This is a Foul (2)

Why is this person here?

If we lived in the same neighborhood, we might run into each other, but the distance between Kim Se-hyun’s district and mine was considerable—at least three districts apart. Stunned by his sudden appearance, I stood there blankly until a voice snapped me back to reality.

“Who’s that?”

“Ah.”

In my shock, I had forgotten I was with Gi-seok. My friend’s curious gaze was busy darting back and forth between Kim Se-hyun and me. I took a step toward Se-hyun and spoke to Gi-seok.

“Go inside first.”

“…Call me if something happens, okay?”

I didn’t know what could possibly “happen,” but there was no need to pique his curiosity further. Gi-seok was the type who had to see things through to the end once his interest was sparked; if I let him linger, he’d eventually figure out who Kim Se-hyun was. Acting as if it were nothing, I gave him a dismissive wave, and after some hesitation, he finally went inside. Once I confirmed the door was closed, I turned back.

“Se-hyun?”

“…….”

I wondered if he was staying silent because of the other person, but that didn’t seem to be it. He just looked down at me without a word, his expression as frozen as when I first saw him. Recalling the sound I’d briefly forgotten, I scanned the area.

I definitely heard something rolling….

“Ah!”

There it was. I spotted something round lying under the streetlight and took a step toward it to see what it was.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

As soon as I turned, Kim Se-hyun snatched my wrist, growling in a voice far deeper and lower than usual. Startled by the sound, I looked up at him.

The light had returned to his eyes, which had looked unfocused just a moment ago. But they couldn’t have looked fiercer. I stammered, pointing a finger toward the streetlight.

“That… isn’t that yours, Se-hyun?”

“…….”

Se-hyun glanced toward the object and then back at me. The murderous aura vanished instantly. He swallowed hard before finally speaking. I listened closely.

“It’s not mine.”

“Oh.”

“It really isn’t.”

“…….”

“It’s really not! I’m serious, okay?”

“…I see.”

If it wasn’t his, then it wasn’t his. I didn’t know why he felt the need to keep repeating it—like someone stubbornly insisting an object wasn’t theirs when it clearly was.

“Ah, I told you, it’s really not mine!”

“I got it.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

He was busy insisting it didn’t belong to him. I ignored his grumbling and asked, “What brings you to this neighborhood?”

As soon as the question left my lips, Se-hyun stopped protesting. He froze up again, and it took quite a while before I got an answer.

“…I had some business.”

“I see.”

Right. Unless there was a specific reason, there was no way Kim Se-hyun would visit such a quiet neighborhood. I nodded, and when he looked at me expectantly, I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb.

“This is where I live. That house right there. Ah, and that guy earlier is my friend.”

“A… friend.”

“Yes. The one who called me today.”

“Friend.”

“He’s on reward leave from the military and said he wanted to hang out.”

“…….”

“…….”

When I explained it was the friend who had called earlier, he seemed to chew on the word ‘friend’ for a moment before falling into silence. Following his lead, I kept my mouth shut too.

The conversation had been going okay, but the sudden silence felt incredibly awkward. I worried I had shared too much “TMI” out of excitement. Since it didn’t look like he was going to say anything more, I opened my mouth to say goodbye and go inside. But Kim Se-hyun was faster.

“…Do you and your friends hug each other, Ha-neul Hyung?”

“What?”

“Hugging. Do friends hug each other?”

“Well… yes?”

Even if they aren’t ‘friends,’ it’s natural to shake hands or hug close acquaintances when meeting them for the first time in a while. It was a normal thing that everyone did, not just me.

I answered his sudden question, but I didn’t understand why he was asking. As I watched him dwell on the word ‘friend’ again, I flinched at a strange sensation on my wrist.

“…….”

Come to think of it, he was still holding my wrist. The sensation of him lightly brushing the inside of my wrist made a ticklish feeling grow stronger. Just as I was focusing on that sensation, he called my name in a serious tone. I looked up.

“Ha-neul Hyung.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t trust people too much just because they’re your ‘friends’.”

“…….”

“Looking at you, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything special to worry about, but always be suspicious and on your guard.”

“…….”

“You know all men are wolves, right? Actually, men or women, don’t trust anyone but me.”

Why was he bringing up the “all men are wolves” thing here?

And why add that I shouldn’t trust anyone but him?

There were times when I couldn’t understand Se-hyun’s words and actions, and this was exactly one of those moments. As he repeated that all men were wolves and I should be careful, I gave him a half-hearted “okay” and quickly pulled my hand away as he started touching my wrist again.

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, he opened and closed the hand that had just been holding mine.

Watching him, it almost looked like he was disappointed to have lost his grip on my hand. Of course, that might just have been my imagination.

Whatever the case, that sensation earlier was definitely weird. I felt as though the inside of my wrist was still burning. Trying to ignore the feeling, I stealthily hid both hands behind my back.

“…….”

Right. This way, even Se-hyun won’t be able to reach for my hands so easily. I wouldn’t have to be so conscious of it either. Having successfully hidden my hands, I looked up at him triumphantly.

“Huh?”

Se-hyun tilted his head slightly, letting out a sound of disbelief. While we faced off, he suddenly let out a short laugh and lowered his head. When he slowly looked up again, I felt my gaze waver as our eyes met.

“Ha-neul Hyung.”

“…Yes.”

Even if he looked at me with that face and that gaze, I had no intention of giving him my hands again. He licked his lips and sent an intense look my way, but I acted unphased—though I had to look away when I heard his next words.

“You’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?”

“…….”

Of course I was hiding my hands on purpose. I had moved stealthily to avoid being caught, but since the cat was out of the bag, there was no point in hiding it anymore. I nodded and openly locked my fingers behind my back. Seeing this, Kim Se-hyun let out a sharp breath and ruffled his hair aggressively.

“Agh!”

“…Se-hyun?”

He started a whole commotion—stomping his feet, pacing back and forth, and ruffling his hair over and over. Every movement was accompanied by a rough sound, making the quiet alley quite noisy. I hurriedly tried to quiet him down.

“You have to be quiet here!”

In the office, people didn’t mind because the Hunter Department members—especially the Team Leader—were loud, but many elderly people lived in this neighborhood and were light sleepers. Many went to bed at sunset and woke up at sunrise, so making a scene like this was a problem. It took quite a while before I could finally get him to calm down.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“…Whew.”

Se-hyun stared at me in silence, let out a deep sigh, and gave a small nod.

“Ha-neul Hyung.”

“Yes.”

“What did I just say?”

“…….”

“I asked what I said.”

Suddenly dropping a question like that was a foul. So was leaning his face in close and growling after he’d been pacing around.

That handsome face didn’t seem to break down even at a close distance. I was momentarily lost for words at his striking features, but answering him was the priority. I retraced his words in my head.

“…….”

First, he said the thing under the streetlight wasn’t his, and then he went on some nonsensical rant….

I racked my brain, but I couldn’t quite figure out which part he wanted me to repeat. After weighing the options, I picked one of his “nonsense” remarks.

“That I shouldn’t trust anyone but you?”

He usually acted like he was the center of the universe. Well, technically, he was a brilliant person, so it made sense.

“You have a good memory.”

I was worried I’d picked the wrong thing, but it was a relief. He reached out and tapped my cheek, speaking to me tenderly, which made my face heat up.

“Always remember that. Don’t trust anyone but me.”

“…Okay.”

“And be careful of men! If someone tries to do something to you, you can’t let them! Say ‘Don’t do that!’ and stuff!”

“…….”

Those words felt strangely familiar.

But I didn’t have time to worry about that now. I nodded at his rapid-fire instructions, and my eyes widened at the change in him.

He gave a smile so sweet it felt like eating sugar. From the slight curve of his eyes to the beautifully upturned corners of his mouth—the more I looked, the faster my heart raced. I tightened my interlaced fingers.

“…….”

I used to think he wasted his face by making weird expressions, but when he used it properly like this, he was a true beauty. Thinking to myself that if there were a contest for the most handsome face, Kim Se-hyun would win it, I watched as he gestured for me to go inside. I quickly said goodbye and hurried into the house.

“Whew.”

That expression earlier was definitely a foul.

I let out a series of sighs, thinking that if he smiled like that in a dungeon, even the monsters might fall for him. I was snapped back to reality by a voice in front of me.

“Hey, it took you so long to…. Why does your face look like that?”

“My face?”

Gi-seok, who had been coming out of the kitchen as if preparing a meal, pointed at my face with a ladle. I blinked, stunned by his next words.

“I thought you were a tomato. It’s so red.”

“…….”

I felt like my temperature was rising, but I didn’t realize it had turned that red. I went to the bathroom and checked the mirror; my face was so scarlet I didn’t think it could get any redder. In the end, I had no choice but to splash water on my face for a long time to cool down.