Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: 44. Feeling Awkward (2)
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“Why?”
But the regressor didn’t continue.
He realized upon reflection. He had no idea what part of it made her feel awkward.
What had he just done?
He had suddenly approached her in the darkness.
He thought back. Not long ago, during the time she first tried writing a novel, a similar situation had occurred. The moment he grabbed her by the nape from behind, she had been terrified.
At that time, the regressor had felt a twinge of regret for his actions, however slight. Though he acted as if nothing happened the next day, the memory of the shock would linger forever.
So he decided to ask once.
“Why are you feeling awkward?”
Bom’s perpetually expressionless brow furrowed slightly.
“...Why?”
“Just curious,” she replied.
“Not tellin’.”
“......”
As always, her unknowable thoughts hid behind those eyes, expression, and voice. And even just looking at her face felt like peering into her depths.
“Then why are you feeling awkward, Ajusshi?”
“What?”
“You get awkward too when I suddenly get close.”
As he fell silent, Bom narrowed her eyes and approached. Sitting in the chair opposite, she placed both hands on his thigh and leaned in, pressing close.
It was a subtle movement. He felt the weight on his leg.
“Actually...”
She slowly opened her mouth.
“This is what I wanted to say.”
“...What?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Bom said it in a listless, blunt voice. Her dazed gaze suggested she was imitating someone.
He let out a hollow chuckle, and Bom giggled “kee-hee.”
“If I asked why you’re feeling awkward today, you were gonna say the same thing, right? Just like always.”
“Who knows.”
“Is there even a reason? For feeling awkward?”
It was a fundamental question.
In truth, until recently, he had wondered why he felt this way himself.
Through repeated regressions—especially after the second and third cycles—he had lost nearly all interest in women. More precisely, not women per se, but in any bond that crossed certain lines. After all, every relationship in the world eventually left him behind alone.
The pain of loss came in the second cycle.
The fear of loss took hold in the third.
After that, he learned ways to avoid pain altogether. He started living without fear. The method was simple: draw lines and keep others from crossing them.
However, upon entering the seventh cycle, as his life settled into normalcy, he faced a major dilemma with this distancing.
To be precise, there were several dilemmas. People he had to keep at a distance. Situations where he couldn’t.
And the biggest dilemma among them...
“I think I know.”
...was this girl right here.
“What do you think you know.”
“Why? I know more than you think.”
Bom continued with a sullen expression.
“Gaeul once called you a kid. For different reasons, but now I think she was right.”
“What?”
“Look. Say there’s a pirate who lived twenty years at sea since birth. And a bandit who lived forty years in the mountains.”
“Sure.”
“Normally, the bandit would be more adult than the pirate.”
“...Yeah.”
“But at sea, the pirate has more experience, so he’s the adult there.”
“...Okay, I get it. What’s your point?”
Only then did Bom’s lips twitch. Her gaze slyly avoided his eyes.
“Just... in some places...”
She seemed to be desperately holding back laughter.
“...I might be the senior.”
She removed her hands from his thigh and returned to her seat.
Bom swept her hair behind her ear and turned back to the computer screen.
Something felt off. But what? He couldn’t tell.
“Gotta write the novel.”
She unnecessarily voiced it aloud and began typing.
Her pale ear. The hair swept behind it. A few stray strands poking forward.
Gazing at Bom’s profile, Yoo Ji-tae suddenly wondered if he’d forgotten something.
Come to think of it, he’d meant to ask why she was feeling awkward. But somehow, he’d been swept up in her lead. He hadn’t asked the reason. Nor made her awkward.
The plans he’d devised and failed in the seventh cycle were mostly like this.
In any case, with her working, there was no reason to stay. As he left the room, he said listlessly,
“If you’re curious, I’ll tell you simply. No one’s crossed lines to get as close to me as you have.”
Bom’s eyes, fixed on the screen, widened round.
“So, I get why you’re awkward.”
But the regressor didn’t see it and left Bom’s room.
*
[39. No one’s crossed lines to get as close to me as you. ㅎ..]
For a moment, she nearly died of awkwardness.
[ㅎ.. ㅎㅎ...]
[ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ]
Even thinking back, it was awkward. To calm her rising lips, Bom took several deep breaths before closing the notebook.
[Ajusshi Observation Diary★★]
She filled in color for an empty star. Then, struck by a sudden question, she reopened it and added another line.
[?. Question: Why didn’t Ajusshi tease back? I thought I led him enough···.]
When her chin was grabbed. When Yoo Ji-tae came right up to her face. Bom had definitely been flustered. Awkward.
But expressing it was another matter. She could have not said she was awkward, but chose to anyway.
Until now, she had never once shown such vulnerability. Not just to Yoo Ji-tae, but to anyone.
In other words, today’s expression and words were all planned.
Yoo Ji-tae was sensitive about dragons. She thought he’d find this side of her intriguing···.
[Did I go too far?]
Leading had to be subtle. But how subtle for the regressor to catch on? She didn’t know.
So Bom pondered a bit more and added to the journal.
[...Or should I push a little more?]
Maybe today’s bait was too small.
* * *
2 p.m.
First in quarterly scores, but that was just one-fourth of four months.
Yeoreum’s competition continued. As usual, she headed out for personal sparring.
“I’ll be back.”
“You sure you don’t want company?”
“Nah. Sick of it. Why do you gotta watch me 24/7? Dad’s always like that···!”
Yeoreum grumbled primly like some morning drama character. As Yoo Ji-tae’s face hardened, she burst into giggles the next instant.
“Back soon~.”
“...Yeah.”
Left in the living room: Yoo Ji-tae, Bom, and the Guardian.
They stared intently at something.
Winter was aggressively devouring jelly from a tub the size of her thigh.
Gaeul had bought a bundle last week, and lately, Winter was obsessed to the point of madness.
“She eats so well.”
“Yeah.”
These days, Winter’s gluttony was increasing. Eating ten servings of toast and fish cakes. Her once-defined jawline had turned into a double chin.
“Ppi-yung-ah. Let’s eat.”
Around then, Gaeul was feeding the chick.
Gaeul was training the chick lately. At her voice, it scurried over, and she lowered her face. The yellow fluffball pecked gently at her cheek.
“Good job!”
Feed scattered.
She’d already eaten before Gaeul woke that morning, yet she ate well.
So the Guardian thought,
‘First time seeing a spirit like that. Chick? Or pig?’
Meanwhile, Winter crammed jelly into her mouth. Everyone’s gazes poured onto the chick and Winter, like watching a mukbang YouTuber.
Munching away, Winter sensed the stares, looked up at the Guardian,
then at Yoo Ji-tae, Bom, and Gaeul.
“...Why?”
A question as if to say, What’re you staring at?
“Cuz you’re cute.”
Bom giggled. Winter grinned back, revealing puffier cheeks than usual.
Yeah. She’d gained weight.
Even dragons weren’t gods; organic like humans. Young ones without body control gained fat too.
Why the increased appetite? Maybe shedding soon.
In any case, no intent to take her food. Yoo Ji-tae blankly watched Winter beam at each jelly piece.
Soon, the tub emptied.
“......”
Winter stared at the empty container.
Her pursed lips brimmed with dissatisfaction.
Winter turned to Gaeul.
Gaze: Got more?
“Yeah! Bought lots.”
Gaeul fetched another tub from her room. Something occurred to her.
“Winter. You don’t wanna eat jelly on an empty stomach, right?”
Tilt?
“Here.”
Gaeul crouched, eyes closed.
Realizing, Winter approached and kissed her cheek. “Kyahaha! Good girl!” Gaeul exploded in laughter, handing over the tub.
But Gaeul found Winter extra cute today. Watching her shovel jelly, she asked,
“Wanna give Unni one too?”
Blue eyes turned. Gaeul opened her mouth.
“Ahh—.”
Winter dropped her shy smile.
Then said,
“...On an empty stomach?”
Bom and Gaeul burst out laughing. Bom laughed, but Gaeul nearly rolled on the floor.
Winter topped it off, puffing her cheeks and poking them with fingers. Unable to hold back, Gaeul collapsed laughing.
“Ugh···. No matter how I look, you’re such a kid! Right?!”
“...If you don’t like it, don’t.”
“Who said I don’t?”
Mwah! Peck peck! Kissed on the cheeks, Winter grinned wide and passed the jelly.
Grrr... Grrr···. Then a weird sound; turning, the Guardian flinched, avoiding Yoo Ji-tae’s gaze.
Laughing?
“......”
Red eyes flickered, then curved like a bow toward Winter.
She could laugh too.
After that, chaotic playtime ensued.
Winter chased the chick to hug it. The chick bounced to Gaeul for hugs. Gaeul, finding the train game fun, ran away pointlessly. The small living room kept them close; they got caught quickly.
“Hey, run slower. Slower.”
Bom stepped in to mediate.
“What if downstairs complains.”
“Huh? Unni’s subspace protects us anyway, right?”
“Well··· yeah, but···?”
Then the chick burst from the room and accidentally headbutted Bom’s stomach.
Holding the flapping chick, Bom stumbled back and fell.
“Ah···.”
Right onto Yoo Ji-tae’s sofa. He reflexively rose, catching and cradling her. As a dragon, no injury, no danger—just pure reflex.
“S-sorry, Ajusshi···.”
“You okay?”
In his awkward embrace, Bom set the chick down and turned her head.
Her slightly red ears stood out more against pale skin.
In that moment, the regressor realized Bom’s awkwardness.
That was it. They resumed chaos. Bom lay on the sofa, head turned.
What was that just now?
Blankly staring at her tousled green hair, he pondered the situation. Light physical touch. Close proximity. Not frightening. Or frightening but not excessive.
And unexpected for Bom.
Ah.
Then he roughly understood what made Bom awkward.
In short, the Green Clan trait.
She acted like she knew everything, so unknowns touching close flustered her.
The regressor learned another new fact about Bom today.
*
But she seemed unaware of her own smile as she turned away.
“......”
Just as planned.