Chapter 225: What... Do You... Think of Me?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: What... Do You... Think of Me?
Tremble, tremble.
Seol-hyang, who had blocked Sun-woo’s Sword Astral, began to tremble violently. An overwhelming force was surging through her blade, far beyond what she could handle.
"Ugh..."
A groan escaped her lips as her legs shook uncontrollably. Yet, she held her ground. She didn't want to be broken like this.
Grit.
"Khhh...!"
She clenched her teeth and began to draw out even more of her strength.
Screeeech—
Slowly, Sun-woo’s sword began to be pushed back.
"Hup!"
The moment his blade yielded, Seol-hyang exploded with every ounce of power remaining in her body.
Clang!
Sun-woo’s sword was knocked upward. Seol-hyang didn't miss the opening and immediately swung her blade down toward his shoulder.
Whoosh!
However, her sword only cut through thin air. Sun-woo had already stepped back with his left foot and spun his body away. In the same motion, he thrust his right hand forward.
His palm struck her squarely in the chest.
Thud!
Crash!
"Oof!"
Struck in the chest, Seol-hyang tumbled to the ground.
"Ah!"
Sun-woo realized his mistake instantly. He had been so caught up in the thrill of the martial duel that he’d failed to control his strength. He had put far more power into the strike than intended.
With a look of panic, Sun-woo rushed over to the fallen Seol-hyang.
"Hyang-mae, are you okay?" Sun-woo asked, looking down at her.
"......I'm fine..." Seol-hyang replied in a quiet, subdued voice.
Sun-woo’s expression grew even more troubled. For this little fuss-maker to speak so quietly, just how much pain was she in? He carefully examined her condition. Her face was flushed bright red, and her breathing was ragged and unstable.
She didn't look fine at all.
"Fine, my foot!"
Sun-woo shouted at her and quickly grabbed her wrist to check her pulse. Beneath his fingers, her pulse was racing frantically. Something was definitely wrong.
"We need to go to a physician right now," Sun-woo said, staring at her.
"No... I'm really okay..."
"How are you okay?! Your face is flushed, your breathing is heavy, and your heart is racing! Where exactly is the 'okay' part?!"
Sun-woo’s voice rose in frustration. An internal injury was like a time bomb; it might not show on the outside, but you never knew when the side effects would turn fatal. No matter how minor it seemed, it had to be checked by a physician. A small injury could easily spiral into something irreversible.
And from the look of it, Seol-hyang’s condition was anything but minor. Her face was crimson, her breath was short, and her heart was pounding. How could she possibly be fine?
"...It's not because of an internal injury," Seol-hyang said, her fair face turning as red as a ripe apple.
"I'm telling you, your face is beet red!" Sun-woo yelled, exasperated.
"It's because I'm embarrassed!" Seol-hyang shouted back, finally snapping under his persistent questioning.
"....Embarrassed?"
Sun-woo tilted his head, looking utterly bewildered. What on earth did she have to be embarrassed about?
"........The... earlier... you hit my chest..."
Seeing his clueless reaction, she forced the words out, her face burning.
"Oh."
A realization hit Sun-woo like a physical blow. Now that he thought about it, the place his palm had struck was indeed her chest. His face turned pale in an instant. He realized he had touched a place he absolutely should not have.
"....I am... truly sorry."
Sun-woo even switched to formal honorifics as he apologized.
"No... it's fine... I know you didn't do it on purpose..." Seol-hyang replied, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
"Still... I..."
Sun-woo trailed off. The guilt gnawed at him. Because of his carelessness, he had essentially molested the chest of a woman who had likely never even held a man's hand before.
"Let's... let's stop for today," Seol-hyang said, looking at him. She felt she needed some time to compose herself.
"Let's do that."
Sun-woo nodded with a stiff expression, accepting her suggestion. It was better to end things quickly than to linger in this awkward atmosphere.
Sheathe—
Sun-woo and Seol-hyang simultaneously sheathed their swords. They began to walk slowly back toward the inn. Silence hung heavy between them.
Step, step.
The two walked toward the inn without saying a word. Normally, Seol-hyang would have been chatting away, but today she just kept her head down, her face flushed. She couldn't stop thinking about her chest being touched during the duel.
Uuuugh...
Seol-hyang wailed inwardly. She felt an overwhelming sense of shame. Having spent half her life in the Emei Sect, she didn't know much about the nuances of relationships between men and women, but she knew well enough that having one's chest touched was no small matter.
It was something that should only happen between lovers or a married couple.
Her face grew even hotter. She never imagined she would "allow" someone her first touch in such a manner. And for that person to be the Sun-woo oppa she admired so much...
Seol-hyang stole a glance at Sun-woo walking beside her. His eyes were trembling, his lips were pressed into a thin line, and his expression was grave.
Gulp.
She swallowed hard. Even that serious look of his was incredibly handsome.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Suddenly, her heart began to race again.
Haa... haa...
Her breathing grew shallow. A dizzying heat began to rise within her.
Stagger.
The sudden surge of heat made her stumble.
Catch.
Sun-woo quickly reached out and caught her.
"Are you alright?" Sun-woo asked, his eyes full of concern.
Tremble.
Meeting his worried gaze, Seol-hyang began to shake. The warmth from Sun-woo’s hand seeped into her. It felt so warm. A part of her wanted to stay like this a little longer.
But she quickly shook her head. If she stayed like this, she felt like something strange would happen to her heart.
"I'm fine!"
She blurted out and quickly pulled away from his embrace. Sun-woo watched her with a worried look. Though she said she was fine, seeing her stumble made him fear that an internal injury might be flaring up.
Thud.
Sun-woo stepped in front of her and dropped to one knee.
"Get on."
He spoke to her over his shoulder.
"Huh?"
Seol-hyang asked, confused by his sudden action. What was this unexpected behavior?
"You're clearly not in good condition. It'll be better to be carried than to walk on your own feet."
Sun-woo spoke with polite sincerity.
"Ummm..."
Seol-hyang hesitated. The offer to be carried on his back was incredibly tempting, but her conscience pricked her since she didn't actually have an internal injury. She glanced at his back. It was broad—vast and sturdy.
Flop.
Without another moment's thought, Seol-hyang climbed onto his back. Looking at that back, she simply couldn't resist the impulse.
"I'll... be in your care..." she stammered, overcome with shyness.
"I'll get you back safely."
Sun-woo sensed her embarrassment and gave a small, gentle smile.
Step, step.
With Seol-hyang on his back, Sun-woo began to walk slowly.
So warm.
Seol-hyang buried her face against his back, soaking in his warmth. It was an incredibly comforting feeling. Moreover, the firm contours of his back made her heart flutter even more.
Thump-thump-thump.
Her heart rate accelerated. She tried to calm herself, but her heart showed no sign of slowing down.
Sigh.
She let out a silent sigh and gave up. Sun-woo’s back was simply too alluring for her heart to remain calm.
Can he hear my heartbeat?
Suddenly, she wondered what Sun-woo was thinking. They were pressed so closely together; surely he could hear it.
What does he think of me?
The curiosity gnawed at her. What did Sun-woo really think about her?
Does he like me? Does he dislike me? Or is he just indifferent?
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled through her mind. He certainly didn't dislike her. If he did, he wouldn't have even come out when she called him late at night. That meant he liked her to some degree, but she couldn't tell how much. She wanted to know.
"Oppa."
Seol-hyang called out in a cautious voice.
"Yes?"
"Are you going to keep doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Why do you keep trying to keep your distance? Talk to me casually, like you used to."
She puffed out her cheeks as she spoke.
"It's just... more comfortable this way..." Sun-woo trailed off.
He had spoken casually to her throughout the duel, but ever since he touched her chest, he found himself instinctively using formal language. A wall had sprung up in that brief moment.
"Is it because you touched my chest?" Seol-hyang asked with a playful lilt in her voice.
"..............."
Sun-woo looked flustered. He had been intentionally avoiding the subject, so having her bring it up so bluntly caught him off guard.
"It's okay. We were in the middle of a duel, and it wasn't intentional."
She spoke soothingly, trying to ease his mind.
"Actually, you keeping your distance like this hurts my feelings more... Oppa..."
She spoke with a plaintive, tearful tone. She sounded so pitiful that Sun-woo felt a pang in his chest.
"I'm sorry, Hyang-mae..."
Sun-woo apologized. Hearing her words, he felt he had indeed been too cold. Seol-hyang gave a small smile, pleased with his reaction. At the same time, a mischievous urge took hold of her.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"You're mean."
"What? Why?" Sun-woo asked, puzzled.
"How much of a 'non-woman' must I be for you to just smack my chest like that?"
"That... that was...!"
Sun-woo panicked at her mischievous teasing.
"Sniff... am I really that unattractive?" Seol-hyang said, pretending to cry exaggeratedly.
"That's not true. You're very attractive, Hyang-mae."
Sun-woo began to frantically try to comfort her.
"No, it's true. I'm a woman with absolutely no charm... I talk too much, I'm arrogant, and my chest is small..."
"No, you have so many charms! You're fun to talk to! I could listen to you for hours and never get bored. And arrogant? Living your life without caring what others think is a wonderful thing."
Sun-woo desperately listed her virtues.
"What about my chest being small?"
".........."
Sun-woo fell silent at her rebuttal. To be honest, her chest wasn't exactly large. It wasn't flat, but compared to the average woman in this world whose chest seemed the size of a human head, it couldn't be called big.
"Sniff... I knew it. I have no charm."
She continued her fake sobbing.
"No, Hyang-mae. Rather than an overly large chest, a moderate one like yours is actually more popular."
Sun-woo denied her claim, trying to soothe her again.
"Really?"
Seol-hyang brightened up instantly and looked at him.
"Of course."
"Do you really, really find me attractive?" Seol-hyang asked, as if seeking confirmation.
"Naturally."
"How much?"
"A whole lot."
"Am I attractive enough to fall for?"
"I... suppose so?"
"Then, have you fallen for me too, Oppa?"
"............"
Sun-woo was momentarily speechless at her direct strike. He had no idea how to answer.
What is her intention? Is she joking? It has to be a joke, right? Surely she isn't serious?
A storm of thoughts raged in Sun-woo’s head. He couldn't distinguish whether she was being playful or sincere.
"Please answer me... Oppa... what... do you... think of me?"
Seol-hyang asked again, her voice trembling with genuine nerves.
Gulp.
Sun-woo swallowed hard. This was a development he had never anticipated.
What do I say? What do I do? What is this? What's happening?
His mind felt paralyzed by her shocking question.
"Tell me."
Seol-hyang urged him, her voice sweet and melodic.
"I... well..."
Under her pressure, Sun-woo slowly began to open his mouth.
"What on earth do you two think you are doing?!"
It was then. A thunderous roar of a shout struck Sun-woo’s ears.
Flinch!
Startled by the sudden shout, Sun-woo jerked and looked around. Standing before them was a nun dressed in grey monastic robes.
"......Bulsok Sajeo."
Recognizing her, Seol-hyang called out her name with a look of utter despair.
"I asked what you think you are doing!"
Bulsok Satae’s face was flushed with rage as she raised her voice even higher.