Ding ding ding~ Good morning~ Ding ding ding~

As I opened my eyes, still groggy, sunlight was filtering in through the blinds installed on the window.

Lying down and looking up, I was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling.

For a moment, I thought, “Where am I now?” but once my mind cleared a bit, I remembered that I had moved into Yoon Si-woo’s house yesterday.

Having moved several times in the past few months, I couldn’t seem to get used to the ceiling above my bed.

Well, I typically don’t prefer moving often, but in this case, it was a necessary choice.

I had no regrets.

In fact, I almost felt I should praise myself for making such an excellent decision.

Because having a relaxing environment where I could sleep well truly matters.

Anyway, whether it was the result of sleeping well or not, I woke up in the best condition I had been in for days.

In a slightly uplifted mood, I hummed to the melody ringing in my head as I stepped out of my room, only to meet Yoon Si-woo’s gaze as he sat on the living room sofa.

…Wait, did he just turn it off?

The moment our eyes met, Yoon Si-woo blushed and quickly looked away, confirming my suspicion that he had witnessed my embarrassing antics.

This brought to mind some cringe-worthy moments from the past.

For some inexplicable reason, I had once sung my heart out alone in an elevator, only for the doors to suddenly open and someone else step in, creating an awkward memory.

Given that the elevator was neither soundproof nor designed to accommodate such thoughts, they definitely heard what I was singing, yet I was left in an excruciatingly awkward situation, forced to continue singing as if nothing was wrong.

That horrendously uncomfortable atmosphere made me realize that this wasn’t the first time I’d been a fool…

But people learn from their mistakes.

As I kicked the blanket with regret for my foolish actions the night before, I realized that the best response in such situations is to act unfazed.

I tried my best to not show my embarrassment as I greeted Yoon Si-woo.

“Yoon Si-woo, good morning.”

“Uh? Oh, good morning…”

“Have you had breakfast yet? If not, I can make something for you.”

“Ah… yeah, thanks.”

Turning the conversation to breakfast seemed to work, as seeing Yoon Si-woo nod blankly gave me a sense of triumph internally.

For breakfast, I had made soy sauce egg rice with the eggs I bought yesterday.

Combining rice with eggs and a spoonful of sesame oil added to the stable flavor was just delicious; I couldn’t resist it.

As I thoroughly enjoyed this easy yet perfect breakfast, Yoon Si-woo, who was sitting across from me, suddenly asked a question.

“…Um, by the way, were you uncomfortable sleeping yesterday? Or was there something bothering you?”

“Hmm? Not particularly. In fact, I slept really well last night.”

How long has it been since I had such a restful sleep?

I really believe that the environment has a significant effect on sleep quality.

As I was pondering this and replying, suddenly Yoon Si-woo started coughing.

From the look on his face, it appeared he was quite startled.

Worried, I quickly fetched him a glass of water and gently patted his back, and thankfully he stopped coughing after a while.

He took slow, deep breaths as if he was calming himself down.

By the way, for some reason, he looked really tired, as if he hadn’t slept well last night.

As I wondered what might have happened, I recalled Yoon Si-woo’s earlier question.

Realizing something, I cautiously asked him.

“…Hey, you look like you didn’t sleep well last night… Was it because of me?”

Yoon Si-woo quickly shook his head and loudly exclaimed.

“Ah, no! That’s not it, Scarlet! I had no bad thoughts about you…!”

He seemed to sweat nervously, desperately denying it, which filled me with a sense of guilt somewhere deep within me.

Suddenly, an outsider had intruded into his private space.

It’s understandably a sensitive issue when someone invades your personal life without warning.

I, having lived for two years in a cramped dorm where I shared a bed with several others, had grown desensitized to such experiences. But for someone like Yoon Si-woo, who hadn’t experienced that, it must have felt uncomfortable.

Still, he couldn’t turn me away from entering his space, probably because he broadly understood my situation.

Yoon Si-woo wasn’t the kind of person who could refuse a request from someone who was living on borrowed time.

Because he’s not that kind of person, regardless of his true feelings, he wouldn’t openly say that having me there made him unable to sleep.

With a heart full of remorse, I spoke gently to Yoon Si-woo.

“It’s okay… I understand that my sudden presence must have disturbed you when you were used to living alone… There’s no need to pretend otherwise.”

“I’m really not! I’m really trying hard not to think that way… Ugh?!”

“It seems that’s true, huh?”

“No, I mean…! Ah, ugh… I’m sorry…”

As my inquiry accidentally let his true feelings slip, he became flustered and bowed his head while apologizing.

I lifted his head to meet his gaze. Perhaps because of his guilt, he blushed so much that it seemed his face might explode.

“There’s no reason for you to apologize to me. I should be the one saying sorry. I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. I know I forced you to let me in, and I want to do something for you in return, but all I have is my body, so there’s not much I can do for you… But please don’t hesitate to ask me for anything you want during our time together. I won’t refuse anything I can do, got it?”

“…Got it, I understand.”

Feeling guilty for having detected his discomfort, Yoon Si-woo, with a red face, replied to me before he bolted back to his room, not showing his face outside for the rest of the morning.

*

“…Where are you going?”

“Yeah, I have something I need to check for a moment.”

After calling him for lunch when he had been holed up in his room, Yoon Si-woo finally came out upon seeing that I was dressed to go out.

Seeing my appearance, he asked, presumably sensing something.

As I answered his question, Yoon Si-woo, still bothered by the earlier incident, kept his gaze down and murmured.

“…Take care.”

“I will. I’ll be home before dinner, so let’s eat together later.”

“…Okay.”

After bidding farewell to Yoon Si-woo, I set out from the house.

The moment I stepped outside, I felt a slight tremor in my hand.

That instinctive reaction made me smirk.

To think I’d be like this just because I stepped out.

Fortunately, Yoon Si-woo was on leave; if not, I’d be worrying about what I’d do when I had to be away from him.

…Ultimately, I had no choice but to keep my wits about me.

I thought that as I moved my feet forward.

The task I intended to undertake today was quite simple.

Ever since I got dragged off by the witch last time, my body had undergone changes.

I was here to figure it out.

And obviously, the place I was headed wasn’t a regular hospital.

The doctor from my previous visit had been amazed at how much my condition had improved and, quite frankly, would likely faint upon seeing me now.

My current state was such that it was something that I absolutely shouldn’t let others find out about.

And aside from that, there was only one person who knew me well enough to consult about my condition.

I arrived at a shabby building located in a corner of the city.

As I pushed open the closed door and descended to the basement of the building, I found someone already sitting at a place with various instruments installed.

“…Long time no see.”

The one who greeted me was Luke, my guardian.

He looked quite tired as I bowed my head to greet him, and he said with a wry smile.

“I heard you’ve been through a lot of things, and I’m sorry for not being able to visit. There have been a lot of people watching me lately. I had to be careful about sneaking out, so it took a bit longer than expected. Anyway, you said your body is feeling strange?”

“…Yes, I was hoping you could check it out. Is there anything urgent?”

“…Urgent? Would this do?”

He pulled a pen from his pocket and offered it to me.

It might sound a little shocking to some, but seeing is believing.

I pressed the pen firmly onto my hand.

“You?! What’s with the sudden…!”

“Calm down and just look.”

Despite Luke’s startled outcry, I dully showed him my hand, which was now bleeding from the pen prick.

After a moment of silence, a stunned expression crossed Luke’s face as he mumbled.

“…You’ve recovered? What on earth…?”

“I came here to show you this. I was wondering if you might know what happened.”

“…I guess I need a bit more explanation.”

I told Luke about my experiences and my thoughts on why my body had changed this way.

Then I lay on a strange device that resembled some kind of examination table for various tests.

Luke examined the results with a grave look and muttered.

“Phew, miasma… I’ve been searching high and low for ways to improve your condition, and I can’t believe that this was the solution. By the way, Scarlet, did you know about your previous state?”

“…Yes, I had a vague idea that I wouldn’t live long. I think you mentioned something about three years at the most.”

“…I see, you were aware. Well, there’s some bad news and some good news – which would you like to hear first?”

“…Please tell me the bad news first.”

At my request, Luke let out a deep sigh and pointed to my chest.

“There were originally seven pieces of the witch’s heart embedded in your body to give you the ability to wield the witch’s powers… However, apart from one in your prosthetic limb, all the pieces have merged into what’s now your heart. I don’t know how this happened, but this is likely the reason your body changed like this. Once human, your body has moved closer to being that of a witch…”

I gently stroked the area around my chest after hearing this.

I couldn’t help but smirk while mumbling.

“…So, I’m not a human anymore but a monster?”

“…Not at all. That’s absolutely not true.”

Grabbing my shoulder firmly, Luke looked deep into my eyes, emotions swirling within his gaze, but among them, the most powerful was a sense of faith.

With a voice full of that belief, he spoke to me.

“Remember this, Scarlet. No matter how your body is, or how your heart might change, as long as you possess a human’s spirit, you are still human. So don’t call yourself a monster, okay?”

I nodded at Luke’s words.

He then smiled slightly and spoke again.

“Oh, and I haven’t told you the good news yet. Scarlet, regarding your body… it was originally on a slow decline over time. But now, that deterioration is completely absent. You’re going to be able to live healthily for a long time.”

With a joyful yet tearful smile, he murmured to me.

“I’ve always worried about your condition, but now I can worry less. As long as I can see you living happily for a long time, I have no regrets. I’m truly… glad.”

Luke wore a genuinely delighted smile.

But looking at him, I couldn’t bring myself to smile.

Ah, I was supposed to be happy that my life was no longer limited.

But for some reason, I felt no joy whatsoever.

Instead, it felt like even the good news was somehow a misfortune.

To me now, even three years felt like too much time.

Amid all the ringing sounds in my head, I inwardly asked myself.

Just how much longer can I endure?