Free Web Novel“I only keep people I like by my side.”
Even though I’d told him the truth, it seemed like that wasn’t the answer Do Yehyun wanted. He shook his head and went out of his way to explain again. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
“That’s not what I mean. What I’m saying is....”
“You mean, do I like him the way you like me?”
“.......”
Only then did Do Yehyun slowly nod and quietly look at me.
‘As much as Do Yehyun likes me?’
The answer to that was obvious.
‘No fucking way.’
Leaning back in the chair, I stared straight at Do Yehyun.
“I dunno. If Seowon dies, I’d be pissed. If he betrays me, I’d probably be pissed too.”
“.......”
“It’s hard to pin down exactly what it feels like... but anyway, I’m pretty satisfied with my relationship with him. I like how things are now. In every way.”
“.......”
“Does that answer you?”
After saying it, I let out a hollow laugh. It felt like I’d been in a situation like this before—because I remembered when it was.
‘Feels like Seowon asked something similar.’
No, was Seowon even more blunt about it?
I tapped the table with my fingers and twisted the corner of my mouth up.
“Anyway, why are you asking me this?”
“...I was curious.”
“That’s what I’m asking. What kind of answer do you want.”
“.......”
“I’m asking because I’m curious too.”
I had zero intention of mocking what Do Yehyun said. I stared at him and scanned his face from corner to corner.
That vaguely stiff expression wasn’t very effective at hiding emotions. Maybe because he’d just been sleeping, he also looked a little out of it.
“...Why are you smiling.”
“Just because.”
Even if his gaze wavered, it stayed fixed on me in a straight line. Do Yehyun was surprisingly good at holding eye contact. No—at some point, he’d started doing that.
He really did look like he’d been exhausted from the dungeon; the aftermath was all over his face. He looked worn out, and kind of sleepy too.
“Yehyun.”
“Yes?”
“I asked you. Why aren’t you answering?”
Only then, like he’d snapped back to his senses, Do Yehyun blinked and spoke, pretty slowly.
“There isn’t an answer I want. I just... wanted to know what you were thinking.”
“Yeah?”
Listening to Do Yehyun made me curious about something.
“When you met that god, did it say it would grant your desire?”
“Yes.”
“And your desire was for me to need you.”
“Yes.”
“Hm....”
If he was bold enough to ask whether I liked Seowon, he could’ve asked for something a lot more blatant, so it wasn’t easy to understand why he’d chosen that.
“You should’ve asked for something more straightforward.”
Maybe he wouldn’t have gotten the stat increase if he did, but still—wouldn’t asking for me to like him, or love him, be closer to a “desire”?
Like he understood what I meant, Do Yehyun’s brow furrowed subtly.
“I wouldn’t... ask for that.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you.”
“You know me?”
Do Yehyun hesitated for a moment, then suddenly started laying into me with a scathing critique.
“You’ve dated, and you say you care about other people... but that isn’t real romantic feeling.”
“What’s with you? I’m serious.”
“...You did it because it was fun.”
“Maybe.”
It was kind of sad to hear that, considering it felt like he’d endured even the moments when it wasn’t fun, trying his best. I tapped the desk with a light click-click and looked out the window for a moment.
“I don’t do it only for fun. Well, maybe I chased that part a little, but.”
“I couldn’t imagine you wanting someone... loving someone... without a purpose.”
“.......”
“So I didn’t consider that part.”
At that, I tilted my head and looked Do Yehyun straight in the eye.
“You should’ve tried it.”
“...What?”
Wanting someone without a purpose, loving them, making irrational decisions because of it. I didn’t want to become like that, but I was curious at least once.
But at the same time, it sounded kind of ridiculous.
“Yehyun.”
“.......”
“Even if it’s not me, there aren’t that many people who passionately love someone for no reason and even sacrifice themselves.”
“.......”
“Seowon said something similar too.... Psychopath, was it? I don’t know, I’m not interested in that field, but sometimes I get confused. You seem like you know exactly what you want, but when you trail off and dance around like this, I wonder if I got mistaken because of ‘that reason.’”
Or maybe Do Yehyun himself hadn’t realized it. Either way, there was no need to split hairs and separate the two.
“When I went on a business trip with Seowon... there was a similar situation.”
“.......”
“What did he say? He asked me if I’d kiss you if you climbed on top of me, and... the reason was obvious.”
“Because Seowon likes you?”
“Yeah.”
Do Yehyun said it like he was stating something he’d already known—his tone weirdly calm. Well, even I could tell, so there was no way Do Yehyun wouldn’t.
‘And he acts like he hid his own feelings so well.’
Seowon, oddly enough, couldn’t hide his emotions when it came to things related to me.
“So I thought you asking this was the same kind °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° of thing.”
“.......”
“But you’re saying it’s not, so... I’m starting to wonder if I was the one mistaken.”
“.......”
“Are you jealous?”
I narrowed my eyes and watched Do Yehyun’s reaction. There wasn’t any immediate physical response that jumped out. His cheeks were red, but not unusually heated. His gaze wasn’t vague either.
Do Yehyun answered in a clear voice.
“I am.”
“Hm....”
“But Seowon is... someone you need, so it’s okay.”
“Oh, so you’re going to be understanding about it?”
“.......”
“You’re acting like a boyfriend.”
It was half a joke, but only now did his reaction start to flare up—slowly, but sharply. Do Yehyun flinched and stared at me.
“...It’s not understanding.”
“I’m joking. Don’t get too serious.”
“.......”
When I answered lightly, Do Yehyun’s mouth closed. The emotions in that stare swelled and rolled, like something was about to spill over.
When I lowered my eyes slightly, I saw Do Yehyun wringing the bed blanket in a death grip. Because he still wasn’t used to controlling his strength after the stat adjustment, the blanket he’d been squeezing was slightly torn. I didn’t bother pointing it out and lifted my gaze again.
“Jehyun....”
After a long time, Do Yehyun finally spoke. When I tilted my chin, telling him to keep going, the words came quickly.
“Do you like it when I’m honest?”
“Whether you’re honest or not doesn’t affect how I feel about you.”
“.......”
“But if you’re honest, it’s easier to notice. What you’re thinking.”
“.......”
“You change pretty fast. When I first brought you in, you weren’t like this.”
At that, a small smile formed at the corner of Do Yehyun’s mouth. He glanced down once, let out a soft laugh, then shook his head.
“I’d been thinking weird things since then.”
“Yeah?”
“A stranger who was scary showed up and told me to run away, and I followed you.”
“.......”
“I don’t know. Did I change? Maybe a little. I don’t know if it’s because I awakened, or because you’re beside me.”
After repeating I don’t know twice, Do Yehyun lifted his head and knit his brow slightly.
“I like you.”
“I know.”
“I feel like I can do anything.”
I curled my lips into a small smile and asked back.
“Anything?”
If he didn’t set any conditions, I was curious what he thought I might tell him to do.
‘Well, he even killed someone....’
He showed absolutely no guilt about the murder inside the dungeon. No trauma response, either. Like he was obsessively fixated on one thing—so much that he forgot those small instincts entirely.
Do Yehyun answered calmly again.
“Yes.”
“Before we went into the dungeon, you didn’t confirm it this strongly.”
“.......”
“Did something change?”
“A little... I think so.”
Was it the price of facing his “desire”?
If you thought about it, this dungeon had been unusually intense for Do Yehyun. Cheonmyeonggyo tied to his trauma, a familiar face he met there, a dungeon he wandered through for ages, meeting a god, stats shooting up several steps at once, his body and mind both exhausted at the same time.
‘It’d be hard not to change.’
I just hadn’t expected the change to be in this direction.
I furrowed my brow and smiled slightly.
“Okay.”
“...Do you hate it?”
“You mean you saying you’ll do anything for me?”
Resting my chin on my hand, I looked at Do Yehyun. He was confident nonstop—except for moments like this, where I could read a thin anxiety.
‘Predictable.’
Why would I hate that offer?
I narrowed my eyes and chuckled softly.
“No. I like it.”
“.......”
At that, Do Yehyun’s body jerked again.
“Because you’ll only do things that help me anyway.”
“.......”
“Like this time.”
It was a reference to him killing Ahn Jinha and pouring skills out for my sake.
Do Yehyun, somehow, understood what I meant and slowly nodded.
Then, after a moment, he stood up and walked right up to the chair I was sitting in. I lifted my head to meet his eyes as he came closer.
“What?”
“I’ll do well from now on too, so.”
“Yeah.”
“...Give me a reward.”
At that bold demand, a hollow laugh came out of me on its own.
“Is me kissing you a reward?”
“To me....”
“So I pay with kisses instead of money? Sounds like I’m some kind of whore.”
“.......”
I grabbed Do Yehyun’s thigh hard and pulled him closer. His body wobbled slightly as he got yanked in close.
“Just say you want to kiss.”
“.......”
“I do it when I feel like it.”
“It’d be nice... if it was definite.”
Tilting my head, I looked at Do Yehyun. His eyes were driven down into me. I leaned the chair back a little and rocked my body faintly.
“A definite reward?”
“Yes.”
“A kiss?”
“.......”
Then Do Yehyun was silent for a moment, then lightly bit his lip.
“...Actually, I thought about other things too.”
There was no need to ask what those “other things” were. I looked at Do Yehyun quietly, then answered slowly.
“Yeah. It shows.”
