As the sun dipped below the horizon, the village of Carag transformed. The usual industrious silence was replaced by the crackling of a large central fire and the boisterous chatter of weary travelers. Nine of us were gathered around the flames, the flickering orange light casting long, dancing shadows against the adobe walls of the nearby huts. We were eating roasted meat and sharing a potent local liquor that burned pleasantly on the way down.

  It should be about time for Alice to bring Sherry, I thought, glancing toward the house where they were staying.

  Just as the thought crossed my mind, the door creaked open. Alice stepped out, leading a figure completely swallowed by a heavy, dark cloak. I truly wanted to help Sherry overcome her grief, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn't also intensely curious about the girl hidden beneath that hood.

  “Hi, Alice! Where were you two?” I called out as they approached. “You can’t just skip the banquet”.

  “Hi, Han,” Alice replied with a playful roll of her eyes. “Sorry, but you know, girls sometimes have girl stuff to deal with”. She brushed off the question with her usual nonchalance.

  “Alright, alright. I was just afraid you wouldn't show up. We’ve already started, but we haven't been at it for long,” I said, gesturing to the logs I had arranged.

  I had strategically left only one clear opening—right next to me. Alice understood the assignment perfectly. She guided Sherry to sit directly beside me, then took the seat on Sherry’s other side, effectively sandwiching the grieving girl between us.

  Okay, it’s time. Don’t ruin this, Han, I told myself. I felt a surge of nerves, but it was quickly eclipsed by the strange, bubbling confidence this "isekai miracle" had granted me. I had spent my days in the village talking to everyone, even flirting with some of the local girls; surely I could handle one shy wizard.

  “Hey, Alice!” I said, raising my voice slightly.

  “What?” she asked, looking over.

  “You know, I’ve made acquaintances with almost everyone in your party now, except for this silver-haired lady here,” I said, nodding toward Sherry. “Care to introduce us?”

  Alice raised an eyebrow. “Of course, but isn't it a bit too familiar to call someone a 'silver-haired lady' when you don't even know her name?”

  “You’re absolutely right,” I admitted with a sheepish grin. “But what could I do? She seemed so shy that I had to call her something, and since I didn't know her name, that was the only way. I hope it wasn't too rude, Miss. I really just wanted to get a little closer to you”.

  “No... it is okay,” a voice whispered from beneath the hood. It was so quiet I barely caught it, despite sitting right next to her. She seemed incredibly reluctant to speak, but the fact that she responded at all was a victory. I suspect she was the type who simply couldn't bear to be rude to someone, even if she wanted to be left alone.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” I continued, pressing the advantage. “You have such lovely teammates that I was sure you were just as lovely as they are. That’s why I was so eager to meet you”.

  “I’m sorry for being so gloomy,” Sherry said, her voice heavy with grief. “I don’t want to disturb your enjoyment. It’s okay to leave me out of the fun”.

  “What are you saying, Miss? I would love to get to know you,” I insisted. “Forget about ruining things. Let’s enjoy the night together. Since the only thing I can see is your beautiful hair, I’ll keep calling you that until Alice does her job. Alice! Please, if you would”.

  Alice gave me a look that questioned my sanity, but she complied. “Sherry, this is Mr. Han. You saw him in the woods when we were hunting those scouts—the one who directed us to the beastman we captured”.

  “Yes... I remember. Nice to meet you,” Sherry said softly.

  “And Han, this is Sherry,” Alice continued. “Our party’s lovely and talented wizard. She’s normally the light of the group, but she’s been in a bad mood because of... well, what happened recently”.

  “It’s truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sherry,” I said with as much kindness as I could muster. “I hope we can get along just as well as I have with the rest of your companions”.

  “Yes... me too,” she replied, likely just out of courtesy.

  “Okay, I’ve decided!” I announced suddenly.

  “What did you decide, Han?” Alice asked, startled by my sudden outburst. “You’re being very noisy all of a sudden”.

  “I’ve decided to make Miss Sherry get rid of that cloak on her own,” I declared. “It will be the sign of her recovery, regardless of why she’s feeling down”. I knew exactly why she was sad, of course, but I didn't want to bring up the trauma directly and force her to relive the pain.

  “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Han, but I’m okay,” Sherry tried to deflect. “Please don’t tire yourself out on my account”.

  “It’s no trouble at all, Sherry. In fact, it’s a pleasure,” I said with a laugh. “Actually, I think it’ll be quite fun to have a young lady by my side to tease for a while”.

  ““What!?”” both Alice and Aluciend exclaimed in unison.

  But that was the plan. Over the next hour, I began to tease her relentlessly about small things—the way she held her cup, the way she tilted her head, anything that might get a reaction. At first, she was clearly annoyed and tried to leave, but with Alice acting as my unwitting accomplice by blocking her path or changing the subject, Sherry was stuck.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I made sure never to cross the line into genuine cruelty, but I pushed just enough to force her out of her shell. I noticed her voice growing louder as she defended herself, finally starting to sound like a normal person again. She seemed confused as to why she was letting me get to her, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from responding. Eventually, she was mumbling retorts that even I couldn't hear, but I was satisfied. She was engaging with the world again.

  This pattern continued for several nights. I became a constant, annoying presence in her grief, a distraction that she couldn't ignore. Finally, the pressure reached its breaking point.

  “Okay! I yield!” Sherry yelled, her voice ringing out over the crackle of the fire. “I’m taking it off! Just please stop teasing me, Mr. Han!”

  Yes! Results at last! I thought triumphantly. I'm proud of myself. Now I can finally see what's under that clo—

  My thoughts came to a screeching halt the moment she pulled the hood back.

  “Oh my god,” I breathed, the words escaping my lips before I could stop them. I didn't even have control over my own mouth; I was simply paralyzed by what I was seeing. I had expected her to be beautiful, but this was beyond anything I had imagined.

  She was breathtaking. The only person I could even compare her to was Alice, but they represented two entirely different kinds of beauty. Alice was a siren—all fire, curves, and seductive allure. Sherry was angelic—petite, cute, and possessing a delicate grace that made my heart skip a beat.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice pouting. I didn't want to believe she was jealous, so I tried to ignore it, but her reaction was hard to miss.

  “Really!” Sherry snapped, her eyes brimming with tears. “You said you’d stop when I took the cloak off. You’re a liar, just like him!”

  And with that, she turned and ran back toward the house they were renting. She looked devastated, but it wasn't the anger that struck me; it was the grief.

  “Oh, Mr. Han. Now you’ve really done it,” Aluciend said, his voice laced with concern.

  “Didn't you notice?” I asked, a smug smile spreading across my face. “She spoke to me like a normal person. And more importantly, she mentioned her brother with her own mouth”.

  Aluciend blinked, the realization sinking in. “Wait... so when she said 'just like him,' she was talking about her brother?”

  “Exactly,” I said. “She’s so close to being herself again”.

  Everything was moving so smoothly it was almost scary. For the next few days, I instructed Alice to keep bringing Sherry to the banquet, but I told her to let Sherry sit far away from me if she wanted. Sherry came, but as expected, she kept her distance.

  I shifted my strategy. Instead of focusing on her, I engaged the entire party in heated discussions and loud jokes. From time to time, I’d throw a small tease in Sherry's direction. Every time I did, I saw her facial expressions react instinctively, despite her efforts to remain aloof. It was clear she was enjoying the familiarity of the banter.

  As the day of their departure approached, I knew it was time for the final move. It wasn't just about helping her anymore; I wanted to be closer to this angelic beauty myself. A short time before Alice was set to go get her, I walked to Sherry’s room and knocked, asking for permission to enter. Surprisingly, she let me in.

  “Are you still angry with me?” I asked softly as I stepped inside.

  “Yes! You’re so mean to me. I don’t want to see you,” she said, though her voice lacked conviction. It was clear she was just trying to avoid me.

  “But Sherry, if that's true, why did you let me into your room?”

  “I... I only let you in so I could tell you personally that I don’t like you and I don’t want to see you!”

  Is she being a tsundere, or is it just me? I wondered. She was definitely evading me, but it didn't feel like hate; it felt like she was trying to escape her own feelings.

  “Okay, if that's what you want,” I said, turning as if to leave. “But Miss Sherry?”

  “What?”

  “Your party is leaving in a few days. Are you sure you won’t regret this? Are you sure you're okay with parting ways like this, after everything? Won’t you regret it later?”

  She froze, her eyes widening as she began to tremble. Success. I waited for her to collect herself as we stood there, locked in each other's gaze. Just then, Alice entered the room, clearly not expecting to find me there. She looked perplexed—even a bit angry.

  Before Alice could speak, Sherry broke down into silent tears.

  “I was wrong,” she sobbed. “I don’t want to part ways badly... not again. But I thought it would be the same... I thought if I got close to you and something happened to you too, I... I couldn't bear it. I don’t want to be left alone again!”

  “Don’t worry, Sherry,” I said, stepping closer. “I won’t do that to you”.

  “Liar! Liar!” she cried out. “We won’t even see each other again!” It was as if she were finally purging all the emotions she had bottled up since her brother's death.

  “No, Sherry,” I said firmly. “I’ve decided to come with you. I don’t have anything keeping me here anyway”.

  She stopped crying instantly, her mouth falling open in shock.

  “Huh!?” a voice exclaimed from behind me. Alice was just as stunned.

  “Really?” Sherry asked, searching my eyes. “But why would you risk your life to come with us? You could live here in peace, away from danger”.

  “Why not?” I asked with a shrug, acting as if I didn't have a care in the world.

  “You... you don’t have to do this just to comfort me. You should take care of yourself first,” she said, clearly convinced I was making a noble sacrifice.

  “Hey, listen here, young lady!” I said, shooting a glance toward Alice. I saw a faint smile tugging at the redhead's lips. “I’m a healthy, strong, and confident young man. What could be better than traveling with beautiful girls like you and Alice?”

  Sherry let out a shaky laugh. “Really? I’m... I’m glad”. She started to cry again, but this time, the tension had left her body. She was finally showing her true self.

  [Good job. You are truly the smartest protagonist I have ever seen (!). Hahaha!]

  I frowned. What was that? I thought I’d heard someone mocking me again, but the feeling passed as quickly as it came. I focused back on the moment.

  And just like that, I joined the party known as the Forest Dwellers.

  I couldn't believe how well it had gone. She’s definitely going to fall for me now, I thought with a grin. Is this just what happens when you’re a protagonist? Everything was moving almost too perfectly. I noticed Alice had been anxious until I included her in the "beautiful girls" comment. Was she afraid I was choosing Sherry over her? I didn't know when she had become so fond of me, but I was glad I’d included her; she seemed like the type who would definitely cause trouble if left out.

  [Edited]