Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 96

“Ah, I was just happy to see you…….”

“It seems Hunter Lee Yeonwoo came to the dungeon to have some fun.”

“…I’m sorry.”

The atmosphere instantly turned cold. Lee Yeonwoo gave a slight bow and disappeared, leaving only Jiwoo, frozen stiff, behind.

‘K-Kangwoo seeing me like this…….’

She had never even imagined it before. He was always so kind and gentle around her that she had never thought he could have such a sharp side.

“Jiwoo.”

“Ah, yes. Y-yes.”

Jiwoo couldn’t move and only rolled her eyes around.

‘W-Will he scold me too?’

He had spoken so frighteningly even to Hunter Lee Yeonwoo, who was on the same team.

Was he going to scold me for being lazy too?

It was just when all sorts of thoughts began popping up like fluffy clouds.

Kangwoo moved his red lips and said,

“I’m jealous.”

“I’m sorry… Huh? What?”

“I said I’m jealous.”

J-jealous?

‘So… he’s jealous of the relationship between me and Hunter Lee Yeonwoo?’

As the stunned Jiwoo just opened and closed her mouth, Kangwoo took a step closer. Then, blocking other people’s view, he whispered.

“I’m jealous of anything that’s close to Jiwoo. Whether it’s a person or anything else.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft sensation touched the back of her hand.

With a small kiss, Jiwoo’s distant mind returned to normal.

“P-People can see us……!”

Startled, she looked around, but fortunately there was no one nearby.

“Kangwoo, you can’t do this outside! What if someone had seen us!”

Jiwoo fanned her bright-red face with her hand.

“…I wish they had.”

“What?”

“Then I’ll be going, Jiwoo.”

With a short laugh, Kangwoo walked away, leaving Jiwoo behind as she twisted her body like a squid in embarrassment.

 

 

*****

 

 

As soon as they arrived at the camp, Kangwoo set off alone, saying he would take care of the monsters nearby.

A little while later.

“Jiwoo.”

A tall man pushed his way through the entrance of the tent.

Jiwoo, who had been waiting inside for news, jumped up in surprise.

“You’re already done?”

“Yeah. There weren’t many monsters nearby.”

His answer was surprisingly simple considering how worried she had been.

Jiwoo walked around Kangwoo in circles, checking his condition.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Should I use Heal? Or do you want to rest for a bit first? The bed here is actually really soft, so why don’t you lie down here and…….”

“Jiwoo, I want something else.”

“Something else…?”

“Yeah, we have something to settle up, remember?”

Jiwoo blinked.

Settle up?

Had I ever made a deal like that with Kangwoo?

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean……”

“Wait.”

Gently cutting Jiwoo off, Kangwoo stretched out both arms.

Then, before she had any chance to stop him, he left a kiss on her cheek.

“W-what, what is this…….”

Smack.

“W-what, what…….”

Smack, smack.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

It took three more kisses in a row before she finally came to her senses.

He’s crazy! Is he crazy?! He must be crazy!

Jiwoo screamed and pushed Kangwoo away by the chest.

Her cheeks felt hot as if they had been burned, so she covered both of them with her hands.

In her entire life, she had only ever been kissed once before. And that one time had also been by Kangwoo. He had suddenly kissed her cheek when they first met.

‘A-a kiss…….’

She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the face. Her mind had turned into a blank sheet of paper, and she couldn’t think of anything.

The moment Jiwoo lowered her head, a large hand came over the back of hers. A low voice whispered into her ear.

“Jiwoo, you said you’d grant any wish.”

A wish?

“Ah, that was……!”

Jiwoo remembered what she had said to Dongsik a few hours ago.

 

‘Tell Kangwoo. The raid team is in danger right now, so if he comes quickly to help us, I’ll grant him anything he wants!’

 

Jiwoo’s light-green eyes trembled slightly.

Kangwoo slowly moved closer, the corners of his lips curling up gently.

“Here’s my wish.”

Smack. Once again, she felt a warm sensation on her cheek. Jiwoo, who had been avoiding his gaze, had no choice but to look at Kangwoo now.

“W-why do you keep…….”

“I wanted to see you. I really did.”

When their golden eyes met, he smiled softly.

“Why did you leave without saying anything?”

At his words, which sounded almost like a complaint, Jiwoo stammered.

“Uh, well, I mean… No, I did tell you. By text!”

“……”

Kangwoo’s eyes narrowed. Jiwoo hurriedly changed the subject.

“But how did you get here so quickly? Weren’t you in Seoul?”

“Hmm.”

“Did you follow us all the way to Donghae?”

“Because wherever Jiwoo is, that’s where I’m supposed to be.”

“How did you know I came to Donghae? Ah, no way!”

Do Heesung, you bastard! You sold out the location of my business trip!

Jiwoo slapped her knee. Kangwoo smiled and clasped her hand.

“Don’t get too angry. I always know where Jiwoo is, no matter where she goes.”

So he already knew she had come to Donghae on a business trip.

Thinking about it carefully, it was a little scary, but Jiwoo had reached the point where she just accepted things like this.

After all, the Emergency Disaster Team handled information on every dungeon in the country, so if Kangwoo wanted to, he could probably find Special Team 7’s location at any time.

‘So that’s why he didn’t seem angry.’

She had expected him to at least look hurt, but Kangwoo was as kind as ever.

Other than how persistently he was holding her hand, there was nothing different from usual.

If she had to point out one change…….

‘There’s so much more physical contact!’

Kangwoo acted as if he couldn’t survive even a minute or a second without touching her.

As Jiwoo bit her lip and let out a silent scream, he intertwined his fingers with hers and tilted his head.

“P-please stop.”

“You said you’d grant my wish.”

A short kiss landed on the back of her hand. Jiwoo’s shoulders shrank at the ticklish sensation.

“Is it really okay if this is your wish?”

“It’s more than enough.”

“…How much longer are you planning to do this?”

“If Jiwoo is okay with it, I could keep going all day.”

After kissing the tips of her fingers, he looked at Jiwoo. They were so close that their breaths mixed together, their gazes becoming tangled.

Contrary to what she had expected, the corners of Kangwoo’s eyes were flushed red.

He looked even more embarrassed than the person who had suddenly been kissed.

‘No, why is he reacting like that when he’s the one doing it?’

Anyone would think I was the one who attacked him first!

Even while trembling, Jiwoo felt a surge of unfairness. Besides, she had been so flustered earlier that she had forgotten, but now that she thought about it, this wasn’t the time to be pushed around.

‘If I don’t ask now, I don’t know when I’ll get another chance.’

There was something she absolutely had to clear up with Kangwoo. Jiwoo pulled the hand he was still holding toward herself.

“I have something to ask.”

“Yeah.”

“…If I ask, will you answer me? Anything?”

“……”

Kangwoo stared at Jiwoo without answering.

“……”

“……”

A stubborn silence continued. As usual, Jiwoo was the first to surrender.

“Mr. Kangwoo.”

“Kangwoo.”

He corrected the way she addressed him. Normally, Jiwoo would have called him whatever he wanted, but this time she steeled herself.

‘What is this? He always says only what he wants to say.’

As Jiwoo bit her lip without looking away, Kangwoo slowly lowered his eyes.

“…If I said I’d answer anything, that would be a lie. You hate it when I lie, Jiwoo.”

Most people probably hated lies. But Jiwoo realized there was another meaning hidden in his words.

“I never told you that I hated lies, Kangwoo.”

“You did.”

“I didn’t.”

“…You did. A very long time ago.”

That “long time ago” again! Jiwoo frowned. She swore that in her entire life, she had never met a person named Seo Kangwoo. Yet he kept saying the same thing every time. It felt like someone was forcing a memory onto her that didn’t exist.

“You’re mistaken. You’re thinking of that Juuu person.”

“…Jiwoo.”

“Who is that person? Who are they, and why…….”

…Why do you keep thinking of that person when you look at me?

Her throat tightened, and she couldn’t bring herself to continue. She had thought that if she met Kangwoo, she could question him about her, but now that she was actually facing him, she couldn’t say anything. She was too afraid and anxious about the answer that might follow.

‘Maybe I’m just a replacement for that person.’

Kangwoo, Dongsik, and even the unwanted houseguests all think I’m that person.

So if I dig into this for no reason, and Kangwoo himself confirms that he’s mistaken about me…….

The hopeful thoughts inside her suddenly burst without warning. A sharp, painful ache spread through her chest, as if she had been pricked by a needle.