episode_0235

“Sob… I’m sorry… It’s all, it’s my fault… I’m sorry… I… you… ”

The sad sobbing did not stop. Feeling guilty, Seo-yeon lowered her head and shed tears.

I couldn’t bear to look at the face of a man who calmly covered up my faults instead of blaming me.

And what she heard was Lee Hyeon’s voice, as if gently comforting her.

“… You’re always late with your apologies.”

Immediately afterwards, I felt a slight weight on my hair. And the warmth of something warm.

“Ugh… sigh… ”

Seo-yeon slowly raised her head. Her face was still covered in tears. Seo-yeon, unable to grasp the situation, just stared blankly at the man.

Then, his long fingers moved back and forth, gently stroking Seoyeon’s hair, as if he was handling a precious piece of art.

“It was like that when we first met, and it’s the same now.”

It was a slight movement, but it was more than enough to bring her comfort. He seemed to be focused solely on comforting her, as if the wounds he had inked on himself were secondary.

“I thought a lot had changed… but it’s really the same as before.”

“Sigh… ”

“The Yeon I know… really… hasn’t changed… ”

The golden eyes that had been staring at him intently began to well up with tears once again. Soon, Seo-yeon’s face distorted and tears began to fall.

“Oh no… I’m sorry… ”

For hours, sad cries echoed through the hospital room.

***

“Sniff… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… ”

Lee Hyun had already heard the same apology hundreds of times. The crying had subsided, but Seo Yeon was still apologizing to him over and over again with bloodshot eyes.

The image of a young lady who, unable to overcome her stubbornness, ends up throwing a tantrum and eventually admits her mistake.

It was also the first time in a long time that he had seen him.

But maybe it’s because I’ve already let go of quite a lot of burden.

Although it was impossible to undo the scars that had been engraved, somehow he was able to accept this sight with much greater ease.

“It’s okay to stop now.”

“Sniff… ”

Seoyeon, who was sniffling, barely stopped apologizing after hearing several warnings.

And as she regained some sense of reason, a look of embarrassment began to creep up her face. As if she was embarrassed by the fierce look she had just shown.

The blush that had bloomed stood out even more because of her pale white skin. Seo-yeon, who could not make eye contact with Lee Hyun, could only see her poor hair.

Then, the two of them continued their conversation while crouching on the floor, leaving the bed and chair behind. Just like the days when they would sneak into the warehouse and talk without anyone knowing.

It was a conversation that started as if they were trying to change the subject, but once the conversation started, it continued without stopping.

Then, Seo-yeon glanced at Lee Hyeon. Then she asked in a voice that was still wet.

“Can I ask how I came to be able to use magic?”

“Magic?”

“Yeah. So… that… ”

Seo-yeon trailed off. Although she was curious about the cause and effect of Lee Hyeon, who had been judged as completely insensitive, being able to use magic, she seemed reluctant to say those words.

But Lee Hyeon opened his mouth calmly.

“… I don’t know either.”

“You don’t know…?”

“Yeah. I just suddenly became able to use it one day. There were no signs of flowering at all… ”

“I see… ”

Seoyeon nodded her head as if she found it curious without any doubts.

“It’s amazing… somehow we both became wizards… I never thought about it back then… ”

Then, she looked at Lee Hyeon and smiled bashfully as if she was relieved.

“Still, that’s fortunate… right… ?”

“… ”

It was a very fleeting moment that I didn’t even notice. A dark light flashed across Lee Hyun’s face. Seo-yeon tilted her head in puzzlement as she watched Lee Hyun remain silent without answering.

“HyunA?”

“… No. You’re right. Really… That’s fortunate.”

“… ?”

“Anyway, if it weren’t for the captain that day, I would have lived my whole life without knowing what magic was.”

No one could read his mind as well as Seo-yeon. Lee-hyeon quickly changed the subject, fearing that he might get caught.

And Seo-yeon opened her eyes wide in surprise after hearing about Lee Hyeon’s past actions.

“So Sa Jae-hyuk… No, they saved you… ?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Hyeon nodded, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.

“If the captain and the sisters hadn’t shown up, I probably would’ve just died.”

“Ugh… ”

Seo-yeon couldn’t raise her head because of the guilt that was rising again. They were the benefactors who had saved Lee Hyeon from almost ending his life because of her. But she had insulted and ridiculed them in front of Lee Hyeon.

“Mi, I’m sorry… Really… ”

“I said it was done.”

This time too, it was Lee Hyeon who shook his head as if it was no big deal.

“How would you know that?”

“But, still… How dare you do that to your benefactors… ”

“Okay. Everyone else knew that too, not just you. And I think the captain deserves to hear that. He has a really impressive track record. He was always harassing people, and he was also a few times assaulted… That’s why he’s called a Black Lotus scoundrel… ”

Lee Hyeon continued speaking in a joking tone, trying to lighten the mood.

“I don’t know how that kind of person became the student council president. He was so vicious in the military. They didn’t give him food for three days, made him roll around in the mud all day, beat him up every day, saying it was sparring… ”

“I beat you up…?”

“Yeah. Just thinking about it still makes my teeth chatter.”

“… ”

Lee Hyun shrugged his shoulders slightly. Seo Yeon’s expression, which had been at a loss, suddenly turned cold.

“But anyway… they are precious people to me.”

And Lee Hyeon, who had been looking at her with a faint smile, opened his mouth again.

“So… next time we meet, just say sorry. Well, I don’t think the captain will care that much… ”

“… Okay.”

Seoyeon nodded her head.

“I will definitely apologize formally. What can I do to compensate for my apology… ”

“That’s okay… ”

Lee Hyeon waved his hand at Seo Yeon’s burning enthusiasm. After that, the two of them continued to talk about trivial things.

“But… Can I ask you one thing…?”

Then, Seo-yeon once again glanced at Lee Hyeon while twisting her hair around.

“What is it?”

“Really… I haven’t… changed at all… ?”

Judging from his expression, it seemed like he had been keeping Lee Hyun’s words in mind the whole time.

A life in the frontier that was almost like exile. And then a life in the center that began as a member of a prominent family.

The difference between the two is so obvious that there is no need to even consider it.

Natural beauty, faithful nutrition supply that matches the growth period, and even daily effort in delicate care.

With such a strong result, she was able to capture everyone’s attention and take center stage in a short period of time.

However, this is not for personal satisfaction, but is only intended to faithfully suit one person’s taste.

From every strand of hair to the tips of her toes, there was no corner of her body that was not permeated by his scent.

Because she had been obsessively delving into him since she was young, Seoyeon could confidently say that she knew his tastes better than anyone else.

After such a long and winding road, we finally arrived at our destination.

Only after asking the question did Seo-yeon start to blame herself for sobbing so hard. Her hair was messy, her eyes were bloodshot. She knew that she looked like a mess without even looking in the mirror.

And even in the midst of all this, she was desperately waiting for her master’s evaluation.

“… ”

The sound of Seoyeon swallowing her saliva echoed throughout the quiet hospital room. Fortunately, she was so nervous that she didn’t even realize she was making the sound.

“… No.”

And Lee Hyeon, who had been silently watching Seo Yeon, finally shook his head.

Then, looking straight into each other’s eyes, he slowly opened his mouth and spoke.

“You’ve become more…pretty.”

“Uh, uh… ? Really… ?”

Seoyeon seemed flustered and flustered. Even though it was the answer she had been expecting the whole time, she somehow couldn’t maintain her composure at all.

“Yeah. I really didn’t recognize it. I really thought it was… dazzlingly beautiful.”

“Hee, heeheet… stop… ”

And the man continued to speak as if he knew no shame. Seo-yeon, who had only heard the short comment, had a bright blush on her face again.

With a burning sensation, she lowered her head to the floor.

“Ha, ha… ”

On the one hand, she couldn’t hide the corners of her lips that were slowly rising. She felt so embarrassed, but she was also a little annoyed at the man who was acting so calmly as if it were everyday life.

But more than that, his kind words made me feel so happy.

“Oh, thank you… ”

Seo-yeon, who had belatedly collected her emotions, raised her head and coughed a couple of times.

“You, you’ve become cooler too… ”

Then he knelt down neatly and looked at Lee Hyeon and said.

“He’s gotten taller… and his voice is more solid… ”

Then, as if he had said, “Oh no,” he hurriedly added his words.

“Mu, of course it was good back then too…! Should I say it was just like a cute puppy back then… It has a different charm from back then… So… Ha… ”

Seoyeon mumbled as if her tongue was tangled. Because she had tangled her hair so much, parts of her once neat hair were now voluminous and frizzy.

Lee Hyeon, who was looking at her like that, had a gentle smile on his lips.

“… Thank you.”

“Hueuh… ”

And Seoyeon, who couldn’t hold out any longer, ended up averting her gaze.

It wasn’t because I absolutely hated it, but because I felt like I wouldn’t be able to control my swelling heart if I didn’t do it this way.

Although the air was breezy, she tried to calm her pounding heart.

Because the most important conclusion still remained.

“That, you know… ”

After glancing around and observing the situation, Seoyeon finally made up her mind and opened her mouth with determination.

“Can’t we… go back to how things used to be…?”

And Seoyeon tightly closed her eyes. Her heart started pounding violently due to the tension that had seeped into her before she knew it.

Of course, there was a glimmer of hope. It was a natural expectation for her to see a man who still had the same warmth as before.

But after a moment of silence.

The words that came back were words that shattered Seoyeon’s hopes.

“… I’m sorry.”

“Huh… ?”

And Seoyeon opened her eyes in a panic.

Suddenly, in the cloudy gray eyes looking at her, there was an indescribable emptiness.

Lee Hyun, who looked hesitant, remained silent for a while. Then, he finally opened his mouth and spoke slowly.

“There is someone waiting…”