This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 24

I rather like the winter season in its own way.

Sure, the dryness is a bit of a downside, but compared to other seasons, the frequency of bug appearances is remarkably low.

“Lying under a warm blanket and munching on tangerines is delicious.”

That might sound trivial to some, but anyone who’s experienced it knows.

Just that alone can significantly elevate the quality of life.

But what about snowy days?

To be honest, I don’t like them much.

It’s not just because my last memory from my previous life was on a day when snow was falling heavily.

Of course, it wouldn’t be true to say that had no influence on me… but aside from that, isn’t it natural for a guy from South Korea to dislike that white trash falling from the sky?

Especially if he has served in the front lines?

It’s needless to say.

If one stands still, it feels like they might really get stranded, so we all eagerly grabbed snow shovels and frantically cleared the snow, only for the terrifying sight of more white stuff refilling as soon as we finished clearing it.

Those who have experienced it surely know.

Just how… frustrating that situation is.

“Snow…”

It’s pretty, isn’t it?

As that white stuff gently falls from the sky, anyone with a normal sensibility would naturally think it’s beautiful.

But what happens when it meets the ground?

From that point on, it becomes nothing more than an annoyance causing various inconveniences.

Well, if it could at least keep its color white, it would still look nice, but when the snow falls and turns the color of slush on the ground…

“Ugh…”

Even worse, that melted snow eventually turns to ice, posing a trap card surprise for ordinary folk going about their business, so perhaps snow is just a useless thing that brings solely harm.

Sigh…

Life is inherently unpredictable, but if I had known it would snow in early November, I might have developed the habit of carefully checking the weather forecast.

I was a little too relaxed, thinking scarves would suffice and that a padded jacket wasn’t necessary.

Who would have imagined a day like this would come, longing so deeply for that slip-resistant spray I used to carry around in my bag every winter?

If only I had one of those, stored in a box in the shoe cabinet by the entrance, I wouldn’t be feeling this down.

The one silver lining is that since it just started falling, the roads shouldn’t be too slippery yet.

Of course, that means the path back to school after the movie would be a treacherous ice rink.

“Why did it have to be today of all days?”

Just yesterday, the sun was shining bright and the sky was clear…

Grumbling internally, I naturally slipped to the back of the line, and Yoonseo followed right beside me.

She was so naturally sticking close that I glanced casually at her—

“What? Why?”

Came the reply from the owner of a nose and cheeks red from the cold.

I mean, I just looked over out of habit—what should I say if she asks why I was looking?

“By the way…”

You must be really cold, huh?

Well, she has always been sensitive to the cold since kindergarten.

It’s funny how someone who can’t stand being uncomfortable seems to utterly despise scarves and padded jackets.

Did she say something about scarves feeling sweaty around her neck and padded jackets being heavy?

If she had shown even a little toughness against the cold, I might have bought her complaints, but as soon as the temperature drops a notch, she starts shivering and loudly complaining, which honestly feels like just showing off.

Well, regardless of how sensitive Yoonseo is to the cold, the situation was legitimately cold.

The wind was blowing strong enough, and she had been getting bombarded with snow for a while now.

At this point, bits of snow must have started to melt and drench her hair, making her feel even chillier.

Maybe that’s why her frozen, red face kept upsetting me.

Without realizing it, a worried voice slipped from my lips.

“Hey… are you really cold?”

“Uh? Oh, no…”

No way that’s true.

Her voice was already shaking.

Geez.

How could a girl who wants to be a hero and protect many people not even take care of herself…

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Wait, hold on.”

I stopped Yoonseo and untangled my scarf from around my neck.

Then, in that brief moment, I called her to a sudden halt just a couple of steps ahead of me, and with a somewhat dazed expression, I swung my scarf around like a jump rope toward her.

“Gotcha…!”

The weight in my hands felt just right; it was truly satisfying.

Was she caught off guard by my sudden action, as the scarf got wrapped around her neck in a flash?

Yoonseo’s eyes widened slightly as her snow-covered shoulders trembled, shaking off the little bits that had piled on top.

“Hey, whoa…!”

“What? What do you mean?”

No point in listening to the rest—I secured the hanging end of the scarf into the wrapped part, pushing it right in without a second thought.

Even though her neck was already cold, my hands felt even colder handling it.

Yoonseo, bewildered by my unexpected move, seemed about to flinch at any moment.

“Alright, job’s done!”

As I pulled my hands out, dusting them off to signify I’m done, she looked confused, and her tiny, adorable lips above the scarf began to pout a little.

“So what about my scarf?”

“Why should I take care of yours…?”

“Well? I was just feeling a bit suffocated. Could you hang on to it until we reach the movie theater?”

If I said it was because she looked cold, it might needlessly provoke her prideful spirit, so I made up a flimsy excuse.

“Couldn’t you just hand it over instead…?”

I had my own comebacks to that.

“Sorry, but I trust Yoonseo, not her memory.”

“What?”

“I mean, put your hand on your heart and think about how many things you’ve lost throughout your life.”

As I mentioned her history of losing things, it seemed like Yoonseo had nothing to say in response, given she’d had a fair share of experiences.

She shrunk back like a startled turtle, her embarrassed face sneaking below her scarf… and somehow I felt a bit reassured.

“Seriously…”

Her face looked like a match-selling girl, raising concern in anyone who saw it.

Well, it was just adding one more scarf, but it seemed to warm her up a bit.

Her cheeks, which had already been reddish, were now even more flushed.

While I was secretly pleased that I’d given my scarf to Yoonseo, she was busy trying to calm her racing heart ever since I had wrapped it around her.

“Ah… seriously…”

Yeah, this was the issue.

Normally, she wouldn’t act like this, but every now and then she shows this affection, and it gets me all confused.

So, if I’ve been leading myself to believe something else due to my own misunderstanding, some of that responsibility surely lies with Dogun too.

Had Dogun not acted this way, I wouldn’t have clung so tightly to the shreds of hope that this wasn’t just my imagination.

Of course, I don’t plan on digging into those thoughts.

It’s a bit awkward to say, but after realizing I liked Dogun more than I initially thought, his little gestures like this started to elevate my mood way too much.

Thanks to that, hiding the involuntary smile that started to creep onto my lips from Dogun was tough.

Putting my face into the scarf he tied around me was my way of shielding my excitement from being discovered.

With my mouth and nose snugly tucked in there, maybe that’s why—

“It’s so suffocating…”

Breathing definitely felt slightly harder and constricted than usual, but with that suffocation came a rush of exhilaration.

Of course, the puffiness of Dogun’s scent clung to me like a second skin.

It had a mixture of fabric softener and sunshine, and each intake was a gentle reminder of his presence.

Every time I breathed in, my heart would thump in sync, pounding like it was competing with the chill in the air.

Yet, beyond that, what made me feel even more elated was… Dogun’s feelings.

He might say it was suffocating, but it couldn’t be the case for real.

He was probably just unable to stand watching me suffer from the cold.

For some reason, it made my heart soar with delight.

“By the way…”

I hope he’s not cold, right?

As for me, thanks to the scarf Dogun tied around me, I felt warm all the way to my heart, but poor Dogun without his scarf looked quite chilly.

Moreover… I knew I could hardly criticize him for being in a tough spot, but the bits of snow that piled on his head and shoulders were definitely concerning.

He had been shaking it off, but with the steady snowfall, the moisture was inevitably accumulating and clinging to his clothes.

“What if he catches a cold…?”

Once I spotted the convenience store sign through the veil of snow, I dashed towards it to lower that chance at least a little bit.

“Welcome!”

“Um, do you have any umbrellas?”

“Umbrellas? Maybe over there…”

It seemed like everyone had been caught off guard by the sudden snow, as everyone was rushing for umbrellas.

Once I reached the spot the employee pointed out, there were only two umbrellas left.

And both of them were flimsy little vinyl umbrellas sporting the convenience store logo.

Knowing just how easy and quick they were to break, picking them up felt awkward, but Dogun was surely waiting outside, so I reached out.

Just as I intended to grab both, I stopped short.

Originally, I had planned to buy one for myself and give the other to Dogun, but was there really a need to purchase both?

We could easily share one, so why spend double the money?

“… No wasting.”

Yeah, definitely not.

Dogun always told me to save my allowance.

And above all, since there were only two left, buying both umbrellas would mean someone else needing one later would be out of luck.

If there was another convenience store nearby, it wouldn’t matter, but if memory serves me right, this was the only one in the area.

So… leaving one for someone else would be a considerate move.

Dogun would probably be baffled by those strange, absurdly principled thoughts, but Yoonseo genuinely believed so.

And so, with no hesitation, she picked just ‘one’ umbrella from the holder and headed to the counter, her face displaying nothing but expectation.