The Happy Ending Continues

The spicy smell snapped me awake. As I sat up, the thick blanket coiled around me like a snake hunting its prey.

I kicked the mass of fabric and cotton, which seemed ready to hiss at any moment, with my toes, producing a dull thud.

“Did you have a nightmare or something?”

The playful voice came from my feet as soon as the inconclusive brawl ended.

“Seong-a?”

The Magical Girl with pigtails, wearing an apron, was leaning against the door.

The red sauce on the end of the spatula in her hand seemed to be the source of the spicy smell.

“Uncle, you must have been tired. It’s rare for you to sleep in this late. Well, thanks to you, I got to make breakfast.”

I raised my upper body, watching Seong-a make a ‘V’ sign with a triumphant look on her face.

“……..”

“What’s wrong? Why are you spacing out? Are you still half-asleep?”

“Ah… it was such a vivid dream.”

“Those kinds of dreams happen sometimes. The kind of sweet dream you want to fall back asleep and keep dreaming.”

Seong-a nodded at my words.

The sauce on the spatula teetered precariously, as if performing a dangerous stunt.

“Wait…”

Seong-a, who had been nodding, suddenly narrowed her eyes as if she had realized something.

“But what kind of dream makes you so regretful?”

“Huh?”

“My Magical Girl senses tell me it was a dream about a girl you met in one of the worlds we’ve been to…!”

Seong-a pouted and puffed out her cheeks.

You have surprisingly good intuition.

“Sorry to disappoint, but it wasn’t a world we’ve been to.”

“So, there was a girl in it?”

Seong-a brandished the spatula at me like a sword. As a result, the sauce that had been hanging on for dear life splattered onto the blanket.

“Hey! You’re getting sauce on it.”

“Is that what’s important right now? How dare you cheat on me with another girl right in front of me?”

“Even if your mouth is crooked, you should speak straight. First of all, it was a dream, and it wasn’t even cheating in the first place.”

“Ugh! I don’t care, dream or whatever, get out of bed. It’s time for breakfast. I have to go to class soon.”

“What class is it?”

“A general education course. Art history.”

“Art history? I told you not to touch anything related to art. You have no talent.”

“Ugh, it’s a general education course. Stop talking nonsense and get out here!”

Seong-a, firing off words like a machine gun, stomped out of the room.

“Uncle.”

No, she hadn’t left yet.

“What?”

Seong-a, who was about to leave, turned around. Her refreshing smile and the fangs that peeked out were impressive.

“Get up soon.”

I opened my eyes and saw the ceiling. And memories began to return.

“Have you been coughing, Young master?”

The voice outside the door was Chunhyang’s.

“Did I doze off?”

“You’ve been carrying heavy loads all day, so it’s no wonder you’re tired. Bangja is also tired and sleeping on the veranda.”

Chunhyang answered my mumbling.

With a creak, the door opened and Chunhyang entered the room.

It felt like I had wandered in a long dream, and my head was dizzy, my consciousness clearly still floundering between dream and reality.

“Hehe, it seems you’re still sleepy.”

Chunhyang giggled and sat demurely beside me.

Then, she reached out her hand to my arm.

Her slender hands gently wrapped around mine. Along with the soft touch, a warm heat was transmitted.

My foggy consciousness began to clear up.

“They say that holding hands like this helps you wake up quickly. I don’t know the principle, but I’ve heard that human warmth helps.”

Chunhyang, explaining in a soft voice, lowered her eyes and avoided my gaze, as if realizing that she had acted boldly even by her own standards.

“Yes, it’s effective.”

I stroked the back of Chunhyang’s hand with my free hand. Chunhyang blushed even more and lowered her head.

“Hyangdan has made noodles. You must be hungry, so please eat.”

I wondered where the spicy smell was coming from, but it was the noodle smell.

“Okay. Let’s eat together. Is Bangja up?”

“He’s up and setting the table.”

As I got up, supporting myself on my knees, Chunhyang also stood up.

“Well, shall we fill our bellies?”

“Young master.”

Chunhyang’s voice stopped me as I was about to leave the room.

She rushed into my arms as if leaping.

Her red ear, buried in my chest, was visible between her black hair.

“Young master.”

“Chunhyang.”

“I… am so happy.”

At that simple expression, without any flamboyant rhetoric, I silently stroked Chunhyang’s hair.

A subtle fragrance wafted.