Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: It Might Be Cutting It Close
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***
*Rustle, rustle.*
The sound of a gift being unwrapped echoed faintly in the space.
As Kalli’s pale white hand delicately gathered the wrapping paper and set it aside on the table, Cheon-seong, who had been watching, couldn't help but feel a surge of tension.
‘Will she actually like this…?’
Before I knocked on her office door, and even now as I faced her, my heart wavered. Kalli was still maintaining a peculiar attitude toward me. She seemed to be bothered by what I said yesterday, but honestly... I wasn't confident.
Could a cheap bracelet like this really soothe Kalli’s feelings?
*Thump.*
Opening the red box, Kalli paused.
“This is…?”
Kalli gently lifted her head to meet my eyes, and I forced the brightest smile I could manage.
“It may be a trivial bracelet in your eyes, Instructor, but I felt I’ve only been receiving things from you all this time. I hope you’ll accept it as a very small token of my sincerity.”
I spoke, feigning composure as best I could.
“A bracelet... I see.”
Kalli murmured, gently taking out the bracelet and examining it closely. I felt cold sweat begin to bead on my palms.
It was a cheap thing, worth only 5 silver; I wished she wouldn't look at it so carefully.
“Yes. I thought... it would suit you, Instructor Kalli. Of course, the material isn't the best... but still.”
Even as I continued speaking, I found myself faltering. I hated myself for it.
Though it was cheap, if I was giving it as a sincere gift, I should be confident. But my current situation wasn’t like that, so I found myself shrinking back without realizing it.
*Slide.*
As if sensing my state, Kalli fiddled with the bracelet, her gaze shifting between it and me, a strange look in her eyes.
Still, it... wasn't entirely a bad feeling.
“It’s very pretty.”
When she uttered that single phrase to the bracelet, a great weight lifted from my heart.
“Thank you so much for seeing it that way. If you happen to think of it... you could wear it sometimes, or even just accepting my sentiment would make me very grateful.”
“...No. If nothing special comes up, I'll wear it. This is actually my first year as an academy instructor, so it's my first time receiving a gift from a cadet. But I’m definitely... happy.”
Then, as she naturally went to put the bracelet on her right wrist, I was taken by surprise.
‘Wasn’t she upset with me?’
I had assumed my words from yesterday had crossed a line and hurt her feelings, but Kalli seemed to have already moved past it. It felt like... I had foolishly misunderstood her emotions all on my own.
*Swoosh.*
The bracelet, engraved with a crimson flame pattern, settled onto her pale skin. When Kalli even rolled up the sleeve of her uniform as if to show it to me, my gaze was naturally drawn to it.
It certainly... was beautiful.
Not that the cheap bracelet I gave her was pretty, but Kalli’s pale arm, and her hand, revealed as she rolled up her sleeve. They looked so beautiful.
“How is it? Does it suit me, in your opinion, Cadet Han Cheon-seong?”
As she smiled softly, I found myself nodding before I even realized it.
“Yes. Because you’re beautiful, Instructor Kalli... even a simple bracelet seems to suit you well.”
“Really, Cadet Han Cheon-seong... you don’t have to go that far.”
At my words, she nodded her head, looking pleased, which put my mind even more at ease.
Even though the gift came from a misunderstanding, if Kalli liked it in the end, that was more than enough.
“Ah, and Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
When she called my name, I was now able to look at her with a confident smile.
“Yes, Instructor Kalli.”
“You know. I think... a little might be okay for us.”
“A little... you say?”
As I replied, for a moment, I couldn't understand what she meant by ‘a little.’
“Yes. A little... It might be cutting it close, but with you expressing your feelings for me like this... I don’t want to just vaguely reject those feelings.”
She said, her gaze fixed on me as she caressed the bracelet I had given her. Her gesture and her look were truly... inscrutable.
‘Cutting it close…?’
Why was she saying something so strange?
Depending on how one heard it, Kalli's words and gaze were ambiguous enough to cause a misunderstanding.
Still, her saying she wouldn't reject my feelings sounded good to me.
“It doesn’t have to be just a little... I’m fine with more. You said I expressed my feelings, Instructor... but truthfully, I haven’t even properly expressed them yet. So from now on, I will express... these feelings even more.”
The gratitude I had shown her was not even a drop in the bucket compared to the kindness she had shown me all this time.
Comparing the two was laughable.
So I had to do more. I felt I needed to do something more that would truly make Kalli happy.
“……”
*Flinch.*
When Kalli visibly paused, I found myself looking at her with a faint smile.
Her words about it being the first gift from a cadet. She seemed to be interpreting my actions in various ways, but Kalli really didn't have the air of a fearsome instructor.
While her overwhelming presence during the first lecture had made me see her in a new light, the Kalli before me now just seemed like a beautiful woman befitting her age.
‘After all, there’s only a five-year age difference between us…’
If anything, seeing her like this made her seem so pure that it was hard to believe she was an officer who had performed great feats on the battlefield.
I felt that if I approached her person-to-person, I could continue to receive great help from her in the future.
“...I-I see.”
“Yes. So, Instructor. If it’s not too rude, may I know your preferences?”
“My preferences…?”
Kalli’s blank reply made me wonder if my words had sounded strange.
So I quickly added on.
“It’s just that if I get to know you better, Instructor... I thought I might be able to do more things. Ah, of course, I won't cross any lines.”
Considering our relationship, I needed to know her likes beforehand. Besides, Kalli wasn’t a heroine in the original story, so her tastes and preferences were never mentioned.
It seemed like a good idea to find out her preferences now, while the atmosphere was good.
I simply held her gaze.
“……”
For some reason, Kalli didn't give me a clear answer.
She hesitated with her lips, or gently touched her own cheek. Seeing her act so unlike the Kalli I knew... I wondered if I had said something strange.
“Still, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Th-that kind of thing might be better after a little more time has passed…”
“I apologize. I was too hasty... wasn't I?”
Even as I replied... I couldn't help but feel puzzled.
‘Is our relationship not even at that level yet?’
I thought Kalli and I had developed a fairly deep connection, but it seemed she was trying to keep her distance from me.
Telling me her preferences and favorite things... it didn't seem like a particularly difficult request.
“Yes. It felt a bit too hasty. I mean... I suppose there are stages to getting to know each other.”
But as Kalli awkwardly added her words, I even began to think that perhaps I was the only one who thought we were close.
I felt Kalli had treated me casually, but it seemed she was the type to strictly separate her public and private life.
“I understand. Then... thank you for your time today. I’m truly grateful that you accepted my gift and are wearing it now.”
I had to visit the workshop right after this, so I intended to end the conversation there.
The outcome was much better than my original goal, so it had been a very satisfying time for me.
I smiled, thinking that this alone was more than I could ask for, and looked at her.
“Cadet Han Cheon-seong. You’re leaving already…?”
“Yes. Is there anything else you wanted to say?”
“Ah, no. It’s just a little disappointing.”
Her slightly flustered tone at the end caught me off guard.
‘She’s really saying things that could be misunderstood.’
The Kalli of the past had shown hints of this, but the Kalli right now seemed to be... overflowing with feminine charm.
The way she looked at me, her gestures—it felt like everything had changed.
But I forced myself to shake off the feeling and stood up, seemingly bringing our meeting to an end.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then. Thank you, Instructor Kalli.”
I spoke politely, and Kalli slowly nodded. I turned to leave the office.
*Grasp.*
…Suddenly, my arm was caught.
“W-wait a moment. Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“...Yes. Please speak.”
Surprised by the sudden physical contact, I calmly turned my head to face her.
I didn't know when she had gotten so close. Seeing Kalli from this proximity made my heart waver slightly.
‘…She’s truly pretty when you see her like this.’
I sometimes felt it during our spars, but when I saw her up close, Kalli’s beauty was often magnified.
Even though she didn't dress up much, it was plain to see that some people are just born beautiful.
“I did say... a little was okay.”
…A little?
What on earth did she mean by ‘a little’? Before I could even process the confusing statement…
It happened all too suddenly.
*Swoosh.*
My arm was pulled, and I was drawn forward with incredible ease.
Completely unprepared, I had no choice but to be pulled defenselessly toward her.
“……”
Overwhelmed by the unique sensation that washed over me in an instant, I couldn't do anything... really, anything at all.
Kalli’s signature fresh scent filled my senses.
Her hands, awkwardly wrapping around me.
And the undeniable... softness of her chest pressing gently against my own.
*Thump.*
But that blissful moment was painfully brief.
“...Th-that’s all. You can go now.”
Kalli quickly pushed me away, her voice unlike her own. My mind went blank, and I could only stumble out of the office in a daze.
*Click.*
Even after closing the door and leaving the office…
My steps came to a halt.
*Slide.* I leaned blankly against the office door, my body only able to blink.
“...Wait, hold on a second.”
As I finally spoke, I felt a rush of heat flooding my face.
I unconsciously covered my face with my hands, my breath growing ragged.
“…”
And belatedly, I realized the meaning of Kalli's words.
‘A little?’
*This* was ‘a little’…?
And ‘a little’... meant *that*?