Chapter 184

EP.184 Change of Heart

In the laboratory in Eunpyeong-gu.

Sitting at the lounge table reading the Bible, I chuckled softly when I heard a slurping sound from across.

Adel, who was adorably eating udon, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

After chewing and swallowing the noodles, she asked, “Why? Did something pique your curiosity?”

“No.”

“Then focus.”

How can I focus when you keep slurping?

“Yes.”

I obediently replied and lowered my gaze back to the Bible. Adel cautiously suggested, “Shall we take a break?”

She seems to think I want to rest.

“No.”

“Ah, okay…”

Did my firm refusal make her feel awkward? Adel pouted her lips.

Mumbling something inaudibly, she soon started eating her udon again.

The slurping sound returned. This time, she drank the broth very refreshingly.

“Phew…!”

Letting out a sigh of satisfaction, Adel leaned back in her chair, stretching her legs forward.

I felt her indoor shoes touch my shin.

Startled, Adel quickly sat up straight and apologized, “S-sorry…”

“It’s fine.”

I replied bluntly without even lifting my head, continuing to read the Bible for about five minutes before attempting to turn the page.

Then, Adel cleared her throat and said, “…Ahem! I should quiz you.”

“Now? It hasn’t even been 20 minutes since we started reading.”

“R-really…?”

“Do you have something to say to me?”

Adel flinched at my words.

Her expression clearly showed she wanted to say something, but the words that came out were different.

“No…?”

She seems to want to ask about yesterday and the day before… but she’s afraid.

Afraid that things might get awkward between us.

Such indecisiveness won’t help at all… though it’s great for me.

I rested my elbows on the table, crossed my arms, leaned forward, and smiled warmly.

“Adel.”

“Yes?”

“Shall we go out for some fresh air? I’m feeling a bit stuffy.”

“Really? Sure!”

Adel didn’t notice my consideration.

She genuinely thought I was feeling stuffy.

She’s being so obvious… that’s a skill in itself.

I pointed at her udon with my chin and asked, “Did you finish that? There’s a bit left, are you full?”

“Ah, just a sec…”

Adel buried her face in the udon and ate the remaining noodles in one bite.

Then, while chewing, she gave me a thumbs up.

I let out a wry smile and stood up with a pleasant smile.

Adel stood up too. A drop of udon broth was splattered near her mouth.

I handed her a tissue and said, “There’s broth near your mouth. Right below.”

“Ah, okay…”

Adel politely took the tissue with both hands, wiped her mouth, and glanced at me.

Her worried eyes. After throwing the tissue in the trash, she asked, “Should we skip class today?”

“Why?”

“You must be tired from studying every day. Let’s rest, rest.”

“Then shall I take you home?”

“Jihyuk, you’re really clueless! I’ll make a great suggestion, so listen carefully.”

“A suggestion…?”

As I was dumbfounded, Adel puffed up her chest.

“I told you I give you good energy, right? So let’s go out and have fun! How about an amusement park?”

“I’m already receiving good energy from you. Do you want to go to the amusement park?”

“It’s not that I want to go, but since you’re feeling stuffy, let’s go somewhere fun and refreshing! It’ll help relieve stress too!”

“Just say you want to go…”

“Ah, really! If you don’t listen to your teacher like this, I might have to punish you!”

Oh ho, pulling rank now?

Not scary at all, what should I do? Should I pretend to tremble?

I shrugged and said, “You just said it was a suggestion.”

Adel flinched. She quickly corrected herself, “It’s an order!”

“Well then… understood.”

Reluctantly nodding, I put on my coat.

Adel’s face was filled with regret as she watched me, clearly feeling guilty for being coercive.

She probably intended to speak calmly and gently, but things don’t always go as planned, do they?

That’s just how life is.

After putting on my coat and tying my shoes, I brought Adel’s white sneakers and placed them in front of her.

“Let me know when you’re ready.”

“…Okay…”

**

Swoosh-!

The rain poured down with terrifying momentum.

Adel stood dumbfounded at the entrance leading to the ground, her mouth agape.

She seemed to be wondering when it started raining.

Standing beside her, I took off my coat to shield her from the splashing raindrops.

“It’s raining.”

“Ah, since when… was it raining?”

“I’m not sure. I should have checked the weather in the lab… my bad. It seems like a downpour, so let’s wait in the corridor for a bit.”

I tried to turn Adel around by touching her shoulder but flinched.

It seemed like she remembered yesterday’s incident. Adel looked up at me, checking my awkward gesture.

Her plump lips parted as she gazed at me with a complicated expression.

“Today, Jihyuk, you seem distant from me.”

“What do you mean…”

“You’re still conscious of what I said yesterday.”

“I’m just being careful as you wanted.”

“…Your tone has turned cold too. I must have upset you for no reason…”

Adel leaned against the corridor wall and slid down.

Squatting with her hands on her knees, she kept sighing.

Kneeling to meet her eyes, I smiled warmly and said, “I was wrong. My voice lowered unintentionally because of the stuffy feelings I mentioned earlier.”

“Is that so…?”

“Of course. Even if I got scolded yesterday, why would I use a cold tone with Adel, who gives me so much strength just by being beside me?”

“…Really?”

“Absolutely. But I have one piece of advice. It’s from your student… will you listen?”

Adel’s self-deprecating attitude changed instantly.

She answered immediately, “Yes! I may be the teacher, but I’m lacking! I desperately need my student’s help!”

Ah… I want to hug that round face and sleep.

Barely resisting the temptation, I brought up what I had been thinking.

“Alright. Adel, you tend to be swayed by others too much. You lower yourself and even take losses just to avoid hurting others’ feelings. Right?”

“Y-yes… how did you know?”

“It’s obvious. It shows in your expressions and actions.”

“I see…”

“You’re kind. And honest too. Being kind and honest is a big weakness in this world. People find it easy to take advantage of you.”

Adel’s face darkened.

But it brightened again with my next words.

“But with insight… no, with character, it can become a great strength. And I think you have that character.”

“Character?”

“Yes. Adel, you only have good people around you. First, the believers from your planet must be kind, just like Rosario, whom they believe in.”

“Right! They’re all really gentle!”

“I thought so. Besides, there’s Silvia from another planet, Sehwa from Earth, Dr. Cash… and Yuria… though we haven’t met yet, as a suitable candidate for Aiter, she’ll get along very well with you.”

Adel tilted her head as she listened.

“Jihyuk, why are you excluding yourself? You’re a great person too.”

No, I’m probably the worst person you’ve met.

“It’s embarrassing to include myself.”

Adel laughed at my playful tone.

Her innocent and pretty smile. Silvia must treasure Adel partly because of that smile.

I got momentarily distracted by her, shook my head a couple of times, and continued.

“Anyway… the people around you, Adel, will accept anything you say without malice. For example, if you told Silvia, ‘You’re a bad person!’, she would reflect but wouldn’t hold a grudge.”

“Ah…”

“The same goes for the people around you. I’m the same. I won’t dislike anything you say, so act with confidence. Say what you want to say.”

Adel stared at me with wide eyes for a while.

I moved to the opposite wall and sat in the same position as her, letting her think.

As we waited for the rain to subside, Adel quietly stood up.

Then, she slowly came over and squatted beside me.

“There’s something I wanted to ask… but I won’t.”

A question she wanted to ask? She must have wanted to ask if I like her.

Even though she listened to my advice and seemed to take it to heart, she decided not to ask.

This is proof that Adel’s feelings have changed.

And that change is definitely in my favor.

“Alright.”

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“I don’t want to rush you. Tell me when you’re comfortable.”

“Okay… thank you.”

I stood up and smirked at Adel.

“The rain doesn’t seem to be stopping. Shall we go back and study the Bible? Or maybe go to an indoor amusement park?”

“Are you not feeling stuffy anymore?”

“After our serious talk and listening to the rain, it’s gone.”

“Do you like rainy days?”

“The sound of rain calms the mind. It’s different for everyone, but that’s how it is for me.”

“I see…”

Adel nodded. She reached out her hand to me.

“Will you help me up?”

A natural action. It also meant she would bury yesterday’s incident along with her question.

It also carried the intention of wanting to be treated as usual.

I took Adel’s small hand and helped her up, then brushed off her back.

I noticed her hairclip was slightly crooked on the back of her head.

But I didn’t feel like fixing it, so I just mentioned it to her.

“Your hairclip is a bit crooked.”

“Fix it for me. It’s hard to make it pretty by myself.”

“Try it yourself. I’ll watch.”

“…Alright.”

Adel, looking slightly disappointed, weakly raised her hand and undid her hairclip.

Her near-platinum blonde hair cascaded down.

The shampoo scent… is it the baby powder one I bought her last time? It suits her.

Gathering her hair with both hands, Adel twisted it a few times and pinned it up.

“How is it?”

“Just a bit more twist would be good.”

“Like this?”

“Yes, like that.”

“Done?”

“Done. Now there…”

Beep-! Beep-!

I closed my mouth at the loud, rapid beeping sound coming from my phone.

Startled, Adel turned around and asked, “W-what is it?”

Calmly looking at the situation board connected to my phone, I answered, “It’s a demon. Location: Israel. Rank B, but it’s rising sharply. There are two of them.”

To be continued―――――――――――――――――――――

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