The Girls Falling For Him (5)
My date with Lee Yu-ri went very smoothly. Even though I told her to come under my umbrella, she kept muttering complaints like Why am I sharing an umbrella with a guy like you... the whole way there. But the moment we stepped inside the arcade, her attitude flipped completely.
We belted out songs in the coin karaoke booth, then worked up a good sweat playing air hockey and DDR. Once Yu-ri started singing and moving her body, it was obvious how much fun she was having. Her excitement showed in every step.
“Shoot! Ahh! Why can’t I get a single one in?!”
Yu-ri was playing the mini basketball game, stomping her feet in frustration every time the ball missed. Her academic talent might be unmatched, but her athletic ability was hopeless. Everything she tried went wide. When I couldn’t stand watching anymore, I stepped in to give her a taste of success.
“Aren’t you putting way too much power into it? Just tweaking your posture a little should make a difference. Here, like this.”
I moved behind her in a back-hug, pressing my chest against her back and guiding her arms from behind. Yu-ri flinched, shoulders trembling, then shot me a glare over her shoulder.
“You… you’re not even trying to be sneaky about it anymore. You’re just doing this outright?”
“Did you hate it?”
“......”
Yu-ri bit her lip, offered no answer, and turned to face forward again. This girl’s almost completely fallen for me now.
I adjusted the basketball in her hands, setting her wrist in the right position, then stepped back.
“Keep that stance and think about moving only your left wrist when you throw. Like this. You know the line, right? ‘The left hand is just for support.’”
I demonstrated in the air. Yu-ri copied me, but the ball still dropped pathetically without even kissing the rim. I used every miss as an excuse to keep the physical contact going, and each time she only glared without actually stopping me.
After several more tries, Yu-ri finally sank one. The moment it went in, she jumped up and down with pure joy.
“I finally got one! God, I thought I was going to die from the frustration!”
“Congratulations. High-five for the victory?”
Slap! Yu-ri met my palm without hesitation. To anyone watching, we looked like the perfect happy couple. Maybe she realized it too, because right after the high-five she pulled her hand back, avoided my eyes, and gave my chest a light, embarrassed punch.
“You’ve been groping me this whole time. I never gave you permission.”
“You never said you hated it, either.”
“Th-that’s not—! I just meant teach me the motion, not… not actually pressing against me like that…”
“Like what?”
“When you stick so close to my back, your breath touches my ear… Aaaah! Forget it! Just stop touching my body like that! People will think I’m some easy girl! I’m not that kind of person, okay?!”
Yu-ri exploded in anger. Yet once we finished at the arcade and stepped out into the rain, she stood there blankly in front of the entrance even though she had her own umbrella, clearly waiting for me to open mine.
How cute.
Pressed tightly together under my umbrella, we started walking.
“With rain like this, a park walk sounds terrible. Want to grab a café instead?”
“Let’s do that. Why did it have to rain today of all days…”
“Of all days? Sounds like you were secretly looking forward to this date with me.”
“N-no! I just meant the weather is bad…!”
“Sure, sure. Whatever our Yuri says is always right.”
I stroked her hair. Even though she trembled with irritation, she never knocked my hand away.
“You’re seriously annoying…”
We moved to a nearby café and talked over coffee about everything— the rumors swirling around us during the week, her student council duties, and more. The original story had never gone into detail about what exactly the student council president actually did, so listening to her was genuinely interesting.
“So what’s your role during the sports festival?”
When the conversation turned to the budget planning for the May sports festival, I suddenly grew curious. Despite that major event existing in the original plot, Yu-ri had never appeared in it. The whole thing had revolved around Choi Su-yeon and Jeong Eun-ji instead.
“Me? I’ll be on site with the other council members, checking for problems and writing up the final report afterward.”
In other words, work meant she couldn’t actually participate. The student council president in this world held real power and had far more responsibilities than a normal high school one, but it still felt a little pitiful that she couldn’t join an event that only happened once a year.
“You can’t participate at all, and you’re really okay with that?”
“Someone has to do it. The president gets that much authority precisely to handle things like budget planning. Besides, I’m terrible at anything physical.”
“Yeah, I could tell just from watching you play DDR and basketball earlier.”
“Hey!”
“Still, it’s a shame. It would’ve been nice if you joined, whether you’re good or bad at it.”
“…Why?”
“No reason. I just thought it’d be fun to do the sports festival together. I wanted to try the three-legged race with you.”
“Th-three-legged race? Why would I do that with you of all people…”
“Or maybe Sexy Cheerleader Yu-ri could give me some loving cheers?”
“Hey!!! Are you really going to keep saying weird stuff like that?!”
Her face flushed bright red as she shouted. After gulping down some coffee, she quickly changed the subject.
“Ahem. Before worrying about the sports festival in May, don’t you have something more urgent to focus on?”
“Hmm? What?”
“The pop quiz!”
The moment the words mock exam left her mouth, I subtly looked away. But Yu-ri’s eyes lit up like she’d finally found her true stage. She scooted her chair right next to mine and began her lecture.
“Now that I think about it, just playing around isn’t what’s important. You do know there’s a mock exam in two weeks, right?”
“I… know.”
“Have you studied at all?”
“...... Want to go play another round of DDR?”
“Have you or haven’t you.”
“I haven’t.”
Yu-ri let out a long, heavy sigh.
“You sleep through every class, fool around, and only care about having fun. Starting next week, you’re studying with me. No dates, nothing, until then.”
“Oh, so you’re admitting this right now is a date?”
“…!!!”
Yu-ri glanced away, then answered with forced nonchalance.
“I-I’m just hanging out with you! Since I’ve given you this much of my time, you have to promise you’ll do your part and study properly! If not, I’ll lend you a workbook today and we can go to a study café later this evening—”
“Ah, sorry, but I can’t today. I have somewhere to be this evening.”
“Ah… I see.”
Her expression visibly fell. I really want to kiss her right now.
“Yeah. I need to head out around five or earlier. Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you until then.”
“Right… Then should we talk more about preparing for the mock exam until it’s time?”
“Can I just leave now?”
While chatting with Yu-ri about this and that, time had slipped by. It was already past four-thirty. During our conversation I kept casually checking my phone for messages.
Should be about time now…
Throughout the café date, whenever I had a spare moment I had been subtly guiding Choi Su-yeon—who was following the exact date course I’d taken with Gong Yeong-bae last weekend. I’d told her where we went, and that this particular café had a great atmosphere popular with couples.
As I waited with growing anticipation, I spotted a couple folding their umbrella just outside the café’s glass doors. The guy was decent-looking with an ordinary style, but the girl beside him was far flashier, sporting blonde hair and an incredible figure.
They’re here.
It was Choi Su-yeon and Gong Yeong-bae. The second I saw them heading inside, I slid my chair right next to Yu-ri, blocking her view of the entrance so she wouldn’t notice them.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
Not understanding the situation, Yu-ri leaned her upper body back as I suddenly closed the distance.
“Nothing. We’re on a date and you just look even prettier up close.”
“There you go saying weird things again! Are you really going to keep this up?!”
“But I’m not joking.”
“…Huh?”
......
Yu-ri’s heart began pounding so hard at Han Seong-jin’s words that it felt like it might explode. She wanted to push him away and tell him to stop with the nonsense, but the distance between them was far too close for that. And if she was honest, the feeling of sticking tightly to his side and sharing one umbrella the whole time they walked today… hadn’t felt bad at all.
A man with a powerful build and impressive muscles. A man rumored to be a hopeless delinquent thug, yet when she actually talked to him he turned out to be far more decent and gentle than expected. On top of that, he had a strikingly manly face.
Ever since he had boldly told her “I like you” last week, Yu-ri had felt her own heart shaking violently. Being protected like this didn’t feel bad. Being treated as someone precious by another person felt genuinely wonderful. It was the first time anyone had shown her such careful consideration for her position and circumstances.
Staring into Han Seong-jin’s dark eyes, she felt like her heart might leap right out of her chest.
They gazed at each other for a long moment. Finally, as if entranced, Yu-ri asked in a tiny, creeping voice.
“…Hey, Han Seong-jin. Can I… ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“That thing you said last time. Do you… really like me?”
“The thing I said last time…? You actually remembered that? Weren’t you drunk?”
“I remember everything even when I’m drunk. So answer me. Do you… like me?”
The silence that fell between them felt like an eternity to Yu-ri. She both regretted and felt relieved that she had spoken. She resented him for not answering right away, yet desperately hoped he would say anything at all.
Instead of speaking, Han Seong-jin reached out first. One hand gently caressed her cheek, then his large, rough palm covered her small, soft one.
“Then I’ll say it one more time. I like you.”
This time, completely sober with no alcohol in her system, Yu-ri received his confession.