episode_0011

The location of the house I received as a reward for the goddess’s good care was really good.

There are convenience stores and large marts nearby, and the neighborhood is generally quiet, although not completely quiet.

There was also a stream just a 10-minute walk away, which was nice for a walk.

There was water running next to the well-paved walking path and the bushes were overgrown, so there was no foul smell or anything.

It’s still dawn so there aren’t many people, but it’s already crowded with people out for picnics or dog walks since lunchtime.

This course was the route I jogged on every day off.

Yeonseo didn’t say much.

Even after seeing the walking trail, he didn’t show much of a reaction.

Are you starting to get used to life here now?

Even when doing warm-up exercises, Yeonseo only loosened the muscles around her neck and stayed still.

I didn’t necessarily encourage him to stretch with me.

“Shall we jump?”

But as soon as I finished preparing and took my stance, Yeonseo jumped out first.

fast.

I followed along late, but it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to get close if I just ran lightly.

Are you feeling a bit antsy because the baby is so inside?

It was the speed at which most women could run at full speed.

I wasn’t too worried since he was a guy who could even defeat monsters, but just in case, I also strengthened my legs and followed him.

But when Yeonseo heard me approaching, she glanced back and started to speed up.

Follow again.

Increase speed.

It follows me again.

Run further while biting lightly.

Even though she was a healer and a saint, Yeonseo’s physical abilities were at a level that easily surpassed that of an ordinary person.

Our speed only got faster.

I’m starting to get a little worried.

It was a fast pace, but we were now running at a speed comparable to that of a bicycle.

If we were to bump into a pedestrian like this, there was a high chance that the other person would not be unharmed.

If it were a wild animal or even a dog, it could be a really big deal.

“Yeonseo, let’s run a little slower!”

I tried talking to her while standing next to her, but Yeonseo frowned, ignored me, and went faster.

You’re saying you’re paying more here?!

The surrounding background and people pass by quickly.

The sound of the wind cutting through my ears was deafening.

The sound of surprise at seeing us suddenly pop out disappeared behind them in an instant.

This just won’t work.

It was too dangerous.

“Year… .”

I was about to open my mouth to follow her again, but before I could, Yeonseo overtook me again.

By this time, I was also very high on medicine.

He doesn’t usually get excited or annoyed, but it’s different when he might cause trouble to other people.

He decided to pull up his warrior’s strength and shoot out like a bullet.

I passed Yeonseo in an instant and immediately turned around to block her.

When I grabbed her shoulder to brace myself against the impact, Yeonseo tried to roughly shake her off.

“Let go!”

I swung my arm around for a moment, then grabbed it again.

“Let go!”

“Yeonseo, why are you so angry?”

I asked quietly, but Yeonseo was so excited that she twisted her body and tried to get away from me.

But even if I just hold her still, she can’t get away because of the difference in strength.

In the end, he got angry and started arguing with me.

“I did something wrong?”

“People almost got hurt because of us.”

“Whose fault is it?”

“Is it because of me?”

No one backed down, and the conversation only became more heated.

I quickly rolled my eyes to see if there was anyone around.

Fortunately, it was early so there weren’t many people and the area we were standing in was also a section with few people.

Yeonseo got even angrier at me, who was secretly relieved.

“Where are you looking? I’m talking to you!”

Yeah, it was my fault.

But I still don’t understand the fundamental reason why Yeonseo was angry.

“Did I do something to offend you?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know that now?”

I was embarrassed.

This was a scene I had only seen in dramas or movies.

When I watched it on TV, I laughed at the man for being so clueless, but when I was actually involved in it, I couldn’t figure out what the problem was.

I bought you clothes and other things yesterday and even tied your shoelaces this morning, so I don’t know why you’re angry.

After taking a breath, I decided to ask honestly.

“I really don’t know. I’m an idiot, so if you don’t tell me, I won’t know.”

“Oh really? You usually pretend to know everything by yourself?”

It’s something I’ve heard a lot.

It was a phrase I always heard, whether in this world or another.

But what is this feeling?

At this very moment, hearing these words from Yeonseo, it felt like a knife had been stabbed deep into my heart.

A cool, yet eerie sensation came from beneath my chest.

I lost my smile.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be harsh.”

Yeonseo, who was startled when she saw me like this, apologizes.

“Please don’t make that face.”

I can’t tell what kind of expression I’m making right now.

All that was certain was that he had lost his smile.

This was my bare face.

My bare face, hidden beneath a cheeky smile, suddenly appears in the crowd.

Yeonseo carefully observed the situation and told him why she was angry.

“Since I woke up earlier… .”

Yeonseo swallowed her saliva as if her throat was choking up, then continued.

“I felt like you were distancing yourself from me.”

The strength left Yeonseo’s body.

I also took my hand off his shoulder.

“I’m mad because it seems like you’re trying to distance yourself from me on purpose.”

“That’s me. A person who acts quickly and keeps a certain distance. That’s the kind of person I am.”

“Why? Why are you doing that?”

“Because that’s the least hated way.”

It’s hard to say anything about this being because it does its job properly even if it’s an eyesore and doesn’t directly touch you.

I know there will be some gossip saying it’s annoying, but I can bear it.

Because I was completely numb there.

Yeonseo’s eyes widened when she heard the answer.

Slowly, he ran his hand through my sweaty hair.

There was something sad about that gesture.

“You don’t have to do that to me. You told me before you left Ascraia, right? I get lonely a lot. That’s right.”

And that hand never left my cheek.

“I really get lonely a lot. So now I don’t want to be alone. I haven’t been here long, but you are the only one for me.”

Yeonseo, who tries to convey her thoughts calmly.

A lot has changed in just two months since defeating the Demon King.

“But when I try to get closer, when I think I’m getting closer, you try to move away. That makes me sad. In Askria and here. When I try to catch you, you go away even faster.”

It’s just like our chase race earlier.

I decided to avoid it.

“If loneliness is your problem, let’s go to a gathering here. You can meet new friends and hang out together… .”

“I don’t want to do that, and you know that my personality makes it hard for me to get along with people.”

Yeonseo immediately shook her head and denied it.

One of her flaws was that she tended to speak harshly to people who weren’t her party members.

“That’s why I’m too busy with just you, Jinhyun. So I’m going to focus only on you.”

Then Yeonseo smiled.

“It’s okay to come closer.”

Could the reason she acts like this be purely because of her loneliness?

“Or let me get closer.”

Or maybe it’s because there are other emotions mixed in too.

I don’t know what to say.

If this were a movie, a game, an animation, or even someone else’s story, I would have been convinced that Yeonseo had feelings for him.

But it was difficult to easily accept the reality that the object of that affection was me.

I’ve been living with so many expectations.

I’ve lived with so many false hopes.

I’ve had that many disappointments,

I felt that much shame.

Instead, I lived my life trying to meet other people’s expectations, and that didn’t work out well either.

I couldn’t seem to escape the fact that I was a convenient but unpleasant presence to others.

Well, he is a disappointing person in many ways.

In the end, I came out of the house and decided to live alone.

You like me like this?

If you look inside me, will that favor continue?

A crooked smile formed on my face, and I couldn’t help but open my mouth and say something.

I’m a coward and a loner.

Yeonseo must have noticed my pitiful state, because she suddenly pressed my cheeks and made me look like a carp.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go home.”

I nodded quietly.

He escapes through a hole that the saint reluctantly allows him to enter.

So the conversation ended.

We walked side by side.

They walked side by side, without anyone going ahead or behind.

We walked slowly, keeping a distance so that our shoulders were almost touching.

But because we ran recklessly without thinking, we were only able to get home after over an hour.

“Why didn’t you stop me sooner?”

On the way, Yeonseo got annoyed and yelled at me.

“No, I told you not to… .”

I tried to explain myself because I felt wronged, but it didn’t work.

“It’s my fault now?”

Women are difficult.

It’s just difficult.