"Ack! …Can't you be gentler?!" I yelled as Ji-Hyun dabbed alcohol on my wound, his grip annoyingly firm.
"You've been mauled by monsters before, and this is what makes you cry out? Pathetic, Kylen. Truly disappointing." Ji-Hyun shook his head like a disappointed parent.
I grimaced. "Yeah, yeah… laugh it up."
Seora fidgeted beside me, her expression tight with guilt. "I… I'm really sorry for blasting you earlier. I should've checked first."
I smirked despite the sting. "Buy me breakfast and I'll forget about it."
Seora blinked, surprised. "Breakfast?"
Ji-Hyun cut in, already packing away the supplies. "What about a bowl of gukbap? There's a place I know that's open early."
"Sure," Seora and I said at the same time.
We both paused, glancing at each other—
then quickly looked away.
◇◇◇
On our way to the place Ji-Hyun had mentioned, the morning air felt lighter than usual.
"So, Kylen," Ji-Hyun asked casually, hands in his pockets, "what do you think about Korean food?"
I shrugged. "Honestly? I don't really care. As long as it's edible, I'm happy."
Seora groaned, her face twisting into pure boredom. "Ugh, what a boring answer. Do you ever get excited about anything?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, a voice rang out behind us.
"Wait!"
We turned, and there she was—a tall girl with striking purple hair that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. Her features were sharp yet elegant, and even with her slightly flustered expression, she looked effortlessly composed.
Ekaterina Volkhova.
"Ekaterina? What's wrong?" Seora asked, eyebrows lifting.
She jogged up to us, catching her breath. "Hey, um… could you lend me some money? I forgot my wallet, and I'm starving right now."
Ji-Hyun chuckled. "Perfect timing. Why don't you just come with us? We're headed for breakfast."
"Oh? What are you eating?"
"Gukbap," Ji-Hyun said, pointing toward our destination.
Her eyes lit up. "Nice. Count me in."
She fell into step beside us, her posture polite but relaxed. Then, mid-stride, her gaze shifted toward me.
"Oh, nice to meet you," she said, giving me a small bow.
"Uh—yes. Nice to meet you too."
Ji-Hyun glanced back at me. "Kylen, this is Ekaterina. She's in our class. You probably know her from her ranking."
"Ooh… got it. My name's Kylen."
"Kylen, huh?" Her lips curved faintly, almost testing the name. "Nice to meet you."
We entered the place and ordered four bowls of gukbap, which we ate with pure joy.
While I tore into mine like a starving beast, Ji-Hyun suddenly turned his head toward me. He wore a soft smile—the kind of smile you'd expect from a mother watching her child eat.
"So, Kylen… have you opened all the gifts yet?" he asked, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at me.
"Yes, a few of them. Why?" I replied between bites.
Before he could answer, Seora leaned in, pointing her spoon at us with an annoyed face.
"Hey! If you two want to flirt, do it back in your dorms. Let people enjoy their food in peace."
I froze, spoon halfway to my mouth.
"What do you mean flirt? There's no way I'd date a guy!"
"Huh? A guy? What do you mean? Ji-Hyun is clearly a—"
Before Seora could finish, Ji-Hyun jammed a spoonful of gukbap straight into her mouth.
"Hahaha! Seora, what do you think of the sundae-gukbap? Delicious, right?" His laugh was nervous, his hand visibly trembling.
Seora blinked, then seemed to understand. She chewed slowly, then raised a shaky thumbs-up.
"…Yeah. It's nice." Her smile was awkward, her expression equally worried.
"You guys are way too loud," a voice cut in.
I turned to see Ekaterina sitting beside us, calmly stacking her bowls. Not one, not two—but three empty gukbap bowls.
"…Are you a pig?!" I blurted. "How can you eat that much?!"
"Don't call a woman a pig, idiot! This is a normal portion!" she snapped, cheeks puffed in indignation.
And so, what was supposed to be a peaceful breakfast spiraled into a ridiculous shouting match that ended with the owner kicking all four of us out.
◇◇◇
Back at our dorm, Ji-Hyun looked uneasy, as if something had been eating at him since breakfast.
I broke the silence first. "What is it?"
He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uhm… I'm sorry, Kylen. For forgetting about you. Even though you've been nothing but kind to me."
For a moment, I just looked at him. His apology sounded genuine, heavy with guilt.
"It's alright," I said simply. "It wasn't your fault."
Ji-Hyun's shoulders relaxed, though his eyes still carried that lingering regret.
TO BE CONTINUED....