Chapter 70: My feelings won’t change

Kai had gotten up around five, despite having gone to sleep close to midnight.

Well, his improved stats and healthier lifestyle were certainly bearing fruit.

After waking, he cleaned the house first and prepared breakfast. The place was still a little out of order, especially the front area, considering how hurriedly he had put everything together.

He had expected the work to take considerably longer, but by the time he finished, it was only half past six.

Since there was nothing else he needed to do and his hunt would begin later, he decided to go for a run.

He had always wanted to explore the community in the early morning, when the streets were quiet and the air was still fresh.

Before leaving, he first checked on Jean and Elara. Both were still sleeping peacefully, undisturbed by the morning’s activity.

Kai took a quick shower, then changed into the new pair of clothes he had bought. The fabric felt comfortable against his skin and gave him enough freedom of movement. He had also been looking for something suitable to wear in the ruins during his hunts, so these would serve the purpose well enough for now.

With that in mind, he left the house and started jogging.

Fresh air swept across his face as he ran. The air was surprisingly clean, and there was something almost therapeutic about simply moving through the quiet streets without having anywhere he needed to be.

In the past, he had trained relentlessly to improve himself, but those sessions had always been driven by desperation. He had wanted to improve his rank, to become stronger, to survive.

Yet all those strong and fast legs had ultimately been used for one thing back then: running through dungeons and escaping as quickly as possible whenever things became too dangerous.

But now...

It was no longer desperation.

He knew he could remain healthy and fit even if he simply continued exploring the ruins. He no longer had to push himself every day just to survive the next hunt.

For once, he could simply enjoy being strong.

That was probably why he did not even realize how much ground he had covered until he had circled the entire block and half an hour had already passed.

As he made his way back home, already thinking that he should call Adam first, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Uh, are you the new residents?"

Kai turned around.

A woman stood a short distance away, a sipper in one hand. From her sportswear and slightly flushed face, it seemed she had also been out for an early morning run.

Kai nodded. "Yes. Hi, I’m Kai."

"Hello. I live in that house." She pointed toward the house across the street. "My name is Linda. I saw you yesterday and was wondering..."

The conversation continued, despite Kai already wanting to leave. He was sweaty from the run, and Elara might have woken up by now.

Still, he did not want his first interaction with someone from the neighborhood to leave a bad impression. So rather than brushing her off, he stayed and chatted with her for a while.

She was quite expressive, he noticed, especially considering they had only been talking for a few minutes.

Then Kai made a simple comment about the subway system, mentioning how it had practically become a second base of operations for hunters.

"Ahahaha! You are totally right."

Linda laughed loudly and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Kai was still quite sweaty, so the sudden touch made him uncomfortable. He instinctively shifted away, but she followed his movement without seeming to notice.

He was just about to politely tell her that he needed to get back home when suddenly...

Click.

The front door of the house opened with a loud sound.

Both of them froze.

There stood an ice goddess, her arms crossed as she looked down at the woman with an expression of utter indifference.

The woman slowly stepped back. "I should get going. My husband must be looking for me."

Kai barely spared her a glance. His attention was entirely on Jean.

She continued watching the retreating woman until she disappeared from view. Then, after giving Kai a brief look, she turned and walked back into the house.

Hmm?

Was she jealous?

The thought alone brought a faint curve to Kai’s lips as he followed her inside.

By the time he reached the kitchen, Jean was already there. She had served herself some toast, eggs, and bacon and was quietly eating at the table.

Not a word had been spoken.

Kai took the seat across from her.

"She is our neighbour."

Jean did not respond. She simply continued eating.

Kai watched her for a moment before adding, "She was being a little too touchy, wasn’t she?"

Jean paused briefly, then resumed eating as though she had not heard him.

Kai tilted his head.

"Are you angry at me? Did I do something to displease you?"

Jean finally lowered her spoon and looked at him. Her voice was cold and almost inaudible when she spoke.

"I didn’t like it... the look in her eyes. It was unpleasant."

Kai’s brows rose slightly.

"You were bothered?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Of course I was. After all, it isn’t just you who..."

"Who?" Kai asked, leaning slightly closer.

Jean took a deep breath.

She suddenly seemed conscious of what she was about to say, and for a moment, she remained silent. Then, gathering herself, she finally spoke.

"I have been conflicted about my feelings for some time because I don’t want you to think I’m saying this simply because I’ve grown accustomed to this lifestyle."

Kai remained silent. He did not tease her or press her any further. He could tell that admitting this was difficult for her.

Jean leaned back in her seat before continuing.

"I... thought I might be rushing things. I started having these strange sensations even when we were still living in that house. At first, I thought it was because you had given me support and care. I thought I was simply becoming emotional because of it."

She looked up at him and said, "Maybe I still am, even now, but I can’t deny this feeling any longer."

Kai nodded. "Hmm. Well, we have all the time in the world to understand each other better. But no amount of time will change how I feel about you."

Her face grew warmer. She lowered her gaze and gave a small nod.

"The same goes for me."

Neither of them had much experience when it came to matters like this, yet somehow, they understood each other surprisingly well.

And for now, that was enough for Kai.

He had just started to get up to get himself something to eat when a notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Quest: Confirm your feelings with your partner.]

[Reward: Awakening Pill]

[Rank: ???]

"!!"

Kai’s eyes widened.

It couldn’t be...

Right?