"Haa… What in the world is she thinking…?"
I spent dozens of minutes red-faced, trying to explain away Amelia’s absurd misunderstanding.
Only after a long while did I finally manage to convince Amelia and Dorothy to stop eyeing me and Siwoo with suspicion.
…Though it felt less like they actually understood and more like they just decided to let it slide.
Did they really get it?
"Contraception? There’s no way Siwoo would do something like that. Right?"
"…Yeah, well. That’s true."
"Even as a joke, that’s going too far."
See?
Siwoo isn’t that shameless.
How are these heroines supposed to understand the protagonist if they don’t even know this much about him?
I swallowed my frustration, resisting the urge to scold Amelia. If I pressed her now, she’d probably jump to another weird conclusion.
…Plus, well.
It’s not like I had anything to say anyway.
How was I supposed to explain that I actually become emotionally unstable and dangerous when Siwoo isn’t around, and that’s why we live together?
"I just wanted to help you."
I didn’t trust Siwoo from the start either.
Even if he was the protagonist, he was still a boy in his prime.
When I first started living with him, my guard was as high as a stray cat’s.
Sure, he was helping me, but what if he used that as an excuse to satisfy his own desires?
I was well aware that my body was attractive.
So even as I watched Siwoo, even as I knew I needed his warmth, I stayed wary.
But after observing him, I realized he was harmless.
A month. We’d lived together for nearly a month, and Siwoo was still kind to me.
He’d never looked at me with lust in his eyes.
At least, I was certain that if I’d been a guy back then, I wouldn’t have been able to resist. Not in a million years.
I must’ve been a nuisance. Clinging to him so much that I probably made him uncomfortable.
"I trust you, so don’t worry!"
"…Yeah. That makes me happy."
Siwoo… Hmm, how should I put it?
He seemed to have all the right qualities for a protagonist.
The Author had suddenly said they couldn’t modify Siwoo anymore. Which, conversely, meant they *had* been able to before.
Maybe the Author, being the Author, had given him a light novel-style setting—like being oblivious to romance?
No matter how I thought about it, that was the only explanation that made sense.
If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back.
Living with a beauty like this under the same roof, treating me like I’m special, saying she can’t live without me…
There’s no way nothing would happen in a situation like that unless he was *built* that way.
Once, I even fell into self-loathing, wondering if I was just that unappealing because Siwoo showed zero reaction to me.
Here I was, a girl with looks like this, and he didn’t bat an eye. It stung with an inexplicable sense of defeat.
And then, a story I’d seen online before coming to this world popped into my head.
What was it again? Something like, "Guys who can’t get into relationships stay that way even if they reincarnate into a hot guy or a beauty in another world."
Was that my fate? To never experience romance, even after coming to this world?
The thought made me a little sad.
…But then I realized there was no point in being sad about it.
It’s not like I could actually date anyone here anyway.
Everyone in this world is just a doll.
"…Ah, is there anything you’d like for dinner tonight?"
"I can cook, you know."
"Oh, hush."
"…Then how about steak? It’s been a while."
"Leave it to me!"
Based on Siwoo’s suggestion, we decided to make steak today.
…Hmm, what was in the fridge again?
We were running low on onions and pepper. I should restock while we’re out buying meat.
Recalling the current state of the ingredients in Siwoo’s fridge, I headed to the market.
Naturally, with Siwoo in tow.
“At least let me do this. It’ll make me feel less awkward.”
“I told you, it’s fine… Isn’t it tiring?”
“I cook for myself all the time, so it’s no trouble. How many times have we had this conversation?”
I let out a small sigh.
Siwoo was kind, but the problem was that he refused to ask me for anything.
That wouldn’t do.
I couldn’t just barge into someone’s home and do nothing.
It wasn’t just about manners—it made *me* uncomfortable.
Plus, I’d noticed Siwoo ate like he didn’t care at all.
I got that living alone meant you could eat however you wanted, but…
Still, for my own peace of mind, I’d decided to handle the cooking while I was staying at his place.
Siwoo seemed reluctant about that too, though.
It wasn’t like we were short on money, and honestly, trying out recipes I’d only ever thought about making before was pretty fun.
And seeing someone else enjoy the food I made? That was fun too.
“Oh, you’re back again today.”
“Hello. We’re here for some meat… Hmm, this looks good. We’ll take this.”
“Of course, honored guests. You’ve got a good eye.”
So the Academy’s reputation really *had* gone up.
Even though we came almost every day, I could still feel the other customers sneaking glances at us.
Before, they probably would’ve just thought, *Oh, students*, and moved on.
But lately, more and more people whispered when they saw us.
“…It’s kind of awkward.”
“Is it? You could stand to enjoy it a little more.”
“It’s just what we *should* be doing.”
“Oh.”
Yep, that was the protagonist for you.
Every time I saw this side of Siwoo, it still amazed me.
If anyone else had said something so clichéd, I wouldn’t have believed them.
But coming from Siwoo? It felt genuine.
Unlike others, he actually meant what he said.
“That last part… was kind of cool?”
Hmm, hmm.
I was nodding to myself when the auntie who’d prepared the meat approached us.
“Here you go. Take it.”
“…Huh? What about the money?”
“How can I take money from students? Hurry, my arm’s getting tired.”
…She didn’t take it last time either.
And this definitely wasn’t the cut I’d asked for earlier.
Not that the one I’d picked looked bad—far from it—but…
This one looked *way* more expensive.
It was bigger, too.
“Auntie, but this is—”
“Just take it. Students need to eat more.”
“We don’t deserve this…”
“Nonsense. You kids have no idea how much you’ve helped us.”
The auntie smiled warmly.
“I was fine, but the area was wrecked, absolute chaos. You students pitched in. Now take it, please. My arm *hurts*, okay?”
“…”
Now that she mentioned it, this shopping district *had* been one of the places damaged during the end-of-term ceremony.
I’d heard it became a prime spot for Academy students to earn points.
Close by, and plenty to repair.
Most of the restoration seemed finished now, so the students had probably moved on.
It felt strange.
This place had been destroyed because of the Author’s settings… and now it was restored because of the Author’s settings.
After staring for a while, the ajumma teased him.
"Take it quick. You gotta feed your boyfriend something tasty."
"...It’s not like that."
"Oh, come on, don’t give me that. You come here every day. Eat well and keep protecting the citizens. That’s all we need from you."
Boyfriend? What nonsense.
Siwoo was supposed to end up with the heroine.
Right now, she was just living with him to help me, but once I no longer needed Siwoo...
Then maybe Amelia. Or Dorothy.
Or maybe some new heroine who hadn’t appeared yet.
Or, true to the protagonist’s nature, he might even marry all of them.
"..."
In the end, I took the meat and picked up a few more missing ingredients from another store.
As expected, the owner refused to take payment no matter how much I insisted.
On the way back to Siwoo’s place,
I suddenly wondered—what if the Author really disappeared from this world?
What if I could never return to my original world?
Siwoo would probably be happily laughing beside another woman, and I’d be watching it all with the same expression as always.
...That feels weirdly unpleasant.
"Then, you can go shower first. I’ll prepare the meal."
"You sure?"
"Hah, haha... Of course. I can manage that much."
Liar.
After living together for nearly a month, Siwoo had come to know Arte even better.
That was all bluster. She’d probably be gasping for air within ten minutes.
But even knowing it was bluster, there wasn’t much he could do about it.
He couldn’t exactly go into the bathroom with her.
In the end, Siwoo had no choice but to nod.
"I’ll be quick."
"Take your time."
Leaving the kitchen, where the scent of grilling meat was starting to fill the air, Siwoo rushed into the bathroom and pressed his forehead against the wall.
"Hold on, just hold on... You can do this, Yu Siwoo..."
Over the past month, Siwoo had felt his sanity slowly wearing thin.
It wasn’t from overtraining. He was getting plenty of rest.
His instincts told him exactly how far to push himself for efficient training.
It wasn’t from lack of sleep, either.
Ever since Arte had settled in, the environment had become too comfortable.
He’d been sleeping like a log.
There was only one reason his mind was fraying.
"She’s just... too defenseless."
It was the constant, overwhelming desire that came from spending all day with Arte.
What if she found out he was looking at her like this, even though he’d promised to help?
Would she be disappointed? Disgusted?
...Maybe she’d be so shocked she’d have trouble breathing just from having him nearby. That couldn’t happen.
It had been easy to resist when Arte was watching from a distance.
The stimulation hadn’t been strong enough to make him assume she was peeking through the curtains.
But now? She was way too defenseless.
At first, she’d been a little guarded, but after a few days, she’d let her guard down completely.
Was she a stray cat abandoned by people? Her wariness faded way too easily.
To cool his head, Siwoo turned the water as cold as it would go and started splashing his face.
He couldn’t take long showers, either.
Arte couldn’t be left alone.
He just hoped her symptoms would improve soon, or that she’d at least be a little more cautious.
Siwoo let out a long sigh.