Chapter 386: Becoming Friends and Lovers
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 386: Becoming Friends and Lovers
Tap, tap, tap.
Tang Seo-yoon ran at full speed, struggling to hide the tears streaming down her face.
Her only thought was to put as much distance between them as possible. She was utterly mortified by the pathetic display she had just put on.
In Sun-woo’s absence, she had been the one acting as the head of the clan—commanding, managing, and supervising everyone. Yet, there she was, shedding tears like a common child.
How could she not be ashamed?
She pushed her movement technique to its limit, running and running until she was certain no one could easily follow her.
After some time had passed, Seo-yoon finally came to a halt in a deserted area. It was a spot on the outskirts of the estate, home to a small, quiet pond.
This should be far enough, she thought.
If she had come this far, surely he wouldn't be able to find her easily.
"Haa..."
Stopping her pace, Tang Seo-yoon let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't understand her own emotions. She should have responded more rationally. She should have maintained a more objective perspective.
And yet, a surge of sorrow had overwhelmed her, leading to those unsightly tears. She couldn't make sense of it.
She had always considered herself a rational person. This state of being toyed with by her emotions felt incredibly awkward and alien.
I don't know.
She couldn't understand why her heart had flared with such distress and sorrow the moment Sun-woo asked to break the engagement.
She slowly approached the pond and looked at her reflection. Staring back at her was a version of herself drenched in tears.
Seo-yoon felt a wave of self-consciousness. Seeing herself cry was profoundly strange. Though she had felt her eyes well up before, she had never wept so sorrowfully in her life. This version of herself felt like a stranger.
Why... am I acting like this?
She questioned herself, wondering how things had come to this.
Thud.
She sank to the ground right where she stood. Drawing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs and buried her head. A wave of depression washed over her, leaving her heart heavy.
She felt like disappearing for a few days—at least until the shame faded.
How much time had passed?
Tap, tap.
She felt the sensation of someone tapping her on the shoulder. Startled, Tang Seo-yoon whipped her head around to look behind her. Her expression immediately shifted to one of utter bewilderment.
The man she least wanted to face was standing right there.
"......Sun-woo!?"
She managed to speak, her face a mask of shock.
".....Uh... hey?"
Sun-woo spoke with an awkward smile. He, too, seemed to find the current situation incredibly uncomfortable.
"How... are you here...?"
She asked, her voice trembling with confusion. She couldn't fathom how Sun-woo had tracked her down. This pond was on the furthest fringes of the outskirts. Her father had built it specifically for her mother, who was painfully shy, in a place so remote that people rarely, if ever, visited.
How could he find such a place so easily? And without making a single sound?
Doubt began to cloud her features.
"I just had a feeling you'd be here," Sun-woo replied in a calm tone.
"That's... impossible... This is the outskirts..."
".......I just felt your presence."
Sun-woo scratched his head as he spoke. He was telling the truth. He had simply expanded his qi sensing to its limit to find her energy. Since reaching the Profound Realm, the range of his perception had become immense, and he had gained the ability to distinguish individuals by their unique energy signatures alone. Covering the entire Tang Clan estate with his senses to find Tang Seo-yoon hadn't been difficult at all.
"....Why did you come?" Tang Seo-yoon asked bluntly.
"Just because," Sun-woo replied, looking a bit sheepish.
"Go. I want to be alone."
"How can I just leave when you're crying like this?"
"I'm not crying. I just got some dust in my eyes."
Tang Seo-yoon spat out the excuse the moment she heard his words.
"Don't lie."
Sun-woo let out a small chuckle. To him, her attempt to maintain her pride with such a blatant lie was actually quite cute.
"Don't worry about me and just go. You're an outsider anyway, aren't you? Why bother worrying about someone like me?"
"Why would you say it like that? An outsider?"
"Well, aren't you? We aren't related by blood, and you haven't become a matrilocal son-in-law either, have you?"
Tang Seo-yoon’s voice was sharp and biting.
"..........."
Sun-woo fell silent. He hadn't expected her to lash out like this.
"Stop worrying and just leave the Tang Clan! You've got a much more impressive backer behind you now anyway!"
"Why are you talking like that?!"
Sun-woo raised his voice, shouting back. Her sharp words made him feel a sense of injustice. How could she think he would just abandon the Tang Clan? Sun-woo had never once thought of the Tang Clan as a mere "backer." He had always viewed them as comrades who would grow alongside him.
How could she say such things?
"Am I wrong?"
"Of course you're wrong! I've never once thought of the Tang Clan as just a backer!"
"Then did you think of us as an old pair of shoes you could toss away whenever you felt like leaving?"
"That's not what I meant!" Sun-woo argued, his face flushed with frustration.
"If it's not that, then what! What is it then?!"
"I thought of us as comrades who would grow together and help each other!"
"And a 'comrade' throws away his position as a fiancé to become a son-in-law for the Imperial Court?"
"..........."
Sun-woo fell silent again. He couldn't deny that point.
"When it suited you, you spouted off about being my fiancé and took everything you could get, and now that a better offer has come along, you're moving on? Isn't that it?"
"It's not like that!"
"If it's not that! Then what is it!" Tang Seo-yoon raised her voice even higher.
"I don't understand why you're acting like this. The engagement was a sham from the start. It was just for show, a pretext to allow me to act as regent. You're still going to be the regent as the head of the Tang Clan, and I'm just going to remain the disciple of the Poison King. What exactly is the problem?!"
Sun-woo spoke as if he truly couldn't comprehend the situation. He didn't understand why Tang Seo-yoon was so angry. The woman he knew was rational, intuitive, and detached. But now, that version of her was nowhere to be seen. She had become incredibly emotional.
"It might have been a sham to you, but it wasn't to me!"
As she spoke, the sorrow welled up again, and tears began to fall once more.
"A promise of marriage isn't something to be taken lightly! I was sincere. I truly intended to marry you!"
"What... did you say?"
For a moment, Sun-woo felt his brain grind to a halt. What on earth was she talking about? She was sincere?!
"Did you really think I only let you act as my fiancé all this time because I have a stoic personality?!"
"............"
He actually had thought that. But Sun-woo kept his mouth shut, sensing that admitting it would lead to an irreversible disaster.
"No matter how stoic I am, do you think I'd just stand by and let someone I don't even like say those things?!"
"............"
"You're a real piece of trash!"
Tang Seo-yoon sobbed as she spoke.
"............."
Sun-woo remained silent. He didn't even know where to begin. She liked him? Since when?
A whirlwind of questions raced through his mind. Sun-woo had felt an attraction to her, but he had never crossed the line. She had never shown any signs of liking him, and he hadn't wanted to risk ruining their friendship. He feared that if he confessed and was rejected, even their close bond would be jeopardized.
That was why he had drawn a line and maintained only a friendship. She was the person he felt closest to in this world of Murim.
And now, she had suddenly confessed her true feelings. She had liked him all along. He couldn't help but be stunned. How could this be happening?
".........."
Sun-woo stared blankly at Tang Seo-yoon. He had no idea what to say to the woman weeping so bitterly before him. But eventually, he snapped out of it and slowly reached out. He began to gently wipe away the tears flowing down her cheeks.
"Don't. Don't touch me."
She repeatedly voiced her refusal, but she didn't actually pull away from his touch.
"Seo-yoon."
Sun-woo watched her for a moment before calling her name.
"I'm sorry."
He offered a sincere apology.
"Don't apologize... It's just... me liking you on my own... and getting disappointed on my own."
Tang Seo-yoon replied, her voice thick with sorrow. She told herself that Sun-woo wasn't at fault. This was the result of her own failure to be honest with her feelings.
"I really... didn't know. I had no idea you felt that way about me."
"Forget it... Just stop talking..."
Hearing his words made Seo-yoon feel a sense of misery. She felt like a woman starved for affection, begging for love.
"Seo-yoon."
".............."
"Before I came here, Ok-ryeong told me something," Sun-woo said in a calm voice. "She said I'd made you wait far too long."
Sun-woo looked at her with an expression of absolute gravity.
"When I first heard that, I didn't understand what she meant. I thought of you as a precious friend... and I didn't think there was any deep romantic affection between us."
"............"
Tang Seo-yoon hung her head in silence. The more he spoke, the more her misery compounded. What kind of feelings had she harbored for a man who only saw her as a friend?
"But now, I understand what she meant. I understand that I've made you wait a long time."
Sun-woo continued his calm explanation. At those words, Tang Seo-yoon’s head snapped up in surprise.
"I've always been attracted to you. But I didn't dare harbor feelings beyond that. I was afraid I might lose my only friend. That's why I drew a line and kept a proper distance."
Sun-woo’s expression remained steady.
"I thought that was enough. Until you revealed your heart."
".............."
Tang Seo-yoon’s face flushed with embarrassment.
"Hearing your words made me greedy. I started to want to harbor feelings beyond mere attraction. And I felt a desire. A desire to hold you."
Sun-woo’s tone became firm.
"I think I've made you wait far too long."
He looked at Tang Seo-yoon with a burning gaze.
"Seo-yoon, if we started off on the wrong foot, won't you give me a chance to fix it? This time, I want to be your real lover, not a fake one."
"Ugh... hng... sob... hic..."
Hearing Sun-woo’s confession, Tang Seo-yoon began to cry again. Something surged up from deep within her chest at his words. She couldn't name the feeling, but it was incredibly overwhelming.
"Sob... waaaah..."
She was a woman who rarely cried. She was someone whose emotions never wavered, no matter what happened. Yet here she was, weeping. Like a child, she cried without end.
Sun-woo opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. Tucked against his chest, Tang Seo-yoon’s sobs grew even more sorrowful. Sun-woo slowly stroked the back of her head until she finally began to calm down.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After some time had passed, Tang Seo-yoon quickly pulled away from Sun-woo’s embrace. The realization that she had been wailing like a child in his arms brought a fresh wave of embarrassment.
".........."
Pulling her face away from his chest, she blushed furiously and avoided his gaze.
"Are you done crying?" Sun-woo asked in a gentle voice.
"...Yeah."
Tang Seo-yoon barely managed a reply, her voice small with shame.
"I didn't know you were such a crybaby," Sun-woo teased.
"....Don't make fun of me."
Her face turned even redder. Sun-woo slowly reached out again.
"I'm not making fun of you. I'm saying it because you're cute."
He spoke as he toyed with her flushed cheeks. Tang Seo-yoon felt even more embarrassed by his soft touch, but she didn't stop him. She didn't mind the feeling of his hands on her.
"Shall we head back now?" Sun-woo asked, looking into her eyes.
"......Where to?"
"To everyone else."
".........."
Tang Seo-yoon fell silent. She felt too embarrassed to face them again. She had always been like a woman made of iron, never showing a single tear. The thought of everyone knowing she had broken down like that was mortifying.
"Can't we just... not go?"
"No."
Sun-woo’s response was firm.
"I have to tell them."
".....Tell them what?"
"That I've taken a new woman into my life."
Sun-woo spoke with a smile playing on his lips.
Whoosh—
At those words, Tang Seo-yoon’s entire face erupted in a brilliant crimson.