The building, with just the two of us inside, was silent. As I sat there, the words he had once spoken began to return to me, one by one.

“Hey, Yujin, by any chance…”

Was it you who cast the spell to turn back time for me?

‘What am I thinking…’

I shook my head to clear my thoughts, but Yujin suddenly spoke up.

“So, are you happy now?”

“Yujin?”

His voice was quite different from before. It was extremely hoarse, and his pronunciation was unclear.

“Am I making you unhappy again?”

It was only then that I realized the warmth of his body leaning on my shoulder was not the same as before. He was burning up with a fever.

Startled, I patted his back.

“Yujin! Get a hold of yourself, Yujin!”

***

Yujin wandered aimlessly in a deep dream.

He had first met her at the herb market.

“Doesn’t your face hurt?”

Her voice was high and lively, like a small bird chirping. Yujin, who had been walking with his eyes on the ground, looked up.

A woman with large, rabbit-like pink eyes and loosely tied silver hair was gazing at him. Despite her shabby clothes, her beauty was undeniable.

When their eyes met, she busily rummaged through her bag and said,

“Hold on, I’ll recommend some herbs that are good for burns.”

“No need.”

“Um…”

Yujin deliberately turned away coldly. He felt as though he might get entangled with her.

‘Strange woman.’

Most people would quickly avert their eyes and leave when they saw his burn scars. She was the first to offer a remedy.

‘Well, now that I’ve turned away, I probably won’t see her again.’

It was when Yujin arrived at his shop, sighed, and unlocked the door that he sensed someone behind him.

When he turned around, the woman from earlier was standing there, sweating profusely.

When their eyes met, she awkwardly smiled and held out her hand. In it were a few herbs and a note with simple instructions.

“Sorry for following you. I was concerned.”

Yujin looked blankly at what she offered and sighed through his nose.

“…Please come in for a moment. I’d like to thank you.”

It wasn’t because he wanted to form any kind of bond with her. He just thought he should offer her a cold drink since she had followed him on such a hot day.

…Yujin knew that he was already making excuses at that point.

The shop was filled with antique items. He entered the front bar, lined with familiar glass bottles.

However, he noticed the woman hesitating at the entrance. Yujin donned an apron and said,

“Please have a seat.”

“I’m sorry. This is my first time in a place like this.”

Her cautious demeanor, as if she had encountered a thief, was quite striking as she clutched her bag to her chest and carefully stepped inside.

As Yujin watched her, she let out a strange giggle and cautiously took a seat. Then, with her shoulders hunched, she asked,

“Is it always this dark here?”

“It’s a place that serves drinks at night. Is there a cocktail you’d like?”

“Well…”

Of course not. It was her first time at a bar, so she probably didn’t know any drinks.

Yujin picked something suitable and made a cocktail. It was a sweet, low-alcohol cocktail that even a beginner could enjoy.

She took a slow sip of the drink.

“…It’s sweet and bitter. Just like life.”

Her mature remark didn’t match her youthful face. Surprised by her comment, Yujin’s eyebrows rose slightly. She sipped the cocktail in small gulps.

Feeling awkward about staring at her, Yujin lowered his head. Naturally, his gaze fell on the paper with the herb instructions she had written. Although a couple of letters were missing, the instructions were accurate.

“You seem to know a lot about herbs.”

“My family is often sick.”

“A sibling?”

“No. My husband’s sibling.”

‘So she’s married.’

Why did he feel a sense of disappointment?

Perhaps because she had relaxed after drinking, she began to chatter more comfortably about herself.

“But he said we’ll be able to earn a lot of money soon, so we’ll be able to see a proper doctor instead of just relying on the herbs I’ve been gathering. Once his health improves, I’ll be able to relax a bit too.”

Her pink eyes sparkled with hope.

Yujin clenched his jaw. It felt like bile was rising in his throat.

No, your husband will be swindled out of all his money. Not only that, but he’ll leave you with his sick brother and a poor household, taking his own life.

And the person who will bring you that misfortune is none other than…

“Are you conscious, Yujin?”

“Ah…”

I watched as the focus slowly returned to his once blurry blue eyes. I sighed in relief.

“I’m glad. You really scared me earlier. Even when I tried to call a doctor, you kept stopping me.”

“Did I? Ah…”

Yujin opened his mouth but seemed startled by how cracked his voice was, so he closed it again. I handed him a cup of water.

“You had a high fever. I didn’t call a doctor because you seemed to not want that, but when you kept losing consciousness, I was so worried I didn’t know what to do.”

I’m not usually talkative, but I was so tense that words of reproach kept spilling out to Yujin, who had just sat up.

Only after he finished the cup of water did Yujin seem to come to his senses and look around.

“How long was I out?”

“Not long. About five hours?”

Since he had come so early in the morning, the sun was still shining brightly outside.

His gaze fell on the blanket spread out on the shop floor and then on me, sitting on the bare ground. I scratched my cheek and smiled.

“Sorry. I couldn’t muster the courage to carry you up to the second floor.”

“Oh.”

It was only then that Yujin realized I had brought a blanket and laid him down right there in the shop. He bowed his head.

“Sorry. I caused you trouble.”

“Trouble? Being sick isn’t a bother. It’s not like you chose to be ill.”

I shrugged. Knowing that magic was the cause made me even more understanding.

“I’m glad I had some fever herbs at home. I actually know a lot about herbs.”

“That… ugh.”

“You still don’t seem well. Lie down again.”

I pressed down on Yujin’s shoulders with both hands. He obediently lay back down on the blanket.

A compliant Yujin was something I never imagined when I first met him.

For some reason, sitting there like that made me smile. I placed a damp towel on his forehead again and said,

“I hope the cause of your illness is discovered soon. It’s fortunate that Yuri is a mage.”

Yujin blinked, looking somewhat perplexed. It was as if he wasn’t used to having a wet towel on his forehead or someone sitting beside him, chatting away.

After lying still for a while, he asked in a heavy voice,

“How did you know I was sick? You told me to get checked because I had a serious illness.”

I met Yujin’s gaze.

‘What should I say?’

The deliberation was brief. Instead of saying something unbelievable like I had returned from the future or seen it, I had a more plausible explanation ready.

“I just saw it in a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yes. In the dream, I heard that Count Esrenche was so ill he had to withdraw from public life.”

Yujin’s tone as he echoed me was significant.

“…Just a dream? That’s not so bad. Though it was a terrible dream.”

“That’s true.”

He was right. Both of my lives had been nightmares.

“But it wasn’t all bad. I met a dear friend.”

“A friend?”

“Yes. A friend with pink hair and blue eyes, like yours.”

“…”

He fell silent again at my response.

However, after some time had passed, what he said was not what I had expected.

“I’m fine now, so I’ll get up.”

Yujin stood up abruptly, showing no signs of pain. As he looked at the spot where he had been lying, he trailed off.

“As for a reward for taking care of me…”

“If you offer money again, I’ll get mad.”

“Hmm.”

He clamped his mouth shut, jaw tight.

Seeing his eyes darting around, it seemed he really had been about to offer me money.