Illusion Blind Date - Chapter 28

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#28

“Oh, a campfire?”
The tension drained from her grip on the railing.
She’d been far too anxious.
Bom exhaled a quiet breath of relief and brightened.
“That sounds lovely. I can’t remember the last time I just sat and watched the flames.”
“Shall we head out to the Terrace then?”
“Yes.”
Bom, too, had felt reluctant to retreat indoors just yet.
After eating and drinking her fill in such a warm, comfortable atmosphere, her mood had genuinely lifted.
They stepped onto the Terrace, and Tae Moon began stacking wood in the Fireplace before lighting it.
The logs crackled and hissed as they caught flame.
“Just a moment.”
Tae Moon rose and disappeared into the house.
Left alone, Bom gazed into the campfire, waiting for his return.
“Cold?”
Something soft descended gently across her shoulders.
He’d returned without her noticing, draping a knee blanket over her with care.
“Oh, thank you.”
Bom clutched the blanket so it wouldn’t slip.
Though she still wasn’t entirely used to his gestures, she was learning that he was a thoughtful, kind man.
Her heart had grown soft.
Sitting here, she found herself remembering a camping trip with her Aunt long ago.
Those moments by the campfire with a warm cup of cocoa had felt like owning the whole world.
She was grateful to him for rekindling those memories.
When she turned to face him, Tae Moon’s gaze locked deeply with hers.
Her heart raced, and her chest tingled with warmth.
It was probably just her imagination, thinking she felt like a real lover right now.
“Did you and the others play like this when I wasn’t around?”
He asked softly, a gentle smile playing at his lips.
“Oh, not often—only on birthdays or special occasions.”
“Special occasions?”
“When I passed my Medical Resident exams, we grilled meat outside even though it was freezing.”
“Sounds like fun. Are you sure I’m not keeping you from enjoying tonight properly?”
“Not at all. If anything, it was better having you here, Professor.”
Usually when playing with the others, Bom had to keep order and rein in anyone who got too wild, but tonight with Tae Moon present, everything was far easier.
“I’m glad then.”
“Thank you so much for looking after us when we have nowhere else to go. We’ll keep the house clean and organized going forward.”
“It’s fine as is. I’ve arranged for the housekeeper to come twice a week, so you don’t need to worry about the first floor.”
“Really? Thank you so much.”
“And feel free to use the Basement Training Room and everything else. Especially the First Floor Bathroom—use it however you like.”
He smiled pointedly as he emphasized the First Floor Bathroom. He’d mentioned it before, and there was something deliberately mischievous in the reminder.
Bom found a quiet laugh escaping her lips.
“Yes, I’ll use it well. Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. So where’s your hometown?”
“Gyeonggi Province.”
Her father lived in Gangnam, Seoul, but that wasn’t truly her home.
The place where she’d lived with her Aunt felt like her real home.
“That’s quite a distance for commuting.”
“Yes.”
With early mornings and late nights at the Hospital, even having a car would have made it impossible.
“Ji Moon mentioned something about a Stalker. Are you alright now?”
He asked carefully.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“You weren’t hurt?”
“I was startled, but……”
“That bastard deserves to die.”
The sudden curse made Bom’s eyes widen.
Ji Moon must have said something to provoke her, but truthfully, it was the junior who’d taken the unilateral beating.
“I’m quite good at fighting.”
Unable to resist her aunt’s pressure, Bom had trained in self-defense across Taekwondo, Judo, and Kendo—five dan ranks in all.
Bom spoke matter-of-factly.
Why else would she earn that nickname—the crazy… rabbit?
Reluctant as she was to admit it, she also went by another name: the Iron Rabbit.
From training consistently in the basement, she’d developed strength that surpassed most.
“Good or not, you can’t beat a grown man.”
The savage intensity she’d glimpsed in him at the Hotel that first meeting blazed from his eyes now.
“I didn’t have a scratch on me, but he cracked his ribs, and when I kicked his weak spot, well… it ended up like that.”
Bom trailed off, glossing over the details with practiced vagueness.
“…What?”
Tae Moon stared at her, looking incredulous.
I never said the junior wasn’t hurt.
He’d simply misunderstood on his own. Most people did when they first met her—she looked fragile enough on the surface, after all.
“So you fractured his ribs…”
“Yes. …Why?”
Bom blinked up at Tae Moon.
Surely he didn’t doubt she’d done it?
“And ruptured his testicles?”
“Ah, no—not ruptured exactly.”
“…Well done.”
She lowered her gaze, watching Tae Moon sprawl across the chair with the confidence of a man at home in his own house.
“And what are you staring at so intently?”
“Huh?”
Caught red-handed looking at his thigh, Bom jerked her eyes upward in a panic.
“…I’ve barely gotten it under control.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
Bom blinked in response, and he burst into genuine laughter at her earnest denial.
“Really?”
“Ha ha ha.”
Bom glared at him, on the verge of summoning that Lascivious Demon again.
Heat crept across her cheeks.
God, it’s hot.
Bom fanned herself with her hand fan, banishing the demon.
“Cute.”
His pleasant voice tickled her eardrums and set her heart fluttering.
So this is what spring feels like.
In the garden, blossoms in full bloom scattered on the breeze, drifting down over her head.
Romantic.
Sitting here with Tae Moon—that ideal man Cho Eun had described so perfectly—made her feel as though she possessed the whole world.
I’m weak to atmosphere, aren’t I? That’s all it is.
That’s why romance never took root in the Hospital, reeking of antiseptic.
Hard to fall in love surrounded by grimy Crocs.
Lost in the dreamy ambiance, Bom felt as though she’d willingly throw herself into hellfire alongside the man beside her.
Crazy…
There I go again, counting my chickens before they hatch.
Bom gave her own cheek a sharp slap.
The crisp sound echoed through the night air.
Tae Moon, sitting beside her, caught her wrist, his eyes asking why.
“Th-there was a mosquito.”
“A mosquito?”
“Yes.”
Tae Moon reached out and cradled her jaw in his hand—firm yet gentle.
He turned her face toward him, studying her cheek carefully.
“Were you having dirty thoughts?”
“What?”
“I asked if you were having dirty thoughts.”
Bom’s face burst into flame like a campfire.
Flustered, Bom covered her face with both hands and looked away, avoiding Tae Moon’s gaze.
“Han Bom, answer me.”
“I think indecent things all the time, of course.”
Bom answered without meeting his eyes.
“Have you thought about doing those things with me?”
Bom’s head snapped up.
Whenever she thought of indecent things and saw him, all that came to mind was a bottle of mineral water, and now he was asking if she’d thought of doing things with him.
“Well…, not quite that far yet….”
“Then how far have you thought?”
This is driving me insane.
Bom felt as though her mind might scatter to the far reaches of the cosmos.
He released her cheeks and shifted his posture entirely, settling closer.
“Han Bom.”
His voice dropped lower still as he urged her on.
All she’d done was slap her own cheek once, so what in the world was happening now.
Flames flickered in the depths of Tae Moon’s dark, polished eyes.
The good-natured landlord with the kind heart had vanished entirely, replaced by a man radiating such overwhelming presence that he looked ready to pin her down any second.
What should I do? What am I supposed to say in a moment like this?
“What do you think of me?”
“I think you’re a… good person, sir.”
“That’s all?”
“You’re very handsome.”
“And.”
“You’re quite tall.”
“And.”
“You have large hands….”
“And.”
Could he actually be fishing for compliments? Is that why he keeps saying “and” over and over?
Bom swallowed hard.
She sensed that the perfect moment for a torrent of praise had finally arrived.
“Well, that part is also impressive, and it seems to be quite beautifully proportioned, I must say. Honestly, it’s the finest I’ve ever seen. The size and appearance are so far beyond what you’d find in an East Asian physique that they’d put even Western men to shame, and…. Mmph!”
The next instant, he gripped the back of her neck and, unable to contain his delight at the praise, pressed his lips against hers with such intensity that his front teeth nearly protruded.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————