Date 1

She stretches gently.

Michaela greeted the morning like any other day.

Despite two consecutive terrorist attacks, daily life remained unchanged.

The chirping of morning birds and sunlight streaming through the window bars welcome her pleasantly.

“Good morning, senior.”

As usual, her roommate greets her playfully.

“…How unusual for you to be normal today.”

No, if there was one thing different from usual—

“You’re fully dressed in your uniform.”

The fact that Han Seoyeon was wearing the uniform.

She was perfectly wearing the Academy’s grayish-white uniform without a single wrinkle.

Michaela recalled the incidents that had happened so far.

Naked.

Naked apron.

Upper body in a shirt.

It was truly a dizzying lineup.

If anyone else had seen it, it would have been shocking.

“…What are you talking about, senior?”

Han Seoyeon smiled shamelessly.

“It’s common sense for an Academy student to wear a uniform, isn’t it?”

“…”

It was a sound argument.

There was no room for rebuttal.

It was a sound argument, but not something Han Seoyeon should be saying.

“Ah, could it be—”

Han Seoyeon spoke mischievously, pretending not to know.

“Are you disappointed that you can’t see my body that you’ve been seeing every day?”

It was a brazen act.

Just when she thought it was strange that she was being normal for once.

“If that’s the case, you should have said so earlier, senior!”

She had caught on.

Han Seoyeon’s eyes sparkled.

“For you, senior, I can show you anytime…”

“Today is Saturday.”

One unfortunate fact.

The fact that Han Seoyeon’s scheme was about to miserably fail.

“Ah…”

“As someone who just got discharged from the hospital yesterday, you might have been confused, but…”

Silence.

Stillness descended.

Michaela witnessed something quite interesting.

The girl’s flawless, fair skin was turning so red that it was almost indistinguishable from her eyes.

“…”

Han Seoyeon threw herself onto the opposite bed.

She wrapped herself tightly in the blanket.

She desperately covered her small face with both hands.

“Senior, can we pretend that just now didn’t count…?”

“What are you talking about.”

Michaela doesn’t like teasing others.

She could have easily pretended it never happened.

“Isn’t it common sense for an Academy student to wear a uniform?”

“…!”

Well, that’s what it means.

After all, she wasn’t teasing, was she?

She was just stating an obvious fact.

“Senior, you’re mean…”

Gone was the lively voice, replaced by a quiet one that lingered.

Michaela tilted her head.

“I was just complimenting you.”

“Liar! You were teasing me!”

“It’s not a lie.”

Michaela wasn’t very playful.

Being unsociable, she couldn’t tease.

“There’s even a slight possibility that your body might be seen by someone else.”

“─!”

“I don’t want that to happen.”

Michaela respects individual preferences.

She also tends to respect individual exposure.

However, she didn’t want to see a situation where her precious person might, even by the slightest chance, show their naked body to others against their will.

“I told you. That I have affection for you.”

Having said that, Michaela witnessed something even more interesting.

Although it was meant to be comforting.

For some reason, Han Seoyeon’s ears were turning even redder, as if they were burning.

“…Senior is always unfair.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“…”

“I’d like you to explain it in an easy-to-understand way.”

“Ah, forget it! Anyway, you’re unfair!”

It was like a child’s tantrum.

“…Wait a minute.”

Suddenly, Han Seoyeon’s outburst stopped.

“…If it’s the weekend, what exact date is it?”

A tone with a slight tremor.

An expression of tension can be felt.

As if remembering something she had forgotten.

Like someone frightened.

“May 7th. Saturday.”

“That’s a relief…”

She asks an incomprehensible question, then arbitrarily feels relieved and strokes her chest.

“No, it’s even leisurely…”

It must be that secret again.

Although Michaela, who also had her own secrets, didn’t intend to think about it.

“Senior.”

Arrogantly.

Michaela was a little displeased.

“Um, you know.”

Han Seoyeon hesitates.

Hesitating, she scratched her cheek as if embarrassed.

“Do you still remember what we talked about before, about going out together?”

“Of course I remember.”

There was no way she could forget.

The debt Michaela owed to Han Seoyeon.

Even if they were just friends, she didn’t want to simply overlook such a clear debt.

“It might be a bit sudden…”

Han Seoyeon said shyly.

“Would you like to go out with me today?”

It was words filled with a loving girl’s heart.

“Ah, it’s okay if you refuse! Originally, we were planning to go after the exams anyway. If you have other plans, it’s not…”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Michaela answered immediately.

The exams had just ended, and while the professors were busy dealing with terrorism-related matters.

Paradoxically, the students were free.

“Let’s go out. Just the two of us.”

“…Okay!”

Playing together as friends, helping to relieve stress.

It was just that simple a matter.

There certainly wouldn’t be any other personal emotions involved.

The city center was still bustling.

Concrete buildings stretching high into the sky.

Colorful cars crowded the streets.

Countless people with smiles on their faces.

In the central square, a statue of the hero was erected.

The hero’s portraits were plastered on various spots around the streets.

There was no wavering in the hero’s country.

Even if there was terrorism, it only occurred in military facilities.

Not in the city’s buildings.

Although citizens might feel anxiety through the news, they didn’t fail to enjoy their peaceful daily lives.

“…It’s stuffy.”

Among the crowd of such citizens, a woman wearing sunglasses and a mask pushed her way through.

“This isn’t what I wanted…!”

That woman was none other than Han Seoyeon.

“It can’t be helped. You’re a celebrity, aren’t you?”

Michaela, also wearing a mask and sunglasses, replied.

“That’s true, but…”

Han Seoyeon was famous.

This was an undeniable fact.

A truth that could be seen just by looking at the street billboards and news.

Anchors and announcers praised Han Seoyeon.

It was different from when she went out before.

Everyone was giving Han Seoyeon strange looks.

It was strange if anything.

While it might have been understandable last time, this time Han Seoyeon hadn’t done much.

Meanwhile, there was no trace of Michaela’s achievements.

“Somehow, I don’t want to wear a mask…”

A story from her past life.

Due to an inexplicable high-performance virus, everyone had to wear masks.

Although she had gotten used to wearing masks, she didn’t want to wear one in this beautiful weather.

“Then may I decide our first destination?”

“Huh? Oh. I don’t mind. As long as I’m with you, senior, anywhere is fine.”

A planned date plan?

That wasn’t important.

Isn’t the senior trying to decide the destination first?

So proactively!

“Where do you want to go?”

“A wig shop.”

This was even better.

Han Seoyeon couldn’t calm her racing heart.

“If we wear wigs, it will significantly reduce the attention, won’t it?”

It was a thoughtful consideration.

“We might be able to take off our masks too.”

It was consideration solely for Han Seoyeon in this world.

“I don’t mean to disparage your hair color. If you’re offended, I apologize.”

“N-N-No way!”

Han Seoyeon is generous.

She’s someone who smiled through Baek Da-eun and Lee Ha-yul’s relentless attacks.

When her senior is being so considerate of her, how could she possibly find it offensive?

“If you want, senior, I can wear only wigs every day.”

“…There’s no need to go that far.”

A hand was extended.

“Let’s go.”

“…Can I hold it?”

“I don’t understand what you’re suddenly saying again.”

Staring blankly at Michaela’s extended hand, Han Seoyeon hesitated.

Michaela drove the point home.

“I know a shop. You don’t know the way, do you? It would be better to hold hands and go.”

“B-But still…!”

“It’s fine, so just hurry up and take it.”

Slowly.

Very slowly, Han Seoyeon extends her hand.

It was frustrating.

Michaela snatched Han Seoyeon’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

Walking while holding hands.

It’s a common thing between women.

At the same time, it was a situation she had always wanted to experience.

For it to become reality, and even for the object of her unrequited love to suggest it first.

“…I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“It’s still far too early to be dreaming.”

The sun hadn’t even reached its zenith yet.

It was too early to go to dreamland.

The appearance of Gates, monsters, and Hunters changed many things.

Economic activities were no exception.

The emergence of magic stones, a versatile resource, revolutionized industries.

It was truly the era of blue oceans.

Amidst all this, there was a business that unexpectedly went bankrupt.

Like getting hit by a truck while walking down the street.

The overall business related to hair, such as wigs and dyeing, suffered this fate.

When people’s hair all over the world was changing into various colors without any investment costs, there was no reason to spend money on hair care.

Paradoxically, the declining industry now became rare.

Without much money, one couldn’t enjoy the wig or dyeing industries.

This was irrelevant to those with hair loss.

“Owner.”

“Yes.”

“I’d like to see each of all the wigs in this place.”

“Understood, Lady Wittelsbach.”

This was a story unrelated to Michaela, who had excessively abundant money.

“Choose the color you like.”

“…Are you going to buy it, senior?”

“Of course.”

Wigs in this world are expensive.

Unless you’re rich, it’s burdensome to buy for one-time use.

“Don’t hesitate. I don’t want to burden you.”

“…Then, I’ll pay for everything else!”

“Do as you like.”

That was Han Seoyeon’s stubbornness.

From a desire to take the lead, even if just a little.

Anyway, wigs, huh.

Han Seoyeon calmly scanned the store.

“There are quite a variety.”

The wig business, which became rare due to decline, abandoned popularity and adopted a high-end strategy.

There were many intriguing wigs on display.

“Senior, do you have any preferred hairstyles?”

“Nothing in particular.”

Michaela didn’t judge others by their appearance.

She also believed that she herself had no right to do so.

“…Hmm.”

Two things caught Han Seoyeon’s eye.

Long wavy hair like hers, and blonde and silver colors stood out.

“How about this?”

She picked up the blonde one and tried it on.

What was reflected in the mirror was a familiar sight.

“…Hmm. This won’t do.”

She took it off immediately.

It was too obvious.

Putting on the blonde wig, traces of resemblance to Han Suho became strongly evident.

Han Seoyeon didn’t want to ruin the life of her talented twin brother who was walking a flowery path as a proper heir to a large corporation.

“I guess this one then?”

Leaving the blonde aside, she chose the silver one.

“Ta-da! Now we’re a silver-haired couple!”

If she was going to wear one anyway, she preferred the same silver hair as her senior.