This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 115

I was pulled from the swamp called sleep by a sound different from the usual.

Is that why?

The impression I felt when I woke up was also different from normal.

Usually, when I opened my eyes in the morning, the first thought was, “Ugh, I’m so tired…” but today, it was just… nothing. I flickered my eyes blankly.

“Wow, such a depressingly familiar ceiling.”

I was probably too busy admiring the ceiling pattern, which was so familiar it bordered on boring, that I didn’t notice the unusual ‘sound’ or ‘smell’ until I was a step behind.

“Huh?”

What’s that sound?

A sound had subtly begun to seep into my ears, making me think that way.

“What did I fall asleep watching yesterday…?”

That was the next thought that crossed my mind.

And then I remembered.

Last night, I hadn’t even watched anything; I had collapsed into bed the moment I laid my head on the pillow.

I basically fell asleep right away, so there was no way I saw anything.

Then, what on earth is this sound still flowing into my ears?

One thing was for sure: it definitely wasn’t a sound coming from my mobile phone.

If it was from my mobile phone, it wouldn’t be this quiet.

And more importantly… there was a smell too.

It was a very nutty aroma.

To be exact… it was the kind of smell you’d expect when frying something in sesame oil.

It was seeping into the room along with that small sound.

That means someone was making something in the kitchen on the first floor… but who could it be?

Just as that thought reached me, my hazy mind became as clear as if splashed with cold water, and at the same time, I sat up straight, realizing…

The chance of this being a dangerous or worrying situation was drastically low.

After all, if someone had broken into the house while I was sleeping, they wouldn’t be casually making breakfast.

Of course, the world is vast, and there are crazies out there, so there’s no guarantee that there isn’t a lunatic making breakfast in a stranger’s house this early in the morning… but honestly, it would be more reasonable to think it was someone I knew.

So, who could it be?

Who is making breakfast like that this morning?

That line of speculation was practically pointless.

In the first place, only two people besides me knew the house entrance password.

Those two are, of course, my mom and Yoonseo.

Considering that it was very early in the morning right now, the person in the kitchen could only be my mom.

Once I pinpointed the identity of the “unknown person,” a feeling of discontent suddenly rose within my heart.

“Geez…”

If you’re coming back, at least give me a heads-up.

She had a tendency to be elusive and unpredictable, so it wasn’t the first time something like this happened. But when it came to whether I had gotten used to it, I could only respond with a “not really.”

“By the way… how long has it been since she did this?”

Thinking that in my head, I slowly emerged from my blanket.

Then I headed straight towards where the sound was coming from—

“Why don’t you just sit and relax if you’re here? What’s with the fuss in the morning…”

“Oh, you’re awake?”

As I entered the kitchen, it wasn’t my mom’s back I saw… but Yoonseo, wearing the apron I usually use.

So… I was shocked.

I was expecting it to be my mom, but it was actually Yoonseo welcoming me instead.

“Wait… why is she here? At this time?”

As I mulled over that question in my head, every time I blinked, Yoonseo in her apron was imprinted on my retina.

“Almost done, so do you want to sit and wait? Or you can go wash up.”

“Uh, um…”

What is this naturalness?

Her demeanor was so relaxed that I couldn’t help but think I might have spent the night at Yoonseo’s house without realizing it.

Of course, if that had been the case, it wouldn’t have been Yoonseo but her dad welcoming me instead.

“…This isn’t good.”

I thought I was fully awake, but the fact that my mind wasn’t working at all made me realize that I must have been mistaken.

Standing awkwardly, as if I was about to sit down, I straightened up and headed to the bathroom.

Would splashing cold water really help me wake up?

…I hope so.

—

As Dogun rushed into the bathroom to regain his senses, Yoonseo was busy bustling around the kitchen, her shoulders shaking.

“…Haha!”

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I had been trying to hold it in, but it seemed impossible now.

The expression I had just seen on Dogun’s face made me feel that way.

It was the first time.

I had never seen Dogun make such a dazed expression before.

So, he could pull faces like that.

“See? Asking my dad for advice was the right call.”

What if I hadn’t gathered the courage then?

I wouldn’t have been able to see that expression just now.

“Speaking of which… I guess I should hurry up.”

I thought I still had plenty of time until my usual wake-up time, but since I was jolted awake by the sounds of breakfast being made, at this rate, I’d end up making Dogun wait.

In response, the soup bubbling in the pot suddenly started to froth.

“Oh no!”

Just as I was about to turn off the heat… the important point emphasized in the video I had watched last night popped into my head, so instead of turning it off completely, I lowered the heat.

“They said it tastes better if you let it simmer on low heat.”

With that, the soup was practically done, and the rice was being cooked in the rice cooker, while the mackerel was perfectly being grilled in the air fryer. All that remained was—

“An egg roll!”

That was it.

Could I do it?

To be honest, I was a bit… nervous.

It looked relatively simple, which is why I felt bold enough to try making soup, but the egg roll seemed to require some technique.

“I’ve watched plenty of videos…”

That made me feel even less confident.

In both the videos and when Dogun usually made it, the pretty egg roll would pop out perfectly with just a flick of the chopsticks, while I felt like if I tried, all I’d manage would be a scrambled egg.

But since it was one of Dogun’s favorite dishes, I thought I had to at least try, so I placed the sausage I was going to put in the egg roll on the cutting board and reached for my knife.

At that moment, perhaps because the bubbling sound that had filled the kitchen faded,

A new sound managed to break through.

The problem was… that it was the sound of Dogun showering.

“Huh…?”

Was the distance between the kitchen and the bathroom on the first floor this close?

In an instant, that thought flashed through my mind as the sound of water gushing filled my ears, and it was probably because of that.

A nearly delusional image filled my head in an instant.

In that fantasy, Dogun was standing there, completely unclothed, being drenched in water from above.

And the water cascading down his defined torso glided off…

“Ahhh…!”

I must be insane.

I must definitely be insane.

I was trying to forget…! But I couldn’t help but remember…!

I internally screamed, but the overwhelming delusion wouldn’t let up.

No, if anything, it seemed to amplify it, overlaying the images on the objects around me.

For instance… the sausage I had prepared for the egg roll.

Come to think of it, the thing I had seen earlier on the blanket was just about… no, it was a bit thicker and longer than that…

“…Ah.”

I must truly be losing it.

Perhaps right now I was okay, but if it continued like this, I felt it would become a truth.

As if trying to shake off the thoughts filling my head, I shook my head vigorously and hastily moved my hand holding the knife.

I had to deal with that infernal sausage that kept stirring up weird thoughts in front of me; otherwise, I would keep thinking like this.

But… it seemed I was rushing too much.

“Ouch…!”

As I flinched at the sharp pain that suddenly shot from my other hand—

“What’s wrong, did you hurt yourself?”

Just then, Dogun reappeared.

Water dripped off his hair as he did.