“You have something to say?”

“Yeah.”

…Here?

Suddenly?

Stunned by Siwoo’s sudden words, I blankly looked around.

People chatting loudly and machines shining brilliantly.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a celebration for finishing the exams?

I fiddled with the device in my hand that I had been using with Amelia just a moment ago.

“Um, can’t we talk about it when we get…?”

…I guess that won’t work.

Seeing Siwoo’s serious face, I swallowed my complaint about talking later.

It was more fun than I expected.

With a hint of regret, I looked at the device I had been using until now and then put it down.

It’s okay to enjoy these things again later.

It was a really amazing and interesting item, but that’s all.

Compared to Siwoo, it’s just an object worse than the garbage on the street.

“…Yes, what is it?”

By the way, what could it be all of a sudden?

No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure out the reason.

Was there a reason for Siwoo to look at me with such a serious expression?

Countless delusions flashed through my mind in an instant.

…Could it be that this place is actually a hideout for a villain organization?

To be honest, I knew this seemed like an overblown delusion.

The idea is that a secret organization exists underground in a place where people normally enjoy entertainment.

I know that such thoughts are childish, the kind that even middle school students wouldn’t have.

But because of the Author’s existence, I couldn’t help but have such suspicions.

The Author had always been like that.

Inserting absurd settings and smiling brightly, saying it would be fun.

“Well, um…”

Siwoo, who had a serious expression, suddenly looked away with a slightly troubled face.

Is it difficult to talk about it here?

“If it’s difficult to talk about it here, how about we step outside for a bit?”

“No. It’s not that… Here, will you accept this?”

“What?”

As if he had made up his mind, Siwoo held out his hand to me.

I reflexively grasped what was in Siwoo’s hand.

…A bracelet?

“This is…”

What could be Siwoo’s intention in giving me something like this?

I looked around once.

People were still laughing, chatting, and enjoying this space.

What could be the reason for giving me this kind of item in a place like this?

Certainly, it’s an item that doesn’t feel out of place when given in a place like this.

A pretty accessory that looks simple, but the black thread contrasting with the white thread adds a slight elegance.

An item with high quality, even to me who has no particular interest in accessories.

But there was a slight magical power contained in the thread.

What could this be?

Why did he suddenly hand this to me?

“It’s a bracelet.”

“…What do you think?”

“Pardon?”

Siwoo, looking extremely tense, asked for my impression.

What do I think?

What could he mean by that?

I couldn’t understand Siwoo’s words at all.

“Do you like it?”

“…I do think it’s pretty, but why?”

I couldn’t even guess what Siwoo wanted to do.

Judging from the magical power contained in the bracelet, it seems to be no ordinary item.

Could it be that the Author started plot development without my knowledge, and because of that, Siwoo is fighting a new evil organization?

But he had been with me constantly since the Author stopped talking to me.

I knew Siwoo had been doing something in his room recently, but I didn’t think he could do anything in that short amount of time.

“…I’m sorry. I really don’t know.”

So I decided to be honest.

What on earth could this item be? Why is he giving it to me?

I couldn’t understand the meaning behind this bracelet at all.

Then Siwoo, who had been looking at me with a tense expression, sighed as if he was flustered trying to explain something to me.

“…I guess my explanation was lacking. It’s a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Yeah, a gift. I made it myself. What do you think?”

He made it himself?

At those words, I unconsciously looked at the bracelet again.

Siwoo made this bracelet?

Could Siwoo be more skilled with his hands than I thought?

I fiddled with the bracelet in my hand for no reason.

I felt a soft texture on my fingertips.

“Do you want to try it on?”

“Oh, yes…?”

“Here, like this.”

Sudden words.

Perhaps Siwoo was frustrated that I didn’t show much reaction to his words about a handmade gift.

Or maybe he had planned to do this from the beginning.

Siwoo approached me and then put the bracelet on my wrist himself.

“Hmm, it’s pretty. It suits you.”

I blankly stared at Siwoo’s smiling face, saying he was glad it fit well.

It was a completely different story from what I had thought.

It wasn’t a secret story about eliminating an evil organization.

Nor a bracelet with a tragic backstory, just an ordinary gift.

“Why did you give this to me…?”

I had never seen Siwoo give a gift to anyone.

“I thought you might have been lonely.”

“…Pardon?”

“…Um, well. I figured you’ve been having a hard time when I’m not around, right?”

Scratching his head, Siwoo spoke to me carefully.

As if he didn’t want me to get hurt.

As if telling me not to misunderstand, Siwoo’s voice was full of consideration.

“You might misunderstand since I’m giving this to you after you showed that side of yourself… But actually, I’ve been making this for quite a while.”

“…For a while?”

“Yeah. I wanted to give it to you as a surprise, so I made it in secret.”

Ah.

Suddenly, I remembered Siwoo doing something alone in his room.

So he was making this.

“Amelia and Dorothy helped a lot too.”

Hearing Siwoo’s words, I was overwhelmed with self-loathing.

I thought Siwoo was being seduced by a woman and neglecting his usual training to play around.

But that wasn’t it.

He was making time here and there to make a gift for me.

I felt ashamed of myself for asking Lee Ha-Yul to investigate Siwoo.

“Thank y…”

“But Arte. I can’t always be by your side.”

“…Yes. That’s true.”

As I was about to express my gratitude, my mood sank at Siwoo’s apologetic voice.

Yeah.

As Siwoo said, he can’t be with me forever.

When taking a bath, doing laundry, etc.

It’s not just about ordinary daily life.

In the end, Siwoo will eventually end up with the heroine.

Then Siwoo won’t be able to be with me.

Who would like it if another woman lived in the house and constantly stuck to Siwoo?

…I have to be apart from Siwoo.

Someday, I won’t be able to be with Siwoo.

Even with Siwoo right in front of me, my mind started to turn white.

Someday, I will writhe in loneliness and spend the night curled up alone.

Even my vision started to turn white.

I shouldn’t think about it. I shouldn’t think about it.

I thought I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop thinking.

Apart from Siwoo.

A woman, Amelia or Dorothy, smiling happily next to Siwoo.

What will happen to me when that moment comes?

If Siwoo isn’t around me, I…

If Siwoo, the only human, isn’t around.

I couldn’t even imagine what kind of feeling I would have.

“But I will always be with you.”

“…Pardon?”

Siwoo’s voice shattered my imagination in an instant.

He said he would always be with me.

…That’s.

“That’s impossible.”

“It’s not impossible.”

“…Just a moment ago, you said you couldn’t be with me forever.”

It was a contradiction.

Siwoo’s words were full of contradictions.

Saying he couldn’t be with me forever, but he would always be with me.

Empty words.

Just as I was about to get angry, thinking he was just trying to appease me.

Siwoo said to me.

“Yeah. I can’t always be physically with you. But I will be with you.”

“What do you…”

“Do you want to try putting some magical power into this?”

“…Magical power?”

He’s telling me to put magical power into it.

If it’s something useless, I’ll get very angry.

With that in mind, I was surprised by the sensation I felt when I put magical power into the bracelet.

“This is…”

“How is it?”

I felt it.

Where Siwoo was.

Besides being right before my eyes, I was convinced I could tell where he was, even if he was far away.

I felt as if Siwoo and I were connected by an invisible thread.

“Even if I’m apart from you, Arte.”

I blankly stared at the bracelet and gradually distanced myself from Siwoo.

I felt like I could still clearly know where Siwoo was.

No matter how far apart we were.

No matter where he was or what he was doing.

I knew I would have a feeling as if Siwoo and I were connected by an invisible thread.

“We will always be together.”

Only when I looked at Siwoo to ask him how he did this did I realize,

On his wrist, there was a bracelet that looked exactly like the one I was wearing.

“Don’t worry too much, Arte. I will always run to you.”

I caressed the bracelet Siwoo gave me.

Along with the soft texture, a warm feeling spread through my chest.

“What do you think, Arte?… Do you like the gift?”

“…”

As I blankly caressed the bracelet, I saw Siwoo fidgeting, wondering where his cool appearance from earlier had gone.

That appearance.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“How could I not like it?”

A warm feeling spread and reached my heart.

Thump, thump.

What could be the emotion expressed by my pounding heart?

“Thank you for the wonderful gift.”