Chapter 53: Shiba, Finally Becomes Human (2)
“......Ahhhh!”
Damn the morning. Recalling the events from the dawn, Jin Dallae grabbed her head in anguish.
‘I’ve lost it. I’ve totally lost it!’
Tossing her blanket aside, she repeatedly flexed and straightened her legs. The bed vibrated, causing random items on it to roll off. Of all the reckless things she could have done, the words she blurted out in confession were the most embarrassing.
-It was special because of you.
Those words echoed in her mind. The current Jin Dallae was appalled at her past self.
-You’re the first one to approach me like this... How can I push you away?
“Arghhhhhhhh!!!”
Perhaps she should just bite her tongue and end it all?
As shame flooded her, dark thoughts flitted through Jin Dallae’s mind. And amidst her agony, another thought made her blush.
“Did we... kiss that time?”
She suddenly recalled their first kiss. It might have been a drunken accident, but it was incredibly shocking. She pressed her lower lip with her forefinger, almost feeling the warmth from that memory.
Their lips pressed together, their opened mouths. Even if their tongues didn’t intertwine, the sensation was electrifying.
Giving such a precious memory in a drunken blunder weighed on her heart.
“...How will I face him now?”
Honestly, Jin Dallae never saw Lee Shiheon as a man. Up until now, she saw all her relationships as mere tools. How could she see someone of the opposite gender?
She truly respected him.
She wanted to get closer.
But she wasn’t sure if what she felt could be called love.
However, the thought of that kiss didn’t repulse her.
‘I’ll have to see him again... Maybe we should talk?’
With a deep sigh, Jin Dallae got up to get ready. After a quick shower, she spent 20 minutes drying her hair, which had grown from short to medium length.
“Sigh.”
Even as she dressed, she sighed. Trying to compose herself, she took a piece of chocolate from the refrigerator. Savoring the sweet delight brought a smile to her face. Eating chocolate in the morning and evening had become her routine.
-Knock, knock, knock.
Hearing the knock made her jump. The chocolate she was holding slipped from her grasp, the precious treat falling away.
“Um, uh...”
Jin Dallae, momentarily flustered, slowly approached the door.
“Is it Shiheon?”
No answer came. Tentatively, she unlocked and opened the door. Before her stood a lone delivery box.
-SexyWood Summer Outfit.
...It was the dress she had ordered earlier.
“Ha.”
Jin Dallae almost collapsed, leaning against the wall to steady herself. She needed to mentally prepare herself before seeing him.
-Steady footsteps.
Suddenly, familiar footsteps approached, followed by a familiar masked face. Dark hair oversized clothes, and their eyes met.
“Ah.”
It was as if neither had expected to see each other like this. They both let out a short, surprised sigh. Quickly composing herself, Jin Dallae glanced at Shiheon’s eyes behind the mask.
“Did you... get home okay last night?”
“Uh, um. Yes, I got home fine.”
The air grew a bit tense, and Jin Dallae tightly closed her eyes.
Clearly, they needed to talk. To apologize for her drunken behavior the other night. And about the kiss... to agree to forget it.
Just as she was about to speak, her gaze shifted to Shiheon’s right leg.
“......Huh?”
There, clutching Shiheon’s leg, was a toddler with green hair. A cute sprout grew atop the child’s head, making it look even more adorable. The child, while hugging Shiheon, glared at Jin Dallae defensively.
“Who is this child?”
“Uh... how should I explain?”
Shiheon, taken aback by the sudden question, scratched the back of his head and then gently stroked the child’s hair. The child beamed at the touch.
“She’s my daughter.”
Daughter.
In English, “daughter.”
“What?”
No.
“Excuse me???”
“But she’s my child. I want to provide for her the best I can.”
“Beep?”
Shiba looked at the soup in front of her and Jin Dallae, tilting her head.
“Can she eat this?”
“If her personification has progressed this much, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
I decided to give it a try. Extracting some blood sausage from the soup, I cooled it down by blowing on it before feeding it to Shiba.
“Beep?”
She blinked a few times and then took the food into her mouth.
Beep. Peep.
Her cheeks puffed up as she chewed, making cute sounds with every bite.
“She’s so adorable...”
Jin Dallae murmured to herself, a gentle smile forming on her lips.
“We need to buy clothes for her.”
“Clothes? Oh, right.”
The outfit Shiba was currently wearing was a makeshift one, hastily sewn from my shirt. It would occasionally slide off her shoulders, so proper attire was urgently needed.
“Is there a toddler clothing store in the academy?”
“There is one. It mainly has outfits for humanoid spirits, but there are a few for small children.”
Ah, right.
“Could you help me choose? Not today, but I’ll treat you to a drink later.”
Jin Dallae’s eyes widened in response.
“I’ll help pick!”
Holding a spoon, she replied hastily, as if fearing I might take back my offer.
Our meal concluded shortly. Shiba gobbled up three blood sausages and then signaled she was full.
Afterward, they headed straight to the clothing store. Most of the outfits available were uniquely shaped, seemingly designed for spirits.
“How about this one?”
Jin Dallae excitedly presented a bright yellow outfit she’d found.
A chick-themed pajama. I alternately looked at Shiba and the pajama. It seemed like a perfect fit.
“Take it. This is also for the lion.”
Upon arriving, a tree hoodie also caught my eye. A hoodie with wrinkles and a bumpy picture for children seemed to fit perfectly on Shiba’s body.
After that, I bought a few sets of children’s underwear and some regular clothes before leaving the clothing store.
It was lunchtime. After having a meal at a suitable place, I returned to the dormitory.
-Beep, Vibrate, Beep, Vibrate.
Shiba seemed tired from the long outing, and she fell asleep in my arms.
As I was walking, patting her back, Jin Dallae smiled contentedly at me.
“It looks good.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It reminds me of my past... Ah, never mind. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Perhaps reminded of her past, Dallae apologized with a slightly awkward face.
We entered the dormitory without saying a word.
We couldn’t drink alcohol, and since we had Shiba, we had to wrap it up for the day. Just before reaching Dallae’s room, I started a conversation.
“Oh right, about what happened yesterday.”
“That, that, that? Don’t, don’t worry about it! Yes.”
Jin Dallae hurriedly responded, seemingly caught off guard by my sudden reference to that event.
It seemed she wasn’t bothered by it. Not someone who lingered on a kiss. There were people like that sometimes.
“Well, I’ll contact you later.”
“...Okay.”
After a brief farewell, I entered my room.
-Thud.
“Okay.”
First, I laid Shiba down on the bed and stretched, then opened the contacts on my phone.
I had to plan for the remaining month.
“Three people.”
Could I manage it?
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
