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Chapter 40
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The first time the two of them met, there was an air of discomfort.
Though they already knew each other, there was a wary atmosphere between them.
Did something happen before?
If that were the case, Yeon-hee would have mentioned it in advance.
I felt a bit uneasy leaving them alone, but seeing them both smiling brightly made me think they were just awkward from not seeing each other in a while.
“Gaga, you’re back early?”
“How long could it take to get some water?”
Yeon-hee seemed a bit disappointed.
Maybe I should’ve taken my time.
I might have interrupted their friendly conversation, the kind only women can have.
“Thank you. There’s no one like Gaga!”
“……”
Yeon-hee took the water bottle from me and drank.
Jegal Yeong watched her intently as she drank, as if she were thirsty too.
Maybe I should’ve brought another bottle.
“You sure take good care of your fiancé, don’t you?”
“Of course! Gaga always takes good care of me.”
“Must be exhausting, always making sure she has water and everything.”
“Come on, Senior. It’s just a bottle of water. It’s nothing.”
“Well, it seems nice, like a harmonious brother-and-sister bond?”
All this fuss over a bottle of water?
“Yeah, I guess it might look that way. Gaga and I are practically family, after all.”
“……”
The atmosphere was pleasant, right?
Their words were polite and warm, and both were smiling brightly.
Yet somehow, the conversation felt oddly interrupted, as if a flow was being cut.
Each sentence seemed to be followed by brief silences, with one or two words thrown in to fill the gaps.
“Enough chit-chat. Follow me, Se-woong.”
“Huh? What did you just say, Senior…?”
“Let’s train. We’ve got work to do.”
Did she just call me something strange?
She usually calls me “Junior” or “Lee Se-woong.”
What’s with the sudden change?
Could it be because of Yeon-hee?
A suspicion I had pushed aside slowly resurfaced, that maybe Jegal Yeong saw me as more than just a junior.
It would explain the slightly disjointed atmosphere between them.
‘No, no way. Senior already said there’s nothing like that.’
She’d been exasperated from my constant questioning, to the point that she even tested me.
A ten-second eye contact test.
It may sound odd, but no one I’ve ever met has held eye contact with me for ten full seconds without looking away.
People’s expressions or faces usually give something away—blushing, or breaking into a smile.
That’s why I could be sure.
Jegal Yeong had absolutely no interest in me.
I still remember that time. Jegal Yeong’s expression had remained completely blank.
When the test was over, she’d glared at me coldly, as if she didn’t want to see my face.
I’d never seen such a frosty reaction before.
That’s why I’m confident.
“Senior, didn’t you just call me ‘Se-woong’?”
“So what?”
“It’s just strange to hear you call me that all of a sudden.”
“Do you have a problem with it?”
“Not really, but…”
“Then stop fussing and get ready to move.”
‘I thought I’d get a bit of a break with Yeon-hee here.’
When a friend visits, it’s nice to take a little break.
But Jegal Yeong seemed intent on continuing the training, whether Yeon-hee was watching or not.
Could she be holding onto my words about ‘acting as usual’?
‘A bit intense, isn’t it?’
It’s true Jegal Yeong always takes training seriously, but today she was especially intense.
The training was unusually strenuous, as if there was no room to even catch a breath.
It was fine for her to be passionate, but the problem was that I, as her helpless junior, had to keep up with her pace.
“Gaga, is training usually this intense?”
After barely finishing one session, Yeon-hee, who had been watching from a distance, asked.
Wiping my sweat with the towel she handed me, I replied.
“More or less. We’re doing a bit more today than usual.”
“But is it really necessary to keep repeating exercises without using Inner Strength?”
“Well, it’s part of the regulations, so there’s no choice. And didn’t you say you like the look of my muscles?”
“That’s true, but…”
Yeon-hee trailed off, looking thoughtful.
She seemed to have something on her mind, but couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Gaga, aren’t you getting hungry? Let’s go eat!”
Wasn’t she about to say something?
Lost in thought for a moment, Yeon-hee smiled brightly, as if she’d never been troubled.
***
Jegal Yeong felt uncomfortable being here.
It wasn’t the location—the Dongha Inn near the Murim Alliance.
She and Lee Se-woong often came here.
‘Did she really have to drag me along?’
Yeon-hee had suggested they have a meal together.
It would be uncomfortable for them to share the same space, yet Yeon-hee insisted.
Jegal Yeong knew her motive was clear.
‘She just wants to flaunt her relationship.’
What a charade this was from the start.
Sure, Jegal Yeong had retaliated against Yeon-hee’s provocations, but if she hadn’t started, this wouldn’t have happened.
Annoyed by Yeon-hee’s relentless teasing, a bit of mischief surfaced in Jegal Yeong.
“Yeon-hee, what would you like to eat?”
“I’ll have the choban.”
“And you, Senior?”
“I’ll have the sambe-gye. What about you?”
“I’ll just have somyeon. That’s enough for me.”
“Somyeon again? You always order that whenever we come here. Didn’t I tell you to eat more meat?”
“……”
They were only ordering food.
But sparks flew in between.
Jegal Yeong decided to strike first, figuring Yeon-hee would provoke her eventually anyway.
Two words likely crossed Yeon-hee’s mind as she observed:
Familiarity.
And control.
‘Her expression is so transparent.’
Though Yeon-hee tried to hide it, Jegal Yeong clearly saw her bite her lip the moment she spoke.
Pleased with her pre-emptive strike, Jegal Yeong gave a faint, satisfied smile.
‘How’s that?’
The place you’ve come to for the first time.
This is where your lover spent time with someone else.
I don’t really know how that would feel.
“Gaga, would you like to have some of the appetizer?”
Not to be outdone, Namgung Yeon-hee began her counterattack after the dish was served.
She offered it with a familiarity, as if it were a habit.
Yeon-hee gently held Lee Se-woong’s hand as he reached for his spoon, scooped some fried rice with her spoon, and brought it to his mouth.
“Gaga, ah~”
“……”
“Gaga?”
“Yeon-hee. Even with the seniors watching, this is a bit…”
“Are you feeling shy? How cute. What does it matter? Now, say ah~”
Thinking it would look stranger to keep this up, Lee Se-woong quickly ate the appetizer to shake off his embarrassment.
“Now, you have to feed me, too, right?”
“Mm.”
“Gaga, hurry up! Has your affection already faded?”
Yeon-hee teased playfully with a bright smile, but Lee Se-woong felt a subtle pressure. A slight chill, even.
Reluctantly, he scooped a spoonful of the appetizer and fed it to Yeon-hee.
“Hmm, is it because Gaga fed me himself? It tastes even better.”
Even while saying such cheesy words, Yeon-hee didn’t look embarrassed at all. Her bright smile hid a gaze directed at Jegal Yeong.
‘Are you envious?’
As if saying that.
Meeting Namgung Yeon-hee’s gaze, Jegal Yeong felt her mood sour.
‘Why would I be?’
Whether they fed each other or not, it had nothing to do with her. She could just think it was sappy and move on, amazed at how they could act that way in front of others.
And yet.
‘Why does this bother me?’
Was it because a younger girl kept getting on her nerves?
Or because their lack of dining manners was irritating?
Neither.
‘I just don’t want to see it.’
A warmth rising within Jegal Yeong.
It was a raw feeling, impossible to put into words.
Simply.
She disliked seeing Lee Se-woong speak so tenderly to Namgung Yeon-hee, reluctantly accepting her affection, and the joy Namgung Yeon-hee felt from it all.
She disliked all of it.
‘Could it be, I actually…’
Could it be that I like Lee Se-woong?
‘What a ridiculous joke.’
She had scoffed when Namgung Yeon-hee had tried to keep her in check.
But now, what was this?
It was only for a brief moment.
She had only seen them act sweet for a short while, but something boiled up within her.
A heavy sensation gripped her heart.
With Namgung Yeon-hee’s relentless provocations, Jegal Yeong finally became aware of the sticky emotion flowing through her veins.
Its name was jealousy.
***
In the quiet of the night, only the sound of crickets resonated softly.
Lying in bed, Yeon-hee thought about what had happened earlier.
‘It was nothing.’
It would be a lie to say it didn’t bother her.
She was curious.
Recently, Jegal Yeong had been spending a lot of time with Lee Se-woong.
She wondered what kind of person she was and how Lee Se-woong treated her.
‘She’s certainly pleasant to look at.’
Jegal Yeong was beautiful. She had smooth skin that even the blazing sun couldn’t harm and a well-toned body from training. Yeon-hee felt a momentary sense of caution.
‘But she’s not worth worrying about.’
It was trivial.
She had expected Jegal Yeong, who often challenged her, to be more formidable than this. The short skirt she wore to try to catch Lee Se-woong’s attention seemed almost cute.
‘Gaga doesn’t have the slightest interest in her.’
To Lee Se-woong, Jegal Yeong was just a senior.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Although they spent a lot of time together, he showed no signs of viewing her romantically.
‘It was needless worry.’
Having an outstanding husband was, after all, a troublesome thing. Well-cut jade shines even amidst mud. It was inevitable that unworthy people would be drawn to him.
Some, like Jegal Yeong, might even be attractive.
‘Gaga might occasionally be tempted, who knows.’
Even if not this time, perhaps someday.
But it didn’t matter.
After all, it’s said heroes have a fondness for beauty.
She didn’t mind if her husband indulged himself occasionally.
‘Since the deepest place in Gaga’s heart is reserved for me.’
A deeply rooted conviction.
Her unwavering faith in Lee Se-woong.
Thinking of him, Yeon-hee relaxed on her bed.
***
A day off.
A morning that welcomes a slow, leisurely pace.
Having handled various duties, free time was rare.
He thought things might ease up when there was less work, but no such luck.
Training with Jegal Yeong filled any free time.
‘Today, I’ll just relax and do nothing!’
It was a much-needed break.
Today’s goal.
To stay holed up in his room.
‘Even if Yeon-hee comes, it won’t matter today.’
Resolutely, I steeled myself.
No one would disturb me.
I wouldn’t leave my room all day.
Such was my plan for a fulfilling day.
“Why did you come so late when I called?”
Plans, however, don’t always go as intended.
Namgung Hwan had summoned me.
Despite calling someone who was resting, the elder welcomed me with a scowling face.
“Scolding me as soon as I arrive. Isn’t that a bit harsh for an elder I haven’t seen in a while?”
“Harsh? You think that’s your place to say!”
“?”
“White Sun Squad or White Core Squad or whatever you’re busy with—can’t you even show your face?”
“Here I thought you were upset over something serious. I’m a new member with a lot to learn, you know?”
“Oh, I should just die old, shouldn’t I? It’s like pulling teeth to see my own grandson-in-law’s face!”
The elder faked a groan.
But he couldn’t fool me.
From the way he sneaked glances at me, I could see the expectation in his eyes.
Seeing him lay the groundwork like this, he clearly had something he wanted from me.
“Shall we play a game of Go?”
“Ha! Do you think I’m obsessed with Go?”
“……”
“You cheeky rascal. Why are you looking at me like that?”
Why, indeed.
It was a sceptical look.
“There’s another matter I’ve called you for today.”
Was he really turning down Go?
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