I hugged the pillow on the bed tightly and pulled the covers over me.

It’s warm. It would be a lie to say it’s not.

The cozy blanket, the luxurious pillow, and the soft, fluffy bed.

These small things are the good parts of crossing over to this world. I normally wouldn’t dare covet these expensive items.

The high-end bedding is definitely cozy and warm, as befitting the price.

But, but why…

“It’s… lacking.”

It’s warm, but it’s not warm.

I know better than anyone that it’s clearly contradictory.

It doesn’t make sense to say it’s warm but not warm, right?

But I can clearly feel it. It’s not warm.

The blanket that was cozy up until yesterday…

I suddenly covered my head with the blanket up to my ears and closed my eyes for fear that I would hear the Author’s voice.

Doing this can’t stop me from hearing the Author’s voice.

I know that well too.

But if I don’t at least do something like this, I won’t be able to bear it.

Why isn’t she saying anything?

Why? For what reason?

She definitely heard it, right? Right?

The possibility that she didn’t hear it doesn’t exist.

Because I directly heard the Author’s startled voice.

She definitely heard it. I’m certain.

But why aren’t you saying anything?

I hugged the pillow in my arms even tighter.

It still wasn’t warm.

“… Author. Are you asleep?”

There was no reply.

Since that time, the Author hasn’t given me any response.

Why could that be?

Is it because she’s embarrassed? Or is she disappointed in me?

I couldn’t know.

I felt even more anxious because the Author had never been like this.

“Please, answer me…”

There were actually many times I wished the Author didn’t exist.

If that were really the case, I would be able to accept this world as reality.

I could enjoy the world and go on adventures like the web novel protagonists I’ve seen before.

It would be fine even if I didn’t feel like a human who fell among a puppet show.

But now that the Author has really disappeared, I feel anxious instead.

Why isn’t there a response? Why isn’t there any word? Have I been abandoned?

I became scared.

The Author, the only basis I have to judge that I’m human, has disappeared.

Seeing people change, seeing society shift, I thought I was different from those puppets…

If the Author secretly changed my settings, I would have no way of knowing.

I would just perceive it as reality.

The Author was a basis for me. A place where information came from.

The fact that Lyla changed. The fact that Investigator Lee Ha-Yul changed. The fact that Amelia’s past changed slightly.

The appearance of the secret room. The number of members in Arachne. And so much other information.

It’s all information I found out through the Author.

Then what am I if she isn’t here?

Am I no different from the people I considered puppets?

…Haha. I don’t know.

I hugged the pillow in my arms once more.

I still couldn’t feel any warmth.

I missed that warm temperature I felt during the day.

I shouldn’t have run away.

***

“It’s strange…”

“What is?”

“No, it’s just that Arte didn’t show up at my house last night.”

“…?”

“She usually comes every day, but she didn’t come yesterday… I’m a bit worried.”

Amelia was confused about where even to start.

Is the problem Siwoo, who’s worried that Arte didn’t stalk his house?

Or is it Arte’s fault, stalking Siwoo every day without fail, causing him to worry when she rested for a day?

Amelia pondered for a while and reached a conclusion.

Neither of them is in their right mind.

“Are you sure your head is okay?”

“…? Yes. Of course, I’m not hurt anywhere.”

Great, he doesn’t get it.

Amelia decided not to mind the stalking anymore.

It seemed like talking to him wouldn’t work.

If the two of them are fine with it, then that’s good enough.

Amelia regretted that maybe she should have given them a stern talking-to last time.

“Was it too hasty of me to talk about the Author?”

“Well, that’s true. According to what you said, they’re always watching.”

“…”

What Siwoo said yesterday was truly shocking.

Hearing all the objective facts he knew and his speculations, she couldn’t help but be astonished.

The Author. Arte’s mental issues.

Puppets. Humans. And all the things Arte has shown until now.

If all of that is true, then it was definitely too hasty.

No, it was beyond hasty.

It was extremely dangerous.

“You need to be a bit more cautious, Siwoo. If you want to help Arte, that is.”

“…I know.”

“I’m saying this because it seems like you don’t know. Arte might not have made the night.”

“…”

No one besides Arte knows the Author’s true nature.

That Author is always watching her.

If she is scared enough to beg on the spot without regard to Siwoo being present, then they definitely hold her lifeline or something even beyond that.

‘But we don’t know how the surveillance occurs or even how they converse. And you went and said something like that in that situation?’

It’s dangerous, isn’t it?

“…Well, it can’t be helped since you already said it. Arte isn’t here yet?”

“Yeah. She hasn’t come yet.”

“It seems about time for her to arrive… It should be fine. Let’s wait ten more minutes.”

Thirty minutes have passed since then.

Arte didn’t come.

“…Hey, Siwoo. Isn’t Arte really late compared to when she usually arrives?”

Amelia asked, but there was no reply.

Wondering what he was doing not to answer, she turned to look at Siwoo, only to see him biting his nails with a worried expression.

Was he bothered by what she said earlier?

Anyone could see he looked anxious.

“Hey, Siwoo!”

“Huh?… Uh, sorry. I was just thinking about something else for a bit. What is it?”

“Don’t worry. Arte will be fine.”

“…”

“Arte isn’t just some ordinary person, right? Something must have come up to make her late.”

“R-right…”

“Yeah. So don’t worry.”

‘Jeez, they really need a lot of attention.’

Both Arte and Siwoo.

She forced herself to brush away the anxiety and smiled brightly.

She had to do that for this dimwit to be reassured.

Fortunately, he seemed to have come to his senses as he smiled slightly at her.

“Thanks, Amelia.”

“Before worrying about others, take care of yourself first.”

But really, why is she late?

‘It can’t be that something really did happen to her because of that person called the Author like I said…right?’

Amelia told him not to be anxious, but right after something like that happened yesterday…

Arte was much later than usual, so she couldn’t help but worry.

‘Should I try calling her?’

The moment she was about to contact Arte, the sound of the classroom door suddenly opening resounded.

“…Hello.”

“Ah, Arte. Why does your face look like that…?”

The familiar polite speech.

It was Arte’s voice.

The relief that my worries were for nothing was short-lived.

She was taken aback by her exhausted face.

Arte looked like someone who hadn’t slept properly in ten days.

Can a person change this much in a single day?

“You, you… stayed up all night?”

“Whew… Yes, yes… No I slept…”

“What time did you sleep?”

“Umm, 2 AM…? No, 3 AM… 4 AM… 5 AM was it…? No, 8 AM?”

Amelia was shocked at the time every time she spoke.

She didn’t sleep at all.

It seemed she had stayed up the whole night.

“You, you didn’t sleep?!”

“I couldn’t fall asleep.”

“…”

If the two of them were anxious about what might’ve happened last night,

Then what thoughts did Arte herself have?

Amelia couldn’t easily imagine what she was thinking.

“Yaaaawn…”

The sight of Arte yawning loudly entered her vision.

It could seem peaceful, like any other day, but that wasn’t the case.

Their relationship has changed greatly.

Since finding out Arte’s secret.

“Ah. Hello.”

“…Hi, Arte.”

Perhaps due to the guilt of making Arte anxious by talking unnecessarily…

Siwoo, who couldn’t easily meet her eyes, was stared at intently by Arte.

What?

“…Ah. Right.”

Her confusion and Siwoo’s was short-lived.

That confusion turned to astonishment.

Because Arte took an action that would normally be unimaginable.

“Ah, Arte?!”

“Mmm… It’s warm…”

“Oh…”

“What, oh?! H, help me!”

It was a sudden situation.

Arte threw herself at Siwoo.

He seemed to have sensed it and tried to dodge it but thought Arte might get hurt if he did, so he caught her in his arms.

“You’re warm…”

“Arte? What is this all of a sudden… Arte? Arte?”

“She’s sleeping?”

Inhale, exhale.

Breathing evenly, Arte fell into a deep sleep.

Siwoo tried to get out of her embrace in bewilderment, but seeing her furrowing her brows every time he tried, he gave up and left her be.

“…Hey, what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Suspicious…”

“What did I do to deserve this!?”

‘Chance!’

A chance to tease Siwoo.

Amelia decided to wait for Arte to wake up while tormenting him.

“Hello. Huh? Why is Arte sleeping…”

“Oh, you came at a good time. Dorothy. Listen to what I have to say…”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my…”

Arte said she stayed up all night, was it?

She’ll sleep for at least four hours.

‘Then as payback for making me worry, I’ll tease you to the fullest, Siwoo.’

___________________________

Author’s Notes

Obsession ON

Fan art has been uploaded in the announcements. Everyone, please take a look.

Thank you for it!