This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 124

I touched my cheek that had been harshly smacked by the cold.

Just then, something dripped down and wet my fingertips.

‘…It must be dew, right?’

Yeah, that had to be it.

It was just too cruel for it to start raining at a time like this, and it didn’t even make sense.

After all, I was trekking up a mountain in the dead of night.

It was clear that moving without any preparation would be dangerous, so there was no way I would have set out without checking the weather.

Of course, I checked the weather before heading out.

The forecast showed no signs of rain whatsoever.

So, what just fell on me wasn’t a raindrop… it must have been a droplet that happened to land on my face, probably clinging to the tip of a leaf due to the temperature difference between night and day in the mountains.

‘…That has to be it.’

At that thought, I wondered if I should turn back now.

Back to the convenience store, that is.

It had been over three minutes of walking, but if what just hit me really was a sign of rain, it might be better to take that route.

It would be a shame to turn back after making it this far, but if it was truly a raindrop, returning to the convenience store could offer plenty of options.

Being a place run by machines, no one would notice me hanging around inside for a while, while I waited for the rain to stop. And maybe I could even take a taxi up the mountain, which hadn’t been an option when I first set off.

Or at the very least, I could buy an umbrella from there and use it to climb back up.

As I considered all these possibilities, I suddenly found it a bit amusing.

Because… among the options I eagerly thought of, there was nothing about patiently waiting for the teachers inside the convenience store.

It was simply that the idea that should have come to mind first wasn’t on the list.

The reason why it didn’t come to mind is simple.

It was practically impossible in reality.

What was there to say?

Before setting off, my senior and I had sought out one of the teachers for help.

Calling a taxi to the shelter was impossible, but I figured if we asked the teachers there for help, we might be able to hitch a ride.

So we went to where the teachers were…

But as soon as we got there, I realized something terrifying.

The hero who asked us to procure supplies was far more cunning than I originally thought.

‘She probably went to check on that side before coming to us.’

That meant the teachers were not in a position to drive.

Thus, we had no choice but to give up on asking for help from that side, and this remained the same as I contemplated going back to the convenience store.

If the teachers were to come for us, I figured it would at least be the next morning.

Perhaps even longer than that.

‘Honestly, it’s ridiculous…’

I mean, how could not a single one of them be sober?

Logically, shouldn’t there be at least one or two people waiting in a clear state?

‘Ugh…’

The more I thought about it, the more absurd it seemed, and with a frustrated sigh, I unconsciously kept moving forward.

Suddenly, with a gust of wind, what had just been a light ‘drip’ turned into a loud ‘pitter-patter’ that began pouring down.

‘Damn…’

I had worried it might rain, but I was genuinely shocked that it actually was happening.

It turns out there’s no weather station you can trust in any world…

Anyway, now that the situation I feared became real, there was nothing to do.

Even though I felt it was a waste to turn back after all the walking, I’d have to head back to the convenience store.

Once I returned there?

Maybe some kind of solution would come up.

“Senior!”

I called out to my senior who was a little ahead, holding a flashlight, intending to suggest that we turn back.

“…Huh?”

Fortunately, even with the fierce sounds of wind all around us, it seemed my voice reached her as she immediately stopped walking and turned to me.

The problem was… the mountain weather was worse than I had anticipated.

Perhaps because the wind was so strong it shook even the big trees a little.

The raindrops riding that wind began to pitter-patter on our bodies and the ground.

In the pitch blackness where I could see nothing without a flashlight, with strong winds, and rain just starting to pour, we were in a situation where “being lost in the mountains” felt like an understatement.

All we could do was remember that there was a small, wooden, abandoned cabin nearby and rush toward it.

Returning to the convenience store?

That thought was out of the question.

The rain and wind were just too severe for that.

“Huh…”

In retrospect, even finding this abandoned cabin was a stroke of luck.

If I hadn’t paid special attention to the oddly shaped landmarks on my bus ride up, I wouldn’t have found it at all.

Given how hard the raindrops were hitting, I felt incredibly fortunate that I had managed to find shelter.

I didn’t want to picture it, but if I hadn’t found this place… Ugh…

Anyway, once we were inside, where we could escape the rain?

Then another problem started to arise.

It felt like this abandoned building hadn’t been touched by human hands for ages, or maybe it had just been a chilly day since the start.

A cold draft swept through the mouse-like body I had turned into, soaked to the skin, causing my teeth to chatter involuntarily.

Even I, who usually considered myself to be in good condition, felt the cold, so how must my senior, who had pushed herself recently, be feeling?

Since she had grown quiet since we entered, I was worried about her, but just as I was about to turn in her direction to check—

“Senior? Are you okay—”

“Wait a moment…!”

Just as I wondered if it was a good timing, a hand shot out and halted my turning body.

“Senior?”

Thanks to that, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

After all, the grip on my forearm felt unusually strong.

Was something wrong with her?

Was she trying to hide it from me?

“Is something the matter…?”

The thought crossed my mind, and I found myself asking—

“Uhh… my clothes are… really wet…”

“…Ah.”

The brief, awkward voice that followed seemed to give rise to an uncomfortable silence.

Comparatively natural movements from Dogun up until that point began to feel rather stiff, and it was from that moment onward that I started to feel embarrassed.

Embarrassed… my heart began to race much quicker.

‘…This is strange.’

Given our training, I must have seen someone wet many times before, so why was this affecting me so much now?

Could it be because this time it wasn’t sweat— it was water?

Maybe that’s why it felt different.

…Though, I likely wouldn’t say that’s the only reason.

It was probably more because… the way I looked at Dogun had changed.

At first, I definitely didn’t expect anything more from him than a managerial role.

That was enough for me back then.

But somewhere along the line, I started to want more than that… and thus, became more aware of Dogun.

That’s why suddenly feeling both embarrassed and shy was surely because of that.

Because of that, my face was growing hotter and hotter.

As I recalled that Dogun had suggested I wear something warmer when we set out, I couldn’t help but regret having declined.

Had I simply worn another jacket or something before heading out, I might have avoided being soaked to the skin like a wet mouse.

Or at the very least, I could have concealed the clingy top that clung to me after getting drenched.

As I began to worry about everything one by one?

All sorts of things started to bother me.

My hair, soaked and looking like dried seaweed, and even my underwear felt damp, though not quite as much as my outer clothing.

However, these annoyances didn’t last long.

Even in the rain, after moving for a long while, my body finally began to feel cold once it stopped moving.

Considering my luck, we had retreated into an old building with just a roof overhead, the cold draft piercing through the holes around made my hands and feet begin to feel colder, but I kept it to myself and bore it.

After all, I figured Dogun was in the same situation.

And so I was holding up, but perhaps it wasn’t enough.

After a brief silence following the sound from earlier, Dogun suddenly shot up as if something spurred him.

As he abruptly stood up—

“Dogun?”

He started taking off his clothes.