Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Meal
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“Why... why are you crying?”
Suddenly, she started sobbing, and I instinctively glanced around. Thankfully, it was past dinner time, so no students were nearby.
“No, sniff. Sorry......”
Hayun seemed to understand my bewilderment and apologized. But her tears wouldn't stop; they kept flowing.
‘What am I supposed to do about this?’
I wanted to help, but I had no idea how. Not to brag, but in my previous life, until I was eighteen, the only woman I'd been close to besides family was Rin.
After that, until twenty-eight, I'd been a sherpa in the Demon Realm Forest, and only at the very end did I notice Eris the elf's feelings when she proposed to me.
In this situation, dealing with awkward demonic beasts felt far easier. But Hayun, though unwillingly, gave me the answer.
Gurgle.
“......”
“......”
Her tears stopped dead.
Even in the darkness, her red-rimmed eyes were visible, and now her face flushed bright red from the sound.
“Hungry?”
Yeah.
No matter how much you're crying and hurting, your stomach still gets hungry.
I knew that feeling well.
In my previous life, after getting expelled, I cried my eyes out alone on the carriage ride home. But when evening came, pathetically enough, I got hungry. Wearing that humiliating false accusation, I still had to eat, so I binged.
“Sigh, I'm heading to grab some food. Come with.”
Leaving a crying girl behind felt awkward, and as an adult, it was heartbreaking to see her starving herself like this.
I'd often helped people who entered the Demon Realm Forest in unwanted situations just like this. Of course, I got proper compensation later.
“......”
Sighing at the sight of her standing there hesitantly.
“Even if you go back to the dorm now, the cafeteria and gates are closed. You wanna eat chocolate cake for dinner?”
The cafe lights were still on, but desserts were probably all gone by now.
At that, Hayun clamped her mouth shut and stepped behind me.
“I want soup.”
“Okay......”
“I'll order, so speak up if there's anything you can't eat.”
“Got it......”
She'd seemed so cool and confident before, but now facing her like this, she reminded me of Eve for some reason. It seemed her recent tears and stomach growl had thoroughly crushed her confidence.
‘Looks like she just swung her sword nonstop after the exam.’
Her hands were rough from excessive training, with wounds and a bit of blood. Even with her calluses from years of sword practice, she'd swung it enough to wear them down.
“Got your wallet?”
“Yeah, I brought it.”
Hayun lifted a unique red pouch tied to her waist.
“That's your wallet?”
“I made it myself.”
I snorted at her proud tone, turned, and headed outside. Time had passed, so most decent eateries were closing. I changed direction.
“This way.”
“Huh?”
Hayun looked confused at the place I pointed to. It wasn't a regular restaurant—it was a tavern.
She hesitated, flustered, but I ignored it and went inside.
In the noisy tavern, eyes locked onto us immediately. Two obvious students entering seemed novel. I sat at an empty table, and Hayun glanced around nervously before sitting opposite me.
“Can we come in here?”
“Why not? It's a restaurant too.”
“But it's a tavern......”
“You drinking?”
“No.”
“Then no problem.”
It sold alcohol and stayed open late, but it was classified as a restaurant. Kids who wandered outside adventuring often came to taverns like this at night when hungry.
“This place is good.”
“......You been here before?”
“Once.”
I'd come once when I missed dinner.
I ordered a meat hot pot and asked for a bandage too, which they brought.
“Wrap this around your hand.”
“Huh?”
“You can't even hold utensils properly with that hand. Don't grimace while eating. Wrap it first.”
Her expression questioned why a restaurant had bandages.
Places like taverns where alcohol flows never knew what trouble might brew, so they stocked first-aid supplies.
“You pay for the bandage.”
I had no intention of paying. The owner held out his hand, and Hayun pulled a few coins from her tiny pouch.
She tried wrapping it herself, but with one hand, she struggled and even used her teeth. I just did it for her.
“You're good at this.”
“I do it for customers who get hurt.”
“Customers?”
“Yeah.”
In the Demon Realm Forest, you never knew when or where you'd get injured, so bandaging was basic. I could handle most first aid.
“......You seem really mature.”
‘I'm twenty-eight.’
Ordering food in a tavern and buying bandages wasn't very student-like.
“I'll pay for the food too.”
“Nah, I'm treating with some extra cash I got.”
“Extra cash?”
Thanks for the pocket money, Dean.
I was grateful for the allowance I'd squeezed from the Dean yesterday—it'd keep me comfortable for a while.
“So, can I ask why you were crying?”
With time to kill waiting for food, I rested my chin on my hand and asked. Her face flushed again as she bowed her head.
‘She doesn't wanna talk about it.’
It wasn't just the simple reason of losing to me today.
“Whatever it is, don't swing your sword mindlessly like today. It just tires you out with no results. Swinging with broken form only builds bad habits.”
“......”
Hayun nodded, knowing it was true.
Her reaction said she already knew, so there must've been some reason she had no choice but to do it anyway.
Since she didn't want to talk, I let it slide.
“Get good at making pie yet?”
It was a random toss since teaching her apple pie was all we'd shared, but she nodded with a small, proud smile.
“Yeah, I can make it now.”
“Hmm?”
She hadn't seemed skilled at cooking back then, so I looked puzzled. But Hayun puffed her chest confidently.
“I've got good dexterity, so a little practice and I nailed it.”
“Oh, right, you said you made that pouch-wallet thing.”
It was truly idle chat to avoid awkward silence before the food arrived.
Her previously blank eyes suddenly sparkled.
“Yeah! It's called a fortune pouch where my mom’s from. I made this based on that. And this too.”
She showed off a thin cord bracelet on her wrist. Black and white threads woven into a pretty piece.
“I made this one too.”
“Huh.”
Stuff that'd sell easily on sight.
I thought she was just talented with swords, but she liked making accessories too.
‘Or maybe more so......’
Mid-conversation, the bubbling hot pot arrived in a massive pot.
Thinking it was on the Dean's tab made it taste even better. I nearly ordered a beer but held back.
“Whew, that hit the spot.”
“So full.”
Our satisfied smiles matched our full, warm bellies. Hayun even thanked me for bringing her—it certified the place as a gem.
As we headed back to the academy, Hayun asked cautiously.
“Um... something going on with Ares?”
“Huh?”
“You two suddenly act like you don't know each other.”
“We never greeted in the academy anyway.”
“True, but... it feels worse than before. Like your friendship soured.”
Sharp as ever.
No point hiding it, so I answered honestly.
“Coming here made me realize we're not as close as I thought. I didn't want to beg to stay friends.”
In my previous life, Ares ignored me at the academy by day but snuck to my room at night for talks we couldn't have otherwise.
Pretty dumb.
I didn't want a friend I felt sorry for and couldn't let go of, so I cut it off.
“I see.”
She seemed to get it and didn't pry further. I chuckled softly.
“Hey, what's so great about that guy? He's handsome, sure, but with all those girls swarming him, you wanna join the fray?”
I meant, did she love him enough to compete and play mind games with his friends?
At eighteen, it was that tender age where love and other feelings could mix up easily.
“If you really like him, I'd cheer you on, but think it over seriously. As someone who's known him a while, you've got the best shot.”
Short black hair like Rin's, but cooler vibe, less expressive face.
“Smile more, and your impression might change.”
Hayun looked at me and lifted the corners of her mouth. I swear I heard her face creak. Like she was assembling it.
“How's this?”
“Don't force it—it's awful. Just stay expressionless.”
“......”
Her face unchanged, but her eyes screamed annoyance. She sighed, sped up her steps to hide it.
“What even is this?”
The quiet night carried the girl's grumble clearly to my ears.