That Face Is the Problem - Chapter 60.1
“Thank you for the meal.”
Da-sol said as he carried the empty plates to the sink.
“I’ll do the dishes.”
“No, I…”
“I said I’ll do it.”
“All right…”
Almost half as a threat, Da-sol put on rubber gloves and started washing the dishes. Jae-gyeong sat at the table behind him while Da-sol worked.
“Um, Da-sol…”
Jae-gyeong hesitated but spoke up. Da-sol, still washing dishes, did not turn around and answered vaguely, “Yes?”
“I… from now on, I plan to focus more on physical training… and practice using the shield on my own.”
That meant there would no longer be the unspoken routine of going to the mock training field together every morning. Da-sol paused for a moment while washing but quickly resumed and said,
“Fine by me.”
“Thank you…”
“What’s there to thank me for?”
A brief silence followed. Da-sol was scrubbing the dishes when he suddenly turned off the water and looked at Jae-gyeong.
“But can’t we do physical training or shield practice together? Not that I want to force it, but it feels strange.”
“Eh, huh? What… What feels strange?”
Jae-gyeong flinched because it was a secret that Lee Hyun had asked him to do this. He had thought he had explained it naturally, but clearly not.
“Did I do something to upset you?”
“Ah, no? That’s impossible!”
“Then the earlier comment wasn’t saying we should go our separate ways, right? I’ve been working really hard to spend time with you, Jae-gyeong, and now you’re saying it’s not necessary?”
Jae-gyeong realized immediately. All this… the joy and fun he had felt were not natural; it was because Da-sol had been making an effort.
Right. Da-sol had said he would try. He had said it solemnly, reluctantly, and with determination, even if he did not want to.
They were not truly close. They were meeting every day, almost as a duty, putting in effort for teamwork.
Da-sol saw Jae-gyeong’s expression darken in real time. This is not it. That was his first thought. He had just gotten annoyed and said something about going separate ways, yet Jae-gyeong’s thoughts were clearly visible.
He must be thinking that all this effort was forced, and now he was rejecting it. That their relationship could not exist without effort, and that was why he was sad.
“That’s not it!”
Da-sol’s voice burst out, louder than usual. Surprised by the tone, Jae-gyeong’s eyes widened. Da-sol sighed and removed his rubber gloves. This was annoying, but leaving it like this was worse.
“What I mean is… yes, I’ve been trying, but if I didn’t like you, Jae-gyeong, I wouldn’t even make an effort. So…”
Da-sol scratched his head. He had no experience consoling anyone and found it difficult to figure out what to say.
“Anyway! I want to train more with you and I think we should. Beyond teamwork, it just… we seem to work well together. That’s what I think. So, what about it? What, you gonna do something about it?”
“Eh…?”
“You didn’t think that too?”
“Uh… I, I did… especially lately…”
“Right? Then why say we should go separate ways?”
Now he sounded almost like a thug picking a fight, but Da-sol did not back down. His momentum carried the conversation.
“Did being with me make you want to confess something?”
“Eh…? N-no…”
That was never going to happen. Jae-gyeong had never confessed to anyone in his life, and certainly not to Da-sol. He flailed his hands in panic, and Da-sol simply nodded with a neutral expression.
“But what’s the problem? As long as you don’t confess, I don’t care.”
Whether Jae-gyeong liked him or went overboard in love, as long as it was kept quiet, it was fine.
In the end, Jae-gyeong just nodded. Da-sol was scarier than Lee Hyun, and since he only needed to focus on his role during training, ignoring Lee Hyun’s request entirely seemed acceptable.
“So… should I… cancel that…?”
Jae-gyeong immediately retracted his earlier words, and Da-sol nodded with satisfaction, putting his rubber gloves back on. Dishwashing resumed, and Jae-gyeong sat quietly, still a little confused.
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