This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 441

I’ve felt heavy silence many times, but this was the first time I experienced a silence that felt so overwhelming it was almost suffocating.

Is that why I feel this way?

It was a sensation as if countless needles were floating in the air, poking my body from all directions to the point where counting them was impossible.

Unless you’ve experienced it firsthand, you wouldn’t understand.

The feeling of having sharp objects aimed at you from every angle, and how maddening that can drive someone.

Thanks to that, amidst this impending madness, what made me even more restless was that I still had to eat…

In other words, the chicken that Yoonseo personally bought for me.

You might think, “Why not just skip eating?” but unfortunately, that wasn’t an option.

Because if I did that, I would be rude to Yoonseo, who had gone all the way to our old neighborhood in the middle of the night to bring this.

“How is it? Tasty?”

Yoonseo definitely wouldn’t stay quiet.

Even now, just look at me.

Saying such a thing makes me feel like a total cheapskate, but it had already been the third time I’ve mentioned it.

“Uh, um…”

And if my hands, picking at the chicken, slowed down even a little?

“Really? But your hands seem to have slowed down since earlier?”

That kind of comment would come flying my way.

But how could I just sit there and not eat?

While I was under this one-on-one pressure from Yoonseo, the only one remaining utterly carefree was…

Chae-rim.

Having suddenly shown up and frozen me in surprise, she must have sensed my frustration, as she decisively took control of the situation and ended it.

Barely escaping that tension, her first move was to leave my thigh and head to the bathroom.

Naturally, the real issue came afterward.

After entering the bathroom and hastily finishing her business, Chae-rim emerged in her incredibly casual dolphin shorts and sleeveless shirt, slipping effortlessly between Yoonseo and me.

In doing so, she asked—

“This is the place where Dogun has been a regular since he was a kid?”

“Yeah? Oh, yes…”

“For sure, it must be because of your exceptional cooking skills that Dogun has a good taste.”

She started tearing into the chicken so naturally that it seemed absurd.

While someone was about to lose their mind out of frustration, Chae-rim acted like nothing was wrong, which probably left me in disbelief.

After seating herself opposite me, Yoonseo’s eyes, which had been focused on me, shifted for the first time.

It was directed at Chae-rim.

With a look on her face that seemed to ask, “Can’t you see the atmosphere is serious?” but sadly, she was dealing with Chae-rim, not an ordinary person.

Had it been anyone else sitting in Chae-rim’s spot, I was sure Yoonseo’s expression would have conveyed pressure in one way or another.

It had to be so.

Whether it was because they worked in a life-threatening job or because many envied them, the presence of current heroes definitely felt different compared to ordinary folks.

You know the saying, right? How celebrities who seem ordinary on TV somehow glow when you see them in person?

The destructive power of seeing heroes in real life was undoubtedly beyond that.

They had an aura that surpassed even celebrities.

So, if the person had been ordinary, I would have been immediately intimidated… but sadly, the person was Chae-rim.

Though busy with her duties as the Association Vice-Chairman, she was among the top three during her active years.

Perhaps that’s why Chae-rim casually brushed off Yoonseo’s pressure.

Thanks to that, I, unlike Chae-rim, felt a little anxious.

Honestly, this was unavoidable.

If Chae-rim dismissed Yoonseo’s pressure so nonchalantly, who would that pressure shift toward? The answer was obvious.

And sure enough… proving that old sayings like “as expected” become famous for good reason, Yoonseo’s interest that failed to land on Chae-rim turned back toward me.

Just as I predicted, it came back much stronger than before.

‘This is driving me crazy…’

Experiencing firsthand what it feels like when food has trouble making its way down my throat was a direct consequence of that.

Just then—

Clack—

As if sensing my predicament, the bathroom door opened with a rather loud noise.

And with it came my Senior, wearing a face that said, “Ah, here we go,” alongside Bora, whose expression seemed to question why she was even here at this hour.

“Did you come?”

Of course, the reason those two were here wasn’t Yoonseo.

After all, Yoonseo wanted to talk among those present.

But Chae-rim opposed that idea.

According to Yoonseo, if there was going to be a “discussion,” it would be better to gather everyone who might be somewhat related to it instead of keeping it strictly among ourselves.

Chae-rim’s comment seemed close to the truth, which might be why Yoonseo’s expression frowned, but she didn’t easily oppose it.

As a result, we ended up with this… not a gathering of lions, but of five, and it seemed that since everyone somewhat related to me was here, the atmosphere felt strangely tense even before the conversation had begun.

It felt like being in front of a bomb that could go off at any moment.

That made the sweat glands in my back react like a volcano, finally waking up after a long nap.

I had the foresight to wear a t-shirt under my patient gown when I got dressed earlier, preventing a total disaster; if I had just worn the gown alone, I probably would have been glued to it with sweat by now.

It was an unnerving atmosphere that invaded my mind so naturally.

Just to think that even Bora, who had come in with a confused look, had become aware of the tension around us.

In this atmosphere thick with tension, the first to break the silence was…

“Uh… Is it okay if I go first?”

Of course, it was Chae-rim, the very reason we were all gathered.

And surprisingly, no one opposed her statement.

Perhaps it was too heavy a burden to speak up against her.

“Before we get into the main story… I want to ask you all something.”

Thanks to that, Chae-rim’s voice continued.

“What do you all think about Dogun?”

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What do you think about Dogun, huh?

The suddenness of that question threw me off.

Or perhaps it was simply a question that wasn’t easy to answer.

A different kind of silence fell over the room compared to before.

None of us spoke up easily, but… the air inside was curiously charged.

Looking at everyone’s flushed faces, it seemed they were recalling instances involving Dogun.

That odd feeling left me unsettled.

Bora, Baeksulhwa, and even Chae-rim, who posed the question, all blushed like they were in on some pre-arranged secret, and it made me uneasy…

But still, I couldn’t help but ponder.

How did I end up liking Dogun?

How did that happen?

Now that I think about it, there’s no good way to explain it other than saying I found myself in that position when I came to my senses.

Initially, it was just a simple fondness; I thought it would be fun to get close to him…

But as we spent time together, it naturally evolved into something more.

Dogun was that kind of person.

He was so genuine that being around him made it impossible not to develop feelings.

Therefore, I thought that question was almost meaningless, and that’s why my reply was delayed—

“Of course… I like him.”

And just like that… I lost my chance to speak.