The Male Leads Are Trapped in My House

Early in the morning, Jose, Cherry, and Nox stepped out into the garden, heavily armed, to begin inspecting their weapons.

Cherry held a long rifle, checking the magazine, and spoke to Jose.
"I'm a close-range fighter, so it’s better for me to practice using a rifle than sniping. I know how to use it, but my accuracy is terrible."
"Rifles are my specialty, Miss. Don’t worry. I’ll explain it to you in simple terms."
Jose, clearly enthusiastic, stepped closer to Cherry. As he moved in to start explaining the weapon, Nox smoothly inserted himself between them.

Jose frowned at Nox. The doctor casually rested a hand on Cherry's shoulder as if staking his claim. Their eyes met, and the tension between them was palpable.
"I’d like to learn how to handle a rifle too, teacher. All I’ve got is this revolver."
Nox smiled, pulling a revolver out of his pants pocket and twirling it slightly.

While Jose looked at Nox with a displeased expression, the front door of the mansion suddenly swung open.
Thud, thud.
Through the open doorway, a blonde man slowly stepped out. His pale skin was wrapped in stark white bandages visible through his dark blue pajamas.

He wavered slightly as if dizzy, leaning against one of the columns by the door for support. Crossing his arms, the man stood still, his golden hair swaying gently in the breeze.
Cold, lake-like eyes swept over Jose, Cherry, and Nox before his lips curled into a crooked smile.
"What’s so fun without me? That’s a little unfair."

Ethan Duncan Lancaster. He was finally awake.
"Sir Ethan!"
Cherry leapt to her feet, sprinting to Ethan without hesitation. Jose and Nox rose awkwardly from their spots, watching her rush off.

"Happy for her, but jealous too," Nox murmured under his breath as he followed Cherry toward Ethan.
Jose watched the trio for a moment.
"They said those two had been coming and going from this mansion even before the world fell apart."

Perhaps that’s why it was so difficult for others to intrude on the atmosphere surrounding them. Their bond was solid, their connection unshakeable.
"A bond…"
Since leaving his family, Jose had been living alone in the foreign kingdom of Grayden, working with illegal weapons. He’d never had the opportunity to feel "belonging" or "connection." He hadn’t formed any deep relationships with others.
Not that he had any desire to return to the Galloway family in the Briwood Kingdom. After all, it was the Galloways who had contributed to his youngest brother’s death—employing quack doctors to siphon off the family’s wealth.

Even with no regrets about leaving, Jose found himself quietly envying the bond those three shared.
As he observed the group, lost in thought, someone smacked him on the back.
"Hey, Jose, what’re you doing?"

Startled, he turned to see Amy, her ebony bob swaying as she grinned and waved at him. A flicker of emotion crossed Jose’s eyes.
Amy, who had lost her parents early and survived as a herbalist on harsh mountains—surely she knew what it felt like to be utterly alone in the world.
Smiling, Jose asked, "What brings you here?"

Amy’s cat-like sharp eyes rounded slightly in surprise. She tended to grow wary when people were kind to her.
"Me? I was just feeding the chickens. What’s with that dumb expression?"
Jose let out a hollow laugh. Something about her carefree tone reminded him of Ethan.

"Oh? The old man’s awake now?"
Amy spotted Ethan standing by the door and beamed. Leaning toward Jose, she whispered conspiratorially, "Did you hear? There’s a rumor that his injuries were from a monster bite…"
Jose forced an awkward smile.

When they had returned to Happy House after escaping the monsters, Ethan’s injuries had shocked everyone. However, with Ethan collapsing shortly after their arrival, no one had a chance to ask what had happened. Those present at the scene had remained silent.
Fortunately, days had passed without Ethan transforming into a monster, leading everyone to conclude his injuries weren’t from a monster bite after all. But given the severity of the injuries, it was no surprise the memory lingered in Amy’s mind.
"Who knows?"

"You’re not going to tell me?"
"If it were anything worth discussing, Miss Cherry or Harrison would have mentioned it."
"I suppose…"

Amy trailed off, glancing at Ethan again. Just then, Ethan noticed her and gave her a casual wave.
"Well, if Sugar Star thinks it’s fine, then it’s fine," Amy said breezily, erasing her doubts. Her carefree nature reminded Jose of Cherry this time.
As Amy moved to approach Ethan, she paused and turned back to Jose.

"What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
When Jose gave her a confused look, Amy extended her small, delicate hand toward him.

"Come on, let’s go together."
Blinking at the outstretched hand, Jose chuckled.
"Alright, let’s go."

Taking her hand, Jose walked with Amy to join Ethan. The rest of the Happy House residents soon gathered in the lobby to welcome Ethan back.
"Old man, after all you’ve been through, shouldn’t we throw a party today?" Amy asked cheerfully.
Cherry looked to Harrison.

"Hmm. Harrison, what do you think?"
"Food supplies are limited, but I think a modest party would be fine."
Harrison flipped through his notebook, checking their inventory, and his answer brought smiles to everyone’s faces.

Well, everyone except one person.
"We can throw a party later. Lancaster is still a patient and needs more rest."
It was none other than Nox, who spoke firmly.

In the end, under the doctor’s orders, Ethan was escorted back to his room.
"You’re a patient. Stop wandering around and get some rest. Don’t even think about leaving this room for a few days."
"But I’m not that hurt…"

As Ethan was forcibly laid back on the bed, he paused, looking up at Nox.
"Wait. Are you trying to monopolize Cherry while I’m out of commission?"
"Don’t be ridiculous. Even with you around, I can monopolize her anytime," Nox retorted with a smirk.

Standing by the door, Cherry shook her head in exasperation, but her smile betrayed a sense of pride.
"Before or after the world ended, this guy's popularity knows no bounds."
Everyone turned to Cherry with expressions of disbelief, but she simply beamed brightly, undeterred.

"What? It's fine. I'm used to this. This is just the life of a superstar."
However, as Nox and Ethan’s childish bickering dragged on, even Cherry felt the need to step in. Without hesitation, she dashed to the bedside and smacked Ethan on the arm.
"Enough! Just cut it out already! Get some rest."

"Ouch! Cherry, that hurts. I’m a patient, you know. And why am I the only one you’re hitting?"
"You started it. Patients should just shut up and rest."
"Cherry, 'shut up'? Your words are getting harsher. Who taught you to talk like this?"

"I learned it from you, Sir Ethan."
Cherry's sharp retort made Ethan’s face twist in disbelief. He pointed a finger, bandaged and stiff, at himself.
"From me?"

"Go to sleep."
Nox shook his head, giving Ethan’s shoulder a firm push. Ethan collapsed back onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The sudden stillness in Ethan’s demeanor made the others exchange puzzled glances. But as time passed and he remained motionless, they assumed he simply wanted to rest and began to leave the room one by one.

In the now-silent room, Ethan lay on the bed, lost in thought. His heart thudded uncontrollably, and he pressed a hand to his chest as if to still it.
Cherry was starting to resemble him in her speech.
"…Am I starting to resemble her too?"

The thought of mutual resemblance was strange enough to make his chest tighten with a confusing mixture of emotions.
*****
When Ethan opened his eyes again, the sun was setting, casting a reddish glow through the window.

"Come to think of it, I never asked how many days had passed."
As he stared blankly at the window, Ethan turned his head and noticed a woman asleep at his bedside.
Vivid pink hair caught his eye first. Her soft-looking cheek rested against her arm, and her lips, red as cherries, were slightly parted. Long lashes cast delicate shadows over her peaceful face.

Cherry Sinclair.
Ethan quietly murmured her name.
"Cherry."

Reaching out, his fingers brushed her smooth cheek. The warmth and softness of her skin sent a strange sensation through him, fragile and fleeting, as though it might shatter at any moment.
"Cherry…"
Cherry’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. Ethan held his breath as her golden eyes slowly opened, gleaming like stars scattered across the night sky in the light filtering through the window.

She rose calmly, stifling a yawn behind her hand. "When did you wake up?"
"Just now."
Ethan replied briefly, watching as Cherry, still groggy, rubbed her eyes. He smiled, reaching out to gently tap her soft cheek with his fingers.

"Why are you sleeping here, Cherry?"
"Why do you think? I was worried about you."
Cherry’s answer came as she rubbed her eyes again.

"What’s there to worry about? I haven’t turned yet, so it looks like you were right about me being immune."
"Does being immune mean you don’t feel pain?"
"Of course it hurts."

"Exactly."
On the bedside table were a glass and a water jug prepared for Ethan. Cherry casually poured herself a glass and took a sip, moving with the ease of someone who had done this countless times before.
Ethan realized that this wasn’t the first time she’d fallen asleep by his bedside. The thought made his chest ache, a bittersweet sensation that left him restless.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan asked a question he had posed once before.
"Cherry, do you like me?"
Cherry nearly spat out her water, her head snapping up to look at him. Her golden eyes wavered, startled and unsure.

Cough, cough.
As she choked, Ethan leaned forward, gently patting her back.
"I like you, though."

"W-what?"
Facing death often brought clarity. It unearthed feelings he had ignored, emotions he hadn’t recognized, and truths about himself that he could no longer deny.
"I’m not sure if this is love, but it feels like…"

Ethan trailed off, gazing at Cherry’s face. His eyes lingered, drinking in her every feature, his heart stirring with an intense, undeniable desire.
He swallowed hard, struggling to contain the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
"I think I’m completely insane… for you, Cherry."

The words burst out like a sigh, as if releasing the truth he could no longer hold back.
His suppressed longing surged forward like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him whole.