Chapter 4: 'House' but a Home
"Haaah… I still can't believe the body's previous owner died from injuries like these."
He exhaled slowly.
"This barely tickles me. I have endured worse during my military training: soreness, cramps, all that pain…"
Leo paused when he caught his reflection in a puddle, illuminated by a nearby streetlamp.
After a brief glance, he continued walking.
Well, at least I look the same… and the previous owner seemed to speak the same way as I did. Phew... that's good; at least I won't have to pretend in front of people that I—
"Leo!!"
A sweet, melodic voice called out to him, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Somehow, he had reached home before even realizing it.
It was Lily.
Leo raised his head.
A beautiful girl with light pink hair and matching irises rushed toward him. She wore a long-sleeved dress that flowed down to her ankles. Relief flashed across her eyes as she made her way to him… until she noticed his condition.
The bruises on his face. The bloodied tunic.
Her expression instantly shifted to worry.
Leo blinked, realizing that he had been staring a little too long at her, and quickly snapped out of it.
"Leo! What happened? W-why are you so injured?"
The concern in her voice was genuine, and Leo could feel it.
He couldn't help but regret not cleaning off his wounds before coming here.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stumbled out awkwardly.
"I… uh… thats… it's nothing—"
What the fuck am I even saying!? Did all those gruelling years in the military being single finally mess up my ability to even speak?
Taking a steady breath, he began explaining the story he had prepared beforehand.
He told her that he had been mugged and that while fighting back, he was slightly injured – nothing to worry about.
"Sorry… I lost my money."
He scratched the back of his neck, dropping his gaze.
Lily gently took his hand and said.
"Why are you worrying about money? You should have worried about yourself first, you idiot!"
"Don't you know people actually get killed during robberies? What would I do if something happened to you? You… you are my… my only—"
Lily's words were abruptly cut off when Leo gently placed his other hand over her head.
Shittt… What am I doing? She looked kind of cute worrying about me, and I just… put my hand over her head… Should I just… pat her?
So he did.
"Don't worry, Lily. I am fine now, aren't I?"
Lily just puffed her cheeks and quickly swatted his hand away.
"Don't treat me like a kid! I am older than you." She turned and walked inside, though she couldn't hide the faint blush on her cheeks.
"Come in. I will clean your wounds and prepare dinner."
Leo glanced at their so-called house. It was a small, single-storey building with two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom connected by a hall. One room had already collapsed, and the rest looked dilapidated, almost haunted, at least by the standard of his previous world. Still, here, such houses were fairly common; rather, having a house itself was considered a luxury.
"Well… better than sleeping in trenches, I guess."
He then followed her inside.
_____
The wooden floor creaked under his steps. There were a few basic pieces of furniture – tables, chairs, and a small dining table – and an unlit fireplace. Four doorways were visible, though one was blocked by the debris from the collapsed room.
One led to Lily's room, another to the kitchen, and the third to the bathroom. Leo's bed was set up in the hall.
"Hmmm… looks like this is how we're living right now…"
"Well, at least there are no bills to pay."
From the bathroom, he could hear Lily preparing water.
"Leo, everything's ready. Come here, I will clean your wounds."
What? She's going to wash them?
"Uh… Lily, I can do it myself. You don't need to worry."
He stopped mid-sentence when he reached the doorway of the washroom and saw her dipping a piece of cloth into a bowl of water.
"What are you talking about?" she said firmly. "I am pretty sure you are even having trouble walking straight with those injuries. Stop acting tough and let your big sister handle it."
Her fierce tone left no room for argument.
Leo sighed and obediently sat down.
Lily carefully cleaned his wounds, her movements gentle, as if afraid of hurting him.
When she removed his shirt, what surprised him wasn't the fact that a girl was seeing him half-naked; instead, he was baffled to see his own body.
It looked… weak.
Even though he could pass as a lean man and wasn't just skin and bones, compared to the rugged, muscular physique he had built in the military, this body felt frail.
No wonder the previous owner died…
"Leo, does it hurt? It looks bad… see, you are even bleeding in your shoulder… and here too…" Lily asked, her voice full of worry.
"Trust me, Lily. I am fine. And it doesn't hurt much when you're cleaning them. I can handle it."
He gave her a reassuring smile, and it seemed to have eased her concern.
_____
After Lily finished cleaning all his wounds, Leo stubbornly sent her out so he could take a bath.
Once he was done, Lily applied some homemade remedies to his wound. Since legit medicine and healers were far too expensive for them, this was all they could do.
After wrapping some makeshift bandage over his body, Lily warmed up the food that she had brought home from the restaurant's leftovers. Today was one of the lucky days when there was enough food for her to bring Lily some.
"Leo, you should sleep on my bed tonight," Lily suddenly said after washing the dishes. "It's softer than yours, and you will have a better rest there."
"Huh? What? No, I am fine here. See? There is even the fireplace; it will keep me warm."
Though he said that, he internally debated.
Fuck, no way I am going to sleep on a cute girl's bed on my very first day in this world.
Damn. Hell, I have never even lived under the same roof as a girl in my entire life before!