The Man Inside
561 Words
I couldn’t sleep.
No matter how tightly I shut my eyes, the image of Taika—standing in front of me, completely healed—kept replaying in my head.
The green light.
His shocked expression.
And then…
My face burned.
“…Why did I do that?”
I sat up abruptly, clutching my head.
I healed him.
That part, I could understand.
But the kiss?
I groaned and buried my face in my hands.
“I’m a man…” I muttered under my breath. “Well… I was a man, but still—”
My voice trailed off.
Slowly, I looked down at my body.
This wasn’t mine.
Not the hands.
Not the voice.
Not the person everyone kept calling Luna.
“…Then what am I now?”
The question lingered, heavier than I expected.
Everything felt wrong.
The way my heart reacted.
The way my body moved.
Even the way my mind hesitated earlier…
When I got close to him.
I clenched my fists.
“That didn’t mean anything,” I told myself quickly. “It was just… gratitude. Yeah.
That’s it.”
Right?
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
My body stiffened.
“…Come in.”
The door opened.
Taika stepped in.
Completely healed.
Not a single wound remained.
And yet… he looked more tense than before.
His eyes met mine for a brief moment before shifting away.
“…You shouldn’t be awake this late,” he said.
I blinked.
“…You shouldn’t be here,” I replied instinctively.
He froze.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
This was bad.
Really bad.
I didn’t know how to act around him anymore.
Not after what happened.
Not after what I did.
My gaze unconsciously drifted to his face.
Then to his cheek.
Stop.
I quickly looked away.
“…Why did you come?” I asked, trying to sound normal.
“To make sure you wouldn’t try to run again.”
Straightforward.
Cold.
…Deserved.
“I’m not running,” I muttered.
Even if I wanted to.
There was nowhere to go.
Silence stretched between us again.
Then—
“…Why did you do that?”
My heart skipped.
“…Do what?” I asked, even though I knew exactly what he meant.
He hesitated.
“…Heal me.”
Ah.
So we’re ignoring the kiss.
Good.
Let’s keep it that way.
“…You saved me,” I answered simply.
That part was true..
Even if everything else was confusing.
He looked at me—really looked this time.
Like he was trying to see through me.
“…You’re acting strange.”
I forced a small scoff.
“…People change.”
Even I didn’t sound convinced.
He didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, he turned away.
“…Don’t do anything reckless again,” he said quietly.
He took a step toward the door.
Then paused.
“…And don’t do things you don’t understand.”
My brows furrowed.
“What does that—”
But he was already gone.
I sat there, staring at the door.
My chest felt tight.
“…This is a mess,” I muttered.
Everything about this situation—
My past.
My body.
My reactions.
It was all tangled together.
And the worst part?
I wasn’t sure anymore if that moment earlier—
The healing.
The closeness.
The kiss—
Was something I did…
Or something a part of me actually wanted.
- Writer
