Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Need to Talk (4)
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A single tree huddled on the bed.
Looking at Azalea, who hadn't joined the schedule and had holed up in her room, Bead clicked her tongue.
"Azalea."
"......Yeah."
A woman with intense obsession, hugging her knees, pulling the blanket over her head, and checking her phone tightly gripped all night until dawn.
What if my boyfriend did that? It gives me chills.
Even if I get a lover, I absolutely won't act like that.
Thinking that, Bead shuddered.
"You don't have to mope like that, do you? He said he went to take care of business. It's not like he left because he hates you."
"Ugh, yeah...."
"So let's go out first and soak in the hot springs. We're in Japan, Japan. You were looking forward to it too, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
Azalea shook her head vigorously left and right. Bead's lips turned downward.
"If it's not because he hates me...... Then he'll call me. I'll keep waiting."
"...Aigoo. Won't guys get fed up with that kind of obsession? From what I saw, the confession was too hasty to begin with."
"But... what can I do about liking him."
On the first day, she sobbed, saying it was because of her, and poured out her heart while downing soju.
On the second day, she showed abnormal symptoms and wandered around looking for him near the hotel.
On the third day, her depression peaked, and she holed up in her room.
Definitely not normal.
'...I understand, but still.'
A connection from their academy days together. Though they only felt close recently, Bead already knew all of Azalea's circumstances.
Because Bead was the cadet who knew everyone's situations at the academy.
"He's the only one who saw me for me...."
"Wow, you're really head over heels, huh? When did you say he was like a squished persimmon?"
"I treated him badly, but he kept coming like an idiot. How could I not like him and endure it."
Azalea was excessively passive in relationships.
Once her goal of killing her stepfather vanished, the terrifying vengeful spirit just became a gloomy girl.
Having never been loved since the past, it was natural for her to become blindly attached.
Lee Se-young's past, which Bead knew, was the same case.
'Sigh. Looking at it this way, isn't it just Lee Si-heon gaslighting her? Does he only target people with affection deficits?'
No matter what, that nerdy guy said what?
Though she didn't say it out loud, that man didn't have great people skills compared to his potential.
Bead had long analyzed Lee Si-heon's personality.
"The Si-heon I know... even if he confesses again, he'll drag it out. Like let's stay friends, or let's get to know each other slowly, or I'm not ready, or I don't know. With his personality, it's 100% like that. Wouldn't it be better to relax your mindset a bit?"
"...No."
"Frankly, it's you who's at a loss."
Azalea plugged her ears, fortifying the blanket bunched up like a caterpillar even more.
At her stubborn attitude, even Bead raised both hands.
Any more persuasion would be meddling, not advice.
'...But the more I see Lee Si-heon, the more of a jerk he seems.'
Usually laying five layers of thick skin on her face and acting cute, but this time Bead was sincere.
Bead sighed and reached for the coat on the hanger.
-Vrrr!
The vibration sound rang out then.
Bead spun around in surprise.
Azalea was staring at her phone with wide eyes.
"Hello!?"
Her throat half-broken, eyes red and stinging. But her voice picking up was like a little girl at an amusement park.
"Yeah... Yes."
Polite speech.
Using polite speech with a classmate. When asked, she said she used it out of respect.
"Yes.... Got it."
Azalea muttered responses and a few words for a while, then hung up.
Hands on her chest, stunned Azalea.
"W-what did he say?"
The blanket over Azalea slipped from her crown to her shoulders.
Revealing a face tinged with decadent allure.
Like a woman who achieved her dream, spacing out without realizing reality yet.
"...He wants to meet now."
A few seconds of silence.
"He wants to meet now! I, I'll go wash up."
-Creak!
-Thud!
Azalea's cute footsteps as she hurriedly grabbed clothes and dashed to the bathroom made Bead's face turn bewildered.
"......For real."
The girl who had been sobbing miserably for days like she had bipolar disorder changed completely with one phone call.
Bead was the stunned one, not Azalea.
She sat on the bed where Azalea had been, tidied the tissue wads, and waited for her.
"If she expects that much, she'll get hurt."
Given Lee Si-heon's personality... he'll probably brush it off vaguely.
Poor Azalea.
So what if he dates a few more girls.
-Creak!
Azalea burst out of the bathroom with a towel around her and started preparing at super speed.
"D-does this look pretty?"
"Yeah, yeah, Azalea looks pretty in anything."
"Ah, seriously... don't tease."
It's true.
Bead watched Azalea while rummaging in her handbag for potato chips to munch.
"Then I'll be back."
5 minutes drying hair. 5 minutes picking and putting on clothes. 3 minutes makeup.
Azalea summoned wind and fire spirits to dry her hair; Bead wanted to applaud her determination.
Finally ready in a flash, Azalea slipped on heels and headed out.
-Creak!
The door about to close. But suddenly it stopped, and Azalea's face peeked out.
"Right. Bead."
"Yeah?"
"......Thanks. For comforting me."
-Thud!
Azalea vanished like the wind.
Bead spaced out, then chuckled at the cute action.
"She's cute...."
Azalea was someone who had been wary and distant toward her.
Bead and Azalea both knew they were hiding something similar.
Maybe because they were in the same boat.
Once they got close, it was fun.
Bead lay on the bed, fiddling with her phone.
"...Though we haven't been in the same boat for a few months."
92-502-3354.
Recalling the number from her contacts, Bead called it.
Flower.
The revolutionary waiting for the eighth petal. Bead, who had moved to investigate the academy.
[What is it?]
The voice from the phone.
Bead muttered dryly in a coldly chilled tone.
"The training camp is almost over."
Ice cold.
Bead's eyes staring at the ceiling fixed on a single point of the light, as if she had never smiled with her eyes.
[......The Forest Keeper selection is soon. Before finishing the job, kill if judged unhelpful.]
"Yes. But. Wouldn't you like to see that man in person?"
[Name is all that's needed. What more?]
Immediate reprimand from her superior.
A supposed proxy for Flower's executive didn't even know the target's face.
Practically indifferent to killing or not.
"Understood."
A woman more desperate than anyone for the World Tree's downfall.
So she has no interest in such trivial targets.
Recalling her face, expressionless like a red glacier, Bead smiled bitterly.
Whatever, Bead was just a pawn.
A doll following her predestined fate smoothly from birth. Bead accepted it refreshingly.
"If you truly feel that man has no value as an ally. I'll kill him immediately."
[Hurry.]
"Yes."
Bead smirked bitterly, picturing the phone contact's face.
Maple.
Her kin, with five-pronged fingers split red, expressionless.
-Click.
"Haa...."
Bead hung up, relaxed her stiff face, and sighed deeply.
By now, Azalea probably met Lee Si-heon.
Thinking that, she checked messenger.
In one corner of her mind, predicting Lee Si-heon's lines upon meeting Azalea.
'Probably again... no, whatever. That's how they are.'
With a dry face, she closed her eyes to pass time.
Her philosophy was to enjoy the fragile peace as much as possible.
She should catch some sleep. Drowsy, she dozed off.
Burying her face in the pillow until Azalea returned.
"...Mm."
After a while, dozing off, she woke to Azalea's voice unconsciously.
"Bead, wake up."
"Yeah? Ah... I fell asleep."
Bead rubbed her eyes and sat up. Yawning, looking out the window, it was late dawn, as if a day had passed.
"You came late?"
Rubbing eye boogers, seeing Azalea who just arrived, for some reason she was bending at the waist awkwardly.
'?'
Flushed red cheeks and thighs.
Red like happy, but face grimaced in pain.
Azalea's steps to the closet for clothes were like a five-year-old child's.
'Huh??'
The moment her prediction shattered.
*****
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Let's meet.
I have something to say about that incident.
After one phone call, the rest had to be in person, so I took a seat at a cafe.
Came an hour early to kill time, and before the appointed time, urgent heel clicks sounded.
"...Yo-you. Huff. Huff."
Azalea, rushing breathlessly, smiled brightly upon seeing me.
"Why come so rushed? Time isn't up yet."
"Waiting... is boring. I came early to wait... hehe."
Naturally pressing the bell to call the cafe staff.
See-through top strained tight, short skirt.
Handbag on knees, hands politely clasped on thighs.
No words exchanged after the first greeting.
Since she confessed and got rejected, it was definitely awkward.
"Ah... I'll have iced tea."
"Yes~ Understood."
After ordering and Azalea's drink arrived, I finally spoke.
"Had business, meant to tell you sooner but couldn't."
"Ah, no. I can wait forever."
Should've wiped the tear stains from her eyes first.
Light makeup made it obvious right away.
Clothes wrinkled, clearly dressed in a hurry... nose red from crying and blowing a lot.
"......What happened?"
Azalea asked cautiously.
"Nothing much. The World Tree had business. Helped with that."
"...Ah. Husband candidate."
"Teacher told you?"
Azalea flinched momentarily, covered her mouth, then nodded.
Obvious without seeing. She already knew from Lee Se-young's words.
When they met, I spilled all my secrets to her.
"Ah.... She didn't say much. Just that much...."
Loyal.
Tells unavoidable parts but seals lips on plans.
Se-young sees Azalea as a traitor already... but since things went well, teacher won't mind.
Might tease a bit later.
"I know all about it."
"Ah.... Haha."
Of course, not here to talk about that now.
I quenched my dry throat with coffee, endured the embarrassment, and spoke.
"So about that confession last time."
"Ye-yes!"
"Still the same?"
Gasp, Azalea swallowed.
Eyes wide, staring at me.
Half expectation. Half anxiety...... No. Mostly anxiety.
Heightened hearing caught her heartbeat.
-Drip.
Water drop sliding down the glass.
No more delaying, I spoke lightly to ease tension.
"......You really like me?"
"I like you sincerely. I can... prove it."
Instant reply.
Obsession oozing from each word, chilling.
"Prove? How."
"Th-that... um."
Avoiding my question, Azalea sweated coldly, then shut her eyes resolutely.
"......Whatever you say. I'll do anything. Really. If you don't believe, slap my cheek."
......Cheek? Suddenly?
Hiding surprise at the slap climax, looking at Azalea, her eyeballs rolling suspiciously.
It's okay to hit, this.
Suddenly recalling Azalea's sexual fantasy, I touched my stiff lips.
'Spanking....'
Chaotic.
Huangdao's status cleared after one relation. But in this mood, going all the way is tough.
First, honest answer. If this clears it, perfect.
"Got it."
"......Pardon?"
Unexpected, Azalea cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes.
"What more to say. You like me."
"Re-really? Not lying...? But last time you said you didn't like me...."
"Trying to like you. Or well.... I like you."
She's precious. Now seems I like her too.
Proof: hands faintly trembling alone now steady.
Body signal of stability from her presence.
Not knowing that, shooting some romance drama.
Scoffing, I looked at Azalea with steady gaze.
"...You really like me?"
Asking cautiously.
Her eyes now held more expectation than anxiety.
"I still can't believe...."
"Hey. Can't distrust my words."
"But... three days ago you rejected me. Isn't it just words? Teacher said accept confession...... I hate that."
"Not that."
Mumbling lips. Words burst from Azalea.
"Then... drink together. Alcohol brings out true feelings... Drink till drunk."
Seems need more time to instill certainty.