Blissful Night, Catastrophic Monday

"What the hell is going on?"

"Ehehe... Si-hyun, it means hug me more, da..."

Rub rub— Ever since we got back ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the tent after stargazing, Lea had been glued right to my side.

"Si-hyun~ It means let's share the blanket and cuddle, da~"

Like she absolutely couldn't let go, she kept rubbing her face against me nonstop.

'She must really love that bracelet.'

Lea kept giggling as she matched her bracelet to mine over and over, dozens of times.

"Kkhit... Si-hyun and this body are always together, da... Kkhit."

Kkhit. That laugh sounded familiar from somewhere... Nah, must be my imagination. Haha.

I laid Lea down on the soft mat and tucked her in with the blanket.

"Uuu~ Si-hyun, this body doesn't wanna sleep yet~~"

"You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were yawning nonstop earlier though?"

"Huaaaam~ But on a night when my heart's pounding like this, you can't just sleep it away, da...'

Smooch~~~ Lea seemed to be imagining something embarrassing, clutching the blanket with both hands and peeking out only her face.

'Kkh... She's, she's so damn cute...!'

But! I'm not the kind of guy who falls for temptation that easily!

"Ehehe, so Si-hyun wants to stay with this body too."

·····Five seconds ago I was all "not falling for it," or something.

Pat pat— Before I knew it, I was lying next to Lea, resting my head on one arm while squishing her soft cheeks this way and that.

'Damn it, I could hold back against Victoria or Ga-eun somehow... but Lea's on Luna's level, so no self-control.'

Who could resist the temptation of a purring beauty right in front of them like a cat? Anyone who could is 200% impotent, I swear.

While I was busy making excuses in my head, squeeze. Lea grabbed my arm with her small hand and started scanning my face intently, like she was examining it.

Her half-lidded purple eyes, sleepy yet focused—what was she staring at so hard? Those dreamy eyes seemed to be recalling something beyond my face.

"Lea, something on my face?"

"Hey, Si-hyun... Do you like this body...?"

"Haha, asking that out of nowhere?"

"Ehehe... Girls always wanna hear it confirmed, da...'

The girl smiled shyly, cheeks flushing. It was a far cry from her usual expressions—no haughty knight, no mighty ghost story, just the face of a girl in love.

Seeing that, I knew right away. This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a crucial turning point!

'A chance to make Lea see herself not as a ghost story, but as an ordinary, loved girl.'

Lea had always craved recognition. As a knight, as a powerful ghost story. It was like that was her sole reason for living—she'd demand people kneel whenever she met them, throwing tantrums or crying if refused.

Looking back now, it was all her way of defining herself. A girl who'd lost most memories, desperately clawing for a foothold to stand on.

'All she remembered was being a ghost story, so no wonder.'

But now Lea was changing. Just a normal girl who loved being loved, blushing at the reassurance.

'I made her this way, so I gotta take responsibility.'

I gently grabbed the edge of Lea's blanket and pulled it down a bit.

"Si-hyun...?"

"Lea, how could I not like you?"

"S-Si-hyun... S-Suddenly too cl-close...!"

Smack— A light peck on the cheek. Her flushed skin felt hotter than my lips.

'Did Lea always smell this good...?'

Sweet body scent. Like the pudding she loved—soft and sugary just from the aroma.

Did that scent make me lose it for a second? My lips drifted from her cheek downward, then lower still, to the nape of her neck where the fragrance poured out.

"H-Haa... S-Si-hyun...?"

"Lea, sorry. Just stay still a sec."

"U... Umm...! G-Gently... Hiyat...?!"

Snap. Smooch.

"H-Haaah...! S-Si-hyun...! I-It tickles, daa...!"

Lea, you're this sweet. You can make sounds this cute. This... lovable.

Smack— Like I was possessed, I savored her scent until—snap—I came to my senses.

"Haa... Haa... S-Si-hyuun...!"

Tears welling in those purple eyes, small parted lips, heated breaths.

'Whoa, that was close to fucking disaster...!'

Any more skinship and I'd lose it for real, so summoning superhuman willpower, I barely pulled my lips from her neck.

"Lea, you okay?"

After doing this to her, asking if she's okay? What a piece of trash I am.

"U... Umm... Th-this body's f-fine, daa...!"

"Knight lady, your tongue's all twisted?"

"Th-that's...! 'Cause Si-hyun suddenly kissed this body's neck, da!"

"Ahaha, sorry sorry. Your scent was just too good."

"Pbuu... Sometimes Si-hyun seems like a total perv, da."

Lea pouted cutely and turned her head away with a huff! She seemed a bit sulky, but still wouldn't let go of my hand.

'She's too damn cute.'

I lay on my side, hugging her from behind, and whispered softly.

"But now you get it, right Lea? How much I like you."

"Hehe, umm...! Got it good, da...!"

Maybe hearing what she wanted? Lea yawned once, then drifted off with her eyes slowly closing.

"Si-hyun... This body really likes you too... Mnya...'"

I properly tucked her blanket back in, patting her until she was fully asleep.

"I really like you too. Lea."

Of course I like Lea. Not just her—Luna too, and every story in that novel.

This world where ghost stories became real is still terrifying, but your tales from the book gave my old self the will to live.

"So Lea, don't worry about a thing. I'll definitely save you from apocalypse."

Like Lucifer, who vowed to challenge endlessly to end Greed's tale, I'll keep going without giving up.

— "I'll return time and again. Dozens, hundreds of times. For the sake of ending your stories... I'll gladly walk that path."

Recalling Lucifer's words, I closed my eyes beside Lea, fiddling absentmindedly with the bracelet on her hand.

Tok tok—

The quiet night as Lea and I slept. In the void space no one could perceive, a familiar sound effect echoed.

The system window representing the world's laws and will vanished, then ring!

A familiar UI peeked out from the corner, voicing concern laced with worry.

The notification window sniffled softly, blaming its own powerlessness before fading like smoke.

With both UIs gone, the void returned to its usual silent hush.

After a happy weekend with Lea, back to the dogshit Monday.

"Haa... We seriously need a four-day workweek."

"Si-hyun, you look extra tired today, da. You okay?"

"Haha, I'm fine. Just the crash after too much happiness over the weekend."

I was waiting in the guild's research building for Lea's regular checkup results. Tests measuring her physical condition and ghost story energy for any emergencies.

We'd done this nearly ten times now—maybe it's time to call it quits.

'These tests cost a fortune each time, so if it's clean again, I'll suggest treating her like a normal kid.'

Lea was mengmang-grade but powerless, her body no different from a regular human girl's.

"Totally reasonable demand."

"Um nam nam, what're you mumbling, Si-hyun?"

"Haha, nothing. So, how's the new pudding?"

"Umm! Vanilla and chocolate mixed—super tasty, da! Hehe."

About ten minutes after hugging the beaming Lea while waiting—

Bang! Rumble rumble!!

The door flew open as a massive crowd poured in.

"Emilia, Lea's test results are—Huh?!"

Handing over one sheet of results ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shouldn't need... this many people, right?

Over fifty entered the waiting room. Only ten were researchers including Emilia—the other forty were armed awakener combatants.

What the fuck...?

Did I do something wrong...?

"······."

"······."

In the tense atmosphere like something was about to go down, everyone bristled—

Tok tok. Emilia broke the silence, toddling over to me.

"Emilia, what the hell is this? Who's all these people?"

Emilia looked up at me with half-lidded eyes. The emotionless girl showed it through her faintly trembling hands and swirling, conflicted gaze—how anxious she was.

"Shin oppa... You need to separate from the redhead right now..."

"What? What the hell does that mean?!"

Flutter— Emilia handed me the test sheet.

Charts and data crammed on it, and the final line made my heart drop to the floor.

·····

·····

This weekend was truly happy. We confirmed our feelings for each other, and we even got lots of goodwill from the campsite owner—a lucky day.

However.

Like the ending of the novel A Lucky Day, the Monday I faced with Lea was—

the absolute worst of my life.