Chapter 55: Greedy (3)
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/week, Mon-Fri
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Sunday evening.
After finishing her part-time weekend job, Song Soo-yeon returned to the store.
Her body was tired, but it was better than feeling mentally drained.
Not seeing Jung-gyeom for too long made her feel depressed.
Gradually, the world seemed to lose its color.
She couldn't find interest in anything.
Her daily life had already been adjusted around him.
After all, she was living for Jung-gyeom.
So now that her weekend job was over, she came to see him.
She hadn't been able to visit the store on Saturday evening because she had something to prepare.
"..."
Song Soo-yeon pulled up her mask.
There was a strange customer in the store.
As rare as customers were, Soo-yeon tried not to draw his attention, not wanting to bother Jung-gyeom's business.
Still, she hoped he would finish eating quickly and leave.
She felt as if he was interrupting her time with Jung-gyeom.
Soon, the man paid and left.
Jung-gyeom told him to come back again.
Once the customer had gone, Song Soo-yeon pulled down her mask.
Jung-gyeom had been all smiles while serving the customer.
"Do you like it that much, Mister?"
"Of course, I'm happy. This week has been going pretty well. At least one customer a day."
"But none of them come back."
Jung-gyeom stiffened at Soo-yeon's remark.
With a slightly downcast expression, he muttered.
"...Is there something wrong with the food?"
Song Soo-yeon couldn't understand why she found his behavior so endearing.
She wanted to hold his hand.
She wanted to hug him.
There was now an excuse to suggest physical contact, but she had something else to do today.
Soo-yeon cleared her throat and called out to him.
"...Mister."
She tried to act nonchalant, but her heart was pounding.
This was her first time doing something like this.
She had no idea how he would react.
"Hmm?"
Jung-gyeom looked at her intently.
Song Soo-yeon, trying to avoid eye contact, fumbled in her pocket, slowly took something out, and placed it on the table.
"...It's a gift."
"..."
Jung-gyeom froze.
He couldn't continue speaking.
What Song Soo-yeon had prepared was a colorful wish bracelet.
It was also why she hadn't visited Jung-gyeom on Saturday evening.
She had made it herself, knot by knot.
It might seem cheap, but from Soo-yeon's perspective, it was the best she could do.
She wanted to give a more expensive gift.
But it would be better to save that money to quickly gather a deposit to return the rented room.
It was the best way to express her feelings to him without spending much.
"...Soo-yeon, this is..."
Jung-gyeom slowly moved forward.
Song Soo-yeon explained.
"It's, it's a wish bracelet. You make a wish and wear it until it breaks... and then the wish is supposed to come true."
Jung-gyeom picked up the bracelet from the table.
His expression gradually broke into a smile, revealing how touched he was by the small gift.
Song Soo-yeon could feel how much the gift moved him.
Between joy and gratitude, Jung-gyeom examined the gift.
"For me?"
Like someone who had received a new car as a gift, Jung-gyeom looked at the bracelet in disbelief.
Song Soo-yeon felt a bit embarrassed seeing how overwhelmed he was.
Had she known he would be this happy, she would have given him something sooner.
"...Why are you so moved? It's nothing special."
But Jung-gyeom was not swayed.
To him, it was not just 'nothing.'
"Soo-yeon, this is the first time I've received a gift..."
He couldn't take his eyes off the bracelet.
"..."
Song Soo-yeon looked up at him.
Gradually, she began to understand his innocence.
Untainted, he was happy over something so simple.
It was like leaving the first footprint on untouched snow.
Song Soo-yeon decided to take advantage of the situation.
After all, she still wasn't fully comfortable in these kinds of moments.
Being honest was still hard for her.
Change wasn't easy.
She said,
"...You've been helping me overcome my dislike of men."
"...Hmm?"
"That's why I'm giving this to you. Please continue to help me in the future."
"Of course...!"
As Jung-gyeom nodded in agreement, Song Soo-yeon stood up.
With a trembling heart, she opened her arms.
"...Then, give me a hug."
"...What?"
She swallowed once and spoke confidently.
"In a situation like this, a hug is more natural than any other time."
Jung-gyeom nodded and opened his arms.
Their bodies moved closer.
As Jung-gyeom approached, Song Soo-yeon closed her eyes.
She couldn't bear to look any longer as her heart raced.
"..."
But, even as she waited, Jung-gyeom didn't embrace her.
Song Soo-yeon slowly opened her eyes to find him hesitating, arms awkwardly retracted.
"Is it okay?"
"...What?"
"Are you sure it's not too much for you?"
"...Geez..."
Frustrated by his hesitation, Song Soo-yeon snapped without realizing it.
Seeing her expression, Jung-gyeom approached again.
"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. If you don't like it, just say so?"
And then, Jung-gyeom embraced her.
Song Soo-yeon's breath caught for a moment.
The sensation of their bodies pressing together was so foreign to her.
She hadn't realized a hug could be such an intimate act.
Of course, she could feel his chest against hers.
His warmth transferred to her.
His scent filled the air.
It was thrilling.
...So this is how Solace felt that day.
-Pat, pat, pat.
Jung-gyeom patted her back and stepped back.
It seemed like only a few seconds had passed, but she couldn't ask for more.
It was difficult to go against the natural flow.
After the warm hug, Jung-gyeom looked back at the bracelet with a smile.
"...Hmm?"
Then he asked.
"Soo-yeon, does having two of these mean I should make two wishes?"
He untangled the two wish bracelets and showed them to Song Soo-yeon.
Still trying to calm her breathing, Song Soo-yeon answered with difficulty.
This was an important part.
"...No?"
She answered firmly.
"Then?"
Song Soo-yeon quickly snatched one of the bracelets from his hand.
"...One of them is mine."
Jung-gyeom didn't know, but the wish bracelet was just a pretext.
Song Soo-yeon didn't actually believe in wishes.
The world, except for Jung-gyeom, still seemed like trash.
There was no point in making wishes that would never come true.
So, in reality, it was a couple's bracelet.
Song Soo-yeon said,
"See? One is a little smaller."
Jung-gyeom quickly agreed.
"Ah, I see. Great. Let's wear them and make wishes together."
"...Yes."
His words were light-hearted, but Song Soo-yeon really liked the way they sounded.
Jung-gyeom put on the bracelet.
Then, as if making a wish, he closed his eyes.
Song Soo-yeon also wore her bracelet while watching him.
"..."
The sight of the same bracelet on both his and her arm was overwhelmingly powerful.
It was hard for her to keep her composure.
Then Jung-gyeom suddenly asked her.
"Did you make a wish?"
"What? Oh...! Not yet..."
"Make it quickly."
"Did you make one, Mister?"
"Me? I did. I wished for your happiness."
Song Soo-yeon eventually bowed her head.
She couldn't bear to show her face any longer.
She murmured,
"...What if I say my wish out loud."
"Oh, right."
Jung-gyeom paused as if pondering, then chuckled and said,
"Well, it might not come true?"
---
---
Solace arrived at the scene late in the evening after receiving a call from the association.
This time, it was in Daejeon.
These days were really busy, almost strangely so.
A foreboding feeling kept nagging at her.
...But more annoying than that was the lack of rest.
Solace didn't enjoy such situations.
Though it was a moment for her to shine as a hero, it also meant risking her life fighting villains and witnessing the death of civilians.
She would have preferred to suppress the villains with one or two brilliant performances, enjoying the love, attention, fame, and wealth that came with it.
She was a person of great ambition.
Her greed was directed more towards love, attention, and honor than wealth, which is why it wasn't very apparent.
Solace looked down at the city from a high-rise rooftop.
She saw the villain.
And the atrocities he was committing.
He was a well-known villain, currently ranked 5th among villains, named 'Gigant.'
Pushed down by Tryno and Liquid, he was ranked 3rd until a few months ago.
Gigant, a size-shifting ability user, was causing damage everywhere with his body as big as a three-story building.
Numerous citizens were fleeing to escape him.
Solace pressed her in-ear mic to communicate with the association.
"This is Solace. I've arrived at the scene. Requesting immediate backup."
But Solace received news she didn't want to hear.
"You're the only one on the scene. It will take at least 20 minutes for backup to arrive."
Solace clenched her teeth.
A flood of questions filled her mind.
What am I supposed to do if I'm the only one here?
Fight?
Where are the other heroes?
Why am I the only one here?
And, of course, these questions stemmed from fear.
She was human, after all, and felt fear.
She just didnt show it as a hero.
The intimidation factor of the giant villain was overwhelming, unlike anything she had encountered before.
Not even Tryno or Liquid gave off such a vibe.
She knew she had to jump off the building and fight, but her feet wouldn't move.
Another transmission came from the association.
"Solace. Engage."
It was a cold, irresponsible command.
Who would take responsibility if she died?
She was irritated.
But even this was a sentiment she couldnt express as Solace.
In the distance, a helicopter was shining a light, filming the scene.
It was clear that Gigant's actions were being broadcast on TV.
If she stepped forward and subdued Gigant, she might even break into the top 5 hero rankings.
"..."
But she was still scared.
Such a powerful opponent was a first for her.
Tryno and Liquid had been dealt with by Shake.
She had never directly fought with them.
What if she fought Gigant and was embarrassingly defeated?
Wouldnt that also be broadcast on TV?
As much as winning or losing correlated with the love she received from the public, she felt her entire career hinged on this moment.
Numerous thoughts cluttered her mind.
Through her in-ear earphones, mechanical orders kept coming.
The sounds of people screaming, sirens, and things breaking were deafening.
Her head felt like it was about to explode.
She hadnt even resolved the stress from the day before.
Today was full of more stress-inducing situations.
"....Ha."
Finally, her rationality snapped.
Everything seemed trivial.
The noises that had been cluttering her head quieted down.
She stepped back from the edge of the rooftop and then sat down right there.
She pulled off her mask.
She reverted to Min-Bom.
Then, one impulse settled in her heart.
-Click.
She turned off her radio and took out her phone from inside her hero costume.
Without hesitation, she called Jung-gyeom.
-Ring...
"Hello?"
Jung-gyeom answered the phone before it could ring a second time.
As soon as she heard his voice, Min-Bom asked.
"Oppa, are you watching TV?"
"...Gigant?"
"Yeah, that. Oppa, I'm at the scene."
She calmly informed him of the situation.
In principle, as a hero, revealing her location to a civilian was taboo.
But Min-Bom didn't care.
She didn't have the luxury to worry about such things.
"I'm the only one here. I have to fight him alone."
"..."
"Are you there...?"
After a long pause, she finally said,
"...I'm scared, oppa. Really scared."
It was the ugly truth she had never revealed before.
As Solace, it was a feeling she always had to bear alone.
It was also why she was interested in Jung-gyeom, who seemed to know no fear.
Jung-gyeom was silent for a while before speaking.
"...That's okay, Bom. You're young."
His voice sounded reassuring.
There was no hint of disappointment.
Min-Bom shook her head alone.
"Age isn't the issue, is it?"
"Age is the issue. It's because you're young."
"We don't have much age difference, but you're not like me."
"I have many fears too. You just don't know about them."
"You're afraid of many things too?"
Screams from civilians could be heard.
But Min-Bom still couldn't move.
Her fear continued to overshadow her guilt.
So, she just covered her other ear that didnt have the phone.
"A lot."
Amid the terrible screams, Jung-gyeom's voice came through softly.
"...So what do you do in such situations? What should I do?"
The more they talked, the more she felt that Jung-gyeom on the other end of the phone was slightly different from usual.
More reliable and unwavering than his playful, loner, or comfortable self.
So, Min-Bom kept leaning on him unknowingly.
She might disappoint him, but she had to speak her truth to someone.
She wanted to slightly let go of the heavy burden of "public expectation" pressing on her shoulders.
Of course, all these expectations were built by herself, playing the role of Solace, but that didn't change the weight.
"Do what I want to?"
Min-Bom asked again.
"What if I want to run away?"
Jung-gyeom paused for a moment before responding.
"Then do that. Run away."
His answer was so refreshingly straightforward that Min-Bom questioned again.
"Run away? Thousands will be hurt, oppa. Hundreds might die."
"You don't need to worry about that."
"Have you lost your mind?"
As she spoke so frankly, Jung-gyeom chuckled.
"See, you don't really want to run away."
"..."
Feeling played but continuing to speak, Min-Bom kept revealing her weakness to him.
"No, I don't trust myself. I want to run away too. I just don't know if it's the right choice..."
"............"
For the first time, Jung-gyeom didn't respond.
A long silence ensued.
As they spoke, the sounds of Gigant's rampage below grew louder.
".........It's hard, oppa."
Min-Bom said.
"......."
"......."
Once again, there was no reply from Jung-gyeom.
Maybe he was disappointed after all.
It's possible.
She had complained too much.
Perhaps he too had expectations of Solace.
A bitter feeling welled up inside her.
Min-Bom pulled her mask back up.
She returned to being Solace.
Just as she was about to end the call, Jung-gyeom spoke.
"..............Bom."
Min-Bom froze.
Her attention was fully on his voice.
With a firm voice, he asked.
".............Should I come and sweep it up for you?"
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶