This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 280

Baeksulhwa’s Perspective

No sooner had I finished explaining what had happened than I reached out, grasping Dogun’s hand, not to comfort him, but because I simply wanted him to know.

Just as you have always been on my side, I wanted to show him that I would always be on his too.

What did it matter how his left arm had changed?

Dogun was still Dogun.

I held his hand to convey that, but the moment we connected, I realized something.

Maybe it was fine for Yoonseo or Bora, but I hadn’t even considered the reason why Chae-rim, who I thought wouldn’t be a problem, was acting this way towards Dogun.

“Ugh…?!”

How should I even describe this sensation?

It was so bewildering that it made me momentarily question everything.

Suddenly, it surged through my arm, sending a confusing torrent racing through my body, making it impossible to hold back weird sounds.

Curiously, even though it should have felt unpleasant, it was oddly exhilarating instead.

Was that why?

This tingling sensation, as if faint currents were flowing through my body, was bizarrely addictive.

Before meeting Dogun, my training focused more on physical strength rather than using my abilities, so it made sense that the Talent Organ would be relatively underused. But how about Chae-rim, who had been actively working as a hero for so long that her Talent Organ was likely worn out?

‘So that’s why…’

Of course, just because I felt like I understood didn’t mean I was going to stop.

Having come this far, would I really back down?

That’s that, and this is this.

So—

“Then, about what happened with my sister…”

I forced myself to ignore the heat flooding my cheeks from the strange sounds that had slipped out and brought up the topic.

And as expected—

As soon as I uttered those words, Dogun, sitting across from me, cleared his throat.

Well, who could blame him?

From his perspective, it was probably the topic he wanted to avoid the most.

“Well, um…”

Though his voice was laced with bitterness, unlike before when he spoke smoothly, Dogun hesitated.

But still, did he finally decide he had to answer the question?

“Someone diagnosed this arm of mine for the first time.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes, it was a person called the Doctor. They seemed to be quite famous from where you come from.”

“Now that you mention it, I think I’ve heard that name before.”

“Is that so? Anyway… that person said that if stress builds up, it could lead to dangerous situations…”

I see now.

That was indeed the justification for my sister’s concerns.

If that was the case?

I felt that I could easily insert myself into this situation.

While it’s undeniable that Chae-rim was the centerpiece of the security structure surrounding Dogun, it was equally undeniable that they had both agreed to manage it together.

So if I used that as a reason?

Even if Chae-rim later found out and protested, I could argue against her.

The real challenge, though, would be…

‘How do I convince Dogun…?’

That’s something I would have to tackle head-on.

“Ah…”

Reacting to Dogun’s words with a feeling of ‘Oh, I see…’ was all part of my setup.

“So, without me even realizing it…”

“Yeah, well… that’s how it turned out.”

As I pretended to understand, it seemed to ease his mind slightly, and I could see him relaxing a bit compared to earlier when he had looked so flustered.

“By the way, Dogun.”

“Yes?”

“Then why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“…Huh?”

Just moments earlier, he’d been nodding like he understood, but did he really not expect me to dive into that topic?

His big eyes were genuinely cute as they widened in surprise.

“I’m your security officer after all.”

To be precise, I had been dispatched for a dual purpose of protection and monitoring, but that was only the Association’s rationale. I had no intention of reporting every little thing about Dogun to them.

“Isn’t that right?”

“Y-Yeah…?”

“But then, why didn’t you make that request of me?”

I trailed off a bit, and it appeared that he had never given that aspect a thought, as I noticed his eyes darting around in confusion.

“Um, that… Well…”

Seeing Dogun stammer, clearly uneasy, I kept pressing him.

“Or maybe… is it because you think I’m less reliable than your sister?”

Given how considerate Dogun usually was, even if he had thought that at some point, it would be tough for him to admit it outright.

“There’s no way I could think that!”

Maybe that was why he jumped a bit in surprise as soon as I said it.

While it could have been just a polite response to keep me from being disappointed, I found his reaction oddly delightful.

Consequently, my lips twitched slightly, and holding back laughter was quite the challenge. Nonetheless, I persisted and continued with what I intended to say.

“Then why didn’t you ask me for help?”

The moment I posed that question, I could see his eyes tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

Of course, from his angle, it made perfect sense for him to react that way.

He probably wanted to scream at the situation—how could he even make such a request? Yet, given the circumstances, he simply couldn’t.

“No, um… how could I even…”

“Then what about your sister?”

“…Huh?”

“How did that happen between you and her?”

“That’s…”

It seemed hard for him to say it was because they had both been drunk.

He hesitated and then clamped his mouth shut, clearly not wanting to divulge that detail.

But there was no other reason he could give, and eventually, Dogun admitted that they had both gotten drunk.

Surely, he thought that admitting this would let him sidestep this complicated situation for now.

Little did he know that there was no paradise to escape to from here.

“I see… so you both got drunk…”

When I heard his admission, I feigned surprise, all part of my plan to explore further.

For someone like Dogun, who had no idea of the hidden motives behind my words—

“Yes, that’s how it turned out…”

Once he bit the bait I had tossed, the game was practically over.

If their relationship had genuinely concluded at that one moment, it might have been different, but they had kept disappearing into places like the bathroom to continue that relationship.

So saying it happened because they were drunk could no longer serve as an excuse.

Yet, Dogun had clung to that excuse shamelessly.

Turning that crack into an opening, I saw his face twist into a look of bewilderment as if to say ‘Uh…? This isn’t how it’s supposed to be…?’

Seeing him freeze up from embarrassment, I put on a serious expression and reached for his hand again.

“Dogun.”

“…”

“I understand. From your perspective, asking someone else for that kind of favor… must have been exceptionally difficult.”

With that said, I forced myself to ignore the sensations traveling through my arm as I pretended to empathize with his situation—

“But what I want you to recognize is this.”

I launched into deeper territory.

“Just as you helped me unconditionally, I want to help you with anything related to you.”

“…”

“This isn’t merely a matter of me wanting to repay a favor.”

Pausing momentarily to collect my thoughts, I added,

“I’m doing this because I want to, plain and simple.”

No sooner had my words tumbled out than I heard a distinct gulp from somewhere.

“So… don’t just rely on your sister, but ask me too, alright?”

“…”

“Huh? You can even think of it as a birthday present, if you want…”