Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Kenji
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Hmnya.
So booze really does make you feel better the more you drink...
After reaching the legal drinking age, I'd learned a bit about wine as part of my cultural education, but that was just sipping it delicately to distinguish the flavors. This was the first time in my life I'd drunk this much alcohol all at once.
Slurp.
Gulp, gulp.
The more I drank, the more I wanted to drink, and my mind loosened up. A warm sensation welled up from my stomach, spreading gently to my head, making my heart feel all cozy for no reason. And with the delicious fine dining courses pairing perfectly, I couldn't have felt better.
Maybe that's why.
"...I had a weird dream."
I ended up confiding my true feelings to the man in front of me, using the metaphor of a dream.
Come to think of it, this commoner named Yu Sanghyeon is a really strange guy. For starters, his build is off the charts. The first time we bumped into each other at the bus stop, I was honestly so scared my legs nearly gave out. I might've even peed a little... I kept my usual confident posture, but I thought he was some kind of ogre. It felt like running into a wild bear.
But... once we started talking, he turned out to have a surprisingly gentle side, and he took my quirky speech patterns in stride.
Chatting with this commoner makes me feel like I'm back to my happy old self.
We've only known each other a short time, but he always feels warm, like we've been friends forever. Sometimes there's a lecherous glint in his eye, but it doesn't feel bad...
Even now.
Pet, pet.
A large hand stroking the back of my head as I rested my forehead on the table, breathing out hot breaths. A warm hand. My head was flushed from the alcohol, but that hand's warmth wasn't unwelcome.
So I pushed myself even harder.
I... have to get strong on my own.
If I started truly relying on someone now, I felt like I could never stand alone again.
Gulp! Gulp!
"Puhah!"
Pretending to be tough, I downed all the wine like it was nothing, but that was a real mistake.
Everything's spinning. The ceiling and floor alternate, whirling around.
"Ueeeh..."
My awareness cut in and out, vision blacking out then flickering back on. Fresh air hit my face, so I must've been taken outside at some point, but I couldn't be sure. I didn't know where I was or whose hand I was holding. But I wasn't scared.
The warmth gripping my hand felt just like the one that had stroked my head moments ago.
My legs had no strength; I couldn't stand properly.
After I staggered a few times, the commoner holding my hand knelt down and gave me a piggyback ride.
Thump... thump...
It wasn't a person's back—it felt like riding a bear. With my ear pressed to his back, I heard his heartbeat, steady and soothing. Matching that rhythm, I let my mind drift away.
Snooore...
.
.
.
Home.
The smell of home.
The shabby home smell I'd grown reluctantly used to, even though I hated it.
I wanted to stay on his back forever, but he set me down and led me to the bathroom. My eyes were so heavy I was basically walking blind, but the cool tile under my feet and the damp moldy scent told me where we were.
"Okay, Miss Harumi~ We're home. Let's wash your hands?"
Hueh...?
But who gave me the piggyback...?
I couldn't remember well, but it felt like someone safe. Maybe the butler grandpa. He must've come to help me!
Hehe.
"Uung... Nooo... Wanna sleep..."
"Hey now. You'll catch a cold. And if these rot, the dentist will cost a fortune?"
A kind voice. But for some reason, Grandpa's voice sounded super young.
"Uuu... Don't want that... Grandpa do it..."
"Aigoo. Alright."
Patting my back like he had no choice, he turned on the faucet and started washing my hands. I hated this sink because it only ran cold water when I did it alone, but having someone else lather soap with their warm hands felt amazing.
Hiiing.
"Okay, ahh~"
"Aaah..."
Then he brushed my teeth for me, moving the brush so carefully, like he was afraid of hurting my mouth. It felt nice.
"Ptoo, ptoo."
After brushing, my mouth felt fresh, and I was in a great mood.
Everything was still spinning, so I closed my eyes, but the solid presence of the big guy next to me made me feel supported, so I wasn't afraid.
"Alright, miss. I made up the futon for you."
Sure enough, he'd laid out the blankets nicely.
I buried my face in the pillow and closed my eyes...
I... need to sleep...
.
.
Just as I was drifting off, the young butler grandpa suddenly moved like he was about to leave.
"Harumi... ...wait, ...give you. See you next time."
N-No.
I don't want to be left alone here!
Tears I'd kept locked away poured out on their own.
"Don't go... sniff... Nooo... Always alone... Hate being alone all the time... uu..."
The weak words I'd sworn never to voice slipped out. I never wanted anyone to hear my inner thoughts, but the fear of being left alone outweighed the shame.
Hearing me, the young butler grandpa stood still for a long while before speaking.
"Miss Harumi, if it's not too much trouble, mind if I lie down next to you?"
"Ungnam..."
I felt someone lie down beside me.
Uuu... Even lying down, my head's dizzy.
With the illusion of my head sinking into the pillow, vertigo, and all, I fell into a dream.
Lying comfortably, I rolled over, and there was the big teddy bear I always hugged to sleep at home.
Squeeze...
Warm.
Cozy.
It felt just like the warmth from dinner earlier.
But who did I eat with...? Can't remember.
Anyway, the teddy bear's stuffing felt a bit firmer than usual, but it was still warm, so I liked it. The smell was nice too... It'd been ages since I felt this comfortable.
Smiling sweetly in my sleep, the teddy bear suddenly scooped me up and took me to an amusement park.
Wheee~
Roller coasters, commoner street food—tons of it. Cotton candy was yummy...
But like dreams always do, the moment we entered the haunted house, the perspective and scene flipped abruptly.
Memories I didn't want to recall forced their way back, just like always.
The day Dad died in a sudden car accident, and Mom was hospitalized.
The day I was kicked out of the mansion with just 100,000 yen from his wallet.
The day I saw Mom in critical condition.
And... the day that kid stood by her bed, grinning creepily, and threatened me.
"N-Nooo..."
My body trembled.
Can I overcome this?
Can I really do well...?
So cold.
My hands and feet are freezing.
But as I shook, I realized someone was there beside me, always alone no more. Arms wrapping around me. A broad chest embracing my trembling form.
I want to stay like this forever.
In my half-dream state, I burrowed deeper into his embrace until—
"H-Hiiik!?"
I jolted awake in shock and pulled back, finally seeing whose arms I'd been sleeping in.
Yu Sanghyeon.
That weird commoner.
"A-Awk..."
H-How the hell did I end up under the same blanket with that commoner!?
Young butler grandpa... Toothbrushing... Fragmented memories floated by. Recalling them felt prickly, like sand in my brain. My head throbbed like it might split from the hangover.
But something bothered me more than the headache. My body.
I rushed to the bathroom and yanked down my panties.
Five minutes later.
"Phew..."
Thank goodness—nothing happened. A girl always has ways to check for physical signs the next day, even if her memory's blank.
Snooore~
Snoring came from outside the bathroom.
Yu Sanghyeon.
That huge bear of a guy.
This feels weird.
"D-Did I... just sleep with a guy...?"
My face in the sink mirror turned beet red.
And I realized the bear snoring on my futon wasn't a bad guy. He'd done nothing to a girl passed out drunk and defenseless—just held her and slept.
Even without much sexual knowledge, I'd heard about sex ed in health class and read romance novels. I knew guys usually can't hold back in situations like that. Back in middle and high school, a few classmates got pregnant from sleazy incidents.
But this commoner? He just held me warmly, nothing unpleasant or violent.
"He's weird. A really weird commoner."
And that nostalgic feeling, like we'd known each other forever—it's uncanny. What a mysterious guy.
Bzzz—vrrr—bzzz—
Then my smartphone vibrated beside the futon.
Who could it be?
[KK]
"...Tch."
The guy whose name I didn't even want to see, saved by initials only.
Kenji.
I took the phone back to the bathroom and answered.
"Hello.."
-"Harumi sis~"
His childish "sis" voice made my stomach churn.
"Why are you calling."
-"Eh? So cold. Keeheehee. Just calling to see your face after so long. Got time today? Come to that hospital from before."
Hearing "hospital" made my heart pound like a hammer.
"W-Wait, is something wrong with Mom—"
-"Huh? Maybe, maybe not. Want me to hand the phone to sis-in-law? ...Ah! Right! She's in a coma, can't answer~ Keeheeheehee!"
Grind.
No. I hate this. Really hate it.
This guy's the worst.
-"Uwaa... That was fun. Pfft. Anyway, get to the hospital quick, sis. Got it~?"
Lava bubbled in my chest. I wanted to scream for him to leave me and Mom alone, but I couldn't.
"...Yes. Uncle."
Because he held my mother's life in his hands.