chapter 13
13 – You Don’t Have to Know
Although the pure white robe tried its best to cover it, it failed to hide Yeonhwa’s voluptuous chest.
Her slender waist and the curvaceous rise of her hips completed her graceful figure.
Her body was so enchanting that just looking at it could make you lose your mind.
Unconsciously, I reached out my hand to her, forgetting all decorum.
Thinking that it would be fortunate not to let even a drop of saliva escape, her body approached my hand before it could reach her.
She, who had already sensed my desire, adjusted her posture to make it easier for my hand to explore her.
Why is she so devoted to me, radiating such a fantastic beauty?
I contemplated asking Yeonhwa that question, but I quickly realized that I was too afraid to speak.
***
“You’re asking if it’s because of me. Why can’t you answer?”
It was so bewildering that I couldn’t help but be speechless.
“Jihoon, an E-rank Hunter, may have used whatever means necessary to make Changhoon like that. I don’t know the exact reason for it, but if it’s for the reason I suspect, you should go apologize immediately.”
“What’s the reason you suspect?”
“…What?”
“What reason do you suspect?”
Yoojung suddenly approached Jihoon and blurted out her words, clearly confused about how to handle this situation.
Ever since they met in the library not long ago, Jihoon has consistently surprised her with his unpredictability.
Every word he spoke kept catching her off guard.
He used to secretly admire her from a distance, glance at her without her knowing, and even feel shy about saying hello.
“Well, it’s because you…”
“What am I?”
Jihoon’s face lit up with a teasing smile.
His relaxed gaze stared directly into Yoojung’s eyes.
No, rather than looking straight at her, he was scanning her with mockery and ridicule.
Yu Jeong felt it difficult to fully confront that gaze.
As if trying to hide her flushed cheeks, she lowered her head towards the ground and continued speaking.
“What are you talking about… you know too…”
“Me? How would I know the relationship between Yu Jeong, Ji Hoon, and the right leg? You never told me.”
“What… what do you mean by that…”
“No, Yu Jeong… please tell me what you mean. Let me know what you’re curious about.”
“Are you the one who liked me and made Ji Hoon get hurt!!”
With tightly clenched fists, her gaze lowered to the ground.
She barely managed to shout, her lips trembling.
Seon Hee, who was beside them, was greatly surprised by Yu Jeong’s unfamiliar appearance.
The Yu Jeong she knew was always bold and confident, never intimidated in front of men, a wonderful friend.
“hahahahaha!!! hahahaha!”
Ji Hoon started acting out his exaggerated laughter.
Seemingly feeling no end to his uproarious laughter, he didn’t stop, even gripping his stomach.
Curious about what was happening, onlookers began to gather, those who were approaching the vending machine to get a drink, and those coming out after their physical training.
“Why… why are you laughing…”
“Huh… heh… hoohoo sorry, sorry… but why are you so funny, really.”
When Yu Jeong heard Ji Hoon’s words, her cheeks and ears turned as red as a ripe apple.
After laughing for a while longer, Ji Hoon faced Yu Jeong once again.
“So I liked you and made Ji Hoon’s leg get cut? Why would I do that? Did Ji Hoon like you too?”
Hearing Ji Hoon’s words, pretending not to know anything, Yu Jeong felt her heart sink.
Something had gone wrong.
“Oh right! Ji Hoon likes you too, right?”
Ji Hoon cheered happily as if he had solved an interesting riddle.
Yu Jeong’s soul had already flown far away a long time ago.
As Ji Hoon continued to ask Yu Jeong, who had lost her words,
“But how did you know about Ji Hoon’s leg?”
“I… I treated it…”
“Oh? So you’re a healer?”
(Original excerpt provided by the user)
Yujeong wanted to refute Jihun, who spoke as if he knew nothing about himself.
“Why pretend not to know? It’s been three years since you’ve been chasing after me, how can you not know that?”
But after experiencing a foolish incident, Yujeong could only swallow the question.
“…Right, a healer type…”
“Oh, I see… B rank? A rank?”
“…B rank.”
“Is your skill also B rank? Did you attach the leg well in one go?”
“I did… I connected the leg well… Now, answer my question.”
Jihun, who was asking about everything he was curious about, demanded an answer again, and Yujeong had to focus and respond.
“Of course not. It’s true that I liked you a lot when I was younger, but I’m not a crazy person who would cut off people’s legs for you… Hmph.”
Yujeong examined Jihun’s playful face as he replied.
Reluctantly, he didn’t seem to be lying.
Instead, he seemed to be making an effort not to mock himself.
“What about when you were young? Just a while ago, I couldn’t even look you in the eye!”
Yujeong concealed her unfair feelings and continued the conversation.
“Well… Why did you do that then?”
“Um… that is…”
Jihun’s expression turned serious as he thought about what to say.
Yujeong, looking at him, felt an inexplicable tremor.
His sudden sincerity and the atmosphere made it difficult to approach him.
Yujeong felt her heart racing as she started to feel her heart beating wildly.
Although she had rejected the confessions of many men who pursued Changhun, she had never been interested in men until now.
She felt an emotion that was hard to explain emerging from within.
Was it escaping from the consciousness, or was it escaping from the consciousness?
Jihun, who suddenly smiled again, “That friend made a really pretty girl cry. But that girl begged me for revenge.”
“A girl? Who is that?”
“That’s something you don’t need to know.”
Frowning at Jihun’s words, Yujeong, who couldn’t understand why she felt hurt and her heart was pounding, responded fiercely.
“Why is it okay to cut someone’s legs off just because she made a woman cry? Isn’t that too severe?”
“No, it’s not severe.”
“What? How can you-“
Yu Jeong interrupted, trying to stop the conversation from going off track. “Let’s stop interfering with irrelevant matters… Chang-hoon’s friend will continue to be injured frequently, so please take good care of him whenever that happens!”
“Are you going to do this again? How do you listen to me-“
Yu Jeong stopped speaking and held her breath as Ji Hoon suddenly approached.
Ji Hoon lowered his head to meet Yu Jeong’s gaze and spoke softly in a low voice.
“I could have cut his throat, not his legs. He’s still alive… because I still have some business to attend to with him.”
Ji Hoon spoke with a smile, but the atmosphere was so intense that it made Yu Jeong unable to even consider arguing back.
That’s when it happened.
“Oh? Kang Ji Hoon? I see you again? So you also use this physical training center.”
Han So Jeong, who was about to enter the training center, noticed Ji Hoon and approached.
“Han… Han So Jeong?”
Even before Ji Hoon, Yu Jeong recognized her and spoke.
“Is it Han So Jeong? Class 2…”
So Jeong glanced at Yu Jeong, who recognized her, and then turned to Ji Hoon without even answering her.
As if Yu Jeong didn’t exist in that spot. She completely excluded Yu Jeong and spoke to Ji Hoon.
“What if you run away like that again? I couldn’t even catch up with how fast you were. Let me hear your story-“
“I don’t want to, so why do you keep bothering me? Do whatever you want, guild.”
“No, if you have any conditions you want to discuss, at least talk. Hey! Hey! Where are you going again!”
As Ji Hoon walked away, covering his ears as if he didn’t want to hear So Jeong’s words, So Jeong chased after him.
In an instant, Yu Jeong, who was ignored by Ji Hoon and So Jeong, stood still, staring at their backs.
“Y-Yu Jeong, are you okay?”
“Huh… huh? Ah, Seon Hee… Uh, let’s go back now.”
Yu Jeong walked unsteadily as if she were possessed by something, and Seon Hee followed her, matching her steps.
They walked but kept turning back to look at the direction where Ji Hoon disappeared, several times.
Only Seon Hee, who was walking with Yu Jeong, could vaguely guess Yu Jeong’s state.
***
A few days later
“But seriously, why do you hate it so much?”
Sat in front of Jihun, Sojeong had a frustrated expression on her face as she dipped the sundae into the tteokbokki broth and put it in her mouth, smiling contentedly.
“Don’t you eat?”
“You can eat as much as you want.”
“Yeah, I’ll eat it all~”
With an excited expression, Jihun skewered three pieces of sundae with his chopsticks and dipped them in salt before putting them in his mouth.
Seeing Jihun chewing and swallowing the sundae with delight, Sojeong’s appetite was stirred, and she immediately picked up her chopsticks.
Jihun stopped her hand.
“I told you to eat it all, didn’t I? You said you wouldn’t eat it?”
“This is something I bought. Are you gonna pay?”
When Jihun let go of Sojeong’s hand, she also eagerly ate the sundae and tteokbokki with her chopsticks.
“If you don’t want to join the guild like that, why don’t you join the Gate Expedition this time as a mercenary? Huh? You could earn a lot of money, right? Let’s order tteokbokki with extra cheese and eat it, Jihun~”
With Sojeong’s playful aegyo mixed in her words, Jihun fell into deep thought for a moment.