Ch.23Chapter 23: Small and Warm Everyday Life (2)

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Standing in front of Shizu’s room to fulfill my promise to wake her up in the morning.

I saw Shizu already standing in front of her room with her eyes wide open, looking just slightly disheveled despite my intention to wake her from sleep.

Just seeing her awake so early in the morning and waiting outside her room.

‘How surprising.’

I couldn’t help but express my astonishment internally.

For Shizu, who was undoubtedly the most notorious heavy sleeper among everyone I knew, to not only be awake but to have left her room of her own accord to wait for me.

If there were a window nearby, I would have checked which direction the morning sun had risen, just to be sure.

…It must surely be rising in the west rather than the east.

Moreover, I had expected to see at least some trace of regret on her face for missing out on her sweet slumber, but there was none of that either.

‘How fascinating.’

The emotion that arose as I took in this sight—one I had never witnessed in the previous timeline—was pure fascination.

But I couldn’t allow myself to get lost in my own thoughts of surprise and wonder.

I lightly raised my hand to return her greeting, then paused my steps to carefully observe Shizu standing in front of her room.

Shizu, who had appeared slightly disheveled, noticed my hand gesture and quickly shook off her drowsiness, gradually raising her energy level.

Her smile formed a gentle curve on her lips.

As if deciding that just smiling wasn’t enough, she began approaching me where I stood motionless.

Her first step might have seemed slightly heavy, but with each subsequent step, Shizu’s movements became more sprightly until she quickly closed the distance between us.

“Thank you for coming to wake me up.”

The moment she reached my side, her voice expressing gratitude carried a clearer vitality than when she had first greeted me.

She looked so incomparably bright and happy that my expression involuntarily softened, though another thought also crossed my mind.

‘…I hope she’s not pushing herself.’

First, I was a bit worried.

What concerned me was the physical and mental fatigue and shock from her life-or-death battle with the Mein—her first encounter with one in this timeline.

Even though she had awakened three special abilities and possessed physical capabilities far beyond those of ordinary superhumans, Shizu at this point in time was still just a young girl barely shedding her adolescence.

She might have been psychologically intimidated even by an ordinary Mein, but her first opponent happened to be the possessor of the Crimson Five-Pointed Star, favored by the Demon God. The ensuing fierce battle with the Mein hadn’t exactly gone smoothly.

Despite confidently executing the Radiant Sword Style she had naturally mastered through her awakened abilities to repel the Mein, she had failed and subsequently suffered severe injuries from the Mein’s counterattack. While her physical wounds might have healed quickly, how great must the psychological shock have been?

Yet seeing her looking so bright now, I worried slightly that she might be deliberately putting on a cheerful front to avoid showing weakness in front of me.

It wasn’t just worry.

Seeing Shizu so happy and delighted just at the sight of me, who had merely come to wake her up, I felt both guilt and regret that I could have seen this side of her countless times in the previous timeline had I made different choices, but I hadn’t.

‘…How heavy.’

The various emotions that momentarily surfaced in my mind were this burdensome.

I tried to quickly dismiss these heavy thoughts before they could settle and completely consume me, but it wasn’t easy. Just as I was about to struggle with this—

“Thank you for coming to wake me up. Thank you for hurrying to be on time. And… thank you so much for being here in front of me right now.”

As if feeling that expressing gratitude once wasn’t enough, Shizu’s voice, continuing to express thanks, evaporated the heavy emotions that had surfaced in my mind.

Last night, as if keeping her promise to never hold back expressions of gratitude toward me, she thanked me with an expression and voice completely free of shadows.

*Thump thump*

This time, a pleasant pounding accompanied by warmth began in my heart, gradually expanding and completely dispelling the heavy emotions that had started in my mind.

“…”

Though I couldn’t see a mirror to know my exact expression, it wasn’t hard to imagine what I looked like right now.

I was probably looking at Shizu with a faint smile on my lips, even without saying anything.

“Hehe…”

As expected, seeing my expression, Shizu’s mood seemed to improve as well, adding elegance to the gentle curves already drawn across her entire face.

In a situation like this, there was only one thing I could do for this precious person who had expressed gratitude to me.

“You must be tired from getting up early. Are you okay?”

It was to express as much kindness as possible in my voice for her, who had roused her sleepy body despite the lingering effects of yesterday’s fierce battle.

Compared to this time in the previous timeline, it could be called a remarkable improvement without exaggeration, but—

‘Is this enough?’

I had considerable doubts about whether words alone could properly express gratitude for each and every one of Shizu’s actions.

However, as if she had been waiting for my words—

Shizu slowly moved to my side and extended her left hand.

*Grasp*

“…!!”

She took my right hand.

Not just a simple hold.

She slid her fingers between mine—literally interlocking our fingers as she grasped my right hand.

Overwhelmed by the harmony of warmth and softness transmitted through my right hand, I couldn’t find the words to speak. Seeing me like this, a momentary playfulness flashed across Shizu’s expression.

As if she had predicted my reaction.

But soon, Shizu removed the playfulness from her expression and, meeting my slightly bewildered gaze steadily—

“Thank you… for worrying about me.”

She expressed her gratitude to me again.

Hearing those words, I felt a pleasant tickling sensation in a corner of my heart that had been maintaining its pleasant pounding.

I wonder if Shizu knew.

Just seeing her express such deep gratitude for my simple words—

It truly makes me happy.

I had resolved to make her happy upon my regression, but before I could make her happy, I had already become this happy myself—feeling this paradox, I was about to form a bitter smile when—

“Maybe it’s because I got up early, but I’m hungry.”

Fortunately, the bitter smile I was about to make never formed, thanks to Shizu who spoke with a slightly shy expression saying she was hungry.

Grateful to her for preventing me from making an expression I shouldn’t show, I inwardly thanked Shizu before—

“I was actually planning to have breakfast with you once you woke up.”

I immediately suggested breakfast to Shizu.

“Yes. Then… let’s go together.”

As Shizu accepted my proposal with a voice tinged with appropriate shyness, our footsteps slowly moved toward the dining hall, not far from here.

The melodious chirping of birds, though muffled through the windows, reached our ears with just the right volume.

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*Thud thud*

*Shuffle shuffle*

The morning stillness of the corridor where only the sound of my and Shizu’s footsteps quietly echoed.

Fortunately, there were strangely few people on the way to the dining hall, so our interlocked fingers, which I had expected would only last for a moment, showed no signs of separating.

Even if someone saw us, no one would find it strange for Shizu and me—officially engaged—to be walking hand in hand, but for me, who would have felt burdened if unusual attention were drawn to us—

‘This is enjoyable.’

In this moment, I was experiencing a joy I had never felt in the previous timeline.

The path to the dining hall, which I had previously visited only to fill my stomach before dedicating myself to training—even sacrificing sleep to overcome my innate handicap of being a “broken vessel” and find a way to awaken and become a hero—now felt so enjoyable simply because I was walking it with someone.

And as if to show that I wasn’t the only one feeling this joy—

Shizu, who had been noticeably drowsy when we first met this morning, lost all traces of sleepiness as we continued toward the dining hall.

“Hmm~. Hmm hmm~.”

She hummed a tune that conveyed her mood of joy and cheerfulness, accompanied by sprightly footsteps.

When I turned my head to look at Shizu, I was greeted by an expression that revealed as much joy as her cheerful humming.

‘…It’s been a while.’

It had been a very long time since I’d seen Shizu looking this happy.

Since childhood, she would always hum like that when something made her happy while playing with me.

In the previous timeline, I had only remembered this as a childhood memory, but encountering it again after my regression made a corner of my heart warm, yet—

‘You must have wanted to be like this with me in the previous timeline too.’

The memory of the previous timeline, where I had rejected obvious choices and deteriorated due to my inferiority complex, never seeing this sight again, stimulated my sense of guilt.

‘I remember when you stopped making such expressions and started glaring at me.’

Painful memories from the previous timeline resurface.

The memory of what I thought would be my final battle, when I revealed my true form to save Shizu, who had fallen into a trap set by the Meins and was in danger of becoming a sacrifice for the revival of the Demon God. I absorbed the overflowing malicious energy from the sacrificial altar without revealing my true identity, converted it into fighting spirit within my body, and fought what I believed would be the last battle of my life.

Blood spilling with each attack from the Meins.

Body parts falling off with each attack from the demons.

But even after enduring such attacks, with an unwavering mind, I destroyed the altar and rescued Shizu. Then, as I waited for death beside the shattered altar, having exhausted all my strength—

Despite having been broken by repeated wrong choices, I accepted death with the satisfaction of having done something for someone I still cherished deep in my heart, wishing to become a forgotten existence.

-…Found you.

Even now, recalling the Demon God’s voice, which had conveyed a twisted delight that still makes me shudder, and the monstrous life I was forced to live afterward—when I encountered Shizu again, her expression no longer held the warmth I remembered.

She saw me for what I had become—a monster with only a superficial human appearance. With volcanic rage, she raised her holy sword to end my life. The memory of that battle, and—

The memory of our final confrontation, when I had barely regained consciousness from the monster that had taken over me, and prepared to die by her hands to end all this distortion. The pain I felt then was nothing compared to the cold gaze she gave me.

The painful memories of a timeline that only I remember now, having traversed back through time, still have enough power to make me feel wretched.

Until yesterday, recalling those memories would have involuntarily made me shrink, but after spending the entire night thinking about what I needed to do—

‘I have to do well.’

Rather than dwelling on what is now just a “past” that I can only recall, I should focus on doing my best to prevent such a “future” from happening again.

That was the only thought in my mind.

Perhaps because I had made a firm resolution and reduced my physical agitation, which she would have easily noticed through our interlocked fingers—

“Hmm hmm hmm~. Hmm hmm hmm~”

Shizu, who continued to hum, showed no sign of noticing the subtle changes in me as I engaged in internal dialogue, which was a relief.

I could also appreciate how bright she was during this period.

By the way, this humming, perhaps—

‘…Is it a new song?’

I thought it was similar to what I often heard in our childhood, but as I continued listening, I could easily tell that this was a new song Shizu was humming.

The overall emotion of joy in the melody wasn’t much different from before, but perhaps due to her more developed expressiveness compared to childhood—

The emotional lines of Shizu conveyed through each note were incomparably clearer and more distinct than when she was young.

‘She hums well.’

So well that if there were a skilled minstrel nearby, they could improvise lyrics to Shizu’s humming and create an outstanding masterpiece.

Whether she knew my appreciation for her humming or not—

*Thud thud*

*Shuffle shuffle*

As our footsteps echoed side by side down the corridor—

“Hmm~ Hmm hmm~.”

Shizu’s humming flowed appropriately.

At any other time, I might have wanted to tell her to restrain herself for seeming too excited, but as I was enjoying Shizu’s cute behavior after so long, I missed the timing to stop her.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

I continued walking, optimistically thinking that Shizu would surely stop humming as we approached the dining hall, but it didn’t take long to realize that was a miscalculation.

There were many people.

For some reason, there was an incomparably longer line of people waiting for breakfast than I remembered.

As a result, Shizu’s humming, which had missed the timing to stop, clearly reached the ears of the Cradle students standing in the long line.

It was only natural that the gazes of those who heard the sweet, bird-like humming would turn toward the source of the sound.

Gazes filled with admiration and appropriate curiosity for the sweet melody converged on where Shizu and I stood.

“…Ugh. Mmm…”

Finally sensing something amiss and stopping her song, Shizu checked her surroundings and then covered her face with both hands to cool her heated cheeks before lowering her head.

Ah… this.

‘She seems incredibly embarrassed. What should I do?’

This was something I had never seen in the previous timeline.

While I found her embarrassed appearance cute and was about to smile—

It was clear that if left like this, Shizu would be depressed all day.

“…I was so happy to hear your humming after such a long time that I… I’m sorry.”

I apologized to Shizu with a sense of responsibility for not having cut the situation off in time.

“…Cal. I’ll stay behind you.”

Shizu chose me as a shield to block people’s gazes while she cooled her face, which was burning with embarrassment.

Silently, I let her hide behind me, preemptively blocking the gazes that would have been directed at her.

Perhaps because it was the much more insignificant me standing at the center of attention rather than Shizu, who commanded everyone’s interest—

The intensity of attention focused on us slightly diminished as the object of interest was no longer visible.

“Phew…”

I sighed with satisfaction at effectively serving as a shield.

However, I could feel the intensity of gazes directed at me increasing instead.

Gazes filled with envy for my dedication to my role as a fiancé.

Gazes filled with resentment asking who I was to block their view of their idol.

And gazes filled with pure, strange admiration directed at me.

‘Why on earth…?’

I couldn’t understand the third type of gaze at all, but dealing with these various gazes made me realize:

Though the day had just begun early this morning, I had already experienced various small and large happenings. I had a feeling that today would be an even longer day than yesterday when the Mein attacked—among all the days I had spent at the Cradle.