This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 17

I blurted out a response in a moment of emotional upheaval, only to feel a wave of regret right after.

Looking at Dogun, who had just swallowed a mouthful of astonishment after hearing that single line, Yoonseo felt exactly that way.

It was inevitable since she hadn’t planned on discussing that matter at all.

“Ugh…”

Who in the world would ever enjoy someone secretly rummaging through their computer?

There could be sensitive material in there, after all.

She thought that Dogun wouldn’t be any different, and so she tried her best to keep it a secret until the end.

In the end, she revealed it with her own mouth, though.

“What do I do?”

If Dogun got mad for snooping around, what could she possibly say in response?

It’s obvious, but it definitely wasn’t something she did thoughtlessly.

There was always a reason behind it; she had taken the opportunity to sneak a peek as soon as it arose.

After all, she had always been curious.

So… Dogun’s taste in women, to be precise.

It was only fitting because at that age, when one is most interested in the opposite sex, he didn’t show any signs of it at all.

It felt as though he held an unwavering belief that he shouldn’t, and that made her even start to think the oddest thoughts.

So much so that she wondered if Dogun… might actually prefer men over women, which is why she couldn’t help but check.

Having checked the hidden contents in Dogun’s computer, she was convinced that wasn’t the case.

“Imagining such things…”

Just recalling the contents of the videos, which were practically dripping with flesh tones, made her cheeks flush as she bit her lips to keep it under wraps, while still gazing at the utterly flummoxed Dogun.

Her questions didn’t just end with Dogun’s taste in women, either.

Sometimes, the odd behaviors Dogun would display were just as puzzling.

Usually, he acted like the typical immature boy his age, but in special situations like this, a different side would peek out.

It was more like an adult reaction that couldn’t be mimicked by other kids.

Just look at him now.

“Uh, um… what I mean is, guys are, well… you know?”

How could this be the reaction of a 16-year-old boy caught watching inappropriate videos by a childhood friend whom he’s known since kindergarten?

He was flap-flapping in awkwardness—a different kind of awkwardness, no less.

If he were a typical 16-year-old boy, wouldn’t he be awkwardly sweating through mixing embarrassment with a hint of excitement?

But reality was entirely different.

The embarrassment that was consuming Dogun wasn’t that kind at all.

Rather, it felt more like the embarrassment an uncle would display upon being caught watching inappropriate content by his niece.

No matter how much she thought about why she felt that gap with Dogun, she simply couldn’t understand.

Even though this wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed such a sight.

“Wait, but how did you even crack the password—”

Every time she found herself in these situations, she thought about it.

Perhaps… Dogun saw himself as still that seven-year-old kid.

No, it was undeniable.

It couldn’t be anything else; otherwise, it just didn’t make sense.

If she had a perfect childhood friend, both in looks and abilities, sitting right beside her every day, and didn’t feel any fluttering feelings, wouldn’t that be way more abnormal?

“W-well, as for my body…”

She had plenty of time ahead.

She was secretly working hard on exercising and making sure to drink enough milk whenever she could, so surely results would manifest sooner or later, and she shouldn’t worry.

…It had to be that way.

Still, her infinitely looping thoughts today inevitably led her to the same destination.

“Why… isn’t he confessing?”

If she were Dogun, she’d have confessed multiple times by now.

Or could it be that he had someone else he liked?

That thought crossed her mind for a fleeting moment, but it couldn’t be true.

It was impossible, as there had been no one who could even compare to her.

Having been glued to each other since kindergarten, Dogun’s standards for women must have risen way too high.

It’s no wonder he wouldn’t be interested in anyone else.

Or was it possible… that Dogun didn’t feel as strongly about her as she did about him?

“…That can’t be right.”

Yeah, that couldn’t be true.

If that were the case, there’s no way they could have spent so much time together since kindergarten.

This was simply… because Dogun was timid; that’s how it must be.

Being someone who thinks too much, Dogun was probably just scared of being rejected after confessing.

“That shouldn’t be something to worry about…”

If it were up to her, she’d want to rush out and confess just to relieve her own frustration, but she couldn’t do that.

How could a girl confess first?

“That’s embarrassing…”

The more her thoughts spiraled, the more varied expressions Yoonseo showed, and there was someone observing this with a puzzled gaze—none other than Dogun.

After a moment of astonishment at Yoonseo’s sudden shift, he managed to break free from the swamp of confusion, only to see Yoonseo lost in her own monologue and cocked his head in curiosity.

“She’s doing that again…”

Could it be that she had a lot on her mind lately?

Well, seeing as middle school was almost at its end, it made sense.

Moving from middle school to high school feels like just stepping up one stair, but in reality, it was completely different.

Moreover, if three more years passed there, she’d become an adult and have to take the Hero Qualification Test, so it’s obvious she’d be filled with thoughts.

Thinking like that, it didn’t feel like someone else’s issue.

There were only three years left for him too.

What kind of job should he take up as an adult?

Should he end up becoming one of the cogs in society like other guys and just do odd jobs?

This felt even more concerning than when he pondered which major to choose during his first year.

Absorbed in those thoughts, he decided to focus back on what he was doing.

After all, worrying about that wouldn’t lead to any answers right now.

He could think things through bit by bit over the next three years.

“Hey.”

He called out to Yoonseo, who was still deeply lost in thought, to snap her back to reality.

If this continued, they wouldn’t even have a taste of the main dish of the day—grilled pork belly.

“Hurry up, or we won’t eat. Are we skipping meals?”

“I-I was doing that, okay?”

She was “doing that”, but the state of the meat hadn’t changed at all since earlier.

Having heard somewhere that pigs and humans have a similarly structured skin, he had purposely bought the pork belly at a high price for practice, but it didn’t seem to be an easy task.

Based on how she was struggling, it was definitely not going well.

“Alright, let’s call it a day for today.”

“Ah, why! If I just do a little more…”

“Hey, we need to eat.”

After seizing the pork belly, he scored it with diagonal cuts and sprinkled it with salt, and then when it was air-fried, a delicious-looking grilled pork belly emerged that looked so good it made his mouth water.

“Whoa… this is insane!”

Given the thickness of the meat, he needed to check if it was properly cooked inside, so he poked it with chopsticks, and clear juices oozed out from between the perfectly cooked meat.

He had caught the delicious aroma beforehand, so he received a plate from Yoonseo, who had already been waiting next to him, and placed the meat onto it.

Then, when he gently sliced it with a knife—

Glug…!

He heard the sound of someone swallowing right next to him.

When he looked over, Yoonseo’s face had flushed red as she awkwardly turned her face away as if embarrassed by the sudden sound.

“C-could you taste it for a sec?”

Still, she was curious about the taste because even though she didn’t refuse the pieces he cut, she pursed her lips like a baby bird taking food from its mother, taking the piece he offered right into her mouth, shivering with delight.

“Mmm…!”

She really couldn’t resist this meat.

Well, it was bound to be delicious coming from pork belly.

As an experiment, he took a small slice himself, and as soon it hit his mouth, the fatty part crackled, bursting with juice, mixing naturally with the sprinkled salt, making him feel like popping open a can of beer.

He couldn’t do that, though, since there was a little middle schooler right next to him.

Nonetheless, even after setting everything completed on the table, the awaited news didn’t come.

From the looks of it, something else had come up, delaying their return.

“Eh, are you okay?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing. Forget it.”

What else could he do?

He couldn’t let perfectly good food go cold, so they had to eat first among themselves.

“Stop with the nonsense and eat.”

“I mean, I was worried and…”

“Hmm? What are you saying?”

Once more, the combination of grilled pork belly, ssamjang, and pickled radish was top-tier.

The sharp taste of the pickled radish perfectly balanced any potential greasiness—

“Ah, thinking about it, it’s only about three days left, huh?”

“…Hmm? What’s that?”

What does “what’s that” even mean?

Was she genuinely that clueless?

“The Regular Tournament.”

“…Oh.”

Just like the secret lessons that had continued since kindergarten, the exams Yoonseo had every month ended up continuing right up until now.

However, it had changed a lot since the beginning… at first it was about testing the fundamental knowledge an Awakened needed to have, but once Yoonseo reached the higher grades of elementary school, it transitioned to testing their talent.

Then at fifteen, or rather in her second year of middle school, it changed again to engage in sparring with others who had awakened their battle-related talents, just like Yoonseo.

Throughout all the previous sparring, Yoonseo had never experienced a single loss.

That was also the reason she managed to keep up the title of genius that she had carried since childhood.

“Have you prepared for the sparring?”

“Of course I have…!”

Seeing her avoid eye contact, it didn’t seem like she had prepared at all.

“Are you seriously ready?”

“Of course I am! And the ones I’ll face are all just about the same level, so it’s not like I need to prepare much.”

“What are you saying? I heard that Awakened from the senior division are participating too.”

“…Huh? Really?”

“It’s definitely real.”

Wait, why is she acting so surprised when she herself was the one who just said it?

Sigh…

A sigh escaped him naturally, but he thought it might actually be a good thing.

Honestly, going through the experience of loss at this point might not be bad for Yoonseo.

After all, one should learn that losing is part of the game; it’s better to face that sting while there’s still room for learning.

Even though he had the chance to give her a warning not to let her guard down, he chose to stay silent for that reason.

And so, time flowed on… the day of the Regular Tournament, which could be seen as the last for their middle school affiliate, finally arrived.