Chapter 741: Did You Do “That”?

Seeing the two of them act like that, I felt like I had a rough idea of what was going on.

They must have talked about something last night.

After Seo Ye-in and I returned to the campsite.

Since the possible topics of conversation were limited, “that” obviously meant,

A peck, probably.

The reason I judged it was not a “kiss” was because that conflicted with the fact that they had come out to spy.

If they had done it themselves, there was no way their curiosity would have been stirred up like this.

So it was definitely a peck.

The problem is that it came out of Song’s mouth.

Judging from her guilty reaction, it seemed she had bluffed out of pointless competitiveness.

That she had done it plenty of times too.

What exactly were you planning to do about the aftermath?

I quietly swept my gaze over everyone present.

Go Hyeonwoo, Han Somi, and the other martial artists were still performing monkey sword-dances and discussing them, but even as they did, every single one of them had their ears perked up.

Even though it had been almost a whisper, apparently they had all heard it.

The hearing of future hero candidates was truly terrifying.

What happens if I say, “That never happened”?

What if I exposed Song Cheonhye’s lie to the whole world?

The reputation she had worked so hard to build and manage would crumble in an instant.

Since she was fairly famous, it would only be a matter of time before rumors spread, and she might become a laughingstock overnight.

As an added bonus, her rival Hong Yeonhwa would laugh at her.

Maybe that was why Song Cheonhye’s face was filled with extreme anxiety and tension.

It was an expression she had not shown even when a swarm of A-rank monkeys had appeared.

She looked like she desperately wanted to use her “mini wish coupon.”

I was willing to grant it if that was what she wanted, but,

The timing is way too bad.

Saying “please play along with me” here would be the same as confessing, “I lied.”

In the end, Song Cheonhye’s fate depended on a single word from me.

Maybe that was why she kept sending desperate looks my way, as if saying,

—I’m sorry please let it go just this once I’ll never do it again please just once just once only once!!

I should let it go.

It was true Song Cheonhye had misspoken, but it was not some enormous wrongdoing.

It was not as if there had been any malicious intent behind it.

Making her a laughingstock in front of everyone would be too much.

That doesn’t mean I can lie, though.

I made it a rule to avoid making things up out of nowhere.

However, the blind spot in this conversation was that no one had clearly specified what “that” was.

So I answered in a calm tone.

“That (training)? Yeah, we did.”

Hong Yeonhwa flinched in surprise.

Apparently she had thought, deep down, that it must have been a lie.

She carefully threw out her next question.

“I’ve never seen it (a peck) even once... Do you... do it often?”

“Sometimes, when we have time (training).”

“Since... when...? (pecks)”

I briefly searched my memory, then answered.

“Last year, probably after the tournament (training).”

“...!”

Hong Yeonhwa looked at Song Cheonhye with newly opened eyes.

To think they had been close for that long.

At the same time, a dissatisfied air appeared on her face, as if she wanted to say,

—You were pretending nothing was going on while secretly doing everything behind the scenes.

Noticing that, Song Cheonhye’s expression turned slightly wronged.

But if she argued now, everything would go back to square one, so she merely sent me a look that said, “Please stop talking now.”

Whether she did or not, Hong Yeonhwa carefully asked the next question.

“After the tournament... Did something happen?”

“It’s personal, so I should be careful about saying more.”

“Ah... Right.”

Hong Yeonhwa nodded as if she understood.

But letting it end there felt a little too disappointing, so I tossed out one more line in passing.

“Let’s just say your brother asked me to (train).”

“Your... brother? (pecks)”

Shock filled Hong Yeonhwa’s face.

The Discipline Committee members who had their ears perked up seemed quite surprised as well.

Of all people, Song Cheongi, last year’s student council president?

I didn’t lie, you know.

There was merely a misunderstanding about “that.”

I lightly jerked my chin and delivered the follow-up strike.

“He said you seemed to be falling behind lately (training).”

“Falling... behind...? (pecks)”

Several complex emotions filled Hong Yeonhwa’s face.

Among them, there even seemed to be envy directed at Song Cheonhye.

—My sister just smacks me on the back and asks what dating has to do with anything, but her brother even gives support fire...!

In any case, that should be enough of an answer.

So I exchanged looks with Song Cheonhye.

—Song, come see me for a moment.

—...Okay.

We stepped slightly away from the [Campsite] and headed toward a place with fewer people.

Even as we walked together, Song Cheonhye kept looking back.

CRACKLE.

She even scattered static electricity, checking whether anyone was following us.

And the moment she felt relieved, she complained to me with a pouty face.

“Why did my brother come up there?”

“That’s just how the flow of conversation went.”

“That was something you didn’t have to mention.”

“Anyway, you survived thanks to it, didn’t you?”

You almost became a liar.

At that, Song Cheonhye flinched and immediately shrank.

She looked like a hedgehog that had tried to bristle its spines, only to lower them again.

“That’s... true. Thank you.”

“What were you thinking, telling a lie like that? You’d get caught as soon as anyone asked.”

“I just... said it because that was how the flow of conversation went.”

“Let’s at least be honest here. No one’s listening.”

“Why do you get to decide that?”

“Don’t like it? Fine. Let’s go back and hold the press conference ag—”

“Ah!! Fine, okay.”

The moment I turned around, Song Cheonhye grabbed my arm.

After hesitating for a while, she finally opened her mouth with difficulty.

“Somehow... it felt like I was losing.”

“Because she got pecks and you didn’t?”

“...Yes.”

“I see.”

So she really had bluffed out of competitiveness.

As I nodded, Song Cheonhye grumbled and badmouthed her.

“But why did she have to confirm something like that? She could have just let it pass.”

“It must feel important to her.”

“What do you think? Pecks, I mean.”

I answered without hesitating at all.

“They’re important to me too.”

“You do them especially often, though. Evenly with other people too.”

“And every single one of them is important.”

“...”

Song Cheonhye stared hard at my face, as if trying to check whether I meant that sincerely.

So I faced her head-on without shame, and after a while, she spoke with a sigh.

“...I still don’t really understand.”

“It’s more about empathy than understanding.”

“How am I supposed to empathize?”

“Wouldn’t the fastest way be to try it yourself?”

“...With you?”

Song Cheonhye raised her eyes.

At that, I firmly shook my head.

“With me? You and me? No thanks.”

“No, seriously, what the hell? You said trying it yourself would be fastest.”

“You kept asking, so I told you. I mean you’ll understand quickly if you do it someday.”

I answered that way and counterattacked.

“What about you? Do you want to?”

“...”

Song Cheonhye’s mouth opened slightly, closed, then opened again.

Then she looked off past the dark Great Forest for no reason and said,

“Lately, I’ve become... pretty curious... about it...”

“I see. So you’ve gotten curious.”

“...Yes.”

“Then keep being curious.”

Song Cheonhye looked at me again with an expression that said she could not believe me.

“No, what are you doing? You keep acting like you’re about to.”

“What about you? Did you reserve a peck in advance or something?”

“Reserve... I didn’t... reserve one, but!”

As Song Cheonhye stamped her feet, an exclamation mark practically popped over her head.

Then a triumphant smile appeared around her lips, and she continued.

“I still have the mini wish coupon, don’t I?”

“Shouldn’t we call it even with me saving you just now?”

“I’m grateful for that separately, and this is this.”

“You’re that curious?”

In truth, Song Cheonhye had no choice.

What could she do if I said, “Let’s go back and reopen the press conference. Unless you want to use the mini wish coupon”?

She would have no choice but to use it, even if she had to force herself through tears.

She must have known that very well too, yet she was still being stubborn. That meant her fixation on pecks was just that strong.

Song Cheonhye moved her lips again, agonizing.

I could almost hear the sound of the gears in her head turning as she tried to figure out how to play it off.

So I took the initiative first.

“We agreed to be honest, at least here.”

“I know that too.”

Song Cheonhye snapped her head aside as she answered.

Then, after thinking for a long while, she opened her mouth again with difficulty.

“I’m not... just curious.”

“There’s another reason?”

“Yes. Actually, that side is... bigger.”

“And what exactly is that?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

She grumbled, as if saying I already knew and was asking on purpose.

Well, for her personality, that much was already a fairly honest answer.

She seemed sincere enough, so I figured it would be all right to do what she wanted.

So I stepped one pace closer and stood there.

“...!”

Her light-brown eyes met mine, then hurriedly turned somewhere else.

She had been saying just moments ago that she was curious about pecks and that there was another reason too, but now that it was actually happening, she seemed nervous and embarrassed.

I gave her one final confirmation.

“I’m really doing it?”

“...Do whatever you want.”

Song Cheonhye turned her head away with an affected air.

But I did not think it was my imagination that she subtly offered her cheek toward me.

Her eyes trembled in a narrow squint, and later, she squeezed them shut entirely.

“...Hurry up already.”

“Why are you in such a rush?”

I answered with a laugh, then slowly leaned my head forward.

Then I lightly pressed my lips to her cheek and returned to my original posture.

“So? Do you understand a little now?”

“...”

On the other hand, Song Cheonhye remained frozen in that initial posture.

The only thing that had changed was that her face had gone bright red.

Soon, she lowered her gaze and said,

“I still... don’t really know.”

“That can happen. Since it’s your first time.”

“That’s not...”

This time, Song Cheonhye turned her head the other way and offered her cheek.

“One time... isn’t enough to know.”

“You want to °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° do it again?”

“Since we’re already doing it... it would be better to make sure.”

It sounded less like she did not know and more like she was full of personal desire.

But I decided to let it slide this time.

When I gave her another peck on the cheek, her face, which had been returning to its original color, turned bright red all over again.

Song Cheonhye stayed like that without saying anything for a while, then faced me directly as if she had made up her mind.

“I’ll... try it too.”

“...”

“To make it even more certain! That’s why.”

“I’m sure it is.”

Do whatever you want.

At my teasing tone, Song Cheonhye’s expression turned pouty.

Even so, she apparently had to give me a peck no matter what, because she said one short line.

“...Look over there.”

“Yes ma’am, got it! Looking over there, ma’am!”

When I dramatically snapped my head around, Song Cheonhye looked as if she found me so annoying she could die.

But only for a moment.

Slowly, she leaned toward me.

“...”

Her extremely tense face came closer, and I felt a clumsy touch against my cheek before she pulled away again.

When I turned my head, Song Cheonhye’s face had turned bright red again.

Then she spoke in a voice so quiet I could barely hear it.

“Now I think... I understand a little.”