Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Log Town
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Trapped in a time loop, I ultimately failed to feed Dahye.
With Dahye tucked into my arms as I lay on the bed, leaning against her back,
I stared blankly out the window at the Gwangandaegyo Bridge until midnight crept up on us.
Then, in that moment, the bridge's purple lights switched to ordinary white streetlamp glow.
"Oh, it changed! Seonghyeon, did you see that?"
"Yeah... Guess they set a timer for it."
"It was so pretty. What a shame."
"That's on you for being lazy. We could've gone out and seen it ourselves."
"Nuh-uh! You were the one sniffing around, so we couldn't go."
"You forced me to do that."
"Hehe, but you said you liked my scent."
"Liking the smell and sniffing it are two different things. I'm a cultured guy—I don't do that kinda sleazy stuff."
"Cultured? Nah, you're just a dummy. You gotta sniff while you can!"
What kinda moronic logic is that...?
But it's hard to argue against.
I mean, you gotta see the Gwangandaegyo Bridge's lights while they're on, right? In that sense, maybe Dahye's got a point.
"...Classic Park Dahye."
Right then, a rumble vibrated from Dahye's stomach.
Groooowl.
Of course it'd growl after rolling around in bed on an empty stomach.
No sound came out, but we were pressed so close I felt the vibration.
"Seonghyeon~ I'm hungry."
"I know. It just growled."
"Eek! You heard it?"
Her ears turned bright red in an instant.
It's kinda funny all over again.
Nipple tweaks and forced sniffing don't embarrass her, but a little stomach growl does?
But I couldn't tease her about it, which was frustrating.
Now I'm an accomplice too.
Up until yesterday, I was forcibly taken by the wicked lord, but now she'd sensed my change of heart.
After being thoroughly ravished by her, I'd become a body that craved her embrace and scent.
As cliché as it sounds, even if I pretended otherwise,
she'd see right through me with a "Heh heh, your mouth says no, but your body's honest," leaving me even more humiliated.
So no point fighting it—let's just go eat.
"Dahye, let's head out and grab some food. Sleep's off the table anyway, so we might as well eat and take a stroll. Sound good?"
"Sure!"
"Here, change into these."
I lent Dahye my hoodie and shorts.
The hoodie was so oversized it basically erased her bottom half, but right now, that was a blessing.
Baggy hides no-bra better.
Embarrassing or not, there was no helping it tonight.
We'd eat out now, wash her clothes at the coin laundry, and tomorrow she'd be back to dress-wearing Dahye.
She probably wouldn't leave the hotel anyway.
Once I got off work, I'd take her sightseeing in Busan at least.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The hotel lobby had a few people milling about, but the streets were dead empty.
Seoul always buzzed even at dawn, but weekday early-morning Busan felt eerily quiet.
Off-season, maybe.
Haven't seen a sleeping city like this in ages.
We strode through the vacant streets like malicious players who'd glitched into an unpublished zone.
"In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king," they say.
In an empty city, Dahye was the speed demon queen.
Full of energy, she'd sprint down the sidewalk, then climb any tall bollard she spotted and wait for me perched on top.
And just as I caught up, she'd shamelessly stretch out her arms and say,
"Carry me down~."
"You can get down yourself."
"Carry me down~."
"Ugh, Park Dahye, did you eat your age with your ass?"
What was the point of picking her up and setting her down?
She'd just run off and climb another one.
After four rounds of this inexplicable game, we finally spotted a restaurant.
A 24-hour pork soup joint.
Passing spicy chicken feet and pig's feet on the way, I asked Dahye,
"How's this? Doesn't look spicy."
"Hmm... No idea what it is. Like blood sausage soup?"
"Kinda. No blood sausage, just tons of meat though? Never tried it myself."
"Okay. Sounds good. Time for a challenge!"
Dahye marched confidently into the pork soup place like she owned it.
She seemed to be under some delusion right now—charging into the unknown was Kim Pokttal territory, not Park Dahye.
Look at that.
The second she locked eyes with the lady boss, she shriveled up.
How'd she pull off that Rosanne the Unemployed cosplay earlier? Unbelievable.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Boss, two pork soups please."
No sooner had I said it than two earthenware bowls, radish kimchi, and assorted seasonings filled the table.
Similar setup to blood sausage soup, but subtly different.
Dahye bravely scooped up a spoonful first, and her face lit up with joy at the mountain of meat.
Good menu choice.
She'd devoured the brisket in seolleongtang with such bliss too—guess Park Dahye loves boiled meat.
Next time, shabu-shabu maybe.
Then, following the kind boss's tutorial, we added pork liver and shrimp paste for flavor, threw in some salted clams!
Dahye even dumped in some radish kimchi broth before taking her first sip.
She blew on it to cool the steam, popped it in her mouth, and went hot-hot! hot-hot! while chomping away.
Her brows furrowed, head shaking side to side...
One thumbs-up banked.
Holding her cheeks and going mmm~ is cute, but this soup reaction's a treat too.
After that, she inhaled it in a trance.
Blowing nonstop to cool it, while her other hand grabbed kimchi to top her spoon.
She's eating so well, no need for the usual question.
She hadn't eaten properly since yesterday,
too tense at the event to even snack,
and starved herself trying to put me to sleep.
How hungry must she be?
I patted her head, proud of Dahye scarfing down the pork soup.
Then, neither gamer Dahye, nor wicked lord, nor Rosanne popped out—instead, some new persona piped up.
"Seonghyeon, you try some too! It's good, real good!"
The guild kids sometimes messed around in dialect; guess she picked it up from them.
Digesting that rough talk like a kid—talent, pure talent.
"Hey gramps, quit yer yappin' and chow down quick."
I fired back, and Dahye grinned in satisfaction, banking two thumbs-ups.
After demolishing the soups, nothing in the world to envy.
Bellies full and warm,
no people on the streets so Dahye didn't have to worry,
and neither did I.
We hit the coin laundry, tossed in the wash, sat on the chairs forever, then headed out.
Still only 3 a.m.
Lingering too long warped the time.
Digestion unfinished, hard to sleep, nowhere to go.
PC bang maybe? As I pondered, Dahye poked my side.
Her sly grin screamed scheming.
"Seonghyeon."
"Yeah?"
"No one's around here at all~ right?"
"True. Why?"
"Hehe, doesn't this feel like Log Town?"
Log Town?
Me thinking PC bangs in Busan, her turning reality into Billion Saga.
Gamer couple through and through.
Log Town was one of Billion Saga's dungeons.
A lawless zone born when bandits took over a fallen kingdom's castle ruins.
The kicker: the wide moat made external raids impossible.
Standard strat: get mugged or kidnapped in the field, hauled to Log Town's jail.
Wait in jail till a village riot hits, then sneak treasures from the empty castle.
The twist: tons of players, one escape route.
Grab all the loot you want,
only the first to hit the beach walks away with it.
So... why's Dahye bringing up Log Town now?
Obvious.
I bolted without a word.
"Loser grants a wish!"
"Aaaah! Wait up!"
Dahye chased desperately.
Fat chance.
Even a desk-bound 29-year-old guy shouldn't lose a sprint to a girl.
Victory's mine.
But...
My side's killing me... Why's she so damn fast?
I dashed across the flashing crosswalk in one go, leaping down to the sandy beach below the stairs.
This beach was no longer Gwangalli Beach.
It was the Fugitive's Shore, endpoint for the victor.
Only after stamping my proud footprint on the Fugitive's Shore did I glance back.
Whew, that was close.
Park Dahye right on my tail.
"Huff... huff... huff... I win, you punk... whew..."
"Haa... haa... damn... almost had you... you cheater, Kwon Seonghyeon!"
"Still... the wish is mine... loser."
We collapsed on the stairs together, catching our breath.
Scattered drunks dotted the beach, a few arm-linked couples too.
But compared to daytime bustle, it was dead quiet.
No laughter, no shouts—just the waves crashing.
The Gwangandaegyo Bridge beyond the shore glowed not in cool purple, but mundane streetlights.
Gwangalli Beach, falling short of its name: no flash, no thrill, just serene seaside.
And right now, I loved this beach.
Earlier, seeing Dahye as Rosanne in the crowd, it hit me.
Dahye shining bold before people—she outshone anyone.
Once she beat her social anxiety,
whether drawing, becoming a stellar artist, or thriving in society, she'd dazzle.
I admit it to myself.
I love Park Dahye.
But this happiness we're sharing,
it's not something I deserve—it's just her tough days handing her to me.
Probably why this quiet sea suits me so well.
All I can share with Dahye are isolated spots:
Billion Saga, our 25-pyeong apartment, hotel beds, deserted beaches—cut off from the world.
Only until she grows into society.
If only we could stay in the past forever, never facing the future.
My greed, I guess.
What’s Dahye feeling now?
Hope she feels the same.
But that's greed too.
Then Dahye looked at me, smiling.
"Seonghyeon."
"Yeah?"
"Got something to say."
"Whoa, confession time to chew me out? Better run."
"No! Nothing like that—sit!"
"What then."
"Just... nothing big. Meeting you... I've been so happy lately. Wanted to say thanks."
Haha. Couldn't help laughing.
Yeah, that's Dahye for you.
Stealing my emotions without permission, always making me wanna cry.
But... I don't know.
What to say back.
I wanna tell her I'm happy too.
But I'm scared.
What if my love traps her future?
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