Chapter 56.
Blink-
With difficulty, I opened my eyes and barely managed to raise my stiff body.
Did I fall asleep without realizing it?
I remember closing my eyes because I was tired, but my memory after that is blurry.
As soon as I gathered my wits, I first looked around. It was too dark to immediately recognize where I was.
This place.
It seemed to be the house where Soi was.
Once I realized that, everything that happened before I fell asleep came flooding back.
I had just handed over the teddy bear with only its upper body remaining to Soi, and had briefly leaned against the sofa.
And then I fell asleep.
But Soi herself was nowhere to be seen.
‘…Is she sleeping?’
Chwak-!
?
That sound came without warning, nearly stopping my heart.
Chwak-!
Chwak-!
Chwak-!
This sound was like…
Heavy… and eerily chilling.
After thinking a bit more, what came to mind was the sharp, cutting sound of something being sewn.
If something was being sewn.
Could she possibly be sewing the teddy bear until this late hour?
At the thought of Soi working on what I had asked her to do at such a late hour, I immediately walked toward the source of the sewing sound.
And there, I really saw Soi sewing something.
“Ms. Soi, I’m sorry. I got tired and fell asleep.”
“……”
“Ms. Soi?”
“……”
I apologized right away.
Chwak-!
But strangely, Soi had no reaction to my apology.
Chwak-!
…Perhaps she was so focused that she couldn’t hear my voice?
Soi continued sewing, pulling the long thread as if it might break at her fingertips.
I carefully approached where Soi was.
Chwak-!
Looking at Soi’s back as she concentrated so deeply that she couldn’t sense someone’s presence.
With an inexplicable feeling of unease.
“Ms… Soi?”
I carefully called out to Soi.
Halt!
!
Soi’s sewing stopped.
Her hand, frozen in an awkward position, slowly fell to the floor. Only a cold, settled voice seemed to seep into me, coming up through my throat.
“……So it’s Master.”
“ Soi, are you… alright?”
I asked with a worried tone.
But the answer that came back was…
“Yes, I’m fine. How could I not be fine?”
It was a cynical answer.
“…If you’re fine, then that’s good.”
Chwak-!
The hand that had stopped began to move again.
Chwak-!
Chwak-!
Chwak-!
‘Are you really okay?!’
No matter how I looked at it, Soi’s condition was strange. Her behavior was like someone who was clearly angry.
Was my request a significant burden on her?
Soi didn’t show it at the time, but judging from the current atmosphere.
Anyone could see this, no matter how you looked at it.
Soi was now furious.
I learned online that a quick apology is the answer in situations like this.
The sooner the apology, the better.
Before the emotional gap deepens.
Step-
I slowly approached Soi to ease her anger. About my rude request. With the intention of making a sincere apology.
Thud.
“ Soi.”
When I gently placed my palm on Soi’s shoulder.
“Master.”
“Y-Yes?!”
!!
At Soi’s immediate reaction to my touch on her shoulder, I couldn’t help but raise my voice.
But Soi, looking at my reaction, very calmly parted her lips and said:
“Shall I sew up your torn left arm as well, Master?”
……What?
“W-What do you mean?”
I froze at Soi’s sudden offer to sew up my left arm.
Rustle-
And just now.
Thud-
My left arm fell limply to the floor.
Not a poetic expression.
My arm really fell off.
It didn’t hurt.
But the moment I saw my detached left arm, I was reminded of a certain superior at work who had messed with my arm.
“Noise you ba……”
********
Noise, you bastard!!
……?
The voice I thought I had clearly shouted out loud echoed deep inside my skull.
Jerk!
I quickly raised my body from the sofa.
Along with the cold sweat running down my cheeks, I was completely confused about the current situation.
I sat on the sofa and looked around the living room.
Just like before, the living room was quiet as a mouse.
Bright lights illuminate the entire house.
Looking at the situation completely opposite to just a moment ago, I thought there was only one thing I could infer.
F**k, was it a dream?
And among bad dreams, the worst kind.
Swish-
My gaze immediately went to my left arm, and I met eyes with my left arm, which was still very well attached to my body.
……Haa.
I guess it really was a dream.
Wiggle-
It moves.
My real left arm is attached.
A sigh of relief escaped on its own.
I covered my face and tried to calm down little by little.
It really must have been a f**king dream.
I wondered if being involved in too many scary stories lately had led me to have this kind of dream.
And it was a dream I never wanted to have again.
Chwak-
!
My body froze for a moment.
At that sound piercing my eardrums, my pupils trembled more and more.
‘F**k, that wasn’t a dream?’
Chwak-
The sound I thought was just a dream pierced my hearing, and I knew what this sound was.
The sound of Soi sewing something.
Chwak-
!!
It was quieter than the sound I felt in my dream. But that was no reason to let my guard down.
Chwak-
……Gulp.
I don’t know how many times I’ve swallowed dry saliva today. I didn’t want to walk toward the source of that sound.
I just wanted to lie back down on the sofa.
I just wanted this to be a dream too.
……But.
Checking it won’t change anything.
But if, while I was asleep on the sofa, Soi actually went ahead and sewed up my arm…
Step.
I should check, after all.
My heavy footsteps finally reached the source of the sound.
Swish—
Sitting demurely in place, a girl in a kimono was sewing something.
Her back was facing me.
“……”
I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
As the uncertainty of how to start weighed on me—
“…Oh? Master?”
!!
Soi had already sensed my presence and turned to look at me.
“Did I wake you with my sewing? If the noise was bothering you, and that’s why you came here… I apologize, Master.”
Soi’s voice began to shrink, as if it were fading away.
Sparkle—
Flinch!
My gaze landed on the small needle in her hand.
Twinge—
For some reason, the dull throbbing in my left arm filled me with a sense of crisis, and I hastily spoke up.
“Oh, no! I just woke up on my own! It was absolutely not because of you, Soi!”
I blurted out an excuse to ease her mood.
Really, I was desperate.
I was desperately trying to shield Soi— To protect my left arm.
“……”
Soi, who had been blankly watching my flustered state—
Pfft.
Laughed.
“When I’m with you, Master, I just can’t stop smiling.”
“Huh?”
Soi was… smiling.
…For now, that was good enough, wasn’t it?
A voice filled with laughter was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than that chilling voice from my dream, whispering about sewing my arm.
That was what Park Yeon-jeong thought.
With a bright smile, Soi looked at me and then gently held out something she had been holding in her hands.
“I just finished what you asked me to do, Master.”
What Soi handed me—Was an intact teddy bear.
The lower half, which had been missing just a little while ago, had been seamlessly reattached.
And now, it was returned to me, good as new.
On top of that, Soi’s meticulous handiwork had even embroidered a heart-shaped patch onto the bear’s chest.
I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Thank you, Soi.”
At my words of gratitude, Soi’s cheeks flushed red.
“If you ever have another request, please don’t hesitate to ask. That is, after all… my only joy.”
With those words, Soi fell silent.
Squeeze.
?
“Soi?”
A slender hand reached out and softly gripped my sleeve.
With slightly narrowed eyes and reddened rims, She quietly looked up at me from below.
“Since I fulfilled your request, Master… May I make a small request of my own?”
“……”
Ah…
So it wasn’t free, after all.
Soi’s lips were already poised to speak her request.
“Ah… Of course. That’s only fair…”
I was genuinely grateful to her.And since she called it a small request, I had no reason to refuse.
…A small request.
“This… it’s really a small request, right?”
“Yes. It’s a small request.”
“…Alright.”
Why did I feel like those words weren’t reassuring at all?
Pat.
!
Soi suddenly leaned in closer than I was comfortable with. Holding onto my sleeve, she whispered that ‘small request’ to me.
It was so quiet that I had to strain my ears to hear it.
“From now on, please don’t use honorifics with me. And…”
“……”
“Call me… Soi.”
…Huh?
Even though I had clearly heard it, I asked again just to confirm.
“From now on… call me ‘Soi.’”
Soi pressed her face even deeper into my chest.
As if waiting for me to say it.
It was such a small request, far smaller than I had imagined.
Slowly, I spoke the words Soi had been waiting for.
“…Soi, ya.”
“…….”
Soi gave no response.
She didn’t answer.
She just—
Squeeze—
Tightened her grip on my sleeve.
And when she finally spoke again—
“…From now on, I will do my utmost to serve you. Because you are… my one and only… Master.”
“…Tha…nks.”
It felt awkward.
Saying that name—Soi—out loud felt a little strange.
And on top of that, forcing myself to drop the formal speech… It made the awkwardness double.
Grin—
But in contrast, a bright smile spread across Soi’s face.
She looked satisfied.
If Soi was happy with it, then I figured that was enough.
“Master.”
“Yes, ah… No, uh. Soi.”
Still awkward.
Soi saw my attempt to keep my promise and smiled brightly once more.
“Just one more time… Please call me ‘Soi.’”
“…Soi.”
“…One more time.”
“Soi.”
“One more time.”
“Soi.”
Soi—no, Soi.
Didn’t you say just one more time?
“One more time.”
“……”
For the next hour, Park Yeon-jeong was held captive by Soi forced to say her name over and over until his throat was sore.
*****
Morning came.
When I opened my eyes again—
Squeeze—
I felt the warmth of someone in my arms.
I woke up to a fresh morning.
“Good morning, Master.”
“…Yeah, Soi.”
After repeating Soi’s name endlessly for an hour,I no longer felt any resistance to saying it.
But.
Rustle.
Watching Soi rise from the bed first, I shut my eyes tightly, as always.
This situation was still too hard to accept.
‘…Soi.’
Why are you taking off your clothes again?
Soi had developed a strange habit while sleeping.
Every time she slept beside me, she would take off her clothes.
More importantly, could ghosts even sleep in the first place?
As my confusion only grew, Soi glanced at my tightly shut eyes.
Slip.
She quietly slid back under the blanket and gently pressed my arm against her bare skin.
“Master, you don’t have to look away. If you want… I’m always ready for you.”
Without hesitation, Soi leaned in close and whispered into my ear—
‘Even right now.’
“……”
If I let myself fall for that whisper, Something unimaginable was bound to happen.
I desperately tried to ignore Soi’s strange murmurs.
Get a grip, Park Yeon-jeong.
Soi is like my daughter!
That’s what I decided to tell myself.
For now, that seemed like the best option.
And so, my day began with another strange battle of wills with Soi.
As always.
At least the breakfast Soi prepared was as exquisite as ever.
And, as always, she sent me off with a farewell—
“Well, I’m off, Soi.”
“Yes, have a safe day, Master.”
Tick-tock.
The ticking of the clock rang clearly in the quiet space.
09:00 AM.
The moment it struck the hour—
I was teleported straight to work.
I hated how accustomed I had become to this.
Once again, I had gone through my morning routine without fail.
But why?
Really, why?
Why did today feel like it was going to be an especially exhausting day?
Step.
Crack—!
!
…The floor just cracked.
This is really, really not a good sign.
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