The Ninth Balance Game
“Huh? She's just a part-timer I work with~”
It felt closer than a simple coworker relationship, but somehow I got the distinct sense that I shouldn't go into the details.
“Really? You two looked closer than I expected~”
“Ah~ She's just really friendly, you know.”
“Is that so? Woohyun, no minors, okay~”
“Huh? Oh~ She's twenty.”
“...So that makes it fine?”
“Th-that's not what I meant.”
“Right?”
“Yeah.”
“If I'd known you were hanging out with a girl at the cafe, I wouldn't have given you the day off...”
“It's not like that~”
“Heh... Just kidding. Hurry up and go. The boss is waiting for you.”
“Okay. Tell me if you need anything.”
The moment she gave me an opening to escape that oddly chilly atmosphere, I bolted.
No matter how I looked at it, this was jealousy.
I'd started to wonder if I'd been mistaken all this time because she only ever showed me her hardcore LoL side, but this reconfirmed everything for me.
Soon, at a decent enough moment, I'd be able to start a proper relationship.
Not just gym-limited lovers—the real thing.
This week's cafe shift finished without a hitch.
Sure, it had poked Ajeong's jealousy, but nothing that would blow up into a real problem.
“Oppa, how close are you with that person from earlier?”
“You're not like, into her or anything, right?”
I took Hayun's clingy interrogation about Ajeong too, but it wasn't particularly bothersome.
The boss had grown quieter for some reason, yet the frequency of those leisurely smiles she directed my way seemed to have gone up. Naturally, that wasn't a problem either.
Judging by how she'd changed ever since the moment I playfully poked her side, she must have been flustered on the inside.
Looking back, it felt like a tangle of women issues, but taken one by one they were all nothing serious.
More importantly, this wasn't the time to worry. It was time to figure out how to confess to Ajeong.
Should I just toss it out casually like it's no big deal?
Something event-like these days would be way too much pressure, right?
As long as it wasn't a confession so bad it counted as a total failure, I was certain she'd say yes.
At last, the first relationship I'd been waiting for was right around the corner.
Looking forward to days that would be several times happier from now on, I fell asleep.
Sunday morning.
Lately, just waking up put me in a good mood.
The world looked beautiful, and everything felt like it would work out.
Today was a rest day from working out, so the second I got up I went straight into info-gathering and lounging.
Just in case of any unexpected situations, I still hadn't used the taste-change ability today either.
There had been times I'd wondered if it even mattered, but after it played a decisive role in cracking the eighth Balance Game, my confidence in my own judgment had risen a lot.
Right now, I felt like I could make a choice I wouldn't regret no matter what options showed up.
KokoaTalk-!
The ninth Balance Game arrived after a full five hours of information gathering.
No point dragging it out—I checked the contents right away.
Hello, Member! We're already standing on the doorstep of the tenth Balance Game!
It really makes you feel how much time we've spent together!
As we mentioned beforehand, there will be plenty of updates waiting in the tenth Balance Game!
We've prepared something simple for this ninth one!
After reviewing your life of over twenty years, we believe this won't be a difficult choice!
Adding about two years onto twenty is no big deal, right?
Of course, you could always pick the other option!
Revealing it now! （〜^∇^)〜
Re-enlist in the military
vs
No dating for 2 years
You're not alone, Member!
We're right here with you! (●'ᴗ'●)ﾉ♥
“...”
This Balance Game was probably built from the hardest options that had appeared so far.
They introduced it like a light breather before the tenth, but the contents were anything but.
[Re-enlist in the military vs. No dating for 2 years]
Did they really think that because I'd never dated once in over twenty years of life, adding two more years was no big deal?
I'd already expected the operators of this game weren't human, but I'd still assumed they were capable of thinking like one.
Apparently not.
Maybe they knew everything and were just mocking me.
If there was any silver lining, it was that they'd given me nearly a full week.
Even if I ended up choosing re-enlistment, I could still mess around for five days before going in.
Re-enlistment...
No matter how I turned it over, this was absolutely not happening.
How long had it even been since I discharged, and they wanted me to go back in?
Besides, the first time you enlist you can walk in because you don't really know what the military is. Being told to go back in when you already know everything is a completely different story.
Toughing it out after walking in clueless and then being stuck is one thing. Walking in on your own two feet while knowing exactly what's waiting for you is night and day.
But choosing the latter...
[No dating for 2 years]
If I enlisted I could still date. If I didn't, dating would be banned for roughly the same length of time I would have served.
Truly the worst outcome no matter which side I picked.
It wasn't a permanent penalty, but it was still a full two years.
“Why of all times...”
If this had been the old days, following the operators' logic, I would have snapped up the latter option in a heartbeat.
I'd never managed to date up until now anyway, and there was zero guarantee I'd be able to date in the next two years either, so there would have been no reason to even consider re-enlistment.
But why did it have to be now?
By next week at the latest, Ajeong and I would...
“Next Saturday.”
The ways the Balance Game applied had varied so far.
Sometimes it took effect the instant I chose. Sometimes I had to carry out the choice myself within the time limit for it to count.
And one more method.
The result of the choice applying exactly at the moment the time limit ran out.
Just like when Jin Hayun became a part-timer at Ice Bean.
This was probably that kind of situation.
The time limit would fully expire next Saturday at 3 p.m.
If the Balance Game hadn't existed, I might have started dating Ajeong right around then.
With the Balance Game hanging over me, if I wanted to connect with Ajeong at that moment I would have to prepare for military enlistment.
“...”
Anger I couldn't handle crashed over me so hard it felt like my brain simply stopped working.
I lay on the bed without a single thought or movement.
...
After more than an hour passed, I finally managed to pull myself out of that groggy state and clear my head.
The very first thing I did once I came to my senses was send Ajeong a KokoaTalk message.
I sent the message and stared holes through the chat room waiting for a reply.
Thankfully the “1” disappeared after three minutes.
She'd given me the day off to rest and was playing LoL by herself.
Replying within three minutes while mid-game felt like the kind of moment that deserved to be touching.
...
The “1” disappeared immediately again, so she had definitely read it, but a reply didn't come right away.
About five minutes after she read my message, I started wondering if she'd left the chat the second she saw it and was about to send another one—when a reply finally arrived.
Not a KokoaTalk message. A phone call.
“Hello?”
“Hehe.. Miss me??”
“Yeah. Busy right now?”
“..You for real?”
“Yeah. Or should we meet outside instead?”
“No, just send me the address on KokoaTalk!”
“Got it. I'll crank the AC full blast.”
“..Okay!”
Thankfully Ajeong said she'd come over right away.
If anything, that reaction only made me feel sadder.
Fuck... Anyone can see that if I just confess it's game over...
All I had to do was say the words out loud and the relationship would start. I couldn't.
The second I did, I'd be shaving my head and re-enlisting.
“Haa...”
I hadn't called Ajeong over in a rush because some brilliant plan or method had suddenly come to me.
She'd said it playfully, but the truth was I just wanted to see her.
Ding-dong!
Obviously the only person who would be coming was Ajeong, so I headed straight for the front door.
Click—
“You're here?”
“Yeah. Can I come in?”
“Hurry up and get inside. It was hot on the way, right?”
Instead of answering, Ajeong walked straight over to the air conditioner the moment she entered and stood in the blast of cold air.
“Did you eat already?”
“Yeah. You?”
“I just ate too. Want some watermelon?”
“Huk... Yes!”
I bought watermelon often in the summer, but it always disappeared so fast that there was never a proper amount left in the fridge.
After I got the taste-change ability, though, I could substitute for it, so the rate at which I ate actual watermelon dropped and I could actually keep some around.
Even so, it only stretched from finishing it in three days to five.
Since I was serving it to Ajeong, I couldn't go completely overboard even with the ability.
Even if I refined an SSS-rank watermelon flavor with legendary sweetness, the outside still had to look like watermelon.
I pulled out the plastic container where I'd already cut and stored some.
It looked a bit too big for Ajeong to eat comfortably, so I took it back out, cut the pieces smaller, and plated them.
“Is it okay if we sit on the floor?”
“Yup~”
Thankfully she seemed excited—she really did like watermelon.
I dug out the folding table that had been shoved in the corner, set it up so we could lean our backs against the bed, and got everything ready.
“Try it. It's insanely good.”
Perfect size for spearing with a fork.
As for the taste, it was definitely the best watermelon I'd ever had.
The second Ajeong put a piece in her mouth, her eyes went wide.
“Pfft. Good?”
She hurriedly chewed and swallowed before answering.
“Where did you buy this?! It's so good! Mmph.”
There was no way anything from the same store would taste like this, so instead of answering I just fed her another piece.
Ajeong focused on eating the watermelon again.
Swoosh— swoosh—
I stroked her hair while we sat pressed almost close enough to be hugging.
She flinched for a second, but we'd gotten so used to skinship that she accepted the touch without resistance.
Once she finished the watermelon she lifted her head and looked at me.
I speared another piece with the fork and put it in her mouth; she made a satisfied face.
We kept feeding each other like that and polished off the whole plate in no time.
“Hwaaaa...”
Ajeong climbed onto the bed and rubbed her stomach like she was full—even though there was nothing there to rub.
“But why'd you call me over all of a sudden??”
“I told you, I missed you?”
The way she treated skinship like it was nothing yet got shy over a conversation like this was adorable.
Why did I call her over.
Of course missing her was true.
But I knew perfectly well that wasn't the only reason.