This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 208

It felt like a brush made of fine hairs.

Something was tickling my face.

That’s why I couldn’t help but wake up.

That incessant tickling sensation near my face made it seem too difficult to fall back asleep without addressing it first.

And just as I realized that my body felt unusually stiff, different from usual.

‘Ah…’

Come to think of it, I had fallen asleep on the sofa.

So, was this tickling sensation caused by a strand of hair that had fallen out while I rolled around on the sofa and stuck to my face?

That was probably it.

As I pondered this, I reached my hand towards the tickling spot.

Of course, my eyes were still tightly shut.

Understandably, I didn’t want to open them; it felt like too much trouble.

After sleeping on the sofa, my back was sore, my head felt heavy from sleepiness, and I was even dealing with a mild hangover. It was no wonder I felt that way.

Anyway, in that moment when I was swatting at the sensation near my face like I was trying to chase away an annoying fly…

“…Are you awake?”

The voice that came from right beside me, slightly tinged with amusement, shocked me awake as if I had just been splashed with cold water.

It couldn’t be helped.

I hadn’t sensed anything at all, yet suddenly a voice was right next to me.

Moreover, it wasn’t Chae-rim or the Senior who spoke; it was Bora, which made it even more unexpected.

As I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a pair of slender, white legs.

Yes.

Bora was sitting right next to me.

More precisely, she was perched on the table next to the sofa where I had been sleeping, with her legs crossed.

She was sitting with a smile on her face, looking at me.

Naturally, I felt flustered.

Well, when I had fallen asleep here yesterday, I never dreamed this would happen.

I had never imagined I’d face Bora immediately upon waking.

The image of Bora in my mind was that of a typical observer—someone who wouldn’t leave the bed until someone came in to wake her up.

Yet here she was, awake at this early hour.

Just when had she woken up, or rather, when had she been sitting like this?

As someone who had been sleeping like a log just moments before, I had no clue.

Not having a clue was the problem.

And perhaps that was why I blurted out, “Wh-what are you doing here?”

My voice trembled slightly.

Was my awkwardness amusing to her?

“Um… well…?”

Along with a mysteriously profound response, the smile on Bora’s face grew even more pronounced.

“Just watching?”

Could it be she meant watching me?

Given that she was sitting right there, it seemed likely.

“But, you know…”

“Yeah?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Honestly, I wanted to say, “No way!”

But I couldn’t say that.

So, I ultimately nodded my head.

And just as I did, the question shot toward me—

“Why did you sleep here?”

It was a question that made my jaw drop.

Like swallowing a mouthful of sand, my throat felt gratingly dry.

So, I fell silent, and Bora’s smile deepened even further as she noticed my reaction.

The moment I witnessed that, I couldn’t stay quiet any longer.

“W-Well, I guess? I must have dozed off while waiting for the water to warm up after cleaning up last night?”

My mouth moved of its own accord as I fabricated an excuse.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Was my hastily concocted excuse actually working?

Bora nodded her head and slowly sat up, and at first, I thought I was in the clear.

But, to cut to the chase, it was my misunderstanding.

“That’s good.”

With that sudden comment, the sound of clapping and laughter echoed in the living room, which had been quiet aside from our conversation.

So, I felt flustered.

Here I was, relieved that I’d dodged a bullet, but now I couldn’t grasp what was considered good.

As soon as that question made it to my face, there followed a request that I could only consider startling.

“Then, can you show me Dogun’s room?”

“R-Right now?”

“Yeah, right now.”

Asking to see my room?

And now, of all times?

That was a request I absolutely couldn’t grant.

Considering the time, it was highly likely that the Senior was still in my bed, so I couldn’t possibly comply.

“Aren’t you being a bit too much?”

“Not that I don’t want to,” I stammered, “it’s just that… well, the time right now might be a little…”

“What about the time?”

“It’s just… a bit not right… I think…”

I genuinely felt the beads of sweat trickling down my brow, and it was no joke.

So, I kept my lips tightly sealed, and maybe that was why Bora didn’t genuinely intend to charge into my room.

“Hmm, I guess that makes sense?”

The atmosphere that felt like walking on eggshells dissipated the moment those words left Bora’s lips.

“I suppose so. It’s still early morning, after all.”

“It’s already nearly eight o’clock.”

“Ah, anyway.”

I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.

After a brief internal debate, I decided to change the subject.

“By the way, are you feeling okay?”

“Uh? Okay?”

“I mean, you did drink quite a bit last night, right? I was just wondering if your stomach is hurting or anything.”

“Well, now that you mention it, I do feel a bit uncomfortable…”

“Oh really?”

I see.

So that was why she had woken up so early, contrary to her usual image.

Anyway, one thing was for sure: hanging around in the living room any longer wouldn’t do me any good.

After asking for Bora’s understanding, I made an excuse about needing some hangover soup and headed toward the kitchen, only for Bora to follow me closely behind.

“Hey? Why? Do you have a specific dish in mind?”

If that was the case, I wouldn’t be opposed at all.

It might be a bit of a hassle, but it would be a hundred times better than Bora’s attention straying back to something else.

“No, not anything like that…”

I was just casually asking, but as I spoke, Bora momentarily waved it off, and for some reason, she added with a slightly bashful expression.

“Uh, is it okay if I watch?”

“Sure, why not? But it might be boring.”

“…Still.”

“Okay… fine, then.”

Yoonseo used to watch me cook every time I made something, so I wondered if the girls in this world had some sort of romantic idea about that.

“Now that I think about it…”

It struck me that Yoonseo presented another problem too.

After the shock of the Senior’s sudden visit, I had temporarily forgotten about her.

Now that I remembered, thinking about it reminded me of all the tangled thoughts related to the Senior.

“Hmm…”

Once I revisited the matter related to the Senior and was reminded of what had happened with Yoonseo, my mind became a whirlwind.

It was inevitable.

It was inevitable when it came to Yoonseo, as that was an unresolved issue for me.

What could I say?

Having only figured out the Senior’s feelings after a similar event, it felt a bit ridiculous to admit it, but…

I knew the nature of Yoonseo’s feelings towards me.

Truthfully… I had known for quite some time.

Honestly, it wasn’t like I couldn’t see what was happening when we were together.

Yet, the reason I had pretended not to know and played the fool was simple.

I didn’t want it to change into something else.

I was afraid.

The thought that this relationship surrounding me, which could be described as almost too ideal for a story, might be broken frightened me.

That fear stemmed from the numerous failures I had experienced in my previous life.

Because of that, I understood better than anyone that this environment surrounding me—this relationship that had become as mundane as everyday life for me—was precious and significant to someone else.

And so…

I was afraid of losing it.

So… I avoided it.

I had managed to do so until now, but thanks to what had happened last night, I realized something.

There’s a limit to how much one can avoid and run away.

“When did…”

When I came to my senses, a wall had risen up behind me, blocking off any escape so that I could no longer flee.

But what if I chose to ‘run away’ again from here?

Only the impact of colliding against the wall awaited me this time.

So, what should I do?

What… should I do?