This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 306

Yoonseo’s Perspective

What on earth should I even call this feeling?

Ridiculous?

Yeah, it was utterly absurd.

Of course, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person would say something like that.

I mean, this isn’t even his personal classroom, right?

And yet, he casually throws in, “No, Yoonseo, don’t you think it’s about time you head back to your own class?”

If you just look at the tone of that statement?

It really sounded like he was worried we might be late for morning assembly or something.

That made it even more malicious.

His words disguised as concern were basically wrapped up as, “It’s time to hit the road; you should probably scram.”

And maybe that’s why I ended up hearing such nonsense.

Right now, the stubborn feelings I had tightly packed inside, like rice pushed into a bowl, started bubbling up, bursting free.

Along with it, curiosity began to rise too.

How could I not be curious about what that jerk’s secret was that he would go this far?

The fact that I chose to hang around Dogun’s class instead of making a beeline for mine right after getting out of the car was because of that.

Until now, I hadn’t cared much about secrets; I thought they couldn’t possibly be that grand.

But now that Bora had tossed out something like that, I felt compelled to see with my own eyes what on earth that jerk’s secret was.

“Bora, you might not know this since you just transferred, but… our school gives a fair amount of freedom to the hero candidates.”

Because of that, if they think they need additional training time, they can submit a reason without any hassle, even if it means skipping class.

Of course, most people would rather not miss class unless absolutely necessary because writing that excuse can be a pain.

Anyway, even if someone skips class, as long as they have a good reason smoothed over, no one really makes a fuss. So who cares about morning assembly?

Even if someone were to later complain about it, I could just brush it off and say I got caught up focusing on morning training.

“So, if you’re worried that I might get scolded by the teachers, you don’t really have to be.”

Saying something along those lines, I beamed at Bora to make my point clear.

I could see Bora’s brows twitching harshly as she looked at me.

It was just like how people react when they’re staring at something they don’t like.

That reaction amused me strangely.

Though I did find it a bit baffling.

If we’re measuring who dislikes what, I feel like I’d win by a landslide, yet just a little poke and she reacts like that.

“Seriously…”

Even back then, and even after almost a decade, it was all the same ridiculousness—the way I suddenly kissed Dogun.

Then there was the fact that I had no power to protect him, yet urged my way into a situation that ended up being dangerous for him while I safely hid in the changing room when the crisis hit.

Thinking back to that made me…

Sigh…

Even now, imagining all that makes my head feel hot with embarrassment.

If it’s bad now, what about back then?

What if Chae-rim and Dogun weren’t around then?

And if it hadn’t been for that odd feeling that crawled up my skin the moment I touched Dogun’s body?

I would have surely grabbed Bora by the collar.

With that sudden thought in mind, I found it astonishingly ridiculous.

I mean, shouldn’t a decent person avoid Dogun altogether if they feel guilty?

Yet, here I was, forgetting my own mistakes the moment Dogun gave me a little attention, creeping back towards him.

I can’t help but wonder, is it actually normal to have no conscience like this?

Is this why adults often say being good makes you foolish?

In terms of who’s got issues, Dogun isn’t entirely innocent either.

That’s only because he was way too kind.

Honestly, if Dogun were just a little less nice?

Wouldn’t he have cut ties with someone like Bora, who pushed him to the brink of death long ago?

That would have definitely happened.

But the truth is, Dogun’s foolishly kind enough to forgive even someone like Bora.

So, I’m left as the bad guy to pick up the slack.

Deciding I need to deal another blow was precisely because of all that.

“Um… is it about that secret you mentioned in the car or something?”

So, that was the case after all.

The moment those words escaped my mouth, Bora flinched like someone hit a sore spot.

Thanks to that, I could freely spill out what I had prepared.

“Ah, I don’t know what that secret is, but you really don’t need to worry so much. I’m not interested anyway.”

Even though that was the complete opposite of how I felt—dying inside out of curiosity about what that secret was—I kept my face neutral as I spoke.

It sounded like I was downplaying it.

And perhaps that reaction got to Bora’s nerves just right.

Her eyebrows furrowed wildly once again.

I wondered if it affected her voice too.

“…Really? Then that’s a relief.”

Her tone was a whole note lower than what I had heard before.

That lifted my mood a bit.

And at just the perfect moment—

Click!

Dogun walked into the classroom, pushing the door aside after finishing his private talk with Chae-rim.

For some reason, he looked slightly more tired than earlier.

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Dogun’s Perspective

Of course, it goes without saying, Dogun had no clue what kind of conversation went down between Bora and Yoonseo while he was absent from the classroom.

Certainly, if it had been the usual Dogun?

Even if he didn’t know the specifics, he would have sensed that something was off between the two.

But that was only if Dogun was in a proper state, while at this moment, he could hardly be considered fine.

That’s because Dogun’s mind was thrumming with all sorts of thoughts.

Some of them were related to Chae-rim’s suggestion about being a manager… and the secretive ordeal that had just taken place in the spacious car.

What if I suddenly faint with a nosebleed one day?

Given the chaotic state of his mind, he had no time to think about anything else.

“Hey, why are you still here?”

So, it was only natural he would be slow to pick up on the unusual atmosphere.

“Um… I had a question.”

“A question? About what?”

“Uh… what did you talk about with your sister?”

In that moment, Yoonseo burst in with her sudden question, completely catching Dogun off guard for a sec.

“What? Huh?”

“What did you talk to your sister about? Is it something you can’t mention?”

Dogun’s confused reaction must have triggered a sense of something weird in Yoonseo.

Her eyes squinted slightly.

And that narrowed gaze started to weave suspicion through her glance towards Dogun.

Thanks to that, Dogun, who didn’t have much to hide, found himself gulping down nervously.

“Uh… it’s not like that, but…”

“So what is it then?”

“Well, it’s not a big deal… she just asked if I wanted to learn about being a manager.”

To put it bluntly…

Dogun felt a keen pang of guilt while saying that.

“Wait, really?!”

Yoonseo’s reaction was surprisingly welcoming, which only made him feel worse.

But, it wasn’t like he could honestly reveal the truth about his relationship with Chae-rim or the senior.

If he ever did, he could only imagine the chaos that would ensue—no need to experience it firsthand to know that.

So what could he do?

Even if his conscience pricked him, there was no choice but to keep it under wraps for now.

Of course… he didn’t think he would get the chance to be honest about it later either.

Sigh…

How did it end up like this?

The thought of having to keep this secret felt overwhelming, suddenly sinking him into despair.