Chapter 20 —feelings
I didn't know what this feeling was..I only knew one thing. I didn't want to lose him.
That thought hit me so clearly that it almost scared me. It wasn't dramatic. It wasn't loud. It was quiet and simple, but it went straight through my chest like a sharp breath.
I didn't want Liam to die, didn't want him far away. didn't want him hurt because of me.
The System mission glowed in front of me again. Kiss Liam on the lips — with consent.
It sounded simple. It wasn't.
I looked at him again.
His eyelashes were long. His skin was pale but not sick anymore. His mouth relaxed slightly, like the tension had finally drained out of him. Even covered in bandages, he looked Strong, stubborn, impossible, frustrating… and safe.
My face warmed again. I whispered in my head, "System… if I don't do this, will my stats really decrease?"
The answer came at once.
[ CONFIRMED. ]
[ FAILURE PENALTY: ALL-ROUND STAT REDUCTION ]
[ WARNING: USER IS CURRENTLY IN WEAKENED CONDITION. ]
My stomach turned. Stat decrease now would be terrible. I was already weak. My body hurt. My stamina was low.If I lost more strength… I wouldn't even be able to run next time.
I bit my lip.
"So if I fail," I murmured inside, "I become even more useless?"
The System's reply was calm. Almost gentle. Almost like it didn't want to scare me but still had to tell the truth.
[ CORRECT. ]
[ FAILURE WILL MAKE FUTURE SURVIVAL HARDER. ]
I closed my eyes. I pictured Liam standing between me and the beast. Bleeding. Falling. Getting back up even when he couldn't move anymore. His voice breaking when he said my name. He would fight again. He would protect me again. He would do it even if it killed him.
My heart squeezed painfully.
I didn't want him to keep risking everything for me while I stayed weak and useless. I didn't want to keep being carried. I didn't want to always be the one lying on the ground. I wanted to stand beside him.
I whispered to myself, barely moving my lips:
"I have to do it."
The room door creaked, I froze.
My heart jumped up into my throat as the handle turned. I almost panicked, not because someone was coming in, but because I was about to do something that I didn't want anyone to see.
Kiss him. Not by accident.Not because I was confused but because I wanted to.
The door opened. A healer peeked in first, then stepped fully inside. She was middle-aged with calm eyes, soft hands, quiet voice. She checked the chart at the end of Liam's bed, then glanced at me.
"You're still awake?" she asked gently.
"Yes," I said.
My voice sounded strange, like it had been sitting in my chest too long.
She smiled a little. "Don't strain your ribs. Rest is important right now."
She walked around the room, adjusting small details—checking the heater crystal, fixing a loose bandage on Liam's shoulder, making sure the medicine bottle was still full.
But my heartbeat wouldn't slow down.
Every second she spent in the room felt too long. I could see the System mission faintly glowing in the corner of my vision.
Kiss Liam on the lips — with consent.
Reward: +200 points
Penalty: stat decrease
She finally finished, scribbled something on the chart, and headed back to the door.
Before leaving, she paused.
"He's lucky," she said softly, looking at Liam. "He lost a lot of blood… but he kept fighting anyway."
I swallowed. "He always does that."
She nodded. "Sometimes the people who fight the hardest forget to protect themselves."
The words hit too deeply. My throat tightened. Then she left, The door closed.
Silence returned. Just me and him again.
I stared at the closed door for another moment, then slowly turned back to Liam. My fingers tightened into the blanket without me noticing.No more excuses.No more stalling.
The System didn't push me again. It didn't flash warnings or loud text. It just stayed there, steady and patient, like it was saying:
Choose.
I looked at Liam's face again.
He was sleeping, but not in pain anymore. His breathing was even. His body finally relaxed. The lines of tension on his brow had softened. His lips parted just slightly as he exhaled. I didn't know when this started or how it happened. But I had already reached my answer.
I didn't want to lose him.Not to the forest.Not to beasts.Not to fate.Not to my weakness.
I leaned forward carefully.
My ribs protested at once. Pain sparked under my skin, sharp and hot. I hissed quietly but didn't stop.
"I'm doing this," I whispered, like I was promising myself.
I moved closer until I could feel his breath brush against my skin. Warm and real His scent filled my head—faint, clean and something that felt like safety even though he was the dangerous one.
My heart pounded fast.
"I… like you," I whispered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. He didn't wake.
Maybe that was better. Maybe it was easier when he wasn't looking at me with those intense Alpha eyes that could break down all my defenses.
My fingers trembled as I braced myself on the bed so I wouldn't fall. Every inch hurt—but it didn't matter. I had been hurt worse than this before.
Just a little closer. My lips hovered above his.
I could back away now, I could lie and say I tried..But then his face from the forest flashed in my mind—bloody, determined, furious at the world for hurting me. His body between mine and death. His voice breaking when he said my name.
No.Backing away wasn't an option anymore.
I closed the distance.My lips touched his. His eye's flickered but he didn't wake up.
The world stopped moving. His lips were warm,Soft,Real and tasted really good.
A strange electricity rushed down my spine and spread across my chest. My heart beat so fast that it almost hurt. I didn't push deeper. I didn't rush. I just stayed there, barely touching, feeling the heat of him and the reality of what I was doing.
Kissing Liam.Of my own choice.Not because someone ordered me.Not because I had no escape.Not because I was desperate.
But because I wanted to. I pulled back slowly. My lips tingled.
The moment I moved away, the System reacted.A soft chime echoed inside my head.
[ MISSION COMPLETE ]
Light swept across the screen.
[ +200 POINTS ACQUIRED ]
Warmth spread through my body at once—gentle, steady, like strength slowly filling my muscles. My bones didn't ache as sharply. My breathing felt a little easier. My mind cleared just a bit more. I felt stronger, faster than before I got injured. the world felt clearer and my hearing sharpened.
Then another line appeared.
[ MINOR ALL-ROUND STAT INCREASE GRANTED ]
I let out a shaky breath I didn't know I was holding. But it didn't end there.
The screen flickered again. A new message formed.
[ CHAIN MISSION PROGRESSION ACTIVATED ]
My eyes widened. Chain mission?
The text rearranged itself.
[Title: Do Not Run]
Requirement: Do not avoid Liam tomorrow. Stay with him when he wakes and answer him honestly when he asks why you kissed him.
Reward: Major Growth Points
Penalty: Stat decrease + affection loss
Timer: 18:00 — starts at dawn]
I stared. My chest tightened so it wasn't just the kiss. I still had to face him. Still had to answer him Honestly with no lies
No pretending it meant nothing, No hiding behind the System. I lay back slowly, clutching the blanket.The room was quiet again. The night outside deepened. The moonlight spread across the floor in pale silver strips. Liam breathed softly beside me, alive, warm, here.
My heart wouldn't calm down.
"I'm really falling for you," I whispered into the dark, barely audible even to myself.
I turned my head and looked at his sleeping face one more time.