* * *
“We bought way too much food, and we don’t think we’ll be able to finish it all. It’d be a waste. Rather than buying more, how about sharing?”
“Come eat with us! It’s always better to eat in a group!”
They were from the tent next to ours—a team made up entirely of women.
Judging by the sheer amount of meat and side dishes piled on the table, they really had gone overboard for their numbers.
But that meat, could it be…?
‘Whoa. Beef.’
Thanks to Taehwan’s little meat lesson at the store earlier today—how to tell beef and pork apart—I could recognize it now.
That was definitely beef!
And not just any beef—multiple premium cuts.
The marbling alone screamed “expensive.”
And now they were offering to share such luxury meat with us?
I remembered something I once heard on the radio: “Free pork might come from kindness, but free beef always comes with an agenda.”
‘They’re definitely targeting Taehwan, right?’
There’s no need to overthink it.
It’s obvious.
They haven’t taken their eyes off his face.
It wouldn’t be surprising if their eyes started shooting out pink heart beams.
Their hands clasped at their chests like they were praying—so desperate, it was almost pitiful.
Even while we were eating earlier, I had caught them glancing this way.
I figured they just couldn’t help looking because Taehwan was good-looking, but to think they’d actually come over and invite us?
‘This is when I should play along, right?’
These were people who knew what they wanted and acted on it.
Confident in their approach, expressive in their gestures.
Their eager, sparkling gazes fixed on Taehwan didn’t seem to have any malicious intent.
A young man from a prestigious Hunter family, the only son no less, and even an S-class Hunter himself—he’d stayed away from romance while taking care of his “sick friend.”
And now that friend, me, had recovered enough to even go camping.
It might be fate, really.
I might just be the “extra” in the picture, but if it’s for Taehwan’s sake…
“Please join us. Okay?”
“Ah—”
Suddenly, one of the women, petite and unfamiliar, tugged on my arm.
I didn’t recognize her.
Her face flushed bright red in an instant.
“Um… your arm…”
“I overheard earlier—you’re not fond of alcohol, are you? I’m the same. But all my friends drink… and being the only one who doesn’t is kind of lonely. It’d be nice to have company… just the two of us…”
“Ah…”
“Please, have a meal with me… with us?”
W-Wait a sec.
Is she… interested in me?
No way, right?
Or is this just a clever strategy to lure Taehwan in—like, if his friend joins in, he’ll follow?
I was planning to cooperate anyway, so this kind of startled me… but for Taehwan’s sake, maybe I should try to be brave and mingle a bit—
“I’m not interested. Let go of his hand.”
B-before I could even finish the thought, Taehwan pulled me away from her, his hand firm with what felt like restrained fury.
Because of the emotion in that grip, I couldn’t even react.
My body just followed him, stunned.
And before I knew it, I was completely wrapped in his arms.
Taehwan’s scent.
His warm body heat.
The large, comforting sensation of his frame.
The big hand resting on my shoulder.
“He’s shy around strangers. Please return to your seat.”
His voice dropped from above me—cold, ice-cold.
Did he really hate someone else touching me that much?
His expression was so serious, it made my heart drop.
I understood, of course.
He’d had reporters stalking him, even been targeted for kidnapping, and gone through all sorts of messes.
But still, these girls were just regular civilians, probably approaching without any bad intent.
Wasn’t his reaction too harsh?
“I-I’m okay…”
I didn’t even finish my sentence before he pressed down gently on my head.
A clear signal to stay quiet.
He looked like he might explode if provoked, so I decided to just stay put.
I quietly held onto the hem of his shirt to show I understood.
That seemed to ease him slightly; his breathing slowed.
“A-ah, sorry… We didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“If you change your mind later, please come over anytime.”
“We’ll be waiting!”
Despite being rejected so coldly, their voices carried nothing but disappointment.
Their retreat was hesitant, full of regret.
“…What the hell was that?”
But Taehwan still wasn’t calm.
He didn’t just look cold—he looked furious.
At least the hand pressing down on my head had relaxed.
I slowly looked up at him.
“Taehwan, let’s just eat with them. The food looked good.”
“No. I’ll buy you as much meat as you want.”
“That’s not the point. We met by chance like this—it’d be fun to eat and talk together.”
Isn’t that what this is like?
A college MT.
Young people, all around the same age, gathering, drinking, eating, laughing.
I’m not the most outgoing person—I only really get along with close friends.
So I haven’t had many chances to hang out with lots of people.
Maybe that’s why I kind of admired it.
Sure, it’s a bit scary, but if I’m going to live as a Hunter, I’ll need to work with strangers, too.
This kind of thing could help build my social skills.
The more I thought about it, the more I leaned toward joining them.
But it seemed like Taehwan was firmly against it.
He let out a sigh so deep it could’ve swallowed the earth, then scowled at me like I’d just done something outrageous.
His next words came out low, boiling with frustration.
“Jung Jehee. How long has it been since we went camping?”
“Um… fifteen years, I think?”
“And after fifteen years, you want to laugh and chat with strangers instead of focusing on me?”
“Why are you saying it like that? What do you mean, ‘giggling and laughing’?”
“Then why don’t you just hang out with me? What’s the point of squeezing yourself into that pointless crowd? That’s not like you. You’re shy around strangers, right? You’re not the type to mess around and laugh with people you barely know.”
“No, I just…”
“Even if you want to hang out with others, just hold off this time.”
I was speechless. Was this really something to oppose so seriously?
If this week was a good time for me to go out and have fun, then for Taehwan, it was the perfect time to start dating.
The weight he’d been carrying—me—was gone since I’d been discharged.
I was learning to live independently without him, I had my S-class Hunter license, and thanks to what happened at Wind Hole, I could now support myself financially.
It wouldn’t hurt for him to start meeting people and looking for a relationship.
So why was he pushing away a golden opportunity?
Taehwan really was an idiot.
I lost my appetite.
I didn’t feel like laughing or chatting anymore.
I turned and headed toward the tent.
“I’m gonna go wash up.”
“You’re not eating anymore? …Okay, then I’ll come with—”
“No. I’m going alone.”
“Why?”
“Because I can shower alone.”
Technically, we could shower side by side in the facility, but I wasn’t in the mood for that right now.
When I insisted, Taehwan frowned and let out a short sigh.
Still, he glanced around and eventually gave a reluctant nod.
“…Fine. No one’s likely to use the men’s showers at this hour anyway. But if anything weird happens in there, scream. Seriously.”
“What are you even worried about? Nothing’s going to happen.”
This guy.
He’d hovered outside the bathroom before, worried I’d slip while showering—and now here he was, imagining weird stuff again.
Worried he might change his mind, I quickly made my way there.
‘It’ll be easier for others to approach Taehwan if I’m not around.’
It wasn’t just the people from the tent next to us who had asked to join us.
There were definitely more eyes on Taehwan.
I’d seen it earlier—people would stop in their tracks to look at him near the convenience store.
And sure enough, as I walked toward the shower building with my toiletry pouch, I caught some obvious stares from nearby tents.
Looked like the ones who spoke up first had triggered a chain reaction.
Back when we were kids, there had been a sudden wave of confessions aimed at Taehwan too.
It had spread like a trend, out of nowhere.
The first move was always the hardest, but once someone broke the ice, the rest would follow.
Getting rejected didn’t sting as much when everyone else was getting turned down too.
I silently rooted for those hesitating on the sidelines, wondering when they’d get the guts to approach that handsome guy, then stepped into the showers.
—Shhhhhh—
The campsite’s shower facilities were pretty decent.
Clean, spacious, not a single busted cabinet.
Hot water came out strong and steady, and the water pressure was perfect.
It really was an ideal spot for busy office workers to stop by and unwind for a bit.
Still, I couldn’t fully focus on my shower.
My mind kept drifting—to the image of Taehwan getting married.
* * *
