The pill slipped down her throat and dissolved instantly.
Every cell in Qia's body shattered and reformed—organs that had been failing were restored. Her blood renewed itself, turning fresh and alive.
"W-what!" Krisna shielded his eyes, avoiding the blinding light.
Yuki's mouth hung open, her eyes trembling. "Q-Qia!" She grabbed Krisna's clothes. "WHAT did you do!!"
Golden radiance burst from every gap in Qia's body. Seeing that, cold sweat dripped down Krisna's neck, his heart pounding hard—afraid Qia's life might slip away.
Krisna held Yuki's hand. "Calm down, the medicine is working…"
Right as he finished speaking, a blinding flash slammed into both of them.
Krisna raised his arm to cover his eyes, still holding Yuki close.
Slowly, the light faded, restoring the room to normal. Qia stood tall, eyes closed. Just moments ago, she could hardly stand at all.
Krisna's mouth parted. His widened eyes softened—relief flooding his chest.
Yuki instantly rushed forward and hugged Qia tightly—her tears spilling.
Qia opened her eyes. The halo that had dimmed now glowed bright again—like a remote that just had its batteries replaced.
She wiped the tears from Yuki's cheeks. "Sis, I'm healed…"
"I-I know…" Yuki sobbed into Qia's embrace.
From behind them, Krisna gently patted Yuki's shoulder—congratulating her without speaking a word.
In an instant, the necklace around Yuki's neck unclasped. "From the start, this was never going to explode," Krisna murmured.
Not wanting to intrude, he stepped out of the room and sank into a chair.
He exhaled deeply, stood up, and headed for the door—planning to return to the junkyard.
But before he could leave—
"Where do you think you're going?"
Krisna turned back. "Just getting some fresh air."
Yuki's cheeks reddened slightly. "Th-thank you… Are you really going to leave? Stay until tomorrow—Qia still wants to see you."
"All right… Is she doing better?"
"More than that—she's completely healthy now…" Her eyes dropped to the floor.
The bedroom door opened, and Qia ran out, hugging Krisna with a beaming smile.
She tugged him toward the kitchen. "Nii-chan! Let's eat Onii-chan's cooking—it's really good!" Completely ignoring Yuki, who stood there stunned.
That day was one of the happiest days in Krisna's life—both in this world and the one before.
The blue sky darkened into black—stars blooming, city lights blinking awake. The sun still shone, reflected by the moon.
Inside the small house on the outskirts of Millenium—its exterior worn, but its heart full of warmth—Krisna tasted Yuki's cooking, far better than the bread he usually ate. After the meal, he stepped outside to enjoy the night air.
Leaning against the wall, he gazed at the beautiful night sky.
As he watched, Qia slipped outside and hugged him, leaving Yuki inside cleaning the dishes.
Krisna sat down, letting Qia curl up on his lap.
"Nee-chan… thank you," she whispered, resting her head against his chest.
Krisna raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
"For healing me… because of you, Onee-chan can finally smile again. Ever since I got sick, she worked so hard… her smile faded… Thank you."
She hugged him tightly.
Krisna returned the embrace, gently stroking her back. Under the shimmering stars, he quietly felt grateful—grateful that he had died.
Without realizing it, Qia had fallen fast asleep. Krisna picked her up and laid her softly in her bed—Yuki still washing dishes in the kitchen.
He approached Yuki and took one of the plates, helping her wash it.
She glanced his way. "…Why?"
"It's rude for a guest to let the host do all the cleaning. It's part of my culture."
"Oh? So you're from outside?" Yuki asked.
"Yeah. I'm an outsider," Krisna replied, focusing on the plate in his hands.
"From where?"
A small smile formed on his lips. "From a very distant place."
"Wow." Yuki paused. "You're being hunted."
Krisna nodded. "Yeah… I know."
"And my client ordered me to kill you," Yuki said, eyes fixed on him.
"If possible… can you cancel it?" Krisna asked.
"Maybe… a bit difficult. But I'll make sure I can." Her face turned serious.
Krisna looked her way. "My name is Krisna. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand.
Yuki smiled and accepted the handshake. "Nice to meet you too. I'm Satao Aiko."
"Eh, not Yuki?" His eyes narrowed.
"You believed that? Ahaha. That's a fake name."
"Oh."
"Is your name really just Krisna? No family name?"
"Just Krisna. A family name? I don't even have a family."
His smile faltered.
Awkward silence filled the room. Aiko's expression tightened with regret.
"So… what will we be doing later?" she tried to lighten the mood.
Krisna finished washing his plate. "Well… we're going to be mercenaries. But we'll form our own group."
"All right. I'll join." She clenched her fist confidently.
"Oh, and if you want… you can live here," Aiko said.
Krisna raised a brow. "You still want to see me, huh…"
"Q-Qia would be sad if y-you left." Aiko's face flushed red.
"Really? I can stay here?"
"Yes, you can." She avoided his eyes.
"All right. Thank you." Krisna smiled. After so long, someone was finally kind to him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A week passed after Krisna settled into Aiko's home—Qia, of course, was overjoyed. After Krisna finished a task or crafting something, she'd immediately drag him out to play.
In Aiko's home, Krisna felt like he had found a new family. Sometimes he helped her cook or clean.
Becoming a mercenary was postponed—he believed he needed far more skill to avoid dying on the job.
There was something he needed to do first.
He often saw Aiko going out. Curious, Qia suggested they follow her—and discovered she worked part-time. Seeing that, Krisna asked Aiko to help him find a part-time job as well.
Soon, Krisna had money of his own. With it, he bought new clothes and new tools.
His equipment improved, thanks to Lis's teachings—his skills expanded, and his CON stat increased significantly.
---
[Author Note]
This chapter is shorter because the conditions around my home have been unsafe due to constant rain and rising floodwater.
Thank you for reading—once things improve, the story will return with a fuller chapter.
"Sorry, Cut " 😶
---