Ren averted his gaze awkwardly. It was the correct answer.

As the mystery was unraveled like a soap bubble, Sharti shook her head.

“Perhaps you were embarrassed because it’s too pretty? Sometimes, when you see a face you really like, you can’t meet their eyes.”

“…Pretty?”

“Oh, I’m not teasing you. I understand. Even in my opinion, this face is pretty.”

Ren’s bewildered expression, mistakenly thinking that Sharti was trying to hide her embarrassment, even led to sympathy.

When Ren tried to speak again, Sharti lightly smiled and played with the hem of her robe.

“If you were hiding this face and living, it would have been a pity.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sharti, smiling mischievously, scratched Ren’s cheek with her index finger.

“My original face is embarrassing to show to others, but this face is not something to hide with a hood.”

“Why your face…!”

Just as Ren was about to protest, the magic began to unravel, starting from Sharti’s philtrum.

The black hair slowly turned into dark hair, and the sharp eye corners dropped down. The overall impression softened.

“Still, if Ren is uncomfortable, I’ll wear the hood again. Since the magic will be undone soon anyway.”

“…….!”

Ren froze, watching Sharti’s face, which was gradually revealed as the magic unraveled.

“……Ren?”

Ren had a vacant expression, as if his thoughts had come to a stop.
Suddenly, when Ren took a deep breath and froze, Sharti approached him with concern.

‘Why is he looking at me like that again, after avoiding eye contact earlier?’

Ren still couldn’t take his eyes off Sharti.

Then suddenly, Ren realized that Ren’s expression and gaze were familiar.

As Sharti belatedly tried to check her hair color, a strong wind blew.

“……!”

Black hair fluttered in the wind.

Shocked, Sharti cowered, and Ren also snapped back to his senses.

“Sha.”

Ren quickly covered Sharti’s face and put her hood back on.

Then he looked around.

“Fortunately, there’s no one else around.”

Worried that a cold wind might seep through, Ren tightly wrapped his robe around himself.

Seeing Sharti touching her face as the magic unraveled, Ren chuckled.

“It wasn’t a prank.”

“……?”

Reacting instinctively, Sharti tilted her head back but stopped.

Seeing her, Ren lightly touched the end of her hood.

“I didn’t want to remember.”

“What are you talking about?”

Perhaps due to tension, Sharti’s speech became formal.

Ren chuckled.

“A few times, Shha, I didn’t like the face covered with magically disguised features.”

“…….”

“I wanted to remember only the face I liked.”

“……!”

When Sharti quickly lifted her head, Ren gently tapped her forehead.

This time, Sharti took a breath and froze.

Whether he said something or not, Ren closed his eyes and smiled faintly.

“So, I’m the one who regrets it.”

Sharti tightly clasped her hands.

The heartbeat became strange.

“Because I can’t see this hidden face every time.”

Following Ren’s low voice, the heart responded, starting to beat irregularly. Ren’s emotions, thoughts, and feelings that were vaguely felt and transmitted became clearer.

Suddenly, Ren stepped back from Sharti, who couldn’t snap out of the sudden confession. Then, leaning towards Sharti with a playful smile, he tilted his head.

“Just to make it clear and avoid any weird misunderstandings, the face I think is pretty is the one hidden under the hood right now.”

“……!”

The wind blew.

As the strong wind passed by, Sharti, smiling and looking at Ren with a relaxed face, was accompanied by his dark brown hair and turquoise eyes that reflected a bright light.

The heart began to beat painfully.