Living Under One Roof With Meowi (3)

‘…D-did I hear that wrong?’

Ma Hana blinked her eyes and stuttered again.

“Wh-where did you say you were going to sleep?”

Yu Seha, who was asked the question again, tilted his head.
‘Why is she acting like this? Did I say something wrong?’ Thinking this, he continued nonchalantly.

“Maybe I’ll just sleep in a PC room?”
“…”

Ma Hana’s mouth fell open.
W-Was he really planning to stay out overnight?

‘…No way.’

Yu Seha.

Among the men Ma Hana had seen, he was noticeably handsome.

Moreover, he had a charming figure with a delicate and pure body, having just become an adult.

H-he, he’d definitely be dragged off by some wicked older women and end up in trouble.

I-It’s definitely going to happen.

‘M-Meow! Absolutely not!!’

Ma Hana had her reasons for thinking this way.
Walking with Yu Seha in the Guild, numerous female hunters would always sneak glances at him.

Not just glances, but they would scan him from head to toe.

Even some of the older women licked their lips.

Each time, Ma Hana would switch places with him, shielding him from all those prying eyes.

‘I’m glad I’m here next to him.’

Yu Seha would find it absurd if he heard, but to Ma Hana, he seemed utterly defenseless.

Moreover, he was a precious colleague, a benefactor, and someone with whom she shared her dreams, and the idea of him spending the night out was unthinkable for her!

She could never allow it to happen.

Thus, a ‘courage’ that she would never have shown under normal circumstances suddenly surged forth from her chest.

She approached him, her face flushed.

She grabbed his hand with a swoop.

“Uh, Meowi?”
“Here, stay over!”
“…Huh?”
“At my place tonight…”

Stay over!

“Excuse me for intruding.”

Yu Seha greeted formally as he stepped into Ma Hana’s house.

Wow, this is something.

‘…I’m truly overwhelmed with this.’

The place seemed so different, almost as if it weren’t the same place I had visited about a week ago.

The suspicious ingredients were all gone, leaving the room spotlessly clean, making it look like a place fit for human habitation.

Especially impressive were the properly functioning water and electricity.

’…Sob!’

The fact that warm water was coming out of the sink was enough to cause tears of joy.

It was heartwarming to see that Meowi was managing the bare essentials of living, which was enough to make me, as a supervisor, cry tears of joy.

But still, it was not enough.

Being clean also meant, in another sense, being bare.

With old furniture…
There was not even a common vanity that any woman would normally have on her.

Only a few pieces of clothing, carefully selected by Hyeja Noona, were hanging around.

‘…Alright, I’ve decided.’

Once again, my determination to achieve my goals blazed fiercely.

Earn a lot of money for our Meowi.
And to buy a building for the characters who would join us in the future.

‘The best room in that building will be for our Meowi.’

I knew all the furniture and equipment she would like.

I’ve checked her preferences by giving her various items through the accommodation decorating system.

‘First, a cat tower.’

Then, a cat wheel.

Ah, I also need to buy a fluffy, special-material cardboard box.

The sight of our Meowi entering it to knead and purr was my favorite sight to witness, enough to set it as my phone wallpaper.

Meanwhile, as Yu Seha indulged in a mix of affectionate and bizarre fantasies at this moment, Ma Hana gulped down.

‘…Uh.’

Uh-um, what?

Me, right now…

‘Did I… do something preposterous?’

Indeed.

With bold steps, Ma Hana realized a sense of reality the moment Yu Seha set foot in her sanctuary.

The critical information that she was in a confined space with him, a space consisting of only one room excluding the bathroom and veranda, paralyzed the core of her brain.

The fact that she was with an outsider, a man.

Of course, Yu Seha was no stranger.

A precious benefactor.

To her, he was like a dream and a hope worth staking her life on, without any regrets.

But when it came to matters between men and women, the story took on a different tone.

‘…Calm down. This isn’t the first time, right?’

His visit to her home.
It had happened just a few weeks ago.

But that was during broad daylight, and he quickly went out.

So, the situation was completely different now.

He was going to sleep over at her house.

And Ma Hana’s bed was only one.

‘…Sharing a bed?!’

19-year-old adults, a man and a woman, sh-sharing a b-b-bed?!

‘…Meow, meeooow, meeeeeooooow!’

Although Ma Hana might look like she just started middle school, she was a fully aware (?) woman who knew quite a bit about such things.

Of course, exactly how to do it…
She didn’t exactly know…
But she once looked it up on the internet and immediately closed the tab when she saw them hugging each other with a bang!
So, she didn’t know the specifics…
Ah, anyway, she roughly knew such things.

So, she was aware that the chances were high that they would be in a situation where a man and a woman were together for a while.

“Meow, meow… meow…”

As Ma Hana imagined what might unfold, steam of ‘whooshes~’ came from the top of her head.

Then, Yu Seha’s hand was placed on her shoulder.

“Meowi, are you okay?”
“Meow?!”

Thump, thump!

‘S-Seha’s hand… was it always this big?’

Of course, it must be.
Because he’s a man… and a swordsman.
Ah, I know that.

Ma Hana barely turned her head, answering as if crawling.

“I-I am okay…”
“Uh, then can I shower first?”
“Uh, yes! I paid the water bill… s-so there’s hot water too.”
“Okay, got it.”

A moment later.

Yu Seha borrowed a few clothes that Ma Hana’s late father used to wear and entered the bathroom first.

“……”

A glance.

Ma Hana looked at the bathroom once.
She turned her head at lightning speed at the sight of him lifting his shirt through the opaque door.

‘M-Meeeooow…’

Then her eyes met a photo on the shelf.
It was a photo of her father and herself when she was young.

‘…Ah, if Dad saw this… would he have fainted?’

Uh, it seemed unlikely.
Wouldn’t he rather be happy that his daughter has made a precious friend?

Ma Hana fidgeted with her fingers and carefully covered the photo.

‘Sorry, Dad.’

But don’t get me wrong.
It’s just that we’re party members staying together.

Clunk.

About 5 minutes later, Yu Seha came out of the room.

Do men always bathe this quickly?
Ma Hana, who had thought this, blushed again at the sight of him.

His wet, obsidian-black hair and the unique purple hue of his eyes. His prominent nose.

The subtle flush induced by the warm water. His appearance, even more radiant after being thoroughly washed.

Even when covered in sweat and dust in the dungeon, he had a striking appearance, but now, looking at him all cleaned up, it seemed almost unfair.

‘M-Mewwoooow…’

“Meowi? I’ve finished cleaning up. You can go take a bath now.”
“Me… oww.”
“…?”

Of course, Yu Seha, who had finished his military-style 3-minute bath without knowing such facts, just wondered, ‘Why is she acting like this?’

“…Sigh.“

30 minutes later.

Emerging carefully from the bathtub after a relaxing soak, Ma Hana murmured, “Meow~.”

Huh? It was quieter and darker than she thought.

‘I thought he would be watching TV.’

As she looked around swiftly, near the bed on the floor…

Yu Seha was softly snoring, asleep.

He was covered with the pillow and blanket she had prepared for him, and was sleeping soundly…
He must have been so tired without realizing it.

‘…Is it natural?’

After all, it had been a series of forced marches these past few days.
And all of it was an effort made for her growth.

Gratitude and guilt.

With mixed emotions, Ma Hana slowly approached and sat beside him.

She stared at him for a long time.

Enough to bring a smile to her face unwittingly.

‘…Is this how Seha feels when he looks at me?’

A warm feeling that was hard to put into words…

‘…Looking back again… it really feels like a dream.’

He appeared like a comet one day and rescued her.

He believed in her own dreams.

Cheering that she could do it, he took her hand and led her.

Ma Hana placed her hand over her heart.
And slowly closed her eyes.

Deep inside…
She felt something indescribable burning fiercely.

Conviction, will, determination, resolution, nobility, and more.
A hard-to-define emotion once again filled her entire body.

‘…Father told me.’

Someday, a master worthy of trust and following would come for me, the shield.

The one who finds it would shine brighter than anyone else.

‘…Yes, that’s right. Dad.’

I think I’ve found it.
Yes, it feels like now.

Ma Hana slowly bowed her head towards Yu Seha.

She whispered softly so as not to wake him.

“…I swear.”

I will be the shield that protects you, wherever and whenever.

“Even if this body shatters.”
“…Is that joy?”
“What?!”

Ma Hana fell back in surprise.

Was he pretending to be asleep? Yu Seha got up, giggling.

“M-Meeeow, w-weren’t you sleeping…?”
“No, I just woke up.”
“L-liar!”
“Hehehe…”

After giggling for a while, he slowly raised his hand above her head.

“Thanks for believing in me. So, I promise too.”
“Meow?”
“I will never betray you.”
“…”

She couldn’t say anything for a moment at those words.

It was a strange feeling.

Seha was looking right at her.
She needed to say something.

Why couldn’t she utter a single word?

‘…Ah.’

Then she realized.

I see.
All this time, I have been…
Afraid.

‘…I was scared.’

The more happiness there is, the more worries follow after.

The misfortune she had tried not to think about.

In case he might leave her.
In case he might go away.
I was afraid I might revert to my wretched former self.

All those worries combined into one fear.

Yu Seha, seeing right through it, reassured her.

I will never… abandon you.

Ma Hana forcibly pulled back the tears welling up.

Yes, now…

‘I shouldn’t be crying when I’m happy…’

She wanted to smile.

Ma Hana lifted her head.

With the happiest smile in the world, she beamed brightly.

“…Yes!”

A few days later.

An underground arcade.
The final day of intense training.

“…Sigh.“

Ma Hana zipped up her tracksuit top all the way to her neck.

She rummaged around her waist and tightly tied the headband she had brought around her forehead.

[Victory! Abandon yourself!] The spirited headband shone brightly.

Moreover, behind her, as if they had been waiting just for this day, dozens of people had gathered.

Everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, had gathered to cheer for Ma Hana, captivated by her dance and passion.

“Cheer up, furball!”
“Stay strong!”

Empowered by the cheers of her comrades(?), a screen in front of Ma Hana displayed ‘READY? 3, 2, 1. GO!’.

Panels modified for actual performance rather than practice flew toward her at high speed.

Yet, Ma Hana was not flustered.

Her body, honed by relentless practice, had reached a state where it moved without her needing to think.
Before long, her arms and legs began to follow the movements of the woman on the screen.

“Good, that’s it! Meowi, you can do it!”

Yu Seha shouted loudly as he watched her move.

In his hands, he held two fluorescent cat cheering sticks that glowed brightly.

At the same time, another loud voice joined in to cheer her on without falling behind.

―Our Meowi. Stay strong!!!

Exactly, it was Im Hyeja.

Specifically, it was Im Hyeja appearing briefly in a video on speakerphone.

Like Yu Seha, she was inside the store, recklessly waving a light stick and causing a scene.

“Meow, meow, meow!”

Followed by the much-anticipated 30-minute Zero Two.

Ma Hana started to perfectly mimic it, suppressing her rising embarrassment with a firm squeeze.

Before long, the voices of support spread like an epidemic, heating up intensely.

Finally, everyone cheered loudly at the phrase, ‘Perfect! 100%! Congratulations!’.

“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!”

“M-Meow…”

Ma Hana, with her legs giving out, slumped down.

Yu Seha, supporting her, nodded towards her.

“Congratulations, Meowi. With this, the preparations are complete.”
“…Finally.”
“Yes.”

3★ promotion.

It was time to take the final test.