Kana stood frozen as the animals crept closer.
A white rabbit hopped out from the bushes, nose twitching. A fox padded softly beside it, head tilted like it was evaluating her fashion sense.
Deer emerged behind them like a slow-moving wall of polite menace.
Kana offered a weak smile.
"Uh… hi."
The rabbit stopped at her feet and sat down. The fox sat too. The deer bowed their heads in unison.
"Oh. They're… bowing. That's normal."
Kana said flatly.
The birds descended next—flitting through the air and landing on her shoulders, head, and arms like she was a Disney princess who'd glitched her way into the source code.
Kana laughed nervously.
"Okay. Very cute. Ha-ha. You're all very friendly. Super cute. Now please stop looking at me like I'm made of carrots and divine light."
A squirrel leapt onto her arm and began grooming her hair.
She froze.
"Okay. That's a little—personal space. Guys?"
The fox was sniffing her robes. A deer nudged its head under her hand. A raccoon held out a flower in trembling paws.
"Nope. No no no no no—this is not how forest animals are supposed to act. This isn't Snow White, this is starting to feel like a cult."
Kana said, stepping back.
Another deer appeared.
It was twice the size of the others.
It approached.
Kana looked at it. Then at her skill window.
[Eternal Charisma] – All lifeforms will instinctively seek proximity and approval.
"…This is a horror game. This is actually a horror game."
She muttered.
The large deer leaned down and licked her face.
Kana screamed.
That was it. That was her limit.
She turned and ran.
The animals followed.
"WHY ARE YOU CHASING ME?!"
She shouted, weaving between trees as the entire woodland community galloped, hopped, and flapped after her.
[Passive Skill: Crowd Attraction] – Active.
"Oh, SHUT UP."
She sprinted through the forest, tripping over roots, her robe catching on branches, birds still fluttering above like cheering fans.
"I'm not a goddess! I'm not edible! Stop being so weirdly affectionate!"
She dove behind a tree, breathing hard. The animals slowed, sniffing around like well-trained seekers.
"I need to hide."
She muttered, scanning frantically—until she saw it.
A wide hollow in the trunk of an old tree. Big enough for her to squeeze into.
Perfect.
Kana darted forward, shoved herself inside, and held her breath.
The animals gathered outside. The fox sniffed around the base. A squirrel clung to the bark and peered in. But none of them entered.
"I made it. I finally—"
She whispered.
Something touched her thigh.
Kana went still.
She looked down.
A smooth, bark-textured vine was coiling up her leg.
"…"
The vine gently caressed her knee.
"…Please be a glitch."
System Alert: You are currently in contact with a sentient Tree.
[Eternal Charisma] effect active. Tree has formed high emotional affinity.
Kana made a sound somewhere between a scream and a dying kettle.
"WHAT."
[Warning: Tree is attempting to initiate bonding process.]
"NO IT'S NOT."
She shot out of the hollow like a rocket, tripping over a rabbit and shoving a bird off her head.
"Nope. Nope. Nope. I am not adding trees to my fanclub!"
The forest echoed with the sound of hooves and flapping wings as Kana bolted again, dodging more affectionate woodland creatures and—now—flirtatious plant life.
She ran for hours.
Through rivers. Over logs. Past confused, overly-attracted squirrels.
By sunset, she was covered in dirt, leaves, scratches, and emotional trauma.
But ahead—finally—she saw it.
A town.
Actual buildings. Smoke from chimneys. Civilization.
Kana's legs buckled the moment she saw the town walls.
The gates weren't far. Maybe a minute's walk. But her body wasn't listening anymore.
Every muscle screamed. Her feet were scraped and blistered from running through the forest all day.
Her arms were scratched from branches, and she was pretty sure there was still a vine stuck in her hair somewhere.
But she'd made it. The town was real. Civilization. Safety.
People.
She stumbled forward, half-dragging her feet, barely holding herself upright. The gate loomed closer with each step, its stone archway like the entrance to heaven itself.
Her vision blurred. Her breaths came in shallow gasps.
"Just…a little more…"
Two guards stood by the entrance.
She could hear them talking, but the words didn't register. Their voices dipped into hushed tones as she approached. She could feel their eyes on her—curious, maybe suspicious.
Kana didn't care.
They could think whatever they wanted. She was done. She didn't even have the strength to be embarrassed anymore.
As she crossed under the archway, she tried to will her body to stay upright. She couldn't stop now.
Then—clink.
A spear shaft dropped in front of her, halting her mid-step.
Kana blinked slowly at the polished weapon blocking her path, then followed it upward. The person holding it had moved so fast she hadn't even noticed her approach.
A woman stood in front of her, tall and composed, dressed in a pristine military uniform. Her expression was unreadable, posture rigid with authority.
She wasn't yelling. She didn't even look angry. She just… existed like a wall—one Kana couldn't walk through.
The woman's hand caught Kana by the shoulder, firm but not harsh.
"Identify papers."
She said.
Kana opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
The woman frowned slightly and leaned forward.
"Hey. Papers. If you're a traveler, you need to—"
Kana swayed.
The voices blurred again. Everything faded into a distant hum.
Her knees gave out, and before she hit the ground, arms caught her.
Kana collapsed against the woman's chest, her weight folding in without resistance. She couldn't lift her head. Couldn't open her eyes.
She thought she heard the guards shouting something. Maybe asking if they should call someone.
But Kana didn't care anymore. She let herself be held.
Warm.
Safe.
Then, nothing.
______
The moment Kana's knees gave out, the woman standing before her moved without thinking.
She caught her.
Her arms wrapped around Kana's slumped body just before it hit the ground. Soft, warm, far too light for someone who just wandered out of the wilderness.
For a second, the woman just stood there, stunned, holding this complete stranger against her chest.
Kana's breath was shallow, her face flushed, and her entire body radiated exhaustion. She was out cold.
"What…What the hell am I doing?"
The woman muttered, blinking at the bundle of limbs in her arms.
Behind her, the two guards stared with wide eyes and open mouths.
"Did she… catch her?"
One of them whispered.
"She caught her."
The other confirmed, as if witnessing a miracle.
The woman slowly turned her head.
Just a look.
Not a glare. Not a scowl. Just a slight narrowing of the eyes.
The guards straightened so fast one of them nearly dropped his spear.
"Patrolling! Yes, ma'am!"
One yelped, turning around as if the gate suddenly needed his undivided attention.
The other nodded frantically and saluted the sky.
"Securing perimeter!"
Satisfied, the woman looked down again at the unconscious girl in her arms.
Kana mumbled something incoherent, her head nestling a little closer into the crook of the woman's neck. Her hand twitched slightly, like she was reaching out in her sleep.
"Don't make that face. I'm not some soft-hearted fool."
The woman muttered.
Kana didn't answer. Obviously.
"This isn't like me. I don't bring half-dead strays home. I report them. I let the medics handle it. I'm not—"
She continued, voice low as she started walking with Kana in her arms. She glanced down
"—whatever this is."
Kana snored. Gently. Endearingly.
The woman winced.
"This is insane."
Still, she walked. Through the outer streets, past a few curious glances, and finally toward the quieter residential district.
No one dared approach. One look at the uniform, and the questions died in people's throats.
Kana shifted again in her arms, this time mumbling.
"…soft…"
"Great. Even unconscious you're a menace. You better not drool on me."
The woman grumbled.
She adjusted her grip slightly, trying to ignore how warm Kana felt, how light she was, how her fingers curled loosely against the woman's jacket like she belonged there.
"I should've handed you to the infirmary, filed a report. Let someone else deal with you."
She muttered under her breath.
She turned a corner, kicked open the front gate to her modest house, and shoved the door open with her shoulder.
"Last chance to wake up and prove you're a secret assassin or con artist or some kind of demonic temptress."
She said as she walked inside.
Nothing. Just peaceful breathing and that same, irritating, innocent face.
The woman sighed.
"This is definitely not like me."
She carried Kana to the couch and laid her down carefully. As she stood back, she stared at the girl for a long moment.
Then she ran a hand through her hair, clearly frustrated with herself.
"…I don't even like girls like her…"
She stormed into the kitchen, muttering all the way.
"Bringing her here was a mistake. I'll just let her rest, send her off in the morning. That's it. One night. No weird feelings. No attachment. Just basic human decency. That's all this is."
From the living room, Kana let out a soft, happy sigh and curled up into the couch cushion like a cat in a sunbeam.
The woman peeked back around the corner, expression unreadable.
"…You better not be contagious."