The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

49 – Date

“It feels like it’s been a long time, doesn’t it?”

“It really has been a long time, senior. We’ve both been busy lately.”

Arha had been investing time to learn the sword from Arna, and Logan had been tirelessly running around to expand his business, so they hadn’t had much time to meet.

“Senior Logan will probably drop out.”

As his business expanded, he would have less time to devote to the academy, and eventually, he would choose to drop out. In the past, the thought of Logan dropping out and reducing the time they could spend together was frightening, but Arha had made up her mind.

“We should get closer before he drops out of the academy.”

Even if Logan dropped out of the academy, there was still plenty of reason for them to get closer afterward.

“Logan sees me as their only friend.”

What eased Arwa’s anxious mind was the words Logan had said to them not long ago.

Having received guidance from Geomseong, Arwa now possessed the utmost self-esteem.

“So, why did you suddenly call me?”

“For a date.”

“A date?”

As Logan scrutinized Arwa closely, it was clear they had put in a lot of effort. Arwa, who usually dressed casually and comfortably, was now wearing a simple yet beautiful dress, almost as if to prove their noble lineage.

From Noble mtl dot com

Before Arwa mentioned the word “date,” Logan hadn’t even noticed their attire. If Arwa found out that Logan hadn’t noticed until they brought up the date, they might have been annoyed, but fortunately for both, Arwa couldn’t employ their manipulative skills.

“You dressed up so nicely? So, who’s the lucky one?”

‘Is this a joke…’

Was this meant to tease her, or was he genuinely clueless? If it was the former, it implied a good rapport between Logan and her, enough to joke like that. If the latter, it wasn’t all pleasant, indicating that Logan was someone far from her ideal.

“Are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

“Well, how would I know that?”

Arwa’s expression flickered with anger before swiftly calming down.

‘Because I’ve lived without receiving love.’

Logan’s instincts probably didn’t even realize that they had concluded they wouldn’t receive love from them and didn’t entertain similar thoughts.

“So, why did you call me? Need advice? Am I the person you know? Don’t tell me it’s Ashit?”

Would I have insight to offer? Could it be Ashit?

“Oppa.”

“Oppa? With your real brother? Is it a rare occasion to meet? Seeing how thoroughly you prepared.”

“I came for a date with Logan Oppa. That’s why I called Logan as well.”

At Arua’s words, Logan temporarily stiffened.

Suddenly being addressed as ‘Oppa’ instead of ‘Sunbae’ was confusing, and the change from facing each other to standing closely side by side was also challenging to adapt to.

“Ah, is that the concept?”

“Think what you want.”

Logan had built a massive emotional barrier for himself throughout his life.

For over ten years, there had been no one giving him love or affection. Whenever someone showed kindness or something similar, almost 100% of the time, greater malice followed.

Staying at a distance was a really good example for a day.

When she first met Logan, she had been kind to him. That’s why even if someone hinted at liking Logan, he could never accept it as is.

Although the emotional barrier had weakened, the fact that someone could like him was deeply ingrained in his instincts, making it not easily removable.

“It’s not the time to measure this and that.”

Arua, too, was somewhat facing and acknowledging the emotions that tickled a corner of her heart every time she saw Logan.

Originally, she intended to approach him slowly, feeling embarrassed herself. However, for someone so negatively disposed towards others’ affection, she felt a more straightforward expression was necessary.

“So? Why did you call me out?”

“It’s a date!”

“Anything to buy?”

From the beginning, I felt the presence of an adversary, but there was no intention of giving up.

“Is this a date? A date!”

“Yeah, let’s take a walk together.”

It was evasion to an extent that seemed intentional.

‘Merely saying these things might not have much meaning.’

“For now, just follow me.”

Arwa grabbed Logan’s arm, and they started walking together.

Since Logan wasn’t a madman pulling out a sword in the middle of the street, he was led by Arwa’s strength without resistance.

“Hey, wait a moment!”

When Arwa suddenly grabbed Logan’s wrist and led him, Logan, bewildered, tried to resist to avoid being dragged. However, even though Logan had gained some weight recently, he couldn’t overcome Arwa’s well-trained touch.

‘His strength is weaker than I thought.’

Sure, he might be stronger if he unsheathed his sword, but the essence of a surprise attack is that it comes suddenly, catching the opponent off guard.

‘I must protect him at all costs.’

Arwa, holding Logan’s wrist, first headed to a famous dessert shop in the city.

It was known for both its taste and its atmosphere. Arwa had pondered a lot about whether it was okay to bring Logan to this place, considering the very pink atmosphere inside.

Although it was a place where the excuse of going to eat something delicious worked since it was known for its taste, it seemed too obvious.

‘He probably came here with the thought of eating something delicious.’

Arwa was well aware that Logan thought deeply about ‘affection,’ but she couldn’t have imagined that he would be so oblivious.

So, even the pink and girly ambiance of this place, chosen after much consideration by Arwa, probably wouldn’t affect Logan much.

“Is this place famous? It’s crowded.”

“Yes, they say the Blue Blue Chocolate Cake sold here is incredibly delicious.”

“The Blue Blue Chocolate Cake?”

Just hearing the name didn’t give any idea about its taste, but still, from a marketing perspective, it seemed excellent.

‘Blue Blue Chocolate Cake. Just hearing a name like that might pique one’s interest.’

“Great sense of naming. I should remember this and use it later.”

Despite clearly being a date, Arua settled into her seat while Logan continued discussing work.

“Can I help with your order?”

Arua, unmistakably dressed in an attention-grabbing outfit, and Logan, quite neatly dressed himself, led the staff to naturally assume they were a couple or at least involved in some kind of romantic relationship.

“Your girlfriend is very pretty.”

“Please refrain from rude comments.”

Logan spoke in a chilly tone before Arua could even manage a nervous laugh.

Since he was someone who didn’t easily warm up to those he wasn’t close to, the atmosphere turned frosty in an instant.

Though he used polite speech due to business requirements, his tone remained cold, not the least bit warm.

‘I-I’m sorry…’

Arua’s expression instantly fell into despair.

Was it really that upsetting to be mistaken for someone’s partner?

She started to despise herself for even thinking it could be a possibility.

“Why are you trying to associate such an optimistic person with me?”

‘Ah…’

Well, that’s just the kind of person he was.

‘I wonder why I’m worried.’

Logan was a kind person.

Seeming cold to others was just a defense mechanism; at the core, he was genuinely good. He wouldn’t degrade himself in front of himself, even if he harbored such feelings. He wasn’t foolish enough to blurt it out in front of his own eyes.

“Oh… is that so?”

Logan’s tone remained cool, but the employee’s expression instantly softened. It was more like the expression of an elder sister watching youngsters in love, subtly winking at Ara as if saying, ‘Looks tough, but don’t give up!’

“I’m sorry. But did I seem that way to my eyes? Your… likeliness from a lady’s eyes…”

“I’ll… I’ll place the order!”

Afraid that a confession might burst out of someone else’s mouth at this rate, Ara desperately cut off the employee’s words.

“Two Blueberry Chocolate Cakes, please!”

“I’ll just have a regular chocolate cake.”

“If you’ve come here, you should challenge yourself with a new flavor!”

Ara’s fervent words left Logan with no choice but to agree.

‘Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this.’

Logically, blue-colored chocolate couldn’t be delicious, could it?

“What flavor makes it so popular?”

“It combines the sweetness of chocolate with a refreshing and spicy sensation.”

Just imagining it made it seem tasteless.

‘I just want to eat cake.’

Judging by Ara’s expression, Logan guessed she probably wouldn’t allow him to eat regular cake, so he kept his mouth shut for the time being.

“But, as a guest… Blueberry chocolate cake is quite divisive.”

“I’m sure Logan oppa will like it too!”

Eventually, swayed by Ara’s strong recommendation, Logan ended up ordering the blueberry chocolate cake.

“But… is this… blue?”

Sweat trickled down Logan’s forehead as he stared at the mint-colored cake placed in front of him.