Chapter 217: Yesterday's Best Friend, Today's... (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 217: Yesterday's Best Friend, Today's... (4)
Ryujin possessed a charm entirely different from any woman I’d met before.
White skin, deep eyes, and red lips.
With the addition of her dark, smoky makeup that seemed to cast shadows on her face, she… how should I put it… she exuded a decadent beauty.
She had the face of someone who had lived a turbulent life.
It wasn’t that she looked weathered by time or anything like that; it was her expression that gave off that feeling.
She had a strong, cynical vibe, as if she’d been through it all and had become detached from everything.
But was that her actual personality?
Not at all.
While her personality did have a somewhat cynical feel, an untarnished innocence was melted within it.
In other words, while she might give off a cynical impression, deep down, she was still tender and pure.
And that was the part.
That was what I liked about her.
“You don’t remember?”
“…Remember what.”
“The day we first met at the club.”
Our first meeting had been intense.
As if recalling it herself, Ryujin glared at me with flustered eyes and started rambling.
“Th-That was you, you just went ahead and…!”
“You’re right.”
I did just go ahead and do it.
“I wanted you because I liked you.”
That’s how much I liked her.
Sure, I had approached her as part of a bigger picture.
But to say there were no feelings involved in that kiss would be wrong.
On the contrary, in that moment, I wasn't thinking about teaching anyone a lesson or anything else.
“And you responded to my kiss, too.”
“……!”
This was also an undeniable fact.
I may have been the one to lean in first, but she had responded with equal fervor.
“Because you liked me too, didn’t you, noona?”
If she hadn’t, she would have slapped me instead of kissing me back.
At my words, which struck deep, her flustered expression hardened.
“So, what.”
A hint of resentment could be felt in her flat, monotone voice.
“It’s true my heart wavered in that moment. But… don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s still the same.”
That was a lie.
The proof was that, contrary to her resolute expression, her eyes looking at me were trembling faintly.
She was probably trying her best to push me away.
“Are you trying to give up because Eun-bi noona likes me?”
I hit the mark again without hesitation.
Hearing this, Ryujin’s eyes widened.
“You… you knew?”
“How could I not?”
Kim Eun-bi had been blatant with her feelings.
She messaged me every day, was the first to ask to meet, and even took care of me when we were together.
At this point, even the most clueless harem protagonist would have figured it out.
I moved to the seat next to her, who was wearing an expression of disbelief.
She tried to move her chair away as I got closer, but I grabbed her shoulder and gently pressed down.
“Wh-What, all of a sudden.”
I could feel her heart pounding furiously through the hand on her shoulder.
Her mind wasn’t welcoming this situation, but her body was filled with anticipation.
“In the end, the reason you’re pushing me away is because you don’t want to see Eun-bi noona get hurt.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she gave a reluctant nod.
So, after trying so hard to push me away, you reveal your true feelings at the very end.
Maybe it was because of the smoky makeup, or maybe it was just her.
I met her endlessly deep eyes and smiled.
“What if I told you there’s a way for everyone to be happy?”
She frowned.
“…Is something like that even possible?”
“It is.”
Nothing could be easier.
Instead of choosing one person, I just have to choose them both, right?
Of course, people would look down on such a thing, but I didn’t care.
To put it bluntly, it’s not like I’m breaking the law. If we’re all happy with it, what can they do?
If they have a problem with it, they can try and take them from me.
Of course, if they get caught trying, they’ll disappear from the world without a trace.
“…Is there really a way?”
She was starting to waver.
Ryujin’s resolve, which had been so firm just moments ago for the sake of her friend, was beginning to crumble.
“There is. But you have to trust me.”
“What… are you going to do?”
“Well… it’s hard to say exactly what at this stage, but.”
How should I explain this?
Ah, this should work.
“We’re going to break away from social norms.”
Little by little.
We just have to value each other more than the concepts society has agreed upon and widely accepted.
To make it so that it doesn’t matter if others point fingers, as long as we can all be happy.
“What does that even….”
She scrunched up her face at my vague answer.
“There’s a way. Just trust me this once.”
I was confident.
Ryujin, and Kim Eun-bi.
There was a path where neither of them would get hurt and both could find happiness.
Ah, saying ‘neither of them’ might be a bit of a misstatement.
Because as I walk down that path, Kim Jeong-hun will become utterly miserable and his life will turn cruel.
Well then, let’s just call it a path where only Kim Jeong-hun is miserable and everyone else is happy.
I tightened my grip on her shoulder and gently pulled her toward me. Her upper body was drawn powerlessly into my arms in a soft embrace.
It felt like an answer, as if she was placing her complete trust in me.
“You smell good.”
A strange scent tickled my nose.
The distinct smell of leather from her jacket, the musk scent flowing through her hair.
And the sweet scent of her skin wafting from her neck.
These scents, each so strong they were hopelessly mismatched, seemed to perfectly represent her.
Ryujin, who had been resting quietly in my arms, shifted slightly.
“What are you doing with your nose buried in my neck, you pervert.”
Ah.
She doesn’t know yet.
That I’m a pervert.
I’ll have to let her know that, slowly, later on.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Around the time it turned midnight.
I arrived in front of Kim Eun-bi’s house in Mapo District with her on my back.
It would have been great if she lived alone, but she apparently lived with her parents.
Standing in front of the main gate, she hesitated before speaking.
“…Thanks for taking me home.”
“If you’re thankful, I think a reward would be nice.”
“What kind of reward?”
“Well, obviously….”
I gently grabbed the chin of her bewildered face, pulled her in, and pressed my lips against hers.
“Mmph…!”
Through half-lidded eyes, I watched her face.
Her eyes, wide with shock, slowly accepted the situation and closed.
Peck… Smooch.
I repeatedly pressed and pulled my lips away lightly, like a bird pecking at feed, before slowly pushing my tongue inside.
Perhaps because I’d taken my time, Ryujin parted her lips and naturally met my tongue with hers.
“Hah… haah… oop….”
Schlurp… slurp, smooch.
The stimulating sounds echoing between our mouths traveled through my ears and sent a jolt through my brain.
If I had my way, I’d take her somewhere right now and take things further, but I barely managed to hold back and pulled my lips away at the right moment.
“Haah, haah….”
Her eyes, looking up at me as she panted, were filled with desire.
No matter how inexperienced one might be, after a kiss that deep, the body naturally begins to anticipate what comes next.
But not now.
As I said, if one side gets too far ahead, the other will lose the strength to keep up.
So for today, I’ll hold back and instead leave her with a promise for the future.
“It’s late, so you should go in. And next time, you’d better come prepared.”
Because the next time we meet, I have no intention of sending you home like this.
Understanding my meaning, Ryujin raised a fist and tapped my chest, whining playfully.
“You damn pervert.”
“So, are you disappointed?”
When I asked back in a sly tone, she shook her head.
“…It’s not that.”
She’s surprisingly shy for someone who looks the way she does.
“I’m going in. You get home safe too, and please take care of Eun-bi.”
“Don’t worry.”
“And, um….”
Before going through the gate, she blushed and uttered one last thing.
“C-Call me when you get home.”
Clang!
The gate shut at the same time.
I wonder why she’s so embarrassed about saying something like that.
I immediately went out to the main road, hailed a taxi, and sped down the quiet street.
My destination was her house in Pyeongchang-dong.
As the taxi neared its destination, I saw a familiar face under a streetlight brightly illuminating the road.
Kim Jeong-hun.
The bastard was pacing in front of his house, clutching his smartphone.
Was he worried because his sister hadn't come home late at night?
I got out of the taxi with Kim Eun-bi on my back and walked toward him.
Spotting me walking toward him, he approached with angry strides.
“You son of a bitch…!”
“Whoa, whoa, calm down.”
To calm the guy down, who looked ready to throw a punch at any moment, I showed him the peacefully sleeping Kim Eun-bi on my back.
Just like that, he became docile.
“…What happened.”
He asked.
“What do you think happened? We were drinking, your sister fell asleep first, so I brought her home.”
At my blunt reply, he glared at me with fierce hostility before reaching out and snatching Kim Eun-bi from my back.
I could have stopped him easily, but I just let him.
I had to hand her over to get her inside anyway.
But his touch was a bit insolent, so maybe I should get on his nerves a little.
“Noona was really drunk today, so you should make her some honey water tomorrow morning.”
My tone was like that of a boyfriend asking his girlfriend’s younger brother to look out for her.
As expected, the provocation got to him. With his sister on his back, he glared at me.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
His voice, spitting out each syllable, was filled with a killing intent that went beyond mere anger.
Oh, how scary.
My facial muscles must have broken from the fear, because the smile on my lips wouldn't go away.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
When I played dumb, he fearlessly took another step closer, shoving his menacing face toward me.
“Why are you meeting my sister for dinner?”
“That’s because… Eun-bi noona asked me to.”
Why is he taking issue with me over something he should be taking up with his sister?
They say when anger reaches its peak, you laugh out of sheer absurdity.
He curled his lip and sneered.
“Hey, does Yu-jeong know you’re going around meeting other women?”
He was abruptly changing the subject.
What a funny guy.
Did he think I’d flinch if he brought up Yu-jeong?
“I didn’t tell her, so she doesn’t know.”
But she probably won’t know until I tell her myself.
Because you won’t be able to say anything.
“Why, you gonna go tattle to Yu-jeong?”
“You think I can’t?”
“You can’t.”
I took another step forward, closing the distance between us.
We were so close our foreheads would touch if we moved just a little.
“The moment you open your mouth, my mouth will open too.”
“……!”
A look of dismay crossed his face.
To a guy who wants to remain a good little brother to his sister forever, my mouth was no different from a nuclear bomb.
The moment I recounted what he did to me in high school, the mask he had so carefully maintained would shatter into pieces, never to be worn again.
I lightly patted his cheek, which was trembling with worry and anger, and continued.
“If you want to keep being a good little brother, you’d better watch your mouth.”
As long as you don’t run your mouth recklessly, I won’t be the one to bring up what happened back then.
Why?
Because that would be far crueler to you.
“Well then, see you next time, my friend.”
It’ll be even more fun then.