Arte gasped for breath, clutching at her chest.

Thunk, thunk.

I tried pulling on the locked front door in vain.

The tightly shut door wouldn’t budge no matter what.

Afraid of getting caught, I hastily let go of the handle.

“…It won’t open.”

Despite expecting it wouldn’t open, an inexplicable disappointment washed over me.

I could cut through the door if I wanted to force my way in.

But then I would definitely get caught.

Giving up, I watched Siwoo through the gap in the curtains, his figure faintly illuminated by the bright interior lights.

For some reason, unlike usual, the curtains weren’t fully drawn.

So, I was able to observe Siwoo more easily than I normally do.

Hmm, I’m not sure why the curtains are open tonight, but it’s convenient.

It feels like I lucked out.

Since it’s usually hard to see what Siwoo is up to…

Speaking of which, what is he doing right now?

It looked like he was using his computer to search for something.

“…What is it? Hmm, I can’t see well.”

He seems to be looking something up, but I can’t determine what’s on the screen from here.

After searching for a while, Siwoo sighed and started making a phone call to someone.

Then he went back to searching.

With the phone still at his ear, Siwoo was absorbed in something.

…Who is it?

I desperately wanted to check the name of the person Siwoo was talking to on his phone right then.

But it was impossible.

I could infiltrate Siwoo’s room, sure.

But then Siwoo might judge me as an enemy.

I can’t have that.

Suppressing my fervent desire to find out the contents of the conversation, I simply watched over Siwoo.

“…Nothing seems different from usual.”

The only things out of the ordinary were him making a phone call to someone and briefly using his computer to search for something.

Siwoo’s day seemed no different than any other.

Swinging his sword in the yard, eating meals, washing up.

The same boring routine day after day.

Thankfully, it didn’t appear like any assassins had come after Siwoo.

Sighing in relief, I decided to head back as usual.

Since it seemed Siwoo had gone to sleep.

I should get going too.

The moment I was about to leave Siwoo’s house, the curtains now drawn, I felt something off with my body.

My chest felt tight, cold sweat ran down my back, and I couldn’t steady my legs.

“Heuk, heuk, I…I can’t breathe…”

I couldn’t breathe.

Even pounding on my chest in distress changed nothing.

The sudden symptoms filled me with bewilderment and fear.

What the hell is this all of a sudden…!

“Heuk, cough… A-Author-n…”

The Author was the only one I could think of who might be able to do something like this to me.

So I called out her name, my voice laced with consternation at this abrupt turn of events.

But still, no answer came. The Author had remained silent for days now.

…Come to think of it, did she say she could modify me?

I couldn’t remember. My mind went utterly blank.

“D-Don’t help me… Don’t help…!”

I cried out almost like a scream, forcibly squeezing the scant oxygen left in my lungs.

This can’t be happening.

There’s no way the Author can help me. She couldn’t possibly.

She hasn’t done anything to me.

This has to be… right…

Something must be wrong with how I was made. It has to be.

The Author couldn’t have done anything.

Because if that were possible, then I’d be…

No different than the people I’ve killed.

That absolutely cannot be the case.

I already know the answer. I’m human. Those people were puppets.

That’s how it was meant to be.

That’s how I must have been created.

“Keuk, keuh…”

Was it because I forced myself to expel my breath?

It became even harder to breathe, and I clutched at my throat.

Heuk, heuk.

I gasped for air however I could, but it wasn’t enough.

Hyperventilating didn’t help either.

Is this how I die?

Suddenly? But why?

Just as my mind started going hazy, the sudden warmth of hands grasping my shoulders brought me back to my senses.

“Arte! Arte! Are you okay?!”

Perhaps because he rushed out, Siwoo was barefoot in his pajamas, repeatedly calling my name in a fluster.

“Huu, huu… You’re okay, right?”

“S-Siwoo…?”

“Yeah. It’s me, Arte. Are you alright?”

How did he find me?

I really thought I might die.

Since I couldn’t hear the Author’s voice, I figured I couldn’t be sure of my safety either.

But with Siwoo suddenly appearing by my side, my breathing gradually stabilized.

“Thank you. I’m okay now, thanks to you.”

I’m not sure why, but my breathing suddenly got difficult to the point I thought I would die.

It’s not like I got better just because Siwoo was here, but…

Since it seemed he ran out in a hurry to help me, I thanked him.

However, this was troublesome.

If he asked me why I was here, I didn’t have an answer prepared.

So, after expressing my gratitude, I tried to extricate myself from the situation quickly.

That is, if not for Siwoo’s next words.

“Where are you going in that condition? Rest for a bit before you leave.”

“…What?”

“I can tell you’re trying to go somewhere. But you don’t look well, so rest for a bit first.”

Where Siwoo gestured, I saw a door.

The door I had just failed to open a moment ago.

The door that had been tightly shut now stood wide open as if welcoming me.

“You don’t need to ask me how I knew… You’re aware of my ability, aren’t you?”

Intuition, huh.

What a convenient skill.

Putting aside what kind of intuition lets you know, even something like that…

There likely isn’t any other ability as useful as that one.

It could help you avoid getting hit in battle and seems extremely handy for everyday life, too.

I felt a bit envious.

With my abilities, the most I can do is slice things or leave my body to silk threads to admire the night scenery.

“Don’t refuse, just come in.”

“…Then, please excuse my intrusion for a bit.”

I was happy to be able to enter Siwoo’s house.

…But why did I want to go inside in the first place?

I couldn’t remember. Oh well, as long as it feels nice, it’s fine.

***

“Phew… That startled me…”

Leaving Arte briefly in the living room, Siwoo entered the bathroom and tried to calm his racing heart.

Figuring Arte had probably returned by now, Siwoo drew the curtains and changed into his sleepwear before lying on the bed.

But the moment he did, a sudden unease overcame him, and he rushed outside.

There, he saw Arte clutching her throat, overtaken by panic.

It seemed she was having difficulty breathing.

“…This is serious.”

Siwoo was now certain of the new issue he had suspected with Arte.

That night, Siwoo had used his computer to look up Arte’s various symptoms.

Separation anxiety.

Extreme unease about being apart from one’s object of attachment.

Because Arte’s behavior that afternoon reminded him of it.

Clinging to him to sleep, showing distress when he’s not around.

There was also how flustered she got earlier when he suggested parting ways for the day to test things.

And her state just now.

Siwoo had no choice but to acknowledge it.

It appeared Arte became extremely anxious being separated from him.

“What a headache.”

He’s truly grateful that Arte thinks of him so much.

However, I don’t want that to go so far as to cause her physical harm.

Siwoo smiled bitterly at the heavy feeling in his chest, then quickly decided to go outside.

If Arte was suffering from separation anxiety, then even this situation wasn’t safe.

“Ah, are you finished?”

“Yeah.”

Thankfully, Arte seemed to be okay.

Siwoo sighed in relief, hand over his heart.

He never wanted to see her like that again.

Arte gasping for breath, clutching at her throat.

Witnessing that once was more than enough.

“Um, but is there really a need for me to stay here any longer…?”

“Sleep here tonight.”

“What?!”

“It’s late, you know. It’d be dangerous for a girl. You’re aware public safety has been poor lately.”

“B-But…”

Arte isn’t an ordinary girl–she’s a member of Arachne.

She should have the strength to protect herself, at least.

But that’s only when she’s in peak condition.

Arte is mentally unstable right now.

Moreover, seeing how she’s talking about going back, she doesn’t even know why she had trouble breathing.

If her breathing were to become labored again on the way home with no one around to help, it’d
be a huge problem.

‘As long as she sticks by me, there’s no reason for that, right?’

I’ve resolved to help Arte no matter what when she’s struggling, so Siwoo was confident he could handle at least this much.

“Sleep here. If you go back now, you’ll be late again tomorrow, won’t you?”

“…Well, if you insist that much.”

Fortunately, Arte accepted his suggestion.

“So, would it be alright for me to sleep in the living room or guest room? And do you have any spare blankets…”

“No. Let’s sleep together.”

“What?!”

He knows this sounds absurd.

If he said this kind of thing to anyone else, he’d deserve to get sued for sexual harassment, no question.

However, that thought never even crossed Siwoo’s mind. He made the suggestion purely for Arte’s sake.

‘If being apart makes her anxious, then I just need to stay by her side. Isn’t that right?’

“Don’t worry, Arte. It’s not dangerous. I’ll watch over you.”

To alleviate Arte’s anxiety, Siwoo vowed to stick close to her no matter what.

But Siwoo failed to realize,

How his words would come across to Arte.

Author’s Notes

Those who experienced hyperventilation would know,

It really overwhelms your mind.