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Junghyo covered her lips with the back of her hand, as if worried that Han Woohyun might rush in again. He smiled slightly and pulled his body back. Then Junghyo’s reddened lips opened. “I will never read your mind again.” Before she could get up, Han Woohyun grabbed her wrist, her ears flushed red. He pulled the wrist he was holding towards himself so gently that she couldn’t even feel it. The gazes of the two intertwined in the air. Even though he might have already been caught. No, he should have already been caught. He poured out his heart impatiently. “I love you.” “….!” Han Woohyun quietly spoke as he slipped through Junghyo’s fingers. “I don’t care how much you read my mind.” Unable to look at Junghyo’s embarrassed eyes for long, Han Woohyun lowered his eyes sadly. “No matter who you are, this feeling… you can’t take it away from me.” In a moment that felt like his breath was creeping up to his chin, Han Woohyun finally raised his head to look at Junghyo. “So…” His words didn’t come out smoothly, as if something were caught in his throat. “If you ever get tired when I’m saying I love you… promise me you’ll tell me,” “….!” He didn’t notice that Junghyo’s eyes were shaking for a moment. His head was dizzy from drunkenness. In fact, it may not be because he has been drunk. Whatever it was, he felt dizzy. Just like that day 8 years ago. ‘Ack…! What is this? Which punk…!’ The person who got hit by a basketball on the head turned to look at Han Woohyun and grimaced. ‘S, so it’s Woohyun. The ball flew wrong. H, here, take it.’ Looking back now, he was just a kid. Only 2nd year of high school. He must have had a youthful face, but back then, looking at that face, it didn’t feel any sense of youthfulness or immaturity. Just… a face that seemed to know the future? You’ll just live like that, and die like that. It was a similar feeling to seeing his Uncle’s face. Han Woohyun caught the ball thrown by the guy and stood still under the tree. He was looking at the cell phone he was holding. It was that person. The homeroom teacher searched through all the confiscated phones and found them. Touching other people’s belongings, rummaging through their phones. He knew it was a despicable act. Still, there was no other choice. Because he had to find the person who took a photo of Junghyo and posted it on social media. Confirmation in the same class as Lee Semyung’s daughter. There were also words written there that were hard to put into words about Junghyo’s appearance. Whoosh. Suddenly, the basketball in Han Woohyun’s hand burst and fell apart. The guy’s face turned pale when he saw that. The fingers holding the phone tightened. Han Woohyun asked with cold eyes. ‘Why? Are you planning to take another photo?’ ‘What?’ ‘Didn’t you just take a photo of me? So, you’re planning to upload it somewhere again?’ ‘N…no…! When did I…!’ It didn’t matter whether I took a picture or not. Han Woohyun gritted his teeth until they made a clicking sound. The guy’s face went from white to blue. ‘Give me that.’ ‘…Huh?’ Han Woohyun snatched the phone from the guy’s hand. Soon, the phone turned to dust in his grip. I will verify it again in the next article. He recalled the post the guy had made as he retrieved the SIM card from amidst the wreckage of the ruined phone. ‘…Hey…!’ When the guy seemed angry and was about to rush at him, Han Woohyun looked down at the torn basketball and said, ‘You should be grateful that I smashed your phone… not your head.’ It felt dizzy. It was because of anger. He wanted to smash his jaw, but— Hitting people… As expected, he still doesn’t like it. He doesn’t want to see people become helpless in the face of violence, no matter who they are. Because it’s tiresome. He looked down at the trembling guy and quickly turned his head. Now that he’s got the SIM card, he’s at least secured some evidence. He thought so and continued his steps. It was about half past lunch time. He knew well where Junghyo was by now. Near the cat’s grave. The bench in the backyard behind the unused annex. He walked briskly until he reached the pathway where the bench inside the annex building was visible. However, once he saw the small figure sitting on the bench, his steps slowed down. Junghyo was on the phone. ‘In the end, Aunt found the culprit. She hasn’t told me yet… After class today, Uncle Minhyuk came to the school. Uncle… don’t cry.’ The slightly visible profile unexpectedly showed a smile while holding onto fluttering hair in the wind. So she found it. He quietly held the evidence that was no longer needed and looked at Junghyo. While one of Junghyo’s hands was holding her hair, the straw that came with the banana milk that was on Junghyo’s thigh flew away. Junghyo, with a startled expression, rose from the bench to try to catch it. ‘Yes? Oh, lunch? It’s not really about that… Just, my friend said they’re going on a diet, so I thought, why not try it too… And using the cafeteria seemed like a hassle. Really. It’s fine, really.’ Lie. You’re really good at lying. Not having a friend to eat lunch with, not even in the classroom, and going as far as bringing bread here to eat, always being alone. Because everything is not okay. She was afraid that someone she thought she was close to would change in an instant by uploading a hidden camera to the Internet, ‘verifying’ it, and something like that. Like me. It was then. Junghyo’s gaze, grasping at a straw, suddenly stopped at the place where she buried the cat. Junghyo’s eyes suddenly became empty. ‘I should go back in and hang up the phone now… Yes, I’ll call you later. Uncle, please stop crying. The twins will be surprised.’ After hanging up the phone, Junghyo sat down in front of the flower bed and quietly gazed at the spot where she buried the cat a little while longer. He suddenly realized. That child is not here to remember ‘where they buried the cat.’Is she mourning? No. She’s waiting. He suddenly realized. That child is not here to remember ‘where she buried the cat.’ She’s waiting in the courtyard where the young cat often appeared. May the dead cat reappear, damaging the bushes with its arrogant steps. It doesn’t make sense, but… she’s waiting. That small body in school uniform sat like that for a while. Only then did he know. – I will never love anything again. Why did you say you wouldn’t love anything anymore? Could it be that she had no choice but to make such a self-torturing oath? Because… she misses it too much. She must have done it because she’ll miss it for a long time. Junghyo stood up. The body rose, but the gaze lingered as if the heart remained seated in that spot. At that moment when Junghyo’s gaze lingered on the bushes where the cat used to frequently roam, it felt as if it were soaking deeply into the foliage, almost overflowing with memories of those times. It must have been from then on. The child who swore never to love anything again, became the one he loved. “…Then?” Han Woohyun came out of his long reminiscence and saw Junghyo. Junghyo was asking. “What?” “If I say I’m tired of those words, what will you do?” Junghyo’s face was so close. It was far away back then. “Back then…” Han Woohyun took a deep breath and confessed his feelings, which had been stagnant for 8 years and had a rotten smell. “Now don’t just take a break at me anymore… “ “…not anymore?” There was a locked tone in Junghyo’s voice. It seemed as if she was as nervous as Han Woohyun. That can’t be possible. It was then. Junghyo said, squeezing his cheek. “You should say that you love me.” Her fingers brushed Han Woohyun’s hair. His eyes turned red. “I…” “….” “I love you, Junghyo.” * * * The next morning. Han Woohyun woke up with the feeling of ‘tiredness’ for the first time in a very long time. It had been quite a while since even he himself was surprised by the groaning sound he made. Perhaps this is the first time since S-Class awakening. ‘Is it because of the alcohol I drank yesterday?’ As soon as he woke up, the first thing he did was look for his cell phone. It was a behavior that had become ingrained in him at some point, like a habit. He has to say good morning. Thinking like that, he turned on his phone— Junghyo Good morning. (Picture) The message came first. Han Woohyun unconsciously picked up his pillow and buried his face. Buuk— With a familiar sound, the pillow tore apart, but he didn’t pay much attention, cooling off a bit more on the bed before getting up. On the screen that he swiped to open, there was a photo sent by Junghyo. It was a photo of the kitchen at his house. “….?” Did Junghyo take him home last night? Han Woohyun felt a shiver run down his spine ‘Don’t play with Min Kangjin. Just play with me.’ Damn it. This is clearly a fabricated memory. He closed his eyes tightly. But at that time, Junghyo’s phone call dealt the final blow to him, who was trying hard to deny the memories of the previous night. – Are you sober now? You were… cute last night. He bit his lip at the sound of the youthful laughter. He changed the topic to avoid mentioning yesterday’s events as much as possible. “Did you boil hangover soup and leave?” Han Woohyun went to the kitchen to find the pot shown in the picture sent by Junghyo. Inside the pot was bean sprout soup. – I ordered it and left. There was pizza on the table and coffee in the refrigerator. Junghyo explained that coffee is a potion. ‘Vitalizing Iced Caramel Macchiato (D)’ —Vitality increases by 500%. “Pizza, hangover soup, coffee?” Han Woohyun took out a tumbler from the refrigerator. He pressed down hard on the ice formed on the surface of the tumbler with his hand. – It’s a typical hangover item. I prepared it because I thought if I asked you, you would say it doesn’t matter. Find out what you like best. Cold water droplets ran down his fingers. ‘You’re the only one I’ve chosen and liked.’ Those words seemed to remain in Junghyo’s mind. I didn’t really want to leave an impression on you, but seeing you remember what I said makes me feel… awkward. His contradictory feelings amused him. Han Woohyun opened the tumbler and muttered while drinking sweet coffee. “I think it’s coffee…” – As expected. “As expected?” – You like sweet things. “I?” Like sweet things? That sounds a bit childish, doesn’t it? Han Woohyun asked back a little sullenly and swirled the tumbler to mix the caramel that had sunk to the bottom. Junghyo laughed as if that voice was funny. Han Woohyun’s face heated up again for a moment. ‘It’s nice.’ Your smile. It’s also because of me, isn’t it? Han Woohyun cautiously asked Junghyo. “Yesterday… Did I make any mistakes?” There was silence for a moment, then an answer came. – No, you didn’t. Why? Don’t you remember…? “….” Junghyo said as if she was surprised. – So even S-rank hunters can experience blackouts. The next words came back with a slightly worried groan. – Now, don’t drink in front of other people. “?” – Dangerous. It’s very dangerous. At the same time as unknown words, he heard someone calling Junghyo. – Well… I think I should go now. Have a good morning. “Mhm. Good morning.” Han Woohyun let out a sigh of regret, feeling somewhat reluctant to end the call. But at the same time, a sense of relief came over him. It was dangerous. If they were together, she would have definitely caught him lying. Because saying he doesn’t remember is a lie. ‘I love you, Junghyo.’ Han Woohyun sat on the sofa with a disheveled expression, clutching the tumbler tightly. * * * After a while. A post was posted on Han Woohyun’s SNS, which was practically an inactive account. @woohyun (Picture) It’s sweet and delicious. This is the only post. By the way, he tagged @0spring_hotel. My reputation began to grow explosively. Reputation increases by 200! Reputation increases by 100! And it hit 100,000 in an instant. Congratulations! The reward for completing the quest ‘4-Star Hotel is KingJeong~’ has arrived. With the power of a ‘4-star hotel owner’… Hello! You can also buy the advanced chapter in Ko-fi now, just click the ko-fi button and look for the title of the novel in shop. Thank you for your support!
Chapter 165
“You have the skill to read minds, right?”
Perhaps because the air conditioner had just been turned on, a sticky feeling remained on the floor. Han Woohyun, sitting on the floor and leaning back on the sofa, asked. Junghyo, who was rustling something, turned her head. Of course, she doesn’t look like she was caught off guard…but rather a shy face. “How did you know?” “I had some expectations, but… judging by your expression, it seems like I was right.” Han Woohyun raised the corners of his mouth and smiled. Then, he reached out his hand and gently brushed Junghyo’s cheek. The sticky feeling of the floor doesn’t come from humidity. Rather, it is because of his own greed that has become so thick that it becomes sticky. It’s Junghyo with a puzzled expression that he doesn’t see often. It seemed like she was worried about whether her attempt to see through his feelings would upset him. That was Junghyo’s thought, but it was an unnecessary worry. He had absolutely nothing to lose if Junghyo read his mind. It’s just cute to see Junghyo flustered with a red face. “So…?” He asked with tired eyes. “How did you feel after reading this?” Junghyo bit her lips. This was also cute, but he was worried that her lips might get chapped. His hand naturally went to Junghyo’s lips. It was hard to let it end there as he was touching her soft lips. His brown eyes darkened for a moment. “My heart must have been very messy.” Chu—. With a brief sound, his lips touched hers and then parted. “….!Junghyo covered her lips with the back of her hand, as if worried that Han Woohyun might rush in again. He smiled slightly and pulled his body back. Then Junghyo’s reddened lips opened. “I will never read your mind again.” Before she could get up, Han Woohyun grabbed her wrist, her ears flushed red. He pulled the wrist he was holding towards himself so gently that she couldn’t even feel it. The gazes of the two intertwined in the air. Even though he might have already been caught. No, he should have already been caught. He poured out his heart impatiently. “I love you.” “….!” Han Woohyun quietly spoke as he slipped through Junghyo’s fingers. “I don’t care how much you read my mind.” Unable to look at Junghyo’s embarrassed eyes for long, Han Woohyun lowered his eyes sadly. “No matter who you are, this feeling… you can’t take it away from me.” In a moment that felt like his breath was creeping up to his chin, Han Woohyun finally raised his head to look at Junghyo. “So…” His words didn’t come out smoothly, as if something were caught in his throat. “If you ever get tired when I’m saying I love you… promise me you’ll tell me,” “….!” He didn’t notice that Junghyo’s eyes were shaking for a moment. His head was dizzy from drunkenness. In fact, it may not be because he has been drunk. Whatever it was, he felt dizzy. Just like that day 8 years ago. ‘Ack…! What is this? Which punk…!’ The person who got hit by a basketball on the head turned to look at Han Woohyun and grimaced. ‘S, so it’s Woohyun. The ball flew wrong. H, here, take it.’ Looking back now, he was just a kid. Only 2nd year of high school. He must have had a youthful face, but back then, looking at that face, it didn’t feel any sense of youthfulness or immaturity. Just… a face that seemed to know the future? You’ll just live like that, and die like that. It was a similar feeling to seeing his Uncle’s face. Han Woohyun caught the ball thrown by the guy and stood still under the tree. He was looking at the cell phone he was holding. It was that person. The homeroom teacher searched through all the confiscated phones and found them. Touching other people’s belongings, rummaging through their phones. He knew it was a despicable act. Still, there was no other choice. Because he had to find the person who took a photo of Junghyo and posted it on social media. Confirmation in the same class as Lee Semyung’s daughter. There were also words written there that were hard to put into words about Junghyo’s appearance. Whoosh. Suddenly, the basketball in Han Woohyun’s hand burst and fell apart. The guy’s face turned pale when he saw that. The fingers holding the phone tightened. Han Woohyun asked with cold eyes. ‘Why? Are you planning to take another photo?’ ‘What?’ ‘Didn’t you just take a photo of me? So, you’re planning to upload it somewhere again?’ ‘N…no…! When did I…!’ It didn’t matter whether I took a picture or not. Han Woohyun gritted his teeth until they made a clicking sound. The guy’s face went from white to blue. ‘Give me that.’ ‘…Huh?’ Han Woohyun snatched the phone from the guy’s hand. Soon, the phone turned to dust in his grip. I will verify it again in the next article. He recalled the post the guy had made as he retrieved the SIM card from amidst the wreckage of the ruined phone. ‘…Hey…!’ When the guy seemed angry and was about to rush at him, Han Woohyun looked down at the torn basketball and said, ‘You should be grateful that I smashed your phone… not your head.’ It felt dizzy. It was because of anger. He wanted to smash his jaw, but— Hitting people… As expected, he still doesn’t like it. He doesn’t want to see people become helpless in the face of violence, no matter who they are. Because it’s tiresome. He looked down at the trembling guy and quickly turned his head. Now that he’s got the SIM card, he’s at least secured some evidence. He thought so and continued his steps. It was about half past lunch time. He knew well where Junghyo was by now. Near the cat’s grave. The bench in the backyard behind the unused annex. He walked briskly until he reached the pathway where the bench inside the annex building was visible. However, once he saw the small figure sitting on the bench, his steps slowed down. Junghyo was on the phone. ‘In the end, Aunt found the culprit. She hasn’t told me yet… After class today, Uncle Minhyuk came to the school. Uncle… don’t cry.’ The slightly visible profile unexpectedly showed a smile while holding onto fluttering hair in the wind. So she found it. He quietly held the evidence that was no longer needed and looked at Junghyo. While one of Junghyo’s hands was holding her hair, the straw that came with the banana milk that was on Junghyo’s thigh flew away. Junghyo, with a startled expression, rose from the bench to try to catch it. ‘Yes? Oh, lunch? It’s not really about that… Just, my friend said they’re going on a diet, so I thought, why not try it too… And using the cafeteria seemed like a hassle. Really. It’s fine, really.’ Lie. You’re really good at lying. Not having a friend to eat lunch with, not even in the classroom, and going as far as bringing bread here to eat, always being alone. Because everything is not okay. She was afraid that someone she thought she was close to would change in an instant by uploading a hidden camera to the Internet, ‘verifying’ it, and something like that. Like me. It was then. Junghyo’s gaze, grasping at a straw, suddenly stopped at the place where she buried the cat. Junghyo’s eyes suddenly became empty. ‘I should go back in and hang up the phone now… Yes, I’ll call you later. Uncle, please stop crying. The twins will be surprised.’ After hanging up the phone, Junghyo sat down in front of the flower bed and quietly gazed at the spot where she buried the cat a little while longer. He suddenly realized. That child is not here to remember ‘where they buried the cat.’Is she mourning? No. She’s waiting. He suddenly realized. That child is not here to remember ‘where she buried the cat.’ She’s waiting in the courtyard where the young cat often appeared. May the dead cat reappear, damaging the bushes with its arrogant steps. It doesn’t make sense, but… she’s waiting. That small body in school uniform sat like that for a while. Only then did he know. – I will never love anything again. Why did you say you wouldn’t love anything anymore? Could it be that she had no choice but to make such a self-torturing oath? Because… she misses it too much. She must have done it because she’ll miss it for a long time. Junghyo stood up. The body rose, but the gaze lingered as if the heart remained seated in that spot. At that moment when Junghyo’s gaze lingered on the bushes where the cat used to frequently roam, it felt as if it were soaking deeply into the foliage, almost overflowing with memories of those times. It must have been from then on. The child who swore never to love anything again, became the one he loved. “…Then?” Han Woohyun came out of his long reminiscence and saw Junghyo. Junghyo was asking. “What?” “If I say I’m tired of those words, what will you do?” Junghyo’s face was so close. It was far away back then. “Back then…” Han Woohyun took a deep breath and confessed his feelings, which had been stagnant for 8 years and had a rotten smell. “Now don’t just take a break at me anymore… “ “…not anymore?” There was a locked tone in Junghyo’s voice. It seemed as if she was as nervous as Han Woohyun. That can’t be possible. It was then. Junghyo said, squeezing his cheek. “You should say that you love me.” Her fingers brushed Han Woohyun’s hair. His eyes turned red. “I…” “….” “I love you, Junghyo.” * * * The next morning. Han Woohyun woke up with the feeling of ‘tiredness’ for the first time in a very long time. It had been quite a while since even he himself was surprised by the groaning sound he made. Perhaps this is the first time since S-Class awakening. ‘Is it because of the alcohol I drank yesterday?’ As soon as he woke up, the first thing he did was look for his cell phone. It was a behavior that had become ingrained in him at some point, like a habit. He has to say good morning. Thinking like that, he turned on his phone— Junghyo Good morning. (Picture) The message came first. Han Woohyun unconsciously picked up his pillow and buried his face. Buuk— With a familiar sound, the pillow tore apart, but he didn’t pay much attention, cooling off a bit more on the bed before getting up. On the screen that he swiped to open, there was a photo sent by Junghyo. It was a photo of the kitchen at his house. “….?” Did Junghyo take him home last night? Han Woohyun felt a shiver run down his spine ‘Don’t play with Min Kangjin. Just play with me.’ Damn it. This is clearly a fabricated memory. He closed his eyes tightly. But at that time, Junghyo’s phone call dealt the final blow to him, who was trying hard to deny the memories of the previous night. – Are you sober now? You were… cute last night. He bit his lip at the sound of the youthful laughter. He changed the topic to avoid mentioning yesterday’s events as much as possible. “Did you boil hangover soup and leave?” Han Woohyun went to the kitchen to find the pot shown in the picture sent by Junghyo. Inside the pot was bean sprout soup. – I ordered it and left. There was pizza on the table and coffee in the refrigerator. Junghyo explained that coffee is a potion. ‘Vitalizing Iced Caramel Macchiato (D)’ —Vitality increases by 500%. “Pizza, hangover soup, coffee?” Han Woohyun took out a tumbler from the refrigerator. He pressed down hard on the ice formed on the surface of the tumbler with his hand. – It’s a typical hangover item. I prepared it because I thought if I asked you, you would say it doesn’t matter. Find out what you like best. Cold water droplets ran down his fingers. ‘You’re the only one I’ve chosen and liked.’ Those words seemed to remain in Junghyo’s mind. I didn’t really want to leave an impression on you, but seeing you remember what I said makes me feel… awkward. His contradictory feelings amused him. Han Woohyun opened the tumbler and muttered while drinking sweet coffee. “I think it’s coffee…” – As expected. “As expected?” – You like sweet things. “I?” Like sweet things? That sounds a bit childish, doesn’t it? Han Woohyun asked back a little sullenly and swirled the tumbler to mix the caramel that had sunk to the bottom. Junghyo laughed as if that voice was funny. Han Woohyun’s face heated up again for a moment. ‘It’s nice.’ Your smile. It’s also because of me, isn’t it? Han Woohyun cautiously asked Junghyo. “Yesterday… Did I make any mistakes?” There was silence for a moment, then an answer came. – No, you didn’t. Why? Don’t you remember…? “….” Junghyo said as if she was surprised. – So even S-rank hunters can experience blackouts. The next words came back with a slightly worried groan. – Now, don’t drink in front of other people. “?” – Dangerous. It’s very dangerous. At the same time as unknown words, he heard someone calling Junghyo. – Well… I think I should go now. Have a good morning. “Mhm. Good morning.” Han Woohyun let out a sigh of regret, feeling somewhat reluctant to end the call. But at the same time, a sense of relief came over him. It was dangerous. If they were together, she would have definitely caught him lying. Because saying he doesn’t remember is a lie. ‘I love you, Junghyo.’ Han Woohyun sat on the sofa with a disheveled expression, clutching the tumbler tightly. * * * After a while. A post was posted on Han Woohyun’s SNS, which was practically an inactive account. @woohyun (Picture) It’s sweet and delicious. This is the only post. By the way, he tagged @0spring_hotel. My reputation began to grow explosively. Reputation increases by 200! Reputation increases by 100! And it hit 100,000 in an instant. Congratulations! The reward for completing the quest ‘4-Star Hotel is KingJeong~’ has arrived. With the power of a ‘4-star hotel owner’… Hello! You can also buy the advanced chapter in Ko-fi now, just click the ko-fi button and look for the title of the novel in shop. Thank you for your support!
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