I was kicked out of the blood donation van. Of the three of us, I was the only one sent outside.

“W-wait a second…”

I clung to the door with three fingers, trying to resist. Saebyeok hesitated for a moment before gently prying my fingers off one by one.

“Gyeoul, you can’t do this.”

“Why only me…”

Saebyeok was too strong for me to resist, so all I could do was swing my legs in protest. It was my own little way of expressing dissatisfaction.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Okay.”

Saebyeok carried me to a nearby bench and sat down, keeping me securely in her lap.

What’s going on?

Why had Midsummer sent only me outside? I replayed the memory in my head, trying to make sense of it.

“Look away,” she said.

She claimed it would be too scary for me, but if it were about being scared, Levinas should have been the first one out—she was the most timid among us.

Maybe the fear excuse was just a cover. Maybe there was another reason for kicking me out.

I crossed my arms and furrowed my brows in thought.

“Gyeoul, are you angry?”

“No… it just feels strange.”

“Don’t think too much about it. Midsummer did it for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes.”

Saebyeok nuzzled her cheek against mine. Despite my frustration, my tail wagged softly.

“Oh.”

That’s when it hit me. I finally understood why Midsummer had sent me out.

It’s because of my tail.

My tail wagged automatically whenever I saw my family. Its speed and strength often surpassed Saebyeok’s.

In a clean space like the blood donation van, my wagging tail would’ve been a nuisance, scattering fur everywhere and potentially contaminating the area.

Even though beastfolk fur rarely shed, the nurses wouldn’t know that. Midsummer must’ve come up with an excuse to send me out before anyone could complain.

Telling me to look away was probably meant to stop the wagging if I couldn’t see them. Everything fit together like a puzzle.

She really did it for me.

“This is all my fault…”

“No, no… it’s not your fault at all, Gyeoul…”

Saebyeok looked visibly distressed, which only confused me further. It was my fault for not controlling my tail—why was she acting like this?

Before I could ask, Saebyeok suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. My tail started wagging like crazy again.

“Ugh…”

It seemed I’d never be able to fully control it. I grabbed my tail tightly, trying to stop its movement.

“G-Gyeoul…”

Saebyeok’s face turned pale as she watched me. Why was she reacting like this now?

Before I could figure it out, Midsummer and Levinas stepped out of the van. Midsummer didn’t even bother covering the bandage on her arm as she rushed over to me.

“Gyeoul, are you okay?”

“Yes… I’m sorry, I acted so foolishly…”

I apologized to Midsummer, feeling guilty for making her come up with an excuse to send me out. But instead of agreeing, Midsummer waved her hands frantically.

“No, no, Gyeoul, you didn’t do anything wrong. This is all on me.”

“It’s my fault. I couldn’t control my tail.”

I sighed deeply, convinced there was no excuse for my behavior.

Then, to my surprise, Midsummer pulled me into a hug.

“No, Gyeoul, you’re the best. You’re the smartest, most wonderful kid in the world.”

“T-that’s…”

There was no need for her to go this far. Midsummer was kind—too kind. Even in situations like this, she prioritized comforting me. I fiddled with my fingers, too embarrassed to say much.

“Gyeoul, this was entirely my fault. Don’t you dare blame yourself, understand?”

“Uh… okay…”

But how was this her fault? It was entirely on me for not controlling my tail.

I hesitated to respond, but Midsummer just smiled warmly at me.

“No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side.”

She pulled me close, patting my back gently. Her warmth made me feel at ease.

“Levinas too! Levinas will always be with Wang!”

Levinas jumped in to hug us, and even Saebyeok hesitated before joining.@@novelbin@@

“Hehe, should we go get some cocoa?”

“Cocoa?! What’s cocoa?!”

“It’s sweet and delicious.”

“Gasp! Cocoa! Let’s go get cocoa!”

Midsummer led us all to a nearby café. I walked along quietly, still feeling guilty, nervously fiddling with my fingers.

Midsummer noticed and continued to reassure me, patting my head and rubbing my back.

She really was such a kind person. I looked up at her and gave a small, awkward smile. She responded with a cheerful grin, but for a moment, I thought I saw sadness in her eyes.

That must’ve been my imagination, I thought. There was no reason for her to be sad.

The next morning, I was harvesting cherry tomatoes, yawning as I worked.

Pluck, pluck.

As I listened to the sound of the tomatoes snapping off their stems, I heard soft footsteps approaching.

“Levinas?”

“Yup!”

Levinas was holding a mug with both hands, gripping it like it was something precious.

I sniffed the rising steam and immediately recognized the smell of coffee.

“Coffee? Levinas, are you going to drink that?”

“Yup! It’s for sharing!”

“Uh… you really shouldn’t drink that.”

“Why not?! We had some yesterday!”

Yesterday? She must be confusing coffee with cocoa. Levinas must’ve grabbed the wrong drink.

“What you had yesterday was cocoa. This is coffee.”

“Coffee?! This isn’t cocoa?!”

“No. Drinking that would be bad for you.”

“B-bad…”

Levinas started trembling. She stretched her arms forward, holding the mug out like it was poison.

“Give it to me.”

“Okay…”

I took the mug from her hands. She let out a relieved sigh, wiping her forehead dramatically.

“Wang, is this only for grown-ups?”

“Well… not only for grown-ups, but it’s too early for you to drink it.”

“Why? What happens if I drink it?”

“It’ll keep you awake all night.”

“Gasp! I won’t be able to sleep cuddled up?!”

“Exactly.”

Levinas loved sleeping while snuggling someone, so this must’ve been a shocking revelation for her.

“I… I brought poison…”

Her ears drooped as if she were truly distraught. Maybe I’d scared her too much.

Scratching my cheek, I looked down at the mug. The dark liquid smelled bitter.

Come to think of it, I’d never tried coffee since arriving in this world. I decided to take a small sip.

“Ugh…!”

The bitterness hit me hard, making my ears and tail twitch uncontrollably.

“Wang?! Are you okay?!”

Levinas’s eyes widened, her expression blank yet somehow concerned. It was the first time I’d seen her look like that.

“I’m fine. Only kids shouldn’t drink it.”

Levinas’s concern was obvious, so I emphasized the word kids to reassure her that I was an exception.

“Kids… Wang is a kid…”

She muttered something strange, clearly puzzled.

Ignoring her reaction, I took another sip.

“Ugh.”

The bitterness was overwhelming. There was no way I’d finish it. I decided to save it for someone else.

Levinas viewed Gyeoul as a child—much younger than herself, a true little one. So when Gyeoul drank coffee, it was no wonder Levinas was shocked.

Wang drank something she shouldn’t have!

Something that keeps you awake at night!

How long will she stay awake?

Levinas understood the importance of sleep. Without it, your health could deteriorate, and prolonged deprivation could even lead to death.

“Waaah!”

She decided she needed to get help from an adult and bolted toward the guild building.

“Levinas…?”

Gyeoul called her name from behind, but Levinas was so focused she ignored her completely.

“Midsummer! Midsummer, something terrible happened!”

Bursting back into the house, Levinas grabbed Midsummer’s clothes, tugging on them frantically. Her pajama pants slipped slightly, revealing her thigh, but no one paid it any attention.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Wang! Wang!”

Thud thud thud-

Levinas stomped her feet in distress, unable to articulate the words.

“Did something happen to Gyeoul?”

“W-Wang…”

What on earth could have happened to make Levinas so panicked? Midsummer decided to calm her down first.

“Levinas, take a deep breath. Can you do that for me?”

Huff!

“Now, breathe out.”

Haaa…

“Good, now two more times.”

Huff. Haaa.

After repeating the exercise, Levinas seemed to regain some composure. Seeing this, Midsummer crouched down to meet her eye level.

“Okay, now can you tell me what happened?”

“Wang drank poison…!”

“Poison…?”

Poison?

Midsummer blinked, struggling to process what she had just heard.

“P-poison? Did someone force Gyeoul to drink it?”

“No! Wang drank it herself!”

“What…?”

Why would that clever child drink poison willingly? Midsummer’s jaw dropped.

“It’s poison that only works on kids!”

“On kids…?”

Wait a second.

Could this be a misunderstanding born of Levinas’s limited knowledge of the world? Midsummer decided she needed to see Gyeoul for herself.