Chapter 36: It is comfortable to admit

A few days had passed since the blood oath (?) with Luna.

Sihyun still hadn’t fully come to his senses.

The reason, of course, was the silver-haired princess who had licked his finger without hesitation.

“That can’t be… Me, I…!”

He didn’t want to admit it. No, he shouldn’t admit it!

“Me, a lolicon… That can’t be…!”

But how could he explain his pounding heart every time he saw the girl sleeping soundly beside him?

‘I like cute things, but I’m not a lolicon!’

My type is women with big chests! I even considered joining the Big Chest Appreciation Society!

—Pow!

[Hahaha. What’s the big deal? Luna is just a girl now, but she’ll become a wonderful lady later, so what’s there to worry about? Just think of it as claiming her early and accept it~ What’s wrong with being a lolicon? Liking someone isn’t a crime.]

Suddenly, Demon Sihyun and Angel Sihyun appeared in his mind and began to fight.

“I’ve really gone off the deep end. Now I’m even hearing nonsense.”

[Hey, let me give you a valid reason. Luna is a character from the novel we read, right? We just like 2D characters. There’s no problem, is there?]

Demon Sihyun began to rationalize with sweet words.

However, unfortunately, that logic didn’t work where they were.

More precisely, within the country they currently lived in.

“Unfortunately, that logic doesn’t work on the Fire Peninsula.”

[This country is so particular about everything. But we’re just finding Luna cute, aren’t we? It’s not much different from adoring a kitten.]

“What are we supposed to do if the angel agrees with the demon? So, what’s the conclusion? Aren’t you going to decide?”

[It’s not us who decides, it’s you. You have to decide.]

—Pow!

The debate that raged in his mind ended without any clear outcome.

“No, there was an outcome. It’s that I can act as my heart desires.”

It was an undeniable fact that Luna had become precious to him.

And it was also true that his heart had pounded because of Luna a few days ago.

‘But considering I’m a virgin, that pounding heart can be fully explained. I have almost no resistance to skinship.’

In other words, his heart pounding for Luna was just a reaction to being flustered by skinship!

“Right. I don’t like Luna romantically. I just like her as a cute little sister.”

And besides, I can’t stay with Luna forever.

[Please end the story of the Calamity-Grade Urban Legend.]

[Stories Solved: 0]

“Laura and Tsuki, too, disappeared somewhere after their urban legends were resolved. Luna will probably be similar.”

When the story of the Calamity-Grade Urban Legend ‘Collector’ ends, Luna will surely leave his side and return to the novel world she lived in before.

“Originally, Luna became interested in me because she mistook me for Lucian, right? When she goes back to where she lived, she’ll get along well with the real Lucian there.”

Lucian.

A man he didn’t know, but who resembled the form he took at night.

“From the fragments of memory, his speech was cool and gentle. It’s understandable why Luna would miss him.”

Sihyun quickly decided to draw a conclusion.

“I should just focus on what I need to do. Ending the story of ruin. And helping Luna find her emotions.”

That way, Luna would be able to live happily even after she returned.

“After that, Lucian will take care of things!”

‘I could have reached such a simple conclusion, so why did I agonize over it for days? How foolish of me.’

Just then, Luna, who had been sleeping soundly beside him, rubbed her eyes and woke up.

“Sihyun…”

“Ah, Luna. You slept in a bit today?”

“……”

The girl stretched out both arms as soon as she woke up.

“Hug me… Sihyun.”

—Hug.

“Did you sleep well? Today’s the weekend, so let’s spend the whole day together, Luna.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. I’ve been busy with this and that lately, so we haven’t been able to go out.”

“Okay…”

Messy golden eyes.

Luna, still half-asleep, looked exactly like a normal girl.

‘Luna is getting further away from being an urban legend. That’s a very good sign.’

It meant that his efforts to help Luna find her emotions hadn’t been in vain.

‘I hope Luna finds even more emotions today.’

****

“Sihyun… You have a lot of paper…?”

“Luna, this isn’t paper, it’s money. Although I don’t have much, for you, Luna, this much is nothing!!”

“……?”

Sihyun, with a serious expression, rolled up his sleeves and inserted a banknote.

~♫ ♪ ♬ 𝅘𝅥𝅯

A short melody flowed from the machine.

“Ah, ahh! Got it! Got—”

Thud.

The doll fell weakly from the claw.

Sihyun was currently continuing his lonely battle, determined to win a rabbit doll for Luna.

For the record, Luna hadn’t asked him to win it.

“Hahahaha… Alright. You want to see who wins, you or me?!”

“Sihyun… Are you okay…?”

“Of course. Luna, do you know ‘Jungkkeokma’?”

“What’s that…?”

“It means ‘The important thing is an unyielding heart.’ Doesn’t it sound like a quote made just for me?”

Sihyun, with a grim determination, took out another banknote.

Like that, 10,000 won, 20,000 won…

After countless attempts, finally.

“Luna, look at this! I finally got one!”

Sihyun, holding the doll he won, smiled brightly.

“Sihyun… You spent 10 pieces of paper.”

“What.”

Sihyun had spent a whopping 100,000 won just to win a small rabbit doll.

‘They said crane games are like gambling. If I do this again, I’ll call 133… what was it? Anyway, I’ll have to contact them.’

“Luna, actually, this is the only doll of its kind in the world. So, 100,000 won is practically a steal!”

“One…?”

“Look here. All the other dolls are just white, but this one has a slight silver sheen, like your hair color, Luna.”

Sihyun awkwardly smiled and handed the rabbit doll to Luna.

“So, from now on, its name is Lulu. Luna’s little sister.”

“Lulu…?”

Luna took the doll with her small hands and hugged it tightly to her chest.

—Twitch.

The corners of the girl’s mouth curved up ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.

It was too faint to be called a smile, but for Luna, it was a huge change.

And Sihyun didn’t miss that change.

‘At first, it was such a subtle change you’d need a microscope to notice it, so it was really hard to spot.’

But Sihyun, who had spent several months with Luna, could now quickly catch even such minor changes.

“Luna, do you like Lulu?”

The girl silently nodded without saying a word.

“Hmm, could you lend me Lulu for a moment, Luna?”

“……?”

Sihyun took the rabbit doll and held it to his ear a few times.

“Ahem, yes, that’s what it said. I should tell Luna this news quickly, shouldn’t I?”

“Sihyun…?”

“Luna, Lulu says to tell you that it’s so happy to be the little sibling of a beautiful and cute princess like you.”

“Lulu…?”

“That’s right. And there’s one more thing.”

Sihyun gently placed the rabbit doll back into Luna’s arms.

“It says it wants you to hug it like this whenever it’s by your side. Then it’ll be even happier, apparently? Haha.”

“……”

Luna carefully hugged the doll with her small, fern-like hands.

“Lulu… I’ll hug you… And.”

“And?”

“Sihyun too… together…”

The girl’s eyes sparkled, as if telling him to hurry up and hug her.

‘I really lost, I lost.’

—Hug.

“Haa… I don’t know anymore! I’ll just be a lolicon. Honestly, this is cheating. Every single thing you do is too cute!”

“Cute…?”

“Yes! Cute, so cute. There’s not a single part of you from head to toe that isn’t cute! It’s truly new every day! Thrilling! Cute is the best, really!”

Sihyun finally declared proudly. That he was a lolicon!

Of course, it wasn’t a romantic liking, but rather a feeling closer to a pure attraction to cuteness itself.

Anyway, Sihyun decided to just be honest with his feelings.

“Whoa—! Saying it out loud feels so refreshing!”

“Sihyun… a lolicon…?”

“It’s Luna-limited, Luna-limited! Anyway, there won’t be another beautiful girl in the world who can compare to our princess. So, I’ll just be a lolicon specifically for Luna.”

‘And it’s not like anyone else is listening. If I just think of myself as a lolicon, my worries are solved. And others won’t have any way of knowing.’

But Sihyun had forgotten.

That there was exactly one being who could read his mind.

Ding!

[Si, Si, Sihyun-nim is… a perverrrrrrrt!!]

‘Yes, I’m a pervert. All men in the world are perverts, perverts!! If there’s any man who isn’t, then they can throw a stone at me!’

[Heh… You’ll do bad things… to me too…?! Like in an eromanga!]

‘Your tone makes it sound like you actually want that.’

[N-no, I don’t…! If you keep teasing me, I’ll leave!]

‘Where are you going? If you want it so badly, I’ll do bad things. Come here!’

****

While Sihyun was bickering with the notification window.

Luna held the doll and quietly gazed at Sihyun.

A man who boldly confessed that he liked her.

A man who showed signs of being in love, but only with her.

‘Sihyun is… strange.’

A person who, at night, transformed into a form that felt somehow nostalgic.

A strange person who remembered a name that even the girl herself didn’t know, as if it were obvious.

And.

“Someone… who cherishes… me…”

Luna was an urban legend who had lost her memories and emotions, merely existing.

No one had ever been by her side.

No one had ever come close.

It had always been that way, from the past to the present. She naturally thought it would be the same in the future.

But now.

“Sihyun… is here…”

Perhaps with him, she too could live a normal life.

Even though she had no memories, wouldn’t it be good enough if she filled the empty spaces with memories of him?

“Sihyun… teach me…”

She wanted to ask him.

What is this fuzzy feeling?

What is the name of this warm wave that spreads through my heart every time you hug me, every time you call my name…?

The moment the girl softly mumbled her lips, about to call his name.

“Hello?”

A dark, murky voice reached Luna’s ears.