I'll Sleep Just Holding Hands (1)
I'll Sleep Just Holding Hands (1)
Atra, who had been active on the frontlines, knew all too well the importance of cleanliness.
Of course, a superhuman body doesn't easily succumb to trivial ailments even in such environments, but that doesn't stop morale from plummeting and physical performance from declining.
What's more, if a monster with a unique ability that wields pestilence or poison were to creep into a filthy, squalid environment, the unit could be wiped out before the fight even starts.
And there have been real cases of exactly that.
The 3rd‑Rank Alpha monster that appeared in the former lands of China—the Twin‑headed Poison Dragon (雙頭毒龍).
Its level was 3rd‑Rank Alpha.
It was undeniably a colossal monster, but the reason it single‑handedly brought an end to the territory of the great nation of China was the nature of pestilence and poison.
And the fact that the surrounding area was disgustingly filthy helped it as well.
Anyway.
Because of that, Atra was the sort of person who was quite particular about cleanliness.
- Urgh...
After that day, she became even stricter about it.
A tremendous psychological shock had struck Atra, and she never touched a cigarette again.
Even before letting Lee Ha‑yul into her quarters, she had aired out the room over and over, worried that a smell might linger, and used every magic tool imbued with purification magic she could get her hands on.
As for her own body... she was especially careful to wash the chest area where Lee Ha‑yul often pressed against her.
- Drip
When she tapped the hologram, the shower stream pouring from the ceiling halted with a final drip.
After drying herself with a towel, Atra put on the indoor clothes she had brought and stepped out of the shower room.
The moist, warm air that had created a milky‑white steam poured out, and the comparatively cool outside air brushed against Atra's skin.
Tapping her hair dry with a towel, she headed toward the room.
- Tap tap tap tap.
"Hm?"
Atra's feet stopped.
A steady, rhythmic tapping sound, a sizzling sound like something frying, and the smell of food tickling her nose.
Atra blinked for a moment, then, without even drying her hair properly, she turned and walked toward the living room.
When she stepped into the living room, she saw Lee Ha‑yul busily moving around, having taken over the kitchen.
"...?"
With one hand, Lee Ha‑yul was holding a kitchen knife and finely chopping food on the cutting board.
On his other side.
The artifact called the Heavenly Garment (天衣), which usually floated around or draped over Lee Ha‑yul's back like a cloak...
It had split into several strands, adjusting a frying pan and holding a spatula and cooking tongs to cook the food.
Also, a fire spirit flitted around the frying pan, seemingly regulating the flame's intensity.
"......"
It was a unique sight in many ways. It reminded her of stories about restaurants where the cooking process itself was a performance, and superhuman chefs would put on a show much like this.
As Atra stood there blankly, Lee Ha‑yul seemed to sense her presence and turned his head.
Wearing a pure‑white apron, Lee Ha‑yul looked as if he were about to say something, then bowed his head apologetically, the corners of his eyes drooping.
[Did you finish your shower?]
[I'm sorry]
[Please wait just a moment]
[I'm almost done]
"Y‑yeah."
Unable to think of what to say, Atra answered falteringly.
A moment later.
Just as Lee Ha‑yul had said, the cooking was finished not long after, and the dishes were set on the table.
[I kept it simple]
Lee Ha‑yul leaned in beside Atra, who had taken a seat, and explained.
Atra looked at the table.
On a pure‑white plate... dishes that had been freshly cooked were set out, steam rising gently.
Nicely browned, appetizing bacon and sausages.
Scrambled eggs with a golden sheen, a small sunny‑side‑up egg, and hash browns.
On another plate, there was a dressed salad and bread that looked like it was meant for sandwiches.
"......"
I kept it simple. True to his word, it was a simple menu suitable for breakfast.
Atra was originally from the England region, and when she was young, she often ate a breakfast just like this.
When she was young.
Before she even attended the academy... she used to eat mornings like this with her family.
After staring vacantly at the food, Atra turned to look at Lee Ha‑yul.
He hadn't sat opposite her; instead, he hovered around her, his expression a mix of hope and anxiety.
Realizing what that meant, Atra carefully speared a sausage with her fork and ate it.
She chewed for a moment. The sausage crunched between her teeth, its characteristic mild savor spreading.
It wasn't too greasy, nor overcooked. But not undercooked either.
Literally just right... as if tailored to Atra's taste.
"It's good..."
"...!"
It's good.
At that brief, unadorned compliment, the tension and anticipation that had been written on Lee Ha‑yul's face instantly overflowed into happiness, and he broke into a bright smile.
That smile looked positively blissful, like a sunflower in full bloom.
Atra could see that smile clearly.
The sight of such a pure child, so happy and delighted at just a few short words.
'...Good grief.'
She absentmindedly started to sigh, but then remembered the events of the day before and hastily swallowed it.
But she couldn't help the sigh rising from within.
'How am I supposed to teach him...'
Teaching him how to fight was an extremely simple matter.
Atra felt it once again...
* * *
The place where I was to meet Baek A‑rin was in front of the central fountain in the Commercial District.
As its name suggested, the Commercial District was lined with all manner of restaurants, entertainment facilities, and large shopping malls you'd expect to find on a bustling street.
Our meeting time was noon.
I arrived at the fountain thirty minutes early, at 11:30.
After looking around for a bit, I plopped down on a bench near the fountain and surveyed my surroundings with the Observation Authority.
'...Quite a lot of people.'
I'd always thought that, relative to its grand and excellent facilities, Siyoram had surprisingly few people.
That was only natural, since there weren't many people inside Siyoram to begin with.
The school faculty and minor staff affiliated with the academy, the cadets enrolled in Siyoram, and the workers and their families who maintained the commercial district—that was everyone here.
But today, there were quite a few people.
Not so packed that it felt like a crammed subway carriage—still, enough to leave an impression that a fair number of people were wandering about.
That was because it was the first weekend after the end of the midterm evaluations. The cadets had poured into the commercial district to blow off the academic stress they'd accumulated.
Most were in casual clothes rather than cadet uniforms, but the faces I observed were classmates or upperclassmen I'd seen before.
It wasn't only cadets who'd flooded out.
Just as the cadets had been buried under academic stress, many of the staff had been run ragged by planning and running the midterm evaluations and other academic schedules.
Since they'd all surfaced at once, there was a decent amount of life around.
'Hmm...'
There were a fair number of people walking around. Consequently, I drew plenty of stares and murmuring... but by now, I'd grown used to this kind of attention, so it didn't bother me.
If this had been before, I'd have run straight home... I guess I've gotten tougher.
I sat on the bench, swinging my legs, and waited for Baek A‑rin to arrive.
'Sigh...'
The moment I thought of Baek A‑rin, I remembered Hong Yeon‑hwa and my master, who had given me all sorts of... advice? about this meeting.
There had been countless missed calls from Hong Yeon‑hwa. Startled, I hurriedly sent a text to let her know I was safe.
The reply flew back as soon as I sent it. In it, she said she'd been worried because I hadn't been answering, and asked if something had happened.
And so the conversation continued.
I'd fallen asleep. My phone was on silent, so I didn't notice. I'm sorry.
I was worried. It's a relief nothing happened. Did you fall asleep at the dorm?
I fell asleep in my master's quarters.
...Why were you there? Did something happen? And so on...
We chatted for a bit, and then the topic finally shifted to the arrangement Baek A‑rin had made.
I had various questions of my own, so it was a welcome exchange.
▶Hong Yeon‑hwa: If he does anything weird, punch him right away.
▶Hong Yeon‑hwa: Don't hesitate, you don't need to hold back at all.
▶Hong Yeon‑hwa: Got it?
I didn't get much out of it. It was all just obvious, common‑sense advice to refuse if he does something weird.
Even Hong Yeon‑hwa didn't seem to know why Baek A‑rin had proposed this bet.
"—Remember that. Got it? What did I say?"
[If someone tries to touch you, punch them right away...]
[Master]
[I already know that...]
"...Is that so? Then why do you stay still when I touch you?"
[Because you're my master]
[I like it when you do]
"...I, I see."
Even before leaving the quarters, my master gave me similar—advice?—training.
Honestly, it was absurd. Who doesn't know that? Why keep emphasizing it?
But since it was Hong Yeon‑hwa speaking out of worry and my master saying it, I just nodded along.
So there I was, idly kicking my legs and flipping through magic books on my hologram.
Barely ten minutes had passed when Baek A‑rin appeared at the edge of my observation range.
Then, amid the many presences, the click‑clack of footsteps approached the fountain.
Baek A‑rin's gaze, which had been scanning the area, landed on me. She smiled brightly and strode over.
"Oh dear. I'm twenty minutes early, and yet I'm still late."
[It's fine]
[I just arrived myself]
I shook my head at Baek A‑rin, who was tidying her hair as if embarrassed, and examined her outfit.
As always, her blue hair was neatly tied back. She wore a clean, pure‑white T‑shirt with no particular decoration, a denim jacket over it, and jeans that seemed to accentuate her long legs.
The clothes themselves weren't anything special, but the hanger was so good that the outfit looked even better.
"Did you have lunch before coming?"
[Huh?]
[Weren't we going to eat together?]
"Oh, you remembered well."
So saying, Baek A‑rin grinned and suddenly extended her hand to me.
"?"
I tilted my head for a moment, then realized what that gesture meant and made a strange face.
A pure‑white palm. A dangerous palm that could, at any moment, shoot forth hundreds of ice spikes.
Of course, I didn't think she'd actually do that here. This was inside Siyoram, so I wasn't particularly on guard.
I cautiously extended my hand, and Baek A‑rin grabbed it.
My hand, wrapped in a black arm sleeve, met her bare, fair‑skinned hand.
It didn't feel warm; it was cool.
- Beep
Just as I was feeling a strange sensation, Baek A‑rin's smartwatch beeped with an alarm.
A timer appeared on the small hologram that popped up.
[23:59:57]
"Now then, the 24‑hour timer starts."
[Huh?]
When I asked what that meant, Baek A‑rin answered as if it were nothing.
"I told you, didn't I? I'll take one of your days, Ha‑yul."
"???"
Just as I was about to ask what she meant again, a thought struck me.
A day. The time for the earth to rotate once. And 24 hours.
My mouth fell open.
'No way.'
So a day meant that kind of day?
As if to confirm my thoughts, Baek A‑rin simply swung our clasped hands.