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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 74
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"Glesea!"
My heart felt like it would burst, but I somehow managed to shout and stop Glesea, who was about to leave the park.
A million thoughts raced through my mind as I ran, wondering what I would do if Glesea wasn't in the park, thinking I was too late.
"…"
As Glesea slowly turned around, I felt a huge wave of relief.
And I should have approached Glesea, who was looking at me, but…
My body refused to obey. My legs felt so heavy they seemed to have completely frozen.
"Haa… haa…"
Stopping to gasp for breath, even my vision was blurry. It was as if my body was warning me, pleading that I hadn't fully recovered yet.
The time I heard from Cali the moment I woke up. The promise. Because of that, I had rushed here without even time to compose myself.
My body, already at its limit, was being pushed too hard again.
*Thump.*
Even so, I somehow managed to take a step forward.
I forced my body to move, trying to approach Glesea. Just then, Glesea also began to approach me.
*Click.*
And at a faster pace than mine. Was it because I was so exhausted? Her speed as she approached me seemed incredibly fast.
*Thump-thump.*
*Thump-thump.*
My heart was still pounding like crazy, and I was gasping for breath, yet I tried to think of what I needed to say.
'How should I apologize?'
Would that at least make Glesea feel a little better?
Even now, my heart felt like it would burst, and my body wasn't moving as I wanted.
More than that, I thought I needed to offer a proper apology to Glesea, who had waited for me.
*Thump.*
*Click.*
As we met, our footsteps echoing, I immediately offered my apology.
"I'm really sorry… for being late."
There was no need for flowery language; I could only offer an apology.
My lateness was my lateness, and my circumstances were merely my personal circumstances.
It was also a mistake I made by getting too absorbed in my training.
"..."
Glesea said nothing in response to my apology, looking just like her usual self.
She gazed at me with her impossibly transparent blue eyes, her closed lips not easily parting.
And that somehow made me even more anxious.
'She must be very angry.'
"Han Cheonseong. Why are you… panting so much?"
*Thud.*
Glesea's voice, as she asked me, was unexpectedly calm.
Contrary to my expectation that she would be angry or scold me, she calmly asked.
"Ah, this is… because I rushed here. Sorry…. I must look a mess right now, don't I?"
I belatedly tried to straighten my crooked clothes and messy hair, laughing awkwardly.
Honestly, even just opening my mouth felt draining right now.
"I thought you had simply forgotten your promise to me."
"Glesea. How could I forget a promise with you?"
"Then why were you late?"
Surprised slightly by Glesea's calm, unangry question, I immediately explained.
"You remember I told you I had a prior engagement with Instructor Cali today, right?"
"I remember."
"And just as I said, I was focused on my training while moving with Instructor Cali. But it seems… I overdid it. I ended up losing consciousness while training."
I conveyed only the truth, without adding any lies.
"…"
Glesea met my gaze with her transparent eyes… and showed an odd lack of anger.
Seeing her like that, I couldn't even think of adding a lie.
Because if I tried to sugarcoat myself with a lie here, it would feel like betraying that transparent gaze that met mine.
"You lost consciousness…?"
"Yeah. I pushed myself too hard with the training… And when I regained consciousness and woke up, it was already well past six o'clock. It might sound like an excuse to you, but it's truly the honest truth, without a single lie. I'm really sorry for being so late for our promise."
Even as I spoke, I was gasping for breath in between, so my words weren't even natural.
…My face was probably flushed, and I must have looked a mess, but I didn't even have the presence of mind to compose myself.
"..."
Glesea, who had listened to my explanation, offered no reply.
She just stared at me blankly.
With a transparent gaze that couldn't even be read.
I felt that saying anything more would only make me look pathetic, so I waited for Glesea to speak. She then gave a slight nod.
"First. Han Cheonseong. Let's sit down."
"Huh…?"
"It looks like you need to rest right now. Let's just sit."
*Click.*
As Glesea replied in a calm voice and walked on, I blankly followed beside her.
*Thump.*
Even as I matched her pace, this situation felt like it kept deviating from my expectations.
It was good that Glesea didn't get too angry and treated me calmly, but I wasn't sure if I could truly be at ease. I felt a mix of certainty and doubt.
*Tremble.*
My legs trembled as I walked.
Was it because the tension had momentarily eased, or because my body had reached its limit? I was still struggling.
*Rustle.*
As Glesea sat on a bench, I sat beside her, letting out a small sigh.
My heart, which had been pounding like mad, had now calmed down a little.
But the after-effects were no joke.
"…"
Even now, the trees in the park seemed somewhat blurry.
"First, Han Cheonseong. I understand what you said."
"Really? You're not mad that I was late?"
When I asked cautiously, Glesea calmly nodded.
"I was mad, but I'm okay now. I can understand why you were late after hearing your explanation. And looking at you now, it doesn't seem like a lie at all."
"Of course. Why would I lie about something like this?"
It felt as if my heart could finally completely relax.
It was a relief that Glesea spoke so calmly.
She didn't hide her feelings or say she wasn't angry; she said she *was* angry but could understand me.
And that she was okay now…
Glesea's unique way of speaking felt so good right now.
'Much better than someone who beats around the bush.'
The usual fatigue one might feel when dealing with women was completely absent with Glesea, though in a slightly different sense.
Her purity could sometimes be startling, but purely speaking, it made her the kind of person you'd really want to be close to.
There was no pretense or hidden motives in how she dealt with others. I, too, had nothing to hold back when dealing with such a person.
Because I could simply be genuine in return.
"Thank you for understanding. Honestly… I thought you'd be really angry."
Leaning blankly against the bench, my words now flowed more naturally.
"Han Cheonseong."
"Hmm?"
"Instead, you'll spend one more day with me this week."
"…Huh?"
"You were late today, weren't you? If we just let this slide, only I, who waited for you today, would be at a disadvantage. I can't let it pass like this."
Glesea said, meeting my gaze directly, and I nodded awkwardly.
Her words were reasonable. Moreover, if I could make up for my lateness by paying this 'price' rather than just letting it slide, I would feel more at ease.
"Okay. I understand. Then, let's meet one more day this week."
At my words, Glesea's lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile, and I found myself smiling along with her without realizing it.
Thinking about it, it was a truly strange 'price.'
It was still hard to believe that spending time with me could be a form of 'price' for Glesea.
'She said she wanted to understand me…'
But why would Glesea need to understand me? I suddenly felt curious.
"Glesea. Can I ask you something?"
"You can ask."
She replied calmly to my question, and I cautiously spoke.
"Why do you… want to understand me?"
Even if I didn't ask about the reason and just continued our current relationship by feigning ignorance, it would have been fine.
After all, the less she understood me, the more often I could be with her.
But.
Seeing Glesea accept my mistake so well today, I felt I shouldn't think that way anymore.
"…The reason I want to understand you?"
"Yes. The reason you spend time with me is because you want to understand me, isn't it? Last time, you said you couldn't understand the reason for my self-esteem, the basis of my confidence. But I just feel… it's not only that."
As I spoke, a vague feeling came over me.
The reason for my self-esteem, my confidence. There was no telling when Glesea would realize that. And if our relationship ended then, I wouldn't want that.
I had already met Glesea for several days, and we had become quite natural in our conversations.
Our relationship…
I didn't think it was one that would end so easily.
"Han Cheonseong, how did you… know that?"
"How did I know?"
"…That the reason I don't understand you isn't just that reason."
As Glesea suddenly spoke blankly, I, too, was momentarily stunned.
'There was really another reason?'
I had asked it as a mere guess, but Glesea saying there was truly another reason surprised me even more.
"Rather than knowing, I just wondered if that might be the case. Because your wanting to spend time with me didn't feel ordinary."
As I spoke, I truly became curious now.
What reason did Glesea have for saying she didn't understand me?
As our gazes met, Glesea suddenly raised her hand.
"…"
What was she suddenly going to do? I just watched her hand as it slowly came towards me.
*Rustle.*
And when her hand touched my cheek, I flinched but pretended to be calm, meeting her gaze.
'What is she thinking with this action?'
Glesea's actions were always hard to understand. As I meekly accepted her touch,
"Actually, I still feel that way."
"…Still?"
"Yes. Even now, looking at you like this, I still don't understand you at all."
Glesea met my gaze with a soft voice.
I hesitated, then found myself speaking without realizing it.
"Glesea, you know what?"
"Yes?"
"I… don't understand you either."
I felt like I was the one who couldn't understand Glesea.
How she could say and do such things so nonchalantly, why she could be so natural about everything.
"Han Cheonseong. Then isn't that even better?"
"What…?"
"You just have to try and spend time with me from now on too."
Her faint smile left me… speechless.