The room fell silent for a moment. Dama blinked, his expression blank as he processed what had just happened. Then, a chuckle escaped him, growing into hearty laughter as he shook himself off. “Well, that’s one way to do it!” he said between laughs, wiping his face with his sleeve. “Good effort, Giona!”

  Giona, however, froze in place, her spoon dropping back into the bowl. Her face paled as she instinctively pulled the blanket higher, her small body shrinking as she muttered, “Sorry... I’m sorry...!” her voice quivered and she avoided his gaze, her mind flashing back to moments when mistakes like this would lead to punishment.

  Dama immediately sobered up, his laughter fading as he noticed her reaction. He set his bowl down on the bed and reached out slowly with his left hand, stopping just short of touching her. “Hey, hey, no, it’s okay. It’s not a big deal, Giona. It’s just stew—it’s not like it’s going to hurt me. Look.”

  To lighten the mood, he rubbed his face exaggeratedly with his hand, then gave her a goofy grin. “See? No harm done.”

  Giona peeked up at him through tear filled eyes, her body still tense. Slowly though, she nodded, though her grip on the blanket didn’t loosen.

  Dama tilted his head, offering her a small, encouraging smile. “You were just trying to blow on it like I showed you, right? It’s okay to mess up. That’s how we learn. Next time, blow a little softer. Here, give me your hand.” he said as he outstretched his hand toward Giona.

  Giona backed up a bit in response, still a bit jumpy, her judgement clouded in the heat of the moment. However, a light soon appeared that pierced through the fog—a light in the form of a memory, the memory of the unknown warm feeling she felt when Tsubasa asked of her the same.

  Lending Dama her hand, Giona watched with a mix of anxiety and curiosity as the boy she felt herself trusting more and more brought her hand up to his lips. With a simple motion, he then blew a soft gust onto the back of her hand.

  "As soft as that," Dama said, "think you can do that?"

  Giona simply stared at him, her face as blank as her head, not sure how to respond. Her mind repeated the moment Dama's cool breath touched her skin like a broken recorder. It wasn't just the temperature that caught her off guard, but how she could even feel Dama's gentleness through his actions, not just his words. It was then she felt the warmth she had only just became acquainted with rise up from her chest.

  Dama, though, panicked on the inside. "She is just...staring, hope I didn't freak her out. It sounded and looked way better in my head, what was I thinking!?" He shouted in his own mind, hanging his head in embarrassment. At least his gentle words seemed to ease her nerves a little.

  Giona then took in a high-pitched breath, causing Dama to look back up at her now rosy cheeks and widened eyes—eyes that held a faint glimmer of light that wasn't there before.

  Finally, Giona blew out the air, making sure to do it just as Dama did in the memory that still played on repeat in her head. Afterwards, her lips twitched as though she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words.

  Dama sat shocked for a second before smiling with enthusiasm. Taking that as a win, he leaned back and picked up his bowl again. “Great job Giona! Alright, let’s try this again. I’ll even go first this time, okay?”

  He scooped another spoonful of stew and gave it a light blow before taking a big, exaggerated bite, humming in delight. “Your turn,” he said, gesturing to her bowl, “no more flying stew.”

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  Giona stared at the stew for a long moment before finally scooping up another spoonful. This time, her blow was the most gentle she had mustered so far—hesitant and careful. She guided the spoon to her mouth and took a small sip.

  Dama watched until she swallowed, her expression neutral at first. Then, her lips quirked upward ever so slightly—a tiny, fleeting smile. “There we go!” He cheered softly, grinning. “You did it!”

  Giona glanced at him, her small smile still lingering. She lowered her gaze to her bowl, taking another tentative bite. This time, there were no accidents, and Dama felt a swell of pride as he watched her eat.

  Later, after Dama finished his bowl, he set it aside with a content sigh, glancing toward Giona, who was still holding her now-empty bowl close to her chest, unsure what to do with it. He chuckled and took it from her, stacking it with his own. “Thank you for eating with me.” He said warmly, giving her a small smile. “It was nice.”

  Giona blinked at him, her lips parting as though to respond, but she remained silent, her expression neutral. Dama didn’t press her, understanding that she was still getting used to everything.

  Standing up, he stretched his arm, his sweater cascading and stretching down. He glanced out the small cabin window, where morning light spilled into the cabin, and thought about the tasks awaiting him in the village. Though, what he looked forward to the most were what Granny Tsubasa’s words entailed to visit her and talk more about the Giona situation.

  “Guess I should head out.” Dama said to himself, nodding with determination. He glanced over at Mumu, who stood by the fireplace, his arms showing the cuts from his earlier attempts to chop vegetables.

  “Hey, Mumu,” he called, motioning for his stitched friend, “I think it’s time you get patched up. You’re coming with me to see Kina Alder, she’ll fix you right up!”

  Mumu tilted his head, looking down at his arm. After a moment, he nodded, his snout stitches curling into a smile.

  “Great!” Dama said, then turned to Nina, who was still curled up and sleeping on the floor. He knelt beside her, reaching out to stroke her head.

  Nina’s ears twitched at his touch, her tail giving a faint wag. Slowly, her black slit-like eyes creased before she lifted her head, her tail now wagging more from the touch of her favorite human.

  Dama couldn’t help but smile at the sight. "She’s so adorable..." he thought, his heart warming.

  “Hey, Nina,” he began, scratching her behind the ears, “I need you to do me a favor today. Can you keep an eye on Giona while I’m out? I’ve gotta get your brother patched up.”

  At his words, Nina’s gaze shifted to Mumu. Her eyes widened into large ovals as she noticed the stuffing spilling from his arms. Her tail stopped wagging for a moment, her expression turning serious. Then she glanced at Giona, who sat on the bed with a blank expression, watching the interaction unfold.

  Nina’s gaze returned to Dama, and she gave a firm nod, her ears perking up and tail wag once more.

  “That’s my girl!” Dama said with a wide smile. He wrapped his arm around her in a quick hug, rubbing her head affectionately. “Thank you, Nina! Good girl!”

  Nina’s tail wagged harder, her confidence seemingly bolstered by Dama’s praise.

  Standing up, Dama looked back at Giona. “Hey, Giona, I'll be gone for a bit, but I'll be back, I promise!” he reassured her whilst pointing at Nina. “In the meantime, Nina will be here to take care of you, just like Mumu did last time. She's very nice and affectionate, don't worry!” Dama finished with a thumbs up.

  The blank stare that followed wasn't the reaction he expected, however. Lingering for a moment longer as she glanced between him and Nina, Giona eventually responded in the form of a small nod.

  “...Alrighty then!” Dama said, motioning for Mumu to follow him. With Nina ready to watch over Giona, he headed toward the door, feeling a bit lighter knowing he had a plan for the day.

  With the closure of the front door, an awkward silence soon settle inside the cabin. After staring at the door for a few seconds, Nina shifted her focus onto Giona, witnessing the young girl staring at her own lap.

  Standing up to see if anything was wrong, Nina's ears perked up after seeing something peculiar—Giona's reddening cheeks and the corners of her lips curling shakily. "Thank...wu..."

  -

  Next: (Extra Chapter 4) Kina’s Compassion