A false angel was, of course, worse than a devil

A heroine isn’t just a character anymore. She’s right here, walking beside me, and the weight of it hits me like a truck.

Suddenly, my vision wavers. A strange, disorienting sensation rushes over me, like vertigo pulling me off balance. The ground seems to shift beneath my feet.

“Ask-san?” Falin’s voice cuts through the haze, her tone filled with concern. A soft hand thumps gently against my shoulder, grounding me.

I stare down at the floor, trying to steady myself. My breath comes in slow, deliberate pulls, but the vertigo tightens its grip. Falin’s touch only intensifies my awareness of reality -of being in this world, in the presence of someone who was once two-dimensional.

“Ask-san, are you okay?” she asks again, her voice softer now. I hear her unzip her medic backpack. “Do you have any health problems? Asthma? An attack?”

“I have no health conditions,” I manage, my voice slow and deliberate. “I just… I feel dizzy. I need to stay still for a moment. Nothing severe.”

Her hand shifts to my back, rubbing gentle circles. Warmth spreads through me at her touch, though my body remains heavy from the disorientation. My knees buckle, and I lower myself to the ground, steadying myself with both hands.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her hold out a small thermos. The faint scent of ginger wafts through the air.

“Drink this,” she says softly, her tone unwavering.

Without question, I take the thermos and sip the ginger tea. Its warmth flows down my throat, soothing my nerves.

“Let’s move to the nurse’s office,” she says after a moment, helping me to my feet. Her arm supports me, her movements careful and deliberate.

Step by step, we make our way down the corridor. The sunlight streaming through the windows creates a halo around her, illuminating her features. Her presence feels almost otherworldly, like an angel walking beside me.

“It’s normal,” she says gently as we reach the nurse’s office. “You’ve had a long day, your first day, no less. You even gave a speech in front of hundreds of people. Don’t overdo it, alright?”

“Yes,” I reply weakly, letting her guide me to the bed.

She helps me lie down, her touch firm yet comforting. As I sink into the mattress, I watch her angelic face framed by the sunlight, her expression a mix of concern and warmth.

“The nurse will be here in ten minutes,” she says softly. “Rest a little, okay? I’ll check on you after I visit my class.”

“Thank you, Falin-san,” I murmur, my voice heavy with exhaustion.

She smiles, her figure slowly retreating from view as I close my eyes. The softness of the bed and the lingering warmth of her touch lull me into a deep, comforting sleep.

—---------------------------------------------------

“Vertigo, huh?” A voice, painfully familiar, calls out to me.

I open my eyes, finding Falin staring at me.

“Yeah,” I manage, still lying in bed. My gaze sweeps the room, searching for her nearby. But she’s not close. She stands by the door, her posture rigid, her expression unreadable.

And then I startle.

Her gentle, angelic features are gone. What replaces them is sharp and cold -sharper, even, than Lona’s most intimidating moments. Her brows are furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her brown eyes pierce through me as if each glance is a blade. It’s a look of disgust, of contempt so profound it feels like the air between us has turned to glass, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

I freeze, the ache in my chest dulling everything else. This can’t be her. This isn’t Falin. My Falin -the one who healed wounds with a smile and radiated warmth like the sun- would never look at me this way.

Out of reflex and desperation, I rise from the bed abruptly, ignoring the wave of vertigo crashing through my body. The dizziness claws at my balance, but I force myself upright, taking unsteady steps toward her as if closing the distance might erase the venom in her gaze.

“F-Falin-san,” I stammer, my voice cracking under the weight of the moment. “Is something wrong?”

“Everything was a lie, after all,” she says coldly, her voice cutting through me like a razor. She raises a hand as if to ward me off, and I stop in my tracks, frozen by her rejection.

“I… I don’t understand,” I murmur, my heart thundering in my ears. “What do you mean?”

Her lips curl into a bitter smirk, a ghost of the warm smiles I cherished. “You know what I mean, Renyuki.”

The sound of my name in her venomous tone sends a shiver down my spine. The delicate balance of my body tilts again, and the vertigo tightens its grip even harder. The room around her blurs, but her sharp silhouette remains, as if my mind refuses to let me escape this confrontation.

“Please, tell me,” I plead, my voice rising with desperation. “Did I do something wrong? Was it… was it my preference? I did creep you out, after all. Of course, I did creep you out! Why would a boy talk about this stuff with a lovely girl?” I laugh out of sheer fear, and my heart thumps inside my head.

Of course, I have gone too far.

Even for someone extreme like me.

She is clearly angry, as she should be.

Yes, that was the truth.

First, I should clear my mind, take my breathing under control.

Think clearly.

Apologize genuinely. 

“You are absolutely right, I was completely out of line," I say, but every words make a new knot in my throat, still. "I’m genuinely sorry, please... My intention was-”

She cuts me off. A sharp glare, the sorrow in her eyes flickering like a dying ember before vanishing entirely. For a brief moment, pity softens her features, only to be swallowed by anger.

“Seeing me is enough to make you lose your composure,” she spits. “You can’t even control your own body in my presence.”

Her words are a sledgehammer, her facial features are a dagger.

My knees buckle, and I sink to the floor, the cold tiles pressing against my palms as my body curls in on itself. The vertigo crescendos, a suffocating weight pulling me into a spiraling abyss. I feel tears welling in my eyes, hot and heavy, threatening to spill.

Now, I see. 

Huh? Did I just lie again?

To whom? Myself.

I knew all along.