Chapter 11: Hot Night (3)

Chapter 11: Hot Night (3)

I
couldn’t sleep all night.

It
wasn’t for fear of being raped in retaliation.

On
the contrary, after seeing her level, I trusted her even more.

What
if Diana had approached my body as a means to an end, as the nun and
beggars did?

Given
the power she had, she could have easily made me a rug and violated
me, no matter how much I resisted.

But
Diana didn’t.

This
proved that she had no sinister intentions, and that she had helped
me out of pure goodwill.

For
a moment, I was touched by this fact, but guilt quickly took over.

“I
apologize, Diana.”

Even
though it was a mistake, I was an asshole for doing ‘that’ to a
benefactor.

Even
worse, she still felt so soft in my grasp but it was a man’s
instinct, and I couldn’t help it.

I
had never in my life thought that my callused hands would ever hold
such a vulgar and erotic I-cup breast.

Apart
from the guilt building up in my heart, an unknown motivation began
to rise in me.

One
touch of her breasts was enough to wash away all the devastating
things I had been through.

I
wondered if this was why women on Earth said to men, ‘Do you want
to touch my breasts?’

Those
breasts were healing. Honestly, it seemed to work better than a
restorative potion.

If
you do it in a relationship, that’s one thing, but if you do it
between strangers, it’s a crime.

“⋯I
should do something and apologize.”

I
couldn’t just lie still in my room.

It
was still early outside. The sun was still a long way off.

‘Diana
hasn’t come back yet, has she?’

I’d
gone into the kitchen, the direction she’d headed earlier, to collect
myself and apologize, but I couldn’t find her.

I
went back down to the ground floor and looked at the inn, which had
been abandoned after the drinking game.

The
patrons had left quickly, and the alcohol and food they had consumed
had taken over the tables and spilled onto the floor.

In
some places, there were traces of vomit, and the air smelled of sour
milk.

It
was a mess. I didn’t even know where to start.

“Let’s
clean it up first.”

I
was hungry, so I picked up bits and pieces and ate them while I
worked.

Even
though it was cold, Diana’s food tasted great.

Apparently,
there were a lot of leftovers because the customers were in a hurry
to leave.

I
dumped the leftovers neatly into the trash can at the back of the
kitchen, gathered the bowls, and cleaned them thoroughly.

I
finished washing the dishes, deftly catching a bowl that slipped and
nearly broke.

I
wiped the table clean of spills and messes and covered it with a
tablecloth.

One
final sweep of the floor with the broom, a quick mop, and a
maddeningly tight sweep of the floor, and I’m done.

I
look at the clock on the wall and realize it’s already 4am. Despite
the mess, the cleaning was relatively quick.

My
sister was often hospitalized, so I often stayed home alone, and my
housekeeping skills came in handy.

“Huh?”

After
the cleaning was done, I was sitting at the table at the inn for a
while, when I saw Diana’s flustered face peek through the softly
opened front door.

“Ah.
You’re here?”

“⋯⋯”

I
greeted her as casually as I could, but she slightly averted her gaze
in surprise.

She
looked around the inn for a moment, then spoke.

“⋯You,
did you clean up?”

“If
you mean the tavern, then yes, I cleaned it up. I thought you might
be tired.”

I
said, though my mouth made it sound like I cleaned up out of concern
for Diana.

The
truth was, I thought it would make my subsequent apology more
sincere.

“I’m
sorry, Diana. I made a big mistake.”

I
tilted my head at a 90-degree angle. I hoped my sincere apology would
reach her.

“⋯⋯”

“⋯I
missed my chance to apologize first. Look up. I’m the one who should
be apologizing. I’m so sorry.”

The
apology came in reverse.

Diana
bent her waist 170 degrees. The reason she couldn’t bend down 180
degrees was probably because of her chest armor, which naturally made
her chest look majestic.

No,
this is not the time to analyze this.

Why
would Diana, the victim, apologize to me?

As
I thought this, memories of the past flashed through my mind.

The
men and women of this world are different from the men and women of
Earth. I’d realized that from my own experience with numerous
attempted rapes.

But
I couldn’t think freely. Because of my one-sided rape experience, I
was ignorant of “normal” gender relations in this world.

In
an incident where a man accidentally touches a woman’s breasts,
choose the victim from the following examples.

1.
the man who touched the breasts.

2.
the woman whose breasts were touched.

The
initial answer is incorrect.

“I’m
really sorry for letting you touch my breasts, and you won’t believe
it, but it was a mistake.”

1.
the man who touched the breasts.

2.
the woman who provided the situation that led to the groping.

In
this world, option 1 was the correct answer.

That
is, even though I splashed water on Diana’s breasts, and even though
I panicked and rubbed her breasts, she’s the one who should
apologize, not me.

The
position has changed.

“You
endured the unpleasantness and wiped my breasts in good faith, but
it’s not enough that I put you through such a horrible thing, now
you’re cleaning up.”

Diana
bowed her head, looking genuinely sorry.

‘Is
this right, really?’

For
the first time in a long time, I felt my common sense crumble.

I
ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself and think.

‘It’s
not a bad idea to come to an agreement.’

Ending
the matter here is not a bad option. A modest settlement and walking
away would be a win-win for now.

‘But
it’s stupid.’

Settling
is the worst option.

It’s
like being blinded by the immediate gain and throwing away a bigger
gain and if the lowest option, the foolish one, can be beneficial,
what about the highest?

‘In
this harsh world, I can gain the favor of a level 70 powerful
person.’

If
I succeed, I’ll be rich, and if I fail, there’s nothing to lose.

What’s
the point?

“Diana.
Look up.”

I
smiled at her, trying to keep my voice as warm as I could,
suppressing the glee in my heart.

Though
I couldn’t see her bare face through the helmet, I could feel her
eyes lock with mine.

“I
know you didn’t do it on purpose, Diana, and I don’t see why I
shouldn’t believe you.”

My
voice was as soft and warm as it could be, to reciprocate her genuine
goodwill.

It
has been said since ancient times that the best way to win someone’s
favor is to relieve their burden in their heart.

“So,
I’m good.”

That
is forgiveness.

***
*** *** *** *** ******

I
heard the sound of thick slices of bacon cooking in a preheated
frying pan.

I
sat still at the table and waited, and soon Diana appeared from the
kitchen, plate in hand.

“Here
you go. Eat.”

I
stared at the bowl on the table.

Three
thick strips of bacon with grease bubbling on the surface, two eggs
cooked sunny side up, a pancake top drizzled with maple syrup, and a
salad with an assortment of vegetables.

Some
might call it overwhelming, but for me, it was the perfect breakfast
for my active day.

“Isn’t
that a little too extravagant for a breakfast of just three silver
coins?”

“It’s
been a while since I showed some sincerity.”

“Thank
you. I’ll eat well.”

Diana
smiled sheepishly.

A
special breakfast that other guests don’t get, this is enough.

I
unconsciously paused to remove my helmet to eat.

Maybe
Diana wouldn’t mind seeing my bare face.

“I’m
going to clean up the kitchen so you can eat in peace. If you don’t
feel comfortable, you can go up to your room.”

But
Diana was considerate of me, who wore a helmet every day, so she
excused herself first.

⋯What.
It’s good for me.

It
was early, so no one else had come down for breakfast.

This
allowed me to easily remove my helmet and eat my first human meal in
this world.

The
thick-cut bacon was smoky and juicy, and the yolks of the soft-boiled
eggs were savory.

The
salad’s refreshing dressing provided just the right amount of bite,
and the pancakes were moist without being undercooked.

All
the flavors complemented each other without overpowering each other
and worked together perfectly in the bowl.

The
warmth from the food brought me to tears of joy.

It’s
been a long time since I’ve had a proper meal like this.

After
a night of sleep-deprivation soup, bread crumbs, and leftovers, the
thought of a hearty, warm breakfast is so comforting.

“I
ate really well. That was the best breakfast of my life.”

I
walk to the kitchen and hand Diana the bowl, now glistening from
licking the bottom.

She
crossed her arms in the kitchen as if she’d just finished washing the
dishes.

She
was probably waiting for me to finish eating.

“That’s
very kind of you to say, but I’ll put the bowl away later.”

Diana
took the bowl with a puzzled expression. She carefully set it aside
without dipping it in the dishwater.

“Come
to think of it, have we never exchanged names? Or was it just me?”

Diana
asked, glaring at me.

Her
eyes were clearly closed, but somehow I felt like they were staring
right through me.

‘The
name. A name.’

Nam
Soo-jin. A name given to me by people I don’t even want to call
parents. To be honest, I hate this name.

I
didn’t change my name because I thought it was the only connection
between me and my sister.

I
still feel that way today, but things have changed.

Nam
Soo-jin, who lived a peaceful life in the modern world as a sturdy
day laborer, is now dead.

He’s
headed to the Labyrinth, where his life will be far from peaceful.

He
will have to fight monsters to the death, and he will often have to
cut people down.

In
order to survive the harshness of life, to keep from missing the
happiness and memories of the past, to keep from falling into regret
and frustration, I needed a new name for my future life.

“Balkan.”

So
I gave myself the wildest name in the world, to move forward in a
tough world, tougher and more confident.

“Just
Balkan.”

“⋯What
a great name. Keep up the good work, Balkan.”

With
that, Diana extended her hand.

“⋯Take
care of me⋯

It
was not the kind of greeting one would give to a guest who was simply
staying at the inn for a few days.

I
couldn’t help but chuckle to myself.

“I,
for one, wish you well in the future. Ms. Diana.”

I
shook her outstretched hand, squeezing it tightly.

A
friendly relationship with a level 70 powerhouse was more than I
expected.