Chapter 391: Sudden Summons (5)

“I don’t like it.”

“……Huh?”

At Sung Taekyung’s refusal, Cheon Jihee’s pupils trembled slightly for a moment.

This was because she had never once considered the possibility of being rejected by him.

For Cheon Jihee, who had only been agonizing over whether or not to have sex with him to regain her awakened abilities, Sung Taekyung’s refusal was completely unexpected.

Frozen blankly for a moment, she felt another wave of surprise at his subsequent words.

“Why are you so surprised? Did you really think I’d just take off my clothes and let you have sex with me for no reason, just because I can have sex with a woman?”

“……Wasn’t it?”

“…I can roughly guess what kind of image I have in Cheon Jihee Sunbaenim’s mind, but I don’t just sleep with any woman without any standards.”

“…….”

As he said, in Cheon Jihee’s mind, Sung Taekyung was precisely that kind of person.

The impression she had of Sung Taekyung was that he was a man who would sleep with any woman to become stronger and enhance his awakened abilities.

For Cheon Jihee, who had loved only one person her entire life, his concept of chastity was incomprehensible no matter how she thought about it.

Especially since he was a man who should cherish his body, not a woman.

The moment she heard that even he had some minimal standards for choosing a partner, Cheon Jihee showed a somewhat surprised expression.

First, she needed to find out what this ‘minimal standard’ he spoke of was.

After all, between the two of them, she was the one who needed the other’s body more.

“…What is this minimal standard?”

“It’s nothing special. You just have to genuinely want me, Sunbae.”

“…I already said that. That trying to sleep with you is worth the effort. If that’s not wanting you, then what is?”

“That’s different. You don’t want me; you want the awakened ability that might recover after having sex with me. I only want to have sex with someone who genuinely desires me as a person.”

“…….”

Cheon Jihee reacted with disbelief at Sung Taekyung’s unexpectedly demanding standards, but then again, he had no obligation to have relations with her in the first place.

Ultimately, her plan to regain her awakened abilities through Sung Taekyung became impossible.

For the current Cheon Jihee, genuinely desiring Sung Taekyung as a man was impossible, no matter how she thought about it.

Cheon Jihee readily admitted that he was relatively decent among men.

He never acted weak or squeaked like other men, and thanks to his proactive actions during today’s operation, they successfully completed the subjugation of the White Crystal Spider Queen.

Having owed him her life once, it was only natural for her to develop favorable feelings towards him.

Even if that person was the rival who took away the one she loved.

“What’s the point of having relations with a woman who forces herself on me without even liking me? I apologize, but I don’t have that kind of hobby.”

“…….”

“And Cheon Jihee Sunbaenim, didn’t you mention last time that you had someone you liked? Even if you’re a woman, wouldn’t that person be upset if they found out you were sleeping around with just any man like me?”

“That…”

Sung Taekyung’s words left Cheon Jihee speechless and engulfed in considerable worry.

As he said, having relations with someone other than Kang Hye-eun, the one she had feelings for, felt like betraying Kang Hye-eun in Cheon Jihee’s heart.

Of course, Cheon Jihee knew that the woman she loved had already had her first experience, and the partner was the man standing before her.

However, separate from that fact, Cheon Jihee couldn’t help but feel guilty in her own conscience.

Whether he knew or not how she felt, Sung Taekyung continued to speak to Cheon Jihee as if he were oblivious to her situation.

“If you want to have sex that badly, why don’t you just ask the person you like? You’re agonizing over having relations with me now because your awakened abilities have weakened recently, right? If your feelings and that person’s feelings truly align, isn’t it a problem that can be solved by having relations with them, not me?”

If it were a problem that could be solved that way, she wouldn’t be agonizing like this.

If Kang Hye-eun, the shield-wielding hunter who saved her two years ago, had been a man instead of a woman, or if she herself had been a male hunter like Sung Taekyung.

Cheon Jihee would have confessed to Kang Hye-eun long ago and solidified their relationship somehow.

It wasn’t that she liked Kang Hye-eun specifically because she was a woman, nor was it because Cheon Jihee herself had homosexual tendencies.

She just happened to develop feelings for someone, and that someone happened to be a woman.

Cheon Jihee couldn’t convey her feelings of love due to the barrier of gender, and naturally, she couldn’t discuss this particular dilemma with just anyone.

Swallowing the words ‘it’s impossible because the person I love is Kang Hye-eun’ before they could leave her throat, she could only shake her head with vague expressions.

“…That won’t do, it’s impossible.”

“Why do you say it’s impossible without even trying? If you just hesitate like that, when will you ever win love?”

“It’s not like that. It’s not a matter of hesitating or not. The attempt itself is impossible.”

“From the very proposal of having sex with me, your intentions felt incredibly base, Sunbae. You thought that since I’m a slut who sleeps with anyone for awakened abilities, I would naturally and gladly accept the opportunity to have relations with you?”

“…I apologize for that. I certainly misjudged you.”

“It’s enough that you know now.”

Although it was a proposal made with great resolve on her part, failing to consider the other person’s feelings in that proposal was undoubtedly a mistake.

Cheon Jihee sincerely apologized for what she had just said.

…However, she still had no intention of retracting the initial request.

“…Still, it’s just as necessary.”

“Huh?”

“You can think of me as a crazy bitch, I don’t care. But for me, this is a truly important matter. The strengthening and weakening of my awakened abilities are closely related to the person I love, as I just mentioned.”

“…….”

“…I can explain it properly. I don’t know if you’ll be able to accept it or not, but…”

Sung Taekyung’s gaze deepened as he looked at Cheon Jihee, who uttered those meaningful words.

Just as her lips hesitated, pondering whether to utter the words that had risen to her throat, Sung Taekyung’s body rose from his seat.

“The treatment is finished, Sunbaenim.”

“W-wait a moment. I can really explain it properly. Why it’s impossible to regain my awakened abilities by having relations with the person I like, and why my awakened abilities strengthening and weakening are closely related to that person, everything.”

“Now, I’ll go over there and help dismantle the monster materials. It seems much easier to dismantle if I cut it up roughly with a greatsword.”

“A-and there’s a reason I chose you and not some other man. It’s not because I thought you were the type of guy who sleeps with any woman…”

“Shh.”

“…….”

His gesture, bringing a hand to his lips as if asking her to be quiet, made Cheon Jihee’s mouth close automatically.

Only after confirming her words had stopped did Sung Taekyung speak again to Cheon Jihee.

“It seems like this will take a while, so let’s hear the rest after we get off work today.”

“……Huh?”

“Anyway, we have a lot to do now, like sorting the monster materials. Cheon Jihee Sunbaenim’s injuries were the most severe, so I tended to you first, but I also need to check if Hye-eun or Min-ah are injured.”

“…Okay, I understand.”

Cheon Jihee breathed a sigh of relief, realizing it didn’t mean he wouldn’t listen to her anymore.

It was an answer that still held hope, rather than just watching her awakened abilities weaken.

“How about the company cafe where we had coffee last time? I think we can talk quietly there.”

“…As long as no other party members are around, I don’t particularly care where.”

Only after fully hearing Cheon Jihee’s answer did Sung Taekyung rise from his seat again, and he reminded the dazed Cheon Jihee of their post-work appointment.

“We’re meeting at the company cafe after work. Don’t bring anyone else; it’ll just be the two of us talking.”

“…I know.”

“Then, please rest, Sunbaenim. Whether I grant your request or not will depend on what I hear after listening to your story a bit more.”

“…….”

Confirming her silent nod, Sung Taekyung immediately turned away from Cheon Jihee and walked towards the other party members engrossed in dismantling the White Crystal Spider Queen.

A subtle smile, completely unpredictable to Cheon Jihee, played on his lips.