PDHTFV 28

~Chapter 28~

Winter greeted me with a warm smile.

I gave him an awkward smile, my eyes twitching from the forced effort.

We’d only met for the third time, so it was natural to feel awkward.

Wait, for Winter, I guess this is only the second meeting? Yushen probably hid my existence before.

Maybe because I was worried he’d find out about me any minute, but even though he was my boss just like Yushen, Winter felt a lot harder to talk to.

And since we’d never had a real conversation—just greetings—he felt even more uncomfortable.

“What brings you here… Ah.”

Winter started to ask, then paused as if he’d figured it out.

A mischievous look appeared on his normally serious face.

He was clearly thinking that the rumors about me at the temple must be true.

At least with Winter, I felt like I should clear up the misunderstanding, since he was closest to Yushen.

“That rumor isn’t true.”

“What rumor?”

Winter asked, smiling lazily.

I barely stopped myself from laughing.

What a sly person. He obviously knew exactly what rumor I meant but pretended not to.

Maybe he wanted to hear me say it myself.

As if I’d fall for such a cheap trick.

“If you don’t know, that’s good.”

“Can’t you tell me?”

“Nope. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.”

Winter seemed to really be enjoying this situation, smiling even wider.

The more I looked at his face, the more annoyed I felt, so I tried to go into the office, but Winter blocked the door.

When I looked up at him, he didn’t look away, just met my gaze.

I looked away first, uncomfortable, and heard a small chuckle.

Before I could show how annoyed I was, Winter asked,

“So, did you make an appointment with the Captain?”

…Am I supposed to do that?

Of course I didn’t make an appointment with Yushen. He always just came to find me without warning, so I figured I could do the same.

“Well, uh…”

Honestly, it was half random, but also half because I was sure Yushen would see me—he’d care about what people were saying.

Winter couldn’t know that, so he gave me a knowing look when I hesitated.

He definitely believed the rumors were true.

‘This guy is definitely one of the people who believe the rumors.’

Fine, let him misunderstand all he wants! If he exaggerates it and spreads it even more, that’s even better.

Yushen’s the one who’ll lose out, not me.

“Well, Miss Montrose, I’m sure you don’t even need an appointment.”

He was openly teasing me.

Fine, tease all you want. I’ll get my payback somehow.

Winter just kept smiling, with no way for me to know what he was really thinking.

“Ah, I’ve taken up too much of your time.”

Winter finally stepped aside to let me pass.

He only remembered now? Please.

“You can go in now. I’m sure the Captain will be happy to see you.”

“No, he won’t be happy at all.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I came here to fight with him. See you around.”

The more I talked to Winter, the more I felt like he was tricking me, so I hurried past him when I got the chance.

I let him know in my own way that what he was thinking would never happen, and passed him.

I knocked on the dark brown door, and before anyone could answer, I went in.

For a moment, I thought I just imagined the loud laugh I heard behind me, but it was real—Winter was laughing hard.

He was definitely even harder to read than Tayla.

When I entered, I saw Yushen sitting at his desk, backlit by the sun through the window.

“If you hate seeing me, why did you come ba—”

His annoyed voice cut off the instant we made eye contact.

I guess he thought Winter was coming back, not me.

Judging by how red his face was, Winter must have teased him a lot just now.

I could pretty much guess what the teasing was about.

Yushen’s violet eyes darted everywhere.

After clearing his throat, he looked down at his papers and spoke.

“What do you want?”

Was he avoiding my eyes on purpose, or was he really busy? Who knows.

‘Isn’t it polite to look at someone when you’re talking to them?’

If he’s being rude, I’ll just return the favor.

I went over to the velvet sofa in front of his desk, slouched down as much as I could, and crossed my legs, chin tilted up 30 degrees.

It was a super arrogant posture for talking to your boss.

I stared at Yushen and said,

“I came because I want you to explain something to me.”

He didn’t answer, just glanced at me, the sound of his pen scratching on the paper.

If he won’t talk, does that mean he has nothing to say?

That attitude annoyed me.

“There’s a new rumor about us in Luche, you know?”

“You do know what it’s about, right?”

Yushen didn’t react at all.

So you’re just going to play dumb?

“I heard you like me.”

Snap—

Something broke. I peeked up and saw the tip of his fountain pen had snapped.

Yushen stared at the broken pen for a moment, then finally looked at me.

“If you had just talked to me first, you wouldn’t have to hear stuff like that.”

“Come here and sit down. I’ve got a lot to say to you.”

I tilted my head, pointing at the empty seat beside me.

Yushen sighed and rubbed his forehead, then walked over and sat—not next to me, but in the “main seat” like a boss.

I guess that’s where he should sit, but it still bugged me.

If he were Aydin, I wouldn’t mind, so I guess it’s just Yushen I don’t like.

I glared at him and said,

“Thanks to you, I’m in trouble again.”

“…Who told you?”

“Is that what matters? What about my reputation?”

I didn’t actually have a reputation to lose, but I wanted to blame him more.

“What do you think about these rumors?”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“You know the rumors are your fault, right?”

“Don’t you get it? Think about what you’ve done around me.”

He’d probably remember a lot of questionable moments.

Like, on my first day, he came to my department and said:

‘Miss Montrose, we have something to discuss, right?’

And on my first mission, he didn’t even have to come, but did anyway.

There were other things too, but those were the big ones. With so many witnesses, there’s no way he could pretend he didn’t do anything.

Yushen stared into space for a while. He must’ve been remembering all those times.

Perfect timing to see what he’s really thinking.

“Do you like me?”

His eyes snapped to me.

He answered in a grumpy voice,

“…Do you really think that makes sense?”

“You hesitated.”

“Ha… I was just speechless at how ridiculous that was.”

“Oh, really? I don’t think it was ridiculous at all.”

“…”

“Honestly, from my point of view, I have every right to think so.”

I could tell Yushen didn’t like me, just from his voice.

And honestly, it didn’t matter much to me now.

If he said he did like me, I would have gotten goosebumps and run out of the room.

‘He’ll never figure out that saying he likes me is the only way to make me leave him alone.’

He stiffened his face and said firmly,

“Absolutely not.”

That didn’t bother me at all.

I looked straight into his eyes. He turned his head away after a while.

At that moment, I remembered how embarrassed he’d been in the tent a week ago.

‘This is suspicious…’

Now I was curious if Yushen really didn’t like me. His reactions and the rumors made me wonder.

With a sly smile, I stood up and faced him.

“What if I don’t believe you?”

“What?”

When I looked down at him, his violet eyes looked nervous.

He probably had no idea what I’d do next.

“It’s not just once—there have been two rumors like this now.”

“T-that’s…”

“I’m sure you spread them because you really do like me.”

“No, I didn’t!”

“Sorry, but I can’t trust you anymore.”

I bent down, leaned closer, and put my arms on the armrest.

“So I’ll just have to check for myself.”