Chapter 316
Chapter 316
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 316
Chapter Title: Fatal Temptation
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Millia thought.
—that she had made a fool of herself.
Hours ago, upon seeing Han Cheon-seong visit Luna, she had bolted from her seat, avoiding them and wandering aimlessly. And in her aimless wandering, she had accidentally seen it.
The sight of Han Cheon-seong and Luna holding hands inside the café…
The shock she felt then was truly indescribable.
‘...’
Her heart had wavered so violently that she couldn't even string a coherent thought together.
It was that shocking of a scene.
When she saw them pressed against each other yesterday, she had hoped it wasn't what it looked like, prayed her thoughts were wrong.
That Han Cheon-seong wasn't interested in Luna…
But the reality before her eyes seemed to whisper to her as if it were the truth.
That what she was seeing was everything.
That there was nothing more to think about, that Han Cheon-seong's heart was already with Luna.
So when Han Cheon-seong had glanced at her for a moment, she had fled the scene as if escaping.
Wandering into a park, she had foolishly hidden herself among the bushes.
Right now, she didn't want to see anyone or hear anything.
She wanted to return to the dormitory, but her legs had no strength, making it impossible to go back.
...So she hid among the bushes, head bowed, blankly passing the time.
It was as if her thoughts had died. She hated the reality that had unfolded in just a few days so much that she just wanted to deny it all.
“...Millia?”
And for some reason, she found herself face to face with Han Cheon-seong again.
She had tried so hard to avoid him, yet somehow, he had found her.
…
As she sat down on the bench, a deep sigh lingered within her.
“...You said you had something to tell me. So just say it.”
Even as she spoke to Han Cheon-seong, her voice sank low on its own.
So low it felt cold. And yet, she found herself ridiculous.
She desperately didn't want to see Han Cheon-seong right now, but she hadn't been able to refuse his words. That's why they were sitting on this bench together.
“Millia.”
*Nod.*
At his voice, she just gave a blank nod.
She didn't even want to lift her head from the ground. She didn't want to see anything else... she just wanted to be alone.
And above all…
‘Whatever Han Cheon-seong is about to say,’
it didn't feel like it would be anything good for her.
“First, let’s get one thing straight.”
“...What?”
“What you saw at the café was a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? What did I misunderstand?”
As she answered, a sharp, cold tone escaped her lips.
And she felt so foolish.
What was her relationship with Han Cheon-seong? If asked, they were truly nothing to each other.
She had jumped to conclusions, arbitrarily deciding what Han Cheon-seong's feelings were.
That she was his ideal type, that he had feelings for her... But reality was nothing like that.
“Hoo.”
Hearing his deep sigh, a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
‘He must be disappointed in me.’
...Perhaps Han Cheon-seong's disappointment in her was even greater than the myriad emotions she was feeling towards him.
She didn't even have the will to compose herself.
She just wanted to let everything go.
...To the point where she didn't want to think deeply about what happened next.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Then, a firm voice made her flinch for an instant.
*Grab!*
Suddenly, she felt a touch on her shoulder.
*Whip!*
And as her body was forcibly turned, she found herself looking right at him.
“What... are you doing?”
“You keep looking away. I wanted you to at least look at me and respond. I'll accept whatever you do to me later for this. For now, just look at me.”
Han Cheon-seong's face, as he spoke calmly, seemed so large in her eyes.
...And unlike the person she knew, his attempt to control her by force, his intense gaze, and even his distinctive eyes all seemed very different.
Even the way he had unhesitatingly grabbed her shoulder and turned her head to face him.
“...”
She was momentarily startled, her brow furrowing.
She couldn't understand why he was suddenly acting this way, or what his intentions were.
Or the meaning behind him seeking her out and acting like this.
‘When his heart is already with Luna.’
The thought that suddenly surfaced seemed to consume her heart.
“......”
Looking at Han Cheon-seong this close, her heart didn't flutter.
Even though this was a situation she had dreamed of countless times, her heart only grew heavier.
“I'll say it again. It's a clear misunderstanding. Whatever you're thinking, Luna and I are nothing to each other.”
“...Is that so?”
“Yeah. The only reason I had something to say to Luna was because I thought of a way to help her improve her skills.”
Even as he went out of his way to explain, a hollow laugh was all that escaped her.
This whole situation was just ridiculous.
Why was Han Cheon-seong explaining himself to her like this, as if making excuses? And why did she feel so foolish looking at him?
It wasn't even a matter of right or wrong. Han Cheon-seong hadn't done anything wrong to her.
‘Right, we were never anything to each other in the first place.’
He didn't even need to be telling her this.
“No matter what your relationship with Luna is... I'm okay with it.”
She uttered the words she didn't mean, giving a slight nod.
She just wanted this to be over quickly. Her heart felt empty and her body weak; she just wanted to rest without thinking about anything.
‘Most of all…’
She knew that Han Cheon-seong and Luna had been holding hands for quite a long time when she saw them through the café window.
Even considering how long she had stared, it had been at least over twenty minutes. And considering they were already holding hands before she saw them, they must have been like that for much longer.
That alone... was enough to realize what kind of relationship they had, without a word being said.
“Millia.”
“...Yeah.”
“Are my words not reaching you at all right now?”
Hearing him say something so strange, she blinked blankly.
“...”
Her vision blurred, and Han Cheon-seong's words all sounded like a game.
He was holding onto her now, telling her that it was all a misunderstanding. Even though his actions with Luna clearly showed their relationship to anyone watching, he was telling her she had misunderstood.
And she couldn't understand why he wanted her to believe it was a misunderstanding.
“Han Cheon-seong. So, is that all you wanted to say?”
So she wanted to end it.
...Listening to him any longer would only make her already struggling heart hurt more.
She had foolishly liked him on her own, yearned for him on her own, worried about him, and thought about him constantly.
Looking back, it felt like she had spent so much time doing just that.
Because her first love had felt so immense to her.
And while she was lost in her thoughts, she had lost him to Luna, just as she had feared in the past.
‘No, that's ridiculous.’
Liking him all on her own, never properly approaching him or expressing her feelings—what was there to be taken from her?
She was just a foolish girl.
“......”
Perhaps her last words had been a shock. Looking at the silent Han Cheon-seong, she continued blankly.
“I'm fine, so... yeah, actually, I hope things work out well between you and Luna.”
The words she didn't mean flowed out of her mouth with surprising ease as she slowly raised her hand.
Not wanting that outcome in the slightest. A feeling of resignation was now overwhelming.
‘Han Cheon-seong, Luna... I hate them all now.’
Slowly.
Gently removing the hand on her shoulder, she turned her head away.
Even though it was the face she had always longed to see, she naturally averted her gaze. Her desire to be with him was gone.
Her heart was just in too much pain right now.
Her rational judgment was clouded; she just wanted to say whatever came to mind and leave.
“I'm leaving first.”
As she stood up, her chest ached terribly.
It had hurt when she ran away from the reality she wanted to deny, and it hurt now as she faced Han Cheon-seong again, trying to leave.
*Click.*
...The moment she thought she had taken a step.
She felt her vision sway.
“Ah.”
She couldn't understand.
Her body, which should have been moving forward, was heading in a completely different direction... and her vision shifted abruptly.
*Grab.*
And then she belatedly realized.
Her arm was caught in Han Cheon-seong's grip.
...Amidst her hazy consciousness, it felt as if even her physical senses had gone numb.
“Millia.”
“What? Is there still more you have to say…?”
The moment she opened her mouth to speak coldly.
Her eyes went blank.
She just blinked vacantly.
No words came out. And it felt as if her mind couldn't keep up with what was happening.
‘Why.’
...is Han Cheon-seong so close to me?
No, why does he seem so large?
And she couldn't even comprehend the sensation on her lips.
Or why this was happening right now.
Slowly.
As their faces slowly parted, her mind felt like it was floating.
*Tap.*
She blankly brought a hand to her lips, but no words came out.
‘A kiss?’
Belatedly realizing what Han Cheon-seong had done to her, she could only blink stupidly.
“......”
It was so... surreal.
This was something that couldn't happen.
“I'm really not anything with Luna. I told you before.”
Hearing his voice, she stared blankly at Han Cheon-seong, who was still close.
...Looking at his face, framed by his disheveled black hair, her gaze unwittingly fell to his lips.
“My ideal type is you.”