This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 442

Sitting on a thorny cushion, I wondered if this is how it feels.

Though I’ve never sat on one before, I imagined it would feel something like this.

I was that anxious.

It felt as if my lips were spontaneously drying up from doing nothing but just sitting still.

I suppose anyone who hasn’t experienced it wouldn’t understand, no matter what.

Just how maddening that sensation could make a person.

‘No…’

So what was the reason everyone was gathered here like this?

What could the Senior and even Bora want to discuss in this place?

Perhaps it was due to a type of question that silently invaded my mind.

I had plenty of curiosities, from the intentions behind Yoonseo’s proposal to Chae-rim’s acceptance of it, but I didn’t dare to ask.

Honestly, I couldn’t.

From my perspective, it seemed only natural to remain silent… because it felt like I shouldn’t break the silence that had settled in this hospital room.

As if someone had warned me that once this silence was broken, something irreversible would happen.

I couldn’t pinpoint why I felt that way, but there it was.

So what could I do?

For now, keeping my mouth shut seemed like the only option.

During this quiet period, it happened.

“Of course… I like you.”

The silence, which had been precariously hanging and ready to snap at any moment, finally broke.

And who shattered that silence?

It was none other than the Senior’s voice.

Close to certainty, her voice.

Maybe that’s why.

The way she spoke, her eyes sparkled beautifully with a thick certainty reflected in them.

I couldn’t help but admire it.

After all, how many people can openly express their feelings like that?

Especially if it’s feelings of affection towards someone… there’s really no need to mention it twice.

Maybe that’s why.

It was as if a wave of warmth rushed over my face like facing the summer sun directly, and an indescribably strange feeling began to sprout in my heart.

But it didn’t feel bad.

Rather than feeling bad, it was like… a ticklish sensation in my chest as if I had swallowed a feather, and it was surprisingly pleasant.

That’s why I slightly stammered.

I’ve lived nearly half a century, counting even my past life, but I’d never felt this way before.

So it was unfamiliar, and because it was unfamiliar, I could only freeze up without really showing a noteworthy reaction… but that was just the beginning.

Was it really that frustrating to be outdone by none other than the Senior?

With a slightly flustered expression, Yoonseo seemed unwilling to lose and began laying out her feelings one by one.

So… she started from when she liked me and went on to detail how much she liked me.

And Yoonseo’s confession(?) only made my already warm face turn even redder.

If I felt that way just by listening, how much harder must it have been for Yoonseo actually saying it?

Sure enough, with a fleeting glance, I saw Yoonseo’s face so red, it looked as if it could burst at any moment.

What’s strange is that she didn’t stop speaking despite that.

Maybe she felt a need to let out everything she had been holding inside.

Yoonseo’s voice continued for a while longer.

And it was driving me insane.

No wonder, it felt like she was a religious leader or something.

No, perhaps worse than that.

That one was all about lies, whereas this was pure, unfiltered punches of sincerity.

So it was impossible not to react.

‘W-wait…’

If it were up to me?

I wanted to stop her right here.

Because if this went on, I felt like my face would be beyond recovery.

And I meant it, not just saying it.

But as I mentioned earlier, this was just the beginning.

As Yoonseo stepped forward, maybe it was out of a unique sense of rivalry or as an influence from earlier today, but Bora couldn’t afford to lose and stepped up.

And just as Chae-rim, who had been silently observing, subtly joined the fray…

I could no longer hold back and shouted.

“Th-thats enough…”

I understood just how sincere they all were, so please just stop.

My desperate shout maybe had some effect.

Or maybe they had all said enough already.

Which of those was the truth, I couldn’t tell, but thankfully, the topic came to an end.

The problem was… what came next.

In the moment I secretly sighed in relief, believing it was finally over, Chae-rim, who had been examining my face closely, turned her head towards Yoonseo and suddenly…

“So?”

With her gaze fixed in that direction, she casually said.

“Huh?”

Yoonseo, who had been fanning herself to cool her bright red face, looked completely bewildered by that question.

Maybe she thought Chae-rim’s sudden call-out was completely out of the blue.

Judging by her expression, that seemed to be the case.

And perhaps upon seeing Yoonseo’s reaction, Chae-rim realized she hadn’t explained herself enough.

“There’s a reason I gathered everyone here.”

Chae-rim straightforwardly added an explanation.

“Ah…”

Thanks to Chae-rim’s brief yet clear explanation, I was reminded that this gathering was indeed called for her reason.

At some point, a kind of exclamation escaped Yoonseo’s lips, and a realization flickered across her face.

As if she had remembered something she had momentarily forgotten, she gasped, leaving her mouth slightly open in awe.

However, almost as soon as that, Yoonseo cleared her throat and quickly composed herself.

And with her serious face now in place, Yoonseo finally spoke…

“Well… I just thought this can’t go on like this.”

That statement might have sounded a bit random.

That it can’t go on like this—what did she even mean?

It appeared I wasn’t the only one pondering that question upon hearing Yoonseo’s words.

As evidence, when I glanced around, everyone wore equally puzzled expressions.

Even Chae-rim was in on it.

“What do you mean it can’t go on like this?”

“No… that’s not what I meant.”

So what does it actually mean?

What’s with the glances towards me?

The statements and actions were all confusing, leaving me perplexed at that moment.

Unlike me, perhaps someone noticed what was hidden in Yoonseo’s actions.

With a thoughtful ‘hmm…’ sound, Chae-rim eventually looked my way.

Then, as if considering something while staring at me…

“Um… Dogun?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry, but could you step aside for a moment?”

She asked me to give up my spot.

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

“Um, okay…”

“Seems like we need to have a little chat among the ladies. I’d appreciate it.”

With that said, I really couldn’t refuse.

So, I nodded once in agreement, then stood up from my spot.

I was planning to step out of the hospital room as requested, but…

“Oh, just stay on the bed.”

There’s no need for that.

So I dutifully went back to the bed and sat down, at which point Chae-rim’s gaze, which had been on me, shifted to the Senior.

“Um… Baeksulhwa?”

“Yes?”

“About that thing from last time… Is it possible?”

“That thing from last time…? Ah…”

The sounds that had been flowing into my ears suddenly went silent right after that.

judging by the expression on her face, was the Senior using her powers?

‘Well…’

If it was the Senior’s talent, blocking sound would be a piece of cake.

Thanks to that, I was now enjoying a moment as if I were watching a silent film…

The four of them began their conversation.

Of course, I couldn’t hear a thing.