Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: A Jealous Heart
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***
Silence, stillness.
Words that, when lingering between people, create an unbearable awkwardness. It was even worse when you were with your ideal type, the person you were attracted to, making you feel restless for no reason.
Coincidentally, that was precisely how the two of them felt right now.
“……”
“……”
After Adelia left, the conversation between Cheon-seong and Millia rapidly died out.
Cheon-seong, feeling sorry and embarrassed about the previous night's events, hesitated to speak, while Millia, for her part, didn't know how to handle the situation.
This was a first for her, too.
She hadn't done it with any particular intention. She had simply stayed by his side out of concern, and before she knew it, the next day had arrived.
As their gazes crossed and a strange silence hung in the air, time continued to flow.
And it was Cheon-seong who couldn't bear the awkwardness any longer.
“Millia.”
“…Yeah.”
At her slightly delayed response, Cheon-seong gave an awkward smile.
“Um… If there’s ever anything you want to ask of me, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to say so.”
“A favor…?”
“Right, a favor. No matter how much I think about it, there doesn't seem to be anything I can do for you right now. I clearly lost consciousness in the park because of my own mistake, and it weighs on my mind that I irresponsibly left you to deal with the aftermath. You must have been really flustered, too. So if there’s anything you ever want from me, just let me know.”
Hearing Cheon-seong's calm voice, Millia almost replied instinctively.
That it was fine. That she hadn't done it expecting anything in return.
“……Alright.”
But. The thought remained only in her mind. For a moment, Millia didn't want to refuse his offer.
Rather than saying it was fine… a powerful desire rose from within her, a desire to use his words as a chance to forge a connection with Cheon-seong.
So, she answered that way without realizing it.
“I’m glad you accepted. I was worried you might refuse.”
Unaware of Millia’s inner thoughts, Cheon-seong smiled lightly as their eyes met.
“…Don’t worry. I won’t make any unreasonable requests.”
As Cheon-seong’s expression swayed her heart, Millia replied in a small voice.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s unreasonable. I’ll grant whatever I can.”
Having completely regained his composure in the ensuing conversation, Cheon-seong answered lightly, causing Millia to flinch once more.
—*Because I'll grant whatever I can.*
Cheon-seong's words felt incredibly significant to Millia.
Such a casual statement. It should have been nothing, yet it was enough to make her momentarily entertain a strange thought.
*Click.*
Just then, the door opened, and the two of them turned their gazes toward the entrance as if on cue.
It wasn't Cheon-seong or Millia who greeted the newcomer.
“Welcome, Instructor Adelia.”
Erpe, who had been sitting quietly in a corner of the infirmary, greeted them first. Adelia smiled lightly and replied.
“You’ve worked hard, Erpe. You may go now.”
“Yes, understood.”
As Erpe vacated the room, Adelia entered the infirmary with another woman.
Beside Adelia stood Kalli, a dazed expression on her face.
***
“……Cadet Han Cheon-seong collapsed.”
The moment she heard Adelia’s words, Kalli doubted her own ears.
-Collapsed.
-In the park last night.
-Cadet Han Cheon-seong.
Adelia continued to speak calmly, but to Kalli, the words sounded fragmented. As she numbly took in the information, Kalli found herself already walking alongside Adelia.
*Click.*
The moment the infirmary door opened, Kalli immediately looked for someone.
And she found him right away.
“……”
The sight of Han Cheon-seong, sitting up in the sickbed with a surprised look on his face.
*What a relief.*
She felt an unconscious sense of relief. At least on the outside, he seemed to be fine. Although Instructor Adelia had assured her he was okay, seeing him with her own eyes was what truly put her mind at ease.
“Instructor Kalli. Please, come in and see for yourself.”
At Instructor Adelia’s words, she stepped inside.
*Tap.*
The moment she felt herself walking, she was already standing in front of Han Cheon-seong.
“…Cadet Han Cheon-seong. Are you alright?”
Before asking about the circumstances of his collapse, she first had to ask if he was truly okay.
“I-I’m fine.”
Despite the flustered cadet’s words, her hand moved on its own.
*Rustle.*
As she brushed aside his disheveled hair, Cadet Han Cheon-seong’s face became clearer.
“…!”
Even as she saw the cadet freeze at her light touch, a sigh escaped her lips.
A closer look revealed that Cadet Han Cheon-seong’s face was a mess.
“So incredibly reckless…”
And just by looking at him, she could feel what he had been through.
That he had been so engrossed in training that he had overdone it. Because she had been the same in the past, she knew as soon as she saw him.
It wasn’t that he had collapsed because someone had done something to him. It was that Cadet Han Cheon-seong himself had been trying to ruin his own body.
Naturally, she recalled his previous training session.
Cadet Han Cheon-seong, demanding to spar again and again with a body that had already surpassed its limits. In the end, she had simply accepted his requests until he lost consciousness and collapsed.
Afterward, she had blamed herself.
There was a line that should have been drawn, no matter what. She hadn't stopped the training until the cadet passed out.
And now, Cadet Han Cheon-seong was doing the same thing, even when he was alone.
It felt as if it was because she hadn't properly restrained him, because she hadn't shown him the right path.
“…You were training late into the night, weren’t you?”
When she asked in a low voice, Cadet Han Cheon-seong flinched but nodded.
“Did you go to the park because your time in the training grounds was up?”
“Instructor Kalli, how did you…”
Cadet Han Cheon-seong looked genuinely surprised.
His reaction didn't deviate from her expectations in the slightest, and another sigh escaped her.
“The moment I saw you, I could picture what you must have done. Why on earth did you train until you ended up like this?”
“I have no… excuse. I’m sorry, Instructor.”
She shook her head at his immediate apology.
“I’m not saying this to get an apology from you. I just… I wish you would think about your own body a little more. It’s good to see you trying hard, and it’s great to see you so dedicated to your training. But you shouldn’t be doing it to the point of ruining your body.”
As she slowly pulled her hand away, she felt nothing but pity.
When one’s will galloped forward like this, they wouldn’t realize it themselves unless someone was there to stop them.
While trying to charge ahead, one could trip over a large stone or get seriously injured, all without realizing just how recklessly they were behaving.
“…”
Watching the cadet purse his lips at her words, she slowly turned her head.
There, she saw Cadet Millia with a dazed expression.
Her short black hair swayed as she stared blankly up at her, and even from that alone, she looked utterly exhausted.
“Cadet Millia?”
“…Yes, Instructor Kalli.”
“I’ll have you excused from the morning lectures along with Cadet Han Cheon-seong. I heard you were worried about him all night. It’s admirable to worry about a fellow classmate… but I hope this doesn’t happen again. Not that such feelings are bad, but you need to think about your own body, too, Cadet Millia.”
“Yes… Instructor. I understand.”
For a moment, Cadet Millia’s gaze clouded over, and it felt incredibly strange.
She had suddenly felt a negative emotion, but the thought was quickly dismissed.
*It must be my imagination.*
Having heard that she stayed up all night worrying, Cadet Millia must be exhausted right now.
So, it was understandable that she might look at her with a slightly strange gaze.
Nodding, she turned her eyes to Instructor Adelia.
“Instructor Adelia. Then… I’ll have to ask for your help again today.”
“Don’t worry about it. I was planning on letting them rest for the morning and sending them back, just in case.”
“Yes, please do.”
…She felt she had been relying on Instructor Adelia a lot lately. She turned her gaze to Cadet Han Cheon-seong one last time.
“I’d like you to attend the afternoon lectures, Cadet Han Cheon-seong. But if you still don’t feel well, don’t push yourself and get some proper rest.”
She spoke a little more gently, and her hand moved on its own.
*Rustle.* As she carefully straightened his messy hair… the sight of the surprised cadet seemed a little cute.
*He’s so serious when it comes to training.*
She couldn't help but wonder why he was so defenseless in other aspects. It was impossible not to be concerned.
“…Thank you for your consideration. But I’m really fine, so I’ll attend the afternoon lectures.”
“It’s good to see your will leading the way; it’s much better than being lazy and idle. But there’s a limit to everything. Cadet Han Cheon-seong, you understand what I’m trying to say now… right?”
“Yes, I understand.”
At his answer, she nodded and said no more.
Saying anything more would only place a greater burden on the cadet's heart.
“I’ll be going now. I said it before, but it’s fine for both of you to just rest today. And Instructor Adelia, thank you again for your help.”
***
*Click.*
As Instructor Kalli closed the door and disappeared, it felt as though a storm had just swept through the infirmary.
From the moment Kalli had entered, her actions had been completely uninhibited.
She had been so direct and bold.
While all three of them were surprised by Kalli's behavior, the most surprised person, ironically, was not Cheon-seong, but Millia.
“I’ve felt this before, but Instructor Kalli seems to really care for you, Cadet Han Cheon-seong.”
“Do you think so…?”
“Yes. That’s what it looks like to me. Hmm~ You must be happy, right, Cadet Han Cheon-seong? For a beautiful instructor like her to show such direct interest.”
Adelia spoke playfully to break the static atmosphere, but her words didn't sound so light to Millia.
“……”
As she watched Han Cheon-seong awkwardly smile and shake his head, a part of Millia's heart throbbed.
*What was that display from Instructor Kalli just now……?*
She thought about it, but she couldn't understand.
She had unhesitatingly reached out and touched Han Cheon-seong's face, speaking to him at length while looking only at him.
Instructor Kalli's demeanor just now… was something she had never seen before.
Watching it all, her heart was in a constant state of turmoil.
Unlike the cold demeanor she showed in class, Instructor Kalli had been so gentle. And Han Cheon-seong, on the receiving end, didn't seem to know what to do.
*Well… of course.*
It was Instructor Kalli, after all. How could Han Cheon-seong possibly push her hand away or resist?
But.
*Can that really be considered the kind of interest one shows a cadet?*
The thought kept coming back to her.
Such foolish thoughts.
“Millia?”
“Huh…?”
“You suddenly went quiet, so I called your name. Are you really nervous?”
Looking at Han Cheon-seong, who asked cautiously, it was now her turn to smile awkwardly.
“…Just a little. I didn’t expect Instructor Kalli to show up so suddenly.”
As she answered, her gaze drifted… blankly.
To the strands of Han Cheon-seong’s hair that Instructor Kalli’s hand had touched.
“You don’t have to be so tense. Outside of lectures, Instructor Kalli isn’t that cold.”
Facing Han Cheon-seong, who spoke gently, her heart fluttered once more, while at the same time, a throbbing sense of displeasure welled up.
And she soon understood.
The feeling of… watching the man she liked being touched by another woman, right in front of her.
…She was feeling upset about that right now.
“Han Cheon-seong?”
“Yes?”
“Excuse me for a moment.”
With those words, she reached out her hand.
She found herself placing her hand on the same hair that Instructor Kalli had touched first.
*Gently….*
As she carefully brushed through it, she felt an indescribably strange sensation.
“…Oh my.”
Despite Instructor Adelia’s surprised voice.
And while looking at Han Cheon-seong, who seemed flustered by her touch but accepted it quietly…….
I… wanted to do this.