After getting an answer out of Ji-woo, we said our goodbyes with a promise to meet again.
Simpler than I expected. Good.
Still, I couldn't figure out why she was so hung up on being called 'unni.' What was even in it for her.
She seemed thoroughly satisfied, though.
"Okay, our little Shin-a~ time for bed~"
Jang-mi came toward me as I lay quietly in bed, having somehow made it back to my room.
She'd just gotten out of the shower — a soft, clean scent of soap drifted pleasantly from her hair.
Watching her approach, I thought back to Ji-woo's intense reaction earlier that day.
Hmm……
My experimental instincts kicked in. I slowly pulled the blanket up to my chin and floated a test balloon.
"Yes, unni."
Swish—
"……!!!"
The moment those words left my mouth, Jang-mi froze solid.
"……?"
I blinked with perfectly innocent eyes. Jang-mi's lips trembled, her expression like someone whose soul was about to vacate the premises.
"Shi…… Shin-a……? Just now, what did you just……?"
"Unni. Jang-mi unni~"
I whispered it softly, driving the nail in. Jang-mi's face flushed scarlet in an instant, red as a radish.
"Wha…… wh-wh-wha……!!!"
"……"
A far more intense reaction than I'd anticipated.
I quietly marveled to myself.
Highly effective.
***
"Shin-a. Even so…… you can't do that to an auntie."
Jang-mi fanned her flushed face and began to scold me with a serious expression.
"Why not?"
I tilted my head and asked. She pressed her fingers to her brow and muttered, flustered.
"Because…… auntie's age is already……"
"Already……?"
"Haah…… never mind. Still, it does feel nice……"
She cupped her cheeks in both hands and looked at me with an expression of genuine inner conflict.
"Ugh…… it's just too much stimulation. It's bad for my heart……"
"……"
Watching her mutter to herself, I thought it over.
Calling her unni didn't feel particularly strange to me.
If anything, calling her 'auntie' felt more awkward.
She'd been part of my childhood — the Jang-mi in my head didn't seem that grown-up. And she could easily pass for someone in her twenties.
"Then…… how about 'imo'?"
I dialed it back one notch. Jang-mi's eyes shook violently all over again.
"I…… imo?!"
"Yes."
"Ugh…… how is everything our Shin-a does so adorable?! That's it, I can't help it — tonight I'm sleeping glued to Shin-a again~!"
She suddenly lit up, eyes sparkling, and threw her arms wide open.
"Eh."
Why did the conversation go that direction all of a sudden——
"Come here!"
"Wait a sec—— mmph!"
***
"……"
Morning sunlight spilled softly through the window. Birdsong drifted in, fresh and clear.
A powerful, mighty morning.
Maybe I'd pushed myself too hard yesterday — after getting trapped in Jang-mi's arms, I couldn't remember much of anything after that.
I must have passed out cold.
Well… that just means I worked hard yesterday.
I tried to shake off the grogginess and get ready for school.
Hm?
The moment I went to kick off the sheets and sit up, my entire body seized against my will, creaking to a halt.
Then a foreboding sensation crept up my spine.
And then——
"Ah……"
A low groan slipped through my lips.
From the back of my neck to the inside of my thighs, even down to each individual knuckle — a grinding, throbbing ache pressing down on every inch of me.
Muscle soreness.
So this is the price of being owned by a body with Stamina 6.
This pathetic little baby body couldn't handle even that much training and was staging a full-on revolt.
Every time I moved a single finger, a dull ache rolled through me.
"Aah……"
I buried my face back into the pillow and pulled the blanket over my head.
……I don't want to go to school.
***
I went anyway.
No matter how much I'd once been an S-rank hunter, right now I was just a small child bound by compulsory education.
I had to go. What else could I do.
The moment I walked into the classroom, I dropped my bag like I was throwing it away and slumped face-down onto my desk.
The hard surface pressed against every sore muscle in my body, but I had no energy left to sit up straight.
Just then.
"U…… um, Shin-a……?"
Whoosh—
"……?"
A familiar voice crept carefully into my ear. Still face-down, I snapped my head sideways toward the source.
My hair dragged across the desk and went frizzy.
When my gaze landed on her, Mila was staring down at me with wide, rolling eyes and a fidgety, anxious expression.
"……What?"
I rested my chin on the desk and mumbled. Mila studied my face and opened her mouth carefully.
"Are you…… sick? You look really pale……"
"Ah… not exactly… just a little… mm, tired……"
I answered in a fading voice and blinked heavily.
"Ah…… I see……"
Mila confirmed my state, nodded with a visibly deflated expression, and quietly looked away.
"……?"
What's that about?
Even through my half-asleep haze, I could sense a strangely thick undercurrent of disappointment coming off her — but I had no room to think about it.
A tidal wave of sleep was crashing over me.
So sleepy……
Thud—
I passed out.
***
Thud—
"……?"
Mila watched Shin-a go limp against the desk and thought quietly to herself.
'She really…… must be exhausted.'
"……"
Mila closed her fidgeting hands into a fist and bowed her head.
'I was going to ask if we could hang out after school today…… but I guess that's too much to ask, huh?'
She pouted slightly, feeling a little hurt and disappointed — but then her eyes landed on Shin-a beside her, sleeping deeply with the most peaceful expression in the world.
She was out so thoroughly that her lips had fallen slightly open, drool trickling out without a care.
Completely defenseless.
'What on earth did she do over the weekend to be this tired……? Actually, more than that……'
As Mila listened to Shin-a's soft, steady breathing, a very practical worry suddenly crossed her mind.
'Shin-a…… sleeps like this every single day. Is she really going to be okay without studying……?'
She was starting to genuinely worry about her friend's future — the one who used her textbook as a pillow every class.
***
"Gasp—!"
My eyes snapped open as my mind jolted awake.
"Slurp."
Reflexively, I lifted my sleeve and wiped the drool pooled at the corner of my mouth.
How long…… did I sleep?
I gathered my scattered thoughts and glanced to the side.
Mila was at her desk, busily packing her bag and sorting through her pencil case.
The classroom was already filled with the scraping of chairs and the chatter of kids.
"What…… happened……"
"Ah…… Shin-a, you're up? All the classes are over."
I mumbled in a cracked voice. Mila smiled brightly and answered.
"Huh……?"
Half-disbelieving, I turned to look at the clock on the wall.
The hour and minute hands pointed exactly to homeroom time — in other words, time to go home.
Wow.
"Wow."
***
Mmm……
I felt unsettled the whole time I was stuffing my textbooks into my bag.
I'd taken short naps before when I was tired, but I never imagined I'd sleep through the entire day.
I'd never thrown away a whole day like this before, so I felt a strange prick of conscience, a vague discomfort.
I could almost see a hallucination — a giant brand stamped on my forehead reading 'slept all day without attending a single class.'
"Why didn't you wake me……"
I tossed the words out while zipping up my bag. Mila smiled sheepishly and fidgeted with her fingers.
"Hmm……? But you were sleeping so, really so comfortably that I just……"
"Ah……"
What a touching act of consideration from a thoughtful friend.
But what's done is done.
I set aside the guilt for now and started packing my bag quickly to match Mila's pace.
Anyway, that's that.
"Let's eat."
Food first.
***
"Ah……"
Full.
Another truly excellent and satisfying lunch.
I may have slept through class, but I'd definitely laid the groundwork for growth.
After all, a growing child needs to eat heartily like this to shoot up tall.
"……"
Right?
I thought of my once-impressive height and puffed out my chest slightly — then felt a little sad at the still-tiny field of view.
"……"
Walking out of the cafeteria, I adjusted my bag alongside Mila.
But I'd been noticing it for a while now — she was giving off an unmistakably restless, wistful vibe as she walked beside me.
Come to think of it, she'd been all hunched and fidgety when she saw me this morning too.
I finally couldn't ignore it. I stopped walking and turned to face her.
"Hey, Mila. Is there something you want to say?"
"Uh…… huh?! N-no… nothing……"
Mila shrugged her shoulders and waved her hands in exaggerated denial.
"……"
Anyone could see she had 'I have a lot to say right now' written all over her face.
Zero talent for hiding it.
"Come on, just say it."
I crossed my arms and stared at her steadily. Mila stared at her own feet and turned red.
"Umm…… well, so like……"
"Mm-hmm……?"
"……Shin-aactuallysincethelastweekI'vebeenwantingtoeatddukbokkiwithyoubutIwastoostupidbecauseIdidn'thavethecouragethenandnowI'mcarryingtheweightofthisbagandallIwantistosaythatIwanttogotoacoinkaokewithandanarcadewithyouandIworkedupthebiggestcouragetotellyouthatandeverymorningwheneveryyouopentheclassroomdoormyheartpoundsandIwanttosaylet'shangoutandduringclassandbreaktimeyou'reallIseeyou'reallIthinkaboutit'sbeenlikethatsincelastweekandwhenyouweretiredandslumpedoveryourdeskasleepitmademesoheartachebutdeepdownIwashopingmaybeyou'dplaywithmewhenschoolgotoutandI'vebeenwonderinghowtotellyouthisandI'veworkedupthebiggestcourageofmyentirelifeandIwantedtoconfesstothecoolestandmostgrandwaystandingrighthereinthemiddleofthisschoolgateShin-awillyouhangoutwithmeafterschooltodaywithme!?"
Mila had poured it all out without a single breath, face so red it looked ready to burst, and now she was watching me nervously.
"……"
Pardon?