Chapter 323
Chapter 323
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 323
Chapter Title: A Rumor Spreads Like Wildfire
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***
—A rumor.
Rumors, regardless of the era, were bound to spread quickly.
Curiosity and the desire to know are latent in human nature, so a rumor that piques interest was bound to capture everyone's attention.
And the series of events that unfolded just as lectures ended, when the halls were bustling with students, was more than enough to attract the attention of nearly the entire student body.
The impact was even greater because the rumor was about someone who was always at the center of gossip.
If you were to ask who, in name and in reality, was the first-year student with the most outstanding performance and achievements this year, the answer was clearly defined.
Normally, the standard answer would be to name the most exceptional student from A-Class, excluding the outliers in S-Class.
But ‘this year’ was completely different.
Leonhardt Rorient, who had entered as this year's top student, was taking a break to recover from an unfortunate accident. Even setting him aside, it wasn't a student from A-Class, or even B-Class, whose name was on everyone's lips.
[C-Class]
In fact, there was one name rising in prominence so fervently that nearly every student would agree.
—Han Cheon-seong.
Rumors about him were always varied, but among the more famous ones, the scandals about his complicated relationships with women had a significant impact.
It was only natural, as students of that age were bound to be interested in the opposite sex.
In that sense, Han Cheon-seong met the criteria in many ways.
In just over three months, he had achieved an unconventional growth rate, evolved his trait in a way described as unprecedented, and even acquired skills thought impossible for a student to obtain.
He had survived one crisis after another, proudly displaying his presence. His unique confidence, diligent demeanor, personality free of arrogance, and rather handsome looks naturally drew a great deal of attention.
Therefore, the rumor of him and a female student kissing spread like wildfire in an instant, capturing the interest of many.
…….
As she sat dazedly on the bench, Karite slowly ran her fingers through her hair.
“Huu.”
She let out a soft sigh, her heart in turmoil.
The elation she felt from being at the top of her class, the fluttering excitement that made her want to go find Han Cheon-seong just moments before her lecture ended, had all vanished in an instant.
It was just that shocking.
The rampant rumors about him were one thing, but the shock was far greater because she had seen it with her own two eyes.
"...Why."
A sigh escaped her lips as she spoke blankly.
‘Did Han Cheon-seong accept her kiss?’
More than anything, I couldn't understand it.
Anyone could see that Han Cheon-seong had shown unconventional growth, and having experienced the level of his power firsthand, I knew it better than anyone.
Just last week, in a life-or-death crisis, I had witnessed more clearly than anyone the overwhelming presence he displayed against the Apostle.
That's why... I couldn't understand it.
The hot rumor spreading now. It was about Han Cheon-seong and a female student kissing in the academy hallway.
...What bothered me more was.
The fact that she wasn't even one of the girls usually rumored to be with him unsettled me even more.
“It was Millia Ebelon...”
My vision blurred as I muttered the name of the woman at the center of the rumor.
I was beaten to the punch.
...No, I had lost Han Cheon-seong to her.
The thought rose unbidden, and my heart refused to calm down.
Even now, the scene seemed to flicker before my eyes.
The moment I left the lecture hall, I saw it.
A woman with short black hair, pulling Han Cheon-seong by the hand.
And as soon as she stopped walking, she turned and approached Han Cheon-seong in a single motion.
The moment she stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, I stared blankly, shaking my head before I even realized it.
Because I truly wished for Han Cheon-seong to push her away, to reject her.
But reality didn't grant my wish in the slightest.
Seeing her press her lips to his, intensely imprinting herself upon him, left me utterly speechless….
“Haa……”
A deeper sigh escaped me as I thought about it.
I didn't want to remember, but it kept coming back. It was as if the unwanted memory of that moment was seared into my mind.
That dizzying scene of the man I loved having his lips stolen by another woman….
“......”
I blankly brought a hand to my cheek... and then my fingers moved to my lips.
My heart felt empty, and all sorts of thoughts flooded my mind.
‘Was I...’
too complacent?
After going through last week's incident with Han Cheon-seong, during the time we spent together in the nurse's office, I thought I had grown quite close to him.
Far from rejecting me, Han Cheon-seong and I had developed a friendly rapport, to the point where I felt the distance between us had certainly closed.
That's why I had gathered more courage to express my feelings to him or initiate physical contact.
Like leaning against him, or taking his hand first.
Even thinking about it now, those were all joyful moments.
“It felt so wonderful….”
Now, I could only bite my lip, muttering empty words.
But.
It wasn't enough.
Even as I was making my move, he was catching the eye of other women.
Because there could be women like the one today, who would approach him far more quickly than my own actions, which I had thought were proactive.
“Did you hear the rumor? No, I'm serious, they kissed right in the academy hallway!?”
“I haven't heard the details, what happened? I heard it was the girl who initiated it?”
“From what I heard, she forced a hug on him and kissed him...? People who actually saw it said it was really something.”
As students passing through the park chatted excitedly, their casual words felt like a dagger to my heart.
“......”
It was dizzying.
I couldn't believe something like that could happen inside the academy, but just the way the rumor had spread... I had to admit it was effective.
‘He didn't have an official girlfriend yet, after all.’
The rumors about Han Cheon-seong's relationships had been incredibly complicated.
I knew many of them were false, but there were also some whose truth I couldn't verify.
But the rumor that spread today was like putting an end to all that.
It wasn't a groundless rumor or something started by one person; there were so many witnesses.
‘So much so that no one could deny it...’
A hollow laugh escaped me at the thought.
“...Ha.”
It was truly dumbfounding.
My own plan to slowly close the distance and build a relationship with him now seemed laughable.
By acting so boldly in front of everyone, that woman, Millia, had essentially made a public declaration.
That she was the one who expressed an affection so great as to steal Han Cheon-seong's lips.
That she had approached him before any of the other women in the rumors…….
I blinked blankly, still finding it hard to escape the shock.
*Whooosh…!*
Just then, a gust of wind blew my hair about, blurring my vision.
I even started making assumptions.
What would happen to Han Cheon-seong and Millia's relationship now?
Han Cheon-seong hadn't rejected Millia when she kissed him. I saw it with my own eyes, so I knew.
...Because I like him, I couldn't help but know. He accepted the kiss because he didn't dislike the woman named Millia.
“Then…”
is it over for me?
So emptily like this…?
Just because a woman suddenly approached him and kissed him, does that mean it's the end for me... Do I really have to accept that?
Logically, I thought I should.
*Whip!*
...I shook my head violently without thinking.
But beyond such rational thoughts, my emotions simply couldn't accept it.
“Why…?”
I liked Han Cheon-seong first. I loved him, loved him so much that I couldn't even approach him easily.
So why…?
Why should I be the one to give up…?
Emotions surged as various thoughts filled my head.
It was a powerful denial.
‘It was just... a kiss.’
And it wasn't like Han Cheon-seong kissed Millia first.
He was just on the receiving end.
Even if he accepted it because he didn't dislike Millia, I thought that distinction was very important.
It was a hypothesis, but putting it simply, that was it.
“What if…”
what if I had kissed him?
What if, like that woman Millia, I had approached Han Cheon-seong, wrapped my arms around his neck... and kissed him.
Would Han Cheon-seong have rejected me?
Just last week, he had accepted my advances, and we had spent time talking so amicably. He didn't seem to dislike me at all.
*Nod, nod.*
I nodded blankly, and that thought soon turned into a conviction that steadied my wavering heart.
“I know.”
I truly believe I know quite a bit about Han Cheon-seong.
His personality, how much I watched him during our time together...
And because I really... really like him, I couldn't help but pay close attention. I tried so hard to be more sensitive, to figure out how he felt about me.
Because I tried my best not to do anything he might dislike.
So I could tell.
“He wouldn't refuse.”
There was no way Han Cheon-seong would refuse me.
Even if it had been me who kissed him, not that Millia woman, there's no way Han Cheon-seong would have pushed me away or rejected me.
As I rose to my feet, my heart felt like it was on fire.
I could never give up on my feelings like this. I didn't want to understand, nor did I want to accept this reality.
“And when you think about it, it's strange.”
I've surely had more contact with Han Cheon-seong, and I've spent more time with him.
The idea that I should give up on him just because some woman I've never even heard of suddenly appeared and kissed him.
Why should I have to accept that?
As I began to walk, my wavering heart changed. In fact, it became even more resolute than before.
“I will never give up.”
No, even if someone told me to, I had no intention of giving up whatsoever.
The reason I can live like this, the reason I can even think clearly, is all because Han Cheon-seong came to me.
If it weren't for him, I can't even imagine how I would be living right now.
So...
losing him was simply not an option for me.