By Zephyria 
As my consciousness gradually returned, I slowly opened my eyes.
Before I knew it, my surroundings had changed into the interior of a Gate. Since the last place I remembered being before losing consciousness was my bed, I realized immediately that it was a dream.
I looked around.
This place felt familiar. Gates always presented new locations and appearances, so there was no reason for it to be familiar, but this time was different. A place where a pure white blizzard raged and a bone-chilling cold flowed.
It was the place where Vasily and I had met our end.
“It’s cold…”
Feeling the chill, I looked down at my body. My body was already half-covered in ice. The ice, which had swallowed me up to my waist, showed no sign of satisfaction and was gradually climbing higher up my body.
Vasily’s arm was wrapped around my waist. I twisted my body to break away from him before I froze completely, but his arm held me firmly, refusing to let go.
Haha…
It seemed Vasily intended to spend his final moments with me this time as well. As if driving me to death once wasn’t enough, he was holding onto me even in my dreams.
As I let out a self-deprecating laugh, white breath leaked from my mouth. Thump, I leaned my head back and looked up at Vasily, but he kept his eyes closed and didn’t even look at me.
Come to think of it, what expression did Vasily have in those final moments?
I couldn’t remember well. Did he look peaceful? No, I felt like he had a somewhat lonely expression.
A coldness that felt like it was tearing my flesh wrapped around my entire body. Vasily must have endured this kind of cold his entire life.
Realizing I couldn’t escape Vasily, I slowly accepted my fate of death. The ice rose to the tip of my chin and gradually covered my face.
I couldn’t breathe. Just as I closed my eyes, resenting Vasily for hugging me so tightly… I was finally able to wake up from the dream.
“Haa…”
I opened my eyes, taking a deep breath.
Because the dream had been so vivid, it seemed I had been holding my breath without realizing it. While catching my breath and staring at the ceiling, I realized that my body felt strangely stifled and incredibly cold. However, this was not a dream, nor was it the interior of a Gate; I was on the bed in my room.
Why is it so cold?
I could feel my lips turning blue. Shivering, I pulled the blanket around me, but the cold wouldn’t subside.
Belatedly, I realized something was wrapped around my waist. My back was also blocked by something hard.
As I reached down and felt my waist, I touched cold, hard skin. This thing, which was both smooth yet had bumpy contours… was an arm.
Realizing the identity of what was wrapped around my waist, I turned around.
As soon as I turned my head, my eyes met Vasily’s. With a face that had just woken up, I frowned and asked.
“What are you doing?”
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam-ssi said he was cold, so I was hugging him.”
Vasily maintained a confident attitude despite pressing his cold body against mine. His expression, which almost seemed to be asking for praise, was absurd.
“…That was sleep-talking. In the first place, it’s cold because of you, Esper Vasily.”
“That’s why I hugged you.”
“Sigh…”
I was speechless at that brazenness, knowing full well that his own body was cold.
Because of Vasily, I ended up having an unpleasant dream. Perhaps it was because I encountered him in the dream—the version of him who didn’t regress like me and eventually died—that it was somehow difficult to look Vasily straight in the face.
Eventually, I avoided his gaze unnaturally and spoke.
“I’m awake now, so let go. I want to wash up.”
“Sleep a little more. It’s still dawn.”
As soon as I tried to push him away, Vasily hugged my waist even tighter.
Whether in dreams or reality, it’s the same—he won’t let me go. I sighed and turned my head.
Perhaps it was because I had been struggling in my dream until just now, but I had no strength in my body. Since I didn’t want to show him the pathetic sight of me stumbling in front of him, I had no choice but to lie down a bit longer.
I tried to sleep more, but my mind, having already woken up once, was far too clear. I closed my eyes, but as my consciousness grew even clearer, I eventually gave up on falling back asleep.
While blinking and staring at the dim ceiling, a question suddenly occurred to me as I looked at Vasily, who was still hugging me and enjoying the warmth of my body.
“Why are you going this far?”
“About what?”
“You are acting in a way that would only happen in an affectionate relationship.”
No matter how much evidence piled up before my eyes, I couldn’t believe that Vasily and I were in a romantic relationship.
It made no sense for Vasily to form a deep relationship with someone, and it was impossible for him to truly love someone. No matter how many times I regressed to the past or how the world changed, that was a fact that would not change.
“I told you. We are…”
“Stop with the excuse that we are lovers. I don’t believe it anymore.”
“Ah, you caught me.”
As expected.
I had thrown the words out half-testing him, and the expected reaction returned.
The way he treated me was certainly identical to the behavior lovers show, but it wasn’t behavior based on love. My suspicion that perhaps… all of this was an act, was exactly right.
A sense of emptiness washed over me. I felt stupid for believing his words at face value. However, having regressed six years, I had been confused enough that it was inevitable for my judgment to be clouded.
Still, a question remained. Why did Vasily start doing things he never usually did, even going as far as pretending to be in a romantic relationship?
“Why did you deceive me?”
“I wonder. Why did I do that…”
“Don’t avoid the answer.”
“If I say I wanted to try playing lovers, would you believe me?”
Vasily answered, quietly curling the corners of his mouth. It was a plausible answer, but why did it not feel sincere? Even if there were another reason, it would be difficult to draw the real reason out of him.
“Stop these kinds of jokes from now on. Of course, I would prefer it if you didn’t behave like this in public anymore.”
“But Guide Kwon Gi-dam-ssi and my public relationship is that of lovers.”
“Announce that we broke up due to personality differences and decided to maintain only a professional relationship from now on. You don’t actually love me anyway, do you?”
“Love…”
Vasily murmured lowly. After remaining silent for a long time, chewing over the word ‘love,’ he continued as if he had realized something.
“Yeah, maybe I do love Guide Kwon Gi-dam-ssi.”
“…?”
Startled by the softly murmured voice, I whipped my head around to look at Vasily. However, Vasily also looked as if he were surprised by his own words.
Seeing Vasily like that, I became greatly flustered.
No way, is he serious?
It felt like I had been hit hard in the head. No, even when I first heard that I was in a romantic relationship with Vasily, it wouldn’t have been this shocking.
Taking advantage of the moment the arm around my waist loosened, I bolted upright from the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t mind me.”
I couldn’t stay here any longer. I felt nauseous and dizzy from the shock. To the point where it wouldn’t be strange if I lost consciousness right now.
As I stumbled away, I heard the sound of Vasily getting out of bed to follow me.
“Guide Kwon Gi-dam-ssi, are you oka—”
“Don’t come near me!”
I sharply brushed off his hand as he tried to grab me. Right now, even his touch felt horrific.
I hurriedly covered my mouth. I didn’t feel like I was going to vomit, but I felt that if I didn’t hide my expression this way, my confused emotions would be conveyed to him exactly as they were.
Ignoring my warning not to come near, Vasily grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. He lifted my chin and met my eyes.
The moment I discovered a faint trace of worry in the gaze checking my condition, my vision turned pure white.
* * *
Gi-dam’s body tilted forward. Vasily quickly reached out his arms to catch the limp body falling.
He hurriedly checked his condition, but Gi-dam had already fainted. Was that one sentence shocking enough to make him lose consciousness?
Since monster’s blood might not have been completely detoxified and remained in his body, he thought it would be best to take him to the hospital. The moment he lifted Gi-dam’s body to dress him, Gi-dam’s eyes snapped open.
“Esper Vasily…”
“You’ve regained consciousness already?”
Gi-dam blinked, looking bewildered. Noticing a reaction different from usual, Vasily realized something was strange.
“Has your rampage finally calmed down? But where is this… Wait, why are my clothes off!”
Watching Gi-dam, who started shouting in anger as soon as he opened his eyes, Vasily brushed back his hair as if it were absurd.
His Guide, upon hearing a confession of love, had wiped his memory and run away.