Chapter 332: You can ask me for three things
"And yeah, I do work out frequently in the gym, so all those were real. Don’t think I was just doing all that to break you or something."
I narrowed my eyes.
Gosh, is she a mind reader as well?
So many talents.
I stared. I absolutely stared like a fish gasping for air in the middle of the sea.
So she wasn’t a trainer? Not even a professional?
The squats, the sit-ups, the push-ups, all her commands, her ’expert corrections’... all of that was just from her own personal experience?
They risked my safety? For an act?
My chest rose and fell erratically, my mind buzzing.
Jin-Yeok saw my reaction and felt even more guilty. He was the cause, but he felt just him apologizing wouldn’t cut it.
"Eun-Ji, apologize to Jo-Pil as well," he said, and we both looked at him. "Sincerely."
Eun-Ji raised her head and looked at me, no questions asked, just absolute obedience that made me wonder if she was ’just’ an actress and not someone who worked with him in his underground organization.
"Master Jo-Pil, I am terribly sorry that I made you feel the way you feel," she began, her tone sounding completely sincere. "I did not mean to hurt you, humiliate you, or belittle you. And I did not mean to be all handsy with Master Jin either. He..." She raised her head and smiled sheepishly. "Is not my type, actually. And I have a fiancé I’ll be getting married to soon, so I have no intention of chasing after him."
Okay, I don’t think there was a need for that last part, but I was thankful for it. Whatever, it was a certain assurance that all of that was an act and she did not use the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get closer to him.
"Jo-Pil," Jin-Yeok called, whimpering like a wolf. "I’m really sorry." He was still kneeling, and I sighed.
They say there’s no such thing as too much apology, but I’m starting to think otherwise.
The apology was getting too much and... I no longer felt squishy and uncomfortable around my chest, so maybe it was time to forgive him and pretend all this was just a joke that I took too seriously for a while.
Maybe what I actually wanted was that assurance that Eun-Ji wasn’t after Jin-Yeok the whole time, and I got it.
But... I don’t want to let him off so easily.
He needs to pay somehow.
"I don’t know, Master, I feel really down about this," I said, putting up my act since I was no longer genuinely feeling down. "What can you do to make me feel better?"
As soon as I asked that, Jin-Yeok’s eyes lit up and he stood to his feet.
For someone who had been kneeling for a while, he was quite fast.
I guess that little means nothing to the body of a mafia lord.
"Three things," he said, one hand holding mine up and the other wrapped around my waist, holding me close as if the faintest release would let me escape his grasp.
"What?"
"You can ask me for three things, no matter what they are, and I’ll fulfill them," he said, squeezing my hands gently. "No matter how big, how expensive, how impossible it is, I’ll get it for you, Jo-Pil. This... is the only way I can think of to make it up to you."
My breath was caught for a moment, and I looked into his sincere eyes. Those steady emerald eyes that only ever faltered when gazing at me.
But did he even realize what he was saying?
When he gave me these three things to ask of him, listing that he could make even the impossible happen if it was what I wanted, did he not think far?
I mean, I could wish for the moon right now. Would he suddenly buy the moon for me? I mean, even if he did buy it, however that was possible, he couldn’t give it to me in a package, so this felt too good to be true.
And there were three of those ultimate wishes as well. Do you perhaps have a genie I don’t know about? It wasn’t stated in the novel, but who knows? Anything can happen in the fictional world.
"I trust you, Jo-Pil," he said, moving his lips to my eyes, and I squinted. He kissed my eyelids, sucking out the salty tears he made me shed, which is weird, by the way, and then did the same for the other.
What a weird taste my master had.
"I know you’re not unreasonable, but since this is my punishment, making an unreasonable request would be fair," he said, looking at me with such sorrowful eyes.
I sighed, all the rage leaving me completely.
It happened in a moment, and I didn’t even realize it, but I was no longer angry. Not to any extent. And that made me think calmly and rationally.
I wasn’t going to waste a single one of those three chances on trifles just ’cause I’m a bit upset.
"It’s fine," I said. "I’ll use them wisely." I leaned in and kissed his lips to assure him that he didn’t need to do anything else and that I was fine.
Given his character, he would probably want to do everything in his power, and not stop at just these three things, to make sure I feel better and forgive him.
"I forgive you this time, Master. But next time, please think it through from my perspective before you try anything out of curiosity. My feelings matter more in everything, right?" I asked, and he nodded, causing me to smile. "Good. So you’d better put it first. Just think, ’How would Jo-Pil feel about this?’ and then act on the answer you come up with. And if you can’t guess my feelings or reaction beforehand, put yourself in my shoes. Would I be happy if someone did this to me? And then act accordingly."
I hoped he got my message. I hoped that we wouldn’t have to repeat this audacious and exhausting scenario just because he didn’t know any better.
After hearing what I had to say, Jin-Yeok smiled, dropped his forehead on mine, and said softly,
"I got it, Jo-Pil. I’ll always put your feelings into consideration first before anything else."
Hearing that, my heart warmed up and I smiled.
"Good. Now, carry me back to my room. I’m exhausted." Both physically and mentally, no less.