Ki Yoohyun’s shoulders drooped as if he’d given up, as it looked like I wasn’t going to give him his glove back. He covered his scarred hand with his other hand and answered.
“It’s not usually like this … really. At that time, I was just temporarily overloaded from dealing with the boss at that time. It’s not something to worry about.”
“Yoohyun-ssi, it’s about you. How can I not worry?”
It’s not uncommon for strong skills to come at a high price. Kwon Jiwoon is always living on potions, and Ju Noeul said she needs to sacrifice more blood to summon stronger monsters.
Then, what about Ki Yoohyun’s skill, which is extremely powerful? What kind of price did he have to pay, and was that the reason his arm ended up like that?
So much has changed since the events of the Sephiroth branch of the False World ended, so why did I think Ki Yoohyun would be okay? I should have been suspicious when I couldn’t contact him by phone.
When the twins came to the cafe, they told me that, ‘Ki Yoohyun couldn’t come because of some circumstances’. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but….
What if the reason was that he was too sick to move around?
“…….”
Ki Yoohyun said sadly, “I didn’t come to see you because I was afraid you’d make a face like that, but in the end, you found out.”
“How do I look?”
“It looks even worse than before.”
“….Haha.”
I tried to laugh, but it didn’t work. I pulled the corners of my mouth awkwardly.
“It’s just an ugly mark on the outside, it doesn’t hurt.”
“You’re lying.”
“Why do you think so?”
Ki Yoohyun smiled as though nothing was wrong. Just by looking at his face, I could be fooled into thinking that he really is fine.
But I knew better.
“Yoohyun-ssi, you came on the day of the commendation ceremony. You went back quickly. Don’t you remember bumping into me in a crowded hallway? … You had a fever back then.”
I didn’t notice at the time because it was just a brief touch. But now that I think about it, I realised that he was in a state of fever, and that’s why he went home early.
“I’ll be careful from now on.” Ki Yoohyun said as if he had declared surrender.
“You mean you’ll be careful not to get caught by me in the future? You’re not going to order a pair of gloves that won’t come off, or something like that, are you?”
“That’s a good idea, I’ll put in an order.”
“…Yoohyun-ssi.”
“Just kidding, I’m just kidding. Haha, I’ll be really careful, so relax your expression.”
He smiled, folding the corners of his eyes, which made him look even more unnecessarily handsome. I thought about nagging him until his ears cracked, but stopped myself. Instead, I sat with my knees up on the bench and lifted the ends of my shawl.
“Do you want to cover up with this? It’s big, so I think it’ll be okay if we share it.”
However, Ki Yoohyun rejected my offer with a certain stiffness.
“No, I’m fine, please don’t trouble yourself.”
“How can I let you get hit by the cold wind when you were sick?”
“You’re treating me like I’m a sunfish….”
“Don’t do that. Come on. I think it’ll be a perfect fit if you wrap it on your shoulder like this.”
Ki Yoohyun sighed helplessly, but didn’t actually put the shawl on. After wrapping the shawl around my body again, he brought up another topic.
“Rieul-ssi, do you ever say things like this to other people?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know, let’s put the shawl around our bodies together.”
“Oh, no, of course I don’t say that to other people.”
“……Really?”
Ki Yoohyun’s expression changed subtly. It looked like the face you’d make if you tickled your hand with a very soft feather. It made me feel like my fingertips were itching too, so I hastily added.
“I borrowed this from Yoohyun-ssi, so how am I supposed to ask someone else to wear it?”
“Haa….”
We sat on the bench like that for a while. The road was quiet around us, except for the occasional headlights of cars travelling down the road.
I felt refreshed, even though I was doing nothing. Perhaps it was because I was seeing the sea for the first time in a long time, but he was right; it was a good place to change your mood.
Okay, I’m definitely going to go on a summer holiday to Jeju Island this summer. I’ll take Mimi and Lime, who only guard the shop, with me. We’ll go swimming and eat delicious food … hmm, that’s a great idea.
While I was thinking about it, Ki Yoohyun’s hand happened to touch the hand I had casually placed on the bench. His skin was bare because I still had his glove on hostage.
Should I take my hand away?
I thought so, but he didn’t move his hand away, so I left it there. I could feel the faint warmth of his fingers. I pretended that nothing was wrong, but my senses were all over my fingertips.
I opened my mouth, “If you’re sick, you should rest. Why did you come to meet me?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“…….”
It sounded so meaningful when he said it.
“And I was bothered by the fact that I didn’t answer your call, Rieul-ssi. By the time I woke up, it was too late to call you back.”
“……Wait a minute, did you lose consciousness?”
“Not to that … extent. Don’t glare at me like that, haha.”
“Are you laughing now?”
Ki Yoohyun continued without a trace of shame, “So when I came to my senses, I was already in front of the cafe.”
Then the wind blew again. His black hair was tousled by the wind, revealing his slightly flushed cheeks and sharp jawline. His eyes met mine with a smile and a hint of sadness.
I thought,
Just as the hardships that have befallen me are not my own special tragedy, perhaps Ki Yoohyun’s tragedy is not special either.
We all live through universal tragedies. This is especially true when you think about the countless rifts and dungeons that have occurred since the first rift and the Great Dungeon.
And yet, why does this man’s tragedy touch my heart so deeply?
Is it simple concern? Is it because his behaviour━covering the scars on his hands because he didn’t want to worry someone━is similar to mine?
I doubt either answer is correct.
……or, why did you come to see me today?
The answer is within reach, but once I find it, I feel like it will be irreversible. I don’t know what would be irreversible, but it seemed like it would be the case.
So I just kept my mouth shut. Our hands on the bench were still touching.
We stayed like that for a while, and then Ki Yoohyun took me back to the store. We entered the room through the second floor window so we wouldn’t wake Ash and the animals.
“If it’s so easy to travel to and from Jeju Island, won’t all the airlines go out of business?”
….. When I asked, Ki Yoohyun firmly answered that it would not happen.
Apparently, this teleport scroll is quite expensive. Let’s not think about specific prices.
And just before we parted ways, Ki Yoohyun left a mysterious remark.
“Ah. Don’t be surprised tomorrow.”
What does that mean? Why would I be surprised tomorrow? What’s there to be surprised about…….
“Meooow.”
“….Aaaah!”
I was surprised.
***
My movements were perfect. Stealthy, like something out of an espionage film. I entered the room without a sound … but Mieum was waiting for me in the room.
“Meoow…..”
In the darkness, Mieum’s golden eyes shined.
“Mi …. Mieum, weren’t you watching a drama?”
“Do you think I just watch dramas all day!”
“You do.”
As if everything from the morning dramas to Wednesday-Thursday dramas wasn’t enough, she’s also watching on my Netflix. She’s enjoying the abundance of content like a royalty who couldn’t adjust to the world.
“Kyakyaorgh! That’s not the problem.”
Pak pak pak. Mieum threw her front paw without mercy. The first nyan nyan punch that I received in a long time was quite spicy.
“Where have you been! Waeoong!”
“Ahaha …. I couldn’t sleep for a while, so I went to get some air…….”
It was a lame excuse, even for me. As expected, Mieum didn’t believe me at all.
“I saw it all, waeoong! Do you not know that person was looking at you with extremely meaningful eyes!”
Aside from the fact that I got caught seeing Ki Yoohyun….
It was clear that the conversation was heading in an unwanted direction. To distract her, I asked what I’d been wondering for a while.
“But, Mieum-ah, why are you being so mean to Yoohyun-ssi?”
Let’s look back on our cat’s attitude toward guests.
She always asks Choi Yichan to play with her. She’s also a big fan of Oh Seoho. When the other guests show interest in her, she secretly enjoys it while pretending not to.
However, when it comes to Ki Yoohyun, she pretends not to see him and avoids him. Is there a reason for that?
In response to my question, Mieum confidently declared.
“It is only natural.”
“Natural?”
“He is, so … the Great System …. waeoong! He’s just the kind of human that cats hate!”
I couldn’t quite make out the meaning. I scratched my head.
“What is the kind of human that cats hate?”
“There is such a thing!”
“Did he smell like lilies1? I don’t think he was wearing perfume…….”
“How do you know if that human was wearing perfume or not!”
Mieum jumped up and slammed her heavy body against me.
“Ouch!”
It hurts. It really hurt. The commotion eventually woke up Lime and Ash. After sending them back, saying it was nothing, I thought about Ki Yoohyun’s words again.
Don’t be surprised tomorrow?
I’ve already been thrown into the dungeon several times, so I don’t think anything could surprise me.
Huh … it’s not a big deal, is it?
***
The next morning.
Today is a regular holiday after successfully completing the ‘Cafe Rieul Ginger Festival’ for a week.
With no special plans, we decided to have a leisurely breakfast together. I set the food on the table, and filled Mieum and Lime’s bowls with their share of food.
“Meow!”
Mieum quickly stepped on the television remote control with her front paw.
“Mieum, no TV is allowed while eating.”
“……nyaaah, don’t you dare say that to me!”
This cat looked at me with a sharp glare. It was a gaze so clear that I didn’t need to be a mind reader or telepathic to know what it meant.
“I’ll tell them if you disturb me.”
No, I just went to get some fresh air with Ki Yoohyun. It’s not that I did anything unspeakable or scandalous.
“……What’s wrong? Really, what happened yesterday?”
Ash looked at me with dubious eyes. I waved my hand in a hurry.
“Uh, nothing. Let’s eat.”
However, it felt very embarrassing to bring up yesterday’s event here. I had no choice but to reluctantly drop the remote in front of Mieum’s front paws. Losing to a cat made me feel a sense of crisis as a human being.
At that time, Lime started bouncing around and pressed the remote control. When the channel changed, Mieum’s tail thumped angrily.
“Kyaoooogh!”
“Kyuuuuu!”
“Mieum, Lime …. don’t fight over that …. eh?”
I gasped as I picked up the remote to change the channel.
Lee Chorok was appearing on the morning talk show.
Translator’s Corner:
백합: Lilium longiflorum, often called the Easter lily. It’s extremely poisonous for cats. ↩︎
I was actually going to left you guys on the last chapter for a while I was finishing the early chapters of other novel but someone sent a coffee ajsahdhds Oh! just for a future note, it will be nice to state the novel you’re reading in the future so I can do the bonus chapter correctly (since I’m going to actively doing another titles too now) (please sayamen) (something bad always happened to me everytime I tried to make update schedule in the past so I just gave up).
A lot of my friends were finishing their thesis one by one and I was still stuck with no progress so ASDFGHJKL It was nice that I have this blog otherwise I’d be depressed with nothing going on properly on my life.
ALSO. KI YOOHYUN IS A BETTER PERSON THAN ME. With the way Rieul’s acting, I would already throw the “What are we?” question if I were him. Today’s TMI: While translating the shawl thing, I reminded this time when my crush lent me his jacket because I was cold. That said crush is now being on a very close relationship with my close friend. (It still makes me sad everytime I think about it) (I had a crush on him back then, but I introduced him to this close friend of mine and she developed feelings for him … so I kinda gave up and stayed away from him even though we used to be really close because I don’t want to ruin my friendship, but it still hurts now everytime I see them together now.) Please don’t introduce your crush to your friend, everyone…..
