Being somewhat dragged along, I arrived at a secluded spot by car.
Seyeong parked on an unpaved road and took out a mat and a basket from the trunk.
"Here, take this."
I picked up the items she nonchalantly handed over. They were unexpectedly heavy. She must have packed quite a lot.
Peeking through the red cloth covering the basket, I caught glimpses of sandwiches or roll cakes, maybe fruits like strawberries.
"Oh, when did you prepare all this?"
"Hehe, Lee Shiheon, you should know you're lucky. If a man causes trouble, the woman should be sharp, right?"
Seyeong lightly poked my chest with her index finger and then pointed toward the forest. On the outskirts of the academy, the sun-soaked forest shone brightly.
"Let's go in. It's easier to talk there since there's no one around."
Having said that, Seyeong slyly wrapped her arm around my waist.
"If you ask again, 'Why not just get a room to talk?' you're dead."
"...."
…How did she know?
Surprised, I widened my eyes, and Seyeong chuckled, pushing me lightly. A step of distance opened up between us as we headed deeper into the forest.
"I've been with you so many times. How could I not know what you're thinking?"
She then made a vulgar gesture with her hands, forming a circle with one and pushing a finger through it. Her act, somehow shy like a cat trying to hide its embarrassment, made me laugh.
"Don't you just want to be with me? Dressed like that and all."
"Maybe?"
Seyeong playfully tilted the corners of her eyes and, conscious of my words, covered her chest with her sleeve. Of course, her thin wrist couldn't completely cover her ample chest. Seyeong's knit top, with its plunging neckline, revealed skin from below her collarbone to daringly lower.
The upper part of her black bra was exposed, a defenseless sight that would have made me cover her up if anyone else had been around. It was an outfit that left little to the imagination, and I wasn't so dense as to miss the signal.
"Is it okay to hit on a guy who's going to be the World Tree's husband? You put up such strong walls last time I brought it up."
But it would be disappointing to just let it go. To hint that I no longer needed to be the World Tree's husband, I playfully put on a sulky face and complained.
Seyeong, completely fooled, slapped my shoulder.
"Are you bringing that up now!"
"Who's always ambiguous? Clinging on but firmly stating she'll never date. Am I wrong?"
"...."
A brief silence followed.
"But you didn't have to say that now. We have a lot to talk about today…"
Seyeong, who had been playful just moments ago, pouted her lips as if she was offended by my words.
"I have a lot to say to you too."
"Huh?"
"All sorts of things. Shall we sit here? The grass is short and seems perfect."
We arrived at a nice spot, so I spread the mat and sat down. The early summer breeze blew through the trees.
"So, what do you want to tell me?"
"…Nothing special."
A serious air flowed over Seyeong's slightly stiff expression.
"You sound serious, though."
"Shut up when I'm being serious. I just came to tell you that I'm going on a business trip. So, I won't see you for a while. I wanted to share what I've found out recently."
She casually mentioned her own overloaded schedule and considerations for me.
"What kind of business trip?"
"Why are you so curious? Fine… I'll tell you since you'd keep asking otherwise. I'm investigating those Flower bastards."
"Academy instructors-"
"Someone else will take over. The instructor in charge will change."
Investigation of Flower.
Indeed, their activities have been increasing recently. After the recent cult and serial rampage incidents, reports of terror attacks have risen in various countries. Therefore, emergency orders were issued to all hunters regarding Flower.
'Being a hunter, she could have applied for those orders.'
Since it was an academy that upheld justice, they wouldn't have stopped Seyeong from stepping down from her instructor position.
"Why would someone with so much money and honor do that?"
I wondered.
There was no need for Lee Seyeong to go out of her way for this job.
If there had to be a reason, perhaps it was because of me.
It could be family matters or something else, but that was the first thing that came to mind.
"Could it be because of me—"
"Stop talking nonsense."
Lee Seyeong, cutting off my words, continued speaking with a heated breath.
But I knew. Sometimes, Seyeong tended to cut her sentences short and forcibly end the conversation when she lied.
'It's too much even for that….'
Still, it was strange.
Could it be that she signed up for this dangerous task just for me?
Considering the favors she had done for me so far, it wasn't impossible.
Looking at Seyeong with worried eyes, she eventually coughed and continued.
"Anyway… I came to see your face and give you a health boost before going away for a while. How would I feel hearing such things? Do you know how hard it was to make this?"
"I'm sorry."
"So, what do you have to say?"
I closed my mouth bitterly.
The things that happened in Purgatory and what I had revealed to Cheondo.
I had to come clean about my face and my abilities someday.
But Lee Seyeong's words just now slightly changed the priority of what I wanted to say.
"Hmm…"
Neither more nor less. There was just one thing I needed to confirm.
I stealthily moved closer to Lee Seyeong. Just a little more and our shoulders would touch.
"I can now sever my connection with the World Tree. To put it more precisely, I no longer need to follow the quests. I won't die from them anymore."
"…What?"
Her saffron eyes, making eye contact with me, trembled.
Her expression was full of questions she wanted to ask, but I continued speaking.
"It just happened. The training in Purgatory was effective."
"Purgatory…? You crazy guy, you went there? What were you thinking, those peach people really…!"
"Is that really the issue right now?"
Ignoring Seyeong, who was about to get angry, I added a playful tone to my voice.
"Why did you say you couldn't date me?"
"…What!? No, you, you."
Lee Seyeong struggled to keep her mouth from hanging open in shock.
Before I spoke again, I reflected on the past.
The reason she kept her distance from me, even coining the term 'sum-sex' (a mix of flirtation and sexual partners), was because I was a candidate for the World Tree's husband.
[It doesn't just happen like that. What if I get caught committing adultery with a World Tree husband candidate? Then I would be expelled without a doubt.]
Because of social issues, and back then, I was powerless.
But now, I could start to see that future.
I planned to shatter that title of husband candidate, no matter what it took.
So then…
"Do we really need to keep our distance anymore?"
"…Do you understand what you're saying?"
"How could I not?"
It was practically a confession.
Anyone else might have hesitated, but since it was Lee Seyeong, I could say it right away.
I thought we had felt romantic feelings for each other for quite some time.
To me, Seyeong was the person I had known the longest since coming into this world.
At the same time, Lee Seyeong and I had exchanged and forgiven each other's shameful behaviors, making it easy to be open with one another.
Lee Seyeong looked dazed after hearing my words.
After hearing so much, she seemed lost in thought for a while, then suddenly laughed in disbelief and looked at me.
"… You're not joking?"
I nodded.
"It's not even April Fools' Day today… The World Tree… Is that true?"
It was unbelievable even to me, so her reaction was natural.
"Lee Shiheon, you're amazing. Really… Seeing a chance for divorce made you so happy that you confessed to me?"
Her voice was getting faster and more excited.
"Wow, really… No."
Lee Seyeong giggled joyfully, then burst into hearty laughter, patting my shoulder hard.
-Snap!
"Pfft, hahaha."
With a face brightened by a good mood, Seyeong spoke.
"Ah, how should I react… Are you not experienced in dating? What kind of confession was that? My face is turning red."
"No..."
"Have you done this with someone else?"
"Who else is there besides you, teacher?"
"Why? My friend. Byeol, didn't you have a thing with her? Wasn't she cute? Or your mentor? Or maybe Jin Dallae? You're close with her, too."
"..."
"Was I too mischievous?"
"Very much so."
Perhaps to soothe my wounded heart, Seyeong softly placed her hand on my cheek, looking at me with gentle eyes, then let out a heated breath again.
"Ah, but really. You'll soon be chasing after another girl… Can't you change your face back? Then I'll consider it."
"..."
Lee Seyeong matched her speech to her own rhythm.
Her words were so fast it was almost like rapping.
"Sigh, just give me a moment to catch my breath… I never imagined this. Today, I've experienced a full range of emotions. Hehe."
I never thought I'd say so much in such a short time, either.
Seyeong tried to say something, took another deep breath, then squinted her eyes cutely and spread her arms wide.
"Hurry up and hug me. If you want to be my boyfriend."
"Yes."
As always, when we joked around, I embraced her warmly, feeling the heat of Seyeong's body.
-Thump, thump.
I could hear the pounding of my heart.
Knowing this, Seyeong, making eye contact, had a playful smile on her face.
Her cheeks seemed a bit flushed, too. Seyeong, with a slightly sensual and odd voice, slowly began to speak.
"Normally, what's the big deal with dating? Even strangers can date if they click."
"That's true."
"Normally, I would have just accepted. But after hearing what you said today…"
Her face still showed some hesitation, but soon she smiled awkwardly.
"It's a bit different now."
"...Yes?"
"Sorry. When we're both done with our work… you know?"
It meant we still had a lot to do.
Seyeong's words made sense. And now, I had my first experience of being turned down by a woman.
"I've been rejected."
"Hahaha. You know how I feel, right? Don't mess with too many other women. Life gets ruined if you get too tangled with women."
Seyeong hugged me tightly and patted my back. Her gentle touch nearly relaxed my tense body.
"Don't mess with too many women…"
"Do I not know your personality? Don't say you'll wait; just keep it moderate. I don't care much about that. But don't brag about other women in front of me, okay?"
I nodded repeatedly.
I remembered the cold look in Seyeong's eyes when I told her about the sub-quest that required me to sleep with three tree people.
It was a look that could kill.
"I'm grateful, though. For telling me this first."
Her hand, stroking my back, moved up to my head.
Gently running her hand through my hair, then the nape of my neck, and finally my cheek, Seyeong pretended to kiss me, then suddenly pushed me away.
-Tumble.
I fell backward,
On the mat, lying down and looking up at her, Seyeong gazed down at me with a playful, mischievous smile.
"You know you can't leave today, right?"
I felt a chill run down my spine.
"If you don't eat everything on the mat, you can't leave."
On the mat. It was obvious who was there.