woke the boy up, and he opened his eyes, which still felt a bit dry.

He could only see a round little bundle squatting in front of a huge backpack, investigating something.

"What’s wrong?"

His voice, rougher than the day before, broke the silence.

"It’s a good sign that someone touched my things." Hannah turned around, gesturing at the ground, "Yesterday, there were a lot of things here."

They had all been thrown onto the ground.

Her provisions, weapons, and water.

But now, these were all packed into the backpack.

"Could it be Maiden Snail?" the little girl pondered earnestly, chin in hand.

Maiden Snail, a character from mythology, was hardworking and kind, secretly coming out to do household chores and cook when no one was home.

"If there really is a Maiden Snail, then can I ask her to cook a meal for me?"

She touched her empty stomach, talking to herself.

The boy watched her, on the verge of speaking but decided against shattering the girl’s fantasy, "If you want, you can try."

Hearing his voice, Hannah turned her head to look at him.

After a night had passed, the boy’s complexion seemed paler, which only made his eyes appear even more beautiful.

"Beautiful Eyes, are you feeling bad?"

Beautiful... Eyes?

The boy was taken aback, "Are... are you talking to me?"

Hannah nodded, "Yes, Beautiful Eyes."

She blinked and smiled, looking especially innocent and harmless.

The boy was confused, "Why call me Beautiful Eyes?"

He uttered the words with some discomfort.

From a distance, Hannah pointed at her own eyes, explaining, "Because your eyes are very beautiful."

More beautiful than any gem she had ever seen.

Like the night or the deep sea.

Like all things mysterious and lovely to eat.

It was the first time someone had complimented him so directly, and the boy’s cheeks heated up, not knowing what to say, flustered and shy, "You... your eyes are beautiful too."

He looked up bashfully.

Hannah’s eyes were round and clear, vivid and adorable, reminiscent of an animal that lived in the woods, unfamiliar with the ways of humans.

Like a rabbit, a cat, or perhaps a deer.

Fuzzy, docile, and endearing.

"Do you also want my eyes?" Hannah asked him curiously.

The boy was startled, "What... what?"

He wondered why she would think he wanted her eyes.

Hannah shook her head, the smile returning to her eyes, "I should go hunting now."

She didn’t continue with the previous topic.

As expected, the boy was distracted, "You’re going hunting?"

The girl looked to be only about six or seven years old, and despite wearing several layers of clothes that made her appear somewhat round, her face still betrayed her slender frame.

"By yourself?"

Hannah had already begun taking equipment out of her backpack, "Yes, by myself."