I turned my head to assess the situation.
I was in Yoon Ha-min's room. Having stayed here once before, I recognized it immediately.
While I could understand being in bed, what struck me as odd was that Yoon Ha-min was lying slightly beside me.
The fabric against my skin felt unfamiliar. Instead of my school uniform, I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.
I placed my hand on my chest with a light tap. The soft, yielding touch of the short-sleeved shirt pressed against my body.
Had I lost consciousness? I wondered briefly whether I'd passed out while wearing these clothes or while showering. Then a thought occurred to me that made my breath catch.
"...You saw, didn't you?"
I couldn't know for certain. It was almost a fishing question, but Yoon Ha-min's expression immediately betrayed the answer, as if he couldn't betray his conscience.
He blinked in surprise, his gaze darting nervously around the room.
"No, well... it was unavoidable. You suddenly collapsed while showering..."
He was making excuses like someone who'd committed a crime, though seeing my body had been unnecessary regardless of what I might say. I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"It's fine. You were helping me."
"Huh? You're not angry?"
"Why? Would you prefer if I was?"
"No...! I just thought you would be."
Yoon Ha-min waved his hands as he spoke. Seeing this, I let out a deep sigh.
Collapsing in the shower was dangerous—it was better to be seen naked than not be rescued at all.
"But..."
I felt my upper body with my hand. Naturally, I wasn't wearing a bra.
However, when I checked my lower half, sliding my hand slightly under the shorts, I could feel underwear properly in place.
"...I didn't think you'd go that far."
When I glared at him with wide eyes, Yoon Ha-min immediately sat up and got on his knees.
"I'm sorry. I just thought you'd be uncomfortable..."
"Really?"
"Yes."
I didn't press further, believing he wouldn't have done anything inappropriate. But the fear I'd faced when I woke up wrapped around me like a cold blanket, naturally drawing my attention.
I closed my mouth seriously and lowered my gaze, clenching my fist tightly instead of continuing to fidget nervously.
Yoon Ha-min tilted his head, watching me.
"...Kanna?"
"No, it's nothing."
I turned my head away.
I wanted to tell him it was nothing, but my reaction had already given me away. Yoon Ha-min carefully got off the bed.
"If something's troubling you, please talk to me."
His words made me smile bitterly.
"I already told you, but you said you wouldn't listen."
"That's not possible."
Hearing his serious tone, I realized it wasn't good to continue this line of conversation.
Still, I thought that if he ever believed I was a threat to humanity, he would have no choice but to kill me. I didn't want to push him or back him into a corner.
"I know, I know."
After answering casually, I bowed my head and remained silent. Eventually, Yoon Ha-min got up and turned away, changing the subject.
"Let's have breakfast. I'll make it. Come to think of it, do you usually eat breakfast, Kanna?"
I tilted my head at his question. I tried to remember if I ate breakfast, but I couldn't recall ever having breakfast before going to school, so I shook my head.
"No, I don't usually eat it."
"Really? I hear that's common these days."
Yoon Ha-min continued naturally. But he didn't ask what I wanted to do instead. Apparently, he intended to have breakfast with me today.
I knew he was a good cook, but I hadn't expected to experience it so soon. It felt sudden, or perhaps surprising.
As I hesitated, I moved my somewhat improved legs to get out of bed.
"Whoa, careful. You might still have some aftereffects."
"No, I'm—I'm fine. I can get up."
Despite collapsing earlier, I had been standing in the shower. And if I just stayed put, how would I get to school?
"By the way, today is Sunday, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
I had been training at Orca's house on Saturday, then got caught up in the incident and came to Yoon Ha-min's place, so today was Sunday.
That meant tomorrow was Monday, and I hadn't done anything over the weekend except for some combat practice. Even that practice had been cut short without much benefit.
At this rate, I wouldn't be able to study properly and would fail this week's exams, which made me feel uneasy.
I shouldn't be here on Sunday—I should be at home, memorizing whatever I could. I was about to tell Yoon Ha-min I needed to go home.
But in the end, I couldn't bring myself to say it. The fear that kept coming back to me, both before and now, wouldn't leave.
I was afraid that if I went back, the Wall might collapse again, and the Mysterious Person might come looking for me, making it hard to breathe.
I didn't want to impose on Yoon Ha-min, and I was conscious of how Orca might feel, but the thought that I needed to survive first kept trying to bind me here.
Even while thinking I shouldn't, I was being selfish.
"...No, it just occurred to me."
I mumbled, glossing over the situation. I needed to go home, but I was afraid to.
Of course, the Wall collapsing takes time, so if precautions were taken, I probably wouldn't encounter the Mysterious Person. But when the moment actually came, there was nothing I could do, leaving me feeling only helplessness.
I hung my head, lost in thought.
After meeting the Mysterious Person, lying coldly on the floor and only sending an SOS request felt so pitiful. I didn't want to experience that again, which made me hesitant to leave this place.
"I need to study too..."
I hesitated.
I wanted to cry out for help. I strongly wanted to stay here like this.
So I carefully opened my mouth.
"Hey, um..."
"What?"
"Could I possibly stay here for a little while?"
I felt sorry toward Orca.
But before that, thinking I could die made it impossible for me to yield on this.
After using a Totem to break the Wall, the Mysterious Person would immediately release monsters and then come to meet me amid the chaos. That much was obvious.
This time I had just been lucky. This had only been a step to check if they could easily find me through whatever they had planted in my body.
With a Totem, if they had planted something inside the Wall, the Mysterious Person could invade as easily as walking into their own home. I couldn't know what they might do next time, making the uncertain future terrifying.
I wanted to avoid that. If someone was by my side when an incident occurred, maybe I could survive a little more. Maybe I wouldn't be taken away.
The Mysterious Person breaks the Wall to find me. They keep me alive to achieve some purpose.
Just knowing that made me too scared to leave this place.
Orca would understand too. Once I was brutally attacked to the point where I couldn't come to the Academy, and twice the Mysterious Person broke the Wall and rushed to me, causing incidents.
It might seem selfish to demand understanding based on that, but just this once, I wanted to be selfish.
I didn't want to become a hero; I just wanted to live a life without pain.
Yoon Ha-min's eyes widened at my words.
He clearly hadn't expected such a request from me. I smiled bitterly and tried to explain myself.
"It's just that this is my only uniform, so I need to wash it, and I need to study, and everything's a bit messy..."
I was worried I might seem strange, making excuses when he hadn't even said anything. So I bowed my head deeply.
"...Sorry."
"No. It's because of what happened yesterday, right?"
Yoon Ha-min waved his hand and told me:
"I was just surprised. Let's eat breakfast first and then talk."
Then he nodded readily to my question. I felt a bit guilty for relying on his kindness.
What was this guilt I felt, after deciding to be selfish, when things went exactly as I wanted?
Still, it wasn't bad. It was better than returning home alone, better than being alone at home.
"...Thank you."
I quietly expressed my gratitude. Yoon Ha-min smiled somewhat sadly.
"No. I just thought I shouldn't have left like that back then."
He seemed to regret leaving me alone at the mansion. That wasn't Yoon Ha-min's fault, and it wasn't even the fault of the mansion staff.
If blame were to be assigned, it would be on the Mysterious Person, and the responsibility for the staff's deaths could be placed on me.
I pressed my lips together. Then I looked up at him as he spoke self-reproachfully.
"Didn't you say everyone was called to gather anyway?"
"...Well, that's true."
Yoon Ha-min scratched his cheek at my words, then, seemingly at a loss for words, he walked away. I stared blankly at his retreating figure heading to the kitchen, then let out a sigh.
At least I could survive by staying near him. That fact seemed to bring me a sigh of relief.
Though I didn't know how long I could continue living like this.