Chapter 74: Evelise Loves My Body When I’m Hitting... Wood.

Evelise stood a few steps away, silent. Her red eyes followed him closely, her ears twitching at every strike. She didn’t say a word, just watched as the human worked with a strange mix of focus and satisfaction. Sid wiped his brow and smiled to himself.

"Whew! This quality of life cheat really makes living in an apocalypse kinda fun."

He removed his jacket and tossed it aside, revealing the rough outline of his build beneath his shirt. Sweat ran down his temple as he worked, his muscles shifting with each movement. His arms flexed when he lifted the hammer, the veins visible along his forearms, and his shoulders moved with quiet control. For a moment, Evelise forgot to breathe.

"Hmph... d-don’t think flexing like that makes you look impressive. You’re just... working. That’s all."

He crouched low to fix the bottom boards, then stood tall again, the light catching his form as he lifted his shirt slightly to wipe his sweat. His abdomen was firm, cut with faint lines that spoke of hard labor and survival rather than vanity. Evelise blinked, her cheeks tinting faintly red as she quickly looked away.

"Tch... why are you working like some kind of show-off!"

Sid didn’t hear her or pretended not to.

"You say something?"

He asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"N-Nothing! Just hurry up! You missed a spot!"

She snapped, turning away so he wouldn’t see the fluster in her face.

"Right, the commander has spoken."

Sid teased lightly, returning to his work. He hammered another nail in place, the motion smooth and confident. Piece by piece, the walls came together. Holes vanished under fresh wood, gaps were sealed.

He wiped the last bit of dust off his hands and took a step back. The walls were patched up neatly, each plank fitting tight and clean. Sunlight slipped through the last broken spot above them, a small hole in the roof that cast a narrow beam like a spotlight across the cabin floor. He squinted at it and sighed.

"Well, would you look at that. The dramatic lighting’s nice, but that’s gonna leak when it rains."

Evelise glanced up, her ears twitching.

"So? You’re the repairman here. Fix it."

"Yeah, yeah, your highness. Don’t worry, I’ve got this. But I’ll need you to stay inside and check if I’m patching the right spot. You see the beam? Keep your eyes on it and tell me when it’s covered."

Evelise folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I can do that much, human. Just don’t fall off and make more work for me."

"Relax, I’m part mountain goat."

Sid said with a smirk, grabbing his hammer and a few planks. He climbed up the side of the cabin, using the half broken gutter and an old beam as footholds. The roof creaked but held firm beneath his weight.

"Huh. The old man really overbuilt this part. Smart guy. Must’ve known what he was doing."

Once he reached the top, he crouched low, inspecting the damage. The hole wasn’t big, but the surrounding shingles were soft and rotting. He pried one up, then called down,

"Hey! Bunny girl! Can you see me through the hole?"

From below, Evelise shaded her eyes, looking up.

"Yes, unfortunately! Now fix it already before I get dust in my eyes!"

"Bossy as ever."

Sid muttered, chuckling. He began scraping off the weak wood, replacing it piece by piece. His muscles shifted with every movement, the sunlight highlighting the sweat on his arms.

Inside, Evelise looked up again then... froze. From her angle, she could see him perfectly framed by the sunlight, the glow outlining the firm lines of his shoulders and back. His shirt clung to him, and for a long second, she just stared.

"Hmph. Stupid human. Why does his body even look that... good?"

She whispered to herself, her cheeks heating. She leaned forward a little, trying to get a better look, and stepped closer into the beam of sunlight spilling through the hole. The moment her hand touched it, she hissed in pain.

"Ah—!"

She moved back, clutching her arm. Her skin had turned red, faintly smoking where the light had hit it. She muttered, staring at the faint burn mark.

"What the hell...? Why does it feel like fire...?"

Then she remembered. The smell that morning, that faint hint of something burning when she first woke up. It hadn’t been the wood. It had been her.

She lifted her hand again, hesitating as she reached toward the beam of light once more, curiosity mixing with dread. But before her fingers could touch it, a sudden shadow blocked the sun.

"Alright, last board’s going in!"

Sid called down, hammering the plank into place. The light vanished completely, sealing the cabin in dim calm again.

Evelise exhaled softly, looking at her hand. The pain faded, leaving only a faint mark. She glanced up at the now-covered spot and muttered under her breath,

"Tch... lucky timing, human."

Sid’s voice came from above, teasing as always.

"What’s that? You miss me already?"

"Don’t flatter yourself!"

She shouted back, ears flicking in irritation—and maybe a little embarrassment. He laughed, the sound carrying down from the roof.

"Sure thing, your majesty. Roof’s done. No more fancy sunlight beams ruining the mood."

He straightened, brushing dust from his hands as he stood on the roof. He took a slow breath, letting the air fill his lungs. The world around him was strangely calm. From up there, he could see everything— the trees swaying gently in the wind, the sunlight spilling through the leaves, and the faint traces of what used to be the old park beneath it all. He stared at it in quiet fascination.

"Man... so this is Nexus Green. Used to be a park, huh? Now look at it."

Life had come back in its own wild way. The apocalypse had turned ruin into something beautiful. He closed his eyes and felt the wind brush against his face, strong enough to make the branches whisper. But then, in a moment, that wind grew harsher. It whipped through his hair and tugged at his clothes. The trees below blurred, the horizon stretched farther, and suddenly the roof didn’t feel like a roof anymore.