With that, Nam Gung-ryeo left, and when Je Gal-min followed her, only I and Dan Mok-bi were left in the room.
‘Ugh, we gathered here to share a meal I cooked before she leaves.’
But it’s not like they should both rush out like this. Even though they both left after emptying their plates.
‘Do you know how strong the smell of grilled mackerel is! Still, I grilled it thinking about the happy faces of everyone.’
But how could they suddenly disappear like this?
Not only was it disappointing that the two suddenly disappeared, but the most frustrating thing was being left alone with Dan Mok-bi, which felt awkward. Throughout the meal, Dan Mok-bi didn’t say a word. So, it was quietly uncomfortable.
I sat up straight, mumbling to myself, and cautiously opened my mouth.
“Please understand. My father can’t stand unfaithful, unjust, and improper words.”
After saying that, I felt awkward, as if I were wrapping up my father. When I was looking for additional words, Dan Mok-bi calmly smiled and replied.
“I don’t care. It can be awkward if you don’t know the circumstances. Ryeo tends to speak straightforwardly.”
However, the name ‘Ryeo’ he mentioned stuck in my ears like a thorn. It was when I unconsciously flinched.
Dan Mok-bi looked at me with a bright smile.
“It’s just the two of us now.”
“Oh.”
Facing his smile, my heart raced. At the same time, many things that hadn’t bothered me until just now started bothering me.
‘Did I, by any chance, mess up my appearance? Is there fish sauce on my face from grilling?’
There was no mirror around while we were eating. When I blinked in momentary confusion, a white furball emerged between Dan Mok-bi and me.
[Dash] I’m here too, you little rascal!“…a cat.”
It was none other than Baek-ho. In response to Dan Mok-bi’s words, Baek-ho growled and raised his fur.
[Dash] What do you mean, a cat! Do you know how much I know!“You probably only know how to eat mackerel.”
[Dash] No, I don’t!Dan Mok-bi chuckled. Baek-ho, wanting to prove her wrong, extended his claws and, seemingly unconsciously, began scratching the floor like a cat instinctively sharpens its claws.
Watching the two of them, I unexpectedly burst into laughter. Seeing me like that, Dan Mok-bi turned to me with slightly widened eyes.
“Yeon?”
“Oh, no.”
I covered my lips with my palm. Laughter kept coming out.
“It feels like going back in time. So, I laughed.”
As I watched Baek-ho and Dan Mok-bi argue, it felt like going back to the past.
‘Back then, there were only three of us in the annex.’
Baek-ho watched Dan Mok-bi swinging her wooden sword, and I watched the two of them while preparing the ingredients for the meal we would eat that day.
Everything felt like it was from a long time ago.
“Yeon-ah.”
As I was lost in my reminiscence, Dan Mok-bi called me. My name was the same, but the voice calling that name was deep and low.
It was a voice different from the previous Dan Mok-bi.
As if reading the discomfort I felt, Dan Mok-bi smiled and responded with a rhetorical question, “But we are not the same as before, right?”
“Yes? Um, is that so? It feels like it, maybe.”
Feeling like I had revealed my inner thoughts, I nervously replied, sweating. In response, Dan Mok-bi’s face, facing me like that, broke into a very thick smile.
“Of course, I am not different from back then.”
How can things be so different? Blinking in confusion, I asked with my eyes, and he responded with a sly smile.
“I already had you in my heart back then.”
Surprised by his words, I asked, “Really? But back then, Master was much smaller than me, right? Like a child.”
“Yes? Did I say that? What are you looking at with those narrow eyes like a fussy child?”
“Since you told me when the plums on my courtyard tree were ripe.”
The ‘moment of falling in love’ Dan Mok-bi mentioned was none other than the moment we first met. As I recalled the Dan Mok-bi who was not very kind back then, his voice flowed into my ears, word by word.
“With you, time, seasons, and colors have come into my world.”
For someone who just wanted a bite to eat, this was an excessive compliment. I replied, fiddling with my fingers.
“…That’s too grand. I just happened to eat while passing by because I was hungry.”
Baek-ho, who circled around the dining table, rebuked me with a resentful tone.
[Dash] Always stuffing your face without any reservations.Baek-ho, could you please calm down?
‘Why is he begging like this even in a serious situation?’
Whether I should be grateful that he made this situation less awkward between us or scold him for being so oblivious.
As I glanced at Baek-ho and Baek-ho turned his head with his tail up, Dan Mok-bi asked in a gentle voice.
“Yeon-ah, I have one thing I’m curious about. Can I ask you?”
“Yes? What is it?”
What could Dan Mok-bi be curious about? As I was quietly waiting for the question, Dan Mok-bi smiled and asked an unexpected question.
“So, until when are you planning to call me Master?”
“Th-that!”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
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