* * *

The Hero suddenly hugged me tighter.

Trapped in his arms, I couldn’t resist.

If you’re wondering why I ended up pressed completely against him, I’d like to emphasize—it was beyond my control.

So yeah, I’m stuck here, fully plastered against the Hero, feeling every bit of his muscular physique with my entire body.

For the sake of comfortable sleep, he’d discarded the leather armor he usually wore, leaving him in a simple outfit.

Which brings me to the point…

His chest.

Right now.

His chest is touching me!

The Hero’s firm, taut chest—made up of perfectly toned muscle—was both resilient and subtly soft due to its sheer size.

The sensation was maddening.

Absolutely maddening.

And it wasn’t just his chest.

The bulging strength of the arms wrapped around me, the distinct ridges of his abdominal muscles pressing against me—it was all impossible to ignore, no matter how hard I tried.

The Hero was just peacefully asleep, so why was I plagued by these indecent thoughts?

Was it my fault for being gay?

Or was it his fault for being so damn sexy?

I had no idea…

Thanks to his consideration, I wasn’t sleeping on the cold, hard ground but on a soft bed.

And here I was, staring at his sleeping face and… well, standing at attention.

If that didn’t make me a shameless ingrate, then what would?

Pull yourself together.

I’m already a piece of trash for stealing the Hero’s chance to turn back time.

No need to add “double trash” to my resume.

If I kept staring at his radiant face and perfectly sculpted body while pressed up against him, I might actually lose control.

It was ridiculous that I was feeling this way despite the weight of humanity’s fate on our shoulders.

Sure, it had been a while since I’d had sex—even excluding my pre-regression life—but I didn’t expect to lose all self-control and lust after the Hero.

Carefully, I tried to slip out of his hold.

“……”

Ah.

I knew this would happen.

“Did you sleep well?”

The Hero’s eyes snapped open like a ghost.

The moment I moved, he was awake.

Wasn’t he being way too sensitive?

Should I have just stayed in his arms?

But surely, waking him up by moving was better than him waking up annoyed because something hard was poking his leg.

I mean, I tried.

Of course, I couldn’t exactly say that.

“Did I wake you? I just thought it’d be too rude to keep lying here like this. I mean, you’re not the type to like people much, are you? I don’t know why you even hugged me, but it’s not like it’s because you like me or anything, right?”

“You were having a nightmare,” he said softly.

“Me?”

“Who else would it be?”

Well, that made sense.

Still, I was so surprised I asked anyway.

Was he saying he stayed with me because he wanted to comfort me after seeing me have a nightmare?

He even hugged me to reassure me?

Why would the Hero go to such lengths for me?

I couldn’t understand.

Was he giving me some kind of over-the-top service since today was the last of our agreed week together?

Even so, wasn’t this a bit much?

“Why?” I asked in a dazed voice, unable to help myself.

All I got in return was a faint, incredulous laugh.

The Hero got up from the bed and began packing his belongings.

Did I say something wrong?

Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed like I had.

But how?

I’d only said two words!

Oh!

“Thank you!” I quickly blurted out.

It was obvious now—anyone would be upset if I didn’t thank them for something like this.

“Lately, I haven’t been sleeping well because of the nightmares, but thanks to you, I slept soundly for the first time in ages. I feel like I’m on cloud nine. So refreshed.”

And it was true.

Though I was still feeling awkward about the Hero’s presence, I was undeniably more well-rested than usual.

If I could sleep like this every day, I’d probably be able to dedicate myself to world peace with more energy.

Since regressing, the number of days I’d slept properly could be counted on one hand.

It’s tough for adventurers to get a good night’s rest, after all.

But of course, I couldn’t just ask the Hero to sleep with me every night.

I’d just be grateful for this one lucky break.

Still, how could I express my thanks more?

“Oh, by the way, you’re seriously good-looking even when you’re sleeping. For a moment, when I saw your face just after you woke up, I thought I was dreaming.”

Since I couldn’t think of anything else, I resorted to flattery.

Everyone likes a compliment, right?

The Hero finished strapping his sword to his belt, ready to leave.

The sun had already set, but since we’d wasted the day, we needed to get something done.

I straightened my clothes, preparing to follow him wherever he went.

“Get some more rest.”

But the Hero stopped me.

Was he worried about me?

Or just telling me not to follow him?

“I’m not even sleepy anymore.”

I protested hesitantly, hoping his reaction would give me a clue.

“It’s the last day we agreed on, so it’d be too disappointing to just have one meal together and part ways. I don’t want that.”

When he didn’t respond, I tried again, laying it on thicker.

At last, the Hero turned off the lantern in the inn room with a click.

The room was instantly shrouded in darkness.

I was pushed back onto the bed.

“So? What happened next?”

Carmen’s excited voice broke the narrative.

Was she seriously expecting some scandalous twist?

“What do you mean, ‘what happened’? He told me to ‘just sleep’ and left.”

There was no way anything improper could happen between me and the Hero.

Sure, I might find him irresistibly attractive, but I had no intention of letting that show.

And it was even less likely that the Hero would see me that way.

So, regardless of the setting—a dimly lit inn room, me on a bed—the outcome was always going to be the same.

“Do you think I’d be here drinking with you if anything happened between us?”

“Boring,” Carmen grumbled, downing her beer in one go and slamming the empty glass onto the table.

Naike, who was sipping cautiously from her own drink, widened her eyes in disbelief.

“So you just left without anything happening? You should’ve chased after Zerbin instead.”

Well, whatever steamy fantasies you’re imagining, they’ll never happen.

And when the Hero explicitly tells you not to follow, you listen.

There’s no point in ruining things by being defiant.

Honestly, I tried to sleep more after he left, but without him, I couldn’t relax enough to drift off.

I left the inn instead of wasting time lying around.

I felt a little bad for making the Hero waste money on the room, though.

“You sure you don’t need more rest? Even if chasing the Grim Reaper is hard, you could’ve slept a bit longer.”

“Carmen, why don’t you try being more like Naike?”

Seriously, she’s so much nicer.

* * *