This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 51

“How strange…”

He’s not usually the type to fall for things like this.

What’s today, anyway?

In any case, Yoonseo’s expression of utter despair was the epitome of her plight as she suddenly found herself alone with the task of washing six portions of dishes.

“Can’t you just use your abilities to wash it?”

To be honest, that was all I could think of from my perspective.

“Ah, I think I need to go in and rest.”

“Oh, then me too.”

“Where do you think you’re going? We still have to set up the tent.”

“But we just ate…”

“Exactly! That’s even better. It helps with digestion, doesn’t it?”

While Yoonseo was left behind, the two guys, eager to flee into the pension, got caught by the girls like mice in a trap. So what was Yoonseo doing then…?

“Sigh…”

She was picking up the scattered dirty dishes with deep sighs echoing from her lips.

With every additional item she collected, a clattering sound rang out… and hearing that made it impossible for me to just stand still.

“Hey, when are you going to move all that? Instead of that, just put a box on the cart and load it there.”

“You’re just nagging even though you’re not helping…”

“Hey! When someone gives you a tip, you should thank them and accept it graciously instead of talking back!”

“Geez, the constant chatter…”

Though I grumbled, she eventually did as I suggested.

Yoonseo, having gathered all the dishes, started pulling the cart towards the sink.

Following Yoonseo was purely because I felt guilty about leaving behind whatever I’d forgotten.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“You need to take your rubber gloves.”

Washing dishes outside with bare hands in this weather? Perfect for a case of chapped hands.

I was following her to prevent that situation, but it seemed Yoonseo took it as me wanting to help.

She clearly showed her disappointment… and seeing that made me want to tease her even more.

“Why should I care what others think?”

“Should I go get them again then?”

“Just… leave it.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Just leave it there.”

Well, she probably didn’t want chapped hands.

So, placing the rubber gloves back into the box of dishes made Yoonseo turn around and stride away.

Feeling troubled about doing the dishes alone, she probably felt even more upset at me teasing her.

As Yoonseo strode confidently towards the sink, her steps halted just as we were approaching the destination.

“Why are you following me?”

“Huh? Oh… never mind.”

“Wouldn’t you be bothered? You’ve been trailing me since earlier.”

That was true.

Anyway, upon seeing Yoonseo’s protest, I shrugged, and since it seemed she had nothing more to say, she turned back and started on her path.

Finally reaching the sink, I watched as Yoonseo started stacking the dirty dishes inside the box while leaning against the door.

“Are you just here to watch?”

“No? I’m monitoring if you’re washing them properly.”

“What?!”

“But aren’t you using your powers? It would be easier.”

Now that we’ve come this far, I went ahead and asked what I was genuinely curious about, only to receive a look as if I were a fool.

“What are you talking about? Do you think I’m going to break the dishes?”

“Well, can’t you just manipulate them gently?”

“That would leave them dirty, you know?”

“Then can’t you just increase the power a bit?”

“That makes it harder! It’s much better to wash them by hand even if it’s tiring than to mess around adjusting it all!”

“Really?”

So washing dishes with powers was that much more of a hassle…

“Then I guess I could add it as a new training menu.”

“What?”

“No, I just thought it could help you improve your control.”

Control, or rather, the ability to regulate power might seem trivial but was incredibly important.

It was especially pivotal when determining capable individuals in this field of work.

The total amount of strength one could wield with talent can be increased if one puts their heart into it.

The conventional wisdom states that talent grows stronger the more it is used.

But what if the control isn’t there?

You could become a dangerous person, capable of accidentally harming those nearby at any moment.

And among heroes, it’s unlikely that anyone would welcome such a teammate.

So I had been pondering how to effectively hone that control lately, and here it was, the solution right beside me.

Feeling satisfied, I nodded to myself and moved to stand next to Yoonseo.

“W-What are you doing…?”

“Oh? I just thought I’d join you since I felt uneasy leaving it all to you.”

“Hah… do you really think someone can’t do dishes without guidance?”

“Enough of that. Just hand me one of the extra sponges.”

Though she seemed exasperated, she didn’t seem to mind letting me help, as I soon had a sponge in my hand.

And I was about to dive into the washing when this time, the rubber gloves came thrusting toward me.

“What?”

“Put them on.”

“No thanks.”

“Put them on!”

“I really don’t want to. You wear them.”

“Your hands will get cold. Wear them!”

“Oh my… since when did you start worrying about me?”

Anyway, despite my internal complaints, I slipped on the rubber gloves that Dogun had lent me.

Having come this far, it seemed better to be proactive and finish the dishes quickly rather than bicker with Dogun.

“Idiot…”

If I was going to do this, I should have brought two pairs instead of just one.

Even though warm water could come out indoors, what was I doing washing in bare hands in this winter cold?

With my lips pouting in frustration, I resisted with superhuman patience.

If I pouted now, there was a 99.9% chance Dogun would tease me about my sulking.

As I washed the dishes, the clattering sounds echoed all around us.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“What’re you doing after the dishes?”

What’ll I do after doing the dishes? Isn’t going back to the pension the only option?

To make sure Yoonseo ends up as the dish-washing maid, I had mentioned that Dogun would likely sneak out with her, hoping they could take a walk, but if it were as easy as saying it, I would have done it already.

It isn’t easy at all; that’s the problem.

“Got nothing to do, huh? Then let’s play a game of dangae together.”

In any case, now that the table was set and yet I had nothing to say, I was surprised to find Dogun coming up with a suggestion first.

“Dangae?”

“Yeah.”

“What for?”

“Well… it’s too cold for a walk, so… Ah!”

Maybe he thought of a better alternative than walking.

From the look on his face, it seemed likely.

I had no idea what it was, though.

“By the way, I had this.”

With that, Dogun produced a jingling set of keys from his pocket.

“Oh.”

These were the keys I got from Jinho’s aunt earlier.

“How about going?”

To be honest, I wanted to nod my head eagerly right away.

Right now, just the two of us could freely use that place.

But… I couldn’t readily nod because I felt guilty about leaving our friends behind to have fun alone.

I was sure of it…

“Honestly, after cooking and doing the dishes, I’ve done my share, right? It’s not good for one person to take on too much work.”

The moment Dogun said that, my spirit lightened, almost instantly.

“That’s true… after all, it’s no fun riding if it’s just one person.”

“Exactly! So, are you in?”

“…Sure.”

Well, didn’t Sangah say for them to go off and spend some time alone?

So, it should be fine, right?

“Good thinking. Either way, if we go back now, we will just be a hindrance.”

“Huh?”

What on earth did he mean by that?

With a puzzled expression, I received a similar reaction from him.

“What? Were you seriously unaware? I thought everyone knew about it except for the two of them.”

So what the heck was this about?

“Well, you know… Jinho likes that girl Sangah.”

“…What?”

“Did you really not know?”

“Wait a minute… so this trip is…”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

No wonder it felt odd this whole time; there was a reason.

In any case, if that was true, then I didn’t need to carry any extra burdens.

“So what about this Sangah girl?”

“What about her?”

“If Jinho confesses, do you think she’d accept?”

“Well…”

Honestly, I had no idea.

If I don’t even know my own feelings, how could I know someone else’s?

Still, the one thing I was sure of was that she didn’t seem to have a total lack of interest.

If she didn’t feel anything, she wouldn’t even entertain his jokes in the first place.

Comparatively, those two did tease and be playful quite a lot, which makes it okay to think positively, right?

“Really? So you think she has at least some interest? Hmm… that’s a bit ambiguous…”

Dogun seemed to have a different take on the matter.

“Eh… whatever. It’s not like I’m gonna confess, so I’ll let them figure it out on their own.”

The moment I heard those words, my heart sank for a split second because an unnecessary yet ominous thought jolted through my mind.

“Anyway, that means—”

To shake off that encroaching thought that had filled my mind,

“Let’s finish washing the dishes quickly and go for a ride.”

I nodded vigorously at Dogun’s suggestion.