Ha Neul was sporting a twinkling smile.
No, I mean, her face was always glowing, but this wasn’t a description of a physical phenomenon; it was a metaphor about the smile she was flashing right now. She had wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, pressing her body against mine, maintaining a distance that felt like our lips could touch any moment. That smile of Ha Neul’s looked like it was shining just like that.
It wasn’t the bright light from her face, but the light of the smile itself.
As I was just staring blankly at her face, suddenly something hit me at the back of my head.
There was no one else in this room besides the two of us, and my hands were drooping down, so of course, it was Ha Neul’s touch.
Realizing my hands were free after being tightly held just moments before, I quickly raised them to grab Ha Neul’s shoulders, but,
“Uh, um, Ha Neul, wait a sec…!”
Before I could even resist, the back of my head, which I had tilted back to get a better look at Ha Neul’s face, was pressed forward by her hand.
Of course, Ha Neul’s face moved forward too.
Realizing what was about to happen, I hastily closed my eyes, but…
…No, was it because I closed my eyes that it felt even more vivid?
Ha Neul’s lips were pressing against mine.
Soft and warm.
Our lips, stuck like that for a while, could only finally separate once Ha Neul relaxed her grip.
“…Uh.”
Despite being in such a shocking situation, my mind was clear.
…Why?
I quickly figured it out.
The person who should be screaming in horror right now, Sara, was silent.
And until now, I had only ever experienced this sort of thing with Sara once.
…When she fainted.
So… are you telling me she fainted from the kiss?
My head spun. Maybe it was supposed to be a moment where my personality changed, and since it didn’t, that’s why I felt like this? Or maybe it was solely because blood rushed to my head. I wasn’t quite sure.
But one thing was for sure: I just shared a kiss with Ha Neul.
…Why I even questioned that was beyond me.
It must mean Ha Neul likes Sara.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t strange at all. Ha Neul was originally a character who could connect with Sara in the game, and considering the consistent affection Ha Neul had shown to both Sara and me until now, it wouldn’t be odd at all to think she had those feelings from the start.
Realizing this now felt even stranger.
“Uh, Ha Neul. Sorry, but… that kiss just now wasn’t meant for you, Sara…”
“No.”
Ha Neul cut me off firmly.
“Wha-what?”
I momentarily lost track of my words, confused. So I asked Ha Neul again, and she looked directly into my eyes, saying,
“I,”
bit by bit,
“was trying to kiss.”
She paused.
“You.”
She spoke clearly so that it rang in my ears.
Ha Neul’s eyes, looking at me, were unwavering. She understood exactly what she was saying right now and was fully aware of the situation.
“W-wait…”
“I like you.”
“…”
“I’ve liked you all along. Since the first time we met. Even before ‘Sara’ woke up. Always.”
“…”
Gulp.
I was just gaping like a goldfish, gasping for air.
My mind went blank.
What she said was undoubtedly the most shocking thing I’d ever heard, yet I couldn’t even run away. Sara, the personality supposed to take over for me, was still unresponsive.
But it didn’t seem the shock was enough to make my body faint either.
…Well, even if I did faint and then wake up, the situation would have been far from resolved. It would just make things worse for me.
Plus, we were still in the middle of the party. Ha Neul was still wearing her dress, and this room wasn’t one we usually used—it was some dusty little storage space we didn’t even know. Thankfully, it wasn’t so dirty that her dress was covered in dust.
So… we must be stealing a moment away together during the party, whether I came in to take a break or Ha Neul dragged me in is unclear, but anyway, we were enjoying this secret rendezvous in the middle of the celebration.
Ha Neul’s hands that had been embracing me slowly released their grip.
Even her hand that was touching the back of my head withdrew.
“Phew…”
Ha Neul took a step back, and air seeped into the space created between us. Only then did I recall how heated Ha Neul’s body had been.
No, was it my body—Sara’s body—that was that heated?
I shivered at the sudden chill.
Even though my body was free and the rush of blood had settled, my face was still burning up even more.
Rather, that cold breeze made me realize just how close we were.
And in the process, it felt a bit regretful that our bodies had separated, our lips had parted.
I had already experienced being kissed by Sara several times in the dream world, but thinking that it happened with Ha Neul made an indescribable embarrassment sweep over me.
It was the difference between an informal chat with someone I thought of as my other half, who I might spend my life with, and someone from whom I’d expected nothing at all.
No, I’m not saying Sara is any less precious…
…
No, who am I even explaining this to?
“Ah, ugh.”
It seemed the language part of my brain had malfunctioned.
With each attempt to speak, only unintelligible sounds came out.
Before I could gather my thoughts, Ha Neul had taken my left hand.
She gently lifted it with her left hand and with her right hand…
…With her right hand, she pulled out a ring from somewhere in her dress that I couldn’t see and slipped it onto my left ring finger.
“Uh, ah…!”
Only then did I realize what Ha Neul was doing and was taken aback, trying to pull my hand away, but Ha Neul smiled gently.
“It’s okay.”
At her expression, I momentarily froze.
“You definitely kissed ‘Sara,’ right?”
“…”
How would she know…?
No, wait.
The one who was moving this body just a moment ago was Sara, after all. They might have caught us talking.
Maybe Ha Neul heard that and got mad…
…But no, given she prepared a ring like that.
Upon closer inspection, Ha Neul had a ring on her left ring finger that was identical to the one she just put on me.
“You don’t have to answer right away. Just consider this a friendship ring.”
A friendship ring worn on the left ring finger…?
Even among girls, wouldn’t such an action always be misunderstood…?
“…Just for now, please do this. I’m begging you.”
Ha Neul’s head was slightly bowed as she put the ring on my hand.
Her expression was hidden.
But somehow, I felt like I knew what it looked like.
“Uh, um….”
Trying to pick my words, Ha Neul suddenly lifted her face.
The expression on her face was, um…
It wasn’t what I had imagined.
How do I even put it? It was a face overflowing with confidence and conviction.
“I will definitely make you like me.”
And her words felt like the lines of a protagonist.
The words of a protagonist out to capture the heroine.
Both of them were girls, though.
“Um… yes.”
Under the gaze brimming with confidence, I found myself saying that without realizing it.
It felt oddly like that was the thing I should say.
“I like you.”
Before I could say more, Ha Neul grabbed my cheeks again.
Ah, at this point, I felt like I knew what Ha Neul was about to do.
“I like you. Really.”
And then, Ha Neul kissed me again.
“Well then, stay here and rest for a bit. I’ll be outside.”
Ha Neul said cheerfully, then walked out of the room with a skip in her step.
Once the door creaked softly and closed gently behind her, I crumpled down, covering my face with my hands.
I was completely and utterly embarrassed.
*
I feel like I could fly.
Yoo Ha Neul thought.
Watching confident ‘Sara’, she could somewhat guess what had transpired between Sara and ‘Sara’. She didn’t know how they could develop such a relationship or how it came to be.
But that’s why she felt anxious.
So she had been waiting for a chance to be alone with her ever since preparing the ring for a birthday present…
Sara hadn’t rejected Yoo Ha Neul.
Even after kissing her twice more!
She didn’t hate her, nor did their relationship fall apart!
She just seemed completely stunned, exactly like the usual Sara.
Alright, there’s still a chance.
Though the position she had was vastly different compared to always being with ‘Sara’…
Still, she had a solid advantage.
This body.
This body could definitely embrace Sara and share a kiss, making it truly Yoo Ha Neul’s real weapon.
Having realized that, Yoo Ha Neul felt good.
She was so delighted that she almost forgot that she had a lot of rivals besides ‘Sara’.
