Eat The World Tree

Chapter 192: Living Together (2)

“Discipline.”

“Di-discipline!”

As soon as Lee Seyeong finished speaking, Byeol’s hands started trembling.

The magic words elementary school teachers often used to punish students: Stand with your hands up.

Kneeling, Byeol was bewildered, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Why did you do it?”

“Seyeong-jang, there’s some misunderstanding… This is really nothing big. If you get mad over this, it’s really not-”

“Don’t lower your hands.”

“Eek!”

It felt like the trauma of being caught by a teacher reading a novel in the corner of the classroom and having to read it out loud in front of the class was resurfacing.

-Thunk, Thunk! Weed drew his sword…

-Hahaha, Thunk! That’s hilarious.

-Hehe, hehe.

-…Enough, stop reading.

People could read fantasy novels, couldn’t they? It was so petty to make fun of someone over that.

In middle school, Byeol was plain and not very stylish. She couldn’t humorously navigate such embarrassing situations and just sat down with a flushed face.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she pouted.

“S-Seyeong.”

“What.”

Lee Seyeong sat in a chair, crossing her legs, and glared at Byeol.

“…I know I did something wrong.”

“You did?”

“Honestly, I also wanted to spend some good time with Shiheon. You understand, right?”

Why can’t she see that this isn’t the right thing to say in this situation?

Lee Seyeong sighed and rubbed her face with both hands.

“Haa… Hey.”

“Y-yes.”

“Sorry for being sensitive… You know how much I like him.”

“Yeah, I know.”

It felt like she was possessed by something.

She suddenly called and asked for some help. Some kind of cult? That suspicious attack made her think so.

If it wasn’t, she said she’d take responsibility, and that image of Seyeong flashed through Byeol’s mind.

“I’m not blaming you for… sleeping with Shiheon or anything.”

“……Yeah.”

She knew everything.

Whoever he was with, it didn’t matter. Well, unless it’s someone problematic.

Whoever he rolled around with wasn’t up to Lee Seyeong’s discretion.

During this retreat, Lee Seyeong realized that it was up to Lee Shiheon’s decisions and actions.

“You know… Shiheon is being targeted by Flower and those guys, right?”

“Yeah.”

“……And even the World Tree might target him.”

“…That’s true.”

It’s a heavier matter than expected.

Byeol, still with her hands raised, looked down with a dejected face.

Being targeted by both the World Tree and Flower.

It meant having no place to stand in this world.

And the same treatment would extend to his lover.

“You know. Eventually, it could mean death. That’s why you and I were trying to take down Flower.”

And Lee Shiheon noticed it right before.

Because of his earnest and desperate pleas, Lee Seyeong had no choice but to call off the plan.

“…Seyeong, I’m curious about something.”

“Yes?”

“With your personality… Wouldn’t you have just ignored Shiheon’s request and gone ahead?”

She was assertive and got things done her way.

In a positive light, she’s proactive and enthusiastic, but in a negative light, she’s inconsiderate.

Byeol and Lee Seyeong had been friends beyond ordinary human relationships since their academy days.

They were not only close friends but also excellent business partners and women who shared the same lover.

So, when Lee Seyeong first called Byeol… Showing how flustered she was with Lee Shiheon, Byeol couldn’t help but wonder.

‘Well, back then… I was too frustrated to keep silent.’

It couldn’t be helped.

After preparing so diligently, to suddenly call it off.

Anyway, Lee Seyeong was not the type to back down.

Well, her personality was quite twisted.

To think that a girl with such a rough personality softened after experiencing love…

“You don’t know.”

Seyeong suddenly said.

“Huh?”

At Byeol’s response, Lee Seyeong sighed deeply.

“That time… I really don’t know. During the retreat, he briefly… disappeared because of the World Tree? Something like that.”

“Yeah, I heard about that.”

“When he came back… Do you know what his expression was like? When someone disappears right in front of you, you really… You know. The look of a person on the verge of breaking down.”

She knew it well.

Lee Seyeong knew too. Their past was not smooth.

They’ve had near-death experiences several times.

“That day… I pretended to be persuaded. I was going to go ahead with the plan as originally intended.”

“You were?”

“……He kept asking, like he was paranoid.”

“How?”

“Confessing his love, what else.”

“…What the. Seriously? Rubbing it in?”

“No, it’s not that. His voice tone was different…. Like he was about to die, all sticky. Ugh, really.”

Lee Shiheon said that?

“Ah, but it was only that night… The next day, he was back to normal.”

“Really?”

“That night, he seemed particularly crazy….”

The Shiheon that Byeol knew wasn’t like that.

Was there a difference in the depth of love? It was presumptuous to conclude like that. Shiheon… had a playful side.

Of course, recently, he has been showing a lot of serious sides.

But to that extreme? No. To Byeol’s standards, it was just at a level where women would find him attractive.

Lee Seyeong, with a half-teary face, sighed.

“…After hearing that, how could I go ahead with the original plan?”

It seemed she had her share of emotional struggles.

“I see.”

“Yeah.”

Looking at the depressed Lee Seyeong, Byeol sighed.

‘…Sigh.’

Lee Seyeong’s love was hard to understand.

Of course, love was like that.

It could begin at any time and end at any time.

There had been countless relationships where people would risk their lives for each other.

Even in history, there have been many such cases.

Examples of countries being ruined over a single woman.

Cases where two men died in a duel over a woman.

Among those many groups, there must have been some who, like Lee Seyeong, suddenly found a connection and turned their love into an obsession.

‘That’s because I’m not Lee Seyeong. I can’t empathize with that part.’

She must have felt love in some way.

No one else could empathize with that.

It’s a unique love that only she had, and in that way, it’s quite cool.

Say what you will, but Lee Shiheon was a good person.

Even after being assaulted, she saw through his nature. That was something remarkable.

“So.”

Lee Seyeong brought the conversation back to the beginning.

She uncrossed her legs and lowered her head, revealing her large chest.

Really, it’s not excessively large but well-shaped.

“……Cow.”

“What did you say, you b*tch?”

Jealous of her good figure, Byeol stuck out her tongue like a cat in her thoughts.

Without even looking at Byeol’s face, Lee Seyeong bit her lower lip and let out her frustration.

“Anyway. He begged so much, so I agreed, and now he’s doing the same thing as me. And he’s doing it behind my back!”

That’s true.

Lee Shiheon told Lee Seyeong not to get involved and was stepping forward himself.

“He’s weaker than me… How can he fight against Flower!”

“Shiheon is weaker… than you?”

“Then?”

Neither Byeol nor Lee Seyeong had a clear grasp of Shiheon’s martial skills.

Of course, the spirit he showed in the tournament was impressive.

But it was just the academy. The opponents were only cadets. How strong could they be? Besides, he had little real combat experience.

In short, Lee Shiheon’s assessed skill level was on the weaker side of A-rank.

“Let’s see… During the Flower terror incident… he fought alongside Baekdo and caught an Ent. So, at least upper B-rank. Given his high score in the tournament…. At most, lower A-rank. Sure enough, it’s uncertain if he can fight against Flower.”

“See. That’s what I’m saying.”

Lee Seyeong nodded vigorously at Byeol’s words.

“But Seyeong.”

Byeol interrupted Seyeong’s words and began to speak seriously.

She crossed her arms and took a breath to focus. Then she spoke quietly and kindly.

“There’s something you’re seriously mistaken about. Shiheon fighting against Flower is a given, right? Shiheon is hostile towards Flower. And likewise, Flower is targeting Shiheon.”

Discussing his skills or whatever.

It’s strange to consider that in the first place.

Lee Shiheon didn’t want Lee Seyeong to get involved in this fight.

Maybe because he was worried that something might happen to her.

“I know… I already know that.”

At Byeol’s words, Seyeong murmured with a sigh.

The reason why Lee Seyeong was worrying and thinking so much. The true reason she opposed Shiheon fighting against Flower.

And it was the same reason why Shiheon shared information with Byeol but told her not to inform Seyeong.

Just.

Out of mutual concern.

These two were engaging in a mental struggle over something trivial.

“Ah… you two are really the same.”

It’s amazing how their thoughts and actions aligned.

Byeol couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity and frustration.

“No… Seyeong. Should I feel deprived because my boyfriend’s other girlfriend gets along so well with him?”

“…What, what? What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“Oh yes, you’re the first girlfriend… Yes, yes. It’s nice that you get along so well. Taking care of each other so you don’t die… It looks really good. Right?”

Byeol’s rapid-fire, angry sentences.

Lee Seyeong widened her eyes as she listened to Byeol’s words.

“Hey. Please. Listen. I think you two just care for each other too much. Can’t you and Shiheon just trust each other?”

“…….”

“Seyeong, you weren’t like this before. You lose your reason whenever Shiheon is involved.”

“Do I?”

“See! Right here, you should’ve said, ‘What the fuck, idiot.’”

“What the fuck, idiot.”

“That’s right!”

Forcing herself to laugh, Byeol smiled.

Seyeong twisted her hair and stared blankly out the window.

“…Am I being too much?”

Well, she had been like this lately.

It was not always her period, but the girl had been so sensitive.

It’s not because she was told to raise her hands like an elementary school student.

After rationalizing herself inwardly, Byeol gave Lee Seyeong some suitable advice.

“Seyeong.”

“Yeah?”

“…Just like before. You two should take a little time alone.”

Maybe it’s because they had been living apart for a while.

When you were far away, you started thinking your own thoughts. You judged the other person from your own perspective.

Lee Seyeong’s odd behavior might be a form of affection deprivation. Self-proclaimed psychiatrist Byeol decided to conclude that.

“Alone?”

“How did you two live when you first started dating?”

“Just… If we were bored, we’d call each other and drink. If something made us angry, we’d talk about it and listen to each other?”

“Exactly! Do that!”

Why were you suffering alone?

The plan was canceled anyway. Lee Seyeong had some time now.

Seeing Byeol’s exasperated gestures, Seyeong smiled bitterly.

“…Shall I?”

“Hoo. Yes.”

“You’re a good friend for giving me such good advice.”

Grateful, Lee Seyeong expressed her thanks to Byeol. Byeol felt a warmth in her heart but shook her head.

“Oh, I don’t know. Holding my hands up earlier… It really pissed me off?”

“Hey.”

“I hope your boyfriend gets taken by someone else!”

“That’s crossing the line.”

“Ah… is it? Sorry.”

Shall we have a drink together after a long time?

At Seyeong’s suggestion, Byeol nodded with a smile.

“Let’s get up.”

Leaving the Vice President’s office, they headed to a pub.

Watching the excited Byeol, Lee Seyeong remembered something and spoke to her.

“Hey, do you know that?”

“Hmm?”

“While we’re doing this… there’s a fox seducing Shiheon.”

A fox? A vixen!?

As Byeol’s face hardened, Seyeong checked the time on her phone and chuckled.

“Let’s see. It should be happening about now.”

“Is this right?”

No matter how… It’s just the first day of living together.

Sharing a bed, well, that’s possible.

The bed was big enough to be considered a bridal bed, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“But… doing this on the first day?”

I looked down.

Jin Dallae’s sultry eyes were staring at my lower abdomen.

“……You.”

University student. Cohabitation.

An off-campus apartment… a naked girlfriend.

It was a predictable development.