Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: First Confession
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Half-dragged into the car, we arrived at a secluded roadside.
Lee Se-young parked on the unpaved dirt road and pulled a mat and basket from the trunk, thrusting them at me.
"Here."
I lifted the luggage she dumped on me like an afterthought.
Surprisingly heavy. She must have packed quite a bit.
Through the red cloth draped over the basket, I caught glimpses of sandwiches, rolled cakes, strawberries, and other fruits.
"Oh, when did you prepare all this?"
"Hehe, Lee Si-heon, count your blessings. If the man's no good, the woman has to be sharp, right?"
She poked my chest lightly with her index finger, then pointed toward the forest with it.
On the outskirts of El Academy, the sun-drenched forest was practically glowing.
"Let's head in. No one's around to eavesdrop here, so it's easy to talk."
With that, Lee Se-young slyly slipped her arm around my waist.
"If you play dumb and say, 'If you have something to say, can't we just get a room?', you're dead."
"......"
......How did she know?
My eyes widened in surprise, and she chuckled, giving me a light shove.
A step's distance opened up between us as we ventured deeper into the forest.
"After f***ing you so many times, you think I can't read your mind?"
Still giggling, she made a lewd gesture, taunting me. Right hand forming a circle, index finger thrusting in—a crude motion.
It reminded me of a cat trying to hide its embarrassment, and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Not just wanting to hang out with me? Dressed like that."
"Who knows?"
She tilted the corner of her eye slyly, then covered her chest with her sleeve, suddenly conscious of my words.
Of course, that slender wrist couldn't fully hide her ample breasts.
Her knit top, cut out at the chest, exposed skin from her collarbone down to dizzying depths.
Her fair cleavage revealed the top edge of her black bra—so defenseless that if anyone else were around, I'd have covered her up on the spot.
Her outfit made her intentions crystal clear.
And I wasn't oblivious enough to miss the signal.
"Is it okay to come on to the future World Tree husband like this? You were so unyielding before."
But letting it slide without teasing would be no fun.
To announce that I no longer needed to be the World Tree husband—and for that matter, to tease her—I put on a playful pout, acting offended.
She fell for it hook, line, and sinker, slapping my shoulder.
"Hey, you bring that up now?!"
"Hey, who's the one always being ambiguous? Sticking close but insisting no dating. Wrong?"
"......"
A brief silence followed.
"But you don't have to say it right now. I have a lot to tell you today too...."
Her face, full of mischief just moments ago, turned sulky, lips pursing.
"I have a lot to tell you too, teacher."
"Huh?"
"Various things. For now, how about sitting here? Grass is short—perfect spot."
We'd reached a nice clearing, so I spread out the large mat and we sat.
An early summer breeze whispered through the trees.
"So, what do you want to tell me?"
"......Nothing much."
A serious mood settled over her slightly hardened expression.
"You're making it sound like a big deal."
"Shut it when I'm being serious. I'm heading out on field duty, so I won't see you for a while. Figured I'd fill you in on what I've dug up in the meantime."
Her words, tossed out casually, still revolved entirely around my situation, ignoring her own overloaded schedule.
"What kind of field duty?"
"Why so curious? Fine... You'd hound me endlessly if I didn't spill, so here: the Flower bastards are stirring again. Heading out to investigate."
"As an academy instructor—"
"Handed it off to someone else. Instructor in charge is changing."
The Flower investigation.
Their activity had definitely picked up lately.
Since the cult incident and serial rampages, terror reports from countries worldwide had surged.
Hunters everywhere had received emergency directives on Flower.
'With her hunter rank, she could apply for those.'
An academy upholding justice wouldn't block her from stepping down as instructor.
"But why would someone with money and prestige do that?"
Doubt crept in.
Lee Se-young had no reason to go herself.
If there was one, it was probably me.
Family issues or something else, maybe—but that was my first thought.
"No way, because of me—"
"Bullshit."
She cut me off, exhaling sharply before continuing.
But I knew: when she lied, she sometimes clipped her words and forced the topic closed.
'Even so...'
Still, it puzzled me.
Would she volunteer for such dangerous work over just me?
But thinking back on her actions—like hooking me up with a f*** buddy—it wasn't impossible.
Looking at her with concern, she cleared her throat and pressed on.
"Anyway... I'm going far away soon, came to see your face and nourish your body a bit, but that talk kills my mood? Do you know how hard it was making this?"
"Sorry."
"So, what do you have to say?"
I pressed my lips together bitterly.
The events in Purgatory. What I'd confessed to Cheondo.
About my face, my abilities—I'd have to come clean eventually.
But her words just now shifted my priorities.
"Hmm..."
No more, no less. Just one thing to confirm.
I sidled closer to Lee Se-young. Close enough that our shoulders nearly touched.
"I can sever my connection to the World Tree now. More precisely, I don't have to follow quests anymore. No more dying from them."
"......What?"
Her golden eyes, locked on mine, trembled.
Her face screamed a mountain of questions, but I kept going.
"It just happened that way. Guess the Purgatory training worked."
"Purgatory...? You crazy bastard, you went there? How'd you know it'd be safe? Those Peach assholes really...!"
"Not the point right now."
I brushed off her rising anger, injecting a bit of playfulness into my voice.
"Why'd you say you couldn't date me?"
"......What!? No, you—you."
She stammered, barely keeping her jaw from dropping.
Before my next words, I reflected on the past.
Why she'd kept me at arm's length all this time, blending flirts and f***s into her made-up "flirt-f***" zone.
Because I was a World Tree husband candidate.
—That's not up to me. If word got out I cuckolded the World Tree's husband? I'd be excommunicated in a heartbeat.
Social fallout. And back then, I had zero power.
But now, that future was coming into view.
Husband candidate? I'd shatter that title, come hell or high water.
So...
"No need to keep your distance anymore, right?"
"......You know what that means?"
"How could I not?"
It was as good as a confession.
With anyone else, I might've hesitated. But with Lee Se-young? Now was the time.
We'd been harboring mutual feelings for a while now.
To me, she was the longest relationship I'd had in this world.
We'd swapped our ugliest sides and forgiven each other—ultimate trust.
She stared blankly at my words.
Overloaded with info, she seemed lost in thought for a moment, then laughed in disbelief and met my eyes.
"...Not a joke, right?"
I nodded firmly.
"Not April Fool's... The World Tree... for real?"
Even I could hardly believe it—her reaction was natural.
"Lee Si-heon, you're incredible. Really... Divorce in sight, so you're thrilled enough to confess to me?"
Her voice quickened, building intensity.
"Wow, really... no."
Lee Se-young giggled with joy, then burst into full laughter, slapping my shoulder hard.
-Smack!
"Pfft, hahaha."
Her face much brighter, she said,
"Ah, what to do... A guy who's barely dated confesses like that? My face is burning up."
"No......"
"You say it to others?"
"Who else besides you, teacher?"
"Why? My friend Star—you ate her up. Wasn't she cute? Or your master? Or Azalea? You're close to her too."
"......"
"Was I too mean?"
"A lot."
As if soothing my fragile, wounded heart, she cupped my cheek, gazing at me softly before exhaling heatedly again.
"Ah, but yeah. You're gonna hit on another girl soon anyway... Can't redo your face? Then I'll say yes."
"......"
Lee Se-young, playfully roasting me in rhythm.
Her words tumbling faster—like rap.
"Haa, hold on, need a breather.... Never saw this coming. Today I've felt every emotion under the sun. Hehe."
I hadn't imagined unloading so much so quickly either.
She started to speak, took another deep breath, then sassily rolled her eyes and flung her arms wide.
"Hug me already. If you want a girlfriend."
"Yes ma'am."
Just like our usual banter, I spread my arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her feverish body heat washed over me.
-Thump, thump.
I could hear her heart pounding.
Aware of it, she grinned shyly as our eyes met.
Her cheeks seemed a bit flushed. In a husky, aroused voice, she slowly continued.
"Normally, y'know? Dating's no big deal. Even strangers lock eyes and boom, they're together."
"Right."
"Normally, I'd just say yes. But after what you told me today..."
Her face showed lingering hesitation, but she gave an awkward smile.
"Right now... not quite."
"......Pardon?"
"Sorry. When everything's wrapped up......You get it?"
Still too much unfinished business.
She had a point. And now I'd been rejected by a girl for the first time.
"Dumped, huh."
"Hahaha. You know how I feel? Don't mess with too many girls. Too many in your fate, and life goes down the drain."
Still hugging me tight, she patted my back. Her gentle touch nearly melted my tension away.
"Don't mess with too many women..."
"Don't I know your type? Don't pull that 'I'll wait forever~' crap. Moderately expand, moderately. I won't sweat it much. Just don't brag about other girls in front of me?"
I nodded vigorously.
I remembered her icy glare when I mentioned the sub quest to mate with three Wood People.
She looked ready to kill.
"Thanks anyway. For telling me first."
Her hand slid from my back to my head.
She stroked my hair once, my nape once, my cheek once—pretended to kiss, then suddenly shoved me.
Stagger.
My body toppled backward.
Lying on the mat, looking up at her, Lee Se-young peered down with a giggling, mischief-filled face.
"You know you're not leaving today, right?"
A chill raced up my spine.
"Can't go until you eat everything on the mat."
On the mat. What was there was plain as day.