An Absurdly Intimate Situation
What... what the hell is this situation?
I was so dizzy with this reality that I felt like I was going insane.
She suggested—no, declared—that we should go into the bathroom together, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Well... given my current appearance and the fact that she's my guardian right now, it might not seem that strange.
But it is strange.
Something is seriously wrong here.
My mind is that of a full-grown adult—a grown man, no less.
No matter what my body looks like now, this isn't something I can just accept naturally...!
Splash... splash...
"......"
"Shina, how's the water temperature? Is it too hot?"
"It's nice and warm..."
I tried to resist in my own way, but it was hopeless.
This body of mine was just too pathetic right now.
She was so gentle just moments ago, but when it came to this, she turned unyieldingly stubborn.
But... am I really that worrisome?
At 11 years old, I should know how to wash myself by now.
Bubble bubble bubble...
To hide my embarrassment, I dunked half my face into the tub water and just blew bubbles.
Vrrrrm—
Once the bath was over, she sat me on the edge of the bed and started drying my hair.
Her soft hands moved over my head, and warm air tickled my nape.
"......"
Not knowing where to look, I just stared holes into the floor.
I didn't see anything just now. I see nothing.
Chanting that to myself like a mantra, I realized my damp hair had already dried fluffy before I knew it.
"Shina, I'll wash these clothes for you. Ah... I should have grabbed some from Shinwoo's house."
...There wouldn't be any even if you did.
Wrapped in a towel, I waited, and she brought clothes from the inner room.
As expected, they were way too big for me.
"These are the smallest ones I have... They're too big, aren't they?"
"It's fine."
I took the T-shirt and shorts she handed me and put them on.
Oh, and of course, no underwear.
It felt so empty... kinda weird.
I kept clutching the waistband of the shorts with one hand to keep them from slipping down.
The loose T-shirt draped off one shoulder completely.
As I adjusted my clothes and glanced down at my body, a thought crossed my mind.
This body is just...
Completely unfit for fighting.
It was as far from the harsh battlefield as you could get—like a flower raised in a greenhouse.
My pale skin was smooth without a single callus, soft enough to sink in if you poked it.
Squish...
Yeah, pretty much.
Suddenly, today's measurement results flashed in my head.
F-rank.
No, that's the machine's fault.
Appearance and fighting skill are separate things.
If you told me to fight, I could do it well.
Okay, sure, saying that in the body of an 11-year-old brat might sound like I'm shameless, but... there's precedent.
Someone fought amazingly well in a body like this.
But...
Why the hell am I even dwelling on this? I'm not going to be a hunter...?
Did the test results get under my skin or something...?
No... that's not it.
I'm not hung up on it at all.
Yeah, yeah... it doesn't bother me one bit...?
And then, for a moment...
"......"
I awkwardly looked around.
"Hm? What's wrong, Shina? Do you need something?"
"Where should I sleep?"
"Hm? Right here, obviously."
Jangmi patted the spacious bed as if it were a given.
"Pardon?"
"Hm?"
We stared at each other blankly.
The room filled with silence so thick you could hear the clock ticking.
"I'd like to sleep alone."
I refused as politely as I could, but her response was firm.
"No, Shina. Sleep here."
She was unyielding again.
Why...?
I eyed the door, thinking I might sneak out, but she was already there, closing it.
Ah.
"Come on, Shina dear. Over here."
"Ugh......"
In the end, I was pushed onto the massive bed by her back.
At least it was king-sized, so there was plenty of space.
I inched toward the very edge.
But in that instant—
Her hand snagged my waist, and I rolled right up to her face.
"......?"
"Shina, what if you roll off the bed? Come here."
She smiled benevolently and opened her arms wide.
Hm.
I just pretended to sleep and closed my eyes.
But she pulled me in completely, trapping me in her embrace.
Her steady heartbeat transmitted clearly from this close distance.
And the soft, squishy sensation my head was buried in right now was probably...
I gave up thinking.
A faint body scent and soap aroma tickled my nose.
And the enveloping warmth and pleasant softness all over.
"......"
Screw it. Whatever.
In the stimulating silence, I closed my eyes for real.
"Wait a sec...!"
Watching the girl squirm in her grasp, Jangmi thought to herself.
Some might call this overprotective, pointing fingers.
She wasn't some helpless five- or six-year-old who couldn't fend for herself, after all.
But Jangmi had lost the most precious friend in the world overnight.
To her, this girl—the only trace that friend had left behind—was beyond precious.
Besides, Shina's ability involved electricity.
What if she got electrocuted in the bath?
Just imagining it sent chills down her spine and made her heart drop.
What if she rolled off the bed headfirst?
It was only natural she couldn't take her eyes off her for even a second.
And... there was an even more decisive reason.
Jangmi gazed down at the little girl trapped in her arms, her face flushed red.
...She's so cute.
The soft cheek brushing against her with every squirm, the fluffy little body.
Jangmi hugged the struggling girl a bit tighter, indulging her secret selfish desires.
Shina's body heat seeped through the thin T-shirt.
With a satisfied sigh, Jangmi rested her chin on the girl's crown and drifted off, savoring it all.
Morning...?
I cautiously opened my eyes, but everything was pitch black.
"......?"
What...? What's going on...?
After a moment of confusion, memories clicked into place, and yesterday came rushing back.
Along with my current predicament.
Right now, I'm...
The moment I realized, I tried to escape.
"......"
My whole body was pinned, immobile.
Her limbs held me without a single gap.
"Nngh......"
As I groaned in frustration, a sleepy, familiar voice came from above.
"Awake...?"
The drowsy tone tickled my ear, laced with sleep.
But the arms around me didn't loosen at all.
If anything, unconsciously in her half-sleep, she squeezed tighter, pressing her body closer.
Squeeze...
"Um... I..."
"Hm? What is it, Shina?"
Still groggy, she nuzzled her face into my nape.
Her soft skin and faint scent assaulted me, pure torture right now.
"I wanna get out..."
"No~"
Before I could even finish.
With a playful smile like she wouldn't let me go, she pulled me deeper into her embrace.
Bonus: her hand gently stroking my hair.
I already knew the situation was uncomfortable.
But I had a more urgent problem.
"No, not that—!"
At my shout, she cracked her eyes open.
"Hm?"
"I need the bathroom...!"
"Oh, sorry!"
She released me in a fluster.
I clutched my crotch and bolted for the bathroom at full speed.
No time to imagine her expression behind me—I sprinted straight for relief.
"Hah... hah..."
I burst through the bathroom door, panting hard.
Relief was short-lived—I froze in front of the toilet.
Now what...?
I'd never learned how to handle this body's biology.
Just sit and... let it... flow?
Yeah... I already checked yesterday.
Nothing weird, just go with the flow. Yeah, I can do this.
And I couldn't hold it anymore.
Tense as hell, I dropped my pants and sat on the toilet.
Eyes straight ahead.
No need to look...
Trickle trickle...
"......!"
The faint sound shattered the silence, draining all strength from my body.
Aaah...
Something like my dignity crumbled inside me.
My steps were heavy and dragging as I left the bathroom after finishing.
Half my soul gone, I shuffled to the living room, where Jangmi spotted me from the kitchen and approached.
"Hm...? Shina, why the long face? Are you hurt?"
"N-No... it's nothing."
I flushed red and waved her off frantically.
"Hm...?"
She tilted her head suspiciously but soon smiled brightly and led me to the sofa.
Moments later, I sat blankly on the sofa, staring at the kids' cartoon she'd put on.
The characters giggled and bounced around on screen, but my head was filled only with the self-loathing from moments ago.
"......"
About five minutes in, unable to stomach the childish plot, I grabbed the remote and changed the channel.
The screen switched to a stern-faced anchor delivering the news.
I was about to focus on the important news when Jangmi emerged from the bedroom.
Not in her usual comfy clothes, but fully dressed up sleek and stylish for going out.
"......?"
My eyes locked on her glamorous look instead of the broadcast.
"Shina, let's go out for a bit with Auntie."
As I tilted my head, she grinned like a kid.
"We need to buy you some clothes, right? I washed yesterday's—change into these and come out."
"Okay."
I took the clothes without a word and scampered to the bedroom to change before coming back out.
"Good, let's go then?"
She held out her hand to me.
As I stood there blankly, her eyes flashed with iron resolve: No hand-holding, no moving an inch.
In the end, I gripped her finger tightly with my small, short hand.
Only then did she smile in satisfaction and lead me to the parking lot.
"Shall we get going...?"
For some reason, her voice brimmed with unusual excitement as she gripped the wheel... or was that my imagination?
A vague unease crept in, but I just gazed out the window without much thought.
But at that point, I had no idea.
What kind of situation I was about to get dragged into.