This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 200

Is this what they mean by “the rain after a drought”?

That’s how I felt about Chae-rim’s appearance.

And it makes sense…

“Did you two perhaps get into a fight?”

As soon as Chae-rim showed up and asked that, the tense atmosphere that had been thick in the air suddenly dissipated like it never existed.

You know how in hero movies, the moment the protagonist arrives, the mood shifts dramatically?

That’s exactly how it felt with Chae-rim’s entrance.

“…No.”

“A fight? Not at all.”

Of course, Chae-rim wasn’t someone who would completely miss the fact that something peculiar had just happened between the two.

“Hmm… Really? I understand for now.”

As expected, Chae-rim nodded her head like she got it after hearing their answers, but right after that, she shot me a meaningful glance.

And the very next thing she said was—

“Oh, right. Sorry for bothering you during your busy time, but can I borrow Dogun for a moment?”

And that was it.

“Me? Huh?”

“Yeah, I have something to ask regarding the bed delivery.”

“Oh…”

“Just for a moment.”

There was no way anyone would be reckless enough to openly disagree with Chae-rim, of all people.

“So shall we head to my room for a bit? I mean, we could do it here, but it’s likely to get in the way of carrying the stuff…”

“Ah, sure.”

I followed Chae-rim, who led the way, and as soon as we entered the room, she promptly shut the door.

“Did they fight?”

Right after that, she asked if the two had fought.

‘Did they fight…’

To be honest, it was a bit ambiguous to say “yes.”

Usually, a fight means both parties are throwing a fit at each other, right?

However, what I just witnessed was Bora suddenly losing her cool, while the senior who was helping with carrying the stuff got hit unexpectedly.

Could you really call that a fight?

I might not know what others think, but to me, there was something off about it, so I explained as objectively and in detail as possible to Chae-rim what I’d seen, without any exaggeration.

“Hmm… So that’s what happened…”

Of course, I knew that taking sides in a situation like this was dangerously risky.

Why wouldn’t I know?

I’ve experienced enough of that in my past life.

However, this time, there was no avoiding it.

If the senior had done something after getting treated that way by Bora, it’d be a different story. But they just kept quiet and continued carrying the stuff.

“Why did she do that all of a sudden?”

“Exactly.”

In the end, the frustrating part of this situation was none other than that.

Why did Bora act that way?

Not being able to understand that made it awkward to just blame Bora without thinking.

“You mentioned a box, right?”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

“Did you perhaps see it?”

“Huh…?”

“I mean, did you see what was inside? Any chance you saw?”

“No…”

What on earth was inside that box?

What on earth could be so important that it caused Bora to react so strongly?

I was genuinely curious about that too.

Sadly, I hadn’t had the chance to check.

As soon as the box was revealed, Bora took it away, and afterward, I couldn’t see it at all.

It had a rabbit pattern all over it, making it hard to miss wherever it was placed.

“It seems like something pretty important was stored in there.”

“Maybe so.”

In the end, we were back to square one.

Normally, it would be right to scold Bora, but I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside that box.

If it was something that made her react that strongly, it meant whatever was inside was precious to Bora.

Perhaps… what was inside the box could be a cherished keepsake of someone dear to her.

And what if that were true?

When I eventually learned that fact, wouldn’t the aftertaste be quite unpleasant?

After all, everyone has their breaking point.

It seemed like Chae-rim shared similar concerns to me.

Her face, which showed confusion for a moment, twisted into a resigned expression as she sighed deeply.

“There’s no helping it. In situations like this, we have to use ‘that method.'”

“‘That method’?”

What on earth is ‘that method’?

She looked so serious saying it; it felt like it must be significant, but what could it be?

Was the confusion on my face that obvious?

Chae-rim gestured for me to lean closer.

When I complied and brought my ear closer—

“I’m thinking what we should do is…”

I could hear what she meant by ‘that method.’

.

.

.

Chae-rim and Dogun were scheming something, but the task of bringing in the luggage ended awkwardly.

As a result, Bora was sitting on the bed that had been put together with Dogun’s help, surrounded by boxes.

“Hah…”

The sigh that escaped Bora echoed throughout the room against the walls.

‘I still have to unpack the stuff…’

But that didn’t cross my mind at all.

It was just too frustrating.

I had no intention of getting annoyed in front of Dogun, of all people.

Maybe it was because of the habits formed from dealing with people from the association, but the moment I saw ‘the box’ in someone else’s hands, I couldn’t help but feel a sudden surge of emotions.

‘At this rate…’

In Dogun’s eyes, it probably looked like I was getting irritated with someone who was genuinely helping for no reason.

Of course, if you think about it, that’s kind of true…

‘… I couldn’t help it.’

Right, I literally couldn’t help it.

When I saw that box, which I was already looking for, in someone else’s hands, everything I had experienced in the past and the things I had heard began to overlap with the words of that woman, Baeksulhwa.

The words that started to ring in my ears and the memories that began to replay in front of my eyes were so cruel that I had no choice but to react that way.

‘As expected…’

It would be better to apologize.

That way, there might at least be a chance to make amends.

‘But…’

I thought apologizing was a good idea, but how was I supposed to start?

The moment I decided to apologize, a thought popped into my head that left me speechless.

It had been so long since I’d last apologized to someone that I couldn’t even remember when it was.

No matter how much I thought about it, nothing came to mind.

I suddenly felt a sense of despair.

So as I sat crouched on the bed, groaning—

Knock, knock—

The sound of someone knocking on the door echoed in the room.

Who could it be?

Who had come to visit?

Could it be Dogun?

Maybe.

And the reason he would come all the way here would probably be… to tell me to apologize to that woman, Baeksulhwa.

I instinctively thought that was true, and a sense of rebellion surged within me.

It was then that I heard Dogun’s voice from behind the door.

“Uh… Bora? Are you there?”

“…Yeah, why?”

In the end, was Dogun just another one of those people?

Was he someone who forced others to do something, like them?

Though I thought he might be different, was I being naive?

I think that thought hit me at that moment.

“No, I was wondering how you were going to handle lunch.”

I expected him to demand an apology, but… what actually came out of Dogun’s mouth was something I never anticipated.

“Uh, yeah…?”

So I couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered.

And only after I realized that I hadn’t eaten a single meal all day did I become aware of that fact.

Also, no one, among all those who had been with me on the way to Dogun’s house, had pointed that out or checked up on me.

So of course, Dogun was the first person to ask me if I had eaten.

I couldn’t help but feel a strange swelling of emotions at that realization.

Just a moment ago, I didn’t think it mattered—

But then—

Grrr—

With a rumble that flushed my face hot, suddenly hunger struck.

And the loneliness that came with it was extra.

“You haven’t eaten yet, right?”

It felt lonely.

And at the same time, I felt embarrassed.

It was embarrassing that, with so many people around, no one had looked after me first, and that Dogun had caught on to that…

My face burned again with embarrassment, making it hard to meet Dogun’s gaze.

But…

“…Yeah.”

“Really? Then could you come out for a moment?”

“Okay.”

In the end, I had no choice but to rise from the bed.

And as I followed Dogun outside, what unfolded before my eyes was—

“Ah, you brought her?”

A table piled high with what could only be beer cans was spread out before me.