From the wide main road, a grand gate of solid black wrought iron stood tall and proud.
Its dark, intimidating appearance was softened by intricate decorations—galloping horses carved with strength and grace, intertwined with delicate orchids and roses that wrapped around the bars like living vines.
"And here we are," Sherra said, glancing back at me.
"What? This is Luna's house, not mine," I replied, tilting my head in confusion.
"Then why did you act like you were about to get out earlier, huh?! Like you were planning to spend the night at Luna's place or something."
I honestly don't know why I did that…
Luna shook her head gently and said, "It's fine, it's fine. Sherra, please take C home. I'll be okay on my own."
Luna pushed the car door open and limped slowly toward her front door. Before going in, she turned around and waved her hand in a motion that looked like she was shooing away a pet.
Truthfully… I'm still worried. Can she even walk properly?
I kept my eyes on Luna until she vanished from view, as Sherra's car quietly rolled forward and out of the elegant neighborhood.
The ride was silent for a while, the kind of silence that felt heavy. But then, Sherra broke it.
"Hey… Be honest with me. Who are you, really?" she asked.
"I already told you. I'm just an ordinary student who somehow ended up being friends with Luna," I replied flatly.
"Tch. I won't tell anyone, not even Miss Luna herself. So come on. Be honest," Sherra said. Her eyes stayed focused on the road, not even glancing at me.
I let out a long sigh.
This woman is way too stubborn…
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you everything. But promise me you won't tell anyone."
"Yeah, yeah. Just spit it out already."
I took a deep breath before whispering, "I… I lied to Luna. About a lot of things."
"What do you mean?" Sherra asked, slowing the car just a little.
"I told her I'm her secret bodyguard… and yeah, I hid a GPS tracker on her clothes," I confessed... Holding my hands together tightly, thumbs pressed.
The car screeched to a stop. Sherra snapped her head around to glare at me, eyebrows furrowed, jaw slightly dropped.
"... Are you serious?"
"…"
"You crazy little—! How could you do that to Miss Luna?! You deserve to be launched off a cliff!" she yelled, reaching out to grab my shoulder.
I dodged and swatted her hand away. "Listen to me first, idiot! I have a reason for doing all of this!"
"There's no reason good enough for creepy stalker behavior like that!"
"I just wanted to keep her safe! That's my reason! Just check your phone, there was an article about gangsters roaming around Luna's neighborhood!" I shouted.
Sherra froze. She turned to her phone, quickly scrolling through the screen like she was reading something.
"See?! You should be thanking me, dumb maid! If I hadn't been watching, your precious Miss Luna might already be in the back of some van!"
Sherra's expression shifted as realization hit her. She gave a small nod, like she finally understood what I meant.
She started driving again and asked, "...So what exactly is your relationship with Miss Luna? You act like you care way too much about her."
If I don't protect her, the world's just going to reset again… Damn it.
"I'm her friend," I answered plainly.
"And how in the world did you convince her that you're her secret bodyguard?"
I scratched my head, tired of this conversation.
Tch… The maid and her master are both annoying in their own ways.
"Stop with the interrogation. Just drive already."
Sherra's body stiffened at my words.
"W-Where is your house?"
I sighed deeply, rubbing my temples.
"Why didn't you ask that from the beginning…"
---
In a luxurious mansion, a blonde girl was struggling to walk. She leaned on the walls to keep herself from falling.
"Ouch... that hurts..."
I climbed the stairs with heavy steps. My legs were wrapped tightly in bandages, all done by C. The cuts on my arms were also covered with band-aids he put on.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally reached my room. I tossed myself onto the bed, letting my body sink into the soft mattress.
I took a deep breath and covered my eyes with my arm, just needing a moment to rest after such an exhausting day.
C… That guy is so weird. But there's something about him that feels… mysterious.
He acts like he knows everything about me. It's honestly kind of scary.
And yet… somehow, I'm not really afraid of him.
So many questions are racing through my mind…
How did he become my bodyguard? When did he put the tracker on me? And what the heck did he mean when he said I've been rejected by Theo 876 times?
"Ugh! Just go to sleep, Luna…" I muttered to myself, trying to stop the overthinking.
Ah… I should take a shower first.
I got up and headed to the bathroom. As I looked into the mirror, I saw a girl staring back at me—dirty, bruised, and completely worn out.
I let out a small laugh.
I've never seen myself look this messy… this fragile.
Warm water poured from the shower above, wrapping around my body like a comforting hug.
The tension in my muscles began to fade, the pain slowly melting away. I tilted my head up and let the water hit my face, soaking me from head to toe.
For a while, I just stood there, letting the warm stream calm me down.
After my shower, I slipped into my pajamas and climbed back into bed. I closed my eyes.
That night… I dreamed again. But this time, it wasn't a nightmare.
It was warm. Comforting.
---
In a large and cold villa, the walls were made of dark gray stone, the windows small and far apart like cold eyes watching everything.
Its roof was steep and pointed, and several towers made the whole place feel more like a fortress than a home. There was no beautiful garden, only a wide yard filled with gravel and creepy, twisted stone statues.
Someone stumbled into the villa, one arm hanging limp and useless.
He limped forward, through the empty halls of the cold house, until he reached a pitch-black door.
The door creaked open, and inside, someone was sitting—flipping a black coin between his fingers.
"Ugh… Sorry, boss. We failed to capture the target. I even crashed a car into them, but still… we failed," the gangster muttered.
"Hmm… I see," the man replied, his voice calm but cold.
"It was all going well until this kid showed up. But he's not just some kid, boss. He doesn't have a face—literally, no facial features—and he fights like a monster."
"What did this kid look like?" the man asked.
"No face… but he had brown hair," the gangster muttered.
The man rubbed his chin, nodding as if the description rang a bell.
"So… boss. Since I did what you asked, does this mean you'll erase my debts now? Mine and my family's?" the gangster asked. Blood was dripping from his hands, and his face was pale.
"Heads or tails," the man said, still holding the black coin.
"Eh? What do you mean, boss?"
"Heads or tails," the man repeated, smiling. His smile was crooked—like the face of a clown.
"T-Tails," the gangster stammered, his body frozen with fear.
The man nodded and flicked the coin into the air, then caught it and slapped it onto the back of his hand.
He slowly revealed the coin.
A head.
"Sheesh… Looks like Lady Luck isn't on your side, buddy," the man said casually.
He stood up and opened a drawer, pulling something out.
He walked over to the gangster, who was now trembling in fear, head bowed low.
"B-Boss…?"
"Guess you'll have better luck in your next life... maybe."
Bang!