This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 428

At first?

Of course, I was flustered.

That was only natural since I couldn’t understand what Bora was saying at all.

She just threw out a question that was impossible to answer easily, making everyone panic, and now that I tried to respond, it turned out there was no need to answer at all.

So, what now?

She would figure it out by herself?

What on earth could she possibly find out?

It must have been a moment when question marks were floating in my mind.

Just for a moment, Bora, who was staring at me with a look that seemed like she had something to say, closed her eyes slowly.

Then, without any hesitation, she began to approach me, still in that state.

I know it sounds a bit odd, but… at first, I wanted to avoid it.

With the situation where Yoonseo and Chae-rim were already involved, I felt it wouldn’t be right to get too close to Bora as well.

So, I tilted my head slightly to avoid her… but I couldn’t pull it off.

There was simply no way I could do that.

Honestly, I couldn’t help it… because I had seen it.

Bora’s face, leaning slowly toward me, was so pale it looked almost pitiful.

That was a kind of restraint.

Not just any restraint, but one that trapped you the moment you faced it, making it impossible to break free… a cruel kind of restraint.

And so… I couldn’t bring myself to move.

At that moment, I was stuck in Bora’s clutches, like a bug caught in a spider’s web, completely unable to budge.

Meanwhile, Bora’s lips, steadily closing the distance, finally reached right in front of my face.

Thanks to that, the breath escaping Bora’s lips made me feel ‘ticklish’ right at that moment—

Smack…♡

With the cautious sound of a kiss, something hot yet soft began to press against my lips.

There was no hint of sexual techniques, only the pure act of ‘kissing.’

And thus, I could understand.

I realized how much courage Bora mustered for this moment.

Evidence of it was clear, as Bora’s lips quivered precariously against mine to the point where even she couldn’t control it.

The memory of the first kiss with Bora briefly flashed through my mind, probably for that reason.

In retrospect, I thought Bora was like this back then too.

Despite her otherwise bold demeanor, her lips trembling against mine were just like now.

Maybe it was because of recalling that time when I reunited with Bora after almost ten years.

Suddenly… I became curious.

What on earth was Bora feeling as she kissed me?

What thoughts ran through her mind while pressing her lips against mine?

At that time, she kissed me with the intention of showing a staff member from the Association, but now there’s no one behind us.

As those thoughts occupied my mind, my doubts deepened.

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It was during that moment when Dogun was finding himself caught in Bora’s heart, that Yoonseo, who had been left alone in an abandoned hospital room, felt her own lips becoming slightly pouty as time went by.

Honestly, at first?

I knew it couldn’t be helped given the situation, but Dogun’s actions leaning toward Bora felt a tad disappointing, though not to this extent.

It was understandable; since everything had come to an end, feeling embarrassed now to say anything seemed reasonable… but thinking back, it was a bit of an overreaction on my part to speak harshly just because I felt a surge of emotions.

So, when Dogun had left, I reassured myself, thinking it was unavoidable…

But there’s always a limit to self-justification.

‘Wait…’

It’s already been 20 minutes since he stepped out. Why is there still no news?

What could they possibly be doing?

Is it because of the precedent set by Baeksulhwa?

Every tick of the clock hanging on the wall seemed to make my lips dry up.

It made me want to truly go look for them, ignoring Dogun’s concerns about their matter—but… I held back.

Every time that urge surged within me, I took deep breaths to suppress it.

There was simply no way around it.

It wouldn’t do any good to go find them lost in my feelings.

The outcome would be painfully obvious, wouldn’t it?

If I felt this way now, how would I feel if I actually saw them together?

And not just together, but possibly in a lovey-dovey atmosphere?

I could only imagine how that would turn out.

Obviously, I would blow up and say harsh things to Bora.

I clearly saw that, which made me hold back from acting rashly.

‘Honestly, this situation is already precarious enough…’

Considering what had happened earlier, should I really do something again in that state?

If I did, I might get an earful from Dogun.

And if not that… I might end up provoking his dislike for no reason.

I had barely caught up to the situation; did I really want to diminish my standing like that?

So I had to hold back.

Just because I was getting anxious didn’t mean I could just let it all out, I had to keep a degree of restraint.

Therefore… I decided to redirect my thoughts.

‘That aside…’

It was intentional to break the ice like that.

‘It seems like Chae-rim’s Sister has also caught on to some things…’

Was she going to let this slide without intervening?

If she really thought that, it would be quite surprising.

After all, I had come to see Chae-rim’s Sister as someone with a strong possessive nature, much like me.

Honestly, there was no way around that.

She had been on the path to success since her candidate days, after all.

No matter what she did, she had always been at the top and received only the best treatment.

Beyond that initial phase where everyone was a rookie, she was always in the highest position, deserving of the best treatment; for her to now share something she considered ‘mine’ with someone else must feel incredibly awkward…

Thinking that way made me very curious about why Chae-rim’s Sister had been silently observing this situation without taking any action.

Honestly, if it were me, I would have intervened long ago.

What on earth was she thinking, just watching Dogun’s actions?

I must have been pondering over that question in my head when…

How much longer would it take? Was everything finally completed?

With a clatter, the hospital room door opened, and Dogun appeared.

But then why…

“…..You’re back?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Bora?”

Is she alone?

Where did she leave Bora?

‘Could it be…?’

I tried to console him, but it didn’t seem to work.

Maybe it was just as I thought.

Perhaps it was because comforting someone who was upset is often much simpler yet much more complicated.

And perhaps due to that possibility, I felt my lips twitch involuntarily.

But just like before, I held back with all my might.

It would do me no good to show my happiness.

So instead of giving anything away—

“Um… did it not go well?”

I asked.

What happened when they went?

Were they not successful?

“Ah, um… not exactly…”

I threw out the question and waited, but unfortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“I think she just wanted to sort out her thoughts for a bit.”

“Ah… I see…”

“So there’s no need for you to worry too much about it.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But… you know? When Bora comes back in a bit…”

Was he worried that she might refuse to accept an apology from us?

His voice, cautious unlike usual, slowly resonated in my ears.

Well, to be completely honest?

I wasn’t inclined to apologize at all.

I might admit that my words were a bit harsh, but that’s entirely different from apologizing to Bora.

So, I absolutely didn’t feel like apologizing, but…

“I get it.”

I said that for now.

I didn’t want to irritate Dogun unnecessarily.