This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 475

“One week, huh…”

It had certainly been a bit of a long duration.

“Ah, could it be…?”

At that moment, I realized something.

The reason why Yoonseo had teared up a bit more than I expected earlier when our heroine was breaking up with the male lead for work reasons.

While it wasn’t like the heroine would be gone for years abroad, the thought of being apart for at least a week must have unconsciously made Yoonseo relate that feeling.

Anyway, it was strangely emotional.

“So where are you headed?”

“I… I don’t know. They’ll let me know tomorrow.”

“Hmm…? Don’t they usually tell you in advance?”

I distinctly recalled that when it was my senior’s turn, they were told where they would be dispatched and what they’d be doing there ahead of time.

Yet Yoonseo hadn’t heard a thing.

That seemed a bit off as I tilted my head in confusion, and then Yoonseo’s voice followed.

“You know how chaotic the Association is these days.”

“Ah, right…”

Indeed, the situation at the Association was far from normal nowadays.

It got so bad that Chae-rim had vented for nearly thirty minutes, saying that the entire system needed to be revamped from the ground up, all because of how things were going.

Considering that, it wasn’t so strange after all.

To put it bluntly, the Association was strongest right here in Seoul, but if they couldn’t even manage the situation here, how could they handle the little details?

“Anyhow… Does this mean we won’t see each other for at least a week starting tomorrow?”

“…I guess so.”

“That explains why you were acting unusually gloomy earlier… So that was it?”

“I didn’t act that way!”

“When did you do that? You were tearing up during the movie, weren’t you?”

“Th-that never happened!”

“Never happened? I saw it with my own two eyes.”

“Hmm-hmm…”

“If you’re bored, just give me a call, what’s with the gloom? Anyone would think you’re going somewhere far.”

Maybe my comment didn’t sit well with her.

While being gloomy seems like a bad state, Yoonseo pouted her lips, clearly showing her discontent.

“But… you might be busy.”

“No way you’d be so busy you couldn’t even make a phone call.”

“What if I get there and it turns out I’m that busy?”

“Then call me after work.”

“It’ll be pitch black by then?”

“You know I usually go to bed after one.”

Sure, my bedtime had shifted a bit since living in the hospital, but staying up a bit late shouldn’t be an issue, right?

‘After all, it’s just a week.’

That was my thought as I said it, yet Yoonseo’s protruding lips seemed to have no intention of going back.

“…Forget it. I don’t need it.”

That left me with no choice but to force a bitter smile.

“Then just commute from home.”

“…That won’t work.”

“Why not? It’s still within Korea.”

She hadn’t heard where she was being sent yet, but there was no way they were taking her abroad.

And no matter how far in Korea, it would only take a few hours drive.

Of course, if it was an island, that might change, but that wouldn’t be under the Association’s jurisdiction anyway.

“Who’s going to drive?”

“Well, obviously…”

If she wasn’t planning to hire someone for a week, she’d have to do it herself, right?

Just thinking about that, I glanced over at Yoonseo, and she returned a slightly cynical response.

“Do you really think I could handle the highway?”

“Considering driving difficulty, highways are easier than regular roads, right?”

“Really? You truly think so?”

“Thinking again, maybe not…”

To be honest, Yoonseo had almost no talent for driving.

Sure, she might get better at it with practice, but throwing her into a jungle, I mean, the highway, wouldn’t ease my worries.

So what could I do?

“Let’s just endure it for a week.”

That was all I could say for now.

Besides, Yoonseo mentioned it would only be a week.

Although there could be a chance it might get extended, they wouldn’t work someone like Yoonseo, a high-quality personnel, without any rest days.

There had to be at least one day she could spare.

So we could spend time together then, just like we did today.

Thinking that way, I saw Yoonseo off as she departed for her business trip.

*

“From today, at least a week…”

Or maybe more.

Was it because that thought dominated my mind since morning?

I felt oddly heavy, yet a glance at the breakfast spread my dad had prepared and the photo I took with Dogun yesterday gave me some strength.

“Is that really enough? You’re coming back after a week, right?”

“The more I take from here, the heavier it’ll be. If I need something, it’s easier to buy it there.”

“Still…”

I felt completely apologetic towards my parents.

To put it bluntly, if anything went wrong, the ones who would be more devastated than Dogun would be Dad and Mom.

Actually, I pretended to rush at the entryway because of that reason.

If I dragged it out any longer, something I had barely bottled up might burst out.

So I hurried a bit, and thankfully, it worked.

“Then, at least eat more before you go…”

Despite being slightly disappointed, Dad didn’t try to hold me back.

Maybe he was worried about bothering his daughter unnecessarily.

“Well… I’m off.”

“Yeah, if anything happens, don’t forget to call Mom or me right away.”

“As if I would.”

“Yoonseo, no matter how old you get, you’ll always be a kid in our eyes.”

“Yeeees, I understand!”

“But you’re not going to just contact Dogun, right?”

“Of course not.”

After saying goodbyes with Dad at the front door, I stepped outside, and right near my house was a car I recognized.

“Sigh…”

And as soon as I got in, the sound of Chae-rim’s sigh filled the air.

“Is this really… the right choice?”

“Why? Are you worried about me?”

“Do I look like I’m NOT worried right now?!”

“No, it’s just… I found it surprising that you care about me.”

To be honest, from Chae-rim’s perspective, it’s almost like a rival was just leaving voluntarily.

Yet even now, she still reacted like this when we talked about this incident, or even today as she departs to Heogye.

Perhaps she was the one with a stronger possessiveness than I thought.

“This is just… how can you be so annoying?”

“Ouch…!”

“Anyone would think you had conquered the world by how you seem.”

Chae-rim twisting my cheek felt just as painful as Dad’s infamous back smack whenever I did something wrong.

It made me realize once again.

Chae-rim was being serious right now.

“In the news, they talk about how Yoonseo is my student and whatnot, but… honestly, I don’t think my thoughts are too different from that. What you think might differ a bit, though…”

But then, while still grumbling about how she could be worried, Chae-rim suddenly changed her expression.

Despite knowing each other for quite some time, I had rarely seen her, no, it felt like I’d never seen this serious expression from Chae-rim before.

Even now, with her hand still on my cheek and sensing something was off, I straightened up out of reflex.

“Anyway, no matter how much I talk, it won’t stick in your head, so I’ll say it just twice, nothing more or less.”

Then with those words, Chae-rim added for me to etch it deeply in my heart.

And just as she finished her breaths, the first phrase flowing from her lips was—

“First… think of yourself.”

It was slightly surprising.

And that was a little shocking.

I mean, I never thought I’d hear that from Chae-rim, the exemplary hero type.

“This isn’t about being selfish. Just… when you need to make a decision, put yourself first above anything else.”

Regardless of that, and after catching her breath again, Chae-rim opened her mouth once more.

“And the second…”