I could hear the sound of Kamian rising from his seat and walking toward me. As his presence drew nearer, a shiver ran up my spine, not born out of fear. It was a tingling sensation, as if an electric current flowed through my veins, making my toes tingle and my skin quiver.

[Thump]. Kamian's muscular arm rested next to my face. He grasped the doorframe and lowered his head close to mine.

"I don't understand," he said.

"...What?"

"That bratty kid who used to smirk and mock suddenly blushes and runs away."

"He's just hot-headed."

"Is that so?"

"It is!"

Without warning, his large hand grasped my cheek and then touched my forehead. This contact, a daily occurrence, felt like a blow to the chest. It was all because of that damn penis-like bear figurine.

"You're really hot-tempered."

"Really?"

I pushed Kamian's hand away, touched my forehead, and examined various parts of my body. It was clear that my body temperature was higher than usual. The fever had not subsided yet.

"You're speaking differently than before."

Kamian's words were laced with laughter. Oh, I was doomed. As I raised my head, he brushed aside my hair with a smile on his lips, revealing my ear.

It wasn't meant to create a romantic atmosphere.

"Your ears are turning red too."

"......"

He deliberately exposed my ears, knowing it would make me more embarrassed. He couldn't be anything but cruel.

"What did you imagine to make it turn out like this? Huh?"

I pressed my hot cheek with the back of my hand and looked at him intently. Kamian tilted his head diagonally, and his well-groomed hair moved slightly, revealing his symmetrical forehead.

"You idiot."

"......"

I pushed Kamian away with my elbow (or rather, he gave in and moved back), and left the room.

I descended to the first floor with quick steps, as if someone was chasing after me. It felt like my whole body, not just my face, would ignite. I didn't want to play along with his teasing, so I just spoke the truth. It was incredibly embarrassing... but it felt refreshing inside.

The moment I set foot on the first floor, I heard a faint rumbling sound coming from the second floor. Kamian, with his long legs, had somehow arrived on the first floor before me, and he was already handing me a fever reducer.

"Keep it. I'll take it."

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"You never eat the prescribed amount. And it's not like consuming less would eliminate the bitter taste either."

"When are you talking about scarcity? Not anymore."

He snatched the fever reducer from Kamian's hand. The man leaned back with a somewhat delinquent posture. It seemed he intended to remain in this position until he finished swallowing all the pills.

"Pretending to take the medicine, huh?"

Grumbling, he swallowed the medicine with a gulp. Ugh... A surge of nausea accompanied the bitterness. As I held my nose and flapped my hands, Kamian quickly handed me a cup of water and a candy.

"Ugh..."

Suddenly, my cheeks were gripped tightly. Kamian's hand, being so large, encased even the back of my head. He leisurely bent his waist and met my gaze.

"I must be imagining things because of you, you bastard."

"..."

"What's the big deal? Should I let you touch me again? If I had known you liked it this much, I would have served you sooner."

"..."

Embarrassment struck me belatedly. How can he casually say things like that? If you come at me like this, I won't be able to speak the truth either. I thought I would stutter and be flustered, but he seems to be even more composed than me.

Although he clearly knows he's just joking, I couldn't find any counterarguments and remained tightly sealed. Inappropriately, a strange feeling overwhelmed me, causing confusion. Is it sexual frustration?

I chewed my lips painfully to push away the lingering sensation from that day between my legs.

Then, the crimson irises of Kamian, who had been teasing me, gradually darkened. His stiff mouth seemed terrifyingly unyielding.

"You..."

My lewd thoughts were clearly written on my face. Kamian, who wouldn't miss even the slightest change regarding me, couldn't possibly overlook it. He's a devilish creature who can tell whether my body temperature is normal just by looking at my face...

"Well, what? What?"

Fortunately, the human heart is not physically manifested. If I say it's not me, he should let go.

"Is it that time of the month again?"

"It's over."

I pushed his hand away and went upstairs. I could feel the heavy footsteps following me, but I didn't turn around. [Thud]. Once I stepped into the room and closed the door, I let out a deep sigh. My neck and shoulders felt stiff and sore, as if they were announcing that I was tense.

"Liv."

A low voice could be heard from outside the door. I deliberately put on a gruff tone, filled with a sense of exasperation.

"Stop calling me."

"If you feel like the fever is rising again and it's getting worse, wake me up before it gets too severe. I think it would be better for me to keep an eye on your condition in your room today, but..."

"..."

"I feel a bit frightened, as if I'm going to be devoured by you."

"......"

Silence followed, accompanied by a cascade of unheard profanities. Who was I kidding with my fanciful thoughts? I never intended to toss Kamian onto the bed like a cheap stuffed bear and explore its intricacies once more.

"Even so, I am a man of self-restraint..."

"Even if you're burning, I won't wake you up, but I'll wake you up!"

Laughter echoed from beyond the door. In my heart, I wanted to fling the door wide open and grasp Kamian's rosy cheeks firmly. However, contrary to my desires, I couldn't even raise my hand to the doorknob.

"Well then, sleep well."

Kamian bid me farewell with a voice filled with youthful laughter before receding into the distance.

That day, thanks to Kamian, who had turned my insides upside down, I found myself plagued by peculiar dreams. In one of them, he emerged completely bare, not even wearing a feathered robe, holding a stuffed bear in one hand and gripping something between his legs with the other, asking, 'Choose. What do you desire more?'

Upon awakening from that dream, I clutched my head and screamed. The realization that what I had chosen in the dream was not the stuffed bear was unbearably shameful.