Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: The Sound of Stitching
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Rustle-
I struggled to open my eyes and barely managed to haul my stiff body upright.
Had I fallen asleep without realizing it?
I remembered closing my eyes out of exhaustion, but everything after that was a blur.
As soon as I got my wits about me, I scanned my surroundings first. It was too dark to recognize right away.
This place...
Seemed to be Soi's house.
Realizing that brought a flood of memories from before I fell asleep.
I'd handed Soi the bear doll with its upper half torn off and just leaned back on the sofa for a moment.
And with that, I'd passed out.
But Soi herself was nowhere to be seen.
'...Sleeping?'
Rip-!
?
The sound hit without warning, nearly stopping my heart.
Rip-!
Rip-!
Rip-!
The noise was like...
Heavy... unnaturally chilling.
A bit more thought, and it hit me: the sharp, staccato snip of something being sewn.
Sewing something.
At this late hour, was she still stitching up the bear doll?
The thought of Soi working on my request this late tugged at me, and I headed straight toward the sewing sounds.
And there she was, actually sewing something.
"Soi, sorry. I passed out from exhaustion."
"......"
"Soi?"
"......"
I apologized right away.
Rip-!
But she showed no reaction to my apology—oddly none at all.
Rip-!
...Maybe she was too focused to hear me?
Soi kept pulling the long thread taut from her fingertips, the needle flashing on.
I approached her cautiously.
Rip-!
Staring at her back, so absorbed she hadn't noticed me.
A strange sense of wrongness creeping in.
"...So, Soi?"
I called out to her carefully.
Flinch!
!
Her sewing stopped.
The hand frozen mid-stitch slowly dropped to her side. A cold voice slithered from her throat toward me.
......It was you, Master.
"Soi, are you... okay?"
I asked, concern lacing my words.
But her reply...
"Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
It was laced with sarcasm.
"...Good, then."
Rip-!
Her halted hand resumed its motion.
Rip-!
Rip-!
Rip-!
'Are you really okay?!'
No matter how I looked at it, something was off with Soi. It screamed anger—anyone could see it.
Had my request burdened her that much?
She hadn't shown it at the time, but this vibe...
No way around it.
Soi was pissed—royally.
I'd learned online: when someone's mad, apologize fast.
The sooner, the better.
Before the rift deepens.
Step-
I approached slowly, aiming to soothe her. To sincerely apologize for my rude request.
Tap.
"So, Soi."
As I gently placed my palm on her shoulder.
"Master."
"Y-Yes?!"
!!
Her instant reaction to my touch made me yelp without thinking.
But Soi just looked at me calmly and parted her lips.
"Shall I stitch up your torn left arm too, Master?"
......Huh?
"Wh-what do you—"
Her sudden offer to sew my left arm left me frozen.
Crack-
Thud-
My left arm hit the floor limply.
Not a metaphor.
My actual arm had come off.
It didn't hurt.
But seeing it severed yanked up memories of that executive at the company messing with my arm.
......That fucker Noise.
*****
Fuck you, Noise!!
......?
I'd sworn aloud—or so I thought—but the words echoed deep in my skull.
Spring!
I bolted upright on the sofa.
Sweat trickled down my cheek amid total confusion.
I scanned the living room from the sofa.
Dead silent, just like before.
Bright lights illuminated the whole house.
Only one conclusion fit this opposite scenario.
What a fucking dream?
The worst kind of bullshit nightmare.
Swish-
My gaze shot to my left arm, meeting the perfectly attached limb's stare.
......Haa.
Just a dream, then.
Wiggle-
It moved.
My real left arm was fine.
Relief escaped in a sigh.
I cupped my face, trying to calm down.
What a fucking nightmare.
Probably from getting tangled in too many ghost stories lately.
And one I never wanted to have again.
Rip-!
!
My body locked up.
The piercing sound made my pupils quake.
'Fucking hell, that wasn't a dream?'
Rip-!
The noise I'd dismissed as dream stabbed my ears—I knew it well.
Soi sewing something.
Rip-!
!!
Smaller than in the dream, but no room for complacency.
Rip-!
......Gulp.
No clue how many dry swallows today. Part of me wanted to ignore it and crash back on the sofa.
Hoped this was another dream.
......But.
Ignoring it changed nothing. If Soi really sewed my arm while I slept...
Step.
Better check.
My heavy steps reached the source.
Rip-!
There she sat primly.
A girl in a kimono sewing something—her back in my view.
"......"
Words stuck in my throat.
As bewilderment hit on how to start.
"...Huh? Master?"
!!
Soi had already sensed me and turned.
"Did my sewing wake you? Sorry if the noise bothered you... Master."
Her voice shrank to a whisper.
Sparkle-
Flinch!
My eyes locked on the tiny needle in her hand.
Throb-
My inexplicably throbbing left arm spiked alarm, and I blurted desperately.
"N-no! I just woke up on my own! Definitely not because of you!"
I spat excuses to placate her. Desperately.
Shielding her desperately to save my left arm.
"......"
Soi stared blankly at my fluster.
Pfft.
She burst out laughing.
"Being with you keeps the laughs coming, Master."
"Huh?"
Soi laughed.
...This was better, right?
A thousand times better than the icy dream voice threatening to sew my arm.
Park Yeon-jeong thought so.
Soi beamed at me, then gently offered what she'd held.
"Your request? Just finished."
She handed me a pristine bear doll.
Its lost lower half perfectly reattached—even a heart embroidered on its chest in her neat stitches.
I couldn't help but admire.
"Thanks, Soi."
Her cheeks flushed at the praise.
"If there's anything else, just ask anytime. It's my one true joy."
With that.
"......... "
Grip.
?
"Soi?"
A slender hand reached out, softly clutching my sleeve.
Narrowed eyes, reddened rims—she gazed up quietly from below.
"I've done your favor, Master. May I ask a small one in return...?"
"......"
This...
Wasn't free.
Her lips were primed for the request.
"Ah... of course. Yeah..."
I did owe her, and it was small. I planned to agree readily.
......Readily.
"Uh... it's a small one, right?"
"Yes. A small request."
......"Got it."
Why didn't that inspire trust?
Clap.
!
Soi pressed close—uncomfortably so—gripping my sleeve, murmuring her "small request" softly.
Barely audible without straining.
"No honorifics from now on. And..."
"......"
"Call me... Soi."
......Huh?
I'd heard clearly but asked again to confirm.
"Call me 'Soi' from now on."
Her face burrowed deeper into my chest.
Waiting for me to say it, probably.
It was smaller than expected, so I slowly gave her what she wanted.
"...Soi-ya."
"......... "
No reaction.
No reply.
Just...
Grip-
More strength in the hand on my sleeve.
Then she spoke again.
"...I'll do my utmost to serve you from now on. You're my one and only... Master."
"...Tha, nks."
Awkward.
Saying "Soi" felt off.
Ditching honorifics doubled it.
Grin-
But Soi's face lit up with a bright smile.
Satisfied, huh?
If she was happy, that was enough.
"Master."
"Yeah, uh... no, yeah. Soi-ya."
Still awkward.
Seeing me keep my promise, Soi smiled brightly again.
"Just once more... call me 'Soi'."
"...Soi-ya."
"...Once more."
"Soi-ya."
"Once more."
"Soi-ya."
Soi... ya. Didn't you say just once?
"Once more."
"......"
Park Yeon-jeong was held captive by Soi for about an hour after.
Only freed after hoarse-throatedly repeating "Soi-ya" endlessly.
*****
Dawn broke.
I opened my eyes again.
Grip-
Feeling warmth in my arms, I greeted a refreshing morning.
"Good morning, Master. Sleep well?"
......"Yeah, Soi-ya."
An hour of endless "Soi-ya"s had killed the reluctance.
But.
Rustle.
Watching Soi rise from bed first, I squeezed my eyes shut like always.
Still couldn't accept this easily.
'......Soi-ya.'
Why do you keep stripping?
Soi had developed this weird sleep habit. Why always undress when sleeping with me?
Wait, were ghost stories even beings that slept?
As questions mounted, Soi saw my closed eyes.
Slither.
She slipped back under the covers, gently wrapping my arm in her skin.
"You can look, Master. If you want, I'm always ready."
She pressed close, whispering in my ear.
'Right now, even.'
"......"
Giving in felt like unleashing something indescribable.
I strained to ignore her weird whisper.
Stay sharp, Park Yeon-jeong.
Soi's my daughter!
Just think that.
Somehow, that felt safest now.
Our mysterious staring contest kicked off the day, as usual.
Soi's breakfast was exquisite, as always.
And today, with her send-off.
"Then, I'm off. Soi-ya."
"Yes, safe travels. Master."
Tick.
Clock ticked nearby.
AM. 09:00
The instant teleport to work at the dot—I hated how routine it felt.
I'd punched in safely again today.
But why?
Really, why?
Today felt like it'd be exhaustingly tiring.
Step.
Crack-!
!
The floor just cracked.
......Bad omen for sure.