When a person is dumbfounded, they often find themselves speechless.

The sheer absurdity and confusion made my thoughts stumble and falter.

‘...No.’

Blinking my eyes in disbelief, I pursed my lips as a sudden thought crossed my mind.

[It’s unfair.]

“Huh? Unfair, you say?”

[Yeah.] [When someone says ‘spend the day together,’ it’s only natural to assume it means until the evening of that day.]

“But I clearly emphasized it was just one day... and you accepted it, Hayul.”

Baek Ahrin tilted her head innocently.

I couldn’t help but find her demeanor irksome.

Of course, her words were full of playful mischief, but...

It was also true that during our agreement, she had emphasized ‘one day,’ and I hadn’t given it much thought before nodding along.

It left me feeling frustrated in several ways. But, I couldn’t undo the fact that I had agreed.

After a brief moment of contemplation, I projected my thoughts into the necklace.

[Still, 24 hours is too long.] [Staying up all night is too exhausting.]

“Huh?”

[Besides, what could we even do all night?] [Wouldn't it be better to just enjoy ourselves for a bit and part ways?]

I changed my approach.

Instead of complaining about feeling tricked, I opted for persuasion.

Calming down, I figured Baek Ahrin didn’t really intend for us to hang out for a full 24 hours.

She probably just wanted to tease me. After all, her expression held a hint of mischief.

As I subtly tried to negotiate, her expression shifted in a peculiar way, as if my prediction had been spot on.

Her blinking eyes scanned my face, evaluating me several times before her mouth dropped open in realization.

“...Pfft.”

Then, out of nowhere, she let out a soft giggle.

Eventually, she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.

Even though her hand covered it, I could clearly sense through my Observation Power how her lips curled into a smile.

“You’re acting like a child again.”

“?”

And with that, she added an odd remark.

[I’m not a child…]

Lately, people around me have been making such absurd accusations.

Sure, my personality might be a bit... childish, but I wasn’t that immature.

I firmly shook my head in disagreement, but Baek Ahrin continued giggling and simply tugged my hand, urging me to walk faster.

...

And so, despite my protests, I ended up following Baek Ahrin.

Even with all the various presences around us, the sound of her steps beside me rang out clearly.

“Oh, right.”

As we continued walking toward our destination, Baek Ahrin suddenly pulled a plastic bag out of her spatial pocket.

There was something inside the bag, something white as snow with a glossy surface, and elongated...

[A rice cake?]

“Yep, a rice cake.”

It was, indeed, a rice cake.

I tilted my head in curiosity, and Baek Ahrin expertly pulled one out of the bag and handed it to me.

“I brought this for you to eat. You must be hungry since we haven’t eaten yet. Have some as a snack before we head to the restaurant.”

‘Why the sudden rice cake?’

This pure white rice cake... last time, when we studied together, she had brought traditional sweets like yakgwa, and she often nibbled on red ginseng candy herself...

It was clear that, just like in the original story, Baek Ahrin had some peculiar tastes.

I looked at the rice cake she offered me with a puzzled expression, and as I moved my hand to accept it, I realized there was a problem. With only one hand available, I couldn’t take it properly.

“?”

I couldn’t take it because Baek Ahrin tightened her grip on my hand.

— Squeeze.

Instead, she pushed the rice cake closer to my lips.

Even though it was still in the plastic bag, it was soft and warm, like it had just been freshly made.

“These kinds of things are meant to be fed to someone else. Now, say ‘Ah~.’”

[I can eat it myself.]

“Nope.”

I tried to signal her by manipulating the wings floating behind me, but she dismissed it for some bizarre reason.

Judging by her expression, it seemed she was still intent on teasing me.

I glanced around briefly. Among the bustling crowd, several people were discreetly watching us.

Their gazes were filled with various emotions... mostly surprise, curiosity, and intrigue.

Even though I had grown accustomed to being the center of attention, I didn’t want to do anything strange in front of all these people.

Reluctantly, I gathered myself and opened my mouth.

The rice cake was immediately pushed between my lips.

Its soft, warm texture brushed against the roof of my mouth, and the long rice cake tapped against my cheek.

I closed my mouth.

The warmth and softness met my teeth, and soon the rice cake broke apart as I chewed it.

‘Hmm...’

I swallowed.

I took another bite from the rice cake that was offered to me again.

Chewing... swallowing.

‘Hmm...’

I hadn’t eaten rice cake often before, but I knew it’s usually eaten with sugar or honey because the rice cake itself doesn’t have much flavor.

It has a distinct, subtle savor, but it’s too bland to eat on its own.

That wasn’t a problem for me right now. Due to the curse, I couldn’t taste anything, whether it was honey or sugar.

— Chewing...

‘...It’s better than I expected.’

Though rice cake doesn’t have a strong flavor, I had always enjoyed it for its texture.

Even now, with the curse robbing me of my taste, I could still feel the texture, so it wasn’t too bad.

“How is it?”

As I continued chewing, Baek Ahrin, who was walking beside me and feeding me the rice cake, asked.

She waved the rice cake in her hand.

“Isn’t it fine even without sugar or honey?”

After thinking about it for a moment, I nodded, and Baek Ahrin smiled as if she had expected that answer.

“Well then, since your hunger is a little sated with that snack... let’s visit the art gallery before we head to the restaurant.”

[The art gallery?]

“Yeah. There are a few galleries in the commercial district. I’m not sure if it’s rude to ask, but have you ever been to an art gallery, Hayul?”

[No.]

I had, of course, seen them online, but I had never been to one in person.

“Then, would you mind going with me?”

[Sure.] [That’s fine.]

“Great. Thank you! I’ve been curious about something, and I hope to find some answers today.”

[What are you curious about?]

As she led the way, Baek Ahrin responded.

“How does your sensory ability interpret art pieces, I wonder?”

...

We arrived at one of the galleries within Shioram Academy.

The building was constructed with smooth white stone.

There weren’t many people inside.

Of course, with so many other distractions outside, it wasn’t surprising that not many people chose to visit the gallery.

The red carpet on the floor marked the path, leading visitors around the exhibits.

Baek Ahrin continued holding my hand, guiding me as we explored the gallery.

It was quiet, likely because, being a gallery, everyone kept their voices low.

“What do you think? How does it feel through your senses?”

‘Gah.’

In the midst of the serene atmosphere, Baek Ahrin leaned in and whispered into my ear, as if trying to maintain the silence.

Each time she did so, her breath brushed against my ear, causing my body to shiver involuntarily.

Had I not controlled my reaction, I might’ve squirmed like a fish out of water.

[It tickles.]

I shook my head, dispelling the sensation.

Baek Ahrin giggled and pointed to one of the exhibits.

“Sorry. Your reactions are just too cute. But seriously, I’m genuinely curious. How does it feel for you?”

As if trying to console me, she offered an apology, though it felt half-hearted.

Despite my lingering dissatisfaction, I nodded in acknowledgment and turned my focus to the piece she pointed at.

The frame held an abstract drawing of a black square, flanked by white, with a gray line in between.

‘Ah, that one.’

It was a famous piece that I had seen in my previous world.

A line that appears to tilt, even though it’s perfectly straight, between the black and white squares.

It had always fascinated me when I saw it on a screen.

[It feels... ordinary.]

“Really?”

It didn’t feel as fascinating now.

Each gallery displayed different types of artwork, and the one we were in featured pieces focused on optical illusions.

True to its theme, every piece here was designed to trick the eyes.

A room where the geometric patterns on the walls seemed to ripple and move.

Sculptures whose expressions changed depending on the angle from which they were viewed.

A video of a man running forward, yet if you stared long enough, it looked as if he was running backward...

[It just feels like complex patterns.]
[The interior is made of plaster mixed with clay, with a copper coating.]
[As for this painting... it seems they used ox blood as a pigment.]

None of it affected me.

From what I understood, there are many reasons for optical illusions.

One of the most common is physiological, where the eyes process things in a way that creates an illusion.

Another is cognitive, where the brain tries to simplify what it sees, leading to mistakes.

There are surely other, more detailed reasons, but none of them applied to me.

I didn’t rely on my eyes to perceive the world, after all, thanks to my Observation Power.

Observation (觀測).

It doesn’t merely substitute for sight; it gathers information about whatever I observe.

Thanks to this ability, I was immune to illusions, hallucinations, and other forms of visual deception.

Not only that, but I could also ignore protection spells or defensive barriers that relied on visual tricks.

“Hayul, your sensory ability really is something else.”

Baek Ahrin murmured, wiggling her fingers in amazement as she absorbed my explanation.

“You can replace sight by analyzing colors and shades, your detection range extends far beyond normal, it works even in chaotic dungeons, and you can pierce through illusions and barriers? And you're still in the early stages of development?”

Baek Ahrin counted off each point on her fingers, shaking her head in disbelief.

“You’re the kind of sensor that any faction would kill to have.”

I wasn’t surprised by her amazement and simply nodded.

‘Well, it’s a divine power, so it should be powerful.’

In terms of strength, my Observation Power was on par with abilities like Growth or Frost, or the power wielded by the Tower Lord of Purgatory.

Though I couldn’t use it to its full potential yet.

Eventually, when I reach a certain level, I’ll be able to use Observation on a continental scale, like the legendary ‘Observer.’

‘It’s also made cooking a lot easier.’

This remarkable ability was what allowed me to prepare breakfast for my master this morning.

Without the ability to taste or smell, I could barely distinguish between salt and sugar.

I couldn’t rely on my sense of smell or taste to help me cook.

I might have been able to tell them apart visually, but since I was also blind, that wasn’t an option.

However, with Observation, it was simple.

Not only could I substitute for sight, but I could also analyze the ingredients, though it required more mental effort. Still, it was easy to tell things apart.

It helped a lot during the cooking process, allowing me to measure the exact amount of seasoning and monitor the cooking process in real-time.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure it would work at first, but it turned out even better than I expected.

Of course, it was just a simple breakfast dish, but I figured I’d see more significant results if I tried something more complicated.

...

Time passed.

The bright morning sun faded, and the carefully maintained pavement was now bathed in the deep orange glow of the setting sun.

Though it wasn’t dark yet, the streetlights were beginning to flicker on in anticipation of the night.

The streets had only grown more crowded as the day wore on.

In the morning, the pubs were deserted, but now they were bustling with activity, likely because they were gearing up for the evening crowd.

“So, how was today? Were you satisfied?”

As I scanned the surroundings with my Observation Power, Baek Ahrin, who had been doing the same, asked me.

Her soft smile accompanied the question, and I briefly recalled the events of the past few hours.

The gallery, which had been interesting when analyzed visually, though I hadn’t felt much otherwise.

The department store filled with a variety of goods I had never seen in my previous world.

The traditional dishes from some foreign country that I couldn’t taste but had an interesting texture.

[Yes.]

The cool but familiar sensation of the soft hand that had been guiding me.

[I was satisfied.]

At the very least, I hadn’t regretted going out.

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Seeing my response, Baek Ahrin let out a soft sigh of relief and chuckled.

“Then, it’s time for the last course.”

With those words, she once again tugged on my hand, leading me forward.

By now, I had grown accustomed to following her, and as I walked, I glanced at the time.

6:00 PM.

It wasn’t too late.

I let out a sigh of relief.

The whole “24-hour” thing had clearly been a joke.

‘We’ll probably have dinner and then part ways or visit one last place before calling it a day.’

It seemed like perfect timing.

...

[What is this?]

I tilted my head as I looked at the building in front of me.

It was a massive dome-shaped structure, almost as large as a soccer field.

What stood out the most was the interior of the dome, filled with magical crystals and inscriptions, far more than any other building I had seen.

Though other buildings also had magical barriers and protections, none were as densely packed as this one.

And despite its size, I couldn’t sense any people inside.

“You’ll find out once we go inside.”

Baek Ahrin smiled mysteriously at my question and urged me forward.

With no other choice, I followed her into the building.

The lobby was completely empty.

Undeterred, Baek Ahrin approached the desk and used her smartwatch to verify something at the kiosk before leading me to a large door.

She opened it, revealing a long staircase.

‘What’s this?’

The stairs seemed to go on forever. It was quite an enigmatic facility.

My curiosity only grew stronger, and since it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, I refrained from using my Observation Power to scan the building’s interior.

At the end of the stairs, we came across another large door.

When we finally reached it, Baek Ahrin pushed the doors open with both hands.

This must be it.

I focused my growing curiosity and turned my Observation Power toward the interior as the doors opened.

The dome-shaped ceiling, just as I had expected.

And beneath it.

At the center of the room was a single, massive bed.

“?”

A question mark popped up in my head.

...

____________________

 

[Lee Hayul → Baek Ahrin] ●●●●●●○○○○ (60▷63/100) 「Affection」 「Curiosity」 「Confusion」

...

[You have not satisfied the conditions to break the 'Curse of Silence.']
[You have not satisfied the conditions to break the 'Curse of Loneliness.']