"...Ugh, my head."
The moment I came to, I clutched my throbbing head.
A pain like someone was jabbing my skull with something sharp.
Along with the headache, I could feel the dry, cracked sensation in my mouth—so parched it was almost bitter.
...Water. I need water.
"Ugh, water..."
I tried to get up, desperate to quench my throat, as dry as if a drought had hit.
That was, until something stopped me from moving.
"...Huh?"
Tap. Tap.
My mind was still foggy from just waking up.
...Honestly, I kind of wanted to sleep a little longer.
I’d planned to just drink some water and flop back down, so I tried to sit up with my eyes still closed.
But my body wouldn’t budge, as if I were strapped in by a seatbelt.
This never happened at the dorm.
What the hell is this?
Annoyed, I tried to push whatever it was away—and that was when I opened my eyes...
My eyes flew wide open.
And then I understood, in the most physical way possible, what that meant.
"N-No, no, no, no—what the—?!"
What in the world is this situation?!
Shocked by the sudden turn of events, I forgot all about trying to get up and just stood there, mouth flapping.
Was the reason I couldn’t move... really...
I looked down. Sure enough, Yu Siwoo’s arm was wrapped around me, holding me close.
"H-Hiiiiik—!"
What do I do? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!
How do I get out of this? How do I escape without Yu Siwoo noticing?!
What the hell did I do last night?!
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to recall yesterday’s events as calmly as possible, but it was useless.
...Because I couldn’t remember a thing.
"W-Wait, we were drinking with three people..."
And then... nothing.
I thought I’d figured out my tolerance last time when the four of us drank together.
Did I just not hold back? ...Or was the alcohol stronger?
No, that’s not the point right now.
I blacked out, and now I’m waking up in a man’s bed.
The realization hit me like a hammer to the head, and cold sweat broke out as my face paled.
...Did I...?
Did I actually... do it?
N-No way.
Even if I was drunk... right? That can’t be...
In a panic, I tried to sit up to check, but Yu Siwoo’s arm still wouldn’t budge.
"Ugh, nngh—!"
It’s not like I *couldn’t* get free.
I could force it with magic.
...But then Yu Siwoo would wake up.
If he saw this situation, what would he say?
The thought of Yu Siwoo saying *anything* terrified me.
So I stayed there, trapped in his arms, unable to break free for a long, long time.
...Ah. It’s warm.
"..."
Was it because I’d been surviving on just the bracelet for so long?
Was it the relief of realizing I hadn’t been abandoned?
Or maybe it was just the cozy warmth of the blanket shielding me from the chilly morning air?
The comforting heat enveloping my entire body made me stop struggling to escape.
...Hmm. Right.
Did I really *need* to leave?
My throat was a little dry, but it wasn’t unbearable.
And it *was* that time of year when mornings were cold.
If I went outside now and the chill woke me up completely, I’d just regret it.
A little tired, I guess. Yeah.
According to the books I read before coming to this world, your back aches the next day after doing that kind of thing.
…But I don’t feel any pain. It’s Siwoo, after all. He’ll be fine.
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I adjusted my posture.
"…Still not awake?"
I studied Siwoo from every angle, but he didn’t seem to be stirring, so I decided he was still asleep.
…In that case.
Wouldn’t it be natural for someone to shift a little in their sleep?
Yeah, that’s it.
What was it called… a body pillow?
With that thought, I adjusted my position again and wrapped my arms around him, as if embracing a large pillow.
It didn’t feel soft and fluffy like a pillow.
If anything, his well-trained muscles made him feel hard.
So it should’ve been uncomfortable.
It should’ve been… so why did it feel so comfortable?
"…."
…I don’t know.
Not yet. I still don’t understand.
I decided to leave it at that.
To feel his warmth even more, I pressed my body closer and hugged him again.
Still so warm.
I pushed aside the thought that Siwoo might panic when he woke up.
If he panics… well.
He left me alone for so long, didn’t he?
I’ll just think of this as payback.
As I closed my eyes, I could clearly feel my heartbeat.
And after a little while—
…as my heartbeat gradually slowed and Arte’s breathing grew steady and deep,
Siwoo, who had been still for a long time, finally opened his eyes.
"…Phew, almost got caught."
"…Is that really true?"
"Yeah, it is. Satisfied?"
I’d been wondering why he called me and Dorothy out of the blue after so long.
Hearing Siwoo’s words, Dorothy and I were overjoyed.
"I knew it! Dorothy, you’re a genius!"
"Hmph, I *am* pretty smart. How about calling me a love genius?"
"Of course!"
"…You’ve never even been in love."
"Quiet, you!"
Honestly, that guy has zero tact.
Does intuition not help with that?
"You should’ve just pinned her down right then and there. It’s a shame you didn’t…"
"That’s a crime, you know…?"
"What? If it’s consensual, it’s not a crime."
Arte’s always overthinking things, agonizing in silence.
And *she* was the one who told me that, yet she still hasn’t noticed?
She’s just in denial. The truth is, Arte’s already fallen for Siwoo.
If he’d just man up and taken her right then, there wouldn’t have been any problem.
Sure, she’d struggle at first, but whisper a little love in her ear, and she’d melt instantly.
Amelia shook her head, imagining the scene of Siwoo pinning Arte down and whispering sweet nothings.
As if *this* virgin would ever do that.
From Amelia’s perspective, that would’ve been the fastest solution, but there was no way this guy would ever take that kind of action.
…It was a little frustrating, but whatever.
We’d just have to give him a little push.
"You know Arte’s been lonely because of you, right?"
"…Ugh."
"That’s why she drank so much that night."
"What are you getting at?"
"Nothing much. Just stay by Arte’s side all day today."
It was impossible to get this hopelessly devoted guy to make a move on Arte.
Then there was only one answer.
All she had to do was make Arte cover Yu Siwoo.
Of course, Arte was so clueless about her own feelings that it might be difficult.
But on the flip side, that meant if she could just make Arte realize her feelings, everything would be resolved.
"Stay close to her. She’s going through a lot right now."
"That’s all?"
"Yeah. Didn’t you hug her tightly this morning?"
"…Fine."
There was no guarantee Arte would make a move on Yu Siwoo.
…She hadn’t even considered that possibility.
But come on—there was no way someone as jealous and possessive as Arte wouldn’t pounce on Yu Siwoo.
The only reason she wasn’t doing anything now was because she didn’t realize she liked him.
Like the look she’d given him when he was hanging around with Dorothy recently.
Dorothy had been so terrified by that expression that she’d tried to explain herself.
…Not that anyone had believed her.
And then there was the time she’d glared daggers at a senior who was just trying to bond with him.
Amelia was certain.
If Arte ever realized she liked Yu Siwoo, something explosive would happen.
She could practically feel it in her gut…
But if Arte, consumed by jealousy, tried to kill *her* over it, she’d have to give up on the idea.
What a shame.
"…Speaking of which, Arte’s taking the day off?"
"I put her to bed. She looked exhausted."
"Makes sense. She drank so much yesterday."
"Yeah."
He could be so considerate in moments like this.
It was a little disappointing that Arte wasn’t around…
But it seemed Yu Siwoo had a rough idea of where their target was by now.
Today, a light search of the area should be enough.
The main force was on standby nearby anyway.
"Make sure you stay with Arte. Got it?"
"I said I would."
"Ugh, my head is spinning…"
When was the last time she’d felt this dizzy?
The day the Reader had first opened their eyes here.
It had been a while since then.
Last time she drank, she’d held back a little, but this time she’d completely let loose.
Her pounding heart made it hard to think.
"…Ugh, but it’s almost time. Just a little longer now."
Judging by how her heart raced around the protagonist, it really *was* almost time.
If she just gave it one last push, it would be set in stone.
The girl smiled brightly at the thought.
"I think it’s about time to send them off!"
The bracelet the protagonist had given the Reader as a gift.
It was imbued with magic, so it was probably from a magical beast.
And if it was a magical beast that produced thread, the only real candidate was a spider, right?
So she’d thought:
What if it was from a spider that had laid a ton of eggs before dying?
"The revenge of the grown spiderlings… or something like that."
And conveniently, there was the bracelet as a marker.
The spiderlings, instinctively recognizing their parent’s magic, seeking revenge against humans.
Wouldn’t that make for a perfectly plausible and exciting ambush?
Especially since the protagonist had left the Reader to rest and gone out.
Once the Reader realized the protagonist was gone, they’d rush to the battlefield in a panic.
If she timed it just right, she might even get an interesting scene out of it.
The girl laughed cheerfully.
This time, she was sure it would work.