Chapter 444.


    <strong>Chapter 444. A Father and Some Stupid Horses: Horses are Jerks. (4/4)</strong>


    <span style="font-weight:400">When the two of them noticed me headed their way, they turned around in advance and picked up speed in the opposite direction to avoid Moonlight blowing past and leaving them in the dust again.


    <span style="font-weight:400">When I caught up to them Dawn turned her head back to me and shouted, “Thank god you’re okay! Ran, pull both reins back to slow down, Moonlight is too fast for us to keep up.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sure.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">I tried doing as she instructed only to panic a secondter when Moonlight stubbornly increased his pace further instead of slowing down. I blew straight past Dawn’s side.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What are you doing! Slow down! You’re going to get hurt if he throws you off at this rate!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m trying, but Moonlight isn’t listening at all!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">I was about to pass Rosa’s horse when she did something that utterly shocked both Dawn and myself. My eyes opened wide as Rosa rose to her feet and jumped from Shirley’s back onto Moonlight. Shended directly behind me and immediately wrapped her arms around my waist.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are you crazy!” I shouted.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What? I thought it looked fun. Are you mad that the first male I ride is a horse rather than you?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You’ve lost your mind. What if you missed that jump just now?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Well I didn’t, so it’s all good.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“But now we’re both going to get hurt if we fall off.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“So? With the extra weight he’s carrying on his back now, he’s slowed down. He’ll also get tired faster carrying around two people. So if we do end up falling off it should overall hurt less.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Logically, that makes sense… but you’re still insane.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m insane for wanting to ride on the same horse as my boyfriend?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“No, for jumping just now.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“How about we do something that’s really crazy?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rosa’s right hand slipped down a bit lower.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Please don’t, I’d like to not end up cut up down there.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Tsk, you’re right. I almost forgot about that. Even if I’m careful, on horseback it’s too difficult to keep steady. Haaaaah. My nails are such an inconvenience at times.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">I felt extremely thankful for her nails right now. They somehow worked in my favor for once.


    <span style="font-weight:400">A minuteter, with Moonlight’s decreased speed, Dawn caught up to us and scolded, “Rosa, have you lost your mind, that was way too dangerous!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“But it worked out, didn’t it?” Rosa shrugged.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I mean… it did… but still, don’t ever do that again.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Moonlight, stop misbehaving.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Dawn was helpless as Moonlight outright ignored her request. It was clear he wanted to run about until he was satisfied. He wouldn’t stop until then.


    <span style="font-weight:400">A few minutester we arrived back at the stable where Moonlight abruptly jerked to a stop and lowered his head down without any warning.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Woah! Wubwubwub...” My vision went dark as I exhaled out bubbles of air. My head was suddenly submerged in water.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Neither of us had a chance to react just now. We’d been thrown off Moonlight and Rosa who had her arms wrapped around my waist came tumbling along. The bastard had ruthlessly dumped the two of us into a watering trough.


    <span style="font-weight:400">While Rosa was still directly on top of me, I extended my arms up and grabbed hold of the sides of the watering trough to pull my head up above the surface of the water.


    <span style="font-weight:400">When I broke through the surface I coughed a mouthful of water as I simultaneously gasped for air.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hah… hah… hah… I didn’t expect that rather than dying from hitting my head during a fall, I might die from drowning instead. Koh koh.” I spit out some more water.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are you two alright!” Dawn cried out, extremely distraught over Moonlight’s behavior.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Ugh… nothing... seems to be broken. Thankfully, the water broke our fall.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The ride hadn’t been long, but it was definitely an experience I’d remember. Being thrown into a watering trough by a horse was a first for sure.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Moonlight! Bad! You can’t just do that to people riding you!” Dawn jumped off her horse, immediately grabbed ahold of Moonlight’s reins, and proceeded to scold him. Herints fell on deaf ears though. Moonlight gave her one short nce before he arrogantly looked away and continued to leisurely slurp up water from the watering trough.


    <span style="font-weight:400">This horse was the pinnacle of ‘No fucks given, I’ll do it again.’


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Moonlight!” Dawn was ignored.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Haaaaaaaaaah.” She let out an exasperated sigh when she realized it was futile and he wasn’t listening.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This is why I didn’t want to let you ride him... He’s uncontroble and only listens to my dad. Sorry...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“This horse really is a bad boy, getting a girl all wet like that.” Rosa joked as she stood up from inside the watering trough and got out first.


    <span style="font-weight:400">I didn’t immediately get out, instead, I rolled over and dangled my arms and legs over the sides of the watering trough. I remained soaking in the refreshing cool water directly under the hot rays of the zing sun while I gazed up at the clouds slowly drifting by in the sky overhead. Minus the watering trough, it was the second time today that I found myself in this position.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Somehow, I didn’t feel a sense of frustration this time, nor was I mad.


    <span style="font-weight:400">All in all, it’d been pretty fun. That feeling of flying across the field low to the ground while on Moonlight’s back was truly unique. For that short time, it really felt like I had wings and I could fly anywhere I wanted with them.


    <span style="font-weight:400">When I didn’t get out Dawn asked, “What are you doing? Did you get injured during that fall after all?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I’m... fine.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Why aren’t you getting out then?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Haaaaaah. Even if I get out, it doesn’t change the fact that I’mpletely soaked from head to toe right now. Might as well enjoy a bath since I’m already here.” Not even my shoes had been spared from this fate.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry…”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You don’t need to keep apologizing. I’m the one who decided to ride Moonlight despite your warnings. I’ve only got myself to me here.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Even so… I’m responsible since I should be able to control Moonlight better.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Who cares? He said it was fine. Rx already.” Rosa sshed some water onto Dawn’s shirt.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Why’d you do that?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hehehe, if you feel so bad about it, jump in and join the wet side.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rosa sshed some more water toward Dawn but Dawn stepped out of the way and dodged it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hold on, wait a minute, Rosa. I just washed and dried this.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“So?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rosa scooped up some more water with both hands and threw it high up in the air. Dawn turned to try and escape from the radius of the falling water but Rosa quickly hugged her from behind.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hold on! Rosa! No! What are you doing! Stop!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rosa dragged her over to the watering trough with her arms wrapped around Dawn and fell over together into it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Hahaha!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">When Rosaughed out jubntly I looked down and witnessed both of them fully clothed, submerged,pletely soaked in water. Rosa had a wide smile on her face as sheughed loudly. She took great pleasure in her work.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Dawn’s cheeks were flushed red. At first, she seemed a little mad, but Rosa’sughter inevitably infected her and she gradually started tough whileining, “Hehe, Rosa, it’s not funny. Stopughing haha… I’m hehehehe… really mad… seriously hahahaha...”


    <span style="font-weight:400">I caught a glimpse of one of Dawn’s rare smiles when she closed her eyes and brushed her hair from in front of her face to behind her shoulder whileughing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">I dropped my head backzily and continued to watch the sky as the two girlsughed themselves silly.


    <span style="font-weight:400">What was so funny, I had no idea. They were justughing for the sake ofughing as far as I could tell. It was just a positive feedback loop and they couldn’t stop.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But… I couldn’t help but think it was nice. Living like this. If every day was this carefree, the world might be a better ce.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Haaaaaaah.” I let out a tired sigh and shut my eyes. In this instant, I couldn’t help but think this little farm out in the boonies was paradise. All my troubles seemed to just fade away into nothing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">I think I want to stay here.


    <span style="font-weight:400">I don’t want to return to the city.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But this isn’t my home.


    <span style="font-weight:400">I have responsibilities andmitments I have to take care of.


    <span style="font-weight:400">And… there are people I have to return to in the city.


    <span style="font-weight:400">However… one day... I’d like to bring those people to a paradise in the middle of nowhere like this one. A ce of respite where one can rest their weary soul,ugh to their heart''s content, and not worry about a single thing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">But... that would have to be some time in the distant future.


    <span style="font-weight:400">For now… I should engrave these peaceful times in my memories and enjoy them the best I can.


    <span style="font-weight:400">These slow leisurely days won’tst forever.


    <span style="font-weight:400">They never do.


    <span style="font-weight:400">…