This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 211

While some, like Baeksulhwa, found themselves in a bit of a bind with hazy memories of last night, others, like Yoonseo, were struggling with the absolute clarity of it all—every single detail lodged firmly in their mind.

And that someone was none other than Yoonseo.

What can I even say about it?

Yoonseo was far too aware of everything that had transpired last night.

She remembered being tipsy, dozing off, and even getting carried home on Dogun’s back, not to mention that she had been… well, getting a bit too cozy with Dogun right then and there.

And when Yoonseo successfully recalled all that, her first instinct was straightforward.

“Ugh…”

That was her way of kicking the blanket off her body, making it flap upwards toward the ceiling.

Despite the blanket almost reaching the sky thanks to her flailing feet, the heat swirling in Yoonseo’s cheeks showed no sign of calming down.

How could it?

Every time she tried to clear her mind, memories of her embarrassing flirtations from last night—those silly little kisses next to Dogun’s lips—flooded back in.

But how could she ever recover from that?

“Ugh…”

While she writhed in a mix of embarrassment and shame atop her bed, there was one pitiful point that struck her as particularly unfair… That was the extent of her so-called mischief.

Honestly, if she was going to make a big deal about it, couldn’t she have gone all in?

She hadn’t even kissed Dogun’s lips properly; just a peck right next to them!

If she had actually gotten bold and done more, this level of embarrassment might have actually felt less annoying.

Did she freeze up instinctively at the last moment?

One thing was certain—the important matter right now wasn’t that nonsense…

‘He must have noticed, right…?’

The idea that Dogun might have picked up on her feelings due to last night’s antics was weighing heavily on her mind.

Yeah, truth be told, her biggest worry revolved around that.

She’d been trying her hardest to hide it all this time, so who could have imagined it would come crashing down in such an embarrassing way?

This made Dogun’s reaction her greatest source of anxiety.

Of course… she never thought she could keep this feeling hidden forever, given how huge it had grown.

So, deep down, she believed that one day or another, she’d have to reveal it.

She just hadn’t anticipated that this moment would arrive so quickly.

And above all… now that she was aware of it all,

she realized that her cherished feelings could transform into a sharp weapon in certain situations.

Thus, once that understanding settled in, she had thought it might be best to express her feelings to Dogun at some point.

Yet, she hadn’t expected the moment would come upon her so fast.

In that very moment, she found herself yearning to know how Dogun had reacted.

What had he expressed when the incident occurred here just yesterday?

What kind of expression did he wear? What thoughts had crossed his mind?

If only she hadn’t fallen asleep right after that kiss, she would’ve been able to catch at least a glimpse of his expression!

Perhaps it was the aftereffects of that alcohol—that relentless wave of sleep had swept her away, leaving her in this pickle.

That made the curiosity gnaw at her, but she couldn’t muster the courage to check.

What if she faced a negative reaction or, God forbid, found him avoiding her? That thought struck fear in her heart.

“Ugh… Seriously…”

Just because she hadn’t been able to shake off that alcohol, here she was, stuck in this mess.

She felt an overwhelming resentment toward her past self for being so weak, but despite that, her heart still raced uncontrollably.

Yeah, the truth was, she couldn’t help it.

Honestly, what could she do at this point?

Even if she regretted it now, she couldn’t rewind the time that had slipped away.

And anyway, she had been planning to eventually reveal her feelings to Dogun at some point, hadn’t she?

So now that things had turned out this way, why not be a bit more proactive?

Honestly, she felt like she hadn’t really been able to do just that until now.

It didn’t help that there were so many things weighing on her mind.

One of her biggest concerns was that if she pushed forward, Dogun might pick up on her feelings…

But given the situation, it seemed it was time to let that thought slide.

If she steeled herself and made up her mind, that aspect might not matter so much anymore.

Given her understanding of Dogun’s character, if she approached him earnestly, he wouldn’t be able to reject her outright.

Sure, she had to be ready to see Dogun looking a tad awkward in response, but still…

So she took a moment to imagine it.

Thinking of how Dogun might react awkwardly upon realizing she was getting closer to him.

Perhaps that was the reason her heart ached.

Just imagining it made her heart squeeze painfully.

If just a quick mental image hurt this much, what would it feel like if she were faced with the real situation?

There’s no way it wouldn’t hurt more.

That much was clear.

Yet, despite the pain, she found doing nothing at all just unacceptable.

She had been sitting still for long enough.

Now, it was time to take action.

“Ugh…”

Why was she getting all worked up about wanting to see him?

Oh, she really missed Dogun.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, as Yoonseo was gearing up for whatever lay ahead, Dogun’s house was filled with a rather awkward atmosphere during breakfast.

Perhaps that’s why—despite there being four people seated at the table, all that could be heard was the clinking of dishes as they clashed against one another.

It couldn’t be helped.

Half of those present definitely weren’t in their right minds.

Dogun was too preoccupied with watching Baeksulhwa’s reactions, while Baeksulhwa was consumed with trying to gauge Dogun, since she had absolutely no memories of the previous night.

And thanks to Dogun’s peculiar behavior—an unmistakable sign he was acting differently—Baeksulhwa instinctively grasped that something had definitely occurred last night.

How could she be so sure?

Because otherwise, his sudden awkwardness wasn’t explainable.

There was no way Dogun would act so strangely unless something happened last night.

The real issue was, despite all that, she still couldn’t remember anything.

She thought if she’d just caught a glimpse of Dogun’s reactions, perhaps some memory would flicker back to her, but it was still shrouded in a thick fog, as if someone had purposely covered it all in black.

So instead of making sense of it, she felt all the more flustered.

Observing Dogun’s response indicated that it was definitely not normal, yet her mind was still completely blank.

What had she done last night?

What could have happened for her to wake up not in her room, but in Dogun’s room?

If only Dogun could clearly explain the events of last night to her, she wouldn’t be in such a state of restless anxiety.

With the situation feeling as prickly as sitting on a cactus, it was amusing how quickly time flew, and breakfast was near its end.

‘…This won’t do.’

So, she made a decision.

If things were going to stay like this, she might as well outright ask Dogun.

What on earth happened last night? Why, just a brief glance exchanged between them made her feel like she should quickly look away, as if she’d seen something she wasn’t supposed to?

She needed to know what transpired—only then could she either promise not to behave so recklessly again or apologize to Dogun.

Thus, as breakfast concluded and everyone dispersed back to their respective rooms, she cautiously watched for the right moment before heading toward the kitchen.

Was Dogun starting to clean up, even though it must have been a hassle?

As she drew near, the sound of running water filled her ears.

And the moment she stepped into the kitchen, she locked eyes with Dogun, who was busy wiping the table.

In that moment, she could clearly see it.

Dogun, who usually held his composure quite well, was now flinching, visibly startled.

Perhaps that’s why,

“Uh, uh, what brings you here, Senior?”

His voice shook slightly as he asked the reason she had come to the kitchen.

With that quavering tone, anyone could tell he was tense, which only made her nervous.

So, she opened her mouth, looking at Dogun.

“Um… Do you have a moment…?”