The next morning, I woke up again.

Same room. Same view.

The oil lamp had gone out. Bright light from the window spilled inside, landing on the sheet draped over me.

So… what happened during that brief moment of consciousness yesterday wasn’t a hallucination after all?

I tried sitting up, swinging my legs off the bed. Just that simple motion left me feeling like I’d sprinted a hundred meters flat out.

Had my body really been pushed this hard? Maybe I should just lie back down obediently.

Just then, the side door opened. The person in that raincoat-like outfit from yesterday walked in.

No—it wasn’t a raincoat. Much clearer-headed today, I realized that "raincoat" was actually just a hooded robe.

Its rough, hemp-brown texture made them look like someone caught between a peasant and a religious devotee.

She reached the bedside, lowered her hood, and smoothed it out, revealing straight, reddish-brown hair.

Today, I finally saw the face she’d hidden. Like the people I’d glimpsed through the mirror yesterday, she had features from an ethnicity I’d never seen before.

But she was beautiful—a delicate, restrained beauty, like the pale core of a flower stem.

And since she clearly looked older than me, there was an added layer of mature grace.

???: ……Awake?

She sat on the edge of the bed, asking with a calm smile.

Seventh Ju: Mm…

Seventh Ju: May I ask who you are…?

???: My name? Let me think… In Chinese, I suppose I’d be called…

???: Poppy.

Seventh Ju: …………

That was the name of a flower both beautiful and poisonous.

Seventh Ju: This world has poppies too?

Poppy: …………

Poppy: You seem to have already accepted the fact that you’ve come to another world.

Seventh Ju: Uh—

Seventh Ju: I’ll tentatively accept half of it. I’ll confirm the other half myself later.

Yes. By all logic, I should already be dead.

Even if I’d miraculously survived, I shouldn’t be lying in a place like this.

"Transmigrating to another world" might be believable—but I needed more proof before settling on that conclusion.

Poppy: Then… what’s your name?

Seventh Ju: Oh, sorry… I’m Seventh Ju.

Poppy: Seventh Ju? Truly a name fitting for another world.

Seventh Ju: Haha…

No one around me back home had a name like that!

Poppy: I imagine you have countless questions for me. But first—breakfast.

Poppy produced a bowl of porridge streaked with pale green. It might not be the rice porridge I’d imagined, but the color wasn’t off-putting.

Seventh Ju: Mm, okay… Thank you.

Poppy picked up a spoon, gently scooped a mouthful, and blew on it gracefully.

Then… she slipped it into her own mouth.

Seventh Ju: …Huh?

Was this Poppy’s own breakfast? Had I misunderstood her earlier?

I’d foolishly imagined this gentle, beautiful older woman would feed me spoonful by spoonful. Wishful thinking.

While I was still puzzled, Poppy suddenly set down the bowl, swung her pale leg over, and climbed onto the wooden bed.

Seventh Ju: Huh?????

She leaned over me, tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, and slowly closed her eyes.

Her hands cradled my face. Poppy’s beautiful features drew closer and closer in my vision.

Seventh Ju: Hey waitwaitwaitwaitwait————

Just before our lips touched, Poppy finally stopped. She opened her eyes.

Poppy: …………

*A visible swallow.*

Poppy: —Ah, right!

Seventh Ju: Right about what??

Poppy: You’re awake now. No need to feed you like that anymore.

Seventh Ju: …………

Wait. If my Chinese grammar served me right, the implication of that sentence, reversed…

Seventh Ju: Did we… do it????

Poppy: You’d have starved otherwise.

Seventh Ju: Were there no other options?? Isn’t this… awkward???

Poppy: Not at all. The touch of tongues is quite pleasant.

As she spoke, Poppy’s face remained fixed in a serene, gentle smile—a stark contrast to her words.

Our faces stayed close. Even as she spoke softly, each word carried a faint, sweet breath that brushed clearly against my lips and cheeks.

Ah… that wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear!

Seventh Ju: Wait! When did you find me? How many days have I been unconscious?

Poppy: Hmm… today’s the eleventh day, I think.

Seventh Ju: That many days… and we’ve been… doing it… this whole time???

Poppy: Mm. Besides feeding you, I’ve also been taking care of your body and… waste elimination.

Seventh Ju: …………

A chill ran through me at those words.

Only then did I realize—I was completely naked beneath the thin sheet!

As if sensing my unease, Poppy offered a disarming smile.

Poppy: It’s… really alright. Even the shape of your sphincter is quite lovely.

Seventh Ju: …………

Seventh Ju: …………

*Shape…*

*Lovely…*

I, Seventh Ju, male, sixteen years old.

The first time in my life anyone called me "lovely"… was about my sphincter.

Poppy: Ah? Fallen asleep again?

Poppy: No choice. I’ll have to use the old method to feed you.

Seventh Ju: I’M NOT ASLEEP!!!!

I forced myself upright with all my strength, shoving Poppy toward the foot of the bed. I grabbed the bowl of porridge from the table and poured it all into my mouth at once.

Honestly, as a guy with zero experience dating girls my age, I wouldn’t have minded Poppy’s overly intimate gestures.

In fact—could any man resist a beautiful woman catering to his tastes like this?

But! I deeply minded the feeling of not knowing what had been done to me while I was unconscious!

I knew now… and I still hated it!

Seventh Ju: Done eating!

Poppy: Oh my. You finished with quite the vigor. Feeling better? Seems my efforts over these ten days weren’t wasted.

Seventh Ju: Then… atop all my questions, there are two most important ones.

Poppy: Ask away. I planned to tell you about this world today anyway.

Seventh Ju: First—how old are you exactly? In years.

Poppy’s smile froze. Then shifted to blank neutrality.

Poppy: Twenty-six. Single.

Ten years older than me. Wait—why emphasize "single"?

Seventh Ju: Second—what parts of my body haven’t you… defiled yet?

Silence filled the room for a full minute.

Poppy: Plenty! Your digestive system, immune system, circulatory system…

Seventh Ju: SO MY SKIN’S ALREADY FULLY OCCUPIED!?!?

Poppy: Ugh… Did I do something wrong?

Seventh Ju: DID YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT??

Poppy: But… how could anyone do nothing with such a young, cute boy sleeping right in front of them!?

Seventh Ju: …………

Poppy: …………

Seventh Ju: …………

Poppy: …………

Seventh Ju: Just… get me some clothes first. Underwear included.

Poppy: Y-yes! Right away! Understood!

…………

…………

When I woke up this morning, my acceptance of "transmigrating to another world" was at fifty percent.

Now? Ninety percent.

Because… a woman as utterly disconnected from reality as Sister Poppy could only exist in another world!