Chapter 35

EP.35 Sehwa is embarrassed by Yoo Seunghyun #3

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Sehwa was on the verge of losing her mind.

Because the heavily drunk Yoo Seunghyun couldn’t keep his balance.

If that was all, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but the fact that he was leaning his weight on her while she was supporting him was the issue.

“Ah… seriously…”

She groaned as she dragged Seunghyun, who couldn’t keep his consciousness straight, towards the Gold Perfume Hotel.

Korea University and the Gold Perfume Hotel are quite close.

A distance that’s not too far to walk.

But for Sehwa, who was carrying a giant pig, the distance felt longer than a marathon.

She even seriously considered transforming into Leona, breaking the hotel window, and throwing him in.

“Umm… Sehwa…”

Seunghyun, childishly calling her name.

Sehwa was dumbfounded.

She was annoyed at her boyfriend, who couldn’t control himself and kept chugging alcohol just because they hadn’t gone out in a while.

What made her angriest was that Seunghyun only talked about himself.

Just as Seunghyun hadn’t seen her in a while, she hadn’t seen him in a while either.

Yet, Seunghyun didn’t even consider her feelings, instead boasting about how well he had been doing at work, as if he was rapping.

She was also mad that he loudly told a senior from the student council to take care of him.

Who does he think he is, saying that to someone he just met…? Right after receiving the couple ring, she was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole.

Sehwa bit her lower lip as she watched Seunghyun start singing old songs beside her.

She understood that he was excited to see her, but how could he be so immature…? He used to be so reliable.

She missed Jihyuk.

The quiet and composed Jihyuk, who would carry her to bed when she got drunk first and gently caress her with loving hands, appeared in her mind.

She desperately wanted to see Jihyuk, who would kiss her forehead and cover her with a high-quality blanket.

She wanted to act spoiled with him.

As she struggled to move her heavy feet while thinking this, Seunghyun stumbled.

“Ugh…”

Sehwa, whose weight suddenly shifted to the side, desperately grabbed Seunghyun’s arm to keep him from falling.

Panting, she leaned Seunghyun against the wall and then leaned against the wall herself.

She expressed the frustration rising from deep within her throat with a single exclamation.

“Ah…!”

Her voice was a bit loud, drawing attention.

A few people shook their heads with pitying expressions.

Seeing them, Sehwa suddenly thought:

Why don’t they lend a hand? Jihyuk, Dr. Cash, and I are working hard for them,

helping those in trouble without expecting anything in return,

if it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t be able to walk around so comfortably.

‘No… Sehwa, get a grip.’

Sehwa, calming her rising anger, slapped her own cheek quite hard.

She shouldn’t think like this. Would the upright-hearted Leona do that?

As Sehwa, having regained her composure, was about to put Seunghyun’s arm over her shoulder to continue,

“Mmm… Sehwa… transform into Leona… I want to see you…”

Seunghyun muttered this.

Sehwa, startled, instinctively slapped Seunghyun’s cheek.

*Slap!*

With a crisp sound, Seunghyun’s head snapped to the side,

“Ugh…!”

Seunghyun, momentarily regaining consciousness, looked at Sehwa with a confused expression.

A curse word Sehwa had never used before flew out of her mouth.

“Hey! You crazy bastard!”

She shouted loud enough for the street to hear.

Seunghyun, touching his reddened cheek, opened his eyes wide.

“Se… Sehwa… what’s wrong…?”

What’s wrong…? Does he not even remember what he just said?

She should have stopped him before he got this drunk…

Sehwa, trembling with clenched fists, snapped at him.

“Are you sober now, you idiot?”

“Huh…? Yeah… maybe…”

Sehwa, fuming at Seunghyun’s response, took several deep breaths.

Then she announced,

“Go by yourself now.”

“I… I must have made a mistake. I’m sorry…”

“You’re sorry without even knowing what you did wrong? Just go. Go! Go and sleep it off!”

“Okay… I’ll call you when I wake up.”

Seunghyun, on the verge of falling over, stumbled backward and tripped over a protruding sidewalk block.

He fell ungracefully on his butt.

He tried to get up, but still drunk, he staggered and fell back down.

Sehwa put her hand on her forehead and shook her head.

“Really annoying…”

Then.

A siren wailed, and a police car stopped nearby.

A middle-aged officer got out and approached with a kind smile, asking,

“Do you need help?”

Sehwa thought the officer was an angel sent from heaven.

Ah… society still has some good left.

There are still people who help.

“Yes… please help…”

She said in a desperate tone, and the officer nodded, supporting Seunghyun.

Seeing this, Sehwa continued,

“Just to the Gold Perfume Hotel, please…”

“Okay, got it.”

“Really… thank you so much.”

“Not at all. Do you live together?”

“No, I live in a nearby office apartment. I’ll head back now. Thank you so much.”

Sehwa bowed deeply, then glanced at Seunghyun with a look of resentment before turning away.

As she sent the burden away and headed to her office apartment, tears suddenly burst from her eyes.

She felt choked up, sad, angry at herself for using violence, annoyed at Seunghyun, and missed Jihyuk… a mix of emotions.

Wiping her eyes with her left hand, she suddenly felt something hard on her ring finger.

‘Jihyuk will be mad if he sees this…’

Sehwa tried to take off the ring.

But when she helped Seunghyun regain his balance, she must have hit her hand against the wall, as her finger was swollen and the ring wouldn’t come off.

There was also a small wound, making it painful.

Still, she struggled to twist the ring off, when a deep, low voice came from behind.

“Sehwa, what are you doing?”

It was the voice she had longed to hear, Jihyuk, whom she had missed so much.

Sehwa wanted to turn around and hug him immediately, but she was afraid Jihyuk would be angry if he saw the ring, so she stayed still, facing away.

But she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.

“Uwaaah…!”

Bowing her head and shaking her shoulders, Sehwa sobbed uncontrollably. Jihyuk, who had approached from behind, gently hugged her, and she finally turned to him.

Sehwa cried her heart out on Jihyuk’s chest for a long time.

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I wet my finger and brought it to Sehwa’s cute nose.

“Sniff. Sniff.”

She sniffed loudly, blowing her nose.

Sticky snot stuck to my hand.

I didn’t react.

I just silently washed my hands and blew her nose again.

This time, Sehwa blew her nose so long she started coughing.

Heh… it was hard not to laugh when she started coughing.

I ended up chuckling, and Sehwa glared at me, sniffling.

I gently stroked her head with my clean hand.

After blowing her nose and wiping her face with a soft towel, I washed her hands, which had small wounds.

“Ahh!”

She screamed and pulled her hand back.

She was being dramatic even though I only put water on it… really…

I adjusted the water pressure with a kind expression, and Sehwa pouted and relaxed her hand.

Then, as I was about to dry her hands with a new towel, Sehwa said in a small voice,

“Use tissue… tissue is softer… towels are rough…”

“Tissue will hurt more. The water will make it tear and leave pieces everywhere.”

“….”

“I’ll dry it gently.”

“Okay…”

She looked like a little kid, holding my hand and nodding.

I dried her hands very gently.

Sehwa winced in pain but bravely endured it.

I took Sehwa to the living room and sat her at the table, then brought the first aid kit.

I took out some ointment and looked up at Sehwa, who was sitting crouched.

Her face was completely swollen.

She had been crying hard for 15 minutes, so it was understandable.

Meeting her was purely coincidental.

I had been wandering around Gangnam and thought it was time to head back and call her, but I found Sehwa at the entrance of her office apartment, trying to take off her ring.

‘Things must have gotten really serious.’

Seeing Sehwa crying so pitifully made my heart ache.

It was clear that Yoo Seunghyun had messed up.

That bastard Yoo Seunghyun, I should lock him up and only feed him dumplings for the rest of his life.

“Can you bear it while I apply the ointment and bandage it?”

“…. Yeah.”

“Good girl. We’ll treat it with medical equipment at the lab later.”

After applying ointment and bandaging her three fingers, I took off my shirt, which was soaked with snot, saliva, and tears.

Then I carried Sehwa and laid her on the bed, roughly took off my pants, and lay down beside her.

Then Sehwa said in a small voice,

“The blanket smells like food…”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Are you mad…?”

She was asking if I was mad about the ring on her finger.

I was mad, but today was a day to embrace her with vast generosity.

I smiled warmly.

“Not mad. I’m sorry, Sehwa.”

Sehwa looked confused.

Hearing an apology seemed to confuse her.

“Why…?”

“I should have told you not to go to the festival. I regret sending you.”

“….”

She cried again. Such a crybaby.

As I wiped her eyes, Sehwa sniffled and opened her pretty lips.

“I want to shower…”

“After applying the ointment?”

“Just my hands.”

“Shower with one hand?”

“….”

Sehwa’s expression turned sharp. Her eyes looked like they could kill.

Ah, she wanted me to wash her. Now I get it.

She’s being extra spoiled today.

Well, the bed doesn’t smell like Yoo Seunghyun, so it’s fine.

I got up and lifted Sehwa in my arms.

Today, Sehwa was like a one-year-old baby.

She just lay still, not moving a finger, letting me take care of her.

You should feel honored. The Demon King is washing you.

After thoroughly washing Sehwa and lying down together, I listened to everything that happened today.

“So… the officer helped… and I came here.”

“I see.”

I smiled warmly after hearing the story.

And she slapped Yoo Seunghyun? That’s impressive.

And calling him a crazy bastard… it was shocking coming from Sehwa, who never curses.

Her anger at people who didn’t help was surprising too.

But it was good for me.

“I really missed you.”

“I came back quickly because I missed you too. But… that bastard Yoo Seunghyun… has a loose mouth.”

“…. I know, right.”

You agree?

You’ve completely lost interest in him.

Wow, it’s not easy to make Sehwa, with her strong heart, feel this way.

“Jihyuk.”

“Yeah?”

“My head is so messed up.”

Because of Yoo Seunghyun and me? Or because of the curses and violence you used today?

‘Probably both.’

I silently hugged her tightly.

Then Sehwa buried her face in my chest.

“You’ve been through a lot. Let’s rest for a while.”

Sehwa didn’t answer.

She just slightly opened her mouth and blew air onto my chest.

She was also secretly trying to take off the ring under the bandage.

I could feel her fingers wriggling on my stomach, just do it openly…

“Stop.”

I said sternly, and Sehwa finally stopped.

*Buzz-!*

At the same time, Sehwa’s phone on the table rang.

It must be Yoo Seunghyun, finally sober.

As I moved to hand her the phone, Sehwa suddenly sat up and grabbed it.

Seeing the caller, she made a face and threw the phone hard against the wall.

*Crash!*

Sehwa’s old phone fell to the floor.

The vibration stopped.

It seemed completely broken.

She stared at the phone, one corner dented, then said in a low voice,

“Disgusting…”

Then she snuggled back into my arms and started breathing softly.

I hugged Sehwa, dumbfounded.

But inside, I was cheering.

To be continued―――――――――――――――――――――

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