Chapter 42.2

Chapter 42.2

His smell made her feel weird.

It was like her brain got all mixed up. She couldn’t focus because there were too many thoughts buzzing around, like bees in a hive. Seoyeong, feeling really thirsty, looked around with half-open eyes, like she was struggling to breathe.

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she said, “Let’s just talk normal, okay?” Her voice cut through her confusion like a rock in a river, calming things down a bit.

“Instructor, instead of just washing it…”

“Yes?”

“If that shirt gets stained a lot because of sweat, please apply a mixture of baking soda and water to it.”

“Ah…”

“Before washing, be sure to check the label precautions…” She said as an excuse hoping he would buy it. Did she just told him he was smelly?

“How many do you see here?”

Suddenly, he waved two fingers.

“What’s this… Even his V-sign is cute…”

I think they’re about the same height, too, with the same stiffness. No, but there’s no way Kim Hyun is here…

However, seeing a similar shell seemed to quench her long-standing thirst. She was fully aware of her deficiency but couldn’t help it.

Looking at it made her feel better… she couldn’t take my eyes off the man before her.

“–!”

A large hand suddenly covered Seoryeong’s eyes, blocking her vision.

The back of her head was jolted by a force pressing tightly against her temple, sending her crashing into something hard.

The palm that obscured her sight emitted an unnaturally sweet scent reminiscent of candy.

“Don’t lose focus, let’s keep moving,” came the voice.

She turned to see a pair of stoic eyes staring back at her. Meanwhile, the instructor she had been shadowing gave a swift nod and dashed away.

As she watched him depart, her mouth watered involuntarily, and a stern command followed.

“Get your head back in the game!”

“…!”

A firm push from his palm urged her to resume running. Seoryeong clenched her teeth and obeyed, momentarily forgetting the pain as if numbed by medication, only for it to return with a vengeance when she faced Lee Wooshin.

No amount of bandaging on her feet alleviated the discomfort. She limped on while Lee Wooshin strode ahead casually, his gaze chillingly fixed on her.

“I’ve caught Han Seoryeong daydreaming about a guy twice already,” he remarked, applying pressure to her chin. “Let’s see if I catch you a third time.”

“….”

Lee Wooshin threw her a clear warning, then ignored her and continued ahead. Seoryeong silently stared at his long legs as he walked away, breathing heavily.

If she said the wrong thing here, she’d probably get caught again, and she couldn’t afford to fight back right now.

Then he suddenly stood up, hands on his hips, staring at the ground.

What’s wrong with him?

As Seoryeong pursed her lips, he began to walk back slowly. His contorted face approached closer, and suddenly, he tapped her forehead with his index finger.

“Ah!”

His middle finger bounced back and hit her forehead, followed by his thumb, which wiped the spot where it hit. Seoryeong opened her mouth in disbelief. Lee Wooshin only furrowed his brow and smirked.

“The more I think about it, the more irritating it gets. Why are you drooling over passing instructors?”

“When did I drool…!”

“Looks like you still have some walking to do. Shall we make it 7 kilometers?”

“….”

Seoryeong’s spine went cold, and she clamped her mouth shut. She could still faintly smell Kim Hyun’s scent lingering on the tip of her nose.

“Don’t look for a husband substitute here.”

“…!”

“There’s no such thing here.”

Lee Wooshin clicked his tongue in displeasure and left the barracks altogether. Seoryeong winced as she felt her heart pierced again.

Her husband can’t be here, who knows.

Her husband couldn’t be there, for all she knew. She wasn’t looking for a replacement; it was more like she kept noticing things that reminded her of him. Sort of like spotting a jar that seemed familiar but turned out to be empty. It was sad to realize that her taste was so specific to Kim Hyun.

If she couldn’t find Kim Hyun, she worried she might settle for look-alikes, just for a quick fix of satisfaction. The idea of that felt pretty grim.

That day, Seoryeong once again finished her meal at the bottom of the rank. Her heart heavy.