Chapter 81

<Episode 83: Everyone's Long-Awaited Kiss Scene>

“Ho ho, so this is how the money rolls in, huh.”

Yu-jin muttered to himself in amazement after coming out of the Hero Association Headquarters.

Yu-jin and his group had just finished reporting the successful dungeon clearance.

Heroes receive rewards from the association depending on the monsters defeated and the dungeons cleared.

Though it wasn’t an extremely difficult dungeon,

the payout was surprisingly large.

Seems like that giant spider queen Rime took down with one slash was stronger than expected.

“Alright then, let’s split it evenly among the four of us.”

“I’m good though.”

When Yu-jin raised his hand to decline,

it reminded everyone that he came from a wealthy family.

With more money than he could ever spend, he didn’t need the reward.

However, Young-hee furrowed her eyebrows disapprovingly.

“No way! Even if we’re friends, payments like these should be divided clearly. Right, Class President?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

The class president, who had been lost in thought, nodded half a beat late.

She seemed unusually pensive after the dungeon run.

“Normally, these kinds of things should be shared equally. Though I haven’t really done much myself, so I feel a bit guilty saying this.”

The class president gave a wry smile as she said this.

Is that so?

While Yu-jin appreciated his friends wanting to use the money more effectively,

he felt refusing outright might be rude.

“Alright then, let’s split it evenly.”

“Yeah, they even prepared the cash already divided into four.”

Yu-jin received his envelope.

Though it was just money,

somehow it felt different knowing he earned it through his own efforts.

Rime was also examining her envelope with interest.

After splitting everything peacefully, the four were heading home when…

“Ah, I need to buy something. Can we stop by quickly?”

The class president spoke up as they passed a department store.

“I need to buy something too… well…”

Young-hee glanced at Yu-jin hesitantly.

Completely oblivious as always, Yu-jin simply blinked.

Watching this exchange, Rime lightly kicked him on the shin.

“Hey, you stay here.”

“Eh? Why?”

“If you want to watch girls change their underwear, come along.”

“It’s not underwear…!”

Young-hee’s face turned bright red as she bowed her head deeply.

Apparently it was something she didn’t want Yu-jin to see.

“Alright then. I’ll wait here.”

“Sorry, I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Yu-jin leaned casually against a pillar.

Thinking about it, being alone like this was quite rare lately.

“How peaceful.”

Though he had just fought monsters, the words slipped out.

Yu-jin truly felt this way.

Doing things with friends,

laughing happily, having conversations…

Perhaps this was the everyday life Yu-jin had long desired.

“Nice expression you’ve got there.”

Someone interrupted his thoughts.

Yu-jin turned his head.

It was Chul-soo.

“…Feels like it’s been ages since we last met.”

That greeting wasn’t just empty pleasantries.

Chul-soo definitely looked different after a long time apart.

First off, his appearance had changed.

His deep hooded black sweatshirt gave him an alleyway vibe.

And his overall aura was strange.

Even standing still, an ominous presence seemed to radiate from him.

Like a razor-sharp sword.

A sword capable of cutting down any opponent with a single strike.

“How’s Young-hee doing?”

“She hasn’t regained her memories yet, but she’s recovering. She laughs a lot too.”

“…Is that so.”

Chul-soo rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a cigarette.

He lit it effortlessly.

Puff – white smoke flowed out from his mouth.

“…You used to smoke?”

“I picked it up recently. Do you?”

“Nah.”

“All the mafia guys I’ve seen smoked.”

“I prefer living as long as possible.”

It was awkward.

Yet strangely, holding a conversation wasn’t difficult.

The last time they met was during the Young-hee incident.

Yu-jin and Chul-soo teamed up to save her.

In the end, both prioritized Young-hee’s safety above all else.

That bond sustained their relationship.

“This matter will be resolved soon.”

“Resolved?”

“The roots and branches have all been cut down.”

It was no easy feat.

Countless executives and lower-level organizations connected to Hwagcheon.

All of them were eliminated, cut down, killed.

Honestly, it wasn’t something one person could handle alone.

Of course, Chul-soo was able to accomplish this much thanks to Biseo Park’s covert assistance.

Financial support, equipment supply, information gathering, and cleanup operations.

Still, despite disliking Hwagcheon,

there was no better collaborator for a common goal.

Yu-jin understood this, and so did Park.

Their skills were undeniably reliable.

“Thanks to your help, the guy’s finally showing his face.”

“Showing his face?”

“Jikil.”

Chul-soo pulled out a portable ashtray from his pocket and extinguished his cigarette.

Yu-jin watched silently before asking.

“Are you going to kill him?”

“Yeah.”

As if discussing something completely ordinary.

The tone was flat, without any inflection.

Yu-jin nodded.

He understood the sentiment.

If Rime were to die at someone’s hands, he’d likely make a similar decision.

“We’ve been through many battles. There’s been growth along the way. I believe my current self is sufficient.”

“Hmm.”

Chul-soo shrugged lightly.

“Well, you never know. We’ve stirred up quite the mess. Jikil must have some trump cards prepared against me.”

Jikil isn’t an easy opponent.

Getting to this point has taken immense time and resources.

The malice and schemes hidden behind his facade.

I don’t think this will be resolved easily.

“I might lose.”

This was different from participating in some large-scale experiment.

Chul-soo stood in a real battlefield.

If he finds himself in mortal danger,

no one will come to rescue him.

There are no safety nets.

A single mistake could cost him his life unexpectedly.

“That’s why I’m getting some insurance.”

“Insurance?”

For the first time, Chul-soo hesitated in answering smoothly.

He moved his lips several times.

But unable to articulate his thoughts, he faltered repeatedly.

“In case… if I die…”

As if squeezing something tightly,

struggling to suppress something overwhelming within his heart.

This was something he absolutely didn’t want to say.

Like a middle schooler reluctantly claiming dislike for a toy they truly cherished.

With a disheveled expression,

Chul-soo continued speaking,

“Can you… take care of Young-hee?”

Without responding, Yu-jin simply turned his head away.

Chul-soo’s face, hidden under the hood, was invisible.

No matter what, Yu-jin understood the meaning of those words.

Chul-soo’s feelings…

were beyond comprehension.

‘This guy really is risking his life.’

How much hesitation went into uttering those words?

How much contemplation occurred before coming here?

Yu-jin could empathize somewhat.

Because now, Yu-jin also had someone irreplaceable.

“Well, I’ll look after Young-hee.”

Thus, Yu-jin had no choice but to respond accordingly.

“Still, don’t die.”

At this unexpected statement,

Chul-soo turned his head.

Yu-jin continued speaking without changing expression.

“If you die, who’ll lead our team?”

There wouldn’t be anyone else to team up with him,

and finding another swordsman like Chul-soo would be impossible.

Rather, definitely impossible.

“Haha. You’re right. The only one who can endure your arrogance is me.”

With that,

Chul-soo took a step forward.

Further words weren’t necessary.

Just as Lime existed for Yu-jin,

Young-hee existed for Chul-soo.

Reaffirming this significance,

Yu-jin watched Chul-soo walk away.

The heroic figure contrasting sharply with himself,

resembling a true protagonist from a novel,

made Yu-jin feel somewhat suffocated.

“Phew, that was exhausting!”

Returning home, Lime threw herself onto the bed.

Young-hee and the class president had temporarily left.

Lime’s existence was still a secret to Hwagcheon.

Even going out required careful consideration.

“So, can you walk around outside without major issues now?”

“Well, enough time has passed. And you’ve gotten stronger too.”

Originally, Lime had limitations on using her human form due to magical restrictions.

But judging from today’s performance, it seems she’s overcome most of those issues.

Though she claims using too much magic is still strenuous.

Perhaps attending the academy together might be possible in the future.

“By the way, what did the class president buy at the department store? Didn’t you go together?”

“No, we split up. Since you were waiting, we decided to quickly grab what we needed separately.”

“Separately? Did you buy anything too?”

Lime didn’t particularly need anything.

This situation was special because of Young-hee.

Normally, Lime lived inside Yu-jin,

so if she needed anything, she could just ask him.

Lime slightly averted her gaze.

“Umm… suddenly feeling embarrassed about it.”

“Hmm?”

For some reason, her face started turning red.

She genuinely appeared flustered.

Then she pushed forward something she had been hiding behind her back.

“Here, it’s a gift.”

“……Eh?”

This time,

Yu-jin completely froze.

His blank stare fixed ahead.

Lime, blushing deeply while averting her gaze,

presented a small white box tied with a ribbon.

This was undoubtedly her gift.

“Aren’t you going to say something? Like ‘I’m happy’ or something?”

“Ah, sorry. It’s… my first time receiving a gift from someone else.”

“….It’s my first time giving one too.”

An awkward yet sweet atmosphere enveloped them.

Different from her usual flirtatious vibe.

Like tickling someone’s heart with a feather.

An unbearable yet refreshing emotion filled the two.

“Um… can I open it?”

“Uh, yeah! Go ahead.”

Yu-jin carefully opened the box.

His eyes widened.

“Gloves?”

Inside were none other than black gloves.

Not ordinary winter gloves,

but more akin to leather ones.

The part where the fist forms was especially reinforced.

“Hmph! These are what combat heroes wear.”

“Oh…”

“You always fight barehanded! Gah, people like you who are so dense… Your body is your asset, yet you treat it so roughly-”

Lime babbled nervously out of embarrassment.

But her words trailed off before finishing.

Because Yu-jin suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Hey, hey, wait a sec! I get that you’re happy…”

Still hugging her, Yu-jin kissed Lime.

Holding her as if she were something incredibly precious.

As if determined never to let go.

Tightly embracing her while exploring her lips.

After staying like that for a while, the two parted briefly.

Unlike usual, Lime’s ears turned red from shyness.

“Puha! Wh-what’s with this sudden aggressiveness?”

“…Thank you.”

With the expression of a boy in love,

Yu-jin gazed directly into Lime’s green eyes.

His heart pounded violently.

The sound of their racing hearts could almost be heard by each other.

Ah, aren’t those kinds of looks cheating?

“…”

Just a simple word and glance.

But the way he said it was so adorable,

and his eyes looked so lovingly affectionate,

that Lime’s heart melted completely.

This time, there was no need to decide who would move first.

Both simultaneously leaned in to kiss.

Just like that.

They remained still, feeling each other.

Somewhere beyond the room’s door,

the class president stood quietly.

In her hand was an envelope containing chocolates bought earlier.

The chocolates that Yu-jin had casually mentioned liking during the dungeon run.

“…”

She didn’t say anything.

She didn’t do anything.

Rather, she couldn’t.

Because she knew that doing anything more here

would make her feel unbearably miserable.

“Class President, what are you doing there?”

“Ah, it’s Young-hee.”

Young-hee greeted her a bit late.

After hesitating for a moment, the class president showed the envelope in her hand.

“Um, I bought chocolates earlier. Want to share?”

“Wow, is that okay?”

The class president gave a bitter smile as she replied.

“Yeah, I’m not really fond of chocolates anyway.”

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