The morning sunlight gently brushed against Kim Lulu’s eyelids, signaling the start of a new day. She stirred, making a sleepy sound, and rolled over in bed.
Normally, she would have pulled the covers over her head, trying to get just a few more minutes of sleep. But today felt different. A fleeting thought passed through her drowsy mind, like a cold whisper.
You don’t have much time left. Are you really okay with this?
"..."
With a sudden jolt, Kim Lulu sat up in bed, her heart racing.
Time was slipping away. Now that she knew her days were numbered, it felt like time was flowing ten times faster. It was as if the sands of time were falling through her fingers, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't grasp them.
Get up. Do something. Anything.
But her body was still heavy with sleep...
As she wrestled with her thoughts, the door creaked open, and Odaesu entered the room. He looked as calm as ever, asking, "Are you awake?"
"...Halfway..."
"You can sleep a bit longer. You were tossing and turning a lot last night."
"..."
At his words, memories of the previous night flooded back to her.
Oh, right. We slept together.
Last night, they had shared a bed. At first, she had tried to sleep beside Odaesu in his male form, but it had been too awkward, and she couldn’t fall asleep. So she gave up and went to sleep beside him in his familiar female form. That felt more balanced—just the right amount of warmth and comfort, and his softness was perfect for cuddling.
"...Hehe..."
"What are you giggling about? If you’re awake, get up. It’s time for breakfast."
"Mm..."
The journey they had planned didn’t happen.
Kim Lulu had given up on it. What was the point? She didn’t want to be a burden on him, especially now that her time was running out. If she left now, it would only cause more problems for the Redburn family.
Instead, she had decided to stay. To spend as much time with him as she could.
Clinging to Odaesu’s arm, she walked with him to the dining room. When they arrived at the table, Munggae had already laid out a feast.
It was a Korean-style spread with ten side dishes, made from local ingredients in the otherworld they now called home. Despite the different produce, Munggae had somehow recreated the familiar taste and aroma of Korean food.
Munggae sighed dramatically, pretending to be tired. "Who knew I’d be cooking with these tiny paws, mong."
"You managed just fine with those short arms. Kim Lulu, you should’ve seen him."
"Don’t talk about my cooking like it’s a circus performance, mong."
"...Circus, mong..."
Hayan, the amnesiac girl they had found, was curious about the word "circus" and tugged on Munggae. He climbed onto her head and started teaching her by beaming knowledge directly into her mind with his magic.
As Hayan stared blankly, spoon in her mouth, Odaesu scolded her, "It’s fine to learn, but eat your breakfast at the same time."
"Mong..."
"Not 'mong,' say 'yes.'"
"Yes."
Kim Lulu laughed at the exchange.
So this is what it would be like to have a family, she thought. Odaesu would be the strict but loving father, Munggae the quirky uncle, and Hayan... well, she was a little too big to be a baby, but close enough.
It would’ve been so much fun. Lulu could’ve played with the child, while Odaesu taught them discipline, and Uncle Munggae would handle the more unusual lessons.
"..."
If only I had more time...
Kim Lulu found herself touching her lower abdomen absentmindedly.
Ever since her confession about her illness, Odaesu had been hyper-aware of her every move. He noticed her gesture immediately.
"Is your stomach hurting?"
"No... I was just thinking about having a baby."
"..."
If this had been a normal conversation, Odaesu would’ve teased her, asking why she was suddenly talking about something so strange. They would’ve laughed, and the atmosphere would have lightened.
But instead, the air grew thick with sadness.
Kim Lulu knew. Her time was running out. She had maybe six months left.
But it took longer than that—at least ten months—to have a baby. It was an impossible wish. If only she had more time... if only she had made up her mind sooner...
Regret weighed heavy on her. She couldn’t leave anything behind for him.
Sensing the shift in mood, Munggae cut in, eager to break the tension. "What are you all doing, mong? Stop sulking and eat!"
"Ah, thank you, Munggae! I’ll eat well!"
"...I’ll eat well too."
"I’ll eat well, mong."
The clatter of utensils followed as they began eating.
Munggae’s cooking was delicious. Kim Lulu felt a lump in her throat as she realized she might never get to enjoy this again. Everything felt bittersweet now that she knew her time was short.
Under the table, Odaesu squeezed her hand tightly. If it weren’t for that, she might have started crying.
If she had to cross that river soon—the one you couldn’t return from—she needed to tie up all her loose ends. To leave without regrets... or at least, with fewer.
After breakfast, they cleared the table, and Kim Lulu sat, watching Hayan.
Odaesu and Munggae would be fine after she was gone. They’d carry on together. But Hayan was different. She depended on Kim Lulu, who, as the Capital Knight Captain, had the money and power to support her.
Without Kim Lulu’s influence, Hayan’s future would be uncertain.
Kim Lulu sighed and spoke softly. "I wonder who Hayan really is. We should find her family before I..."
"She must be from a wealthy family. Or maybe she’s a noble. Her muscle mass was extremely low. A commoner wouldn’t have survived that," Odaesu said.
"Oh, right. Her skin was flawless when we washed her. Not a single scar or callus."
Munggae added, "Her memory loss was abnormal, mong. Normally, I could help recover lost memories, but it’s like the data itself is gone."
"What does that mean?"
"It means her memories weren’t just blocked. They were erased, mong."
"...But she didn’t have any visible injuries. This is difficult."
The more they discussed, the more confusing the situation became.
In truth, Hayan’s latent ability allowed her to manipulate organic matter, and when she had been close to death, she unconsciously used her power to reconstruct her body, even altering parts of her brain. This extreme healing caused her amnesia and her youthful appearance.
But without any clues, how could they ever figure that out?
Kim Lulu sighed. If they couldn’t return Hayan to her family, they’d need to find someone else to care for her.
"Maybe we could ask Grandfather to take care of her."
"The Sword Saint of the Empire?"
"Yeah. He’s always busy, so it might be hard, but I don’t know who else to ask... I need to say goodbye to him too."
Kim Lulu’s face darkened. Grandfather would be sad, wouldn’t he?
Everything made her sad these days. Walking made her sad. Even watching the falling leaves made her sad. It felt like she was spreading sadness wherever she went, like a virus.
"..."
Odaesu couldn’t stand it anymore.
He wouldn’t let her final days be painted in shades of blue.
Even if the end was inevitable, there had to be a way to fill her remaining time with happiness instead of sorrow. He couldn’t just stand by and watch her wallow in sadness.
Kim Lulu had hidden her terminal illness to protect him from the pain.
Odaesu had pretended to be calm, hiding his own sorrow.
But they had both been wrong.
You couldn’t erase sorrow. Losing someone you loved would always hurt, like cutting off a part of yourself.
But maybe, just maybe, instead of trying to reduce the sorrow, they could cover it with happiness.
"Kim Lulu!"
"...Huh?"
Without warning, Odaesu jumped to his feet and marched over to her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he leaned in and kissed her square on the cheek.
"...!!"
Kim Lulu froze, completely overwhelmed, while Munggae, who had been quietly watching, practically jumped out of his fur. Odaesu, with that much force?!
"Daesu ate Lulu."
"Aiyoo, Hayan, it’s too early for you to be seeing this, mong!"
Munggae quickly covered Hayan’s eyes and led her out of the house, figuring it was best to give them some privacy. Who knew, maybe something big would happen today.
Odaesu looked at Kim Lulu, her face now a brilliant shade of red, and shouted, "Stop standing there like an idiot!"
"Wh-what? What are you doing?!"
"There’s no time to waste. I still have to give you the ring, and we need to get married. We’ve got to go on trips and do everything you want to do. Got it?"
Her head was spinning, and for a moment, she nodded without thinking. But then, fear and guilt crept back in, and she shook her head.
"But, but... I don’t have much time left. Even if we get married, we won’t..."
"Do you not want to take my ring?"
Oh.
If she said no, Odaesu would cry. Kim Lulu panicked and blurted out, "No! I mean, I do...!"
"Then take it. I want to give it to you. I want to spend every second I have left with you. I don’t care how long that is!"
Thud.
It felt like someone had hit her over the head.
...Was this real?
Could she really take it?
"Go get dressed... No, we don’t need anything fancy. We don’t need pretty clothes or a sunset or anything like that!"
"W-wait!"
Odaesu scooped Kim Lulu into his arms before she could react and dashed out of the house, heading for the hill where they had been the day before.
Her heart pounded in her chest.
They reached the same hill from the previous day, but everything was different.
Gone were the elegant clothes and the perfect makeup. Instead, they wore simple tunics, their shoes hastily tied, and their hair messy from the rush.
But none of that mattered.
Odaesu scratched his red hair awkwardly, pulling the diamond ring from his pocket. Clenching his fist, he held it out.
"Kim Lulu, you idiot!"
"..."
"Put out your hand. You know how to do it. I’ve taught you enough."
"But that was for learning how to punch, not how to take a ring..."
With a sigh, Kim Lulu hesitantly held out her fist.
Odaesu grabbed her hand, unclenched her fingers, and slipped the ring onto her fourth finger. Just like that, she had accepted it.
The ring sparkled on her hand, a promise of forever.
"Wow..."
It didn’t feel real.
Tears welled up again, but this time, they were different. She smiled through them. She was still sad, but at the same time, she was happy.
Odaesu smiled back at her. "You’re stuck with me forever now. Just stay by my side, alright?"
"...Yeah."
"We’ll sleep together, wake up together. We’ll do everything we ever wanted to do."
"...Yeah, we will!"
Yes.
If she could spend her remaining time with him, what more could she ask for? Even if Death came walking with his scythe, as long as she could be with him every day, that was enough.
Sure, it would be sad in the end. When the story was over... it would be heartbreaking.
But for now, it was enough.
"I... I want to say something, Daesu."
"Yeah?"
"I... I..."
Gathering all her courage, her hopes, and her love, Lulu spoke her heart’s deepest desire.
"I want to be your lover in the next life too—!!"
...
And from behind a nearby tree, the Mad Magician awkwardly raised his hand and said, "Um, sorry to interrupt, but I’m here to deliver the elixir of life. The Guildmaster sent me for the... um, quality assurance check?"
"..."
"...?"
"Should I... come back later? I didn’t mean to interrupt anything, but I got an urgent message. I, uh, really need to get back."
Both Kim Lulu and Odaesu stared at him, their minds blank. The Mad Magician fidgeted under their gaze.
"I mean, I tried to wait for the right moment! I know this is a big deal, but there was an emergency, and... well, I thought I’d deliver this in person so you didn’t think it was a scam or something. If you don’t trust me, you can ask Munggae to check it. Anyway, gotta go!"
And with that, he dropped the bottle of elixir, the warranty, and a letter from the Guildmaster on the ground, then disappeared in a flash.
"..."
"..."
The awkwardness hung in the air like a thick fog.
If he’d come just a little earlier or later, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But now?
Kim Lulu, still with tear-streaked cheeks, muttered, "Uh, sh-should we go back, Daesu?"
"..."
Odaesu ground his teeth in frustration. If this was some kind of prank, he swore he’d hunt that magician down to the ends of the earth—
The next day.
Kim Lulu, still looking a bit dazed, reported back on her condition after taking the elixir.
"I feel better. I’m not coughing up blood, and I don’t feel dizzy..."
"..."
"..."
Even though her terminal illness was cured, the overwhelming awkwardness overshadowed the joy. Kim Lulu kept fidgeting, probably still embarrassed about what she had shouted the day before.
And honestly, Odaesu felt the same.
He still couldn’t decide whether to thank that crazy magician or punch him.