When he forced his eyes open, something glittered in front of him like a daytime star.
It was Amy’s hair. The scattered strands of reddish-orange shimmered as he whispered to himself.
…A star shining in the day.
That was his honest thought. But Nox wondered if it had been real. It must have been closer to a dream, since behind her had been a sunrise, not the night he knew.
“Nox, Nox. You can’t pass out, okay? Can you hear me? This poison causes hallucinations when the fever gets bad!”
Even as he told himself it had to be a dream, a strange sense of reality crept across his nape, sending a shiver down his spine. He frowned slightly and rolled up his sleeve.
…There had been wounds, hadn’t there?
Pausing, he stared at his arm.
…There were none.
Had it all been a dream? His collapse, the bright morning sky he’d seen before closing his eyes? Wounds don’t heal overnight, so it was logical to dismiss it as something that never happened. But still… he felt uneasy.
Looking down at Amy again, Nox reached out. Carefully, he lifted her and laid her beside him. She had been sleeping precariously close to the edge of the bed, but now, lying beside him, her expression grew peaceful. He quietly stared at her.
“Mm…”
His fingers brushed her hair, gently tucking it to the side of her cheek. Bathed in moonlight, her hair glowed a soft orange, and as he stroked it, he finally understood why he wanted to see her in the daytime.
“…You sleep well.”
A memory flashed in his mind—one he couldn’t forget. Was even this just a dream?
“Lennox, Lennox, wake up.”
In the dream, Amy had shaken him awake, calling him by that unfamiliar name.
“You can’t lie here like this, L-Lennox! Lennox!”
The name echoed in his mind, carved there as soon as he heard it.
Why had she called him that? Why didn’t it feel foreign?
His eyes narrowed as he whispered the name under his breath.
He didn’t know why she had called him that… but it felt familiar.
* * *
“Mm, strange.”
I thought being sick would mean having nothing to do, which should have been nice. But it wasn’t.
Ten years of habit nagged at me even after just one day of rest, and I realized this was the mindset of a seasoned housekeeper.
Seriously. Wanting to do the dishes rather than lie in bed? I was definitely too well-trained. But it made sense—I had been responsible for the house while my sister was away, and it was the only thing I could do, so I worked harder at it. Now, it was just part of daily life. Maybe that’s why I felt so restless.
“Ugh. I’ll start cleaning as soon as I’m up.”
My sister, worried because my fever hadn’t fully subsided, insisted I stay in bed. With no real doctor or medicine available, relying only on herbs, of course she wanted me to rest. But it was still frustrating.
Last night, we even had a little argument. Not about me—about something else.
“You want to sleep with him? What are you talking about? I’m sick, and you’re saying you’ll take Nox to your room!”
I had been frantic stopping my sister, who wanted to keep Nox with her for the night. After much coaxing, pleading, and reasoning, I finally convinced her.
“You like Nox too much, Amy. Excessive attention can be bad for him. I’m starting to worry about you.”
She thought I was obsessed.
Obsessed? Ridiculous! I’d risked everything to keep him from her room, and to her, I probably just looked like a stubborn sick girl making unnecessary fuss. I could understand her misunderstanding, but… it still stung.
Obsessed. Me? If it were the male lead, maybe, but…!
“…Why am I suddenly pouting?”
“There’s a reason.”
Because of you, teacher.
Hiding a grown man who turned into a child every night made me a better liar every day. Swallowing back what I couldn’t say, I buried my face in my hands.
“…It’s not fair.”
“What’s unfair?”
“She told me not to be obsessed with Nox. She doesn’t even know the truth.”
“…Obsessed?”
“She wanted to take him to her room, and I stopped her—and that’s what I get for it? So unfair…”
At first, I wanted to keep this secret forever, but with Nox’s condition, I knew it was impossible. I had been worried about accidentally triggering my sister’s death flag if she ever faced Nox directly, but by now, I figured it might be fine.
“Are you going to tell your sister?”
“…I have to. Eventually. But I just can’t bring myself to.”
My sister had no idea what sacrifices I’d made to prevent her death flag. Not that it was her fault—it was all me keeping secrets.
I knew I couldn’t hide it forever, but every time I thought about saying it, the words just wouldn’t come.
“It feels weird to tell her now.”
“Why?”
“…Because I don’t know how she’ll react when she sees Nox.”
Once, a monster hunter got lost in the Night Forest and stumbled into our home. That night, when the man turned violent, my sister had cut him down in an instant.
“Amy, people like this should be cut down completely.”
She had smiled brightly while saying it, but I knew how ruthless she could be when she decided to act.
I could easily imagine what might happen if she found out. …Okay, maybe she wouldn’t start swinging a sword right away, but still.
“What do you think, Nox?”
“About telling her or not?”
“Yes.”
Nox leaned closer, propping himself up.
“Well… I’d rather you didn’t.”
As he sat up, the sheets slipped, revealing his toned abs. I suddenly became very aware of the fact that, yes, he was definitely a man, and quickly turned my head away.
“W-Why?”
Stretching out his arm, he caged me in, his large hand covering mine.
“I don’t like the thought of anyone but you calling my name.”
A shiver ran down my spine at his low voice. Through his hand pressed near my heart, I could feel the thumping of my heartbeat—louder and faster than during the day. I drew in a sharp breath, wanting to move my hand away, but I couldn’t.
…No matter what, I was going to sew him proper clothes myself if I had to.
I opened and closed my mouth soundlessly before finally whispering,
“D-Do you have to say that… in this position?”
Tilting his head, he answered without hesitation.
“If I don’t, you never look me in the eye.”
I groaned weakly.
“That’s because… your eyes are too intense.”
“Me? Then if I smile, will you look at me?”
If he smiled with that face, it would be even more dangerous.
I swallowed back the words and scooted backward, but every time I moved, he closed the distance just as much. Eventually, my back hit the wall.
“W-Why are you following me…”
“Because you’re running.”
“If I stop, will you let me go?”
He didn’t answer, which was not comforting. I forced myself to speak calmly.
“Uh, um. How about we put a little space between us first?”
I grabbed the sheet under me like a shield and pushed lightly against his chest. He didn’t budge—he didn’t even twitch. His brow furrowed slightly, his lips parting as his hand brushed my cheek.
I shot up suddenly, shoving at his chest. The movement made me stumble, catching myself awkwardly against him, his hand at my waist keeping me balanced.
But the problem wasn’t me falling onto him.
Knock knock.
“Amy, are you awake?”
Of course. I hadn’t misheard.
“I’ll change your wet towel. Can I come in for a second? …Are you asleep?”
My eyes widened as I stared between the door and Nox.
“W-What do we do?”
“…”
Nox was frozen as stiff as I was.
Click. The door handle turned. Wait. Wait, was she really going to walk in and see us like this? Sitting astride Nox like this?
No way. Absolutely not. My mouth moved before I could think.
“S-Sis!!”
“Amy?”
“Yeah, I’m fine! My fever’s gone! My face is cool, the towel’s soaked—I’m totally fine now!”
The door handle stopped turning. Normally, she’d just walk in, which made this unusual, but I was just grateful it stayed shut.
Pressing my hand against Nox’s chest, I swallowed hard.
“Really? Hmm.”
Through that thin door, I felt more suspense than any horror movie.
“You don’t need to change clothes either, then?”
“Y-Yes? Yes! I’m fine! Totally fine! If I change now, it’ll just, uh, get wet again! I want to just sleep like this!”
I knew I sounded overly detailed, but please, just agree, Sis. Better yet—just leave. Just go…
The door, which I feared might open, blessedly stayed shut. Only my sister’s voice came from beyond it.
“Really? Alright then. I must have woken you.”
“Mhm, yeah! Sleep well, Sis!”
“You too.”
Even without seeing her, I could picture her smiling face. At the same time, I exhaled like someone who had just finished sprinting.
“…We survived.”
Step, step.
Only after her footsteps faded completely did I finally clutch my chest in relief.
Honestly, until I regained my memories of living in Korea, I had grown up just like any ordinary child. Naturally, I’d gone through puberty too. Back then, I started opening my door to my sister much less often, and right now, I had never been more grateful for that.
Hooray for teenage rebellion…
Finally looking up, I met Nox’s unwavering gaze. Somehow, after facing near-death together, he felt even closer now—even though he wasn’t saying anything.
“We made it, right?”
“…Is that a good thing?”
“Of course it is! What would we have done if she caught us…”
Nox gave a low chuckle.
“If you think it’s good, then it’s good.”
I blinked, startled, then stiffened.
…Did he just laugh? Even if just a little?
My hand, still trapped in his, was suddenly brought to his lips. I flinched in shock.
“You have a scent.”
“A… scent? Oh, it’s probably the herbs… Yeah, that’s it.”
So could he not move any closer? It felt less like a conscious action and more like a wild animal sniffing instinctively. When I felt the soft press of his lips against my fingers, heat flared across my cheeks.
“But… how long are you planning to stay on top of me?”
“W-What?!”
“I don’t mind staying like this.”
Only then did I fully register that I was still straddling his chest.
Oh God. What had I been touching this whole time?
My pale hands—so unused to going outside—stood out starkly against the sun-kissed skin of his chest, right over his beating heart. Thump, thump, thump. It felt like my fingertips were blushing along with my face.
“S-Sorry!”
I scrambled to get off, but my foot caught on his leg, sending me tipping backward. Nox smoothly caught me, sitting up and supporting me with an arm.
The problem wasn’t just that I was now perched on his thighs—it was the intense gaze I met when I looked up.
“Amy.”
“Y-Yes?”
“I think I’d like to stay like this.”
“….”
“Do I need permission for this too?”
His hands were strong, his grip firm—just one look at his defined muscles told you that. No matter how many times I’d seen it, I still wasn’t used to being held in the arms of a half-dressed man who didn’t seem inclined to let go.
Flustered, I ducked my head.
“You don’t… want to?”
“I… I…”
Click. The door swung open.
Whatever I was about to say froze in my throat. I went rigid, still clinging to Nox, as my sister stepped in.
“Amy, I was worried, so I came back to change your towel—huh?”
Silence fell, stretching on forever. Neither Nox, nor I—with my hand still on his chest—nor my sister could find words.
Eyes wide, I stammered first.
“S-Sis? This, um, this isn’t what it looks like—”
“Amy.”
My sister cut me off. As her gaze swept the room, she spoke slowly, lips curling in something that was not her usual smile.
“Amy, I’m sad. I didn’t expect my little sister to be so bold.”
“W-What?”
“You should’ve told me. You really surprised me. Were you planning to keep your romance a secret from me?”
“Romance?!”
“…Or did you already get engaged behind my back?”
“What are you talking about? Who would I even get engaged to in the middle of this forest?!”
“Hmm, really?”
I opened my mouth, then froze.
“Then if you’re not dating, and definitely not engaged, why is there a man holding my little sister’s waist so tightly…?”
Okay, that was a very accurate statement, but hearing it said so bluntly made my face flame. Did she have to say it out loud?
Seeing my sister’s sharp gaze, I quickly slipped my hand off Nox’s chest.
And then I realized—she was angry.
“This man isn’t even wearing proper clothes.”
“Sis! It’s not what it looks like, I swear! He’s wearing pants under the blanket!”
“….”
“H-He is wearing them.”
…Oops. Only after saying it did I realize how idiotic that sounded. Too late. My sister let out a disbelieving laugh.
“Amy, is that really all you have to say?”
“…N-No.”
I quickly snapped my mouth shut.
My sister was normally incredibly kind, but when she got mad… she was terrifying. I knew firsthand what she had done to the intruders who had broken in before.
“First, I think I need to talk to him. …What exactly are you doing, hiding behind my sister like a child, huh?”
Her voice was deceptively calm.
I felt Nox tense behind me. The air turned heavy with tension. Hastily, I reached back to grab him, stammering to defend him.
“S-Sis, he’s just… not much of a talker—”
“Already taking your boyfriend’s side?”
“He’s not my boyfriend!”
My sister put a hand dramatically to her face, feigning tears.
“How shameless.”
And then—her expression sharpened in an instant.
Thunk!
A dagger embedded itself in the wall. It was her usual habit to carry one just in case, but that didn’t make it any less terrifying.
That was when I realized—this was worse than any anger I’d ever seen from her.
“Step aside for now.”
“Sis, wait! Hold on!”
The priority was calming her down. Dear God, no—these two fighting like they did in the book could not happen!