Keep me.

Finding a suitable spot nestled among the fallen tree trunks, he settled himself comfortably and leaned against the sloping ground. Carefully, he placed her unconscious body onto his own, ensuring she wouldn't have to touch the cold, harsh ground.

Bugak held her shoulders when he tried to dig the blanket out of her backpack. He had to command himself to stay calm, as if the slightest move or sound could wake her up.

After a while, he finally managed to pull it out to cover both of them. Satisfied with the results, he drew her even closer and calmly watched the large birds hunting above his head in the soft afternoon's sun.

It was so peaceful without carnivorous animals trying to shred them to pieces, he even refused to take a nap and played with her hair instead, while he rested.

Furious, she was trapped in her small sleeping unit with no way to argue. The power outage compelled her to consider trying to switch the large circuits, but the potential danger without functioning security cameras restrained her.

As Anna reminded herself that she couldn't control it over and over again, she finally calmed down a bit.

She was about to log out anyway, the only thing bothering her was possible Bugak's reaction. Did he stay with her? Or did he leave her body behind, as the nuisance she surely was to him?

It was already past 11 p.m., she was so tired she soon gave up and crawled into bed without dinner.

Anna had a strange dream and woke up with her panties completely soaked. She was irritated, but at least the electricity was on again.

With a glass of water now in her stomach, she hastily consumed a small breakfast before resuming her gaming session.

As she prepared to log in, a wave of anxiety washed over her, causing her to pause and take a deep breath. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened since her last play. The anticipation of the truth consumed her, fueling her nervousness. Anna mustered the courage to finally log back in, bracing herself for the unexpected.

"...was also my tutor through most of my childhood. He almost chopped my arm off when I was seven. The wound was so deep you would be able to see my cracked bone - I can say you woke up; your breath is different. Did you rest well?" Bugak asked without even trying to pretend that he didn't recount stories from his childhood the whole time.

He also refused to let go of the thin string of her hair he was playing with in his fingers with so much focus.

The sun began its descent, casting long shadows and painting the sky with hues of gold and purple, although she just woke up in her reality. The time shift was confusing.

She wiggled in his embrace, adjusting herself slightly to be able to gaze up at him.

"Why are you crying, Anna? Don't look at me like that..." He gently covered her face with his massive hand, comforting her in her vulnerable state. Overwhelmed with emotion, she found herself compelled to share the story that had brought her to tears.

"I have two bodies, Bugak. Like every human in this world. My second body is in another world and my mind got disrupted, that's why I passed out like that. The other me is lone, with no one to rely on like this. I got sentimental when I saw you didn't abandon me, but took care of me and even held me like this. Thank you." Anna said quietly and rested her head on his chest.

"Anna. Do you..." The man gently ran his fingers through her hair once more as he looked at her intently. "Do you want to keep me?"

Anna was stunned, not completely sure if he understood the hidden meaning behind his question.

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