This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 467

“Did you perhaps sneak some candy before coming here?”

Today, my lips felt unusually sweet.

Even the delicate breaths escaping that crumbled along my chin seemed to share that sweetness.

Amidst all this, Yoonseo remained adorably flustered, struggling to shake off her confusion, making it hard for me to resist kissing her once more.

This time, unlike before, I leaned in for a longer kiss, gentle yet intoxicating, as if trying to steal the very breath from her. Was she surprised by the sudden series of kisses?

At first, Yoonseo received my kiss stiffly, but soon she started to respond naturally to my movements.

Thrilled by this natural entanglement, I stayed close to her for quite a while.

If it hadn’t been for the honking of a passing car that broke our little escapade, we might have continued indefinitely.

Now that I think about it, we were still inside the parking lot.

Whatever it was — a train horn or just the acoustics of an underground parking lot — the honk was deafening.

Thanks to that, both Yoonseo and I jumped apart in surprise.

Once we separated, I felt a bittersweet mixture of regret and relief.

“Ah…”

It was nice though…

Regrettable, but what could we do?

After all, it was our fault for blocking the way.

In that sense, I was glad the car had tinted windows.

If it hadn’t, those inside might have caught me in a super embarrassing moment, completely distracted by a kiss.

In the worst-case scenario, someone might even recognize Yoonseo.

Of course, compared to Chae-rim, who gets recognized left and right while walking down the street, Yoonseo’s fame was still just a flicker.

But, you never know.

For Yoonseo, whose popularity was on the rise, being involved in such a scandal would be the last thing she needed.

That’s why I felt relieved.

‘Speaking of which…’

Now that this was happening, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to start our outing, right?

So where should we head?

Today’s itinerary was prepared by Yoonseo, meaning I didn’t know much about it.

“Hmm, so where should we go first?”

Still a bit red-faced from earlier moments, Yoonseo gently touched her lips, who seemed lost in lingering thoughts. I asked her that because enjoying the moment was all well and good, but we couldn’t just block the road forever.

“Uh, what?!”

So when I inquired, Yoonseo reacted as if she’d been caught sneaking something.

Did she perhaps have another strange thought?

Seeing her finger lingering near her lips made me snicker a bit, and I teased her further.

“Or… should we go back inside? Honestly, I’m not against that option…”

Maybe that comment was the catalyst.

Yoonseo’s face, which had finally calmed down a bit, turned crimson again.

“M-M-M-Mad?! What are you saying right now?!”

“What?”

“I mean, uh… Ugh…”

“I just meant that since it’s quite cold outside, spending some time inside wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

“…”

“But why are you reacting like that… I really don’t get it.”

“Ugh…”

“Hopefully, you’re not imagining anything strange, are you?”

Unable to withstand my teasing any longer, she exploded.

“Hey, let’s just get going, you idiot!”

With her face painted red like a puppy, she finally ordered me to drive.

“Sure, sure, where to?”

And thus, our long-awaited outing began with a somewhat cheerful atmosphere.

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After not seeing each other for so long, our first destination was none other than the neighborhood where my old middle school stood.

Revisiting these paths we once traveled daily brought a refreshing sense of nostalgia.

“Wow… even this place has changed a lot…”

There was a slight gap between the faded memories in my mind and the vivid scenery before my eyes, making it all the more striking.

“Well… it’s been a few years since we graduated.”

I wasn’t the only one feeling such emotions facing the changing scenery.

From Yoonseo, who sat beside me, I could sense a tinge of nostalgia in her voice as well.

Revisiting places that had long turned into memories was welcomed, yet the noticeable difference between those memories and the present left a bittersweet feeling.

Perhaps that was why, as I took in Yoonseo’s gaze locked on the view outside, I noticed a wonderfully nostalgic sight.

“Woah… this place looks just the same!”

What more can I say?

The nostalgic view was none other than the Hill Road we walked daily as middle schoolers.

“Honestly, if something was going to change, this place should have been the first.”

“True.”

“Every morning, I thought I was going to die climbing this hill…”

Not to mention the sweltering summer heat or the risk of slipping on cold, windy winter days—it was torment.

Yet, abandoning it for another long route felt wrong.

“Remember that time in first grade when you bragged about shortening your uniform and almost tripped here?”

“W-What are you talking about… when did I ever do that…”

Oh, come on, pretending not to remember won’t work.

“Seriously… you don’t remember? I almost threw my back out trying to catch you when you slipped!”

“I-I wasn’t that heavy!”

“Look at you—pretending not to remember when you clearly do…”

“What about you?!”

“What about me?”

By heaven, I swear I had nothing to feel guilty about unlike someone else.

Maybe it was only natural since, to be fair, I was always told how mature I acted.

Thus, I confidently retorted, but Yoonseo’s next statement jolted memories long buried in my mind.

“Really don’t remember? In 2nd grade.”

“What about that?”

“That time… you drank milk from the canteen and got an upset stomach…”

“Stop.”

“And then the signal went off just as we were passing through here…”

“Let’s just leave it at that. Neither of us needs to face that again, right?”

Just to clarify, I never embarrassed myself outside, nor did I wet myself in my pants.

I had too much pride as someone who had experienced life before to do such a thing.

But getting through that Hill Road was difficult enough, and fearing I might just let loose without thinking pushed me to urgently seek help from Yoonseo’s uncle at home.

The chaotic and awkward ordeal leading up to that memory must have caused my mind to erase it entirely…

But who knew she’d dig it up and throw it back at me.

‘See?’

You shouldn’t have childhood friends as rivals.

Even now, look at that.

The very things even I can hardly recall were coming out of her mouth like it was her own story.

Fortunately, it seemed Yoonseo had her own pile of such memories, and by a stroke of luck, I was able to momentarily shut her down.

“Huh? Look over there…”

Another familiar sight caught my eye.

Could that be our first destination today?

As we reached the nearby area, the navigation chimed in to announce our arrival.

Stopping in front of that location, I saw a sign painted white with blue lettering that read “Cheonghai.”