Chapter 104
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Honey Water
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While the Dum & Dummy duo's speculation was in full swing...
The team leader meeting that Ga-eun was attending finally wrapped up.
Ga-eun stepped out of the conference room with a heavy sigh.
"Haa..."
She hadn't been able to focus at all during the entire meeting.
Su-hyeon's face kept popping into her mind.
Ever since the orientation, Su-hyeon had started watching her cues intensely.
...Why?
At first, she thought it was just the process of adjusting to a new environment.
Or maybe because there were so many unfamiliar faces around.
She figured it was nothing serious.
It was natural to lean on someone you knew, but even when Su-hyeon lacked confidence in the past, she'd handled things on her own just fine, right?
And she seemed to be getting along well with Unnie from Heaven, too.
Plus, Ga-eun had her own roommate, so she thought it would be okay to focus elsewhere for a bit.
But when they left the cafeteria, she sensed something was off.
"...She barely touched her food."
Su-hyeon had hardly eaten anything.
Even though it was tonkatsu, which she loved so much.
"Haa..."
She wasn't sure how many sighs this made.
Ga-eun reflected on her own actions.
Could she have unintentionally excluded Su-hyeon? Was Su-hyeon's unusual behavior because of her?
...No, it was 100% her fault.
"I need to apologize..."
Somehow, the circumstances around her hadn't been cooperating since earlier.
Still, one thing puzzled her. Su-hyeon was three years older than her, even if that adorable appearance and innocent demeanor often made her forget.
She had a strong independent streak and hated interference.
And she was even better at studying than Ga-eun was.
'Maybe it's something else?'
It didn't feel like a simple issue to think through.
Just then, a voice snapped Ga-eun out of her deep thoughts.
"You seem to have something weighing on your mind."
"Kyaa!"
A woman's restrained voice came from behind her.
"B-Brüel? How...?"
"We're the security detail for this camp."
"Security detail...?"
Ga-eun scanned Brüel up and down.
No matter how she looked at it, this suspicious outfit didn't scream security...
Today, she had layered other clothes over her skintight leather, but it was still bizarre.
A helmet, no less.
This wasn't some retro octopus game from her parents' generation.
"How...?"
The question carried layers of meaning.
But Brüel didn't seem inclined to elaborate.
"We have a complicated arrangement with Camellia Guild. Would you like to hear more?"
"Ah, no...!"
"I see."
Or not...? She almost seemed disappointed.
This person—no, elf—spoke in such a flat tone that it was hard to read her emotions.
"Anyway, why aren't you going to Su-hyeon? Why me?"
"Someone's with her, so she's fine. More importantly, there are a few things bothering me, so I was on my way to check. I happened to spot you, Ga-eun."
"Aha..."
"If it's consultation you're after, I can offer a brief one. Five minutes or less."
"..."
Her face reflected in the dark helmet.
Not her usual confident, relaxed expression, but a hesitant, wavering one.
It looked just like Su-hyeon's.
"If it's hard to talk about, I'll be on my way. Later...—"
Ga-eun stayed silent for a long stretch, so Brüel started to turn away.
Panicking, Ga-eun grabbed her.
"W-Wait...!"
"What's wrong?"
Brüel spun around as if she'd been waiting.
It felt a bit absurd, but right now, more important matters took precedence.
"Su-hyeon looks down... Is it because of me?"
"Hm."
"No, it has to be me, but I can't figure out why exactly... I thought I was pretty good with people, but something..."
"..."
The pitch-black helmet stared silently at Ga-eun.
She felt like a scolded child.
She hadn't been properly scolded since middle school, which made it worse.
Usually, Ga-eun was the one chastising Brüel's eccentricities.
"...I want to make up, but I don't know what I did wrong or why."
Ga-eun hung her head.
"Hm..."
After a long silence, Brüel nodded.
"Correct. Su-hyeon-nim's current gloom is due to you, Ga-eun."
"...Ah."
Her heart plummeted.
As Ga-eun's vision darkened for a moment, Brüel continued.
"However, stepping on a landmine unknowingly doesn't make it that person's fault. We could call it carelessness, but that's about it."
"...Yes?"
Landmine? What did that mean?
"How much do you know about Su-hyeon-nim?"
How much do I know about Su-hyeon?
Su-hyeon was... a tiny, cute 23-year-old college girl who looked like a child—a walking contradiction.
Timid yet stubbornly strong-willed.
And not exactly human.
That plant-like appearance wasn't a side effect of her awakening ability but a trait of her Dryad race...
"...I see. And how much do you know about her past?"
Nothing.
She didn't know what had happened in the past.
"Since Su-hyeon-nim hasn't shared everything herself, it would be rude for me to speak first."
"Everything...?"
Ga-eun pressed, but Brüel didn't answer.
"Due to her racial traits, Su-hyeon-nim has been hurt emotionally before. It was in the past, and even after a long time, it hasn't healed."
"Hurt?"
"No one's fault. Her unusual background meant even Su-hyeon-nim's grandmother didn't know."
Ga-eun couldn't guess at these vague words.
Background?
Dryad was already unusual enough—what could be more?
Maybe her grandmother was human? No, the nuance suggested she was a Dryad too.
"Um, what exactly...?"
"Simply put, it's like her relationships resetting every year."
"...What does that even mean?"
Brüel shook her head without answering this time either.
"Su-hyeon-nim blamed herself for it and kept it bottled up. Until fairly recently."
"Ah, so that's..."
Finally, a clue to Su-hyeon's personality emerged.
Every year, her connections vanished.
At first, coincidence maybe, but repeated endlessly, it led to helplessness.
Learned helplessness.
Like a dog bound and shocked inescapably, or a circus elephant chained by the ankle.
An unavoidable fate no matter the struggle.
Su-hyeon hadn't sought causes externally but blamed herself.
Because she was such a foolishly kind soul.
It was bound to become trauma.
Experiencing that repeatedly throughout life.
No one who'd been through similar could notice and explain it first.
"She wasn't afraid of people..."
"Precisely."
Su-hyeon feared forming bonds altogether, not people themselves.
If connections vanished anyway, better never to have them—no pain that way.
That explained her ease with strangers who wouldn't approach or purely transactional ones, like cafeteria staff.
Her relaxed, cheeky side around Ga-eun, Min-ji, and Ji-eun was probably her true self.
"Still, thanks to you, Ga-eun. For her to recover this much... From what I know, she did nothing for nearly two years. Just occasionally going out to buy food."
Brüel placed one hand over her chest and bowed slightly in thanks.
"Truly grateful."
"Ah..."
A blink for Dryads and elves, but for human-bodied Su-hyeon, a long stretch.
Even more time might pass without Ga-eun or Ok-rye noticing, given their lacking human sensibilities.
Of course, Ga-eun had no way of knowing that yet.
"No, I... I... Ah..."
One thing was clear.
She, who'd stitched Su-hyeon's wounds, had briefly acted like she was letting go first—even if just for a moment.
Su-hyeon must have felt immense pain and fear from that.
"Agh..."
In the end, Ga-eun covered her face with both hands.
Su-hyeon's image kept surfacing.
Her small head bowed in gloom.
Her chest ached.
"...Hic, sorry."
Brüel's words about her actions helping didn't matter.
She'd caused even greater pain on top.
"It's glass, so be careful, okay?"
"Thank you."
The snack shop auntie handed over the paid drink to Su-hyeon, who stretched out both hands.
The height difference was huge, so even on tiptoes, the auntie had to lean way forward.
The cool glass touched her tiny palms.
She gripped it tight, afraid it might slip.
Su-hyeon had chosen honey water in a glass bottle.
She remembered her grandmother mixing it for her when she was tired.
Hm, but I'd heard you should have something warm during your period.
"Um, do you have any warm ones?"
Su-hyeon paused mid-step and asked the auntie.
"Oh dear, it's June—where am I gonna find a warmer? If it's too cold, just sip it slowly outside."
Hm, no helping it.
Su-hyeon clutched the honey water preciously to her chest.
Hoping her body heat would warm it a little.
"Got it. Have a good one."
Her mind on the honey water, Su-hyeon gave a quick bob of her head.
"Sure thing. Don't microwave it, okay? Pour it into another cup first, or at least open the lid?"
"Yes."
She half-heard it.
Right now, Su-hyeon just wanted to deliver the honey water fast.
A warm smile spread across the auntie's face as she watched.
To her eyes, it was unmistakably a kid fixated on drinking the beverage.