Uninvited Guest

North blinked. "Huh?"

Standing in front of his door was Abbie, holding a small basket in her hands. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the sky was painted in deep shades of blue and orange.

Fireflies flickered here and there, and the cool evening breeze rustled the trees. North had just returned from town, still carrying the bag of rice he'd gotten from Old Man Mo. He hadn't expected to see anyone waiting for him—let alone Abbie.

"...Hey, you." He greeted her casually, stepping forward.

'What's she doing here?' He thought to himself. It was getting dark, and she didn't seem like the type to wander around aimlessly. 'Did something happen?'

Abbie, noticing his confusion, let out a small laugh. "Ah—sorry for coming unannounced. I was heading home and thought, why not bring you some food? It was on a whim."

'A whim, huh?' North glanced at the basket in her hands. The idea of a free meal was always welcome, so he wasn't about to complain.

"As expected of a gentleman such as myself, I will handle this situation with grace," he mused internally, nodding at her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Well, since you're here, come on in."

He unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping inside first. The moment Abbie followed, she froze.

"...What is this?"

North tilted his head. "What's what?"

Abbie's eyes darted around the room. The place was dimly lit, cluttered with various things scattered about. There were empty bowls stacked on a corner table, an old cloth hanging over a chair, and the faint scent of dried herbs lingering in the air. Dust had gathered on the windowsill, and the floor—well, let's just say it hadn't seen a proper sweep in a while.

North, however, found everything to be in perfect order. His bed was still there, his chair was still standing, and his belongings were exactly where he left them.

Abbie, on the other hand, looked horrified.

She pinched her nose and narrowed her eyes. "North. This place is a disaster."

"...Is it?"

"YES."

Before he could react, she had her hands on her hips, looking like an elder about to lecture a wayward disciple.

"How do you even live like this?" she continued. "You just… exist in this filth? There's dust everywhere! And—ugh, is that mold in the corner?!"

North blinked. "I mean, it's not that bad. The herbs make it smell nice."

Abbie shot him a look.

North sighed, rubbing his chin. Was it really that bad? He had never paid much attention to stuff like this. As long as he had a place to sleep and put his things, what else mattered?

'Maybe all women are just like this when it comes to hygiene,' he thought.

Just as Abbie was about to continue her scolding, something small scurried across the room.

A rat.

Carrying what looked like a tiny piece of cheese in its mouth.

Both of them froze.

For a moment, silence filled the room. Then—

"...Was that a rat?" Abbie's voice trembled.

North, still staring at the tiny creature that had just vanished into the shadows, swallowed.

"...I think it was."

"Your house has RATS?!"

North was still in shock. He had never seen a rat before. Why did it have to appear now of all times? Could it not have waited until after Abbie left?

"Alright, that's it!" Abbie grabbed his arm, her face filled with determination. "We're cleaning this place. Right now."

Before he could protest, he found himself being dragged around like a ragdoll.

And so began an impromptu cleaning session.

For the next thirty minutes, they chased the rat out, dusted every surface, and scrubbed down the mess. North quickly realized that "we" was a loose term—Abbie mostly supervised while he did all the work. She stood there, giving orders like a general leading troops into battle.

"That corner! Wipe it down properly!"

"Don't just shove things under the bed!"

"Is that a cobweb?! North, do you even live here?!"

North, exhausted and questioning all of his life choices, wiped the sweat from his forehead.

'This is ridiculous,' he thought. 'I fought off two thugs earlier, and somehow, cleaning my own house is harder?'

By the time they were done, the place looked… livable. It smelled fresher, the dust was gone, and for the first time in who-knows-how-long, North could see the actual color of his floorboards.

Abbie sighed in satisfaction. "Now, that's better."

North collapsed onto his chair. "I feel like I just survived a war."

Abbie rolled her eyes and placed the basket on the now-clean table. "Quit whining. Let's eat."

She pulled off the cloth covering the basket, revealing a neatly packed meal. There was a small pot of steaming vegetable stew, a couple of fresh bread rolls, some grilled fish, and a jar of pickled vegetables.

North's stomach grumbled.

"Not bad," he admitted. "You made all this?"

"My grandmother helped," Abbie said. "But I did most of it."

North picked up a piece of bread and tore into it. The warm, soft texture paired with the stew was comforting after a long day. As he ate, he glanced at Abbie.

"You're just full of surprises, huh?"

Abbie smirked. "What, you thought I couldn't cook?"

"Honestly? I figured you just bossed people around."

Abbie kicked him under the table.

They chatted as they ate, talking about random things—like how North had somehow managed to fight off two grown men with a slingshot and how Abbie wished she had seen it in person.

"Wait, so you actually said 'My rice' before catching the bag?"

North coughed. "That's not the point—"

Abbie burst into laughter. "I wish I was there! That must've looked ridiculous!"

North sighed, shaking his head.

Eventually, the conversation shifted to the upcoming hunter selection. Abbie asked if he was nervous.

North leaned back, thinking for a moment. "Not really. I've been training, so I just have to see how it goes."

Abbie nodded. "Well, just don't do anything stupid. Like challenging Borislav to a fight or something."

"...I feel like you're saying that because you think I would actually do it."

Abbie gave him a look.

North sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll be careful."

They finished eating, and as the night deepened, Abbie stood up.

"I should get going," she said. "It's getting late."

North stretched. "I'll walk you back."

Abbie smiled. "See? You do have some gentlemanly instincts after all."

North rolled his eyes.

As they stepped outside, the cool night air greeted them. The town was quiet, and the stars above twinkled in the sky.

For once, North's house actually felt… like a home.

And that thought, oddly enough, made him smile.

…

North walked beside Abbie, the quietness of the night filling the space between them. The streets were mostly empty now, the occasional lantern flickering outside homes casting long shadows on the dirt path.

The scent of herbal medicine drifted from Granny Willow's shop in the distance, a familiar smell that blended with the crisp night air.

The building was just up ahead—a simple two-story structure. The ground floor was the shop, where Granny sold all sorts of herbal remedies, and the first floor was their home. North had been here plenty of times before, so the path was nothing new.

As they stopped in front of the shop, Abbie turned to him with a small smile.

"Thanks for walking me back."

North shrugged. "No problem."

There was a brief silence. Then, before she could say anything else, he stepped forward and hugged her. Just a quick one—nothing too dramatic.

"Goodnight," he said, pulling away.

Abbie blinked in surprise but quickly covered it up with a smirk. "Wow, you're getting bold now?"

"Yeah, yeah, just go inside already."

She laughed, shaking her head. "See you tomorrow, North."

With that, she stepped inside, and North turned to head back home.

As he walked, his mind drifted to his relationship with Abbie.

He wasn't stupid. He knew she liked him—not in the casual, friendly way, but in the way that made girls bring dinner to guys on a "whim." The way she always found excuses to be around him. The way she sometimes looked at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

It wasn't like she was hiding it, either. If anything, she was just waiting for him to acknowledge it.

But…

North sighed.

He was a grown man in his past life—a 28-year-old adult. And Abbie was sixteen. Sure, in this world, that wasn't considered strange, but he still had a moral bottom line. Even though his body had changed, his mind was still the same. He couldn't just flip a switch and suddenly see her as a love interest.

To him, Abbie was more like a little sister. A bratty, energetic, occasionally annoying—but ultimately reliable—little sister.

But then, wasn't that unfair to her? If he didn't tell her outright, wasn't he just leading her on? Letting her think there was a chance?

'Ugh, whatever,' he thought, rubbing his temple. 'I'll deal with it later.'

It wasn't like he had time for romance anyway. Right now, his priority was getting stronger, training for the hunter selection, and figuring out how to survive in this world.

Letting out a deep breath, he finally reached his home.

The moment he stepped inside, he instinctively checked the corners.

No rat.

...Good.

Still, the memory of that tiny little thing scurrying across his floor made his skin crawl.

'Seriously, where the hell was it hiding all this time?' he thought. 'It waited for the perfect moment to show up. That was personal. That rat had beef with me.'

Shaking his head, he looked around at the newly cleaned space. It still felt a little unfamiliar—not quite his usual organized mess—but at least it didn't stink.

Yawning, he flopped onto his bed.

It was only then that he realized something.

"I wish I had my phone."

Back in his old life, he would've plugged in his earphones, picked a song, and let the music drown out his thoughts. Now? Nothing. Just silence.

...Actually, that was kind of depressing.

Sighing again, he shut his eyes.

"Whatever. Sleep first, think later."

And just like that, sleep crept in, washing him away into the depths of unconsciousness.