Warmth touched both of my cheeks.
‘It’
The warmth from Da-eun’s hands felt no different from before.
But sohow, it felt different—was it because of the texture?
‘So, this is what it felt like.’
Unlike Joanie’s hands, which were always soft, Da-eun’s hands were slightly rough.
Still, they were soft.
I half-closed my eyes.
And, with a gentle hand softly brushing my cheek, I allowed myself to relax into it.
The pounding heartbeat that had been racing began to settle.
“…Are you a doll?”
“….”
“Or no… maybe an android? It looks so lifelike.”
Just for a mont.
Predictably, Da-eun’s strange remarks shattered my peaceful state of mind.
In disbelief, I opened my half-closed eyes and stared, only to see Da-eun’s expression turn surprised, despite her previously serious face.
“Don’t tell … did you call here to show a doll made in this image?”
“Huh? Not at all.”
“Or is it like a brain-in-a-vat situation, where a person is trapped inside a ga to act like an NPC…?”
It was strange from the start, hearing about an unknown company that suddenly created a sensation like this.
The woman who brought Da-eun, Edel, sighed after overhearing Da-eun’s mutterings.
“If that were the case, don’t you think it’d make no sense to bring you here just to show it?”
“…Are they trying to use my brain?”
“Your imagination is quite extraordinary.”
She then glanced my way.
“I understand why you’d stay with her.”
“…That’s not why I stayed with her.”
It was amusing in its own way, but I’d been bewildered far more often.
I sighed lightly, just as Edel had, and raised my hand to gently remove Da-eun’s hand from my cheek.
Her hand, which was still softly touching my cheek.
“I didn’t expect so touching reunion or anything like that, but I didn’t expect it to go like this, either.”
“Yeah, I guess that kind of thing wouldn’t suit you.”
“…I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
“It’s not sothing I have to be asked to share, you know. …Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe it wouldn’t look so out of place, after all.”
Just what is she about to say now?
As a sense of foreboding crept in, I moved to stop Edel from speaking, but her mouth was quicker.
“You know, that ti in the mountains. You were begging tearfully… it was quite a sight. Want to give it another go?”
“Just die.”
“…What exactly are you two talking about?”
Seeing conversing with Edel, Da-eun, feeling sothing was off, interjected.
I paused for a mont and gazed into her eyes.
In her shimring eyes, a reflection of the pink-haired girl appeared.
Once again, I hadn’t expected my reunion with Da-eun to look like this.
To be honest, it felt a little embarrassing to call it a reunion after just a few days apart…
But regardless of what I thought, from Da-eun’s perspective, it was the return of soone she had seen die right in front of her, so perhaps it wasn’t wrong to call it that. �
Or maybe even a miracle.
So, to restore so order to the chaotic atmosphere of this reunion, I opened my mouth.
What should I say upon eting her again?
After a lot of thought, this is what I chose.
“Hello. I’m Canaria…..Well, just Canaria.”
I thought about saying my last na for a mont, but then shook my head.
I liked sharing my father’s last na, but Grasis was a na given by the kingdom, not his family na.
Besides, the connection with Da-eun wasn’t made as “Canaria Grasis.”
It was an introduction I thought wasn’t half bad.
As I nodded,
“…Canaria?”
Da-eun’s gaze sharpened.
Her eyes flared with intensity, her cheeks and hands occasionally trembling.
While it was nice to see her face, once lifeless, now filled with vitality,
‘Why is she like this?’
I tilted my head in puzzlent at Da-eun’s reaction, which was clearly an expression of anger.
She seed to be struggling to find the right words, swallowing repeatedly, before shifting her fierce gaze from to Edel.
“Whether you brought soone who looks similar or made soone cosplay… did you think I’d be happy with this? Not a chance…!”
“Uh…”
“Just because you’re buried in code and ga developnt doesn’t an you can dismiss emotions as trivial!”
“Hold on—”
“And you… no, you’re just as guilty. Even if you got paid to do this, you shouldn’t toy with soone’s heart like this!”
“…I didn’t get paid, though.”
“You’re saying you did this without even getting paid?”
Da-eun’s eyes twisted even more fiercely.
She looked as if she might storm out any second, so I gestured to Edel.
‘Do sothing.’
In response, Edel shook her head.
‘It’s your responsibility. She’s angry because of you, so you should calm her down.’
‘How is this my fault?’
‘Then is it mine? She got like this after hearing your introduction, didn’t she?’
‘…You could have given her a proper explanation beforehand.’
‘You agreed to this too, rember?’
Though we didn’t actually exchange words, interpreting our glances conveyed this general aning.
Or maybe not?
In any case, it looked like I needed to calm Da-eun down.
“Even if you’re a ga company, you can’t treat players like this! No, actually, that should make it even less acceptable…!”
“Alright, I get it, but first, calm down—”
“How am I supposed to calm down?!”
Da-eun, still fuming, showed no sign of settling down.
Like a dog barking fiercely and darting around in excitent.
I may not know how to handle animals, but I do know how to calm them down.
Mana flickered at my fingertips.
Paat.
Slice!
The edge of the bed’s headboard fell away, showing a clean cut as if sliced by a blade.
“Shh.”
“….”
“…What?! Did you just cut the bed?! Do you know how expensive this bed is?!”
“How would I know? If you told to calm her down, you should have been prepared for sothing like this.”
“When did I ever say that?!”
“You told with your eyes just now.”
“This brat is completely insane!”
“Acting so surprised when you already predicted it by reading my mind.”
“I didn’t! I can’t read minds anymore!”
“Huh?”
Edel explained that since my power level had risen and my body now contained Magi, she could no longer read my mind as she did before.
Ah.
I nodded in understanding.
“Looks like you’ve beco even less useful.”
“Ugh…!”
Edel ground her teeth, unable to bring herself to retaliate.
Maybe the reason Edel was acting more human lately had sothing to do with that.
“Mana…? That can’t be…”
My thoughts were interrupted by Da-eun’s murmur.
She was staring at the pink mana on my fingertip with disbelief.
She even tried to touch it, so I quickly dispersed the mana.
She clearly saw it slice through the edge of the bed, so what was she thinking, reaching out like that?
‘Well, I guess it’s possible.’
It would be easy to mistake it for special effects or so kind of trick.
After all, such power doesn’t exist in this world.
“Do you still not believe it?”
I raised my arm, and the long, cumberso patient gown slipped down.
Clink.
The bracelet on my wrist made a clear, ringing sound.
“…!”
Da-eun’s eyes shook violently.
In an instant, she stepped forward and grabbed my wrist.
I could have easily pulled away if I’d wanted to.
But instead, I allowed her to hold my wrist.
‘Shouldn’t she be more amazed by the Sword Beam than the bracelet?’
The bracelet could easily be replaced with sothing similar.
As I swallowed this thought, Da-eun clumsily fiddled with the bracelet.
After examining it for a while, she let go of my wrist.
“…Could it really be…?”
And yet—
“No. There’s no way. This isn’t so novel…”
She seed on the edge of believing, yet so remaining sliver of rationality held her back from fully accepting it.
For a true swordsman, they should be able to cut through anything in their path.
And so, to sever Da-eun’s lingering doubts, I stepped forward.
***
“…So that’s what happened.”
With Edel’s help here and there, I managed to finish my explanation.
After the initial display of mana, I had to repeat it several tis, referencing past events as proof.
“Are you really Kana…?”
“Yes.”
“Really, truly?”
“I said I am.”
“…There isn’t a hidden cara, right? If it turns out to be so prank later, I’ll seriously be angry. I’ll report it to the dia without hesitation.”
“Go ahead…”
Exhausted, utterly exhausted.
‘Maybe I should just say no…’
A mischievous thought crept in.
Endure it. Patience brings blessings.
Suddenly—wham!
Just as I held back that mischievous thought, Da-eun wrapped her arms around .
“Kana!”
“Urk.”
“I-I thought you were really dead…!”
“Mmph—”
Well, I did die, actually.
Alright, I get it, but could you let go of now?
Although this body in this world is likely weaker than the one in that world, Da-eun’s grip was the strongest it had ever been.
I raised my hand to push her off but stopped with a sigh.
Amid her muffled words, I could faintly hear her sobbing.
“So then, I just…!”
“There, there.”
Her words were so jumbled and incoherent that I couldn’t make much sense of it, but…
It must an she had a hard ti.
I patted Da-eun’s back gently with the hand I’d raised to push her away.
‘Regardless…’
I was just as glad to see Da-eun again.
After a while, her sobbing quieted down.
“….”
“….”
“Could you let go now?”
“…Kana, you haven’t changed at all.”
“They say when a person changes suddenly, it’s a sign they’re close to death. Since I died once and ca back, it’s only natural I wouldn’t change.”
“Pfft, what’s that supposed to an?”
Da-eun chuckled in disbelief but finally released from her embrace.
“Your face is a ss.”
“…Hey, just because you look cute doesn’t an you can say that so casually.”
With her face all tear-streaked and runny, Da-eun looked at with a pout.
Luckily, I think she hadn’t worn any transferable makeup; otherwise, it would have been a real ss.
And luckily, there was a big height difference between us.
If we’d been closer in height, I’d be drenched by now…
“…Kana. Can I ask you sothing?”
While I was lost in thought, Da-eun, who had finally cleaned up her tear-streaked face, asked with swollen eyes.
“What is it?”
“You said earlier… that you chose to co to Earth even though you could have stayed in Silia’s world.”
“Yeah.”
“Could you… tell why? Not that I’m not thrilled you’re here with , of course…! I was just curious…”
“So you’ve been hesitating because you wanted to know?”
“I an, it might sound like I’m criticizing your decision to co back…”
“Don’t worry, I don’t see it that way.”
As for why I ca here…
I pondered how to explain it, tapping my fingers lightly on the bed until they brushed against Da-eun’s slightly rough hand.
I gazed at that hand for a mont, then smiled.
“Just because.”
There are plenty of reasons.
But for now, I just wanted to say it this way.
“I just… wanted to.”
—
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