* * *
The image of white fur fluttering in the wind as they ran was something I probably wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
While I watched in tense silence, a strange sense of déjà vu struck me.
I tilted my head and glanced back.
No way, but—
Just now, I could’ve sworn I saw familiar white fur on the bed.
‘Nah, must’ve been something similar.’
Still, my eyes betrayed me and drifted in that direction.
“….”
I stared at the bed where Do Soohyuk sat.
There it was: snow-white fur, spread across the blanket like a mink throw.
It blended in so naturally that I hadn’t noticed until now.
Of course I’d been reminded of a cheap summer dorm room with something like that pulled up to his chin.
“…Do Soohyuk, did you go out?”
That fur hadn’t magically appeared out of nowhere.
As I stepped closer, I noticed a canister of kerosene placed off in the corner.
Something clearly went down while I was unconscious.
“I went out to get medicine.”
“…Medicine?”
I looked around and saw four small brown bottles on the table.
Simple cold medicine, nothing special.
It didn’t seem like he had a cold.
Clearly, he’d gone out for me.
He seriously risked going outside… just for this?
I couldn’t understand what he was thinking—especially since he’d also fought monsters and collected kerosene along the way.
If he’d gone out for fuel from the start, I’d at least get it.
But this…
“This fur—did you cut it off yourself?”
“There was a monster that was nearly dead. Right place, right time.”
Do Soohyuk replied nonchalantly and sat down, starting to get dressed.
‘Normal people would just walk past something like that… wouldn’t they?’
Stunned, I stared at him—and then suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
“You’re bleeding!”
At first I thought it was potion, but the dark red stain on his sleeve was definitely blood.
The amount looked serious, and my voice rose involuntarily.
“It’s not mine.”
But Do Soohyuk just looked up at me, calm as ever.
His gaze felt… familiar, yet strangely hopeful.
“Are you worried about me?”
Huh?
Did I hear that right?
My brain short-circuited. I blinked stupidly.
No way. No way he just said that.
“I-I mean… yeah, I guess. Why’d you go out there alone like that?”
Flustered, I scratched the back of my neck and awkwardly avoided his gaze.
‘Did he eat something weird?’
I backed off slowly, still processing what had just happened.
“Anyway, I’ll make breakfast.”
I still didn’t quite get why he’d gone out for me, but the fact that he’d taken that risk… it meant something.
And thanks to that, I was completely recovered.
I couldn’t just keep piling on debts—I had to repay him somehow.
But at the moment, the only thing I could think to offer was food.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday, but my stomach was already growling.
And now that Do Soohyuk didn’t have his powers anymore, he had to be feeling hungry too.
“It won’t take long.”
I walked toward the sink and opened the cupboards.
The dishes and cups, all made of glass, looked surprisingly intact.
No matter how versatile the item pouch was, it had never once occurred to me to pack cooking utensils or tableware.
Energy bars had always been enough, so I never felt the need.
‘Guess I’ll have to carry them from now on…’
As I rummaged through for a frying pan and a plate, I was lucky enough to find a can of tuna tucked into the corner.
As expected, the induction stove wasn’t working, and it took quite a while to dig out the portable gas burner.
“Just to be clear—so you don’t get the wrong idea—these aren’t stolen from a convenience store.”
I glanced over at the bed as I started taking out ingredients one by one from the item pouch.
Do Soohyuk had been watching me for a while, completely ignoring the chirpy little bird playing around his head.
But the way he was looking at me now wasn’t his usual observant gaze—it felt more like he was just watching… out of curiosity.
“You carry around bread and eggs in your item pouch?”
“I bought them during a grocery run… That’s all.”
It’s not like I normally carried bread and eggs around, not knowing when they might spoil.
I’d only tossed them in there temporarily after going grocery shopping with my dad the morning I got kidnapped.
Saving on bag fees and thinking about the environment—it was actually a pretty solid idea.
I toasted the bread until it was golden on both sides, then scrambled the eggs.
The tuna didn’t need cooking, so I drained the oil and placed a little bit on top of the toast.
“You don’t like ketchup, right, Do Soohyuk?”
“…….”
Shit.
Even I realized I’d screwed up the moment the words left my mouth.
It was something I’d seen in a movie—it just slipped out before I could stop myself.
I couldn’t exactly backtrack now and say I was just making conversation…
I kept my expression as neutral as I could, but a cold sweat trickled down my back.
I cleared my throat and kept topping the toast with tuna, my hands subtly shaking.
“Hah… You know. I just… pay attention to stuff.”
“Wasn’t it always in a bad way, though?”
His dead-on reply made me flinch.
I had no comeback for that.
All I could do was mouth silently, then shoot him a sheepish glare like a scolded puppy.
It’s not like I did anything wrong, and yet, I still felt like I had to read the room.
“I said I wouldn’t do it again…”
But unexpectedly, Do Soohyuk nodded without protest.
“Understood.”
He even answered quietly and didn’t bring it up again.
He just silently watched as I finished prepping the meal.
‘…Huh?’
His attitude’s kinda different today.
I couldn’t exactly pinpoint it, but something about him had felt subtly softer since this morning.
Maybe it was because the vibe was unfamiliar, but instead of being comforting, it was a little unnerving.
While pouring milk into a cup with a slightly awkward expression, my gaze happened to land on the medicine bottles on the table.
Come to think of it—all four bottles were empty, and yet, I had no memory of taking them.
“When did I take the medicine? I don’t remember at all.”
At that, Do Soohyuk, who had been sitting still like a statue, slowly turned his head.
Then, for no apparent reason, he started staring out the window.
Not like there was anything to see out there—just white snow and some monsters drowning in the lake.
I blinked in confusion and asked again.
“I did take it, right?”
“…Yes.”
His answer came a bit late, but I didn’t feel the need to press him any further.
Maybe he took some too because he wasn’t feeling well.
Even if that were the case, it wasn’t something to hide… so why did it feel like he didn’t want to talk about it?
Maybe, for someone like him—an S-Class—it was a bit of a blow to his pride.
“Come eat. You too, Chirpy.”
As I set the plates on the table and waved, Chirpy—who’d been lounging on Do Soohyuk’s head—darted over.
The moment I poured the smuggled nuts from the convenience store onto a small plate, the little guy stuffed his cheeks to bursting.
Once both his cheeks puffed up like balloons, he finally started nibbling on peanuts one by one—it was honestly pretty cute.
“Taste good?”
Chirp!
“You’re such a good talker.”
Smiling fondly, I reached out and stroked his head, and he happily rubbed his cheek against my finger in response.
But when I looked up, I realized Do Soohyuk had taken a seat without me noticing and was quietly watching my face.
I was used to being watched by him by now, but this time, the look in his eyes was clearly different from yesterday.
It was… weirdly tender.
“…What?”
“…Nothing.”
But when I actually met his gaze head-on, he quickly looked away.
His expression was as stoic as ever, but the way he sipped his milk felt oddly awkward.
‘What’s with him?’
Most people probably wouldn’t notice—it was such a subtle change—but to me, it stood out like night and day.
Which just made it all the more suspicious.
As I narrowed my eyes, wondering what was going on, Do Soohyuk looked at me again.
“Are you… the type to smile a lot?”
“……”
What kind of question is that?
I froze mid-sip. I wasn’t used to questions like this.
It was so out of character for Do Soohyuk, it caught me completely off guard.
“Not really. There hasn’t been much to smile about.”
And it was true—before I ended up in this world, there was never any reason to smile.
My friend Changbeom even nicknamed me ‘the emotionless log.’
“But lately… I think I’ve been smiling more. Not sure if I should, but…”
Since coming here, I’d surprised myself more than once.
I hadn’t known I could smile like this.
It felt like discovering a whole new side of myself.
Like finally facing the person I’d been avoiding all along.
Ironically enough, I’d found a new lease on life inside what’s basically a movie.
“You should smile.”
As I absentmindedly rubbed at a smudge on the cup, his calm voice reached my ears.
Was it just me, or was there comfort in his tone?
The air between us had grown awkward again, so I took a big bite of the sandwich.
Despite being hastily thrown together, it was surprisingly decent.
As I chewed, I glanced up—Do Soohyuk had already eaten half his sandwich.
For someone who looked like a picky eater, he didn’t seem to mind plain food at all.
“Is it okay? I only used salt and pepper.”
“Well… since there’s no ketchup, I guess it’s edible.”
…Wait. Was that… a joke?
* * *
