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Beyond the faint haze of consciousness, he could hear someone sobbing.
'…What kind of 'fangirl fairy' is this…? What do you mean by changing fate…?! If things were going to turn out like this, then instead of some tiny, useless fairy, you should've made me into something that could actually protect Sion…!!!'
A small voice that cycled through crying, shouting, and venting in frustration.
For some reason, that voice sounded very familiar to Sion.
'Fine! Don't worry anymore, Sion! I'll figure something out…!'
As if nothing had happened, the voice grew bright and determined again.
'Come on, get warm….'
Then came a tender, earnest warmth in that tone.
It belonged to a small, quirky fairy he knew all too well.
"…Ugh."
Through fragmented memories that blurred the line between dream and reality, Sion slowly opened his eyes.
And the very first thing that filled his vision was, surprisingly, pink.
'…?'
Confused, with a giant question mark hanging over his thoughts, Sion tried to lift his body, which felt as heavy as lead.
No, he froze halfway through.
Hhhk—hhhk—.
Someone's shallow breaths brushed right above his head.
And at the same time, he realized something soft was wrapped snugly around his body.
Startled, Sion slowly turned his head to see who was holding him so tightly.
There, he found...
"……!"
A woman he had never seen before, fast asleep, hugging him like he was her pillow.
Stiff with shock, Sion muttered without realizing it.
"…What is this…."
His voice cracked from his lips, dry from having been unconscious for what seemed longer than he expected.
Trying to make sense of this incomprehensible situation, Sion cautiously looked around.
And then he froze again.
Unbelievably, the stranger clinging to him was dressed only in lingerie, practically half-naked.
Sion's lips parted slightly in shock before pressing closed again.
"……."
Sion Luxior.
Nineteen years old this year.
He had lived through hardships enough to confidently say his life hadn't been easy. Just a few hours ago, he had fought a demon beast, gotten caught in an avalanche, and endured countless troublesome incidents.
But without a doubt, never in his life had Sion been this bewildered.
'…Just who in the world is this woman?'
Sion quietly pulled the coat he had been holding back over the woman's body.
Then, with his other hand, he rubbed his face as though trying to wake himself up.
But suddenly, his movements froze.
"…?"
His confused gaze returned to the woman.
There was something oddly familiar about her silhouette.
That very familiar pink hair.
That very familiar pink coat.
Sion furrowed his brows.
'…No way.'
It was an impossible, absurd thought.
And yet, as though bewitched, his hand carefully brushed aside the long strands of hair covering the woman's face.
At last, her features came into view.
A rounded forehead, flushed cheeks, a delicate, fair face.
Unfamiliar, yet somehow familiar.
'…This face.'
He definitely knew a face very similar to this one.
Much smaller, rounder.
Sion blinked.
"…Lin?"
At the sound of his call, the woman's body gave a small jolt. And then...
"…Mmm… sniff."
She wiped the drool that had trailed to her lips and blinked open her drowsy eyes.
And when those clear, vivid pink eyes met Sion's.
Her once-dazed gaze widened like a startled rabbit's.
"…Ah? Sion…!!!"
***
[…Lin?]
A soft, deep, mellow voice called me from afar.
At that sound, the soul of mine that had been drifting endlessly came to an abrupt halt.
'Ah, it's Sion.'
I turned back the way I had come.
'I have to go back.'
And in the very next moment...
With the chill of icy air wrapping around my body, my consciousness broke through the surface of sleep.
"…Mmm… sniff."
I wiped the drool from my lips and opened my eyes, only to see a pair of beautiful bluish-gray eyes staring right at me.
I widened my eyes and cried out.
"…Ah…! Sion?!"
"……"
When I called his name, Sion flinched faintly.
The moment I saw Sion safe and sound, a flood of relief, joy, and pent-up sorrow surged through me, and I threw my arms around him with all my strength.
"Sion!!! You're awake!!!"
"……"
"I was so, so worried you might never wake up! Thank goodness! Really, thank goodness…!"
"……"
For some reason, Sion gave no reply at all.
Puzzled, I pulled back from hugging him and stole a glance at his face.
And then...
"…???"
Sion's face was burning red, so red it spread all the way to the tips of his ears, visible between his ashen-gray hair.
"…? What's wrong, Sion?"
I tilted my head in confusion as I asked, but Sion rubbed his face with one hand as if washing it. Then, averting his gaze stiffly, he muttered in a strained voice.
"…First of all… put some clothes on."
"Huh?"
Stunned by his sudden words, I dumbly looked down at myself.
And my jaw dropped wide open.
'…Crap.'
I had completely forgotten, in my rush to share my body heat with Sion earlier, I had stripped off my clothes, and now I was practically half-naked.
Not as a fairy either, but in the form of an ordinary human woman.
Only now did I fully understand why Sion had reacted that way.
"……"
"……"
An awkward silence filled the air.
Quietly, I reached out and slipped into the pajamas lying beside me. Then, I draped the coat I had been using as a blanket over my shoulders.
Even then, Sion kept his face turned firmly away, sitting in silence.
I cast him a side glance and spoke lightly.
"Ahem, surprised you, didn't I? But it's fine now."
"……"
Sion glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, then let out a long, silent sigh and rubbed his face again.
Clearly, he had been more than a little shaken.
'Well, can't blame him… From Sion's perspective, he woke up to find some strange woman, barely dressed, clinging to him. Of course he'd be shocked.'
I could easily understand.
Even if Sion always acted calm and mature, he was still a young man who had just barely come of age, and in all his nineteen years, he'd never even held a woman's hand before. A completely pure, innocent soul.
Trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere, I deliberately brightened my tone.
"Hehe, but thanks to me watching over you and sharing my warmth, you were able to wake up safe and sound! So? Impressed, right?"
"…Yeah. Thanks to you, I think I avoided hypothermia."
Sion spoke slowly, as though weighing our situation, his gaze drifting over our appearances and surroundings.
Then, his eyes locked onto me once more.
"…But, how did you manage to take on a human form?"
"I used the fairy's power. It's an ability that lets me transform into a human, like this."
"Something like this was even possible?"
"Mm-hm. I didn't know either, but turns out it is."
"…I see."
Sion's bluish-gray eyes quietly studied me, still filled with unfamiliar wonder.
Even I found my transformed appearance strange, so how much more bewildering must it be for Sion?
Whoooosh—
Just then, a draft slipped through the cracks, and I let out a loud sneeze.
"Achoo~!!!"
"…!"
I saw Sion flinch in surprise at my sudden outburst.
Then, as though snapping out of his thoughts, he spoke slowly.
"…For now… let's regain our strength here before heading out."
"Mm, yeah. Let's do that. Snff."
Sniffling, I pulled my coat tighter around me. Sion watched me for a moment, then quietly closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.
At the same time, a shimmer like heat haze rose from his whole body.
'Ooh, that's aura!'
Fascinated by the living, flowing energy, I swished my hand through it, but felt nothing tangible.
'He must be using his aura to regulate his body temperature.'
It was a method Sion and the male lead often used in the original story.
A short while later, Sion opened his eyes again.
Then he spoke to me in a soft murmur.
"Come closer."
"…! Okay!"
I eagerly scooted over and pressed myself right against his side.
As expected, his skin was wonderfully warm to the touch.
"Wow! You're all toasty now, Sion! Amazing!"
"……"
"Here, this way it'll be even warmer!"
I spread my coat wide like a blanket and draped it over both our shoulders.
The air under the coat quickly grew cozy, wrapping us in warmth.
Grinning in satisfaction, I turned sharply toward Sion.
"Hehe, see? Isn't this just-"
But my words faltered.
Because our faces were… far closer than I expected.
So close, in fact, that I could see the flicker of unease trembling in his bluish-gray eyes.
"……"
"……"
Sion hadn't expected me to turn toward him so suddenly either, and he froze just as I did.
Silence stretched between us.
'…Wh-what is this atmosphere?'
I stared at Sion blankly.
I should have turned my head away, or said something to break this strange tension, but my tongue and body refused to move.
And then...
Thump.
'Thump?'
My heart suddenly skipped.
Thump. Thump.
'Huh…?'
I lowered my gaze in bewilderment to my chest.
What's going on with me…?
Flaaash—!
Suddenly, my whole body was engulfed in a burst of light.
"Eh!?"
"Lin…!"
Startled, Sion called my name and reached out his hand.
But his hand swiped only empty air.
Because...
"…What the—"
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1 Comments
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ReplyDeleteI was legit WAITING for this!!