"...A gun?"
"Unnie, what are you talking about?"
"Exactly what I said."
I was dumbfounded by Sia's sudden question, my face going blank. Mina seemed to feel the same, her eyes widening as she stared at Sia.
"Unnie, don't tell me you're thinking…?"
Mina narrowed her eyes suspiciously, subtly raising her hand to twirl a finger near her temple.
Of course, her attempt was abruptly stopped when Sia shot her a glare.
"It's not like that. Hmm… since you all seem confused, let me clarify. Sehwa, have you ever been involved with something like a violent organization back in your hometown?"
As Sia gave my tattoos another uneasy glance, Mina, sensing something odd, turned to her and asked, "Unnie, do you know something?"
"Of course. Our club gets a lot of foreigners, you know."
Maybe because Sia worked in that environment, she thought she knew something, even if she had her eccentric moments.
As Mina started looking at me with suspicious eyes, I couldn't help but shrink inwardly.
I don't know Sasha's past. So, I couldn't confidently say I'd never been involved with something like the mafia.
Could Sia actually know something, given she's asking this?
Why else would someone ask a guy they just met if he's ever used a gun?
Sure, I might look like I'm involved in drugs or smuggling, but… isn't this a bit much?
If Sia really does know something…
The thought of a past I didn't want to know, one filled with unsettling shadows, made my heart pound.
But I didn't want to make a scene and grab Sia to demand answers.
I don't want to look pathetic.
Steadying my trembling eyes and forcing a calm expression, I asked Sia, "Why do you think that?"
"Hmm. You're not surprised at all. Was my guess right, then?"
Trying to act nonchalant to avoid looking foolish backfired, turning into a misunderstanding that poisoned the situation.
Mina's gaze grew even more suspicious as she looked at my calm demeanor.
"No way, for real…? Sehwa, why aren't you saying anything? Are you actually…?"
"I'd like to hear more from Sia first."
I raised my hand to stop Mina, who seemed to be spiraling into wild theories, and waited for the person who caused this mess to speak.
Finally, Sia nodded with a complicated expression.
"Alright, I'll tell you why I suspected you, Sehwa."
I swallowed hard, unnoticed.
"Ugh. This might be a problem, though. Is it okay to hire someone with a mafia background?"
Her words, spoken as if she was certain of my past, sent my emotions spiraling higher.
"Hmm. This is tricky…"
Her dragging tone made me feel the veins popping on my forehead.
Mina seemed to feel the same.
"Unnie… stop dragging it out and just say it."
"You'd better relax that expression. Our Mina's grown up, huh?"
Sia growled to quiet Mina, who was grinding her teeth in frustration, before finally continuing as she looked at me.
"I judged based on your overall demeanor. For one, even though you're a guy, your fighting style is extremely rough. And your skills match that top-notch.
Plus, the scars on your fingers. You're someone who doesn't care about their body."
I crossed my arms and nodded instead of answering.
"You lived in Russia, you don't hold back in fights, and you're good at it. When I think of your country, the mafia comes to mind, doesn't it?"
"…?"
"That's it?"
"No. You give off the vibe of someone who's lived a rough life. Your eyes, your expression. And all those tattoos on your body. Does a regular guy have that many?"
I tilted my head slightly, feeling like she'd skipped over a lot.
"Didn't you figure something out from my tattoos?"
"…No? I just got that vibe overall, so I asked."
*Sigh.*
I got worked up for nothing.
She spoke so seriously that I thought she'd uncovered something about me, and I even braced myself for it.
An overwhelming sense of deflation hit me, and I closed my eyes, running a hand through my hair, unable to respond.
"As expected, you've got nothing to say. How's my deduction?"
Ignoring Sia's smugness, Mina approached me with a cold expression, offering half-hearted comfort.
"I'm sorry…"
"It's fine. And Sia."
I barely swallowed the "Are you out of your mind?" that was rising in my throat before speaking.
"You were worried about hiring a mafia guy, right?"
"Yeah."
"No need to worry. Can we drop this and talk about work now?"
Sia, still looking at me with uneasy eyes, met my cold gaze and responded.
"…Looks like I misunderstood. Sorry for the mix-up."
______
___
After the absurd incident passed, the three of us left the academy and gathered at a nearby coffee shop.
"Sehwa, what do you want to drink?"
Unlike Sia, who was still staring at the menu, Mina seemed to have already decided and asked me.
"Something sweet, anything."
"Huh? You like sweet stuff?"
Mina asked, sounding surprised, and I thought of Hayul.
What a coincidence.
Hayul also didn't expect me to like sweet things.
(Is my image that bad? I might look like a thug, but I can dislike bitter stuff, right?)
Feeling a bit wronged, I furrowed my brows, and Mina smiled as if she found it cute.
"You look like you'd only drink Americano or something. You've got a baby palate, huh?"
Look at her.
Just a moment ago, she was too scared to say anything, but now she's back to her lively self.
For some reason, when Mina acts like this, I can't help but want to get back at her. Double.
"Our icy prince Sehwa isn't responding. Are you embarrassed?"
Mina, emboldened by my silence, grinned and teased me.
As I watched her, a strange emotion stirred within me.
Embarrassment? Or frustration at losing to this fox pretending to be a rabbit?
(…Neither, I think.)
It wasn't rough but soft, like a feather.
With half-lidded eyes, I crossed my arms, and Mina, seizing the rare opportunity, kept chattering.
Sia, who could've stopped her, was still glaring at the menu on the ceiling.
If this kept up, I'd be helplessly swept away by Mina's cute, harmless attacks.
How do I shut that little mouth of hers? I thought, and then an idea hit me.
Back at the academy, when I shook out my clothes to dry off some sweat, Mina freaked out and rushed to stop me.
In this world, with its reversed gender norms, it's like…
(A girl flapping her clothes so much her chest is almost exposed.)
I considered doing it again but quickly dismissed the idea.
(Too gross. Doing it knowingly would be so… gay. Seducing by lifting my clothes? Ugh, disgusting.)
I decided to go the normal route.
"It's okay, Sehwa. I get it. You're embarrassed about liking sweet stuff?"
As Mina said this, her smile barely concealed, I slowly approached her.
"Mina."
"What—mmph!"
*Thud.*
I covered her chattering lips with my palm.
It's nice that in this world, a guy doing this is acceptable.
____
_
Mina froze, unable to push away the hand covering her mouth.
She'd forgotten.
Sehwa, standing in front of her with a bewitching smile, was like a hundred-year-old fox.
She'd kept teasing him because he stayed quiet, finding it too fun to stop.
So, she thought his calm expression was just a mask to hide his embarrassment.
Mina painfully realized how wrong she was.
When Sehwa, who'd been silent no matter what she said, suddenly flashed his pearly whites and approached, she should've heeded the warning bells in her head.
This was the result of ignoring them.
Mina stared at Sehwa, her wide eyes unable to close, silently asking what he was doing.
But Sehwa, either uninterested in listening or set on getting revenge, just kept grinning.
Doing this in a crowded public place made her skin burn with embarrassment.
Sehwa's hand pressed harder against her mouth.
Grabbing his arm and gently trying to pull it away was practically impossible.
For a moment, she considered yanking his arm, but that felt wrong.
It could hurt him. And from a guy's perspective, if a girl initiated physical contact and he reacted like that, it could bruise his pride.
Even if that wasn't the intention behind it.
(…Of course, you wouldn't care about that. You've probably dated tons of girls.)
In the end, Mina decided to plead for mercy.
(Just apologize and ask him to stop…)
"Mmph…"
"What's that? Speak clearly."
Her lips couldn't move, letting out only garbled sounds. Sehwa, knowing this, just kept smiling, which annoyed her.
"I said mmph…"
"Huh? One more time."
She managed to form something close to a sentence, but another problem arose.
Every time she moved her lips, the soft sensation against them felt… strange.
It was like kissing his hand every time she tried to speak.
Her face flushed without her realizing, and she glared at Sehwa, signaling him to stop.
But Sehwa just tilted his head innocently, as if saying, (You started this, so what's the problem?)
As his eyes crinkled with amusement, Mina decided she couldn't take it anymore.
If she had to resort to force, so be it. She raised her arm—
"What are you two doing? Dating?"
A savior's voice came from Sia, who'd finally chosen her order and turned to them. Sehwa removed his hand and looked at her.
"Did it look like that?"
"Kind of. Let's order first. We'll talk upstairs when the drinks come."
The two went to order, chatting amicably.
But Mina, now free from Sehwa's grip, stood frozen like a statue.
Then she heard Sehwa's voice from a distance.
"Mina, why're you just standing there? Sia's treating us."
(Who do you think put me in this state?)
Mina glared and said, "I'll have… an Americano. Extra bitter."
For some reason, she craved an Americano. Maybe she wanted to show Sehwa.
(Unlike you, I like bitter stuff.)
(Like an adult.)
Sehwa chuckled softly at her words.
"Got it. I'll order you an extra bitter Americano."
Hearing his amused tone, Mina glanced up at his expression.
His slightly upturned lips seemed to say, (You've got a long way to go.)
In the end, Mina threw her pride aside and admitted defeat.
"…Cancel that. I'll just have the same as you."
_________________________________________
Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id
/ Reversalnovel.web.id