Translated by Jamechi
Edited by Jamechi and Matsurika
Chapter 4.1
Whew.
I whistled in amazement as I entered his house. Decorated in somber colors,dark blue and black, the s.p.a.cious mansion emitted a traditional and cold aura. The air felt unsettling, sending chills down my spine. In the middle of the living room, magazines, books, cans of beer, and other goods were scattered on the coffee table. The messy area did not fit the atmosphere of the home.It was a rare area of normality within the cold mansion. I stood next to the table, observing my surroundings uneasily. Feeling out of place, I pondered over why I was here. Suddenly, Jung Hwanwoo interrupted my thoughts.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Oh, no thank you.”
“Then feel free to sit anywhere you"d like. Make yourself comfortable.”
Afterwards, he walked towards a different room, leaving me behind in the living room. Still uneasy, I sat down on the nearby luxurious couch. The sofa was encased in soft leather, its velvet-like cushions eased some tight knots around my shoulders. But despite its efforts, the tension returned as I continued to anxiously contemplate the situation. My heart urged me to flee, but my mind persuaded me to remain and improve our relations in real life. During my mental debate, Jung Hwanwoo returned to the living room in new clothes. He wore a comfortable knitted sweater and cotton trousers, and managed to look impeccable in the simple outfit. His clothes outlined his muscles, successfully distracting me from my thoughts. Hypnotized by him, I failed to realize that he was carrying another outfit in his arms. He approached me, placed the folded clothes near me, and then stated.
“Change into these for comfort, I"ll go wash the clothes you’re wearing right now. Although these may be a little too big, but they’ll do.”
Hearing his words, I felt a tad irritated. Although I was shorter than him, having him bluntly state this hurt my self esteem. Compared to Jung Hwanwoo, I seemed like a dwarf standing next to a hill. With his broad shoulders and muscular body, he could easily envelop me in a hug. Feeling hurt from his comment, I let out a sigh and looked at the clothes near me. I picked up the sweat pants and shirts, and walked towards the bathroom.
After wearing his clothes, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. It’s… I looked like a slob. The shirt nearly reached my knees and the pants had to be tightened to fit around my hips. Feeling like it was about to slip off my waist, I kept readjusting the pants. As I stared at my appearance, I couldn’t help but laugh at my ridiculous image. Despite disliking my appearance, I did not have any other options. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.
“Are you done?”
Surprised by his knock, I nearly lost my balance and gripped onto the nearby sink. I re-positioned myself and gritted my teeth in frustration at the near accident.
‘You’re so good Kyujin, you almost got a concussion right after the ulcers!’
I shook my head in disappointment and opened the door. As soon as I took one step, I b.u.mped into a hard, warm surface. I looked up and realized that I had crashed into Jung Hwanwoo. Slightly disoriented from the collision, I opened my mouth to apologize, when I caught a whiff of a pleasant scent. A musky aroma enveloped me, distracting me from reality. I leaned in closer towards the scent"s origin, and took a deep breath. Enjoying the smell, I murmured to myself a question.
“What is this smell…”
“Be careful next time.”
Jung Hwanwoo bluntly stated, ignoring my question. He distanced himself slightly and walked away from me. I sniffed the air for more of the scent, but sadly it had grown fainter. Disappointed, I followed him to the kitchen and pondered over the thought of repairing our relationship. Our slight collision was impolite on my end, possibly placing more distance between the two of us. I didn’t want our interactions to get worse…
He directed me towards the dining table and placed a bowl of abalone porridge [1] in front of me. Combined with my hunger, the smell of the dish lured me into an eating craze. Typically, seeing seafood whets my appet.i.te and I avoid it at all costs. But this time, I consumed the seafood porridge entirely, leaving not even a grain of rice in the bowl.
“... Well, that was good...”
I awkwardly said after the meal, failing to hide my nervous tone. We sat near each other at the table, with an empty bowl in front of each of us. Pretending to be calm, I rubbed my bulging stomach to emphasize how well I had eaten. I prepared for his sarcastic remark, but he exceeded my expectations. Unlike my a.s.sumption, he lowered his head slightly towards me and thanked me for the compliment. His sudden bow shocked me, as he had never done this before. Feeling awkward, I stood up and said.
“Erm, thank you for the meal. As I don’t like to owe anybody anything, I will treat you to a meal next time.”
As I prepared to bring the dishes to the sink and thought about going home, he retrieved a package from his pockets. I glanced down and unrolled the paper bag, noticing that this was a bag with my prescribed medications.
“Drink this three times a day, within 30 minutes after dinner.”
Hearing his instructions, I unconsciously sat back down and avoided his gaze.
‘Ok, just drink the medicine now and then prepare to leave. Don’t forget to say goodbye and-’
“Urk!”
Suddenly, pain erupted from the side of my stomach. From the agonizing sensation, I dropped to the floor and instinctively curled up. I felt like I was being tortured by having my stomach ripped in half, while having a knife stab into it repeatedly.
“Are you ok?!”
Shocked by the turn of events, Jung Hwanwoo reached towards me and slid his hands under my arms, lifting me from the ground. He pulled me into his chest, and asked me a question. When he moved me, the pain pinched my stomach once more. I winced from the erupting agony when suddenly a throbbing headache formed. The increasing pain terrorized me, pulling forth low groans from my mouth..
“Can you move your body in anyway?”
In a concerned tone, Jung Hwanwoo asked in a concerned, soothing tone. He a.s.sisted me up and encouraged me to stand.I shook my head in refusal and attempted to catch my breath. When I gulped a large breath, the pain intensified in my stomach, causing me to rely on short pants for air.
“Eueok!”
I exclaimed in surprise. Suddenly hoisted into the air, I raised my head to notice my current position. Jung Hwanwoo had lifted me up, carrying me in a princess styled embrace [2]. I turned my head towards the right and was entranced by his sharp jawline. His chivalrous action and attractive face successfully distracted me from the throbbing pain within my stomach and head.
“Rest your head closer to my chest, you’ll feel better if you do.”
“Oh no, I can walk… let me down.”
Despite my attempt to be brave, the pain within my stomach reignited. As if it was afraid that I had forgotten about it, my stomach twisted itself and clawed upwards. I clenched my teeth and failed to hide my pain-filled groans. When he heard my struggle, Jung Hwanwoo quickened his pace and entered into a bedroom.I opened my eyes slightly and noticed my surroundings. The area was more s.p.a.cious than the living room, and he had spa.r.s.e furniture in the room. Soon he laid me on a large blue bed and hovered over me. I chuckled inwardly at the situation, flabbergasted by the ironic situation. In a realm where we fought like enemies, the two of us appeared to be in a scandalous affair. The current scene was similar to my daily dreams of Jung Hwanwoo. In the fantasies, Jung Hwanwoo would’ve thrown me onto the bed and then seduced me into s.e.x. Next, we would-
While I was lost in thought, Jung Hwanwoo got off of me and debated on the necessity of a blanket. He decided to cover me with the soft blanket and comforted me through the quilt. His touch awakened me from my daydream, and brought me back to reality. Beneath the blanket, the pain began to calm down and my body began to relax from the tension.
“I was… I was about to go home, so…”
Midway through my explanation, Jung Hwanwoo placed his pointer on his mouth and whispered.
“Shhh.”
Translator’s Note:
To those that managed to find the comment, what do y"all think? Do you agree or disagree with Matsurika? Tell us on the comments below!!!
[1] Abalone porridge, aka Jeonbok-juk, is a Korean dish consisting of rice porridge and abalones. This dish was typically served to the King of Korea, but can now be eaten by the everyday folk (if they can afford it)
[2] Princess carry is a style of carrying someone. With one arm at the back of their neck and the other at the back of the knees, the carrier embraces the carryee close to their chest. This is considered romantic for most as the princess carry is typically done to women
So my editors just informed me that non-US countries don"t use "..." as thoughts. I just wanted to do a PSA that the use of "..." indicates thoughts and italics indicate the past!