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Chapter 261
“Hello?”
Just at that moment, I felt a presence behind us; soon, Jung Garam warped next to me. Usually, Jung Garam and Kim Olim would come see me together, but the Paladin came a little early today.
Slightly on edge due to my earlier conversation with her, I almost jumped in my seat. However, I managed to endure.
“Hah? So suspicious,” Jung Garam said.
“….Y-Yeah? What’s suspicious?”
“What’s with that expression just as you saw me?”
I’m a horrible actor…
Jung Garam gave me a grin and stared at me; when I became rigid, he paused before staring at Kim Olim. And…
“Noona, you talked about me behind my back, right~?” 1 He immediately asked Kim Olim.
I looked at the Paladin in surprise–how had Jung Garam noticed so quickly? As soon as I looked at her, though, I realized the reason for the Assassin’s startling perceptiveness.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” It seemed that Kim Olim wasn’t good at controlling her facial expression either! She turned away from Jung Garam with a stiff expression; anyone could see she was hiding something.
I looked alternating between the two, fidgeting because I was anxious we’d be found out at this rate. Surprisingly, though, Jung Garam stared at us before sitting down on the remaining chair with a grin on his face. “Well… I guess it’s something you’re not telling me because I don’t need to know, right?”
“…….”
“That’s right. It’s nothing. You don’t need to worry about it,” Kim Olim said.
“You really did gossip, huh~” Jung Garam swung his feet and stared at the Paladin; Kim Olim, on the other hand, kept silent and looked blankly at the wall. It was so obvious that she was avoiding his gaze.
Like that, a cold silence persisted for about 10 minutes. Of course, Kim Olim and I were the only ones who felt uncomfortable; Jung Garam played games on my phone nonchalantly.
However, when the dawn began to break, Jung Garam, who had been absorbed in his game for a while, began to talk to Kim Olim. “Noona, didn’t you say you were going to go to the airport to see who arrived today?”
“…I did. But, wasn’t Choi Kyung-sik the one that was going to come and take care of Choi Lee-kyung today?”
“Kyung-sik-ie spent 20 straight hours making medicine and became tired. So, I said I’d trade shifts with him.”
“Is he finished with his medicine?”
“He said it’s almost done?”
“I see…” Kim Olim momentarily adopted a conflicted expression. She would have to leave me alone with the person she warned me against–the person that she found dangerous enough to recommend that I arm myself with [Sylph’s Fall].
I read her inner conflict and took the initiative, “You’ll be busy, so go ahead. Garam-ie is here anyway…”
“…Understood. I’ll strive to return in two hours.”
“You don’t have to strain yourself…”
“Jung Garam, you shouldn’t act rashly either.”
“Yeah, yeah~”
After looking at me with lingering thoughts blaring from her expression, Kim Olim eventually vanished from the room.
As soon as Kim Olim disappeared, Jung Garam smiled and put the phone on the table as if he were waiting for this moment. Then, he immediately started interrogating me. “What were you guys talking about?”
“N-Nothing much…”
“What do you mean? You have a horrible poker face.” Jung Garam approached me, as if he were urging me to put aside my lies. Then, he reached out his hand to me; however, he stopped before he could grab my collar and tilted his head. “Hm? But, where is that dog…I mean Lackey? I thought something was missing around here…”
“Ah, Dawon-ie took him.”
“He took Lackey…?” It looked as if the assassin couldn’t believe I docilely let the Mage take the skeleton. ‘Did you simply stare at Seo Dawon and do nothing?’ Garam’s gaze seemed to convey.
I suddenly felt like a terrible human being who handed over a beloved puppy to a stranger. So, I hurriedly added, “That’s… Seo Dawon had a job for Lackey, so I let him borrow it for a while…”
“I bet you won’t see it again.”
“Dawon-ie isn’t that kind of person!”
“Pffthahaha! You’re the only one who thinks that way about Dawon-hyung.” Jung Garam laughed as if heard something particularly funny. I glared at Jung Garam, trying to understand the way Red Lotus viewed their guildmaster.
From my point of view, they were well-suited and intimate enough to be together in death…
‘Even so, they distrust each other… Especially when it comes to each other’s personal character. They’re harsher on each other than strangers…’
It was unbelievable that they became one of the best guilds in the world with this sort of teamwork. Woo Ragi seemed to follow Seo Dawon’s directions well, but even he drew a line at personal matters.
Was this the so-called ‘dividing your private life from your professional life?’
Ignorant of my complicated feelings, Jung Garam continued to tease affectionately, “Well, Dawon acts like he’s missing a few screws around you, but… don’t let your guard down around him too much.”
“Why do you guys distrust each other like this?”
“Me? I trust Dawon-hyung. But, you trust way too much–that’s an issue,” Jung Garam said. Even though he was so young, his expression looked both cheeky and mature.
Frowning, I answered, “You seem to be misunderstanding something… Seo Dawon can’t do anything against me now.”
“Pfthahahaha!”
“I’m serious. I disciplined Dawon a little yesterday.”
Jung Garam now puffed up his cheeks trying to hold back his giggles, like this was some ‘don’t laugh’ challenge. Poking his puffy cheeks, I said, “So, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
“Huh? What the. Something really happened?”
“A lot happened…”
Jung Garam stood still, as if he were waiting for me to continue speaking; however, I didn’t intend to bring up these matters.
Perhaps he noticed my reticence; the assassin eventually gave up and approached me. Then, in a childish voice, he whined, “I’m bored.”
“Play more games.”
“Can I lie down next to you?”
As soon as I heard that, a voice that sounded like Kim Olim’s said “Refuse” in my head, but I nodded gently. When I scooched aside a little, Jung Garam clambered atop the bed without any hesitation.
After using my arm like a pillow and getting comfortable, he started up his game. Since it was a racing game, the phone was quite loud every time the Assassin used the booster.
“You’re pretty good at that.”
“I’m 7th place though?”
It was a little awkward between us. I just told him he was doing well because it seemed like the Assassin was working hard… Jung Garam continued to mumble as he pressed away at the touch screen, “Ah, before I died I was really good at this game.”
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“……”
“These bastards–for three years, I’ve just been stagnating.” He lost a few games in a row. I thought Jung Garam would throw his phone in frustration, but the Assassin was persistent. Later on, he even avoided losing in one or two games.
The sight of his carefree and happy face made me feel like my conversation with Kim Olim was for nothing. Besides, I felt sleepy just watching Garam playing games… I drooped, nearly asleep, and came close to head-butting the Assassin. He yelped and remarked, “You’re a spy for that team aren’t you?”
“Ah, Sorry…”
“You tired?”
“Mmhmm…” I was going to ask him to wake me up when the doctors were making their rounds, but my yawn interrupted that desire.
When I opened my mouth to yawn, my chin brushed against his soft hair. I flinched a little, because it was itchy. I was a bit nervous, but Jung Garam didn’t say anything even though I was literally pressing down on his head. He was completely focused on his game.
Looking at him playing, drowsiness washed over me yet again. Eventually, I closed my eyes; exhaustion broke through the floodgates. By that time, it felt like Jung Garam was curling into my embrace, but it was too late. My consciousness was already flying away.
“…Choi Lee-kyung, are you sleeping?”
Someone, probably Jung Garam, whispered to me. I didn’t react at all–my body was too heavy.
Soon afterwards, I felt a soft touch on my collarbone, but the touch didn’t necessarily bother me. Then, my mood soured because the touch soon turned into what felt like licking; however, I couldn’t shake it off because I was already falling into a deep, coma-like sleep.
“Really…” I heard brief snippets of a voice; something prickled at the back of my nape, but even that was fine.
I plunged into a deep slumber.
* * *
“……Huh?” I raised my torso off the bed, startled, when I saw the dim hospital room.
I had slept so well that the sun was already setting outside the window; the corners of my lips were damp with drool. When I automatically raised my hand to wipe it, I had an IV connected to the back of my hand, unlike before I had fallen asleep.
“I got an IV? Wow, I don’t remember a thing…” I sat absentmindedly, wiping off my saliva with my sleeves. It felt a little awful to have my day cut so short from a nap. Furthermore, I felt belatedly lightheaded from turning my head so fast.
“Ah, So dizzy…Did I sleep too much?” I muttered while slipping one foot off the bed, trying to go to the bathroom. Suddenly, the dim room shined with light.
“Argh!” Surprised, I looked towards the switch; there, a handsome man leaned against the wall with an annoyed expression and his arms crossed across his chest.
It was Woo Ragi.
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TL: He’s back! Our resident homophobe!
Footnotes
Jung Garam is acting cutesy here, but I wasn’t sure how to show it in tone…except with a tilda.