Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Obsession
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***
The time to part came sooner than I expected.
Inside the bustling facility, time flew by as we chatted while looking at the rabbits and various other animals.
And now.
As we left the facility and walked along the wide boulevard, I noticed Karite had grown significantly quieter.
She seemed disappointed that we had to part ways.
The feeling was so clear on her face that I found myself feeling the same way.
“...Right. You had another appointment, Han Cheon-seong.”
“Yeah. I’m sorry… I wish I could spend the whole day with you, but this was a prior engagement.”
Even as I answered, I felt a deep sense of regret.
We had spent nearly six hours together.
Helping Karite grow had also given me a glimpse into the potential evolution of my own trait.
Afterward, spending time with her felt like it was calming my own heart, allowing me to feel a cozy, small sense of peace.
*Swish.*
Karite turned to face me, her gaze direct as she offered a gentle smile. It was a smile so bright that the memory of our first meeting had all but vanished—a smile that clearly said she’d had a good time.
“No, it’s okay. I understand. I just forgot, is all. You did tell me.”
“We’ll see each other again next week. Let’s spend more time together then.”
I promised her we would meet next weekend.
By then, I would have overcome the new crisis looming over me.
I thought that then I would be able to approach our time with a lighter heart, able to focus my full attention on Karite. It might even be a much better time than today.
“Okay. I understand.”
Karite replied curtly and held out her right hand to me.
Thinking it was for a handshake, I reached out to meet it. As I lightly extended my own right hand…
*Grip.*
She clasped my hand firmly.
“I had a great time with you today. It was fun being together.”
“I feel the same way.”
Just as I thought we were exchanging a nice, clean farewell…
I saw her lips move ever so slightly.
*—Next time, I’ll definitely… more than now…*
For a fleeting moment, her red lips moved without a sound.
Strangely, I had the illusion that I could hear her words.
“Well, take care.”
But the feeling was brief. At her clear voice that followed, I nodded dazedly.
‘Was that… just my imagination?’
There was no reason for Karite to say something like that all of a sudden.
***
*Tap.*
*Tap.*
A quiet stillness filled the infirmary. Within that silence, only the sound of a finger tapping on a table echoed at a steady, gentle rhythm.
“……”
Adelia, who had been watching the room slowly turn red in the sunset glow filtering through the window, glanced to the side.
[5:51 PM]
The clock on the wall was slowly approaching what could be called evening. Here she was, guarding the infirmary on a weekend of all times. Her mood was incredibly peculiar.
“This is supposed to be my day off…”
On weekends, she and the medical instructors from other classes had an agreement to rotate shifts, each taking turns watching over the infirmary.
Yet today, even though it wasn't her turn, she was here.
It was because of a single promise. Soon, Cadet Han Cheon-seong would be arriving at the infirmary.
It was the one appointment she had made with him last week as he was leaving. She had insisted on a mandatory meeting to check on his condition and make sure he wasn't overexerting himself.
Now, as she waited for Cadet Han Cheon-seong, she truly couldn't get her hands on anything.
Books, medical research, even studies on traits—she couldn't focus on any of it.
Her mind felt hazy, and her body felt awkwardly stiff.
*Tap.*
She tapped the table again out of habit before resting her chin on her hand.
“I thought I had finally made up my mind.”
But it seemed her resolve wasn't quite complete.
A small sense of unease cast a shadow over her heart.
“Pfft…”
Then, a small laugh escaped her lips as she rested her chin on her hand. Realizing one's own feelings, looking back on it now, felt like such a strange emotion.
It felt like her heart had changed so much in such a short time, a significant emotional shift she hadn't experienced in a long while.
Just a little over a year ago, she had been on the front lines, where every second was critical.
Back then, her heart never had a moment of peace. People were gravely injured, people died every day, and she had dedicated her everything to saving them.
She had been so busy she didn’t even know how time was passing.
It was, without a doubt, the busiest period of her life.
So back then, there was no room for her own feelings or anything of the sort.
Just seeing an injured person, a dying person, and treating them was enough to exhaust her body and soul to no end.
*Tap.*
Tapping the table once more, she slowly calmed her heart.
Now, unlike then, her surroundings were peaceful, yet her heart was churning like a great wave.
[5:56 PM]
Lost in thought, she realized several minutes had passed, and a different kind of excitement was swelling in a corner of her heart.
The thrill of waiting for someone.
Even for her… this was a first.
This feeling of being able to flutter with pure anticipation.
“When we meet…”
She once again thought about the schedule, about how she would spend her time with Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
Originally, the appointment was meant to be a simple check-up to ensure he wasn't overdoing it—a trivial promise, really.
But now, she had no intention of letting it end so simply.
“...I’ll take a moment to check his condition, and since it’s getting late, it would be natural to have dinner together. Ending the night with a walk and a conversation would be best.”
As she laid out her plans for when she met Cadet Han Cheon-seong, she nodded to herself.
It seemed like a light schedule, but one she would be satisfied with. More importantly, it wouldn't feel like she was forcing anything on him.
All she had to do was approach Cadet Han Cheon-seong naturally, slowly.
With this heart.
She would color him with her own shade.
“...”
The thought that followed made her lips hesitate.
‘An instructor… trying to seduce a cadet.’
Thinking about it again, it was a truly absurd idea. Yet, even as she acknowledged it, she had no intention of turning back.
“And Cadet Han Cheon-seong has a hard time saying no.”
She spoke softly, full of confidence.
Her looks, her abilities, and her charm—she knew from past experience how much of an effect they had on the opposite sex.
‘To a man, I am quite…’
She knew she possessed a rather fatal charm.
Therefore, she believed Cadet Han Cheon-seong would be no different.
As she pictured him accepting her if she pushed him just a little, a small smile escaped her lips.
Her heart fluttered even more, while her gaze remained fixed on the clock.
[5:59 PM]
Several more minutes had passed.
It was almost time.
And just then, a sound reached her slightly heightened senses.
*Step. Step….*
It was the sound of footsteps.
The sound of someone approaching the infirmary. And at this hour, it could only be Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
Tense, she unconsciously licked her lips and swallowed hard.
‘I’ll just treat him as I always do.’
She thought that if she suddenly started treating him differently just because she’d acknowledged her feelings, he would find it strange. Cadet Han Cheon-seong was an upright cadet, like a blank, white canvas.
So pure and clean that if someone were to apply color to that canvas, he would be dyed in that shade completely.
In that case, there was no need for her to rush.
She didn't want to come on too strong or make him feel uncomfortable. She just needed to slowly color him with her own shade.
*Knock, knock.*
“Instructor Adelia. Are you in?”
“Yes. Come right in.”
Replying to the familiar voice, the door opened to reveal Cadet Han Cheon-seong. She wondered how many days it had been, but his appearance was almost unchanged.
Black hair, well-defined features, and calm yet brilliantly shining eyes.
The handsome face she had fallen for seemed to capture her gaze even more now, after the passage of a few days.
“First of all, Instructor Adelia. Thank you for making time for me on a weekend.”
As their eyes met, he bowed his head respectfully, and the sight alone filled her heart with a surge of warmth.
‘As expected.’
After all the time they had spent together, one might expect his attitude toward her to relax a little, but Cadet Han Cheon-seong never lost his manners.
And that hadn't changed now.
“Not at all. I was the one who made the appointment, so there’s no need to thank me for it. For now, please, have a seat. I’ll make some tea first.”
“Yes. Then…”
*Step.*
As Cadet Han Cheon-seong entered, she slowly stood up, took out the teacups from a nearby cabinet, and began to prepare the tea.
Glancing over at him, she saw him sit on the same sickbed he had always used last week, and a sudden smile bloomed on her face.
“Really, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. You’re not a patient anymore. Why are you sitting on the bed again?”
“Ah. This place just feels the most familiar.”
“If that’s the case… well, you can stay there. I’ll move the table over to you.”
After setting two teacups on the table, she moved the wheeled table towards the window.
*Rumble.*
With the sound of the table’s wheels rolling, her heart pounded even harder.
“……”
Cadet Han Cheon-seong, leaning slightly against the bed. The sunset glow pouring through the window bathed him in light, and he looked different than before.
He had a melancholic look in his eyes, as if lost in the setting sun. It created an atmosphere that seemed quite mature for a cadet.
Calm and subtle, yet possessing a special charm that drew a woman’s gaze.
‘...Or maybe that’s just how I see him.’
Then it occurred to her that perhaps she was just that smitten with him.
*Click.*
Reaching his side, she naturally set up the table and parted her lips.
“The sunset is beautiful, isn’t it, Cadet Han Cheon-seong?”
“Ah, yes. The sky from here feels strangely familiar.”
Cadet Han Cheon-seong accepted the teacup she offered, a faint smile on his lips.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to be so formal.”
She carefully placed her own teacup on the table and naturally sat down nearby.
“So, after returning to your classes, Cadet Han Cheon-seong, are you keeping up with Instructor Kalli’s lectures?”
“Yes. It’s fine. The first day was a bit overwhelming trying to catch up, but it’s manageable now.”
She slowly nodded as she watched him carefully lift his teacup to answer.
“...I’ll do the check-up right after we finish our tea, so just relax for now.”
“Yes. Understood.”
As he answered calmly and his lips touched the teacup, she brought her own cup to her lips.
*Sip.*
“……”
“……”
Meeting each other’s gazes like this, drinking tea together…
Though it was nothing special, she felt a small sense of happiness.
‘I knew it. I want him all to myself.’
And that was why she could be even more certain of the feelings she held.
I absolutely must.
I must make him mine…