The hospital room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Dawn crept in slowly, pale gold light slipping through the half-open curtains, stretching across the floor like something alive. It chased away the shadows—but not completely.
Some of them remained.
Sana lay still, eyes half-open.
He hadn't meant to wake up.
But a voice pulled him back.
Soft.
Warm.
Too gentle.
"…Yes. I love you."
His breath caught.
Not visibly.
But inside—something tightened.
[Who… is she talking to?]
He didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just watched.
Alice stood by the window, her back half-turned toward him. The morning light wrapped around her, softening her outline, making her look almost unreal.
She was smiling.
Not the shy smile he knew.
Not the awkward, hesitant one.
This one was—
Natural.
Effortless.
Real.
[That smile…]
Something felt off.
Not wrong.
Just—
Not his.
A quiet unease began to spread through his chest, slow and subtle, like ink dissolving in water.
[She changed…?]
The thought came uninvited.
[No… not changed…]
His fingers twitched slightly against the bedsheet.
[Replaced?]
The word lingered longer than it should have.
Alice ended the call.
The shift was instant.
By the time she turned around—
That smile was gone.
Or rather—
It had become something else.
Softer.
Smaller.
Familiar.
She walked toward him.
Sana forced a faint smile.
"Why do you look so happy?"
His voice sounded normal.
Almost.
Alice sat beside him, close—but not too close.
Measured distance.
"I just talked to my father."
A pause.
Then—
"I decided to forgive him."
Sana blinked.
Once.
Slowly.
"…Really?"
Something bright flickered across his expression.
Relief?
Or something easier to accept than doubt.
Alice nodded.
"I told him about us."
A faint blush colored her cheeks, perfectly timed.
"He accepted it."
A small laugh.
"So… there won't be any problem if we pretend to date."
Pretend.
The word landed lightly.
Too lightly.
Sana smiled.
"That's great."
And for a moment—
It was.
But then—
His gaze lingered.
On her eyes.
Her posture.
The way she held herself.
"You've changed."
Alice stiffened.
Barely.
"You feel like a different person."
Silence.
Just for a fraction of a second—
Something flickered across her eyes.
Not fear.
Calculation.
Then it vanished.
"I'm still Alice."
Her voice softened.
"You know me… my hero…"
The nickname fell into place perfectly.
Like it had always been there.
Sana nodded.
Slow.
Uncertain.
"…Yeah."
But something inside him didn't fully agree.
"…I think my wounds will heal faster now."
He didn't know why he said that.
It just felt—
Right.
Alice smiled again, this time with a trace of shyness.
"When you recover…"
Her fingers lightly touched the edge of the bed.
"There are a lot of things I want to do with you."
A pause.
Then, quickly—
"Like a girlfriend."
She added it too fast.
Too carefully.
"But don't misunderstand."
Her gaze dropped.
"I'm just pretending."
Sana watched her.
Closely.
Too closely.
"What do you want to do the most?"
A simple question.
But something in his tone—
Wasn't simple.
Alice froze.
Color spread across her face, deeper this time.
Real.
Or practiced.
"…Maybe…"
She hesitated.
Just enough.
"…a kiss…"
The words barely escaped before she turned away.
"I'm joking."
Too quick.
"Just being with you is enough."
Sana leaned closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
The space between them shrank.
"Really?"
His voice dropped slightly.
"Then… do you actually want to kiss me?"
Alice covered her face.
"…You're mean…"
Her voice trembled.
But her breathing—
Didn't match.
Sana moved closer.
Again.
Not stopping.
Not thinking.
Just following something—
Instinct?
Impulse?
Or something placed there?
Alice's hand trembled.
Her heartbeat accelerated—
But not from fear.
From something else.
Something building.
She tried to hold back.
Tried—
But didn't.
Sana suddenly stopped.
The moment stretched.
Tight.
Unstable.
[I went too far.]
The thought snapped him back.
He started to pull away—
But—
A hand grabbed his face.
Firm.
Sudden.
Sana froze.
Alice's eyes met his.
And this time—
There was no hesitation.
No shyness.
No softness.
Only intensity.
Raw.
Focused.
Hungry.
[What… is this?]
For a second—
He couldn't look away.
She leaned in.
Closer.
Closer—
Their breath mixed.
Their lips—
Almost—
"Big brother!"
The door slammed open.
The sound shattered everything.
Sana turned sharply.
Lata stood there.
Frozen.
Her eyes wide—
Not just from what she saw.
But from what she understood.
From where she stood—
There was no "almost."
Only one conclusion.
Her heart dropped.
Fast.
Heavy.
Final.
Behind her—
Xejo didn't move.
But her gaze—
Was no longer uncertain.
It moved from Sana—
To Alice—
And stopped.
Something cold settled in her eyes.
[So it's already begun.]
The moment collapsed.
Silence returned.
But this time—
It wasn't empty.