That Face Is the Problem - vanish into fiction

However, Da-sol’s nagging was not over yet.

“And in my opinion, I think it really is true that you and I met back then. The timing is similar, and while the concrete details are a bit different, the situation is similar as well.”

“Ri, right? As I thought, Mr. Da-sol, you are my first love―”

“But I’d prefer it if you didn’t say cringeworthy things like ‘first love’. It’s also quite absurd that you remember me from back then as a fairy or a little girl.”

“…Huck, so, sorry…! I’ve never thought about it from that perspective before… Sorry, I’m sorry…. Mr. Da-sol, you are a man who is truly imposing, I know. You are truly a man among men…!”

“No, that’s not what I meant by saying that… Ha, forget it. I’m going to head up to my place. See you tomorrow.”

Da-sol walked briskly to the shoe rack, crushed the back of his shoes into place, and looked back at Jae-gyeong like one would look at a child left by the water.

“Don’t make it obvious at the guild either. Things get complicated if the team members find out.”

“Ah, o, of course…! Understood….”

“Right, see you then.”

Da-sol left just as coolly as that. However, Jae-gyeong, who was not as cool as Da-sol, staggered as soon as Da-sol left and collapsed onto the hardwood floor like a horse with broken legs.

He couldn’t even count how many mistakes he had made today. Jae-gyeong was shocked at how thoughtless he had been.

First off, even after becoming convinced that his first love was Da-sol, he had used words like “little girl” and “fairy” to refer to him.

As someone who had been harassed by men his entire life because he was born looking like a fairy, Da-sol must have found it unpleasant.

In fact, it also bothered him that while Jae-gyeong had heart-fluttering memories, to Da-sol, they were just blurry, barely-remembered crumbs of the past. Jae-gyeong was sure he had said “fairy,” but Da-sol had heard “stone.”

‘Did I really say stone…?‘ It was possible he had said that because Da-sol’s round head or his deep brown eyes, which hadn’t turned pink yet, looked like shiny, polished stones. Either way, they were both pretty and sparkling, so it was all the same.

Jae-gyeong sighed.

“I already… miss him….”

Jae-gyeong even had a terrifying thought about using his “Angel’s Judgment” skill to fly out the window and peek into the 12th floor. However, Da-sol would be scared and disgusted, and Jae-gyeong would end up fined for using his skill outside of a dungeon.

‘Hmm… but if Mr. Da-sol gets a fine or community service later, I should use my “Angel’s Judgment” skill so we can get it together. That’s a good idea, right?’

Jae-gyeong smiled shyly, and overwhelmed with happiness, he dove onto his bed. Thump! The sound of his large frame testing the resilience of the mattress was loud, but Jae-gyeong just felt pure joy.

1. This face is the problem

Da-sol was lying on his bed, his arm pillowing his head, one leg crossed over the other, swaying back and forth while lost in thought.

‘…Huck, so, sorry…! I’ve never thought about it from that perspective before… Sorry, I’m sorry….’

The image of Jae-gyeong, his face turning deathly pale as he apologized immediately.

‘Don’t make it obvious at the guild. Things get complicated if the team members find out.’

‘Ah, o, of course…! Understood….’

The sound of Jae-gyeong’s voice and the tone he used, desperately trying to answer brightly despite Da-sol’s warning.

“Ah, annoying.”

Da-sol muttered irritably and scratched his chest vigorously again. Whenever he thought of Jae-gyeong, he felt a strange sensation—as if his heart had been frozen for 100 years and then suddenly thawed all at once—and he couldn’t help but scratch himself to deal with it.

Da-sol knew he was in the wrong, too. His childhood had been defined by being scolded by his family countless times for speaking that way, and even after joining the Training Guild, hadn’t he been constantly nagged by team members disguised as “understanding”?

He didn’t need to observe other people’s reactions to know, objectively, that his personality wasn’t great. Even so, Da-sol had no intention of reflecting on or fixing his words and actions. Until now.

He didn’t know why he hated seeing that guy, who cried so easily, trying to force a smile instead of crying. He hadn’t understood why people (e.g., Hyeon Hee-ro, Jeong Jeong-eon) would crawl on the floor like losers, fussing over something as trivial as liking someone, but now he thought he understood a little.

He just hated it. Seeing someone else suffer because of him. There was no big reason. He just didn’t want Jeong Jae-gyeong to ever make that face again, he didn’t want him to get hurt for the rest of his life, and especially, if it was because of Da-sol, he felt such self-loathing that he wanted to smash his own skull in.

Da-sol wiggled his toes and then slowly got up from the bed. He stood in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom. His reflection was clearly visible in the mirror.

“God, I’m such an eyesore.”

Rough words popped out of the mouth of Da-sol, who had a face as beautiful as a porcelain doll. He swept his thick hair back once and spoke to the mirror.