This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 35

It’s quite amazing if you think about it.

Just the fact that we have shopping scheduled after the meal makes my appetite plummet like this, I wonder.

Even the egg sushi I’m eating now fits that description.

Until Yoonseo suggested we wander around a bit, I was sure it was fluffy, sweet, and the sauce sprinkled on top was slightly salty, making it truly delightful. But now, it feels almost like chewing on a sponge.

If I had known it would turn out this way, I would have just bought something appropriate as a gift and called it a day.

I hesitated a bit in choosing, and worried that if I picked something alone and it didn’t meet her liking, so I suggested we check things out while we were going to get a school uniform, which was my blunder.

“Aren’t you going to eat more? If you leave it, there’s a fine.”

“Ah, yeah… I should eat…”

The one thing I can be thankful for amidst all this is that even though the bitter cold wind is blowing like crazy, it isn’t snowing.

What if it snowed?

I might seriously consider collapsing right there on the floor.

To be frank, I’m almost feeling that way right now.

Sigh…

In both the world I lived in during the first playthrough and this world, why do women love shopping so much?

Swallowing the sigh that was about to burst out, I suddenly heard giggles next to me.

‘No way…’

She wouldn’t have suggested that knowing I would loathe it, right?

Fortunately, it seems she wasn’t that cruel.

“Don’t make that gloomy face. It won’t take as long as you’re worried about.”

Well, who raised her.

“…Is that true?”

“Yeah. Or is… you being with me that bad?”

I needed to make it clear that part, so I immediately turned serious.

“It’s not that; I just dislike the act of shopping itself.”

“Pft… You say that, but if I suggested we go look at computer parts, you’d be thrilled running around.”

“That’s different.”

“To me, they’re both the same.”

Honestly, I couldn’t help but be aghast at that.

Both the same, huh?

Computers are like my life partner.

And calling the act of choosing a part of them shopping—is there a more nonsensical statement in existence?

“So with that crucial computer, you were looking at something like this?”

“Ugh…! Anyone would think I’m just staring at those all day!”

“Were you not?”

Watching her tilt her head in an innocent expression made my hand tremble, almost wanting to give her a gentle hit.

However, I didn’t act on it because I thought, “What good would it do to hit her?”

It wasn’t because I was terrified of the inevitable, revenge from her after I give that gentle hit.

“…Just looking out of curiosity doesn’t mean you can scold me like that. Seriously.”

Of course, I knew.

That what I had just said was an utterly absurd excuse.

There’s a saying, isn’t there?

‘One who has never looked can exist, but…’

There cannot exist one who has looked ‘only’ once.

But if I keep my mouth shut, I’d definitely be branded a perv, so I couldn’t just stay quiet.

That’s why I said that purposely, even if it meant facing her laughter—

“…Really?”

“Uh, yeah?”

The response I got back felt off.

Could she really believe that?

No, fine, that’s one thing, but why are her eyes sparkling like that?

And why is her upper body leaning toward me?

“…Do you really believe that?”

My reply was teasing, driven by that odd feeling.

“I think it’s about time we finish eating and think about ice cream.”

And with that, I jumped up from my seat, only to hear a ‘tch’ and a click of the tongue behind me.

Hearing that made me oddly relieved.

I don’t know what I’m relieved about, but at least I felt that way.

“Since it’s two of you, let’s see… that would be 36,000 won. The payment is…”

“I’ll use this.”

“Got it! Card accepted!”

Even though there were slightly odd moments in between, somehow we managed to finish the meal unharmed, and when we stepped outside, I was lost—was I still in Korea or had I stepped into Mother Russia?

The bitter cold wind was blowing that fiercely… I usually dress warmly, so I was holding up pretty well, but the person next to me, not so much.

Barely five minutes outside, her nose and cheeks were already red, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if the Match Girl threw her matchstick down in protest at someone trespassing on her territory.

“…Cold, huh?”

“Uh, yeah? No?”

If you’re going to deny it, at least do something about that sniffly nose of yours first.

Who would believe you saying it’s not cold while you’re sniffling like that?

Sigh…

I sighed modestly inside and took off my padded jacket, pulling the hood of it over Yoonseo’s head.

Yoonseo, suddenly buried in my padded jacket, flailed about in confusion while I grabbed the zipper and pulled it up to her neck—

“Wow… This works?”

I didn’t know if it was because I’ve grown a lot or if she hasn’t grown much, but surprisingly, it fit perfectly.

Of course, Yoonseo, who had suddenly ended up in that padded jacket like it was some restrictive outfit, was making muffled sounds from inside, but—

How much time passed in that state?

Just when it seemed like she would pop out from that padded jacket at any moment, Yoonseo’s face peeked through the collar.

“Phew…! What’s going on!?”

It must have been pretty warm inside.

Just in that little moment, her face turned redder than before, indicating that.

“Well, it just looked like you were cold…”

“Then you should have said so earlier!”

Although it felt inappropriate saying this while she was angrily flailing around, it was more cute than scary to see her getting mad while thrashing about, stuck in a padded jacket much larger than her size.

Especially with her hair sticking out in all directions.

“Geez… Your hair is all messily sticking out… so embarrassing…”

Usually, when I tell her to wear a padded jacket, she complains about it being heavy and all, but now that the bitter cold wind was blowing, maybe she was craving the warmth of the padded jacket.

With her grumbling in that manner, she didn’t seem eager to take it off at all.

“Uh… fixing my hair is fine and all, but I’m about to freeze to death, you know?”

“Hey…! Who told you to take it off for me?”

“Wow…”

Is this what it means to repay kindness with enmity?

“Ugh, it’s warm. Feels nice.”

“I will never let you wear this again.”

“I never actually asked you to take it off, you know? Mister?”

“Yeah, right. You’d say that. Auntie.”

No, this won’t do.

I hadn’t noticed it while I was wearing the padded jacket, but after taking it off, that bitter cold wind was no joke.

I’m not joking when I say it felt like the cold wind was penetrating through my bones. If I stayed out here, it was a perfect day to freeze to death.

So…

“Are we going to the department store?”

I said that and tried to hurry my steps toward it, but somehow, I didn’t get an answer back.

Wondering what was going on, I glanced over, only to find Yoonseo hunched and dazed, even with the padded jacket still on.

“Hey, Yoonseo!”

“Uh, what?!”

“Are we going to the department store or not?”

“Uh, um…”

Really, for someone who’s so cold, how can she even think about shopping right now…?

Anyhow, seeing her manage to reply made it seem like she was back in reality, so setting aside everything else, I dashed toward the indoors.