This Kind of Thing is Handled by the One Who Caused It, You Jerk.
‘Ugh, I feel like I’m gonna die of embarrassment.’
Elena was in full-blown panic mode, not even able to tell what expression she was making right now. It had been great that Sylvia had set this up for her—a chance to take a walk in the nearby park with the store manager. As they strolled along chatting about this and that, a thought crossed her mind.
‘I can’t keep going like this.’
Sylvia had made this opportunity just for her. Even in a slow time of day, handling the store alone would be tough, but her senior had carved out this time for her to be alone with the manager. She couldn’t stay timid forever.
‘Sylvia unnie said there are a lot of women after Manager oppa.’
Elena had no clue who they might be—she had zero instincts for that sort of thing—but still.
‘In this fight, I won’t lose.’
She had her own advantage: working as a part-timer right by Do-jin’s side, closer than anyone. She figured she could win. So, steeling herself against the embarrassment, Elena slipped the manager’s arm between her breasts.
But now that she’d done it, she felt like she really might die of shame. The firm feel of Do-jin’s forearm pressed between her soft breasts was vivid against her skin. Had linking arms with her chest been too much? Should she not have done it? Maybe she should’ve taken it slower?
Elena’s mind raced with a torrent of thoughts. Regret, self-consolation that there was no other way—she was a whirlwind inside. Honestly, even looking Do-jin in the eye right now was her limit. She was staring so hard to avoid looking away that her eyes felt dry and strained.
Do-jin, who had been looking back at her, cleared his throat awkwardly and turned his head.
“Y-Yeah, pretty.”
Pretty. That’s what Do-jin said. How long had she wanted to hear those words? The tension drained from Elena’s face, and she broke into a beaming smile.
“Really? What part? Which part of me is so pretty?”
“What do you mean which part? Your face, obviously.”
“Really? For real? Hehe, saying stuff like that makes me shy, you know~.”
It worked. Her ultimate chest-arm-link technique had landed. Otherwise, the manager—who always stayed so cool and composed—wouldn’t be this flustered.
‘It got to him a little, right? Does he see me as a woman now, even just a bit?’
That had always bugged Elena. The way Do-jin treated her like a little kid. Sure, she’d been young when he first took her in, but now she’d had her coming-of-age ceremony. She was a full adult. She couldn’t keep being babied forever.
To get closer to the manager, she needed to.
‘Show him I’m a grown woman here.’
Elena bit her lip hard and looked at Do-jin. His face was a little flushed too, and he let out another series of awkward coughs.
“Ahem.”
His head was spinning. He hadn’t expected Elena to come at him like this. Even if he thought of himself as a close uncle figure to her.
Being this defenseless around a man. Linking arms with her chest and looking up like that—it was foul play.
‘Calm down, Kim Do-jin. It’s Elena. Elena.’
He reined in his junior, who was obliviously making its presence known without restraint. Even if Elena was a virgin, reacting this hard to a brief arm-link? Being healthy was fine, but this was too obvious. Calm down. What are you doing against Elena? She’s the one you cherish like a little sister!
‘Of course, she is beautiful.’
Not just because he’d raised her fondly. Objectively, she was stunning. No wonder knights and nobles kept confessing to her left and right. He’d shot them all down, but that’s how much of a beauty she was. He’d been too close to notice.
“You’re so pretty, you gotta be careful.”
“Huh?”
“Guys are after you. Can’t have you falling for just anything.”
“Hehehe, I know~.”
“Saying you know makes you a little bratty.”
Elena fidgeted with her hands for a moment before speaking up.
“Actually, there’s someone I like.”
“What?”
What the hell was that?
“Elena, you have a guy you like?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded. What kind of punk was he? Who had stolen her heart?
He thought of the convenience store customers. Narrowed it down to the decent-looking, nice ones.
‘No way, one of the palace knights?’
‘Nah, not them—maybe that bard who always chats her up?’
No idea. Might not even be a regular customer. His head hurt.
He’d sworn he’d happily accept whoever won her heart if he showed up, but now that it was real, his mind went blank.
“Wh-who, wh-who is it?”
He stuttered without thinking.
“Wh-what’s so great about the guy?”
Elena, who’d been watching him intently, beamed again and sealed her lips.
“It’s a secret~.”
“Elena, come on!”
“No way I’m telling~. Gotta keep it locked in my heart.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it. That the one she liked was the manager. She had no confidence his answer would be yes.
He’d clearly been thrown by her saying she liked someone, but it wasn’t jealousy. More like a dad hearing his daughter has a boyfriend. Or a bit lighter—a big brother’s reaction.
‘He already sees me as family.’
It made her happy, but she wanted something more special. So she called it a secret. Confessing here might push him further away. Words once spoken couldn’t be taken back.
‘Even with the chest-arm-link, it was the same.’
Like a brother flustered by his little sister’s cuteness.
‘I need to get closer.’
She couldn’t just wait; she had to keep appealing. But it wasn’t a total loss. He saw her as family, sure, but Do-jin had definitely been rattled by her approach. That was different from how he reacted to other women.
‘When the brothel sisters or noble ladies approached, Manager oppa didn’t bat an eye.’
But with her, it was different. He was conscious of her. That was enough. A solid gain.
‘Keep closing in.’
She still had time. They’d planned a date for Founding Day—that was her target. She’d keep appealing until then, make him notice. Make him fall for her hard. Just watching from the sidelines, hoping he’d look her way, wouldn’t cut it.
‘Unnie said more women are after him.’
So Elena had to move too.
“Elena?”
She was so lost in her resolve she didn’t even hear Do-jin calling her.
***
After walking Elena back, I couldn’t focus on work, lost in thought.
“Manager, what’s up?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you look like your soul’s wandered off?”
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
I brushed off Dmitri’s question. Truth was, today had been full of shocks. My little guy reacting to Elena, for one. And her having a crush, for another. A lot to process.
Self-loathing hit me. What was I gonna do, track down the guy she likes and slap him? Or tell him, Hey, Elena likes you, treat her right? As if.
‘Not like I’m some kid getting jealous.’
Jealous? Ridiculous. Just worried. That she might fall for some creep.
“Whew, whatever. No more thinking.”
Thinking just gave me a headache. I’d just wish her well with the guy.
“Whew.”
“Better now?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Phew, glad to hear it. Oh, thanks for the day off yesterday. Got to roam the empire’s night streets worry-free for once.”
Watching Dmitri grin wide, I asked him about something. This afternoon at the bank, that druid. She’d said she was from Behindbell Forest. The forest’s vitality sucked dry, leaving her unable to even produce proper milk. Lila, her name was. She’d thanked me and given me a mysteriously glowing leaf that carried a warm energy. Then she’d headed back to her home in Behindbell Forest.
I worried needlessly. That forest couldn’t be fixed right away.
“Hey, Dmitri. About Behindbell Forest you wrecked.”
“Yes.”
“Can you restore it?”
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought, then shook his head.
“No way. Just gotta wait for time to heal it.”
“I see.”
Then that druid would have to keep coming to the empire for milk.
“When you were sucking up the vitality, anything weird happen?”
“Weird, you say? Hmm… There were things periodically messing with the magic circle. Weak enough that I ignored them. Why?”
Looked like the druid was telling the truth. The forest drained, her milk production ruined.
“You need to take responsibility.”
“……Pardon?”
This kind of thing is handled by the one who caused it, you jerk.