Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Lion Mask Reunion
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Seeing things escalate, I quickly sent Lark aside and apologized.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry just cuts it? Where were your eyes in broad daylight that you couldn't see where you were going?"
I was momentarily stunned by the thug's aggressive tone.
I'd just heard about Lark getting into a scuffle, and now here I was, caught in the exact same situation.
'What kind of cliché forced event is this...?'
The man with his bright red hair cropped short looked at least twice—no, three times—my size, with a belly like Mount Namsan and rippling muscles.
In other words, he was the kind of bulk where bumping shoulders wouldn't even faze him. If anything, my shoulder hurt more...
"And you walk around wearing crap like that, so you can't even see ahead and slam into people? Huh?"
It wasn't annoyance; he just plain wanted to pick a fight.
The best way to deal with types like him was to smooth things over. Swallowing my irritation, I apologized again.
"I'm really sorry. I'll watch where I'm going from now on."
"No, you think saying sorry with words fixes everything?"
Then what did he want?
Irritation was starting to bubble up when he reached out with a massive hand, like he was going to yank off my mask.
"Whoa, hold it."
Lark suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking the man's hand with his arm.
"And who the hell are you?"
"It's so packed you can barely step anywhere, so bumping into someone by accident happens. It's a fun festival—let's not ruin each other's moods and just go our separate ways. Haha..."
Lark spoke with a friendly laugh, but his nonchalant attitude only seemed to rile the man up more.
The man exchanged glances with his two buddies nearby, then let out a mocking snicker.
"The festival's already annoying enough with all you damn brats swarming and making noise, and now trash like flies shows up? What's with this stupid lion head, huh?"
The man gritted his teeth and added,
"Makes me sick seeing animal bastards slinking around in pairs like that..."
There was an inexplicable edge of jealousy and resentment in his mutter.
How could it be so obvious... like a panorama of a life where he'd never even held a girl's hand.
"What, out in broad daylight doing what? Huh? You guys without girls—how pathetic must your lives be?"
The man prodded the mouth part of Lark's lion mask in a nasty way. The loose-fitting mask comically swiveled to the side.
In that instant, I snapped from behind Lark.
"Why don't you cut it out? We already apologized, so why are you being like this?"
I'd tried to keep my voice low and quiet to stay out of sight...
Unfortunately, people with a nose for drama stopped in their tracks out of curiosity about the daytime commotion, gathering around us.
"Oho? Check out this feisty little lioness."
A mask or not, lioness? My annoyed reaction must've shown through, because the man cackled even harder.
"Pretty, huh?"
He reached out again, like he was going for my mask.
But smack—Lark caught it easily. The grip on the man's wrist was firm enough to make him flinch.
"Who the hell are you? Let go!"
"Hmm, your face looks kinda familiar. Hey, don't we know each other from somewhere?"
"What?"
Keeping a tight hold on the man's wrist with his left hand, Lark adjusted his own crooked mask with his right.
"You know, seven years ago, the whole neighborhood was shaking from all the yelling. Like you didn't know whose son I was."
"Seven years ago...? Oh!"
The man's surprised face broke into a grin as he said,
"Damn, you still got the same tastes? Still walking around with a lion head?"
"What, Joe? You know each other?"
One of his friends standing by asked, and Joe cackled.
"You were there too—don't you remember? This punk strutted around and got the beating of his life from us. Lion mask."
"Hey, watch your words."
Even then, Lark turned to me and corrected, "It wasn't that bad of a beating, right?"
From the looks of it, this was the same guy who'd picked a fight with him seven years ago. What a coincidence.
"Honestly, 5-on-1 was a bit much. And I was at a disadvantage protecting my mask."
"Oh! I remember, I remember! Come to think of it, even at 5-on-1 we were getting pushed back until we barely turned it around at the end!"
"Yeah, yeah! Joe was trying to fight solo, but when it looked bad, he signaled us to all pile on!"
Joe's friend 1 clapped his hands, and friend 2 chimed in.
"Yep, yep. That's how it went."
Lark nodded in satisfaction, but Joe scowled and turned to his friends.
"...Whose side are you guys on?"
"Anyway, good to see a familiar face after so long. That intimidating build's the same as ever. Have fun at the festival."
"Yeah, whatever. Lion mask, you've grown a bit."
Lark let go of the wrist with a smile, and Joe grinned brightly. It felt like things were wrapping up warmly.
"Hanging with a cute little lioness on the side, and you're a whole head taller than me now..."
Joe laughed haha, then his face hardened as he menacingly added,
"Annoying bastard."
And in the blink of an eye, his fist swung through the air.
"Mommy!"
"Whoa."
While I froze in shock, expecting a hit, Lark seemed to have anticipated it and casually grabbed his arm.
Then, like uprooting a thick radish fresh from the field—hairy and all—he easily twisted Joe's massive arm into submission.
"Ughhh! Ack!"
Joe whined dramatically as his arm was wrenched.
"I get the friendly reunion vibe, but you don't wanna part quietly?"
"You little...!"
"Guess no choice then."
Lark lightly hooked Joe's leg. His enormous bulk wobbled and tilted.
At the same time, the merciless Lark let go of the hand supporting Joe's body.
'Oof, his nose is gonna break!'
I couldn't even look away from the impending disaster.
But thud.
Just before Joe's face hit the ground, Lark grabbed his arm firmly again.
"If blood gets spilled, it'd put me in a tough spot. Just my mood—I'll let it slide."
"You, you..."
Lark looked relaxed, smiling under his mask.
By then, my jaw had dropped. Handling that huge guy like a playful puppy...
'Check out that strength.'
But the merciless Lark didn't bother helping Joe up.
Thud!
"Argh!"
When Lark finally released the arm—with Joe suspended about a handspan off the ground, thinking he was safe—Joe flopped limply to the floor.
Lark snickered.
"Your nose probably didn't break. Sorry."
"Youuu..."
Leaving Joe sprawled pathetically, trembling, Lark quickly grabbed my hand.
"Let's go!"
"Eek!"
After that, it was a mad dash.
"Get those bastards!!!"
Joe's furious roar echoed down the street, and I was practically flying, dragged along by Lark.
Joe and his friends doggedly chased us. Onlookers parted like the Red Sea.
"Ugh, haa, I, I di-didn't—"
A speed I'd never experienced before. My feet wobbled, my breath came in gasps.
"Oppaaaaa!"
On the verge of death, I yelled for Lark, who panicked and skidded to a halt.
"G-Gonna die... huff, huff. I-I can't go any further!"
"Damn. Can't get caught."
Lark clicked his tongue at the approaching mob, pondered briefly, then scooped me up.
"Whoa, mommy!"
"Excuse me for a sec."
...Seriously, what was with this insane strength?
Eyes wide in shock as he princess-carried me, Lark took off running again.
Even carrying what should've been heavy, his breathing didn't hitch. If anything, he was even faster than before.
"Hold on tight!"
"Eeeee!"
Clinging to his neck as ordered, the street scenery whipped by, and I felt absurd.
Out in the capital after so long, and right away I run into my thug nemesis on a log bridge and film a high-stakes escape movie...
It was a nail-biting situation where getting caught meant game over, but ridiculously, I burst out laughing.
Savoring the thrill, I shouted,
"Run, oppa, ruuuun!"
* * *
The grown-up lion mask was, without a doubt, one impressive stud.
'No wonder he's got all the makings of a pack leader—that raw ferocity!'
Whether his stamina bar pierced the heavens or what, he shook off the pursuers without breaking a sweat, even carrying me.
We zigzagged through narrow alleys and finally ducked into a deserted spot, sneaking off our masks and catching our breath.
"Haa, haa..."
"You okay? Hurt anywhere?"
"No, you did the running—why am I the exhausted one?"
I stuck out my tongue, wiping the sweat that had drenched under my mask.
Lark chuckled.
"Get some exercise."
"I do every day? Name another noble lady grinding stamina training as hard as me."
Lark and I locked eyes and burst into laughter without missing a beat.
"Anyway, we already drew enough eyes with those flashy lion masks—festival's basically done for today."
Lark peeked out of the alley regretfully. I poked his side and shrugged.
"What, you think we'll run into more trouble wandering the huge capital?"
"Huh? Wanna keep going?"
A bead of sweat glistened on Lark's forehead as he blinked down at me.
"We went to all this trouble to come out—wouldn't it suck to go back without doing anything?"
I dabbed his forehead with my sleeve and added,
"And with your stamina, what's to worry? Run into more thugs, snap an arm, scoop me up and bolt."
Lark paused, accepting my touch, then grinned.
"Alright."
"Hehe."
We donned our masks again, like generals heading into battle.
"Let's go, oppa!"
Following me out, Lark muttered with a laugh in his voice.
"...Sounds nice, hearing you call me oppa."