Chapter 82

<Chapter 84> This villain concept ain’t half bad, ya know.

“Ugh, seriously. Can you stop looking at that already?”

Rime blushed and complained.

Yu-jin was gazing at the black gloves he’d received as a gift while wearing them on his hands.

Though it was kinda cute how much he loved them…

It was also kinda embarrassing.

“Why? I think they’re awesome.”

“Ahhh, it’s so embarrassing!”

Rime buried her face in her arms like she was in agony.

Her white ears were bright red and showed no sign of cooling down.

To be honest, this wasn’t just casual teasing.

Rime, who used to be an Always-Hungry monster, wasn’t used to openly expressing her feelings or hearing responses to them.

She felt like she wanted to hide in a mouse hole out of embarrassment.

If we weren’t in Hwagcheon Mansion, she probably would’ve fled the scene by now.

“Hmm, but I’m not done admiring yet. Should I just wear these and go to sleep?”

“Ahh, please don’t!”

Rime clung to Yu-jin in a tantrum-like manner.

It was rare to see Rime, who had such a strong sense of pride, act like this.

She must’ve been *super* embarrassed.

“Alright, alright. I’ll put them away for now.”

Yu-jin gave in and neatly folded the gloves before placing them back in the box.

Rime’s expression was quite pouty.

Realizing she was about to get teased, her cheeks slightly puffed up.

“I don’t like how smug you are. From now on, I won’t give you any more gifts.”

“Really? Then this is my first and last gift, so I better treasure it even more, huh?”

“Aaaah, seriously!”

Rime grabbed a pillow and started hitting Yu-jin with it.

It didn’t hurt at all—it only made her look cuter.

“Haha! Alright, alright! I really am grateful, okay?”

“…Whatever.”

Yu-jin carefully placed the box in the drawer.

Of course, he wanted to use them right away…

But right now, he wanted to preserve them more than anything.

…

“These are to keep you from getting hurt, so don’t get injured anywhere.”

“But I’ve never been injured, have I?”

“You never know. Last time, you got your hand hurt while saving Young-hee.”

At Rime’s words, Yu-jin suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, I met Chul-soo while you were gone.”

“So… did you end up killing him?”

Ended up what? What does “ended up” even mean here?

Anyone listening would think you were desperate to kill Chul-soo!

“He’s still alive, but he looked pretty worn out. Guess chasing after Jil isn’t easy.”

“Hmm, yeah. There’s a limit to what one person can do, after all.”

If someone really wants to hide, they’re hard to find.

Even Rime couldn’t guarantee she could track him down.

Well, if we used Hwagcheon’s entire network, it might be different…

But if life-and-death battles continued during the search?

The constant injuries and stress would be beyond what a normal person could endure.

I guess it’s only possible because it’s Chul-soo.

“Then what? You didn’t just talk about updates and leave it at that, right?”

“Oh, right. He said to take care of Young-hee if he dies.”

“Hmm…”

Rime didn’t say anything else.

She just adjusted her sitting position slightly.

“…And?”

“Huh?”

“What did you reply to him?”

“That he shouldn’t die.”

“Hoooh.”

Rime was slightly impressed.

Who would’ve thought Asshat over there could come up with something so decent?

I figured he’d say something like, “I’ll take care of her forever, so go ahead and die in peace!”

Looks like he’s growing up a little.

“Still, maybe I should’ve given him more encouragement?”

“Nah, what you said is fine for now.”

Someday, Chul-soo and Yu-jin’s misunderstanding will clear up.

But the timing isn’t good right now.

Chul-soo already has enough burdens on his shoulders.

Adding Yu-jin into the mix makes even Rime feel a bit sorry for him.

‘Guess it’s better if that guy doesn’t die.’

Right now, Chul-soo owes Yu-jin a favor regarding Young-hee.

It’d be a shame to lose such a convenient arrangement easily.

Maybe she’s being a bit cold-hearted…

That’s just how Rime, the monster, thinks.

Of course, anything involving Yu-jin is an exception.

“Anyway, I realized something when I was talking to him. I’m not very good with words.”

“…Huh?”

“If I were like a novel protagonist, I could’ve given some cool, inspiring words. But I felt kind of regretful.”

Wow, you finally noticed that, huh?