I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 208: You have no right to remain silent... (3)

Fortunately, Yuki forgave me with a heart as vast as the ocean.

“...Is this how I should say it?”

“Yeah.”

When I asked cautiously, Yuki gave me a thumbs up.

“This isn’t even close to the level of bowing down to receive a greeting, though?”

“Don’t slander Yuki. Yuki is such a good person.”

“Mhm.”

“...You’ve never said anything like that to me!”

Da-eun voiced her frustration.

It wasn’t unusual for Da-eun to go on a rampage, but this time it seemed like there was more sincerity mixed in.

Usually, it was about 30% sincerity and 70% playfulness when she spoke, but this time it felt like the ratio had flipped.

“That sandbag, I’ll pay as much as I need! So please talk to me kindly...!”

Da-eun shouted as though she was about to open her wallet right there.

She was saying she’d pay for the swordsmanship lesson, but why was she insisting on giving money?

I couldn’t understand Da-eun at times.

Actually, pretty often.

I turned my back to Da-eun, who was struggling.

“Are you really sure you don’t want it?”

“It’s not like I’m desperate for money. If you obsess over the little things, you’ll lose something big.”

“Is that why you made me say that?”

That whole “heart as vast as the ocean” thing she said earlier.

Yuki shrugged her shoulders in response.

“That’s the minimum compensation. I can’t just take everything without giving something back.”

“Is this really compensation?”

“Kana’s compliments are rare. They’re worth that much.”

I don’t think being rare necessarily makes something valuable.

Still, it wasn’t harmful to me, and in fact, it was something that benefited me, so I didn’t bother arguing.

I should accept it humbly since I was the one who caused the trouble.

“It’s a misinterpretation! If it were Kana, you would’ve shamelessly said, ‘So what?’! That cat-like attitude is Kana’s charm...!”

“Da-eun, so you think of me like that, huh? Good to know.”

Did she really think of me as that rude?

...Though, I wasn’t entirely unwilling to accept that possibility.

When I was in Celia, especially during my time in the Knights, I’d charge forward if I didn’t like something.

I thought it was irrational, so I’d charge, but I knew full well that I might have seemed rude to others.

After Grasis’ fall, I became a bit more subdued, but my temper didn’t die completely.

...But still-

I thought I’d been pretty accommodating to Da-eun.

For instance, when Da-eun broke a plate while broadcasting last time, I didn’t act shamelessly but apologized properly.

And after that, since it was my mistake, I helped clean up.

As people who know me have often said, I’m not great at expressing my emotions.

I agree with that, so I have no intention of denying it.

So I understand that even when I speak sincerely, the other person might not interpret it that way.

...I understand, but...

“....”

Pouting—

Why does this feel so annoying?

“Hmph.”

Instead of trying to find an answer, I turned my head sharply.

“Ugh... I’m sorry! I was wrong...!”

“...Don’t talk to me. Don’t touch me. Go away.”

“Ugh! Please, not that...!”

“Haha...”

Do-hyun, who had been watching us, let out a dry laugh.

It wasn’t me who spoke to him, but someone else.

“Still can’t believe it?”

Yuki, who had been watching from a distance like Do-hyun, asked casually.

Do-hyun’s response was ‘No.’

“I can’t believe it, but I can’t not believe it either. I don’t want to end up like that.”

As he said that, Do-hyun pointed to the sandbag that had been split in two.

Then, when our eyes met, he subtly bent his finger and pretended not to care.

“Should I really split it in two?”

“Ahem! Anyway, I’ve seen clear evidence now, so I can’t deny it. I thought it was just a game, but it turns out it’s another world. Isn’t that something you only see in manga?”

“Fiction never manages to catch up with reality.”

“I bet the person who first said that didn’t expect something like this.”

Do-hyun, who had figured out the situation thanks to my explanation, responded.

“...So, Kana?”

He couldn’t have forgotten the conversation from just a few minutes ago, so he must have known that I was younger than him.

It seemed like my actions in Celia left a strong impression on him, because Do-hyun was being unusually cautious and deliberate in his attitude toward me.

“Yeah.”

“What can I do?”

“...Huh?”

What kind of question was that?

As I was thinking about the intention behind the question, the person who gave me the answer was none other than the one who asked the question.

“Don’t you have something to ask me?”

“Uh?”

Even after hearing the answer, I still couldn’t understand what he meant, so I tilted my head again.

“There’s nothing.”

If I had to say something, it’d be that he shouldn’t go blabbing to others, but I figured he should know that without me saying it.

And if I was going to ask for something, I wouldn’t have explained everything upfront.

“Then why...?”

“It’s just how I feel.”

It seemed that he misunderstood, thinking that I showed myself and told him the truth because I had something to ask.

I never thought that way.

The reason I revealed myself to him was more out of impulse—no, it was outright impulsive.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

If I had to give a small reason, it would be that Yuki knew him.

“Let me ask you the opposite. What help can you offer me?”

“Uhm...”

At my question, Do-hyun hesitated and didn’t open his mouth easily.

He must have realized that there wasn’t much he could offer.

From what I remember, Do-hyun was good among the players, but not exceptional.

To put it another way, he was excellent, but not extraordinarily outstanding.

Maybe if he trained more, he could be helpful, but right now, he wasn’t likely to offer any physical assistance.

After thinking hard, Do-hyun finally came up with an answer.

“...Money?”

“To bribe a girl with money? This is going to spark some controversy.”

“...I didn’t mean it like that. That’s really trashy.”

The condemnation came flying, as if it had been waiting.

With pure and blind criticism, Do-hyun’s face turned red.

“No, when did I bribe her with money! You know that wasn’t what I meant, right?”

“When did you not try to bribe me? You just did.”

“I don’t know about that?”

“No...!”

Do-hyun, caught between the two women, pounded his chest in frustration.

Yuki and Da-eun gleamed with excitement as they tore into their prey.

But aside from that, Do-hyun’s response surprised me a lot.

‘Money.’

I also thought that the most he could offer was money.

But knowing the right answer and being able to say it are two different things, aren’t they?

Especially when you don’t know the person well, offering money out of nowhere is not easy.

Could it be that he’d use money to save the world if it were possible?

What surprised me was that.

He didn’t seem like the type to be so self-sacrificial.

Even though I hadn’t asked for help.

“If you have that much money, can’t you give me some? I need a new sandbag anyway, this worked out perfectly.”

“...Why would I give you money?”

“If you had believed me sooner, Kana wouldn’t have ruined the sandbag like that. So the fact that the sandbag broke is partly your responsibility.”

“Stop talking nonsense. Honestly, who would believe it immediately in that situation?”

“I believed you right away.”

“You’re a madwoman, so of course, you should be an exception.”

Did Yuki really think that?

I think she believed me sooner than Da-eun and Do-hyun... but wasn’t she just as confident as this?

I had my doubts, but I didn’t voice them.

“So now, are you going to join the training too?”

“...What? Training? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You know what the situation is now. If you want to protect yourself when things go wrong, you need to prepare in advance.”

“...Oh.”

At Yuki’s words, I couldn’t help but murmur a little in admiration.

That was actually a pretty reasonable point.

Do-hyun, who had been looking confused just a moment ago, seemed to agree, as he wore a thoughtful expression, similar to mine.

He forgot to refute and became lost in thought.

After a while, Do-hyun broke the silence.

“...If I train from now on, can I see results?”

The words were clearly directed at me, so I blinked quietly.

“Probably not nothing.”

“Your tone implies it’s not completely impossible, but also that the results won’t be much.”

“Well, it depends on how you do it.”

Isn’t it strange to give a definitive answer when you don’t even know what kind of person they are?

I’m not particularly sorry, but honestly, I don’t have much interest in him, even after exchanging names.

And besides, I don’t even know how much time we have left.

“...I never thought I’d worry about my safety in Korea.”

With a deep sigh, Do-hyun’s eyes clearly showed the conflicting emotions he was feeling.

It looked like he was torn between hoping that his peaceful life wouldn’t be disrupted and the need to prepare just in case.

There were probably a few other thoughts as well.

...But wait, didn’t I forget something?

I quickly figured out what I had missed.

‘...I never promised him anything.’

The reason I help Da-eun train is obvious.

For Yuki... it was because she piqued my interest.

But for Do-hyun, he’s neither close to me nor did he stimulate my interest.

It was odd, but I didn’t voice my thoughts since he was so seriously contemplating it, and I didn’t want to disturb him.

“....”

It took a long time for Do-hyun to speak again.

Unlike when he immediately responded just a few minutes ago.

“I...”

“I’ll leave now. If we meet again, we’ll see each other later.”

“Ugh...”

Do-hyun, showing clear signs that he didn’t want to leave, dragged Yuki out of the gym.

The parting words they left seemed to convey ‘I hope we don’t meet again,’ but maybe that was just my feeling.

As soon as the gym door closed, Da-eun came closer and asked.

“Do you think it’ll be okay?”

...I told you not to talk to me.

I swallowed the words I was about to say and replied.

“He said he’d do it, so what can we do?”

I didn’t want to convince someone who didn’t want to be convinced, especially if I had to deal with the inconvenience.

“Anyway, if you do it halfway, it won’t help much.”

After a long hesitation, Do-hyun told me.

He appreciated the offer but declined.

But did he know?

I never actually made him an offer.

In short, what he said about worrying if I’d get upset was pointless.

So, when Do-hyun left with Yuki, I stopped caring about him.

“That’s fine.”

“...I told you not to touch me.”

I pretended not to notice as Da-eun approached, trying to stroke my head.

Da-eun, pretending not to notice, tried to stroke my head, and I slapped her hand away just as it reached me.

“...Hehe. Are you still sulking?”

“...I’m not sulking.”

I narrowed my eyes and glared at Da-eun.

Then, just as I was about to swipe her hand away again, I stopped when I heard what she said next.

“I’m sorry~ You know what Kana likes the most, right? I’ll give it to you, so forgive me. Okay?”

“....”

That...?

Could it be...?

“Is it... the thing I think it is?”

“Yeah. That thing.”

She kept saying “that thing,” and the conversation was actually making sense.

Well, that makes sense, because between Da-eun and me, there was only one thing we both understood when we said “that thing.”

It’s incredibly delicious, but because it’s so expensive and the quantity sold each day is limited, I can’t buy it often...

The famous handmade chocolates made by a renowned artisan.

“...Two pieces.”

“Two... two pieces? That’s a bit...”

“Two pieces.”

If you don’t like it, then don’t have it.

I firmly made it clear there was no room for negotiation, and Da-eun let out a groan.

“...Ugh, fine! I’ll give you two pieces! So let’s pretend what happened earlier didn’t happen. Got it?”

“What happened earlier?”

“...Kana is becoming more shameless as time goes on.”

With a slightly tired look, Da-eun patted my head.

Her hand, which usually brushed my hair softly, was a little rougher than usual.