Chapter 502: Maze of Exiles (2)
When the meeting ended, Seo Jun-Ho immediately ran up to Shim Deok-Gu.
The operation to investigate the 7th Floor was important, but right now, he wanted to see Shim Deok-Gu’s tearful and joyful expression, and it was more important to him than anything else.
‘He’ll like it, right?’
There was no way he would hate it. As far as he knew, Shim Deok-Gu had been sending monthly donations to pharmaceutical companies to develop hair loss treatments, and he had been doing that for decades.
"Deok-Gu...!"
Seo Jun-Ho opened the door to Shim Deok-Gu’s office and immediately shouted, “Deok-Gu...!”
However, his expression turned awkward. Skaya was in the office with Shim Deok-Gu, and there was a cold air swirling around the two of them.
“Uh, I guess my timing is a little off.”
"It's not like that, so come on in,” Shim Deok-Gu said calmly.
"Don't come in," said Skaya with a glare.
Seo Jun-Ho gulped.
"Jun-Ho, what are you doing standing there?”
"Hmm? Is that nerd glaring at you?"
"Frost, you have grown a lot. I’m so proud of you."
"Hmph, it is not just my height that has become even higher. My existence has been elevated as well."
The others pushed Seo Jun-Ho into the office.
Skaya sighed and said, "Whew, do as you please."
She kneaded her glabella and turned to Shim Deok-Gu before asking, "Why can’t we?"
"Let's stop here. A kid is watching."
"Answer me."
Seo Jun-Ho had an inkling about what was going on.
Skaya was both stubborn and unashamed, so everyone walked into the office and sat on the sofa without saying anything.
A lover’s quarrel couldn’t be witnessed, even if one paid money to see it.
The Frost Queen decided to hide behind the sofa, but her eyes that were peeking over the sofa were shining brighter than ever.
"C-contractor. I’m nervous, but I’m having so much fun right now, what do I do?"
"Shhh...” Seo Jun-Ho zipped the Frost Queen’s mouth by pressing his index finger on her lips. He looked up and stared at the two. Honestly, it was a fun sight to watch.
"Sometimes, I get curious about what’s in your head, Skaya." Shim Deok-Gu sighed deeply and said softly, “It’s been decades. It's time we go our separate ways."
"Why do we have to do that?" Skaya looked like she genuinely couldn’t understand. “Is it because I'm young and pretty, but you’re a balding middle-aged man?"
"No, why are you talking about balding here—Whew, yes. Now, you know why..."
It was a romance between a man in his 40s and a Hero with a bright future.
Wasn’t that strange?
"Hmm. Yeah, you’re right. It’s a bit of a waste because I’m pretty~" Skaya nodded. She felt better at the mention of that part. Then, she asked, "Then, what if you could be young?”
"Are you an elementary schooler? What nonsense—..”
Shim Deok-Gu was forced to shut his mouth.
He frowned because Skaya was shaking a small bottle of something.
"I wouldn’t even have brought it up if it were nonsense.”
“...”
Honestly, she knew that he would like it. However, Shim Deok-Gu sounded furious as he said, "Skaya, stop kicking up a fuss. There won’t be any difference even if I become young again. We’re done."
"A fuss...?" Skaya's eyes trembled. She didn’t expect that she would receive such a quick rejection. "I’m kicking up a fuss...?"
All of a sudden, the hardships she had to endure to create the bottle of medicine flashed into her mind. She recalled the many ancient books she had to research and the many nights she had spent researching and experimenting.
There was even one time when she went to a remote area by herself and slept in the open for a few days just to acquire rare magic materials. The fool in front of her had no idea what she felt during those times and how much she had suffered.
'You don't know anything...' Skaya bit her lips.
Mio couldn’t take it anymore and spoke from the sidelines. “You’re too much, Deok-Gu."
"Hmm, I also think that it was a bit too much, no matter how I look at it."
"Skaya tried her best to treat you, and we know how much effort she had put into it."
"To treat me? Is my hair loss a disease?” Shim Deok-Gu seemed aggrieved, but no one took his side.
Even his best friend, Seo Jun-Ho, shrugged and said, "I'm sorry, but I'm on Skaya's side as well. I also know how hard she worked just to help you."
"That's..."
"Let me ask you one thing—why do you keep on rejecting her?”
"Are you asking because you don't know?" Shim Deok-Gu thumped on his chest with frustration and exclaimed, "Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten how much she suffered from those slanderous comments back then?!"
Indeed. At the time, Shim Deok-Gu was merely an employee of the Korean Player Association. Meanwhile, Skaya was already the pride and jewel of England when they first met each other.
"I still remember it. In other words, you’re rejecting her because you don’t want her to be slandered by other people?"
"It's not like that, but...” Shim Deok-Gu sighed. He looked like he didn’t want to respond, but he still responded. "It’s just that... it doesn't have to be me, right?”
He had always been sorry for Skaya whenever the public slandered her for being together with him. She was more than capable enough of meeting someone better than him, and if she were to do that, then she would easily receive the public’s blessing.
Shim Deok-Gu believed that someone like Skaya should find someone who could shine as brilliantly as her.
"So—”
"You idiot!"
Whack!
Skaya stretched out her slim legs and kicked Shim Deok-Gu's butt.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
"Who cares about the public’s opinion? Have you ever seen me get sad after being slandered and cursed at by other people?”
Skaya Killiland had never been the type to care about other people. She believed that life was too short for her to care about the opinions of other people and that people should live doing whatever they wanted to do in life.
"I want you. I feel at ease next to you. You have always been treating me like an ordinary person, and you’ve never tried to use me like those assholes.”
“Oh, my...!” exclaimed the Frost Queen while blinking and covering her mouth with her hand. It seemed that dramas in real-life brought her so much fun that she was momentarily unable to control herself.
“Have you already forgotten the promise you made before we went to the Frost Queen’s nest? Didn’t you promise to take care of me for the rest of my life, even if I lost all my limbs? When are you going to keep that promise?”
"What? Deok-Gu said that? So cringey..."
"So he has that side as well...”
"Skaya is right. A man should keep their promises. You promised, so you should keep it.”
Shim Deok-Gu's face and even his ears turned red upon hearing his friends’ mutterings.
"No, that was back then—”
"That's enough. Don’t even worry about those small fries or anything; I'll handle everything." Skaya declared and extended the bottle of medicine over to Shim Deok-Gu before continuing. "Take this medicine, and just think about you and me. If you still don't like me by then, then go ahead and throw this medicine into the trash can."
“...”
Shim Deok-Gu's eyes shook powerfully.
How could he hate her? How could he hate someone as lovely as her?
‘But...’
He had been pushing her away because he was convinced that he wasn’t in her league. He thought that it would be nice for her to meet someone who was in the same league as her.
‘...’
The public might criticize them. Perhaps the authority that he had built as the President of the Korean Player Association so far would come crumbling down.
"Wheeeww." Shim Deok-Gu sighed and asked himself about what he thought of her—Skaya Killiland. He looked up, and when he saw her cat-like eyes, he immediately found the answer to his question. “You have always been like this...”
In addition, the loser had always been him, while the winner had always been her.
However, he had never felt unhappy about losing to her.
‘It’s because she’s just that precious to me.’
Shim Deok-Gu stared momentarily at the bottle of medicine before downing it.
"Ooooh! Contractor! Contractor! Contractor!"
"Hey, it hurts...!"
The Frost Queen repeatedly slapped Seo Jun-Ho, and she also started jumping up and down out of excitement. Seo Jun-Ho calmed her down before looking at Shim Deok-Gu.
"Wow..."
He was really getting younger.
His wrinkles disappeared, and his skin became firm. He even grew a bit taller.
The Frost Queen was staring in amazement, but she suddenly tilted her head and asked, "Contractor, but why is his hair not growing?"
"I-I don't know..."
It was Seo Jun-Ho’s first time seeing someone get younger, so he had no idea how to answer the Frost Queen’s question.
Shim Deok-Gu felt that he had returned to his twenties, and he looked around with confidence.
However, there was a strange silence in the room.
Shim Deok-Gu was confused.
"What’s up with that look?" he asked.
Seo Jun-Ho and his friends wordlessly stared at each other.
Shim Deok-Gu frowned and turned to look into the mirror.
“I’ve really gotten younger." Shim Deok-Gu became emotional at the sight.
He carefully removed his wig, but his M-shaped hairline remained empty.
"What...? N-no way...! Where’s my hair? When I was still young, I had hair on this side!"
"D-Deok-Gu. Calm down! You should cool your head before—”
"Don't talk about my head!"
It didn’t work. Shim Deok-Gu quickly became downcast and went silent.
"Huh?" exclaimed the Frost Queen.
She had found something, so she approached Shim Deok-Gu.
The Frost Queen stared wide-eyed at Shim Deok-Gu’s head before saying, “Baldy—no, Deok-Gu. There’s a strand of hair here.”
"A strand..."
"Let's start chanting for it to grow, just in case!"
"I don’t think chanting will make me grow hair...”
"Ahem." The Frost Queen cleared her throat before revealing a stern look. "I do not see any desperation in you. Do you actually want to have hair?”
“...” Shim Deok-Gu went silent. A few moments later, thick droplets streamed down Shim Deok-Gu’s cheeks. "Queen, hair...! I want it!"
"Then, chant along with me. Hair, hair, grow!"
"...H-hair, hair, grow...!"
The Frost Queen and Shim Deok-Gu threw their arms into the air and started chanting as if they were Amazonians. All of a sudden, Shim Deok-Gu’s hair actually started growing.
"It’s growing...! It is growing!"
"Sniff! Sniff!" Shim Deok-Gu sniffled. He looked like he had suffered for ten years—no, a hundred years.
Skaya breathed a sigh of relief at the sight and walked up to him. "You look happy.”
“Yeah..."
"Are you happy because you finally have hair?”
"Well, of course—”
Properly... answer properly. Everyone’s gazes at Shim Deok-Gu seemed to contain those words.
Shim Deok-Gu abruptly closed his mouth upon realizing that.
He thought of something for a moment before staring intently at Skaya.
"—of course not. There’s another reason I’m happy.”
"What is it?"
"Phew, Skaya. I..."
"Y-yes...?"
Skaya seemed embarrassed as she twirled her hair with her finger.
Skaya had never been the type to feel embarrassed, so it was a brand-new sight.
Rahmadat suddenly whispered to Seo Jun-Ho, "Hey, Jun-Ho. I’m getting annoyed watching them. How about we go to the gym?"
"No, this is too fun to miss."
‘Go ahead and have fun with your weights by yourself. Somebody get me some popcorn! Anyway, Shim Deok-Gu, you punk! Hurry up and confess!’ Seo Jun-Ho inwardly lampooned.
"I’m..."
"Mmhmm." Skaya nodded.
“N-no matter how hard I think about it, I’m not qualified—”
"ARGH!"
Skaya had been acting like an innocent maiden, but she couldn’t take it anymore and exploded after hearing Shim Deok-Gu’s response. She grabbed Shim Deok-Gu’s thick hair and asked, "This hair right here is all because of me—am I right, or am I wrong?”
“Y-you’re right...”
"Are you happy about your hair?"
"Well, of course... I'm so happy that I don’t even know what to say."
“Your feelings right now can’t compare to how much I like you, so you better listen to me in the future.” Skaya decisively declared.
Shhim Deok-Gu nodded blankly.
"Awesome..."
"Well, it seems that nothing has changed.”
"Deok-Gu pretends to be very mature just because of his old age, but he reverts to his original attitude whenever he’s in front of Skaya."
"I told you guys long ago—I told you he’s going to be henpecked.”
The other heroes started talking among themselves.
Meanwhile, the Frost Queen turned to look at Seo Jun-Ho with twinkling eyes.
“Contractor, I suddenly feel like watching a teen drama. I want to watch a sweet drama.”
"Yes, yes, go ahead and watch. We should make room for them."
Seo Jun-Ho turned around to leave.
Just before leaving the room, he glanced behind him and grinned.
'They still look good together.’
It seemed that not even the passage of time could sever their bond.
He sincerely hoped that they would be happy ever after this time.
‘Wait, I still have that medicine on me...’
Where the hell was he going to use that hair-loss medicine?
Visit freewe𝑏n(o)vel.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience