He checked his phone after showering post-workout.

  A message from a si-yeon mentioned heading to the bar.

  "Should be fine, right?"

  Thinking of his alcoholic friend who’d drink uncontrollably and pass out without someone to stop him, he grew concerned about potential trouble and headed to the bar.

  On the way, he ran into someone he’d rather avoid.

  "Yoo Mi-ro."

  "Huh? Isn’t that Seong Si-hyun?"

  He had no desire to talk. This girl who’d confessed her feelings for him, while he appreciated that someone with her background and wealth favored him, it also felt like a burden. He’d rejected every one of her advances.

  "Can we talk for a bit?"

  He couldn’t refuse. The guilt from turning her down so many times weighed on him.

  "You said you weren’t dating Jeong Si-yeon, right?"

  He clicked his tongue. His lie at the pool had been exposed.

  "I never realized Jeong Si-yeon was the same Jeong Si-yeon from our school."

  Her words shocked him.

  She’d uncovered his friend’s identity, was she planning to cause trouble?

  "So-"

  "Still quick to turn cold when it’s about that person. If anything, I’m just stating facts."

  "Facts?"

  "Yes. The fact that 'you can’t cling to someone forever.'"

  He didn’t understand. Cling? Who?

  "Of course you’re unaware too... How awful. You spoil her so much she become useless without you."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means Jeong Si-yeon depends on you."

  She looked at him with pity.

  "Si-yeon depends on me?"

  "Right, it’s been this way since high school. She avoided dating others to get your attention, and now she clinging to you as a Hunter."

  Yoo Mi-ro’s words hit him hard. His friend was like this because of him? Unbelievable.

  "Hard to believe. Si-yeon wouldn’t do that, right?"

  He thought it over. If anything, he was the one who relied on his friend-

  "Hmph, I’ll give you one piece of advice. If you’re not planning to take care of Jeong Si-yeon forever, you should teach her to be independent."

  "Forever?"

  "Yeah, Si-yeon is neither man nor woman now. Nothing wrong with supporting her for life, right?"

  Her words flustered him.

  "Pfft, you have a girlfriend already? Anyway, think it over. That’s my advice as a friend."

  Yoo Mi-ro left looking refreshed. Though she’d said confusing things, the real shock came from elsewhere.

  He fell into thought. Her words echoed in his mind.

  His friend isolated themself for his attention? Hard to accept. But it bothered him, maybe because he’d sensed it too?

  He always thought he’d do anything to help his friend. Believed it was fine if he was their only companion. If they stayed indoors, he’d take them out. Because when he was around, his friend would smile brightly like before... He thought that was enough.

  But had those actions instead ruined his friend?

  He recalled the past. Was it true?

  In middle school, Si-yeon had other friends. But from high school onward, there were none. Even though there were friends at the same school?

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Another memory surfaced. When watching Si-yeon from afar in the classroom, she remained detached from her surroundings, neither approaching others nor letting them close. Unless he initiated contact, she kept her distance like a fortified wall.

  He recalled her words at high school graduation: "Now that we have more time, we can hang out often." But when he told her he'd passed the civil service exam, her congratulations felt hollow, tinged with unspoken disappointment.

  Later, she became a recluse in her room, rarely emerging unless he called.

  Even after becoming a Hunter, nothing changed. She never went out unless invited, not even participating in Expeditions.

  Only after hearing Yoo Mi-ro's words did he realize her behavior was abnormal.

  His constant support had made her dependent.

  He leaned against the wall as a headache pulsed. A bitter taste rose, the unpleasant feeling of good deeds being rejected. The possibility that he might have ruined her life made it worse.

  Similar things had happened before, yet he'd learned nothing.

  His overprotective nature had stripped away her ability to stand on her own.

  Yoo Mi-ro was right.

  "Damn..."

  He began understanding why she'd said those things. The meaning behind "either take responsibility for life or let them become independent" became clear.

  Which only deepened his turmoil.

  Wouldn't it be easier to just care for her forever?

  His friend who was now a woman. Remembering how she looked in her swimsuit at the pool this morning - she seemed born to be female. That stunning beauty made even her irritable attitude seem endearing.

  A female friend and himself, a man. To outsiders, they could easily be dating.

  If they married, wouldn't that mean never being apart?

  Wasn't that actually a good outcome?

  Though such thoughts crossed his mind, if asked whether he loved her, he'd say no. He liked her as a friend, not romantically.

  Even if he developed such feelings, how could he know hers?

  "Hah..."

  After long contemplation, no answers came. Only two options remained.

  As Yoo Mi-ro said - either take lifelong responsibility or create some distance.

  Ultimately, his worrying was pointless. The choice wasn't his to make, but hers.

  After standing still for a long time, he quietly entered the bar. In the corner, his friend slept with her head on her arms.

  After explaining to the bartender they were together, he lifted the sleeping woman.

  He'd grown completely accustomed to his friend's female form.

  Just friends... yet Yoo Mi-ro's parting words lingered.

  Yes, she's a woman now. Different from before.

  Take responsibility for life?

  Maybe that wouldn't be so bad...

  My head throbbed as if splitting open, my stomach churning.

  Classic hangover symptoms.

  "Ugh..."

  This felt terrible.

  "Awake?"

  Si-hyun approached from the distant sofa.

  Seeing him brought back Yoo Mi-ro's words from yesterday.

  "Yeah."

  Still in bed, I accepted the honey tea he offered.

  "Drink up. Is porridge okay for breakfast?"

  Checking the time while drinking, the sun should have been high overhead.

  "Sure."

  Was it because of what Yoo Mi-ro said yesterday? Si-hyun's behavior felt strangely irritating.

  Why is he so good to me? My inability to move beyond his shadow probably stemmed from these very actions.

  Ha, blaming my own weakness on Si-hyun now.

  I disgust myself.

  The final answer turned out exactly as Yoo Mi-ro said...

  Si-hyun has his own life to live. He can't stay tangled up with me forever.

  I kept agonizing while eating the porridge from room service.

  I didn't know how to bring it up.

  Watching Si-hyun's face, I noticed he seemed preoccupied too.

  Finally, I settled on what to say.

  I'd tell him tomorrow when we checked out.

  I spent the whole day restless in the hotel. The hangover, probably due to the Spear Effect, faded by evening, but I accomplished nothing. My mood was too gloomy to do anything.

  Si-hyun went out to exercise like yesterday, while I stayed in the room buried in novels like before.

  That night, uncomfortable sharing a bed with Si-hyun, I moved to sleep on the sofa.

  Even though Si-hyun offered to take the sofa himself, his consideration only made me feel worse.

  -

  The next morning we packed to check out.

  What should have been a fun hotel getaway turned messy after meeting Yoo Mi-ro.

  We ran into Yoo Mi-ro again at checkout.

  "Hmm, Judging by your face, you've made up your mind?"

  What change could she see in my face?

  Still, thanks to Yoo Mi-ro, I realized I'd been avoiding reality and understood I couldn't keep burdening Si-hyun.

  "Th-thank you, Mi-ro."

  Yoo Mi-ro seemed slightly surprised by my gratitude, then laughed.

  "Hehe, why thank me? Shouldn't you hate me for breaking you and Si-hyun apart?"

  "No. I can't stay by Si-hyun's side forever anyway. I knew it but kept pretending not to."

  "Is that so? Why not use that body of yours to seduce Si-hyun instead?" My cheeks burned at her provocative words. She didn't know I'd already used my body in nearly seductive ways with Si-hyun several times.

  "Enough. Thank you anyway."

  "Alright then. Now that you're a girl too, I hope you find a good man."

  Ugh, she had to say something so unlucky right at the end. Where would I find a good man like Si-hyun?

  -

  After finishing with Yoo Mi-ro, I rode home in Si-hyun's car.

  Before getting out, I gathered my courage again.

  "Si-hyun."

  "Yeah?"

  "Let's put some distance between us."

  "Wh-what do you mean?"

  "Just what I said. I want to try living without relying on you."

  "Sigh... Is this because of what Yoo Mi-ro said?"

  "It influenced me somewhat. But I needed to do this anyway."

  "Fine. I respect your decision. But as friends, we should still contact each other sometimes, hang out occasionally."

  Though Si-hyun said this, his hidden displeasure showed clearly on his face.

  "Well... but even meeting occasionally might not be appropriate."

  "What?"

  I got out of the car.

  "You have a girlfriend. It could cause misunderstandings. Sorry for all this time."

  I slammed the car door hard and fled toward my house.

  Glancing back, I saw Si-hyun still standing there stunned.

  I gave a small wave in his direction and went inside.

  From now on, I'd be on my own.

  Though something felt uncomfortable inside me, my eyes growing warm, I couldn't identify this emotion. My feelings were just complicated. I hated my attachment to Si-hyun yet longed to stay by his side.

  "Ha... so complicated."

  I truly couldn't even understand my own heart.

  But the one thing I knew for certain was that I could no longer keep holding Si-hyun back, that friend who meant so much to me.

  -

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