Moreover, wasn’t he passing me off to that person too easily?
I thought he’d worry with me, but his quick cry of ‘I’m 100% in favor’ left me speechless.
I knew Cha Taeyang liked ‘Gray Coat,’ but I never thought he’d instantly approve of his mentee dating him.
What on earth should I reply?
My breathing hitched.
“Jehee, time to eat.”
“Ah, oh, yeah! I’m coming out!”
It was the best timing!
With a perfect excuse, I got up and quickly tapped the keyboard.
[Me: I need to eat now, I’ll contact you later!]
I left my phone in the room and rushed out to the living room without even checking the reply, like I was running away.
‘I guess there’s no choice but to rely on my last resort…’
In times like this, I had no choice. I had to ask Taewhan.
I didn’t have anyone else suitable to consult with…
But while eating, I decided to focus only on my meal.
I had just realized acutely while talking to Cha Taeyang that this wasn’t a light topic to discuss during dinner.
If done wrong, even an S-Class could get indigestion.
I could lose my appetite.
However, there was another problem.
‘…Why is he so happy?’
Taewhan seemed strangely excited.
His default setting was expressionless, but today, the corners of his mouth were subtly turned up.
…Did something good happen to him today?
I felt troubled again.
I worried that if I brought up my problems when he was in a good mood, I might ruin it.
“Jehee.”
“…Oh, yeah?”
“Why are you eating so poorly? Did something happen?”
“Ah.”
He was a ghost, after all. I thought I was eating normally…
Taewhan always saw me very accurately.
He managed to notice me even though he was in a cheerful mood today.
I was momentarily startled, but I was also glad, as I had been wondering how to bring up the subject.
It was always comforting that he paid such close attention to me.
“Hmm, no. Rather than something happening…”
“You have something to tell me, right?”
“I do, but… let’s talk after we eat.”
“Okay. Make sure you chew thoroughly.”
His smiling face was very bright.
…Considering he pointed out that I wasn’t eating well, there was no nagging, and he still looked to be in a good mood.
There was definitely something off.
I felt something was strange, but I casually dismissed it, thinking, ‘He must really have something good going on.’
Maybe… that was my mistake.
After finishing the meal and cleaning up the dishes, Taewhan brought out warm tea.
It was hibiscus lemon tea.
It was something we often drank while talking, with its beautiful color and subtle fragrance that calmed the body, and the slightly refreshing lemon taste that stimulated the tongue and warmed the body.
Holding the teacup with both hands, I looked at Taewhan sitting across from me, then lowered my gaze.
“Actually, I… have a problem.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
When I finally tried to speak, my throat choked up.
If Taewhan heard about what happened today, he would surely fly into a rage.
He’d worry, asking why I went to the Dungeon alone, why I accepted a fight, and if I got hurt… Cha Taeyang Hunter, my mentor, might even catch the fallout.
‘But if I keep silent, I’ll just get scolded much worse later…’
It would be better to confess right away.
In any case, with Taewhan’s intuition and intelligence, he would surely find out within three days even if I kept my mouth shut.
And everything had been resolved without any major issues anyway.
I made up my mind to tell him honestly first and ask for advice.
I explained the whole situation, from going to the Guild Management Bureau for a routine report and accidentally spotting the malicious group of Hunters from the video, to receiving a date proposal from ‘Gray Coat.’
“That’s great. Go for it.”
“……Huh?”
The first words that came out of Taewhan after I explained the situation were truly unexpected.
It felt like a stone had been placed on my chest.
I had naturally assumed he would be angry.
Taewhan was always like that.
He hated when I did dangerous things, he worried, and he was wary of me making contact with others.
Honestly, what happened today was enough to earn me 30 minutes of nagging from him under normal circumstances.
But now, Taewhan was completely casual.
“Is that something to worry about? You like him, which is why you followed him there. It is a bit concerning that you don’t know Gray Coat’s identity, but looking at his actions so far, he isn’t a bad person. Take things slow, starting with the date, and get to know him. Developing your relationship that way should be fine.”
He even chuckled slightly.
He didn’t seem to have any reservations at all.
Every word sounded completely sincere.
“Wow, when you think about it, this is a blessing in disguise. If he were your mentor, you wouldn’t have been able to date during the training period. It seems like you and him were meant to be.”
Meant to be…
We were meant to be.
He saved me in a moment of crisis.
It was also true that he was someone I respected and liked.
The words ‘meant to be’ should have been comforting to me.
But strangely… my stomach churned.
Hearing Taewhan’s words was deeply upsetting.
“The timing is perfect, too. Right after coming out. Is this Jung Jehee’s first date? As a commemorative gift, should I buy you a new outfit? Hmm, you still have quite a few clothes at home you haven’t worn, but it’s probably better if you choose. What do you think?”
He gently stroked my head.
The touch was the same as always.
His sculpted face was free of any worry, filled only with a smile.
It was a fair, clear, and extremely handsome face… and though it was a smile that always made me happy, today it felt oddly unpleasant.
It felt like something sharp was aggressively scratching my chest.
In the end, I couldn’t suppress the urge to ask.
“……You’re not angry?”
“Angry? Why would I be angry?”
“Well, I… kissed him, hugged him, and held his hand. You told me not to do that with just anyone.”
“Ah. That.”
Taewhan fell silent.
In that very brief moment of his silence, I held my breath, tense.
I became overly sensitive to the movement of Taewhan’s lips.
Finally, Taewhan’s red lips opened.
Very indifferently.
“He’s not just anyone, is he?”
“……”
“I told you. Do it with someone you like. If you like him, and he likes you, and you did it, then it’s fine. I have no right to say anything.”
And he added very calmly, “You’re an adult now, too.”
My lips trembled.
No, my hands and my whole body were trembling.
I felt strange. Taewhan was so unfamiliar.
When had he ever treated me like an adult?
This was the Im Taewhan who wouldn’t even let me go into the bathroom alone for nearly a month after I was discharged from the hospital, the one who tried to excessively hide me in his arms at every turn.
‘Even though we kissed…’
I still vividly remembered Taewhan’s breathing, body heat, and the touch of his hands from that day.
This was the moment I felt unfamiliarity from the person I was most accustomed to.
Perhaps because of that, the memory of the kiss was so vivid it made my body feel hot… but Taewhan truly seemed unbothered.
If that was the case, why did he kiss me at all?
Of course, I did beg him, but… he could have refused easily.
In the first place, did the ‘cleaning’ even need to be done?
‘No, it’s not Taewhan’s fault.’
I wasn’t trying to blame him. I knew I shouldn’t. But…
I was confused. In one way, I might have finally been acknowledged by Taewhan as an ‘independent adult.’
It felt like something I should be happy about.
But… I felt awful.
Like I was wallowing in the mud.
I couldn’t understand why I felt so terrible, but the emotion itself was uncontrollable.
As I forced my mouth open to catch my breath, a single thought suddenly occurred to me.
Impulsively, I opened my mouth, clenching my hands tightly.
“W-What if I want to have sex?”
“…What?”
“Is it okay to have sex with him? Since I’m an adult?”
I certainly had no intention of doing it.
How much did I even know the man to take such a premature step?
Setting aside the other person, I still had a strong aversion to the act of putting a penis into my bottom hole.
The reason I said that was simply because… I wanted to shatter Taewhan’s calm expression.
Knowing it was a truly wicked thing to say, I did it because I wanted to turn him back into the Im Taewhan I knew.
As expected, at the word ‘sex,’ Taewhan flinched.
His face, uncharacteristically, flushed red.
“What? Are you already thinking about things like that? On your very first date?”
“Answer me. Is it okay to do it?”
But Taewhan ended up laughing.
He joked in a light tone.
That attitude made me feel uneasy.
Even as I pressed for an answer, my body became uncontrollably rigid.
I had a very ominous feeling that Taewhan was going to give the answer I didn’t want.
“……If you want to do it, then do it.”
And the ominous premonition became a reality.
Truly, horribly.
