This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 47

I had carefully thought about the distribution of people, but it seemed my friends weren’t pleased with it.

“Why, what’s wrong?”

As I felt a prickling sensation on my side, I turned to the source and asked if it really had to be divided into boys and girls.

“Oh, was that what you were unhappy about? You could have said something earlier.”

“No… then it would stand out…”

“Sure, I guess.”

What’s the point of saying anything?

Jinho, who could be considered the organizer of this trip, had a crush on Sangah, one of the girls who wasn’t present at the moment.

“I never would’ve thought that since he gets scolded all the time…”

But hey, the world is vast, and tastes are diverse.

Someone might actually enjoy being scolded.

Anyway, the fact that this guy took the initiative to push for this trip was largely because of that.

Unlike Yoonseo and me, they managed to get into the same school lucky enough, but the thought of entering high school in such an ambiguous state gave them anxiety.

So while pondering how to create some sort of spark, they came up with the idea of a trip.

If they travel together, something would definitely happen, right?

“So, what now?”

“Uh, what?”

“Should I help or not?”

“Um…”

After I generously offered my assistance, I couldn’t help but wonder what that doubtful look was about.

“If it were Myungwook, maybe, but you, Dogun…”

“Hey, what do you mean?”

“Honestly, you and I are pretty much the same.”

“What are you saying…”

What am I even saying to anyone right now when this is just the first attempt?

It’s ridiculous enough to evoke laughter.

“And… for now, I’ll try to handle it myself.”

Seeing the determination in their expression, I thought perhaps they had made a firm resolution.

Still, with that declaration, there was only one thing I could say in response.

“Okay, I heard you. Let’s hurry and finish moving your stuff, shall we?”

“…Can I take a little break first?”

“Suit yourself then.”

“Really?”

“Just know you’ll end up hungry for about 30 more minutes.”

“Tsk…”

Don’t they realize that clicking their tongue won’t change anything?

While the guys were bickering among themselves, the girls were busy teasing Yoonseo.

*

“Damn…”

It was something Dogun had realized early on, but Yoonseo was not in a great mood.

The reason for that was, needless to say, Dogun.

Or rather, I should say his actions.

“Why is he calling me by my name…”

I knew it.

It’s ridiculous to be jealous over something like that, and Dogun probably just didn’t have any other suitable nickname to use.

I knew that, but… it couldn’t help but annoy me and spark jealousy.

So I was trudging along with a sack of onions in my arms when I suddenly heard laughter from behind.

“Hahaha… what to do… Yoonseo is just too cute, isn’t she? Right, Chaedam?”

“Totally.”

One of them was laughing so hard that tears were practically streaming down her face, and watching that made the frustration built up inside me come spilling out.

“Right now, Dogun is calling me by my name, and that’s why I’m jealous, isn’t it?”

Of course, as soon as I heard that, all my earlier thoughts vanished, replacing them with confusion.

Maybe it was because my hidden feelings had been exposed.

My face felt hot all of a sudden.

“No, I’m not?!”

I shouted that out urgently, but… as soon as I did, I realized it.

The hasty excuse I threw out didn’t hold water.

Otherwise, those two wouldn’t be looking at me that way, giggling.

“Yeah, sure, it’s not like that.”

“Right. Our Yoonseo isn’t that petty.”

“Damn… that’s not it!”

“What’s not?”

“…What?”

“What’s not true?”

Sangah’s eyes, slightly tilted and beautifully shaped, held a kind of magic that left people speechless.

“Ah, do you mean…?”

“Are you saying that you don’t like Dogun?”

“…Ah, no, that…”

Once again, I felt like I was being tongue-tied, but the laughter that erupted around me was much lighter than before.

“Seriously… if that’s the case, just go ahead and confess already.”

“Exactly. What’s wrong with a girl confessing first? It’s totally valid, right?”

“My point. I’ve heard there used to be many cases of that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they say that before people awaken their talents.”

In front of the chatting friends, I found myself unable to say a word.

And it made sense because I was envious.

As Sangah said, how great would it have been if I had the courage to express my feelings first?

The feelings that had accumulated over the ten years we’d known each other were incredibly thick and solid.

To leap past that comfort zone wouldn’t just be difficult; it would be akin to smashing an egg against a rock.

“Why the sigh again?”

“Are you worried that Dogun doesn’t see you as a girl?”

“…What? What are you talking about?”

At this point, I felt like I needed to rethink about whether I could trust these two as ‘safe’ friends to take on this camping trip.

This was dangerous in a totally different context.

Had these two somehow awakened the ability to read each other’s hearts while we weren’t looking?

How could they so easily see through me?…

“Hmm, well… it did seem like that from how you two carry yourselves.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you know. It felt like… like an older brother looking at a younger sister? No, rather…”

“An uncle?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Just that kind of feeling. Like how an uncle treats his niece?”

An uncle, huh.

“What are you talking about? We’re the same age! My uncle isn’t even that childish!”

“It’s just the vibe! You get what I mean?”

I didn’t know anything.

Is Dogun seriously looking at me like I’m just a seven-year-old kid?

That’s synonymous with saying I could never be his romantic interest.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t entirely ignore what they were cheerfully discussing… because unlike most, these two actually had romantic experience.

In fact, one was actively in a relationship.

“This is getting serious… honestly, when I heard you two have known each other for nearly ten years, I thought you would just start dating naturally…”

“So it’s not that easy, huh? You’d have to completely change your perception.”

That realization had hit me hard recently.

Thus, what I really wanted to know wasn’t about all that but rather… a solution.

Is there no clever way to approach this?

“But the situation is actually pretty good right now…”

“True, there’s probably not another chance like this.”

“Exactly.”

What in the world are those two whispering about?

While I was quietly fussing over that, they suddenly whipped their heads toward me—

“Yoonseo.”

“Will you trust us just this once?”

With their eyes sparkling, they said that.

Instinctively, I gulped.

After swallowing…

“What… what are you planning?”

I cautiously asked in the softest voice I could manage.