Chapter 24

Episode 24: Pain. Ambush. Love.

Let’s think carefully.

I still can’t believe that Harin confessed to me.

No, did she really confess to me in the first place?

There hasn’t been any mention of dating… that is, of romantic interest.

Or asking to go out, or to be a couple.

‘Since those words haven’t come out yet, it should be safe, right?’

But if she has any sense, it’s impossible not to recognize that what she said was a confession of love.

But why?

Of course, if a woman with such a sensual body approached me, it would be impossible not to feel good about it.

The dress with a cut-out in the chest area draws attention naturally.

The stylish coat.

White stockings on her legs remind me again of a pleasant thickness at her thighs.

I’m not without confidence, but if a woman so beautiful was suddenly hitting on me, I can’t help but suspect it’s a honey trap—basically, a beauty strategy.

There’s a chance that she might have found out I’m part of the Golden Rule and is trying to extract information from me.

‘Am I thinking too much?’

Still, it’s hard not to wonder why someone as sweet and promising as Harin would approach someone like me.

‘… She doesn’t seem all that innocent, though.’

People don’t refer to women who use drugs as innocent.

Of course, the drug Harin uses is medical, but still, drugs are drugs.

Just because you draw lines on a pumpkin doesn’t make it a watermelon.

“If you don’t accept me, I will cry…”

“You can’t cry anyway.”

“….”

Without even tears.

By the way, does every S-class person feel the hidden capabilities of others like Eunbyul?

I am currently level 20.

With the possibility of barely becoming B-class, the fact that she can sense any energy from someone like me who isn’t even at B-class is likely due to her EX-class abilities.

“Hey… why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”

“… You still don’t get it. Does a person need a clear reason to love another person?”

“.. I guess the reason doesn’t seem that important.”

Honestly, it’s not like I have zero feelings for her.

On the contrary, I can’t help but have feelings for her since we’ve gotten through a crisis together.

But she just completely undermined whatever affection I had just a few minutes ago.

I’ve never felt anything like that drug high before.

‘It was a really educational experience to understand why people say drug addiction is terrifying…’

I have to admit it, though.

I still can’t forget the pleasure from that moment.

It was just for a brief moment, but to say I saw the end of this world wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Because dreams are free.

Now that the anesthesia has worn off, I actually feel refreshed.

Harin hasn’t really harmed me in any way.

There isn’t any reason for my feelings to decline… but still, the fact that she uses drugs is concerning.

‘But do I get treated like I’ve done drugs too? I don’t want to get caught for such a trivial reason.’

If a member of the notoriously evil Golden Rule gets caught, I feel like it could be absurdly trivial and become a laughing stock.

Or I could end up getting a tail cut off.

“You… so, what’s your answer?”

“Ah.. haha.. Give me time to think!”

“Didn’t you feel the moment we collapsed together turn into excitement?”

“What nonsense are you talking about…”

“Fear is the easiest emotion to turn into affection. I’m sure I heard it somewhere.”

I tried to push her away and buy some time to think, but the more I tried to push her away, the more her grip on me tightened.

Thinking about it, maybe Harin could help me, even if she doesn’t join the Golden Rule.

If Harin was truly just a pure-hearted saint, I would think such thoughts were disrespectful.

“You seem to have some misunderstandings.”

But it felt like I had gone too far to call her a saint.

“I didn’t give you the chance to choose, did I?”

“Huh..?”

“Didn’t you hear? You have no choice.”

Is that so?

I misjudged from the start.

She wouldn’t give me the option to choose when she is holding on to me tightly because she doesn’t want to let go.

But she lacks combat skills and is just an S-class healer.

If we were to use our strength, I would win.

Yet even so, Harin pretended to be strong.

Why did I say ‘pretend’?

Because I know her body is gradually trembling as she holds on to me.

It seemed like she was clasping her hands together, perhaps to prevent any gaps that might let me escape.

Is she feeling courageous despite being afraid of rejection?

But my situation isn’t good enough to accept Harin either.

After all, I just recently broke up with my girlfriend.

That means I don’t plan to date anyone right now.

However, if I reject Harin here, I feel like something irreversible will happen.

It’s a dilemma that feels like it might drive me crazy.

“Can we just talk after you let go?”

“No way…”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I said no!”

“…”

She shouted at me and dropped the honorifics.

‘Maybe this was the first time she ever spoke casually to me…’

In fact, since Harin and I are the same age, it wouldn’t be strange for her to speak casually at any point.

If anything, it would be more appropriate for me to show her respect as someone in a higher position.

“Why… why… why can’t you just choose me easily? Do you have someone else?”

“Um… that’s not it… it’s just—”

“Then just accept my confession…”

“… Why are you going this far?”

I was really curious.

Given her appearance, it seemed like she was desperately confessing due to my abilities.

I couldn’t help but ask a discordant question in this moment unfolding before me.

“… Are you curious why I’m going this far?”

“… Yes.”

I tried to nod in silence, but the situation thwarted me.

“I… I was so lonely in this place. No one has treated me as closely as you have. Honestly, I’ve lived like a puppet in the association from the start.”

I listened silently to her words.

“I need to start from here… When I first became S-class… I was really happy. All by myself.”

“… Alone?”

“Yes. Alone.”

“Why? I bet your parents were thrilled…”

“They’re gone.”

“What do you mean?”

“My parents abandoned me at an orphanage after giving birth to me.”

“…”

“There wasn’t a single person in the orphanage to help me, perhaps due to my disability.”

With each word, I felt my heart being drawn to Harin’s unfortunate past.

“Moreover… even after I became an adult and an S-class, nobody welcomed me at the orphanage, so I ran away. I felt unwelcome everywhere.”

Is that why she longs for someone to rely on?

“I have… many secrets… the basement… special abilities… and many others… If only you would accept me… please, can you?”

‘What’s with the basement…’

“Can’t you think about it just once more when you get home today?”

“You… are you testing my patience?”

“No, I just want to be more cautious—”

“Enough!… I don’t want to hear excuses. I guess I’ll have to use the method you used on me earlier. So, thank you in advance.”

“What method did I show you?”

“You. Just answer yes or no.”

‘This is… the same method I used on Harin to get the response I wanted when I first woke up from anesthesia, right?’

I ended up being caught in my own trick.

“You. Just give me three answers…”

“Okay. I’m listening.”

“Answer only with yes or no.”

“… Yes.”

“First question… Do you dislike me?”

“No.”

I don’t dislike her.

I just find it burdensome to accept her right now, as I don’t know much about her yet.

“Then… you do like me…”

“…”

“Uh… since you didn’t answer, this question is void… No, it wasn’t even a question in the first place.”

She still clinging to me seemed scared.

As if she feared I might say something I shouldn’t.

She was close to me, but she soon distanced herself a bit.

‘Does she know what the future might hold?’

Harin’s resigned demeanor was pitiful.

“This is really the second question… Were you a little disappointed in me from this perspective?”

“Yes.”

As soon as I answered, her body started to tremble to the point of being pitiful.

“Shiwoo… I’m in so much pain…”

“…”

She called me by my name.

Harin was seriously expressing that she wasn’t in a playful mood right now.

“I’m… so tired… sniff…”

Even without tears, the sad feeling didn’t disappear.

Something I felt like I had seen before started to come back to me.

In my subjective view, it felt like something that truly suited Harin.

I couldn’t understand why Harin was captivated by me.

The reason is…

Because humans can’t become someone else.

Since I’ve never lived as someone else.

I’ve never experienced Harin’s world.

We must be unable to understand each other.

‘Harin seems to think that it’s natural for me to accept her confession…’

Humans can never become another person.

“You’re in so much pain…”

Unless it’s a dream.

“This kind of pain cannot be healed…”

‘Maybe that’s…’

“Aah… the third question… I’ll ask now…”

“…”

“The last question… will you accept me…”

“…”

I just have to answer yes or no.

“Even someone like me… will you love me?”

No matter how pitiful she looks, my feelings won’t change.

My answer is already set.

Of course.

Of course.

“…. Yes.”

Only the sound of “yes” came from my mouth, and I couldn’t say anything more.

I blinked in shock several times.

I had covered my mouth.

With my hand?

No. The part she covered was my lips.

Her lips.

Were pressed against mine.

Did she lack the courage to hear my final answer?

She was completely focused on stealing a kiss from me so suddenly.

Intensely. Even more intensely.

As if we were a long-distance couple who wouldn’t see each other for years if we separated now.

I had never experienced such a passionate kiss before.

With the transparent wall of the 51st floor of the association behind us.

Against my will.

She held the back of my head with her hand and kissed me.