"Sorry, let's do it later."
No, let's do it together.
Jin Dallae could barely swallow the words that reached her throat. She thought, "If not this time, maybe next time," and the next day came.
"Sorry."
And the next day.
And the day after the next.
Every training time, Jin Dallae felt her chest tighten for some reason at the feeling of separation.
Lee Shiheon was always glued to Guseul's side when studying and always sought Sansuyu during training.
Watching Sansuyu follow Shiheon with quick steps, Jin Dallae felt an indescribable emotion.
"Let's go eat spicy rice cakes."
"Again?"
"We are spicy rice cake friends."
She was a friend, too.
Thinking that would bring back all the wrongdoings she had piled up before like a boomerang. What had she said? Hadn't she criticized everything, from appearance to personality, thoughtlessly? After all that cursing, trying to get closer now was a nuisance. Just smartly stay away.
Whenever any desires arose, such negative thoughts crossed her mind.
Recently, her relationships had started to twist a little.
She couldn't maintain relationships she initially thought of exploiting as guilt crept in.
Whether it was the known spiritualist, the wealthy businessman, or the promising prosecutor.
It was natural that the awkward relationships drifted apart, and recently, she hadn't talked much with Jung Siwoo either.
Lee Shiheon seemed to think she was friends with everyone, but… in fact, she wasn't.
She knew loneliness. It felt like sitting alone on a drifting sailboat in a remote place.
It was natural.
Nothing remained since she had approached with a dark purpose from the start. Others would see her as a strange person who got hurt and distanced herself alone.
-Thunk.
Dormitory.
She opened the fridge and took out a piece of chocolate and a bottle of water.
She swallowed a pill, drank the water, and bit the chocolate to sweeten the bitterness.
'...Sweet.'
Even in this situation, a sloppy smile appeared.
The happiest time of the day was now, swallowing a pill and biting chocolate.
She hadn't started taking the pills for long.
A relative advised her to start taking something related to mental health because she seemed to be under too much stress. There were side effects of drowsiness throughout the day, but it wasn't a big deal.
Ah. She wondered what she had been so desperate for during her wicked days.
Wouldn't there have been fewer regrets if she had lived a bit more flexibly?
Even though there were no health problems, a deep pain twisted in her chest.
'Mom.'
Recently, Jin Dallae received a call from her mother, Jin Yeo-hee.
She had said she had finally recovered from the addiction and wanted to meet.
Even though she had heard through an official that it was brainwashing and couldn't be helped, she couldn't bring herself to feel affection for her mother.
In fact, the pill-taking had started because of her mother's influence.
"I'm going crazy…really."
Jin Dallae leaned against the bed.
There was no progress in the relationships she desired,
and just when she thought something was finally forming, it slipped through her fingers like sand.
-Knock knock knock.
Just then, the sound of a knock. Assuming it was a parcel, Jin Dallae stood up and walked slowly to the main gate.
"… Let's go."
-Thunk.
When she opened the door, a familiar silhouette appeared.
A man with a mask covering his face stood there with laughter in his impressively wide-open eyes.
Though objectively not handsome, looking at him made Jin Dallae feel comfortable. Her face started to relax but then hardened.
"Why did you come at this time?"
"I felt bad for not giving this to you last time."
Shiheon scratched the back of his head as if it were nothing, then handed over the chocolate box he held in his right hand.
It was something he had bought a long time ago and only now remembered to give.
"…Ah."
The ribbon wrapped around the black packaging was very impressive.
"Th-thank you. For giving me this…"
"Oh, but do you like chocolate? I should have asked you first… The situation was a bit strange back then."
She used to dislike it because it was too sweet. But now, she liked it.
Jin Dallae grinned at the black packaging, feeling as if the resentment of the past was melting away.
"Thank you. Really. I mean it…"
"Ah, it's nothing."
Lifting her head to look at Shiheon's mask, Jin Dallae suddenly realized something.
The only connection she had left in this academy was with this person.
"Shall I go then?"
"Yes, please come in."
"But when will you stop using honorifics with me?"
"I'll, I'll try my best."
-The door closed.
-Sleep well.
Jin Dallae bit her lip and swallowed as she watched him leave with a gentle farewell.
What was this emotion swelling in her chest?
Jealousy?
No, it was too embarrassing to say… She was not sure yet. Jin Dallae closed her eyes and hugged the chocolate box tightly.
She wanted to make this relationship more solid.
'For that to happen….'
KakaoTalk!
KakaoTalk!
The vibrating bell rang, and when I picked up my cellphone, sure enough, it was a KakaoTalk message from Jin Dallae.
This time, it was a greeting. Once in the morning, once at lunch, twice at dinner time, and before bed. Nowadays, just the sound of the vibration is enough to tell the time of day.
It wasn't to the point of being annoying, but…
How should I put it? Recently, it seemed like an obsession was seeping into the messages.
"Is she really okay?"
After all, if I had to pick the most mentally exhausted person at the academy right now, it would undoubtedly be Jin Dallae.
Her brainwashed family members had gradually been released, and the revenge had ended, but since I had handled that, there must have been some lingering uneasiness.
On top of that, there was the responsibility of suddenly having to lead the family, and recently, there had been rumors that she had become quieter. Well, it made sense that she was having a tough time.
I should take her out for a drink sometime soon.
"Are you listening?"
Cheondo, sitting on the bed, tapped my thigh with her foot and furrowed her brows irritably.
"I was lost in thought for a moment."
"Proud of yourself, want to be in pain?"
"So, what were you saying… Argh!"
She pinched my side with her toes. The pain was so intense that as I clutched my side and collapsed, Cheondo hit my head with the palm of her hand, ruffling my hair.
"There are many ways to increase your skills. You've heard that, right?"
"Yes, yep."
"The fastest way to see results is through dungeons."
Dungeon.
Still, an unidentified location, known as a place where various resources and relics can be found. What Cheondo was talking about was probably something that could be obtained from such a dungeon.
"So you're telling me to clear a dungeon?"
"Something like that. But normally, clearing a dungeon doesn't drastically increase one's magic power."
"That's right. It's usually impossible to suddenly gain strength through some bizarre experience."
Cheondo smirked lightly as if denying my obvious statement.
"You know about purgatory, right?"
"I don't."
"How can you not know something everyone should… Sometimes, you seem like someone who has been living away from the world."
Cheondo sighed and slowly started to list information about purgatory.
Purgatory (燃獄).
A place that promised an opportunity one might never encounter again in life if only one overcame it. However, the conditions for entering and the penalties of the dungeon were so vast that many hesitated to enter. So far, the number of people who had survived purgatory could be counted on one hand.
Recently, an S-class hunter died in purgatory, and a special warning was issued. The difficulty of the dungeon goes without saying.
"How can I survive when even an S-class hunter didn't?"
"It's possible."
"How can…?"
"Because I survived."
Cheondo took a breath and continued.
"The trials purgatory offers to challengers are different for everyone. It judges which direction a person needs to go to become stronger and builds a bridge for them."
"But it's difficult, right?"
"Perhaps becoming a wreck once wouldn't be such a bad experience."
It seemed like nothing, but I immediately understood Cheondo's intent.
It was a warning and advice from experience, saying if I didn't want to see myself in a miserable state, I should be determined.
"But doesn't it usually take days to clear a dungeon? The exam is close, and there are academy classes…"
"You don't have to attend classes, right?"
I slowly nodded my head. I was already worried.
"…Yes, I suppose?"
"Then come prepared tomorrow."
"What do you mean?"
Cheondo took out her luggage from the closet as if it were a matter of course.
-Thud.
A large, bulging backpack was placed in front of me. From there, Cheondo took out a piece of paper and handed it to me.
"It's an attendance certificate. It's under my name. You can tell that to the girl."
I couldn't help but laugh at how everything was already prepared.
"Do you always disappear into the academy?"
"I guess it turned out that way."
"Alright, just give me an update."
Seyeong stuck to me in her office, using only her index finger to lift up the choker.
As he licked the faded mark with his tongue, a delighted sound burst out from her.
"…Uh."
"Do you feel it just from this now?"
"I don't know. It's only like that with you."
I left a thick kiss mark.
Then, Seyeong grabbed my wrist and pressed it against her chest. The soft sensation that wrapped around my hand made me flinch, and I took my lips off her neck.
"Didn't you wear a bra?"
"I took it off in a hurry when I heard you were coming. Hehe. Why? Did you want to take it off?"
"You're completely soaked."
"…Hey, don't say that all of a sudden."
Seyeong seriously frowned and pushed me away.
"Damn, I wasn't thinking about getting wet today."
"I have time this evening."
"… Don't get any ideas."
Seyeong's face brightened at my casual invitation, and she hugged me tightly.
"It's not dangerous or anything, right?"
"I'm going with Cheonma. Why would there be any problem?"
"But still… damn, it makes me uneasy that you're going. You always cause trouble. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not your girlfriend but raising a son. We're not even married."
"What…?"
"Am I wrong?"
She was right.
At my honest answer, Seyeong laughed and took off my mask, pressing my face against her cleavage and stroking my head.
"Did you contact the kids?"
"Yes. Sansuyu said she'd come if there was tteokbokki. Siwoo and Guseul are cheering us on, and Su-yeong said it's a shame… Oh, and I haven't got a reply from Jin Dallae yet."
"You better handle it well from now on."
"Are you really treating me like your son now?"
"Hehe. I just like it, that's all. Do you like stuff like… having your chest sucked while being jerked off?"
"You're unbelievable."
I lifted my face and headbutted Seyeong's forehead.
-Woo-woo-woo-woong!
The vibrating sound came from my pocket. When I took out my phone, I saw a message from Jin Dallae.
-Me: I'm going to the dungeon for training with my master from the day after tomorrow. I might not come back for a while. - Today 6:23 am
-Jin Dallae: Do you have time tomorrow? I want to have a drink. - Today 4:21 pm
I received this reply after a few hours.
I typed without giving it much thought.
-Me: Yeah
So, my schedule until the day after tomorrow was pretty much set.