Chapter 92: The Barbell-Wielding Cinderella-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: The Barbell-Wielding Cinderella-3
Living in this dimension without any major upheavals caused me to overlook something for a moment.
The trial arranged by the Goddess. Specifically, the fact that there is someone in this world obsessed with me.
Of course, I had been cautious from the moment I arrived. I assumed there would be some form of obsession stemming from the relationships the original owner of this body had built.
However, there was no one obsessed with me.
Hana was a candidate, but her obsession wasn't with me—it was with money.
That realization had put me at ease. I thought this world had no personal interest in me. And so, I drew up a hopeful blueprint for the future, believing that as long as I took care of my body, I could live a long and affluent life here.
To think I would dig my own grave with my own hands.
Tug, tug.
The strength in her grip as she pulled on my sleeve was formidable. With my arm caught in her grasp, I was like a country dog tied to a leash, unable to move beyond a certain radius.
"Garam, please let go."
I raised my hand, knowing that wrenching my arm away would only hurt her. My hand came to rest atop her tightly clenched fist. Beneath it, her hand was trembling.
She looked back and forth between my sleeve and my face. She was biting her lip so hard with her front teeth that I worried she might draw blood.
"Garam."
I called her name once more.
Let go of my hand. If I were acting according to my usual whims, I would have said it already. But as the one responsible for this situation, I couldn't bring myself to speak harshly to her.
This was a problem caused by me drawing her in; an incident born from the connection I had forged with her.
Hearing her name, she shook her head.
"N-no... If I let go, you'll leave..."
Tears welled up in her eyes again as she squeezed out the words.
"I-I'll be good... Please don't leave me alone. P-please."
"Garam, I'm not going anywhere. But we have to leave the hospital first. I need to go get the doctor. we can't stay here forever."
I knelt down to meet her eyes.
"......."
"It'll only be a moment. It won't even take five minutes."
"......"
A look of suspicion. I never imagined I would receive such a gaze from her. Where had that vibrant, warm, and cheerful young woman gone?
Was the shadow so dark because the light had been so bright? Or did she have to shine so brightly just to hide such a deep shadow?
Then again, I suppose the order of things doesn't matter now. Cleaning up the mess is more important.
After a long moment of hesitation, Garam let go with a reluctant expression. I finally freed my arm and rotated it, loosening my stiff shoulder. My entire body was aching from the tension of rushing here in the car.
"Wait just a moment."
"I'm going to count to five minutes."
Under normal circumstances, it would have been a cute remark, but today it sounded terrifying.
*
It was only after the doctor performed a brief check on her condition that we were able to leave the emergency room. Between the routine tests and the cost of the IV drip, the bill came to about 150,000 won. I paid for it.
As we headed toward the parking lot, Ho-cheol, who had been sitting in a tiny rest area next to the hospital entrance, stood up when he saw me. He must have been smoking; a cigarette butt was clutched in his hand.
"Boss, are you... finished?"
Ho-cheol scratched his head awkwardly as he watched Garam following closely behind me, clutching my hem. It was too complicated for me to explain, either. I just gave him a look to ignore it.
"You didn't leave?"
I thought he had gone home after his shift, but it seemed he had something to say.
"Ah, yeah... well..."
His voice trailed off as he glanced warily at Garam.
"Is it important?"
Ho-cheol nodded slightly at my question. It seemed to be a sensitive topic he didn't want to discuss in front of her.
"Garam, would you mind sitting on that bench for a moment? I have some business to discuss with this friend."
"Again? Are you leaving me again?"
"I'll stay within your sight. It's only about five meters away."
"......."
Whether she was anxious, dissatisfied, or both, her expression was a difficult mix of emotions to read. Still, she didn't stubbornly resist like she had in the emergency room and headed for the bench. I was relieved she didn't try to drag me by the arm again.
Ho-cheol and I turned our backs to her.
"Mind if I light up? You... ah, you quit, didn't you?"
Intending to have one more smoke, Ho-cheol put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. The cherry glowed red in the darkness as he took a deep drag of the acrid smoke.
"Phew..."
He turned his head slightly and exhaled.
"What is it? Why haven't you gone home?"
"Boss. About Ms. Garam..."
Ho-cheol lowered his voice.
"What about her?"
"Don't you think it's better to keep your distance? She doesn't seem sane."
"......."
"I don't know what's gotten into you lately... but if it's just for the workout, I think it'd be better to go somewhere else."
"It's not interfering with my daily life, is it?"
"It's stressing you out. Last time, you even collapsed because you were so stressed over that bitch Hana, or whatever her name is."
He flicked the cigarette to knock off the ash.
"I mean, I'm glad you don't seem to be chasing after that girl anymore, but still."
I remained silent, having no answer to give, so Ho-cheol continued.
"I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm just worried about your health, Boss."
"Hah, you're actually worried about me?"
"Of course. You're the one who turned my life around when I was just a jobless loser. I have to worry."
I couldn't help but smirk at his loyal words. I gave his shoulder a couple of firm pats.
"I get it, I get it. I won't overdo it. But what happened today is actually my responsibility. I can't just abandon Garam."
"Your responsibility?"
Ho-cheol’s eyes widened.
"Yeah."
I glanced back briefly. Garam was sitting on the bench, biting her nails and staring intensely in our direction.
"It's because Hana messed with her."
"That bitch? No, why would she mess with Ms. Garam? They don't even have anything to do with each other."
"Exactly. If she wanted to screw someone over, she should have come for me. Why go after Garam when she was just minding her own business? Tsk."
"I'm only saying this now because it's in the past, but I told you Hana is a total bitch. I told you that even if you hang out with other female streamers, you shouldn't associate with her. I told you so many—"
"I know, I know. I was in the wrong."
I had such a loyal subordinate by my side back then; why on earth did the previous 'me' live like such trash?
"Anyway, it's late. Let's leave it at that. Go on home."
"Yes, Boss. You should get some rest too. It's a shame your rare day off ended like this."
Taking one last drag, Ho-cheol tossed the butt toward a trash can. It hit the rim and bounced inside.
"Well, just bad luck, I guess."
With that, I turned back toward Garam.
"Oh, Boss."
Ho-cheol called out to stop me as I walked away.
"What now?"
"Are you just going to leave her be?"
He was talking about Hana.
"No. I have to pay her back in kind. Why even ask something so obvious?"
I replied, wiping the screen of my phone with my thumb.
"I’m only satisfied once I’ve paid back what I’ve received in full."