Chapter 243
Chapter 243
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 243
Chapter Title: 78. Regarding Romantic Feelings (7)
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“Grandma.”
“Yes, dear.”
Li-hwa brought out some warm tea. It was fragrant Taiwanese tea with a floral scent.
The hunched old woman had already lost most of her physical capabilities, using telekinesis to make her heart beat and move her body. She always held a cane in one hand, even though she didn't need it.
Bom was curious about the true nature of that cane.
“Is it a special cane by any chance?”
“Hm? I bought it for five bucks at the market. What could be special about it?”
“Don't you need it?”
“Of course I do. People give up their seats for the elderly more readily when I have it.”
The unexpected reason made Bom chuckle.
The two sipped their tea together, savoring the subtle aroma and enjoying the cool forest breeze. In time, the old woman organized her thoughts on the dilemma the young girl had shared.
“Child.”
“Yes, Grandma.”
“You mentioned your worry earlier. About how your emotions swing to extremes when jealousy hits, that weak side of yours.”
“Yes... Yeoreum almost got seriously hurt because of it.”
“Let me give you some advice.”
“Okay.”
“First off, when anger makes you want to swing a fist, attack with something that doesn't hurt.”
“Pardon...?”
“Surprisingly, splashing water works wonders to cool you down. And it usually keeps things from getting too ugly.”
“From experience?”
“You bet. My late husband took quite a few pillows to the face.”
Hee hee hee... The old woman's laughter made the child giggle along in response.
Moistening her lips with tea, Li-hwa added,
“But... you'll need to confront the root issue too, eventually.”
“Yes.”
“You're so mature for your age. Maybe that side of you is what's making things harder.”
“Huh?”
“The problem is not being honest. You hide it, suppress it, and when it bursts, it explodes bigger.”
“Hmm...”
“It's better to show your true self to those you care about. Say you're happy if you are, say you're upset if you are. That's how genuine bonds form.”
“But... expressing honest feelings isn't something I'm used to.”
“Why not?”
“Mom taught me otherwise since I was little.”
“I see.”
“Besides, being too honest might make me seem childish...”
Li-hwa chuckled at that.
“Adults don't worry about that.”
At the old woman's words, Bom suddenly realized anew that she was just a young hatchling.
She was right. Pretending to be mature, thinking she could control it all—that's when the conflicts grew while hiding her emotions.
Bom blankly mulled over the advice for a moment.
“Emotions... honestly...”
Even if it made her seem like a child.
Five minutes passed with Bom in his arms.
Her shoulders felt small against his arms.
Her heartbeat raced.
Sobbing echoed through the waiting room.
It struck him that something was off about her today.
What was different? He couldn't quite pinpoint it. Comforting the crying child in his embrace, he decided to think it through from the beginning.
The unusually joyful reaction when the invitation text came.
Practicing award speeches with the others.
Then suddenly venting at the carrot girl. The expression hoping he'd step aside and let her. And now, her voice confessing her hurt like a little kid. The words she used.
Through this chain of events, Bom was subtly different from usual.
No poetic metaphors or analogies like always.
'That girl likes you, Mister. I hated that so much...' That's what Bom had said. Childlike words and expressions popped out. Her face, usually blurred from skillfully masking emotions, was crystal clear.
As he recalled, he realized: Bom, always so grown-up, had been especially childlike lately.
Was this some kind of act, even now?
The suspicion arose because Bom had always been so hard to read until now.
There were two issues.
Issue one: The 'Green Dragon Hatchling' had never acted childish even once in the previous regression loop. With no data on handling such a shift from the usually composed hatchling, Yoo Ji-tae was at a loss.
Issue two: He'd have liked to deny it, but now denial was impossible. The thoughts were too clear, stirring a faint self-loathing.
The crying child looked endearing.
Thirty minutes passed with Bom in his arms.
Bom cried for a good long while, and he couldn't understand it. The polymorphed body, modeled after human flesh, kept converting fluids to tears as its owner wished. So Bom shed tears without pause.
Not that it'd amount to more than a handful anyway.
When the Green Dragon cried, her body gave off a damp forest scent like after rain. A smell he disliked, as he hated rain.
Thus, his self-loathing grew with time.
He was starting to like that hated scent.
Five hours passed with Bom in his arms.
Finally, Bom stopped crying, but her hiccupping breaths—hic, sniff—continued.
Until then, Bom had stood frozen.
He loosened his hold.
Bom looked up at him. Reddened eyes. Flushed cheeks. Tear-streaked gaze. Exhausted from crying, her expression was a bit dazed.
Then Bom asked about what happened.
Yoo Ji-tae cleared up the misunderstanding.
It had been one from start to finish. The only issue was the carrot girl having a crush on him.
“...Now that you understand, I need to say my piece. You deserve a scolding.”
“Yes...”
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“...”
With tear-filled eyes, Bom nodded.
“You were selfish, Bom. Your emotions got the better of you.”
“...”
“Honestly, I don't care if you're selfish or not. Back then, I wouldn't have minded. Don't care if the carrot girl or others got screwed over. As long as you're happy.”
“...”
“But someday, somewhere, when you have truly precious connections. Those outbursts you've shown a few times will ruin a lot. I'm sure of it. I've been there.”
“...”
“You can't be like that.”
Bom kept nodding, but wore a dissatisfied look.
“What? Something to say?”
She shook her head as if no.
But her face was sulky. Like she had words.
After prodding a few more times, Bom sighed and spoke.
“I'm not usually selfish...”
“What's that excuse? You saying what you showed earlier wasn't selfish?”
“It's true. I really wasn't selfish before...”
Hic, sniff. Bom caught her breath.
“When I was little, if my little sister wanted my toys, I'd give them up willingly. Over and over. Even out on a hunt, if someone took over my entire life, it didn't feel that bad. So rationally, I thought: help the kidnapper.”
Self-reproach?
“That's weird. Why were you like that?”
“No greed. No plans to live long, nothing I wanted. Why would someone like me be selfish? Precious bonds crumbling? Would I even blink?”
“...”
“So why am I like this now? Because of you, Mister...”
Trailing off, Bom made a tearful face again.
Then buried her head in his chest and whispered,
“...You're the one making me selfish, Mister.”
The words struck like a spear.
His mind reeled.
It was blame, in effect. But not resentment.
The child was confessing.
Trouble surged. After speaking, Bom exhaled and resumed her hic, sniff breaths. Listening, Yoo Ji-tae felt bittersweet instead. Beyond self-loathing, it was hatred now.
Damn it all.
Even her breathing sounded endearing now.
They were heading back to Room 301.
Having cried for hours and exhausted all her energy, Bom's hair had returned to its grassy green. She was spent, no strength left for teleportation. It was S-rank magic, after all.
So in the early dawn, Yoo Ji-tae took Bom to the warp station. Closed for the night, but VIPs could use it.
Activating the artifact the on-duty staff had shut off, while preparing the long-distance warp, he flashed his dungeon free pass and settled Bom in the VIP lounge.
Thoughts churned in his head. Emotions he'd denied ran wild.
Bom lounged half-reclined on the sofa, tying her hair with a pink flower-shaped scrunchie.
Her pale neckline emerged.
A gift from Yeoreum in Las Vegas.
Watching her hands, her hair swaying like an animal's tail...
Yoo Ji-tae finally realized he could delay no longer.
The regressor thought.
To not derail the 7th loop, he first needed to pinpoint his emotions accurately. Judgment required dialectical proof.
The regressor thought.
Human desire proves in two forms.
One of the heart. One of the flesh.
If 'Bom is pretty' was mere aesthetic taste aligned with her, it should stop at the heart.
But if he desired her flesh too, it was undeniable romantic emotion.
So he sat beside the exhausted, teary Bom.
And leaned in to smell her scent.
And then...
That's how it happened.
Warp VIP lounge or wherever.
No staff around or broad daylight.
None of that mattered anymore.
“Mister, wait...”
“...”
“What if someone comes in...”
“Won't happen.”
No one approaching. No eyes watching. He began the experiment immediately.
A kiss? Maybe.
No.
Not dialectical enough.
He needed to explore her body.
But without ruining the daily routine.
Yoo Ji-tae gave Bom the keyword: 'Don't want to.'
If she said it anytime, he'd stop without hesitation.
“No...”
But Bom didn't say she hated it.
Overwhelming her, he brought his face close to hers.
In the tension about to burst, Bom started tearing up again.
Her weak arms pushed his shoulders, but failed.
“No...”
As lips neared.
Tears welled in Bom's eyes.
She couldn't refuse, but was trying to.
Incomprehensible.
Unlike his uncertainty, Bom surely harbored full romantic feelings for him.
Why refuse?
Yoo Ji-tae didn't know what physical intimacy meant to Bom.
With her hair back to green, if she gave herself now, the black-haired version would later terrify her into pulling away—he knew nothing of that hellish future.
Bom hadn't told him. She believed if she did, he'd never love her. So she couldn't.
Bom was trapped on all sides.
“Stay still.”
As she turned her head and twisted, he gripped her neck. His large hand engulfed her small neck and collarbone entirely. No escape now.
Did he crave her flesh?
Not certain yet.
His hand went to the back of her red dress, unzipping. It slipped from her shoulders, revealing white skin he'd never eyed before. Collarbone line. Below, the curve of breasts molded after human form, visible over her undergarments.
Did he want to know more?
Still... not certain.
A bit further.
Hand to her belly, lower still touching thighs under the dress hem. 'Ah...' Bom let out a soft moan.
That's when things changed.
“Mister.”
Her grassy eyes closed. A tear rolled down her cheek.
She half-opened them.
And whispered very softly,
“I'm... scared...”
Her words halted him.
As complex thoughts bloomed.
Bom's lips met his.
Unfamiliar softness, warmth on his lips.
Bom had kissed him.
For a moment, time froze.
Trouble beyond measure shook his mind.
Composure shattered. Mind spun.
“...That's enough for today.”
Pulling away, Bom squeezed her eyes shut. Fresh tears flowed down her cheeks as she buried her head in his chest.
A whisper from his chest: 'Is that okay...?' Seeking permission. Bom had given in. Whatever happened now was his choice.
Even saying she was scared while crying, she never said 'I hate it.' But by then, he realized too: no further. Something was there with Bom. As he willed himself to stop, dialectical proof emerged.
Stopping made him...
Regretful.
Like dunking his head in ice water.
Dazed, he placed a hand on her back. Slowly zipped up the dress.
The regressor realized something was gravely wrong.
No more denial.
What he felt for Bom.
...Was unmistakably romantic emotion.