The day flew by, and before we knew it, it was already 7 PM. We had returned home after a brief training session where only Suho got beaten up. I was helping Nayun with her hair, and the silence of the room was broken only by the soft hum of the hairdryer I had just turned on.
Nayun had just come out of the shower and was now sitting in the chair in my room, wrapped in a soft towel that absorbed the moisture from her shoulders. I stood behind her, holding the hairdryer in one hand while gently running my other hand through her damp strands, separating them so the heat could reach them fully. The scent of the shampoo she used still lingered in the air, mixing with the warmth of the hairdryer, filling the room with a cozy feeling.
"You really went hard on Suho, huh. There's going to be quite a stir tomorrow."
She commented, closing her eyes for a moment as she felt the warmth of the hot air on her scalp. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it carried a curiosity she couldn't hide.
"Normal! Right now, we're the most famous cadets at Cube."
I replied, carefully moving my fingers through her hair to make sure it dried well. My voice sounded somewhat carefree, but I knew she wasn't entirely convinced.
She smiled, tilting her head back slightly, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment.
"You say these things, but you have no idea what you did today. Suho is literally the most promising cadet Korea has had in years, and you act like it's no big deal."
Even she, who always believed that with hard work anyone could become the strongest, understood that the world sometimes worked differently. There were geniuses like Suho, who seemed born to shine.
From the Military Academy to Cube, he had always been the absolute genius, the one everyone admired and envied. All the guilds around the world were drooling over him, eager to have him in their ranks. But now? I think they'll need to find another star to idolize.
"Eh! Is there something to be happy about? It's not arrogance or anything, but you probably already know the real reason."
"You're right. I had a small suspicion, but seeing you , I'm sure your strength far exceeds what you show us, doesn't it?"
She raised an eyebrow, her piercing gaze as if she were trying to decipher my thoughts. She must have thought I would deny it...
I agreed, nodding my head.
"Let me think... you must be as strong as an intermediate-level Hero?"
"Look at your surprise. I knew it..."
No, I'm not surprised by that. I'm surprised you think so little of me.
I thought she would say I was more powerful than master-level Heroes. But it's fine, let's leave it at that. If I told her I was stronger than that, it might really scare her. I don't want the girl I'm dating to be afraid of me or anything like that. No, if she knew the truth, her heart might stop from shock. And I definitely don't want to have to use my resurrection magic because of that.
Seeing me remain silent, Nayun thought she had hit the nail on the head.
"Wow! That's amazing. You're the same age as me, but you're already stronger than many famous heroes. If the world finds out, it's going to turn upside down. A 17-year-old, still a cadet, has the strength of an intermediate-level hero."
I murmured, trying not to delve deeper into the subject, letting her think whatever she wanted.
"Ah! There was someone who was really interested in your fight with Suho."
She said, apparently remembering something.
I asked, already guessing who it was.
"Yes, when I was watching you, I noticed her really focused, taking notes on her smartwatch."
"Maybe she was writing down a way to win me over... She must have fallen for me..."
"Ahahaha! Yeonha liking you like that? Impossible!"
She interrupted, laughing loudly as if I had told the funniest joke in the world.
"I don't know if you know, but she seems to like Jonghak."
Yeah, I really didn't expect that. This information caught me off guard. I never imagined Nayun would know that Yeonha liked Jonghak. I always thought she was oblivious to that kind of thing.
"It's pretty easy to figure out. Anyone can see it. I don't know if you know, but there's a lot of gossip saying they're dating, but neither Yeonha nor Jonghak try to deny it. I think they're keeping some kind of relationship hidden."
Looking at her presumptuous tone, I sighed. What's there to be proud of here?
Idiot... How can someone be so clueless...
My girlfriend here seems to know that Yeonha likes Jonghak, but she can't see the love triangle she's in the middle of.
It's almost ironic how observant she can be about this, but completely clueless about what's going on around her.
The guy she thinks is with Yeonha actually likes her.
"Ah! Anyway, let's leave that aside. I won't be able to sleep here with you tonight."
"Did something urgent come up?"
"Almost. My dad is going to call me soon, and tomorrow morning a maid hired by my family is going to clean my dorm... I don't want to risk not being there at that time."
"I see... It's sad, but it's okay. We'll have other nights for this, so don't be too sad."
I said, putting the hairdryer aside on the table.
Nayun chuckled softly at my words, tilting her head to the side and giving me a playful look.
"Look at you, already talking like it's a routine... Aren't you getting a little too confident?"
"I just know you like sleeping with me. Or am I wrong?"
She didn't respond immediately, just looked away with a slight blush on her cheeks. Her silence was a better confirmation than any words.
She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure.
"But don't get used to it, okay?"
"I'll try, but I can't promise anything."
I gave her hair one last look, now completely dry and silky, before stepping away. Nayun got up from the chair, adjusting the towel around her body before stretching slightly.
"I'm going to change, so get out for a second."
"How about I help you with that too?" I teased, crossing my arms.
She laughed, throwing a pillow at me.
I easily dodged it and left the room, closing the door behind me with an amused smile on my face.
The kitchen in my apartment was quiet, only the sound of my footsteps filling the space as I opened the fridge, looking for something to eat. There were leftovers from last night's dinner, so I decided to heat them up while fiddling with my smartwatch.
The news about my fight with Suho was already spreading. The Cube forums were buzzing with comments about what happened.
[Has Suho finally met his match?]
[Who is this Theo Sagan? Wasn't he just a physical-type cadet?]
[Unbelievable, he went toe-to-toe with Suho!]
I laughed internally. If they knew the real difference between us, they'd probably be in shock.
But among the many comments, one name in particular caught my attention.
Nayun mentioned that she seemed very interested in the fight, even taking notes. It was very typical of her to analyze everything strategically.
If she was keeping an eye on me now, it meant her perception of my value was changing.
"This could be interesting..."
I murmured, grabbing the now-hot plate from the microwave.
As I ate, I heard the sound of the bedroom door opening. Nayun appeared, wearing comfortable pajamas, her hair now loose and perfectly dry, thanks to me.
"Already started dinner without me?"
She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You said you were going to talk to your dad, so I thought it would take a while."
"Want me to heat some up for you?"
"No need, I'll eat light tonight."
She sat down at the table with me, grabbing a juice from the fridge.
The silence between us was comfortable, but it was soon interrupted by the sound of Nayun's smartwatch vibrating. She looked at the screen and sighed.
"Speaking of which... It's my dad."
She got up and stepped away to take the call, leaving me alone again.
I kept eating, but my mind was already moving in several directions.
If Yeonha was really interested in me, it would only be a matter of time before she made a move. Nayun might be right in saying she's not romantically interested in me, but I knew her interest was something else...