This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 374

In a house with no one around, just those two…?

Why did those words sound particularly unsettling?

Contrary to my worries, perhaps there was nothing to be concerned about.

Given how busy both of them had been lately, that possibility was certainly there.

With Chae-rim and Baeksulhwa, and on top of that, Dogun taking on the manager role, I could hardly say it was surprising. Chae-rim had been coming home late almost every night for her co-vice president duties…

So, they might very well be scattered in their rooms and blissfully asleep right now.

Maybe that really was the case, but…

Despite that, I kept getting ominous thoughts, which must be because of their history.

And then, inevitably, that memory of ‘that time’ crept back into my mind.

An unsettling sensation gripped my heart as my mood sank sharply.

Sigh…

The secretary who reported Chae-rim’s half-day off caught my attention, making me stifle a visible reaction and exhale a deep breath internally.

So… what am I supposed to do now?

If I’m honest about it?

I even felt stupid for wasting time worrying like this.

Not that I didn’t have the urge to storm into the house and check out what those two were up to with my very own eyes.

If I could confirm that nothing was actually going on—contrary to my worries—then maybe I could finally relax.

With those thoughts swirling in my mind, why wasn’t I moving?

Well… it’s just that I couldn’t think of an excuse.

So, there I stood awkwardly with the lunch box that I initially intended to give to Dogun…

At some point, I realized it was not the time to be idle.

Whether people around me stared oddly or not, I hastened my steps toward the underground parking lot attached to the Association building.

As soon as I arrived at that underground parking lot, I hopped into my car and drove home.

Was it because of the situation?

Since I’d been of driving age, I never really thought of the distance between my house and the Association as particularly far, but today it felt especially long.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but the traffic seemed much worse than usual.

And to top it off, the traffic lights were uncooperative… as I got closer to home, my anxiety only grew.

What if something was happening between those two while I was just sitting in the car…?

Those thoughts kept gnawing at my mind, but did someone happen to notice my rising tension?

After what felt like forever, the red light I’d deemed eternally stuck finally turned green.

Thanks to that, I was able to park my car safely in the underground lot without having to wait anymore.

And after getting out of the car?

Practically running, I dashed towards the elevators.

“Quickly…”

If there was one fortunate thing among all this?

It was that, unlike the traffic lights that had been such a pain, I didn’t have to wait for the elevator.

I took the elevator down to the second floor in a flash and, upon arriving at the front of my house… my heart began racing as if it had been waiting for this moment.

It felt as if someone was drumming on my eardrum.

My heart was pounding… fast.

I took a breath before placing my hand on the doorknob for that reason.

After a couple of deep breaths, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Simultaneously, I honed my senses to the max…

Thanks to that, what drifted into my overly sensitive ears was?

The sound of someone showering.

That sound felt oddly significant, causing my heart to drop.

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Time rewinds a little to Yoonseo, who had gone to the Association building to deliver a lunch box to Dogun and was tracking his location through a location-sharing app on her mobile phone. At that moment, Dogun had just entered his house, assisted by Chae-rim.

Unfortunately, Dogun wasn’t in the best condition… and the reason was simple.

He was juggling the manager roles for Chae-rim and Baeksulhwa, taking on temporary manager duties at Yoonseo’s request, dealing with housework, and preparing for various certifications—all while being bombarded with an avalanche of fatigue that suddenly hit him, intensified by the alcohol he had consumed.

It was basically the same as working hard all day and then downing drinks like there was no tomorrow.

“Are you okay? Feeling dizzy?”

“I’m fine… uhh…”

In contrast, Chae-rim, who had drunk the same amount as Dogun, looked relatively fine. Despite them drinking the same quantity, Chae-rim appeared unharmed thanks to her remarkable talent.

Given her long experience as a hero, her control over that talent had reached its peak; she hadn’t gotten seriously drunk in a long time.

With a relatively clear mind, Chae-rim thought,

“Hmm…♡ How should I enjoy this?”

“They couldn’t possibly be unaware that this would happen.”

Even so, the fact that Dogun ended up drunk to this extent might just be interpreted as a willingness to accept it.

Honestly, I think it’s fair to conclude that.

Especially since the menu had been chosen specifically with that intention.

What does it mean for a woman to invite a man to dinner and serve eel and bokbunja?

Even considering the excuse of it being a summer day, there are plenty of menu options that could have been chosen. So why those specific dishes?

Dogun surely couldn’t be oblivious to the implications.

And yet, he opted to accept whatever was offered, perhaps because…

“Is it embarrassing to face things sober?”

That might actually be the reason.

There was plenty of potential for that, considering that alcohol had played a part in their relationship blossoming over the years.

Of course, it was due to misunderstandings and mistakes, but if that meant he chose to get drunk because of it?

“Honestly…”

He had a surprisingly cute side to him.

After three years of stalling, he finally seemed ready to accept things… perhaps that alone was enough to make him shy.

As I speculated about that, I gently laid Dogun on the bed.

“Uhh…”

Once I laid him down on the bed, the oppressive heat of the day turned my attention to the moisture that had built up while I was helping him.

In the short moment I turned away, I adjusted Dogun’s position, who had rolled over, and quickly went to grab a change of underwear.

“If I honestly consider how long I’ve been waiting, I really want to dive right in…”

But since this was the first time, it’s best to start with both of us clear-headed.

That way… I wouldn’t have to use it as an excuse later on.

The problem was that, given Dogun’s condition, it seemed he would need some time before he regained his senses.

The reason why I grabbed a change of underwear was actually because of that.

After grabbing the underwear, I returned to Dogun’s room and entered the bathroom that was attached to his room.

I began washing myself lightly… and during that time, something got caught in the net I had set out, out of caution.

“Hmm…”

Baeksulhwa had mentioned she would be busy running an errand all day, so could it be Bora who just came in?

Or maybe Yoonseo?

I wasn’t sure which one but I thought it wouldn’t matter much.

After all, the door had been locked for ages, and the absence of sound outside made it likely that no one would notice I was inside.

“But just in case…”

Noticing that the shower was about to wrap up, I turned the handle to reduce the flow of water to a minimum…

“Hmm?”

Why did I feel someone getting closer?

It’s not like they could get in since the door was locked.

As I pondered that, after changing into fresh underwear, I was stepping out of the bathroom.

“…Sister?”

How had someone gotten past the lock? Someone had been keeping watch over Dogun.

“Why are you coming out from there?”