Chapter 249
Chapter 249
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 249
Chapter Title: 80. Debate Topic: Our Ajusshi (3)
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Winter didn't want him to leave.
His departure would mean misfortune for Winter.
To make Winter happy, he had to stay here.
Should he come clean and beg for forgiveness?
He'd thought about it, if only for a fleeting moment.
But he couldn't imagine the children handling that kind of shock.
For example, Gaeul struggled so much to let go of a chick she'd only had for a little over a year that she came to him for advice every day.
So fragile, having yet to experience the world. Just a child like that.
The others weren't any different.
Evil was an uncertain factor. Even so-called godlike EX-rank powers were useless against it.
He'd always lived by planning ahead. So when an uncertain element threatened to derail his plans, he obsessively schemed for something better. That was the problem.
But the kids regaining memories from the previous round wasn't a certainty, was it?
He decided to think of his situation as no different from countless ordinary people.
People who had no idea what tomorrow might bring.
Sure, there might not be many among them carrying burdens as heavy as his. But even those people got through each day with a smile, didn't they?
As that realization settled in, Yoo Ji-tae came to a new understanding.
He'd always defined this as the 7th round.
And because he'd thought of all this time only as "reality,"
he hadn't considered that the time in the 7th round would also become one of the "pasts."
'...Don't go.'
The child who had stopped her own heart at the end of the 6th round
'...If you leave, I'll be sad.'
was now saying she'd be sad if he left.
They were the same person, after all. Yoo Ji-tae. And Winter.
So what made then different from now?
— ...More, please.
Winter, holding out her bowl after finishing her ramen and asking for seconds.
— How can I help?
Him, coming to the aid of Winter when someone stole her jelly container.
— Doesn't that make me a good person already?
— ...Huh?
— I'm playing with you.
— ...A lot ... playing a lot.
Conversations shared with the kid who had been suffering in a cold, dark place.
They had changed.
And in all the countless hours beyond that. Winter and Yoo Ji-tae had walked a 7th round different from the 6th together. Looking back, that too had become a "past," adorning the path they'd traveled.
All the time flowing forward would soon become one past, forever etched in this child's mind. With that thought, he realized he couldn't ruin the present with needless worries.
Once he shifted his mindset, something miraculous happened.
Yoo Ji-tae looked down at the string on his wrist.
Until just moments ago, it had felt like the final tether binding him to Room 301.
But now? He was the one who'd assigned it that meaning. The one whose emotions had shaken him into childish judgment.
Now it felt like shackles born from the past.
Snap—
He cut the string.
What he'd thought he'd have to sever as ruthlessly as toppling the world snapped off with ridiculous ease.
As he stood, Winter let go of his arm.
The child was small. Even standing on the bed, she was shorter than him. He bent at the waist, slid his arm behind her knees, and Winter settled onto his arm.
So natural. So familiar.
Born of trust from the past. Winter knew this arm wouldn't drop her. She knew this closeness brought joy.
"...You're not going?"
"Yeah."
Winter beamed and nodded.
As he stared at her face, pondering what to say next, Winter reached out and placed her hand on his head.
Then she began stroking his rough hair.
Swish, swish. The sound continued.
"What're you doing."
"...You're a good tiger."
He was dumbfounded.
"...Hey."
"Yeah?"
"...Next time, tell me first."
He smiled faintly. There wouldn't be a next time.
Still, listening quietly to the sound of her petting his hair cleared his mind. The right words came naturally.
"Sorry."
He apologized.
"...Okay."
The child forgave him.
Three to go.
In front of everyone, he'd apologized lightly.
He admitted he'd been overly sensitive lately. He declared he'd rest up today and let his mood settle. Simple words, but the kids visibly relaxed.
Yeoreum cursing him out and storming out of the dorm had actually been the harshest reaction.
Only then did he realize just how much he'd shaken up Room 301.
He'd nearly ruined the precious daily life they'd built over baseless fears of what hadn't even happened.
He'd almost fucked it all up.
"Sorry?"
He knew exactly where Yeoreum would be. Up on the rooftop floor, there she was, smoking.
"Those fucking embers..."
Thinking back on the recent incident here, Yeoreum spat another curse.
"Words are enough?"
"Then how should I apologize."
"On your knees."
Yoo Ji-tae knelt silently.
For a brief moment, he wondered if he should, but since he genuinely felt sorry, it wasn't hard.
Yeoreum's expression twisted weirdly.
"Well, well...?"
She approached, exhaling smoke, then stuck out her foot in its cheap sandals.
"Kiss my foot."
"......"
"Won't do it?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
"It stinks."
"What bullshit. Since when do dragon feet stink?"
"The socks do."
Her face scrunched up.
"Anyway, you just don't wanna, right?"
"Yeah."
"Hm... Yeah, thought so? Only a weirdo would kiss a foot when asked."
He had no idea what she was getting at, so he didn't respond.
"Whatever. Fine."
Exhaling more smoke, Yeoreum stared straight into his eyes.
"Anyway. Never make us feel that pathetic again."
"Got it."
"I'm not joking. Answer seriously. Watching you flip out alone from the sidelines? It drains the life outta me. Pisses me off."
Too caught up in his own mess, he hadn't even had the bandwidth to gauge Yeoreum's feelings.
"You know why I'm really pissed? I can't do shit. If you up and wreck everything and bail right now, what can I do? Grab your pants and cry? Offer my tits? Would that make you stay? No. You always do whatever the fuck you want. You'd just leave anyway."
"......"
"So what could I even do then? Nothing. Makes me feel so goddamn powerless. Why make me feel that way?"
"I'm sorry."
"Fuck off..."
The smoke flickered unsteadily again.
Then she asked.
"So, did you?"
"Huh?"
"Fuck Yoo Bom?"
The question hit out of nowhere.
He was flabbergasted.
He tried ignoring it, but the timing was too perfect—this was a situation where not answering absolutely wouldn't fly.
"No."
"Sex."
"......"
In that idiotic exchange,
Yeoreum seemed a bit appeased.
"Ah~ But no ashtray."
She leaned right up to his face, dangling the half-smoked cigarette in front of him.
Yoo Ji-tae glanced at it briefly, then stood. He snatched it from her hand.
"H-Hey? What the..."
Yeoreum's eyes widened.
He put the cigarette in his mouth and inhaled deeply. So deep that in one breath, it burned almost to the filter. The exhaled smoke was incredibly thick.
"What the..."
He'd deliberately dropped his immunity buffs, but the cigarette was weaker than expected—no real kick.
Yoo Ji-tae was about to toss the butt when he pinched out the ember with his fingers and pocketed it. Better to trash it properly.
"You smoke?"
For some reason, Yeoreum looked even brighter.
"Used to."
Two left.
"Ajusshi really needs to get chewed out!"
Gaeul burst out.
"Why do that? Scaring people? Huh? Huh?"
"......"
"I was really, really scared, you know? Huh? Do you get it? What I'm saying?"
"Yeah."
"What do you get?!"
With Yoo Ji-tae taking the low road, her pent-up hurt exploded. Gaeul huffed and vented her anger.
"How could you just spring that! Huh? Ajusshi, do you know how it feels when a precious friend suddenly ditches you? The ones left behind feel abandoned! Were you gonna abandon me? For real, for real, for real?!"
Gaeul's words stabbed a bit deeper into his memories.
How could he not know?
There had been six rounds where everything in the world abandoned him and vanished.
"...Sorry."
"Sorry fix everything?!"
"I'll buy you something tasty. Heard the bakery by the commercial district entrance has a new menu."
"No thanks!"
"Chocolate brownie with strawberries."
"Don't want it!"
"Macarons and ice cream too."
"I said no! You think I'm some idiot girlfriend who'll take any food?!"
And then the nagging poured out again.
No sign of calming down.
So he offered the item he'd prepared with difficulty.
"Fine. I'm sorry. Take this and cool off first."
"What! Huh? Bakery? For real! What do you take me for?!"
"Saved it for you. Lair Hotel Bakery premium ticket."
"I told you how many times! Trying to bribe me slyly like this... I, I..."
Gaeul trailed off.
Her eyes were on the ticket.
Tempted, maybe. Seemed like an opening.
"They've got chewy chocolate pie here too."
The bakery always hailed as the best in Lair. VIP system, reservations backed up half a year—top patisserie.
"......"
Would she take it? He hoped it'd soothe her a bit. He pushed it closer.
But Gaeul blocked his hand with her palm.
"Why won't you listen..."
Gaeul's voice rippled softly.
"I said you don't need this... We don't need stuff like this... Just don't go. Okay?"
Yoo Ji-tae realized he needed a more fundamental apology.
Looking at Gaeul, who stared down at the floor.
He answered.
"Yeah. Sorry. I promise."
"Swear it."
"How."
"On your birthplace, name, and dad's name."
"What, like a dragon pact?"
"No. Not some magic that forces it. I can't even do that stuff. Just promise. Otherwise, how can I trust I won't be abandoned... how can I relax..."
Gloomy expression. Voice fading.
He'd broken the trust once built. Now he'd have to rebuild it diligently.
As silence stretched, Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"I am Yoo Ji-tae of Seoul Songpa."
Gaeul's eyes widened that instant.
It took her a moment to recall the name.
"Son of Yoo Jeong-hwan. On the name of the Yoo clan. Here and now..."
He knew the nearby dimensional etiquette too. But not the oath wording. 'What do I say.' He whispered. Gaeul whispered back. 'Uh, uh, no sudden acceleration...?'
"...I swear no sudden acceleration."
Bowing as per etiquette, Gaeul yelled.
"What was that! Total mess!"
"Why. You said do it like this."
"That's not our etiquette! And why sudden acceleration? It's not a car! Even if I mess up my words, you should've smoothed it nicely, okay?!"
"How about chewy chocolate pie."
"Aaaah! Again, again! Treating me like a pig...!"
Gaeul glared, then clamped her mouth shut.
She'd realized he'd sworn.
Like a pinwheel brushing past, a small breath escaped as words.
"Still. You swore... No take-backs. Okay?"
Gaeul asked cautiously.
"Yeah."
"Then promise no take-backs."
Gaeul stuck out her pinky.
Didn't this seal the promise? He hooked his pinky anyway, but she offered the other one.
"Promise you won't break promises."
Only after the promise-upon-a-promise-upon-a-sworn-oath
did Gaeul take the ticket.
"And one more thing you gotta know for sure."
"What."
"I'm not a pig—!"
Right.
One left.