Chapter 164 – We Need to Talk (4)

A lone tree hunched upon the bed. Gu-seul clicked her tongue as she observed Azalea, who had locked herself in the room instead of participating in their planned activities.

“Azalea.”

“Mmm.”

Wrapped in a blanket up to her head and clutching her phone tightly all morning, Azalea was the epitome of obsession. Gu-seul shuddered, thinking about what it would be like if her boyfriend had been like that. She vowed never to act that way, even if she were in a relationship. With that thought in mind, Gu-seul shrugged her shoulders.

“You don’t need to be so down, you know? He said he’s going to work. It’s not like he disappeared because he doesn’t like you.”

“Heh, yeah…”

“So, let’s go outside and at least visit the hot springs. We’re in Japan, after all. Weren’t you looking forward to it?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Azalea vigorously shook her head from side to side. Gu-seul’s lips turned downwards at the corners.

“If he doesn’t dislike me… then he will call, right? I’ll keep waiting.”

“…Oh dear. If you’re so fixated, wouldn’t guys lose interest? Your confession seemed too hasty to me.”
“But… how can I help what I feel?”

On the first day, she sobbed, saying it was all her fault, and poured out her heart while drinking soju.
On the second day, she exhibited strange behavior and wandered around, searching the hotel’s vicinity.
On the third day, her depression reached its peak, and she shut herself in her room.

It was absolutely not normal.

‘…I get it, but still.’

A bond that had been formed since their days at the military academy. Even though they had only recently grown closer, Gu-seul already knew all about Azalea’s situation. After all, Gu-seul was the cadet who knew everyone’s circumstances in the academy.

“He’s the only one who saw me for who I truly am…”
“Wow, you’re really… smitten to the core, aren’t you? When did you say it’s like a crushed persimmon that’s been stepped on?”
“I acted coldly, but I kept returning like a fool. How can I not be drawn to him?”

Azalea is far too passive in her relationships with others.

When her goal of slaying her adoptive father vanished, the fearsome spirit of vengeance transformed into a somber woman.

Having never experienced love in the past, her blind transformation was only natural. The past of Lee Se-Young, which Gu-seul was aware of, shared a similar story.

‘Hmm. Now that I think about it, isn’t Lee Si-heon just gaslighting? Is he only targeting those who are starved for affection?’

Regardless, it’s still perplexing. What is that wretched person even doing? He didn’t explicitly say anything, but his kindness pales in comparison to the potential he possesses. It has been a while since Gu-seul had already discerned the nature of a man named Lee Si-heon.

“The Si-heon I know… even if he confesses again, I think he would just keep dragging it out. Suggesting we remain friends, or that we should take our time getting to know each other. Or he’s not ready. Or he’s unsure. His personality is definitely like that, one hundred percent. Wouldn’t it be better to just ease your mind a bit?”
“…I hate that.”
“To be blunt, you deserve better.”

Azalea pressed her ears shut, solidifying the bundled blankets that clumped together like caterpillars. Her stubborn attitude even made Gu-seul raise both hands in surrender.

Any further persuasion would not be advice, but meddling.

“… But really, the more I see Lee Si-heon, the more he seems like a jerk.”

Usually, Gu-seul would put on a façade as if she had five layers of iron on her face, but this time her words were sincere. She sighed and reached for the coat hanging on the rack.

– Uuung!

At that moment, a vibrating sound rang out. Gu-seul, startled, turned around. Azalea was staring at her cellphone with wide, round eyes.

“Hello!?”

Her voice was half-cracked, and the corners of her eyes were an aching red. However, the voice on the phone resembled a little girl who had just arrived at an amusement park.

“Uh… yes.”

She used polite language. Using honorifics with a classmate was unusual. When asked about it, she said she used it out of respect.

“Uh… okay.”

Azalea mumbled her response and a few words for a while before hanging up her cell phone. Stunned, she placed both hands on her chest.

“What, what did they say?”

The blanket covering Azalea slipped from her head to her shoulders, revealing her face tinged with decadent sensuality.

She appeared like a woman who had achieved her dreams but was still dazed, unable to grasp the reality of her situation.

“…They want to meet now.”

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds.

“They want to meet now! I-I’ll take a shower.”

*Squeak!*

*Thump!*

Azalea hurriedly gathered her clothes and headed for the bathroom, her clumsy steps causing Gu-seul’s face to contort with confusion.

“…Is this for real?”

For days, Azalea had been crying as if she suffered from bipolar disorder, and now, with just one phone call, she was like this. Gu-seul was the one left dumbfounded, not Azalea. Gu-seul sat down on the bed where Azalea had been, straightening out a clump of tissues as she waited for her friend to return.

“If you keep your hopes up like that, you’ll be disappointed.”

Given Lee Si-heon’s personality… he’s likely to casually brush it off.
I feel sorry for Azalea.

It’s not a big deal to get a little closer to a girl.

-Kik!

Wrapped in a towel, Azalea dashed out of the bathroom and started getting ready at lightning speed.

“Is this pretty?”
“Yeah, Azalea looks beautiful in anything.”
“Oh, come on… Be serious and not joking around.”

I am serious.
Gu-seul watched Azalea, rummaged through her handbag, took out potato chips and chewed them.

“Alright, I’ll be going then.”

5 minutes to dry her hair. 5 minutes to choose and put on clothes. 3 minutes for makeup.
I want to applaud Azalea’s determination for summoning the spirits of wind and fire just to dry her hair.

Finally, Azalea finished getting ready in no time, put on her heels, and stepped out the door.

-Kik!

The door almost closed. However, it suddenly stopped, and Azalea’s face peeked out from there.

“That’s right, Gu-seul.”

“Huh?”
“…Thank you. For comforting me.”

– Thud!

Azalea vanishes like the wind. Gu-seul is momentarily dazed and then chuckles at the cute action.

“How adorable…”

Azalea had been a person who guarded herself and kept a distance from Gu-seul. They both knew that they were hiding something similar to one another.

Is it because they’re in the same situation? As they become closer, it feels enjoyable. Gu-seul lies down on the bed and fiddles with her cellphone.

“…Although we haven’t been in the same situation for a few months now.”

92-502-3354.

Repeating the phone number from her address book, Gu-seul dials the location. Flower. A revolutionary waiting for the eighth leaf – Gu-seul had moved to investigate the academy.

[What is it?]

A voice emerges from within the phone call. Gu-seul murmurs in a cold, detached tone.

“The retreat is almost over.”

As cold as ice.

Guseul’s eyes, gazing at the ceiling, seemed to fixate on a single point of the light as if they had never twinkled with laughter.

[…The Forest Keeper selection is imminent. Before performing the task, kill them if deemed unhelpful.]

“Yes, but, are you alright with not seeing the man in person?”

[All I need is the name, what else is necessary?]

A reprimand immediately sprang from her superior’s mouth. This representative of the Flower executive doesn’t even know the target’s face—an indication that it doesn’t matter whether the target lives or dies.

“Understood.”

This woman longs for the World Tree’s destruction more than anyone else. That’s why she doesn’t bother paying attention to such insignificant targets. Guseul smirked bitterly, picturing her face, which revealed no emotions, resembling a red glacier.

No matter what, Guseul was a pawn. She was like a doll, merely following the predetermined fate laid out since her birth. Guseul accepted this fact with a cool resignation.

“If you truly believe the man is not worth allying with, I’ll kill him immediately.”

[Hurry up.]

“Yes.”

Gu-seul donned a sly smile as she pictured the face of the person on the phone.

Maple.
Her five split fingers were a red, expressionless characteristic of her kind.

– Thump.

“Ah…”

After hanging up, Gu-seul’s tense face relaxed, and she heaved a heavy sigh. By now, Azalea must have met Lee Si-heon. With such thoughts in mind, she checked her messages.

Somewhere in her head, she anticipated the conversation between Lee Si-heon and Azalea upon their meeting.

‘Probably the same as always… No, never mind. They’re just like that.’

She passed the time with her eyes closed, a dry expression on her face. Gu-seul’s reasoning was that she should enjoy the fragile peace that would soon be shattered.

Might as well catch some sleep. She sighed, feeling drowsy.

Burying her face in the pillow, Gu-seul waited for Azalea’s arrival.

“…Mmm.”

Time passed, and she inadvertently fell asleep. Awakened by Azalea’s voice, Gu-seul stirred.

“Gu-seul, wake up.”
“Huh? Oh… I fell asleep.”

Rubbing her eyes, Gu-seul sat up and yawned. As she gazed out the window, she realized that it was late dawn, as if an entire day had passed.

“Did you come late?”

As Gu-seul wiped the sleep from her eyes, she noticed Azalea standing there, strangely bent over in a hesitant posture.

‘?’

Azalea’s cheeks and thighs were flushed red, her face a mixture of happiness and pain.

Gu-seul watched as Azalea walked to the closet and took out her clothes, her movements reminiscent of a five-year-old child.

‘What?’

It was a moment of surprise.

* * * * * *

“Let’s meet.”

I have something to discuss about that incident.

I made a phone call and decided to meet the rest in person, so I secured a spot at a café. Arriving about an hour early, I passed the time, and though the appointed time had not yet come, I heard the urgent sound of heels.

“…Ah, it’s you. *pant* *pant*”

Azalea, who had run toward me, gasping for breath, smiled brightly as soon as she saw me.

“Why did you come in such a hurry? It’s not even time yet.”

“If I wait… it’s boring. I wanted to come first and wait… Hehe.”

She casually rang the bell and called the café staff. Wearing a see-through top and short skirt, she seemed to have put in a lot of effort. She placed her handbag on her lap and politely rested her hands on her thighs.

There were no words exchanged after the initial greeting. It’s true that it felt awkward since she had confessed her feelings and been rejected.

“Um… I’d like an iced tea, please.”

“Sure, I understand.”

I finally opened my mouth after finishing the order and receiving Azalea’s portion of the drinks.

“I had something to do, so I intended to tell you earlier, but I couldn’t.”
“Oh, no. I can wait a lifetime.”

If only I could erase the tear stains from my eyes.
The makeup was applied thinly, making it easy to notice.

The wrinkled clothes clearly showed she had hastily gotten dressed… The area above her philtrum was bright red, as if she had been blowing her nose a lot while crying.

“…What happened?”

Azalea cautiously asked.

“It’s nothing. The World Tree just had some matters to attend to. I was helping with that.”
“…Ah. Because you’re a husband candidate.”
“Did the teacher tell you?”

Azalea, momentarily surprised, covered her mouth and nodded.
It was evident even without seeing it. Lee Se-Young already knew from what she had said.
When the two had met, she had divulged all her secrets.

“Ah… She didn’t say much. Just that…”

She’s loyal.

She speaks of unavoidable matters, but keeps her lips sealed regarding plans.

Se-Young already regarded Azalea as a traitor, but… things had worked out, so their teacher probably didn’t give it much thought anyway. They would use it as teasing material later on.

“I know everything.”
“Ah… haha.”

Of course, that wasn’t the reason for their meeting now.

Feeling the heat in their throat, they took a sip of coffee, braced themselves for the embarrassment, and opened their mouths to speak.

“So, about that confession from the other day.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Has anything changed since then?”

Gulping, Azalea looked at them with wide eyes.

A mix of anticipation and anxiety… or perhaps, mostly anxiety. Their heightened senses allowed them to hear their own heart pounding.

– Drip.

A droplet slid down the glass. No longer wanting to put it off, they spoke in the lightest tone possible to ease the tension.

“…Do you truly like me?”
“I sincerely do. I can… prove it.”

The answer came forth immediately.

The fixation in each word was eerily palpable.

“Proof? How?”

“Well, that is…”

Azalea averted her gaze in response to my question. Beads of cold sweat formed on her brow before she clenched her eyes shut, as though making a decision.

“…If you mean it, I can do anything for you. Really. If you don’t believe me, you can even slap me across the cheek.”

…A slap on the cheek? Out of the blue?

I hid my surprise at the sudden mention of a slap and looked at Azalea, whose eyes were rolling in an unusual manner.

Is she really okay with being slapped?

Recalling Azalea’s sexual fantasy, I gently touched the corner of my hardened mouth.

‘Spanking…’

I felt disoriented.

Hwangdo’s situation had been resolved with just one intimate encounter. However, it might be difficult to advance to that level given the current atmosphere.

I decided to respond honestly, as that would be ideal if it resolved the issue.

“Alright.”

“…Pardon?”

My response seemed unexpected, as Azalea cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes.

“What more can I say? I like you.”
“Really? You’re not lying…? But, last time I said I didn’t like you…”
“Try to like me. Well… I do like you.”

A precious person, indeed. Now that I think about it, I do like them.
As evidence, my hands, which used to tremble faintly when I was alone, were steady now.
It’s a sign that my body feels a sense of stability simply by having Azalea beside me.

Unknowingly, I almost made a scene like a romance drama.
I snorted and gazed at Azalea with the same expression.

“…Do you really like me?”

Azalea inquired cautiously.
There was now more anticipation than anxiety in those eyes.

“I still can’t believe it…”
“Hey. You have to trust me.”
“But… just three days ago, you rejected me. Aren’t those just words? The professor told you to accept my confession… I don’t like that.”
“It’s not like that.”

Murmuring lips. Words leapt from Azalea’s mouth.

“Then… let’s drink together. They say one’s true feelings are revealed when drinking… Please, drink until you’re intoxicated.”

It seemed that a little more time was needed to instill certainty.