This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 213

Bora’s Perspective

While Seolhwa was lost in thoughts like “No way…?” or “Could it be…?” and anxiously fidgeting, someone else was caught in a different kind of dilemma—Bora herself.

And the trouble Bora was feeling stemmed directly from her secret box.

What can I even say?

The box that Bora was hugging while sitting on her bed was also the box that became the starting point of her quarrel with Seolhwa.

And with that box clutched close to her, looking inside, Bora’s face was a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

It couldn’t be helped.

It really couldn’t be helped since the state of the contents inside the box was unthinkable.

Where did it all go wrong?

Was it a mistake to think that this was something I couldn’t leave to others and so I packed up the contents myself?

Or was it when I hastily stuffed this box into a seemingly hidden spot to keep it out of sight that things went awry?

Honestly, it was a miracle the spill hadn’t leaked out of the box.

What if it had?

I would probably be in total chaos trying to clean it up right now.

Of course, even if I tried cleaning it, it wouldn’t have come off easily.

Still, there was one small relief in the midst of all this chaos; at least the really important items were safely packed using zip bags, so the spill hadn’t affected those.

“Ugh…”

With a sigh that was half relief and half annoyance, she wiped away the black liquid that had smeared all over the surface of the zip bags using the tissue she held.

After sacrificing quite a few tissues, the state of things was finally acceptable to place on the bed.

The problem, however, was that recovering just that one box didn’t mean it was all over.

The only salvageable items among the contents in the box were strictly those carefully packed in zip bags, while the remaining items were pretty much unrecoverable.

Of course, even within the remaining ones, some could be reused with a bit of effort… but for some reason, I didn’t want to do that.

It wasn’t because it was a hassle.

It was just… I was somewhat hesitant about the thought of someone else potentially seeing that scene.

So would it be better to just buy new ones?

If I wanted to continue ‘that,’ I’d have to do it.

Then it’s definitely through the internet, right?

But that brought the fear of someone else opening the package when it arrived before I could, a thought that just wouldn’t leave me alone.

If that’s the case, then I’ll have to go out myself.

The problem was, this wasn’t my original neighborhood.

If it had been my original neighborhood, I could’ve briefly distracted an association employee and zipped back quickly.

‘Well, technically, it should be my original place…’

It’s not been just one or two years, but a whole ten since I last came back.

They say ten years can change the world, so it’s unlikely the layout of the town would be just the same after exactly ten years.

‘What should I do…’

I finally got a chance to exist in a space where I didn’t have to care about others’ gazes, only to be stumped by the lack of tools.

I was in quite a bind.

So, I decided to follow the simplest solution.

If the issue was not knowing about this neighborhood, wouldn’t it be good to bring someone who does?

So… maybe I could ask Dogun for help?

Of course, there was always a chance he might refuse, but honestly, I didn’t think he would.

It’s only been two days since we’ve known each other, but thinking back on Dogun’s personality, he didn’t seem strong in face of pushy situations.

Not that he was particularly timid or anything, but it felt like he had a tendency to agree.

So if I earnestly asked him, he might hesitate at first but ultimately agree.

I mean, that seemed likely.

But the issue would be that I’d have to reveal my secret to him in that situation.

To be honest, that part weighed heavily on my mind.

It’s because I’ve never encountered a positive reaction whenever I revealed my secrets to someone else.

Without fail, whenever someone finds out, they just look at me like I should be creating a proper painting instead if I have the energy for this.

So, I was worried.

What if Dogun reacted the same way?

Of course, I wanted to believe he wouldn’t…

But how can I be so sure given how many times I’ve been burned before?

So after mulling over this, I finally bounced up from the bed.

I realized that no answer would come if I kept thinking like this.

Above all, losing myself in thought like this was not my style.

Besides, if I just throw myself into it, I’m bound to get some kind of answer anyway.

If it ends up disappointing me, it might sting a bit… but I’ve experienced enough disappointments from others by now.

It’s not like it doesn’t hurt to face a similar situation, but it should hurt less than the first time.

So for now, I’ll just ask.

Whether I’m disappointed or pleased with Dogun’s response, I can deal with that after I hear his answer.

So…

“Dogun? Are you in there?”

I rushed straight to Dogun’s Room, thinking ‘strike while the iron is hot.’

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Chae-rim’s Perspective

When Bora decided to head to Dogun’s Room, the next room was empty.

And it made sense since Chae-rim, the owner of that room, had gone off to the bathroom immediately after finishing breakfast.

Of course, she also popped by the bathroom for a quick wash before heading down for breakfast, but that was a quick wash, and now that she had plenty of time, didn’t she deserve to wash properly?

After all, she wasn’t living alone.

And the moment Chae-rim felt the most aware of her return was right now, as she soaked in the cascade of hot water.

It made sense since in that one horrible world where every second felt like hell, not only hot water but even just washing herself like this used to feel like a luxury, having relied on wipes or damp towels more than once.

When she eventually took a shower in the temporary booth that Dogun had painstakingly put together all by himself, she honestly… it feels a bit cringe to say this, but she wanted to tightly hug Dogun outside and give him a peck on the cheek.

At the time, she was sure she kept it low-key given the circumstances, but in reality, that’s how she felt.

Compared to then, how heavenly was this now?

The simply endless flow of hot water, without having to heat it up separately.

That’s why she always tried hard not to forget it.

It all came down to the fact that being able to enjoy this again was thanks to Dogun.

What if, at the last moment, Dogun hadn’t thrown himself to take the blow for her?

That spike wouldn’t have missed her, after all.

And it definitely wouldn’t have pierced her hand like it did Dogun, but rather somewhere critical, like the back of her neck.

And the outcome would, without a doubt, have been catastrophic.

‘…No, wait.’

Moreover, perhaps ‘catastrophic’ wasn’t even a strong enough word.

Considering what happened to Dogun’s arm when it was struck by that spike, if things had turned out badly, he could’ve ended up a puppet controlled by that monstrous woman.

So Bora was simply filled with guilt toward Dogun.

What if she had been more cautious in assessing the monster’s capabilities rather than jumping in with a one-shot strategy due to her own growing anxiety?

Or at least, had she considered the possibility that the monster could use captured people as shields?

Maybe right now, Dogun’s arm would be completely fine.

Even though it had been quite a while since they returned from that world, seeing Dogun’s arm still wrapped in bandages made her think this way, and that’s why she wanted to do more for him.

That’s why she said she would look into Dogun’s mother’s situation, started reaching out to individuals who could potentially stand by their side, and even began strategizing on how Dogun could return to school, without explicitly telling him.

Certainly, if Dogun caught wind of it all, he might cringe and ask what kind of school was this, but still, she truly wanted him to be able to attend school again.

Fortunately, the hard work she’d put in wasn’t entirely in vain, as glimmers of hope began to appear.

However, there was just one thing gnawing at her…

‘It feels strangely quiet…’

It was, after all, the movement from the Association Chairman.

When Bora was being pushed toward this side, she had felt a strong will to somehow stake a claim here, so why had things suddenly fallen silent?

That point kept bothering her.