I Became The Male Lead’s Female Friend

 

Dahlia’s eyes widened.

 “Huh…!” 

I inhaled sharply. Cold sweat trickled down my forehead, and my heart was pounding frantically.

 

For a moment, I lay still, but then, slowly, I lifted my hand.

 

It moved. It wasn’t the same as when it had gradually grown cold and hardened at my fingertips.

 

Not only that, but it was warm and alive, and its pulse was beating strongly as if it wanted to live more.

 

I stared at my hand for a moment, and then it dawned on me.

 

‘This is real!’

 

What I had just experienced was just a dream.

 

Once I realized that, I was able to relax. My palms were damp from how tense I’d been.

 

I smiled bitterly and rubbed my hands together.

 

‘That’s too vivid.’

 

Me, dying from a stab wound, and Rudrick, crying and shivering. And O’Neill standing there with a bloody sword.

 

‘It’s a dream.’

 

As hard as I tried to think otherwise, I couldn’t get over the scene in my dream. Like I had seen something important that I shouldn’t forget. 

 

The throbbing in the pits of the stomach and the sinking feeling in the throats.

 

And I knew exactly when I felt this way.

 

‘When I found out my father was dying.’

 

It was when I had a glimpse of my future self in a dream. To be honest, to this day I don’t know if the dream was future or from the original story.

 

But in the end, it didn’t happen, and I haven’t had a similar dream since.

 

So why, now, am I having this dream? A dream about me dying.

 

I thought,

‘Is this… something from the original novel?’

 

I don’t remember seeing anything about Dahlia dying at all.

 

She’s not a villain, she’s just an extra, and she leaves at the right time when the male lead and female lead are getting along.

 

So when she leaves, the two of them…

 

The two of them…

 ‘…’ 

What happened?

 “Ugh.”

I should remember. No, it shouldn’t be forgotten. I need to recall. I have to think about it. Likewise, I know it clearly. That’s something I have no idea when it happens.

 

Let’s simply remember it. Memories… like they always were… to remember…

 “Are you awake?” 

A voice suddenly called out, and I looked up quickly. There was Rudrick, sword in hand. My headache had faded quickly.

 “Huh? Uh…” 

I stammered and nodded.

 

Rudrick casually walked towards me. As I watched him sit down near me casually, I suddenly remembered what had just happened.

 

Oh right, I went to the outskirts of the village to look for the fiendish insect.

 

While searching, I stumbled upon a beast, was attacked by it, and was saved by Rudrick, but lost my footing while dodging a beast that jumped out of nowhere. That’s when I fell to my death…

 “Dahlia?” 

Rudrick leaned over to meet my gaze, his face briefly flickering with concern.

 “Rudrick.” “…?” “Didn’t we… fall?” 

How the hell are we alive?

 

The dream had slowed me down, but I had definitely fallen off the cliff with Rudrick.

 

Even if I was lucky enough to survive, I was sure I’d be crippled in some way, or so I thought.

 

I wondered if it was because Rudrick had wrapped his arms around me, but he didn’t seem to be as badly injured as I was.

 

Or was he… hiding something?

 “Are you okay, what the hell happened back there, why did you throw yourself at me and grab me, what if something happened to you too…!” “Dahlia, wait.” “No, I should be grateful that I’m still alive and well… but how am I alive anyway? Where are we in the first place, and what the hell happened to us after that…” “Dahlia.” 

I stopped in my tracks at Rudrick’s urgent call and turned to look at him in confusion.

 

For some reason, he wasn’t looking at me, but at an angle. Not only that, but I felt like his ears were a little flushed…

 “Maybe you should put something on…” 

His words trailed off, and I involuntarily looked down. My body seemed to be strangely lightly dressed for some reason.

 

As I stared at myself, my mouth gaped wider by the second. Eventually, I screamed.

 “Aaahhh!” 

Naked! I’m naked!

 

Well, not technically naked, but there’s a difference between being naked and wearing an almost see-through chemise, and that’s not the same thing.

 

And apparently, I was fully clothed before the fall, which means I’m now…!

 “You took it off?!” “…” “You pretended to be so cold, to not care, to pretend, but you were a man, too. No matter how pretty, cute, and sexy I am, how could you covet your friend’s body like an animal…!” “Dahlia.” 

Rudrick said quietly, rubbing his forehead as if his head hurt.

 “So you want to freeze to death?” “Huh?” 

He pointed somewhere, and I couldn’t help but follow his fingertips and turn my head.

 

And I looked. My clothes, soaking wet, lying on the floor.

 “…” “…” 

There was a moment of silence. After quickly assessing the situation, I said shyly.

 “I’ll forgive you for touching me a little.” “Who are you talking to…!” 

Rudrick raised his voice and then clamped his mouth shut.

 

He flung his cloak disgruntled at me, and as I caught it, I looked at his face, which was even redder than before.

 

Somehow, I feel like he’s even more shy than when he was younger…

 

I stifled the laughter that threatened to escape and meekly wrapped the cloak he’d given me around myself.

 “Okay, just kidding, by the way…” “…” “What’s going on, and where are we?” 

That’s actually the first thing I should have asked, but I got distracted and didn’t pay attention. I took a quick look around.

 

Having felt strangely dark and damp earlier, this place, with no light, seemed to be an underground place.

 

Stones everywhere, stalactites hanging like icicles from the ceiling, perhaps this place…

 

As if to answer my thoughts, Rudrick’s voice spoke up.

 “A cave.” 

The rest was a brief explanation from Rudrick.

 

At that time, we fell off the cliff and were lucky to land on the water.

 

But the rapids immediately overtook us, and Rudrick fumbled to hold on to the unconscious me.

 

When we finally emerged at a point where the current slowed, it was at this spot.

 “So you just stripped me naked and…” “Listen carefully.” 

Well, it was probably unavoidable to strip off my soaked clothes, as he said. If left on, I would have died of cold, not from the fall, but from hypothermia.

 

Anyway, once he’d gotten me out of the wet clothes and my temperature seemed to be returning to normal, he stepped away to take a look around. In the meantime, I had woken up.

 “So…” 

I nodded, still listening to him. Not daring to ask how he’d gotten the heat to normalize my body temperature, I turned to him.

 “So, do you know where the entrance is?” “I found it, but…” 

For a moment, Rudrick frowned subtly.

 “It’s up above.” “Above?” “Perhaps we’ve fallen into a hole. It’s not easy to reach out.” “That means…” 

Rudrick shook his head and said,

“We’d better wait for the search party.” 

Sure, he might be able to climb that far on his own. 

 

But the problem was me. I was too weak to climb the wall, let alone jump on it, and I didn’t know what would happen if I accidentally fell off.

 

I thought,

‘If I knew this would happen, I would have learned self-defense.’

 

I don’t know why things haven’t worked out since then.

 

Everything I do seems to screw up, and I keep getting Rudrick involved. I frowned and muttered.

 “I’m sorry…” “…” 

Rudrick didn’t say anything, just stared at me for a moment, then dug in his pocket and pulled out something.

 

Without answering, he shoved something at me.

 “What is it?” “I found something.” “What…” 

I stared down at his hand in bewilderment, and my eyes glazed over.

 “Th, the, fi— fiends?!” 

As I scrunched my eyes to see if I was mistaken, I pinched my cheeks just in case. But no matter what I did, it didn’t disappear.

 

No, it didn’t vanish, but only strengthened my conviction.

 

It was certainly a fiend.

 

It looked like a beetle, and its body glowed a faint blue, as if it were transparent, just like I had seen in the book.

 

‘Is this for real?’

 

I couldn’t find a single clue in the capital, and even when I came up north, I struggled to find a way to get it, but here it was, right in front of me.

 

Unable to keep my mouth shut, I finally gathered the courage to say.

 “Where did you find this precious thing…” “Inside. There’s a lot of them.” 

Not just one?

 “What? A lot? This? Where?” “Yeah. In there…” 

Nodding dully at the panic in my voice, Rudrick paused, then fell silent as if considering something, then quickly added

 “Better just see for yourself.” 

And with that, he stood up and held out his hand to me.

 

In my confusion, gazing up at his large hand, I fumbled with it.

 

Rudrick gently lifted me to my feet and quickly released his hold, but in that brief moment, I thought.

 

‘It’s warm…’

 

Compared to the furry cloak I was wrapped in, Rudrick’s hand was unexpectedly warmer in just a shirt.

 

Rudrick leads me deeper into the cave.

 

Although I know that Rudrick has already checked the area and deemed it safe, I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy as we headed deeper into the cave.

 

Keeping close behind him, I followed closely, and it wasn’t long before he halted.

 

‘Are we there yet?’

 

Peeking from behind Rudrick, who had stopped moving, I asked. Then, as the scene unfolded before us, I muttered to myself.

 “What the…?”