Chapter 252
Chapter 252
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 252
Chapter Title: The Emotion Called Love
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***
"Glacia. Right now... there's someone else in my life."
"..."
Upon hearing his words, Glacia said nothing.
She stared at Han Cheon-seong, blinking blankly, before finally speaking.
"...Are you dating them?"
"Yes. And we've already confirmed our feelings for each other."
At Han Cheon-seong's calm and unhesitating reply, Glacia's expression went slack.
"..."
And for a moment, silence settled between them.
Neither spoke, nor did either of them leave.
Han Cheon-seong would open his mouth to say something, only to close it again. Glacia stared blankly, her brow occasionally furrowing as if lost in deep thought.
Just as the tense standoff, filled with strange emotions, continued, Glacia's eyes suddenly sparkled as if she had regained her reason.
And very cautiously, she spoke.
"You said I had to make a choice about our relationship."
"I did."
"In that case, Han Cheon-seong... for now... I'd like for us to just stay friends."
"Are you... sure you'll be okay with that?"
"I'm fine. I'm just a little confused right now. The fact that you were so honest with me is enough to help me sort out my feelings."
Even as she answered immediately, the doubt that had filled Glacia's heart was slowly fading.
The news that there was someone else. The fact that they had confirmed their feelings for each other. It had thrown her into great turmoil.
But that turmoil quickly subsided. As one thought led to another, Glacia's answer came simply.
And it was an answer that only Glacia could understand, one that came from her own heart.
***
Friends.
Just friends...
As she thought blankly, Glacia's eyes rested on Han Cheon-seong, sitting beside her.
Here they were now, spending time together on a park bench.
"..."
Han Cheon-seong's behavior had become unnatural, and I could feel how sorry he felt just by looking at him.
It was a little strange.
"You don't have to be so sorry."
"...No, it's just."
"Really, don't apologize. I have no intention of blaming you for having a girlfriend."
I was being sincere.
I didn't really understand why he felt sorry for me, and I hadn't the slightest thought of blaming him.
After all, I was the one who kissed him, not the other way around.
So, it was just...
I was just a little surprised.
*‘I had considered the possibility that Han Cheon-seong might be seeing someone.’*
But hearing him say it out loud felt different. I couldn't deny that I was more shocked than I'd expected.
And.
I clearly realized... that I truly saw Han Cheon-seong as more than a friend.
I could now fully accept why I had valued my time with him so much, why I had been so obsessed with our relationship.
*'I didn't like Han Cheon-seong as a friend...'*
I was in love with him.
So, now that I knew my feelings were love, not friendship.
And yet, the answer I gave was the complete opposite.
"Because I'm satisfied with this for now."
I loved him, but the thought of taking the step to become lovers felt a little scary.
It felt like my heart wasn't ready.
"If that's what you want... I understand."
A laugh escaped me at Han Cheon-seong's ambiguous reply.
Somehow... this whole situation just felt absurd.
Han Cheon-seong, feeling terribly sorry for something that wasn't his fault and worrying so much about me.
And me, realizing my own feelings while watching him...
It was all just ridiculous.
I gently turned my head away from him and took in the lush greenery of the park.
My mind felt clear. There were no doubts.
*'When I think about it...'*
My own attitude was the strange part.
Just hearing him say he had feelings for me made me happy.
And I know now that I was the one who didn't act more decisively, who didn't get closer. When I think about it, I was the one who defined our relationship as just friends.
*'So...'*
I didn't feel like blaming Han Cheon-seong at all.
Besides, until now, I had genuinely believed that Han Cheon-seong and I were close friends, maybe a little special, but still just friends.
I hadn't even realized I was looking at him with feelings of love, thinking of him as a potential lover.
"It's... a really strange feeling."
As I muttered the words, it felt like a mysterious ripple was spreading across my clear mind.
I'd heard countless rumors about Han Cheon-seong over the years, and a great many of them were about his relationships with women.
I never dismissed them all as baseless gossip, but crucially, I never gave them much thought.
I just saw it as 'my close friend's love life.'
Whenever I met up with him, there was rarely another woman by his side, so even when I heard the rumors, I considered it an issue for him to think about, not me.
No matter who he dated, I wasn't in a position to interfere or meddle. I was just his friend.
...What kind of feelings I had.
I was just too late in realizing them. That's why the answer came so easily.
"Still, Han Cheon-seong, I hope we can continue to be really close friends, just like before."
As I spoke lightly, I naturally reached for his hand.
My hand closed around his.
"Close friends?"
Seeing his face freeze in surprise as I took his hand, I nodded nonchalantly.
"Yes, close friends. I'm not really sure how my feelings might change in the future... but for now, that seems right for our relationship. Maybe my heart will change with time, but for this moment, I want us to be like this."
"Your heart might change..."
"It's just hard for me to definitively say what my feelings are right now. I don't know if I'll end up liking you—the you who's already seeing someone—even more, but if that moment comes, I'll be sure to express my feelings to you properly. So don't worry."
Even as I replied, my heart was calm.
The Han Cheon-seong talking with me was still the same person I knew. Compared to all the heartache I'd been through before meeting him today, this situation didn't seem so bad.
*'It was always a possibility.'*
At some point, there had always been a lot of women around Han Cheon-seong.
Far more than I'd thought. According to the rumors, he was seeing over a dozen women. It wouldn't have been strange for him to start a relationship with any one of them at any time.
"..."
Facing the blankly staring Han Cheon-seong, I felt a little awkward myself. Honestly, the very idea that my feelings might change was a bit ridiculous.
Because that was a clear... lie.
I was already.
In love with Han Cheon-seong.
I had only just now clearly realized the nature of my feelings... but I was simply afraid of drastically changing my relationship with him.
Gently, I stroked his rough hand, which I was still holding, and asked cautiously.
"So, we're okay with being friends?"
"Uh... I'm fine with it."
Was he surprised by my suggestion to remain friends, or had he wanted something else?
"Or did you. Want more?"
"Huh? Ah, no. I was prepared to accept whatever choice you made."
As Han Cheon-seong awkwardly shook his head, a thought struck me.
I'd figured out my own feelings from our conversation. And personally, I was glad to know he had feelings for me.
"My choice is to remain friends. But, Han Cheon-seong, what choice did you want me to make?"
"...Never mind. If that's what you want, then I'm happy too."
"Don't just say you're happy with my choice. I want you to tell me what you truly feel."
My tone turned a little serious.
As I spoke with a bit more gravity, I found it strange that Han Cheon-seong was avoiding my gaze.
As if he were hiding his true feelings...
"..."
Under my stare, I saw Han Cheon-seong swallow hard.
Still, I just watched him intently.
Because I was genuinely curious.
*'What answer did he want from me?'*
I felt it held more significance than I initially thought. It would affect our future relationship. And even as friends, my attitude toward him would change significantly.
"I know this is going to sound... selfish of me. But Glacia, you want my honest feelings, right?"
When he finally said the words I wanted to hear, I nodded readily.
"Yes. I'm curious about your honest feelings."
"Alright then... I'll say it again, I know this is greedy of me, but I wanted you to accept me... even this version of me. I know it's an absurd desire... but I wanted to have you."
His cautious yet frank words seeped into my heart.
"..."
As I slowly savored the meaning of his words, something...
Something... made my heart suddenly feel like it was floating.
*'Is this what it feels like to crave love?'*
His words—that he wanted me, that he wanted to have me—struck my heart with a strange intensity.
My heart was trembling violently, like a huge ripple spreading across a lake.
"...Ah, of course, if we're going to stay friends, I'll control these feelings. Just know that what I said just now was sincere. I won't cross any lines or anything like that in the future."
He then started rambling, his face turning red, and seeing him like that, a laugh escaped me.
"Pfft..."
I couldn't stop the laughter from bubbling up, and the feeling was wonderfully strange.
It was pleasant, yet confusing, but not in a bad way.
I had heard a shocking truth, and I knew there was another woman in his life, but... strangely, looking at Han Cheon-seong didn't stir up any negative feelings.
*'Is this love?'*
That he wants me.
Just that one fact... seemed to make everything else feel insignificant.
"Han Cheon-seong, I told you my feelings might change. You were honest with me, too. I think that's fine. And... I'm the one who suggested we stay friends, knowing all that."
As I continued, I thought deeply.
In short, Han Cheon-seong definitely has feelings for me right now, but perhaps his guilt is even stronger.
He's being cautious with me because there's another woman.
In that case...
*'Wouldn't it be okay?'*
"Is it okay if I cross the line with you?"
"...Cross the line? What do you mean?"
"We'll stay friends, just like we are now. But I want to act like I always have."
My heart fluttered a little as I spoke.
Gently letting go of his hand, I leaned my body toward him.
Resting my head on his shoulder, I looked up at him softly.
"This much is okay between us, right?"