Ding-Ding-Ding~ Good Morning~
When I opened my eyes in a daze, sunlight was filtering through the blinds on the window. Staring up from where I lay, I was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling. For a split second, I wondered where on earth I was, but as my mind cleared, I remembered that I had moved into Yoon Siwoo's house yesterday.
Having moved so many times over the past few months, the ceilings I stared at from bed never had a chance to become familiar. Well, I wasn't typically the type of person who enjoyed moving frequently, but in this case, it was an unavoidable choice. I had no regrets. In fact, I felt like patting myself on the back for making such an excellent decision. An environment where one can sleep soundly and wake up at peace is truly of paramount importance.
Thanks to that deep, restful sleep, I was starting the day in the best condition I'd been in for days. Feeling a bit giddy, I hummed the melody looping in my head as I stepped out of my room—only to lock eyes with Yoon Siwoo, who was sitting on the living room sofa.
...Uh, did he just see that?
The moment our eyes met, Yoon Siwoo blushed and quickly looked away, confirming my suspicion that he had indeed witnessed my embarrassing display. Instantly, a dark memory from my past flashed through my mind. It was that awful day when, for some reason, I had been in high spirits and was belt-singing to myself in an elevator, only for the doors to suddenly slide open and let another passenger in.
Since the elevator had zero soundproofing, the other person had obviously heard my singing, yet we both had to share that cramped space while they desperately pretended not to notice. To escape that agonizingly awkward atmosphere, there was once a fool who decided the best course of action was to keep singing, adopting an attitude of 'I don't care if you're listening or not'...
But humans learn from their mistakes. After spending a sleepless night kicking my blankets in sheer regret over why I did such a thing, I had realized that the best way to handle these situations was to act completely nonchalant, as if nothing had happened. Doing my absolute best to hide my embarrassment, I spoke to Yoon Siwoo.
“Yoon Siwoo, good morning.”
“Huh? Oh, uh, good morning...”
“Have you had breakfast yet? If not, I can make us something.”
“Ah... Yeah, thanks.”
As Yoon Siwoo nodded blankly, his attention successfully diverted by the mention of breakfast, I inwardly cheered at how smoothly I'd moved past the awkwardness.
Breakfast was soy sauce egg rice, made with the eggs we bought yesterday. The reliable harmony of rice, egg, and soy sauce, topped with a single spoonful of fragrant sesame oil to elevate the flavor—honestly, you just can't beat it. As I was thoroughly enjoying this simple yet perfect breakfast, Yoon Siwoo, who was sitting across from me eating his own portion, suddenly asked a question.
“...Um, was there anything uncomfortable when you slept last night? Anything that bothered you?”
“Huh? No, nothing at all. Actually, last night was amazing.”
I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept so soundly. Your environment really does make a huge difference when it comes to sleep. I was lost in these thoughts when Yoon Siwoo suddenly choked on his food and started coughing violently. His face turned bright red, suggesting he'd swallowed wrong quite badly. Worried, I quickly brought him a glass of water and gently patted his back until his coughing fit finally subsided.
Yoon Siwoo took slow, deep breaths to compose himself. Now that I looked closer, he seemed incredibly fatigued, almost as if he hadn't slept a wink last night. As I wondered what was wrong, the question he had just asked clicked in my mind. Realizing what might have happened, I asked him cautiously.
“...Hey, you look like you didn't sleep well last night. Is that because of me?”
Yoon Siwoo vigorously shook his head and blurted out in a panicked voice.
“N-No! It's a misunderstanding, Scarlet! I didn't have any of those... those bad thoughts about you...!”
Seeing him break into a cold sweat and desperately deny it as if I'd hit a nerve, a wave of guilt washed over me. An outsider had suddenly barged into his personal space. Having someone invade your private sanctuary is bound to be a highly sensitive matter. Personally, I had spent two years crammed into a narrow military barracks bed with a dozen other guys, seeing and showing things we'd all rather forget, so I was thoroughly desensitized to such things. But for Yoon Siwoo, who had never experienced anything like that, it was highly likely he found the situation incredibly uncomfortable.
Yet, the reason he hadn't refused my moving in was probably because he knew my general situation. Yoon Siwoo wasn't heartless enough to reject a request from someone with only a few years left to live. And because of his soft heart, no matter how he truly felt, he would never be able to tell me to my face that my presence was so bothersome that he couldn't even sleep.
Filled with apology, I spoke to him gently.
“No, it's okay... I know how it is. You were living alone, and then I suddenly barged in, so of course it's going to weigh on your mind. You don't have to pretend otherwise.”
“I'm telling you, it's really not like that! Do you know how hard I've been trying not to think about... urk?!”
“So you were thinking about it...?”
“No, I...! Ah, ugh... That is, I'm sorry...”
Terrified that his true feelings had slipped out, Yoon Siwoo turned pale and bowed his head, apologizing profusely. I gently made him look up, meeting his eyes as his face flushed so red it looked ready to burst.
“Why are you the one apologizing? I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm sorry for making things awkward for you. You went out of your way to grant my favor, so I really want to do something for you in return... but since I have nothing to offer but my body, there isn't much I can do. Instead, please don't hesitate to ask me for anything while I'm staying here. If it's within my power, I promise I won't refuse. Okay?”
“......I get it. I get it, so please...”
Perhaps utterly mortified that he'd let his 'annoyance' show, Yoon Siwoo mumbled his reply with a burning red face and practically bolted back into his room. He didn't show his face for the rest of the morning.
“......Are you going out?”
“Yeah, there's something I need to check on.”
Having holed himself up in his room, Yoon Siwoo finally emerged when I called him for lunch. Seeing me dressed in outdoor clothes, he asked the question. When I answered, he still seemed unable to meet my eyes, keeping his head lowered as he mumbled.
“......Have a safe trip.”
“I'll be back. I'll make sure to return before dinner, so let's eat together later.”
“......Okay.”
I said goodbye to Yoon Siwoo and stepped out. The moment the front door closed behind me, I felt a slight tremor in my hands. I let out a bitter laugh at the instinctive reaction. To think I'm already like this just from being slightly apart from him. It was a relief that Yoon Siwoo was currently on leave, but I was already starting to worry about what I would do when we actually had to be separated for longer periods.
...In the end, I just have to keep a tight grip on my sanity. With that thought, I set off. My task for today was simple. I needed to investigate the changes that had occurred in my body ever since I was dragged away by the Witch. Naturally, my destination was not a hospital. The doctor who had been shocked last time by how much my condition had improved would probably faint if he saw my body now. My current state was something that absolutely had to be kept hidden from others. And there was only one person who knew me well enough to consult on a condition like this.
The place I visited was a shabby building tucked away in a corner of the city. Pushing open the closed door, I descended into the basement. In a room filled with various medical and scientific equipment, a man was already waiting for me.
“......It's been a while.”
The one who greeted me was Luke—my guardian. He looked incredibly exhausted. As I bowed to return his greeting, a bitter smile touched his lips.
“I heard you've been through a lot. I'm sorry I couldn't visit you sooner. There have been far too many eyes on me lately. Slipping away undetected took some time. At any rate, you said your body feels strange?”
“......Yes, I was hoping you could take a look. Do you happen to have anything sharp?”
“...Something sharp? Will this do?”
At my question, Luke pulled a pen from his pocket and handed it to me. It might look a bit shocking, but seeing is believing. I took the ballpoint pen he offered and stabbed it hard into the back of my hand.
“What are you doing?! All of a sudden...!”
“Calm down, and just watch.”
Though Luke cried out in shock, I calmly showed him my bleeding hand, pierced by the pen. After a brief moment, his face contorted in sheer disbelief.
“......It healed? What on earth...”
“I came to show you this. I wanted to see if you might know what's going on.”
“......I think I'm going to need some explanation.”
I gave him a brief explanation of what I had experienced and my own theories on why my body had ended up like this. Afterward, I lay down on a suspicious-looking device and underwent various scans. Luke reviewed the test results, his expression hardening as he murmured.
“Whew, Magi... I've spent so much time searching for a way to improve your condition, but to think that was the solution. By the way, Scarlet, did you already know about your previous condition?”
“......Yes. I overheard you saying I didn't have long to live. That I had three years at most.”
“......Ah, so you knew. Well, I have one piece of bad news and one piece of good news. Which would you like to hear first?”
“......The bad news first, please.”
At my words, Luke let out a deep sigh and pointed toward my chest.
“Originally, there were seven fragments of a Witch's heart embedded throughout your body to allow you to wield their power... But now, with the exception of the one in your prosthetic arm, all of those fragments have fused together right where your heart is. I don't know how this happened, but it's likely the reason your body has changed. Your body, which was once closer to human... has transformed, shifting much closer to that of a Witch.”
I gently stroked my chest at his words. A bitter smile slipped onto my face as I murmured.
“......Then, am I no longer human, but a monster?”
“......That's not true. Absolutely not.”
Luke gripped my shoulders firmly at my murmur. Though his eyes swirled with a complex mix of emotions, there was one feeling that stood out above all else. Trust. With a voice filled with absolute conviction, he spoke to me.
“Remember this, Scarlet. No matter what happens to your body, or even your heart, as long as you possess a human soul, you are human. So never call yourself a monster. Do you understand?”
I nodded at his words. A gentle smile spread across Luke's face as he continued.
“Come to think of it, I haven't told you the good news yet. Scarlet, your body... it was originally in a state of gradual, irreversible collapse. But now, there's no sign of that decay whatsoever. You will be able to live a long, healthy life.”
Smiling through the tears welling in his eyes, he whispered to me.
“I was always so worried about your health, but now I can finally put those fears to rest. If I can just watch you live a long, happy life, I will have no regrets left in this world. I am truly... so incredibly relieved.”
He wore a smile of pure, unadulterated joy. But looking at him, I couldn't bring myself to smile back. Ah. The fact that my life was no longer on a countdown was something I should have been celebrating. Yet, the smile wouldn't come. Even this felt like bad news. Because to the current me, even three years felt far too long. Amidst the voices echoing inside my head, I silently asked myself: Just how much longer can I hold on?