This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 436

“Wh-what…?”

At first?

Naturally, I was taken aback.

No, could this really be described as simply being taken aback?

It felt as if all the hairs on my body stood up as if they had a pre-arranged signal.

Perhaps it was because I received an unexpected question at an equally unexpected moment.

‘No…’

What connection could possibly exist between the conversation we just had and the question that was thrown a moment ago, leading to the appearance of such a thing at this timing?

That aside, how did my sister even notice that?

Could it be… did Yoonseo tell her?

Maybe this situation was so unforeseen that I even had those thoughts for a moment, but upon closer reflection, it didn’t seem likely at all.

If we really think about it, Yoonseo would consider both Chae-rim and the Senior as equals.

So, should I say… they are in a competitive relationship?

In such a situation, if Yoonseo held information that could help, I doubted she would share it with others.

‘But she might seem greedy enough to do so…’

Separating the fact that she’s a good person, I’d say she’s definitely got a mindset of taking care of her own interests.

So, it was probably not Yoonseo who said anything.

Then, what on earth happened?

Could it be that this was another case of that woman’s intuition coming into play?

Still, it wouldn’t make sense because I remembered having not discussed a single thing about the Senior.

Or could it be… was it that obvious?

While I was having such thoughts, beads of sweat began to form on my forehead.

“Well… what’s the point in asking that now? It doesn’t change anything, does it?”

Perhaps I was too tense without even realizing it.

Because of that, Chae-rim’s unexpectedly gentle demeanor felt a bit strange to me.

After all, what I had anticipated was Chae-rim lashing out in anger.

But here she was, all calm and composed.

They say people tend to get calmer as their anger rises; could it be that in her case…?

That thought flashed through my mind as quickly as a spark.

Then Chae-rim’s voice followed.

“Why? Did you think I would get mad about that?”

Of course… I thought she would be furious.

There was no way I couldn’t think that because for Chae-rim, it probably felt like she was dealing with someone who had no right meddling with her affairs.

Given that she was already upset about having to share Yoonseo with me, how critical would that realization be to her?

With that in mind, I assumed that if I were in Chae-rim’s position, I would definitely be boiling with rage…

“Nu uh, I don’t get mad about such things.”

She says she doesn’t get mad about that.

I couldn’t tell if she was serious or kidding, but looking at her expression, it certainly seemed genuine.

And perhaps that was why I became curious.

So… if she doesn’t get mad about this, then what situation does make Chae-rim angry?

Of course, just because I was curious didn’t mean I would ask her that.

In my view, there was nothing more insane than that.

That’s why I chose silence… but did my curiosity show in my eyes?

Not long after, I heard directly from Chae-rim about what makes her angry.

“Dogun.”

“Yes…?”

“You know, as long as you don’t neglect me, I really don’t mind anything else.”

She only hoped I wouldn’t treat her as a second thought, no matter what I was up to.

That was Chae-rim’s ‘condition’ for not getting angry.

“Surprisingly simple, right?”

As Chae-rim pointed out, it really was.

Thus, even without hearing what she would say next, I understood the implication.

The fact that the conditions are simple means?

That the consequences of not fulfilling those simple conditions would be overwhelming.

Moreover, the person who said that wasn’t just anyone.

It was Chae-rim.

So, I could only imagine there would be a storm of consequences I couldn’t even fathom.

If I didn’t want to witness that scene?

I needed to pay special attention to Chae-rim starting from now.

She had stated she wouldn’t mind what I was up to as long as I didn’t neglect her, but that couldn’t possibly be genuine.

So here I was, preparing myself for the worst.

“So… if we could skip worrying about that… can you help me out?”

Help me out, huh?

What in the world did she mean by that?

I would soon find out.

“I’m really stressed today.”

And then, as she said that, she smiled softly, leaning on my bed.

‘Oh…’

So the help she wanted… was of a physical nature, huh?

Chae-rim, who had opened her eyes to pleasure through me, had never made such explicit requests before…

How stressed must she have been to go that far?

‘Looks like the situation with the Association is really serious…’

Well, considering Chae-rim had transitioned from a worker to someone in a position of responsibility.

With more authority comes more responsibility, and it was no surprise that her stress levels would be higher than others.

After having cherished a dream of one day taking the position of Association Chairman, watching the Association wobble in real time must have been particularly taxing.

‘This won’t do.’

I realized it wasn’t the time to be celebrating the smooth sailing so far; I had to do something for Chae-rim.

The problem was, what exactly could I do…?

I could choose to simply do what Chae-rim wanted, but for some reason, that didn’t quite appeal to me.

It wasn’t bad to relieve stress in such a straightforward manner.

Sometimes that approach is more effective after all.

But considering that this was the first time Chae-rim expressed her stress so openly, I wanted to take extra care this time.

What mattered was finding the right method…

What would be good?

As I watched Chae-rim approach me, my mind raced for a solution, and then, suddenly, an idea sparked.

I quickly opened my palm toward Chae-rim.

“Huh? Why? Are you tired?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

“I thought of a better way.”

“A better way?”

For a moment, there was a hint of disappointment in her expression at my sudden actions, but her interest was piqued by my mention of a better way.

The glimmer of curiosity shone in Chae-rim’s eyes, replacing any trace of disappointment.

‘Huh, um…’

Seeing that spark in Chae-rim made me wonder.

Could I really satisfy her with that approach?

Her eyes sparkling so much made me briefly second-guess myself, but I quickly steeled my resolve.

Honestly, it was too late to back down now, especially since I had invested real time in earning ‘that certification.’

So I had to at least give it a go.

“Just a moment.”

I said that as I cautiously pulled myself out from between Chae-rim’s arms.

As soon as I escaped, I headed straight for the hospital room door.

Thinking I would lock it at least…

‘Huh…?’

Surprisingly, it was already locked.

I hadn’t heard the sound of it being locked, so when did she do that?

That thought crossed my mind, but I decided not to dwell on it.

What mattered was that Chae-rim had genuinely sought me out for a reason.

So I needed to prepare myself as well.

“First off… I’d like some time to get ready, so can you wash up in the meantime?”

“Ah, okay…!”

Did Chae-rim sense my determination?

Until just moments ago, she seemed nonchalant, but now she was showing signs of tension with a rather awkward expression as she stood up from her seat.

She then made her way cautiously into the bathroom.

At that moment, as Chae-rim passed by me, I swear I heard a soft gulp from somewhere… but it couldn’t have just been my imagination.

Once Chae-rim was in the bathroom…?

I immediately began preparing to welcome her.