“Why am I standing here, motionless?”
Sherry incessantly questioned me every five minutes, asking why I hadn’t gotten up. Shedding tears, she claimed it was because I seemed dead in my sleep and displayed such a tearful display. Unusually, for a deceased person, she even noticed the excessive redness in my nose.
As Sherry’s words sunk in, my mind resurfaced from its depths.
“Ugh.”
I stretched my arms upward, fully awakening my body. However, I still felt damp, like cotton soaked in water. Kamian supported my shoulders and head, forcing me to sit up. In place of the desire for slumber, a fierce appetite emerged.
“I’m hungry.”
“There are no separate beasts.”
“This is it.”
“Even if you glare with swollen eyes, nothing is intimidating. Get up and wash yourself.”
I strolled briskly towards the bathroom. Out of caution, I thoroughly inspected the bathroom floor. Fortunately, I couldn’t find any traces of bloodstains.
As I splashed cold water onto my face, my mind jolted back to alertness. In that moment, the obsessions that tormented me in the early dawn began to resurface, one by one. Unconsciously, my face grew serious.
I recall a description from the original work when Liv died, mentioning ‘as the cherry blossoms faded.’ It was around the end of spring. Some say I have less than half a year left.
But can I truly detach Kamian’s heart from mine? Am I capable of such a feat?
I had no confidence. Instead of pushing him away, my heart even scolded Kamian for being so fond of me… When I saw Kamian’s face in the morning, my heart trembled so much that I almost died. Once I became aware, this feeling could no longer be concealed.
“Ah…”
Thud. I was startled, like a startled thief, by the sound of a knock.
“Do you have to spend so long in the bathroom before heading into my room?”
How long was I in the bathroom if someone could ask that question? An irritating feeling surged through me. I can’t understand what that fool finds so appealing, making his heart beat like that.
After opening the door, Kamian stood before me, with a sly grin on his face.
“What are you looking at?”
“You didn’t even dry your face.”
“It’s intentionally left wet for a refreshing sensation.”
Truthfully, I hadn’t even considered drying it. That’s how absent-minded I was.
“In this weather?”
“Why can’t it be hot in autumn?”
“Sit at the table. I’ll bring you some fever reducers…”
“I won’t take them. I’m not running a fever.”
As I tried to pass by Kamian, he tugged at my clothes from behind. Kamian was standing at an excessively low position to say such things.
Sherry raised an eyebrow as she looked up at me.
“…Liv.”
I conveyed my message to Sherry through a gaze, filled with secrets and promises. Sherry, perceptive as she was, hesitated before uttering a word. Astonishingly, she wrapped her arms around my waist. It was about Kamian, she addressed me.
With widened eyes, I lowered my gaze to Sherry’s brown lips, then back to Kamian once again.
“I’m sorry,” Sherry apologized outright. I gently caressed her petite head and spoke.
“Why? There’s no need for apologies from you.”
“Last night…”
Apparently, she had been holding onto something, pretending to be in pain.
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be with you. It’s just that Kamian abruptly left while we were reading a fairy tale together, and I felt disappointed. That’s all.”
“I see.”
“Well then, it’s alright. I understand.”
Sherry pouted like a child, unaware that I would never let her go. Even during the meal, she sat next to me, not Kamian.
I smiled victoriously at Kamian.
“Hey.”
I called him softly, and he raised an eyebrow.
“Appearances are fleeting.”
“…”
“But sincerity prevails.”
Kamian chuckled as if in agreement. Seizing the opportunity, I gently stroked Sherry’s hair and asked.
“Sherry, do you like Kamian? Do you like me?”
“…I like both.”
“Is that so? Then, if Sherry were to host a party and could invite only one person between me and Kamian, who would you invite?”
“Kamian! Since I’ll be the princess in a beautiful dress, and Kamian will be the prince!”
Sherry answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“…”
Kamian nudged my forearm playfully and smiled.
“Sincerity prevails, you said?”
“You’re making a racket.”
Sherry, delighted by the idea of the party, chattered excitedly.
“In return, I’ll give Leo to Liv. Leo and Liv can dance together while I dance with Kamian.”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Ribbons were being tied under the tousled hair, and I focused solely on that task as I responded. A satisfied smile involuntarily appeared on my face once it was securely fastened. However, something forcefully tugged at the corners of my mouth. Sure enough, it was Kamian.
“Why am I standing here, motionless?”
Sherry incessantly questioned me every five minutes, asking why I hadn’t gotten up. Shedding tears, she claimed it was because I seemed dead in my sleep and displayed such a tearful display. Unusually, for a deceased person, she even noticed the excessive redness in my nose.
As Sherry’s words sunk in, my mind resurfaced from its depths.
“Ugh.”
I stretched my arms upward, fully awakening my body. However, I still felt damp, like cotton soaked in water. Kamian supported my shoulders and head, forcing me to sit up. In place of the desire for slumber, a fierce appetite emerged.
“I’m hungry.”
“There are no separate beasts.”
“This is it.”
“Even if you glare with swollen eyes, nothing is intimidating. Get up and wash yourself.”
I strolled briskly towards the bathroom. Out of caution, I thoroughly inspected the bathroom floor. Fortunately, I couldn’t find any traces of bloodstains.
As I splashed cold water onto my face, my mind jolted back to alertness. In that moment, the obsessions that tormented me in the early dawn began to resurface, one by one. Unconsciously, my face grew serious.
I recall a description from the original work when Liv died, mentioning ‘as the cherry blossoms faded.’ It was around the end of spring. Some say I have less than half a year left.
But can I truly detach Kamian’s heart from mine? Am I capable of such a feat?
I had no confidence. Instead of pushing him away, my heart even scolded Kamian for being so fond of me… When I saw Kamian’s face in the morning, my heart trembled so much that I almost died. Once I became aware, this feeling could no longer be concealed.
“Ah…”
Thud. I was startled, like a startled thief, by the sound of a knock.
“Do you have to spend so long in the bathroom before heading into my room?”
How long was I in the bathroom if someone could ask that question? An irritating feeling surged through me. I can’t understand what that fool finds so appealing, making his heart beat like that.
After opening the door, Kamian stood before me, with a sly grin on his face.
“What are you looking at?”
“You didn’t even dry your face.”
“It’s intentionally left wet for a refreshing sensation.”
Truthfully, I hadn’t even considered drying it. That’s how absent-minded I was.
“In this weather?”
“Why can’t it be hot in autumn?”
“Sit at the table. I’ll bring you some fever reducers…”
“I won’t take them. I’m not running a fever.”
As I tried to pass by Kamian, he tugged at my clothes from behind. Kamian was standing at an excessively low position to say such things.
Sherry raised an eyebrow as she looked up at me.
“…Liv.”
I conveyed my message to Sherry through a gaze, filled with secrets and promises. Sherry, perceptive as she was, hesitated before uttering a word. Astonishingly, she wrapped her arms around my waist. It was about Kamian, she addressed me.
With widened eyes, I lowered my gaze to Sherry’s brown lips, then back to Kamian once again.
“I’m sorry,” Sherry apologized outright. I gently caressed her petite head and spoke.
“Why? There’s no need for apologies from you.”
“Last night…”
Apparently, she had been holding onto something, pretending to be in pain.
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be with you. It’s just that Kamian abruptly left while we were reading a fairy tale together, and I felt disappointed. That’s all.”
“I see.”
“Well then, it’s alright. I understand.”
Sherry pouted like a child, unaware that I would never let her go. Even during the meal, she sat next to me, not Kamian.
I smiled victoriously at Kamian.
“Hey.”
I called him softly, and he raised an eyebrow.
“Appearances are fleeting.”
“…”
“But sincerity prevails.”
Kamian chuckled as if in agreement. Seizing the opportunity, I gently stroked Sherry’s hair and asked.
“Sherry, do you like Kamian? Do you like me?”
“…I like both.”
“Is that so? Then, if Sherry were to host a party and could invite only one person between me and Kamian, who would you invite?”
“Kamian! Since I’ll be the princess in a beautiful dress, and Kamian will be the prince!”
Sherry answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“…”
Kamian nudged my forearm playfully and smiled.
“Sincerity prevails, you said?”
“You’re making a racket.”
Sherry, delighted by the idea of the party, chattered excitedly.
“In return, I’ll give Leo to Liv. Leo and Liv can dance together while I dance with Kamian.”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Ribbons were being tied under the tousled hair, and I focused solely on that task as I responded. A satisfied smile involuntarily appeared on my face once it was securely fastened. However, something forcefully tugged at the corners of my mouth. Sure enough, it was Kamian.
