Soft sunlight filtered into the cave through a small crack in the ceiling. The gentle hum of flowing water echoed faintly — peaceful, almost dreamlike.
Pramit sat near the fire, lazily poking at the ashes with a stick while humming tunelessly.Behind him, the elf girl stirred.
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing pale green eyes that glowed faintly in the light. She looked around in confusion before noticing the human boy slouched nearby.
"Where… am I?" she asked softly.
Pramit turned his head halfway, still holding the stick. "Oh, you're awake. You fainted. Don't worry — I didn't do anything weird. Mostly because that would take effort."
The girl blinked, confused. "Y-you saved me?"
He shrugged. "Accidentally, yeah. You kind of fell into my breakfast."
Her lips twitched — was that amusement, or disbelief? It was hard to tell.She sat up slowly, wincing as she touched her arm, only to find it completely healed.
"This… it's gone. My wound…"
"Yeah," Pramit said, yawning. "Guess I learned some water trick overnight. Healed you without meaning to. Convenient, huh?"
The elf stared at him, speechless for a moment, then smiled faintly. "I should thank you properly. My name is Tushi. I'm just a simple wind mage from a small elf tribe near the eastern forest."
Pramit nodded lazily. "Cool. I'm Pramit — professional napper, part-time food burner."
As he said that, a faint ding echoed in his head.
[System Update: Target Identified — Tushi Elwind | Race: Elf | Class: Wind Mage | Level: 22 | Title: Princess of the Eastern Wind Tribe | Status: Unknown to Self]
Pramit blinked. "Wait… princess?" he muttered under his breath.
Tushi tilted her head. "Hmm? Did you say something?"
He waved it off. "Nope. Just thinking about… fish."
"Fish?"
"Yup."
The girl sighed softly. "You're… a strange person."
"Thanks," he said flatly. "I try not to be normal. Too tiring."
Tushi smiled despite herself — the strange human didn't seem dangerous, only… unpredictably calm.
"Still," she said gently, "I owe you my life. If not for you, those bandits would have…" Her voice trailed off.
Pramit waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, don't mention it. Just don't faint next time — it makes carrying people annoying."
She blinked, unsure if he was being serious or sarcastic. "You really are… different."
He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "Different, lazy, and hungry. That's my life."
The system chimed again silently:
[New Relationship Unlocked — Affection Level: 12% | Trust Level: 35%]
Outside, a soft breeze swept through the forest, rustling the leaves. Tushi looked toward the light, her mind calm for the first time in days.
Beside her, Pramit had already dozed off mid-conversation.
She sighed softly, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "My savior… and already asleep."
The gentle hum of morning filled the cave.Tushi sat cross-legged on a stone cushion, her emerald eyes fixed curiously on the boy who had saved her life.
"So, Pramit…" she began softly. "Where are you from? Which kingdom?"
Pramit was lying flat on his back, hands behind his head, staring at the cave ceiling."Eh," he said lazily. "Far away."
Tushi blinked. "Far away? That's… not very specific."
"Mm-hmm."
She frowned. "And your family? Are you a traveler? Adventurer? Mage?"
Pramit yawned. "None of those. Just… a guy."
There was a long silence. Tushi tilted her head, her ears twitching in mild annoyance."…You're not very talkative, are you?"
He turned slightly, giving her a sleepy glance. "Talking uses energy. Energy is precious."
The system chimed softly:
[Affection Level with Tushi: 12% → 7%][Reason: Lethal levels of laziness detected.]
Tushi sighed deeply. "Unbelievable… you really are impossible."
"Thanks," Pramit muttered. "People keep saying that."
She crossed her arms, standing up. "Fine. If you won't talk, at least let me do something useful around here."
"Sure," he said instantly. "Just don't ask me to help."
Her eyebrow twitched. "You… are the laziest person I've ever met."
"Working hard to keep that title," he murmured proudly.
Ignoring him, Tushi raised her hand. A soft swirl of wind magic filled the cave, lifting dust and scattering ashes into the air. The breeze twisted gracefully, sweeping dirt, ashes, and old leaves out of the entrance.
"Wind Art — Gentle Breeze."
In moments, the entire cave looked brighter — clean, fresh, almost sparkling.The air smelled of flowers, the floor smooth and spotless.
Pramit peeked from one half-open eye. "Wow… my cave's shining. Neat."
Tushi placed her hands on her hips, smiling slightly. "There. Much better. Maybe you can at least thank me?"
He gave her a thumbs-up without getting up. "Good job. I'll take a nap now."
Her smile froze. "…Unbelievable."
The system chimed again:
[Affection Level: 7% → 6%][Trust Level: 35% → 42% | Reason: Despite annoyance, recognizes sincerity.]
Tushi looked at him for a long moment, shaking her head.
"You're strange. You save me, heal me, and then sleep through everything else."
Pramit murmured, half-asleep, "Yeah. It's a special skill. Call it… Advanced Laziness."
Tushi sighed again — but this time, she smiled. "Fine. Sleep, then. I'll keep the place clean. Someone has to."
As she walked toward the cave entrance, her silver hair dancing in the wind, Pramit's voice drifted faintly behind her.
"If you find lunch out there… bring some back."
She froze, face twitching. "You—!"
But by the time she turned around, he was already snoring.
Maybe the boy seeing in another sweet dream