WICE 11

#11.

It was a few days ago. Despite grumbling, “I can’t believe I’m preparing for art school again at this age!”, I was diligently drawing Shasha in hopes of getting into an art school.

Shasha was obsessed with catching a white butterfly. At that moment, Allen quietly came up beside me and asked,

“Can I touch your hair?”

I glanced at him, wondering what he was suddenly talking about. Then I remembered—I was always the one touching his hair.

Without saying anything, I nodded to give permission. As soon as I did, Allen immediately scooted closer to me.

Then, just like he’d stroke Shasha’s fur, he started fiddling with my hair while muttering under his breath. It was so distracting that my drawing turned into a mess.

Just five years ago, he wouldn’t even show his true nature in front of me—always acting polite and kind. But these days, he keeps doing sneaky little things and often ignores what I say. Especially when I mention magic school.

“Roni, is it good?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, of course. The desserts here are always the best when I come with you, Allen—”

I was just about to ramble about how amazing the desserts were, when Allen gently lifted my wrist and popped the brownie I was about to eat into his own mouth.

Yeah, that! That kind of thing!

Why do you keep doing unexpected stuff lately and making my heart jump?! It’s not good for my heart!

“It looked delicious.”

Seeing my surprised expression, Allen casually replied and sipped his tea.

What the heck, that totally nonchalant face.

It annoyed me—like I was the only one getting emotionally swayed while he stayed perfectly calm.

“About magic school…”

“Not going.”

“Wait, why not?!”

Allen gave me a sharp look, his face clearly saying, “Not this again.”

You have the talent. You don’t even need Sharligan’s name anymore. So why aren’t you trying to gain the power and wealth you like so much? If you keep this up, the comic won’t even start!

I turned my head to the window without even looking at Allen’s curt expression. It was a silent protest.

“Roni.”

“Yes, Roni’s right here.”

“Should we get married?”

“Pfft!”

I spit out the tea I was drinking at his totally unexpected question.

Allen, unbothered, pulled out a handkerchief from his inner pocket and gently wiped my mouth, then dabbed the tea off his own clothes. He was way too calm.

We still had a year until adulthood, and I was planning to break off the engagement naturally if he went to magic school.

But marriage? Allen’s sudden proposal left me stunned.

Though happy, I still didn’t think my current life was normal.

If I suddenly returned to my original world, it wouldn’t be strange. Then the real Roni would come back, and Allen might get hurt.

For someone like me, who might disappear at any moment, to marry him—never mind disrupting the comic, it would be ruining Allen’s life.

“I object to this marriage.”

“No.”

“…What?”

Allen stared at me in disbelief. His eyes wavered, hurt.

I felt sorry for the pained look in his eyes, but no meant no. I wasn’t Roni. I was someone who could vanish at any time. I shouldn’t get involved with Allen.

“A favorite character is just that—a favorite. I only wanted to get close, not fall in love.”

“Just because we’re engaged doesn’t mean we have to get married, Allen.”

“I know.”

“You’re talented enough to find a wonderful noblewoman and live happily. That’s enough for me.”

“…A wonderful noblewoman?”

“Yes, someone amazing. Preferably with gray eyes…”

Thud.

Before I could finish my sentence, Allen suddenly stood up.

W-Why?

Startled, I looked up at him. With a hardened expression, he muttered, “I’m leaving first,” and walked out of the café.

It was the scariest expression I’d ever seen from him. Like he was trying to run from the situation.

The comic hadn’t even started yet, and Allen was showing interest in me instead of Viana. Maybe treating him so well out of fan-love backfired.

Roni was a character with a different charm from Viana. With a cold beauty rather than delicate innocence, I didn’t think she was Allen’s type.

I sat there like a stone, dazed, when I noticed Shasha heading off somewhere alone outside the window.

“Huh? Shasha?”

Surprised, I turned beside me. The seat where Shasha had been was now empty.

I looked back out the window. Shasha’s tail disappeared around a corner. I jumped up and hurried out of the café to follow in the direction I’d seen her go.

* * *

“Shasha, that’s enough—come out now.”

We’d come too far. In the confusion of chasing her, I’d ended up at the outskirts of the capital.

Breathing hard, I called for Shasha. I was sure I’d seen her head into this forest, but now I couldn’t spot her anywhere.

Just as I was anxiously searching the woods, I heard a familiar whimper from behind me. It was Shasha.

I turned toward the sound—and saw a handsome man with red hair gently patting Shasha’s head.

A man out in a remote place like this instantly gave off a suspicious vibe. I looked at him warily, but Shasha wasn’t resisting his touch. She couldn’t take her eyes off him either.

Just as I was about to call out to her, Shasha noticed me and looked my way.

Her eyes were warm and affectionate, as if to say I didn’t need to worry—but I still looked at the strange man with caution and asked,

“Who are you?”

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“What…?”

“Hmm? Don’t tell me you don’t remember me? Oh no! I must’ve jumped dimensions too suddenly and erased your memories of me!”

“…What?”

Is this guy insane?

I stepped back, and he continued speaking.

“No need to be so guarded. I’m not a bad person.”

“…”

“By the way, I couldn’t intervene until the comic started, so I wasn’t able to visit. But wow, the story’s gotten so tangled in the meantime.”

He strode up to me and pressed his hand against my forehead.

It all happened in a flash. Just as I was about to protest, memories of the mysterious man who had once visited my studio five years ago came rushing back.

Back then, too, he had red hair and appeared at my studio, dressed in bizarre medieval clothes like he’d walked out of a drama set.

“You don’t like the ending?”

“Huh?”

“That comic—how would you want to write it?”

“What are you talking about…?”

“I wasn’t fully satisfied with the ending either.”

“But the ending hasn’t even been released yet.”

“Well, I created the place, after all.”

“What?”

I’d thought he was crazy and reached for my phone to dial 112 and call emergency services.

Sure, there had been fans who snuck into the studio out of curiosity, but this was the first guy to blatantly show up and talk nonsense.

“Want to change the story?”

“What are you even saying? You just barge in and—”

That moment, the red-haired man had come right up to me, placed his hand on my forehead, and said:

“Not that you have a choice anyway.”

That was the last thing I remembered.

After that, I found myself five years in the past, before Viana’s Delight even began, and the memory of that man had completely vanished.

“Y-You’re that lunatic from back then?!”

“Wow, lunatic? I do have a name, you know—Guinness William.”

“What… are you?”

He took off his hat with one hand, bowed politely, and smirked.

“I’m Guinness William. The magician who created this world.”

What the—? There’s magic in this world too, you know?

I stared at this lunatic calling himself Guinness with a “So what?” look.

He simply shrugged once and formed a dark orb of magic in one hand.

Inside that orb… was me. Kim Sohee. In my studio, frozen in time, coloring a comic background.

“W-What is this?”

As I stared in confusion, Guinness grinned.

“As you can see, time flows differently here and in your world. Kim Sohee’s world is practically frozen.”