Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Why Are You Suddenly Like This?
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"...Hmm."
The tournament was nothing special. To be precise, I didn't even get to participate. Choi Ju-eun, who had been lost in thought, approached me, took my hand, and led me down.
"Um, excuse me..."
"Yeah?"
I had no idea why she was suddenly acting like this, so I opened my mouth to ask. Choi Ju-eun just smirked and ruffled my hair.
"It's nothing big. It's a hotel anyway—what's a year if you set your mind to it?"
"Ah..."
"I just wanted to take you out for a change of pace, let you see the sights, but this doesn't feel right."
...Why is she suddenly doing this? She wasn't her usual rough self, which made it feel even more awkward and scary.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"N-No, it's nothing..."
But if I said it straight out, she'd probably call me cheeky and try to rip my clothes off again, right? Better to just shut up and stay quiet.
"Still, it's been a while since you've been out. Isn't there anything you want to eat?"
"Th-Those... other people...?"
It was even scarier because it was Choi Ju-eun of all people doing this.
"Huh? They went ahead first."
"Ah..."
Went ahead where? Home? We hadn't even properly enjoyed being out yet, but if I wandered around carelessly...
'N-No...'
Just thinking about it made my body tremble. No matter how much I hypnotized myself that it wouldn't happen, the ingrained fear left me utterly powerless.
"......"
Choi Ju-eun watched me quietly for a moment, her expression a bit uneasy, then scooped me up into her arms.
"...Ah."
"It's okay. Nothing will happen today."
Was it her words, or did this just feel safer? My trembling gradually subsided, and only then could I exhale and burrow into her embrace.
"Really nothing you want to eat?"
"Um..."
While I was talking with Lee Hyun, had they been discussing something too? She felt even kinder than before.
"...Meat. I want to eat meat."
"Meat? Alright. Let's go."
"Go where...?"
"Where else?"
Choi Ju-eun pulled out her phone and made a call.
"We have to go to a barbecue place for meat... Yeah, he wants barbecue. Reserve a spot."
With just that, she pocketed her phone and gave me a sly smile.
"Let's go."
"Okay..."
"Want to walk?"
"Ah..."
What to do. Holding her hand and walking like this would probably be safe enough. She was a bona fide superhuman, after all. I'd seen her power in action a few times.
But for some reason...
I wanted to stay like this a little longer. Shaking my head, I buried my face in her chest.
"...Like this. I want to go like this."
"Alright."
With that, Choi Ju-eun started walking while holding me.
"Tasty?"
"Yes..."
No, why is everyone suddenly like this? It was making me even more uncomfortable.
Seong Ha-neul kept staring at me as I chewed my meat, and Ju Hana kept piling more onto my plate.
"More soda? Anything else you want?"
...Even Han Yu-rim asking all these questions from the side felt totally different from usual. And Choi Ju-eun, who had carried me here without a care for the stares, went without saying.
At first, they even tried to blow on the meat and feed it to me, so I had to sweat bullets declining that.
"...Whew, makes me crave a drink after so long."
"Drinks? Yeah, it's been ages since we had any."
But that didn't last. Seong Ha-neul casually mentioned it, Ju Hana naturally picked up the thread, and before long, the table's mood shifted toward drinking.
'...Is this what they planned?'
From what Lee Hyun had told me, he'd gotten kidnapped after drinking. They must have talked about something similar.
Which means...
"Huh? Why the look? Want a drink?"
"Y-Yeah? Oh, I..."
If that was the case, maybe they'd get me drunk like with the drugs last time and drag me off to have their way with me.
"...I."
"Don't want one? No big deal."
"Ah...?"
When I hesitated, Seong Ha-neul said it was fine not to drink, as if it were nothing.
"We're just drinking among ourselves anyway. You're an adult, so drink if you want."
"Th-That's..."
Maybe it wasn't what I thought? But why now, of all times...?
'Sh-Should I have just a little?'
Before this body, before ending up in this world, I'd enjoyed drinks quite a bit.
After work in the lab, grabbing four cans of cheap beer from the convenience store for ten bucks and watching YouTube was the joy of life.
The memory hit me suddenly, and before I knew it, I opened my mouth.
"J-Just a little, then..."
"Yeah? Got it. Excuse me~."
Seong Ha-neul nodded at my words and raised her hand to call the server. When she came over, Seong Ha-neul held up five fingers and ordered drinks.
"Five glasses, and... make it soju."
"Yes. Um, excuse me..."
The server's eyes were fixed on me.
'D-Did she recognize me...?'
Every time someone looked at me, that thought crossed my mind, and I instinctively shrank back.
"Could I see some ID?"
"...Ah."
Oh, that was it. Relieved, I reached into my pocket...
'Wait, do I even have ID?'
As far as I knew, I didn't have a wallet, let alone a phone. If they called the cops right now...
"Here."
"Ah, yes. Looks good."
"......?"
Ju Hana smoothly pulled a card from her pocket and showed it to the server, who checked it and bowed before walking away.
"What's that...?"
"Oh, your ID."
Aha, I see... No, that's not it.
"M-My ID...?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Why? Why do you have it instead of me...?
"N-No, it's nothing."
But if I let it show again, it'd be 'I have it because I want to—what's your problem?' followed by calling me cheeky and...
'Ugh...'
Lately, these thoughts kept popping up. Suddenly, I recalled the three women who came to pick up Lee Hyun after their talk.
-Ah, had fun? Hyun-ah?
-Yes!
-Good. Head home for today?
-B-But the tournament...
-Oh, that? Forgot to sign up.
-Eh...?
-Just go with it.
The women looking at Lee Hyun with affectionate eyes as they picked him up. Honestly, I was a little jealous. Even if it started twisted, hadn't it developed into something decent?
"What's up? Full?"
"N-No. Nothing..."
I shook my head, trying to hide my thoughts.
"...Suicide attempt?"
"Yes. You can't imagine how shocked we were..."
Apparently, these women in front of me had driven that kid Lee Hyun to the brink of death.
"We didn't mean to go that far, but we pushed too hard without realizing. Lost our minds to lust..."
The glasses woman sipped her coffee with a bitter expression, looking saddened as she recalled it.
"Looking back, it wasn't just about us fawning over him one-sidedly. He needed to feel secure in their love to open up."
"......"
It felt like a slap to the head. Ju Hana and the others couldn't bring themselves to speak.
"All women living with a guy are the same. Too busy satisfying their own urges, tailoring everything to their tastes."
Every word she spat felt like it was pinpointing what they had done all this time.
"They usually regret it only after going all the way. 'Shouldn't have done that.'"
Not me, surely. I haven't done anything like that.
"The ones who think like that end up regretting it the latest."
The gloomy woman, chugging her chocolate latte, picked up the thread.
"...And once they regret it, it takes a really long time to come back. A very long time."
At that point, Ju Hana and the women could only exchange glances. They knew exactly what they'd done to Do-yun all along.
"That's..."
"I get it. No one properly taught you, so you just did whatever you wanted."
The reason women in this world were so reckless. Why kidnapping and rape seemed easier than normal dating.
"No place teaches proper dating methods."
Humanity didn't have the luxury to teach understanding others. Especially not with the gender ratio in ruins.
"So treat him well. Once it starts going wrong, it crumbles in an instant."
...Something's off.
I pretended to get drunk from the drinks, but they just looked at me with worried eyes—no one laid a hand on me.
Well, they did touch me. Putting a hand to my forehead or stroking my hair for no reason. But just that much.
"You okay? Want to head back and rest?"
They even said stuff like that. Offering to take me themselves if needed.
"I'm fiiine..."
No, it could be a trap. I pretended to be even more drunk and burrowed into Seong Ha-neul's chest.
"...Oh."
Seong Ha-neul let out a small sound of admiration, and I felt the other three's sharp glares.
"What, you bitches."
"...I'm the one sitting there."
Choi Ju-eun grumbled, and laughter erupted like in any drinking session.
'Th-They're really not doing anything?'
Because we're at a restaurant? Then if we go home like this...
"Time to go. Put Do-yun to bed, then round two at home."
"Sounds good?"
With that, Seong Ha-neul picked me up this time.
"Check, please."
...They're really not doing anything—it's weird. Watching Ju Hana settle the bill, I hugged Seong Ha-neul's neck and whispered in her ear.
"...Why aren't you doing anything to me?"
"......?!"
Seong Ha-neul startled and looked at me... then sighed, holding back something.
And then.
"Sorry. We've been too much lately, huh?"
"?!"
She apologized.
...Did I hear that right?