Soft sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, falling gently across the floor of Shirayuki's room.
Shirayuki slowly opened her eyes.
Silence.
Calm.
And for the first time in three days, her body felt light.
"…Finally."
The soft whisper was almost like a breath.
She slowly sat up on the bed, moving her shoulders, then her arms.
No more dizziness.
No more weakness weighing her down.
Completely… recovered.
Tok. Tok.
A gentle knock sounded from the door.
"Shirayuki-sama, your breakfast."
Aoi's voice came softly from outside.
"Come in."
The door opened slowly.
Aoi entered, pushing a small trolley. On it was a neatly arranged breakfast—simple, yet still elegant.
A bowl of warm chicken porridge, topped with finely shredded chicken, sliced green onions, and a faint aroma of sesame oil.
Beside it, a soft-boiled egg in a small bowl. A plate of sliced fruits—apples and pears, cut neatly.
And a glass of warm herbal tea, still gently steaming.
"It's still recommended to eat light meals, Shirayuki-sama," Aoi said softly.
Yuki simply nodded.
"That's fine."
The trolley was brought closer to the bedside.
Aoi gave a small bow, then quietly left.
The room returned to silence.
Yuki picked up the spoon, gently stirring the porridge.
The warm steam brushed against her face.
She took a bite.
"…Bland."
Her comment was flat.
But—
not bad.
With her other hand, she picked up her phone.
The screen lit up.
Her fingers began to move.
Scroll.
Scroll.
A group chat opened.
A small group.
Only three people.
Renji.
Haruki.
And herself.
No parents.
No formality.
Just… the three of them.
Yuki read through the old messages.
And the more she read—
the clearer something became.
Herself—or rather, the previous "Shirayuki"—
was very passive.
Short replies.
Sometimes just "yes."
Sometimes just "hmm."
Sometimes… no reply at all.
And yet—
in between—
messages from Renji and Haruki were still there.
Consistent.
Not noisy.
Not excessive.
But… present.
"Have you eaten?"
"If you're tired, get some rest."
"Don't forget to take your medicine."
Care that wasn't obvious.
Yet… never absent.
"…Hmm."
Her spoon paused midair.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Assessing.
Understanding.
So that's how it is…
Ting.
A notification came in.
A familiar sound—light, but clear in the quiet room.
Haruki:
"Yuki, feeling better?"
Yuki stared at the screen for a few seconds.
Then—
without hesitation—
she typed.
Yuki:
"Yeah. I'm better now."
Her reply was short.
Casual.
Not cold.
But not overly warm either.
A few seconds later—
Ting.
Renji:
"Good. Don't push yourself yet."
"I'll be home this afternoon."
Yuki looked at the message.
"..."
Without realizing it, the corner of her lips moved slightly.
Not quite a smile.
More like… a small reaction she didn't notice.
She didn't reply.
She simply closed the chat, placed her phone beside her, and returned to her meal.
The spoon moved again.
Slowly.
Steadily.
She finished the porridge.
The egg.
The fruit.
Until nothing was left.
As if—
restoring the rhythm of a life that had briefly paused.
After finishing, she wiped her lips with a tissue.
Then rose from the bed.
"Aoi."
Not long after—
the door opened.
"Yes, Shirayuki-sama?"
Yuki looked at her.
Her gaze was calm.
But this time—
more alive.
"I want to go out."
Aoi paused slightly.
Just for a fraction of a second.
"…Understood. I will prepare the car."
Yuki nodded.
Without hesitation, she then entered the bathroom.
After finishing her shower, she opened the wardrobe.
Rows of clothes were neatly arranged.
Her eyes scanned them quickly.
Then stopped.
She picked out a short, off-shoulder sky-blue dress—simple, yet still elegant.
Paired with light shoes suitable for walking.
Not too eye-catching.
Not too formal.
Just… "Shirayuki."
She added a simple headband to her hair.
After that, she looked at herself in the mirror.
"… "
A few seconds passed.
Long enough.
"…Beautiful."
A single word.
If the main heroine had a cold, hard-to-approach aura, then Shirayuki was the opposite. Even without smiling, she still appeared gentle and elegant.
Her beauty was no less than that of the other characters.
Satisfied with her appearance, she turned away.
.
.
.
The family car was already waiting outside.
The door was opened for her.
Yuki stepped into the car without hesitation.
"Take me to Lumiere Plaza."
"Yes, Miss."
The driver started the engine.
The journey was quiet. The city had begun to grow lively, people moving about with their daily routines.
Then their destination came into view.
A large mall.
Grand.
Modern.
And clearly—not an ordinary mall.
Owned by the Tenshou Group.
Yuki stepped out.
Her steps were light, yet purposeful.
She entered.
Cool air-conditioning greeted her.
The hum of voices.
Footsteps.
Conversations.
She walked leisurely.
Unhurried.
Until she stopped at a drink stand.
"Brown sugar boba milk tea."
Her order was simple.
A few minutes later, the cold cup was already in her hand.
She took a sip.
Sweet.
Smooth.
A contrast to the bland meals of the past three days.
"…Hehe, I feel like I'm alive again."
Then she continued walking, a hint of excitement in her steps.
Toward a certain place.
A bookstore.
The automatic doors opened.
The scent of paper and ink filled the air.
Calm.
Quieter than outside.
Yuki walked between the shelves.
Her eyes scanned the book titles.
Then stopped at one section.
Self-improvement.
She picked up one book.
Then another.
About personal change.
About habits.
About mindset.
"… "
The reason was clear.
Not to truly read them— but just in case.
If someone started to notice the change in her—
she would have an "excuse."
Reasonable.
Logical.
And not suspicious.
As her hand reached for another book—
suddenly—
it stopped.
She saw someone she recognized standing by the physics shelf, not far from her.
Dark hair.
A focused gaze.
A physics book in her hand.
Akira.
Shirayuki narrowed her eyes slightly.
Watching her.
"Hah… what a coincidence."
A reflex.
Her body moved first.
She stepped back—then shifted, hiding behind a shelf before Akira could turn toward her.
It would be troublesome if I run into her here. I don't know whether I should greet her since we're classmates, or ignore her since we're not close.
Through the gap between the books, Shirayuki peeked.
Akira was still there.
Flipping through the book in her hands.
Her brows slightly furrowed.
As if weighing something, trying to convince herself.
After thinking for quite a while, she finally brought the book to the cashier and paid for it without hesitation.
Then, Akira left the bookstore.
"Phew…"
Shirayuki let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She then walked forward and stopped at the cashier.
In her hand, one book had been chosen—about personal change. The cover was simple.
Not eye-catching.
Just… reasonable.
"I'll take this," she said, placing the book on the counter.
"That will be 1,500 yen."
Shirayuki lifted her phone and opened her payment app. She scanned the payment barcode.
"Payment successful."
A receipt was printed.
The cashier neatly arranged the book and carefully placed it into a paper bag.
"Thank you."
With a slight bow.
Shirayuki took the bag and walked out of the store.
Coming here just to buy a book might be a bit of a waste. I guess I'll walk around for a while before going home. Maybe pick up a few other things while I'm here.
She walked without a clear destination until she finally stopped in front of a luxury watch store—Velcérra.
A glass display caught her attention.
Soft light reflected over the row of watches inside.
Shirayuki stepped into the store, and a client advisor approached with a slight smile.
"Welcome to Velcérra."
"Is there a particular collection you'd like to see?"
Shirayuki walked closer, observing the watches in the display—until her gaze settled on one piece.
The watch was slim.
Almost like a bracelet.
Its metallic sheen was soft, not dazzling—rather… calm.
Along its frame, small diamonds were neatly embedded.
Not to stand out—
but to give off a subtle sparkle whenever it caught the light.
"That model is one of our latest collections," the client advisor said softly.
"The design is inspired by jewelry—that's why it resembles a bracelet more than a watch."
She paused briefly.
"The diamonds are set with fine detailing to maintain elegance without appearing excessive."
"Would you like to try it on?"
Shirayuki nodded.
With thin gloves, the advisor picked up the watch and placed it on a velvet cushion.
Then gently slid it toward Shirayuki.
The contrast of colors made the diamonds' shine more visible—
soft.
Yet distinct.
Shirayuki picked it up.
Cool.
The first touch of the metal felt smooth against her fingertips.
Light—
yet not "light."
There was a subtle weight that conveyed quality.
She turned it slightly.
The diamonds caught the light. Glimmering faintly, not excessive.
But enough to reveal its value.
The client advisor observed quietly.
She didn't interrupt.
But her gaze shifted slightly. More focused.
Shirayuki extended her wrist.
Her skin was pale, flawless.
The lines of her bones were delicate.
"Put it on."
"With pleasure."
The client advisor's movements became even more careful.
She unclasped the watch.
Then wrapped it around Shirayuki's wrist.
The metal touched her skin.
Cool—
but gradually adjusting to her warmth.
The diamonds along its frame caught the light—
glimmering softly against her skin.
Blending in.
Click.
The clasp closed.
Perfect.
Shirayuki raised her hand slightly.
Looking at it.
The watch rested around her wrist like a bracelet—
natural.
As if it had belonged to her from the very beginning.
Not excessive.
Not flashy.
She slowly turned her wrist.
The client advisor watched.
And for a brief moment—
there was a subtle change in her expression.
"What do you think?" she asked softly.
Shirayuki didn't answer right away.
"I like it. Please wrap this."
The client advisor gave a small nod.
"Certainly."
She carefully removed the watch, then brought it to the counter.
A special box was already prepared.
The inner lining was checked.
A few seconds later—
she returned.
The box was placed in front of Shirayuki.
"The price is 8.6 million yen."
Only 8.6 million yen… It won't make me poor.
Her hand moved.
She took out a small wallet. From it, she pulled out a black card.
Its surface was matte, almost without detail. No flashy logo. No excessive color.
Only a subtle engraving on its surface—
"Shirayuki Kujo."
The lettering was so fine it was nearly invisible, only appearing when the light hit it at a certain angle.
Along its edge, a faint metallic line framed the card.
Part of the family's access—not entirely her personal property.
Yet still… not something just anyone could possess.
The client advisor paused.
For a split second.
A subtle change occurred.
Her posture straightened slightly.
Her breathing steadied.
Her demeanor… became more careful.
"Please."
This time, her voice was slightly deeper.
More formal.
She received the card with both hands. No haste. No unnecessary movement.
The payment machine was prepared.
Beep.
"Payment successful."
The client advisor returned the card with both hands.
Shirayuki took it.
The client advisor then picked up the watch box.
Carefully—
it was placed into a dark paper bag with Velcérra's logo faintly printed on it.
The handle was adjusted.
The edges straightened.
Everything looked… perfect.
The paper bag was then handed over with both hands.
"Here you go."
Shirayuki accepted it.
Her movement was calm.
As if it were nothing unusual.
She put her card away.
Then turned.
And walked out.
The client advisor bowed slightly.
Deeper than before.
"Thank you for your trust."
Spending money without needing to consider the price… is actually quite enjoyable.
Shirayuki's steps remained steady as she exited the store, the paper bag in her hand.
Light.
Feeling that her purpose had been fulfilled, she intended to head home.
Until—
TIIIIIT—!
The sudden alarm shattered the atmosphere, causing several people to stop.
Shirayuki halted.
Her head turned slightly.
The source of the sound was not far.
And—
her eyes caught a familiar figure.
Akira.
Just stepping out of an accessory store.
But—
the alarm was coming from her.
Shirayuki's brows lowered slightly.
…?
Before she could analyze further, four girls appeared. As if they had been waiting.
"Eh? It actually went off?" one of them exclaimed loudly.
Her tone was exaggerated with surprise.
"No way…"
"Seriously, did you think we wouldn't notice?"
"You've been acting suspicious this whole time."
Akira remained silent.
Her gaze cold.
"…I didn't do anything."
"Ah, still denying it?" one of the girls laughed softly.
A crowd began to form.
Whispers spread.
"A thief?"
"Seriously?"
Akira frowned slightly.
But—
remained calm.
"I didn't steal anything."
"Yeah right, they all say that."
One of the girls crossed her arms.
"Staff!" another shouted.
"This person is suspicious!"
A store employee quickly approached, his expression slightly tense.
"Is there a problem?"
"Her!" one of the girls pointed at Akira without hesitation.
"The alarm went off when she walked out. Isn't that obvious?"
The employee looked uncertain.
But the situation had already drawn attention.
"We should check first…"
Akira didn't move.
Didn't resist.
But clearly—
she wasn't pleased.
The tension thickened.
Shirayuki observed.
Silently.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
…Cheap.
Their movements.
Their timing.
The way they immediately accused her—it was too neat.
This was planned.
Akira didn't resist. She simply gave a small nod.
Her bag was opened. The staff began checking.
Silence.
A few seconds felt longer than they should.
Then—
"…this."
An item was lifted from inside the bag. Still with a security tag attached.
The crowd reacted immediately.
"See!"
"She really stole it!"
Akira looked at the item.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"…I didn't take that."
Her voice remained calm.
No panic.
"The item I needed, I already bought. I have no reason to take that."
Her tone was flat.
Logical.
But one of the girls laughed mockingly.
"What thief would admit it?"
The atmosphere grew noisy again. The looks began to change.
From doubt to suspicion.
The tension escalated. Whispers turned into accusations. Sharp gazes were directed at Akira.
But before things could get worse, a voice cut through.
"Enough."
Calm.
Not loud.
Yet it immediately brought everything… to a halt.
Footsteps approached. Shirayuki walked forward. The paper bag still in her hand.
Her gaze cold.
Focused.
She stopped beside Akira.