episode_0013

I had a strange dream.

A middle-aged woman, whose face seemed familiar, looked down at me and made incomprehensible remarks with a mocking smile in this strange dream.

I couldn’t understand why I felt anger rising when I saw that woman, or why my heart sank suddenly, but I couldn’t remember who she was, what she said to me, or if it was just a dream.

Despite feeling suffocated because of that strange dream, a warmth emanating from my left hand slowly caught my attention, melting the coldness in my heart.

“Ugh…”

As I gazed at the familiar ceiling I saw every day, a soft groan escaped my lips. Blinking my tired eyes, I gradually regained my senses and suddenly felt something holding my left hand.

The warmth coming from the firmly held left hand. I felt a cozy sensation from that warmth, and as I reached out with my right hand to grasp the mattress of the bed, I sat up.

Turning my gaze slowly, I saw a man with rough hands firmly holding my left hand. His familiar rough hands caught my attention, and I felt a sense of security.

“Sir…?”

Without understanding why he was here, I called out to him, and as he slowly opened his eyes while bowing his head, a brief silence passed between us. He then opened his eyes wide and sat up, letting go of my hand and suddenly grabbing my shoulders, moving his head frantically.

“Are you awake? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Oh, I’m not hurt… but why are you acting so flustered? Calm down, sir.”

“Suddenly collapsing like that, and you expect me to look calm? Do you know how worried I was when you lost consciousness?”

“Huh? Sir, why are you holding onto a person who was just sleeping peacefully and making such a fuss now?”

I couldn’t understand why he said I collapsed when I was just lying in bed as usual. Maybe he mistook something because I was sleeping too soundly.

“You were sleeping peacefully… Do you not remember suddenly losing consciousness in the living room? I was so worried about you, thinking something was wrong. Anyway, I called an ambulance, so just wait a bit. You didn’t hit anything, but it might be best to go to the hospital.”

“I lost consciousness?”

Come to think of it, I remember finishing the dishes and approaching the man in the living room, but why am I in bed now? Something feels off…

[It’s nothing, so don’t worry.]

As I tried to recall my memories by clutching my head, a woman’s voice echoed. It had a tone similar to mine… I felt like I had heard it somewhere before, but whose voice was it?

[Don’t worry.]

Oh… right, the man just said he called someone because of me, right?

“Wait, sir!? Did you say you called an ambulance just now?!”

“Yeah, of course I did when you collapsed like that. You think I’d just leave someone who suddenly collapsed and couldn’t open their eyes in the same house?!”

“Sir! There’s nothing wrong with me?!”

But my attempts to convince him were in vain. In the end, I reluctantly followed him, and a while later, I found myself being taken to the hospital by the paramedics who arrived at our house.

It was my first time riding in an ambulance, and it was also my first time being taken to the hospital on a stretcher. With the paramedics checking my condition and the man looking at me with concern, I was led into the emergency room.

But I’m really fine…

Time passed meaninglessly in the emergency room, and before I knew it, it was past midnight and dawn had arrived. I had gone through various tests, but there was nothing wrong with my head or anywhere else, so I felt like I had wasted my time and started to resent the old man a little.

But the old man called the ambulance because he was worried about me, and he never took his eyes off me for a moment… I felt guilty for causing unnecessary worry for the old man.

“I’m sorry for bothering you because of me…”

I bowed my head and immediately apologized to the old man as soon as we left the hospital. As I glanced at the old man watching me, he slowly reached out his hand to pat my head.

‘He’s like a sweet honey!’

Thinking of the old man’s bitter sweetness, I closed my eyes slightly and shrank back. However, the pain I felt from the old man’s hand on my head was not the dull ache of bitterness.

As the sound of tapping on my head echoed, the old man’s hand gently touched me. When I lifted my head feeling the warmth from his touch, I saw the old man smiling faintly.

“You have nothing to apologize for. If there’s nothing wrong, then that’s that… right?”

– Thump!

The old man patted my head, showing a genuine smile. Seeing him like that, a strange sound echoed in my chest, and my eyes blinked incessantly without rest. And somehow, I felt my face getting warm.

“Hmm? Are you feeling unwell too? Your face is red… and your head seems a bit hot.”

Taking his hand off my head, the old man showed a worried expression again.

“!! No! I’m really not in pain! It’s just hot!”

Feeling a moment of dizziness, I clutched the old man’s arm and sat down, covering my face with both hands.

The pounding of my heart, the restless movement of my eyes, and the burning sensation on my face… I felt like I was losing myself.

“Are you okay?”

As the old man’s voice echoed in my ears, my face, which was covered by my hands, grew even hotter. Eventually, I tried to cool down by fanning my face with both hands, but it wasn’t easy.

Was it because I had become Eunhye’s body? Sometimes, very rarely, I couldn’t understand why I would malfunction like this in front of the old man.

“…Are you hungry? Shall we go eat something?”

At that moment, as I was fanning myself, the heat on my face suddenly subsided. I turned my back to the old man with a resentful look, but he approached me and reached out his hand.

“Hmph!”

I pushed away the old man’s hand and stood up alone. I couldn’t even understand why I was angry, but I suddenly felt irritated.

“There’s a 24-hour udon restaurant nearby, don’t you want to eat?”

“Who said I didn’t want to eat? Lead the way! I don’t know where it is!”

As I brushed off the hand that was pushed away, the old man chuckled and started to walk away. Why did I find his back so pitiful?

[He really has no sense~]

Another strange voice echoed in my head. But this time, I didn’t pay much attention, as if the line I wanted to say had been whispered to me. Moreover, my pounding heart had calmed down, and I no longer felt the heat on my face. It was actually a relief.

– Snap!

I gathered my thoughts, hitting my face with both hands, and started running after the man who had gone far ahead without realizing it.

The man stood still, only turning his head towards me, as I ran towards him with increasing speed.

“Should I play a little prank?”

I don’t know why this thought came to mind, but seeing the foolish man’s figure made me feel that way. Eventually, I increased my speed even more and threw myself towards the man’s back, spreading my arms wide.

“Hey, mister!”

– Thud!

As my face touched the man’s back, a small impact sound and vibration spread. The man’s body leaned forward slightly from the impact, but he quickly straightened up.

“Hey, what are you doing suddenly jumping like that!? You almost caused a big accident…”

“Ugh!”

Ignoring the man’s annoyed expression, I hugged his body with my face against his back and arms wrapped around him.

Honestly, I thought the prank was too much, but I would never do such a prank if it weren’t for this man. Come to think of it, maybe this wasn’t the first time the man had been pranked by someone.

“What, what are you doing?”

The man, grabbing my arms wrapped around his stomach, asked me with a trembling voice. I hugged him tighter, burying my face in his back.

“Just a moment, mister.”

Why does your back look so sturdy, why does your voice fill my empty heart with warmth, why do I want to lean on you…

I’m just curious, mister. But no matter how much I think about it, it must be you who made me this way, right? So even if the day comes when I leave you and live with my lover, don’t leave me alone.

We’re a family, so you have to take responsibility until the end, right? Don’t treat me like some woman or man, raise me like a slave, then abandon or kill me. Just don’t betray me like that.

…That’s a secret I can never tell.

“Okay, charging complete! Oh, I’m hungry~ Let’s go quickly, mister!”

“If you’re hungry, what’s with the charging… Alright, let’s go quickly.”

When our contract ends… I’ll be the one to leave first. Until then, I won’t let go of this hand, mister.