Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: What I Came to Realize
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***
“Pfft…”
Cheon-seong, who had been staring at Millia after her unexpected words, finally burst out laughing.
He took in the sight of her staring blankly at him and shook his head emphatically.
“I really don't know why you'd have that kind of misunderstanding... but I have absolutely no other feelings for Luna. Millia, I can say that for certain.”
As I declared my feelings, I didn't erase the smile from my lips.
The idea was so absurd... all I could do was laugh.
“...”
But as Millia continued to stare at me blankly, I felt the need to explain myself a little more.
“If you misunderstood because I mentioned and worried about Luna... let me be clearer. It wasn't because I have any romantic interest in her. I only brought her up because I was trying to figure out what to say to keep the conversation going."
I offered a more specific reason, a clarification that wasn't quite an excuse.
I certainly don't have the same ill feelings toward Luna as I did when we first met. But that didn't mean I had developed any other kind of feelings for her.
Seeing Luna not showing any hostility lately, my heart has simply settled into a state where I can treat her calmly.
After my unexpected explanation, Millia’s lips finally parted.
“Oh, is that so… I’m sorry. I asked something really strange… didn’t I?”
She stammered, flustered, and seeing her like that just made me want to laugh again.
It was a truly random question, but I was starting to guess why she'd asked it.
“To be honest, it did catch me off guard. But thinking about it now, I can understand why you’d misunderstand me.”
Perhaps I had been acting in a way that was easy to misinterpret.
Even though Luna wasn't there, I kept steering the conversation toward her... and just a moment ago, I even indirectly said I was worried about her.
It wouldn't be strange for Millia to see that and think I had special feelings for Luna.
“I guess a strange thought just popped into my head… I’m so sorry…”
“I think it’s a perfectly understandable misunderstanding. And Millia. Actually, hearing you say it so directly has put my mind at ease.”
“Huh? At ease?”
Whether it was because of the sunset, Millia's face was completely flushed as she replied, and I could see she was genuinely embarrassed.
So I was able to comfortably say what was on my mind.
“To be honest, both at the café earlier and just now, I felt like you were acting strangely. I was worried I might have said something wrong, but I never imagined you were having that kind of misunderstanding.”
“Ah… was I being too weird?”
“Less weird and more… it just bothered me a little.”
As I spoke, our whole situation felt ridiculous.
Millia, with her absurd misunderstanding that I liked Luna.
And me, inwardly fretting over why she was acting that way.
Because neither of us expressed our feelings, the misunderstanding had only grown.
“Han Cheon-seong… you were bothered by me…?”
“Of course. Actually, you’re more my type than Luna. Kind and gentle…”
I blurted out my inner thoughts without thinking and hastily clamped my mouth shut.
But it was far, far too late.
“...!”
Millia’s eyes widened.
Realizing what I had just said, I quickly shook my head.
“H-Hey. I hope you can just forget what I just said. I’d rather you didn’t think too much about it or take it too seriously…”
My words trailed off awkwardly, but the heat rushing to my face felt like it was about to explode.
“Ah, okay.”
When even Millia avoided my gaze as she replied… for a moment, I was speechless.
*Why did I do something so stupid...*
Just thinking about what Millia must think of me now was enough to make my head throb.
“Pfft…”
Then Millia suddenly burst out laughing, and my gaze involuntarily shifted to her.
...It was a genuine, refreshing smile.
As her eyes met mine directly, the shame welling up inside me grew even more intense under her clear gaze.
“Han Cheon-seong. For now… let’s go to the dining hall. I’ll buy you an expensive dinner.”
“...Ah, alright.”
My mind felt like it was going to explode as I answered.
I had no choice but to accept her offer to buy me dinner, even after what I'd said.
If I tried to leave now, it would feel like… I had just accidentally confessed.
***
—Student Dining Hall.
Only the sounds of their utensils moving against their plates echoed between the two.
And conversation was slow to start.
*Clink.*
Unlike Cheon-seong, who was eating awkwardly, Millia occasionally glanced at him as she ate at a leisurely pace.
“...”
And the more intense Millia's gaze became, the more Cheon-seong flinched, unable to meet her eyes.
Anyone could see he was conscious of his earlier remark. In contrast, after hearing his words, Millia was strangely composed.
“Isn’t that a little too small a portion for you?”
When Millia suddenly spoke, Cheon-seong immediately shook his head.
“No, it’s plenty.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…”
Cheon-seong replied awkwardly and brought another piece of steak to his mouth.
He barely had a chance to savor the juice of the well-cooked meat before he felt a steady gaze fixed on him.
When Cheon-seong carefully raised his head, he met it directly.
“...”
The sight of Millia, resting her chin on her hand and staring intently at him.
*...Gulp.*
He swallowed the steak after barely chewing it a few times. Millia watched him intently before acting without hesitation.
“I don’t think I can finish all of this… Would you mind eating a little for me, if it’s not too much trouble?”
She casually passed a few pieces of steak from her plate to his. Cheon-seong saw it but couldn't refuse.
It felt as if she had some kind of leverage over him.
“Okay, thanks.”
“Not at all. I should be thanking you for helping me eat it.”
When Millia replied in a soft voice, a smile gracing her lips, Cheon-seong couldn't help but look away.
It was as if their dynamic had completely reversed.
Back at the café, Millia had been the cautious one, but now he was the one acting carefully.
“Hey, Han Cheon-seong.”
At her call, Cheon-seong cautiously met her gaze. Millia lightly brushed back her hair and smiled serenely.
As her black bob swayed, Millia's eyes shone brighter than they had all day.
“...”
As they simply held each other's gaze without a word, Cheon-seong felt awkward but waited.
From his expression alone, Millia could feel it again.
That what he had told her was the truth.
Perhaps that was why she found herself smiling brightly without even realizing it.
“You know, I also… Han Cheon-seong, you…”
As she began to speak, her heart swelled with emotion.
Feeling his eyes on her, a clear sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, and joy filled her heart.
She had been so relieved just knowing he had no feelings for Luna, but the words he'd spoken to her afterward had touched her heart even more deeply.
*He said I was his ideal type...*
Before, even when they were together, she had felt rushed and uncomfortable. But now, she could bask in the pure happiness that welled up just from looking at Han Cheon-seong.
“...”
The joy that came from knowing she didn't have to hesitate to approach him—perhaps that was why she chose her words more carefully.
...Just as the joy of potentially solidifying their relationship was filling her heart.
*Clatter.*
A sudden sound made her look over blankly.
There, a woman was setting down a food tray and taking a seat. More than anything, the pure white uniform symbolizing Class A stood out.
“Han Cheon-seong. Can I have dinner with you, too?”
As she spoke to Han Cheon-seong so casually, I was dumbfounded.
Even I wasn't sitting next to him, but across from him, yet this woman nonchalantly sat right beside him.
“…Glacia?”
“It looks like you’re still eating. I thought it would be nice to join you.”
For a moment, I was speechless at how casually she spoke, as if I wasn't even there.
“Wait, I’m eating with Millia. It’s not just me here."
Even though he replied with a troubled expression, the woman called Glacia’s face remained unchanged.
*Is it possible to be this rude?*
I knew the name Glacia.
The name of a woman who often hung out with Han Cheon-seong. I couldn't help but know it, as her name had been coming up a lot among the students recently.
Even her appearance was striking. Blue hair that fell to her waist, a calm and composed face, and eyes that looked at me with a hint of indifference.
To be honest, she was quite pretty.
But more than that, the way her gaze met mine… it looked incredibly defiant.
“So, is that a no?”
“...I’m sorry, but let’s eat together next time.”
Just as Han Cheon-seong looked at me and awkwardly declined.
“No, it’s fine. Han Cheon-seong, I don’t mind.”
I found myself accepting her presence. In fact, it seemed necessary to talk more with Glacia right now.
I was also very curious if she always approached Han Cheon-seong with such a lack of boundaries.
“You’re Millia, right? Thanks for being so accepting.”
"Not at all. I was quite curious about you, too."
Even as we exchanged brief words, I felt a clearer sense of confidence than ever before.
He had called me his ideal type.
No matter what kind of woman was around,
I was confident that his feelings were the same as mine…….