Surprisingly Cowardly
No matter how much alcohol changes a person, was it really possible for someone to transform this drastically?
That was the first thought that crossed my mind as I looked at the terrified Cecilia.
The soft, milky skin from the night before was nowhere to be found — a deathly pallor had settled over her entire body. Her face was twisted, her eyes cold. Her breathing came in short, sharp gasps.
Her tail had gone rigid, and her ears were flattened tight against her head, completely still. They looked like nothing more than ornaments — cold, hard decorations. Even knowing that this was probably her natural state, the contrast was deeply unsettling.
"Hey…"
"…!"
I had only taken a single step closer, yet Cecilia reacted as though a monster were approaching. Her already-hunched body curled even tighter. Tension locked her limbs so hard that the bones of her knuckles stood out white against her skin.
Then I noticed her sky-blue eyes darting frantically this way and that — as if she were searching for an escape route. Anxiety and fear were written plain across her face.
"Just calm down for a second. Uh, I mean…"
How could I possibly put her at ease, even a little? That was all I could think about as I carefully chose my words.
"…Cecilia."
After turning it over and over in my mind, that was the word I settled on. Cecilia. The name of the woman in front of me. I called it out gently, hoping it might lower her guard even a fraction.
"…Yes?"
It wasn't a dramatic reaction, but it was a definite one.
Those restless eyes stopped dead and locked onto me. Her fingers twitched. Her ears flicked once, twice. Just a tiny bit — but it seemed like she was willing to talk.
"…Who are you?"
"My name's Lee Eunhyuk. Do you remember anything from yesterday?"
I kept my voice soft, the way you might soothe a small child. And since she'd been so friendly the night before, I figured jogging that memory might help — but…
"Yesterday…?"
"You know, you were passed out drunk outside, so I brought you back to my place. Ring any bells?"
"Drunk? Me…?"
No hope there. The film had been wiped clean.
"Where is this place…?"
Her voice was a tangle of confusion and panic as she looked around the room again.
"My place. Like I just said…"
"This is a strange building…. The architecture is different. …Bailsia? Did I cross the sea…? But I was definitely inland on the Ritter Continent…"
She muttered something under her breath, and this time it was my turn to be thrown off.
Bailsia. Ritter Continent. Words I'd never heard in my life. They sounded like place names straight out of a fantasy game.
And the bit about the architecture being different? My place was just an ordinary concrete building. I had no idea what was supposed to be strange or foreign about it. Everything about this was weird.
Then a thought suddenly struck me.
I lifted my gaze and studied the top of her head carefully. There they were — cat ears covered in silvery-white fur, twitching every so often as if they were truly alive.
It was an absurd idea, but what if. What if they really were alive? What if they weren't decorations at all?
"Hey."
"Hik?!"
The moment I took a step forward to check, she startled violently and shrank back again. I'd done nothing more than take a single step closer, and that was her reaction. This went beyond simple fear — it was closer to a full-blown panic attack.
"Okay, okay. I won't come any closer…"
I raised both hands to show I meant no harm and slowly backed away.
Even with the distance between us, the wariness never left her eyes. If anything, she seemed even more on edge than when she'd first woken up — body locked rigid, every muscle coiled tight.
I almost sighed, then caught myself. In her state, even a sigh might set her off.
Having something like this happen first thing in the morning was more than a little disorienting. I had no idea what to do.
The easiest option would be to kick her out, but that felt far too irresponsible. Calling the police was another possibility, but that would blow everything way out of proportion.
Personally, I just wanted to sit down and calmly hear her out — but she was in no condition for that. I racked my brain for some way to settle her down.
"…Hm?"
That was when the beer cans sitting on the table caught my eye. Beer. Alcohol. Cecilia had been incredibly friendly when she was drunk.
What if I got her tipsy again? Would a normal conversation become possible?
Even I knew it was a bizarre idea. But honestly, I had nothing else. With a rustle of plastic, I pulled a beer can from the bag and rolled it across the floor toward her from a safe distance.
"…?"
The can tumbled end over end. The woman flinched. When it came to a stop right in front of her with a soft thunk, she prodded it a few times with her fingertips.
"This is…"
Naturally, being a can, it didn't react to being poked. She carefully picked it up and turned it over in her hands the way she had the night before, examining the surface.
"Be…er?"
A small voice slipped from her lips. She must have read the lettering on the side. Whether the word was unfamiliar or something else was going on, she kept studying the can, tilting her head.
Then she looked up at me. Those sky-blue eyes shone with suspicion, as if trying to figure out why I'd given it to her.
"It's just regular alcohol. Uh… want to try some?"
The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them. Even I could tell how sketchy that sounded. Asking a complete stranger out of nowhere to drink — and a deeply wary one at that.
Sure enough, she clutched the can in both hands and stared at me with open distrust.
"…Why?"
"Just… you must be thirsty, right?"
Even as an excuse, it did nothing to improve her expression. If anything, she looked more suspicious.
"…There's no poison in it. For the record."
As I spoke, I pulled the last remaining can from the bag. With a sharp hiss, I cracked it open right in front of her and took a big swig.
"…See?"
I made a show of swallowing, my voice almost pleading.
Cecilia watched my demonstration, then looked back down at the can in her hands, opening and closing her mouth. She hesitated for a moment, then reached up and irritably stroked her right ear before slowly settling her fingers on the tab.
A soft hiss filled the room.
"…"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
I nodded when she glanced my way. She frowned, still wavering, then steeled herself and tipped the can back in one go.
The sound of her swallowing echoed two, three times.
"…How is it?"
I watched her face carefully as I asked. She wiped the foam from the corner of her mouth and answered in a voice that was less than convinced.
"…Bitter."
The exact same word she'd said yesterday. It was almost funny — the person had completely changed, yet the reaction was identical.
"Not good?"
"No…"
I'd asked just in case, and her answer surprised me a little. She looked down at the can and murmured quietly,
"…It's not bad."
Then she took another sip. I matched her, quietly nursing the beer in my own hand.
She spoke again after she'd drained about three-quarters of the can.
"It's warm."
I looked up at the quiet voice. The face that had been packed with wariness just moments ago now carried a faint flush across both cheeks.
"…What a strange feeling."
A few sips of beer and she was already like this — she really must have been a lightweight. For now, at least, that was a good thing.
"Feeling calmer?"
"Mm. A little."
A soft warmth rode on the breath she exhaled. She no longer flinched at my words the way she had before. She wasn't as open as she'd been yesterday, but she was reasonably mild — like a completely different person from minutes ago. Just the attitude of someone who'd only just met you.
"Mmm…"
With every swallow, her posture loosened a little more. Her tightly curled body unfolded, the tension draining from her arms and legs bit by bit.
"Pwah…"
She'd called it bitter, but she was drinking it pretty well. Not to be outdone, I kept gulping mine down too.
"…Was I like this yesterday too?"
"Hm?"
Cecilia pulled her mouth from the can and asked me out of nowhere.
"Last night, I mean. You said I was drunk when we met."
"Yeah, pretty much. A little different, but similar."
"…Really?"
Her reply was barely more than a whisper. Sadness, loneliness, melancholy — every dark emotion seemed dissolved into the alcohol in her voice. It was so small and mumbled I could barely make it out.
"Argh! Seriously! What am I even doing?"
The sudden shout nearly made me drop my can.
"I have no idea what's going on, honestly. This… wasn't the plan at all."
She didn't stop at yelling. She flopped flat onto the floor. The abrupt shift in mood left me more than a little thrown.
"So, uh… Eunhyuk? Is that right?"
Still sprawled on her back, she rolled her eyes toward me. Her sky-blue irises caught the sunlight and shone translucent.
"Y-yeah. Why?"
"You're not going to kill me, right?"
What kind of question was that? Half exasperated, I gave her a halfhearted answer.
"That's a pretty scary thing to say."
"No, I mean it."
But the reply that came back was dead serious. Looking closer, those clear eyes were trembling faintly.
"…I mean it."
"I'm not going to kill you. I won't hit you, and I won't hurt you. I promise."
This time I answered her properly — not halfheartedly, but with real sincerity.
I didn't know what kind of past she was carrying, but a promise like this was easy enough to make. If it put her mind at ease, I was more than willing.
"…Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me for that. It's the bare minimum."
I hadn't exactly lived a great life myself, but I still knew the difference between right and wrong. I wasn't so far gone that I'd treat violence as normal.
"Still—"
She was about to say something more when it happened.
A loud gurgle rang out clearly through the room.
There was no need to ask whose stomach it was. Cecilia had both hands wrapped around her belly, her flushed face tilted slightly down.
"Hungry?"
"Mm…. A little."
"Alright, wait here a bit. I'll go grab a few things."
We'd barely just met, but ignoring someone starving right in front of me felt wrong. I spoke lightly and got to my feet. Just a quick trip to the convenience store.
The thought crossed my mind that she might slip out while I was gone… but well, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing either. I'd leave it up to her.
"Anything you want to eat?"
"This. Give me a little more."
With a soft tap, Cecilia rapped the beer can that had somehow already gone empty. I wasn't sure if that was bold or shameless, but I smiled wryly and nodded. It wasn't that expensive anyway.
"I'll be right back."
"Come back safe~…"
Leaving that quiet yet lively voice behind me, I stepped out the door.