April's Test (2)
After lunch, Lee Yu-ri was noticeably in much better shape. The completely lethargic expression that made it seem like everything annoyed her had completely melted away, returning to her usual slightly pouty yet adorable face. Even her voice, which had dropped to an all-time low, had recovered its original tone.
"I wish Saturday would come already. I don't think I've ever waited for the weekend this badly before."
It was the final week of the after-school cleaning punishment we'd received for skipping class last time. While cleaning the classroom with me, Lee Yu-ri suddenly spoke up as if she'd never been in a bad mood at all, humming a little tune between words.
"You wanted to spend time with me that badly?"
"Huh? Ah, no, that's not what I meant... It's because it's the weekend! Yeah, just because it's the weekend! Everyone likes weekends, right?"
Lee Yu-ri flusteredly made up an excuse. When she'd been holed up in the student council room feeling heartbroken, she'd honestly poured out her feelings after hearing me speak. But now that her mind had cleared a bit, it seemed her embarrassment was taking over again.
"You can be honest when it's just the two of us, you know."
"Th-that's enough of that! Are you even studying? Even if we're studying together, if you come in as a complete blank slate, it's going to be hard for me too."
"Of course I'm studying."
"...Really? It looked like you were dozing off in class again today."
"That's nonsense! Even if I might look like a delinquent who falls asleep all the time in your eyes, I'm telling you I'm studying diligently!"
"Where?"
The suspicion on Lee Yu-ri's face grew even thicker.
"You fall asleep in class even when the teacher's right in front of you, but you're saying you study while working part-time?"
What I said was true. There was, of course, a reason for it...
Once classes ended and my part-time shift began, Choi Su-yeon would seriously start helping me study. It was true that she'd been at the top of her grade during middle school. Even though she'd barely touched a book for two years, she was more than capable of teaching me.
Every time I solved a workbook and scored above a certain threshold, Choi Su-yeon would mix her tongue with mine in the name of a "reward." It hadn't been that long since her first kiss, yet she'd already become completely addicted to kissing. She was getting pretty good at wrapping her tongue around mine too.
"Haa...♥"
Whenever our overlapping lips parted, Choi Su-yeon would let out a breath full of pleasure, then immediately urge me to study again to give me the next "reward."
Her nagging was more intense than I'd expected. Except for the times I had to restock items or clean, I was stuck at the counter studying with her whether I liked it or not. Of course, with such a powerful incentive, I had more than enough motivation to study. I'd never studied like this before.
"Ah... This time it's 42 points. Hmm... Looking at the types you got wrong, I think I can see what the problem is. It's been a while since I stopped studying too. Hehe. Oh right! I almost forgot! As encouragement so you'll do better on the next one, I'll give you a kiss. Chuup...♥"
Choi Su-yeon had reached the point where she was making up excuses to kiss me every time I finished a set of twenty questions. After another round of tongue-twisting and pulling our lips apart, I poked her cheek playfully.
"You kiss me as a reward if I pass the cutoff, and you kiss me as encouragement if I don't. The problems are just an excuse, aren't they? You just want to kiss me."
At my words, Choi Su-yeon stuck her tongue out at me.
"Hehet, you caught me! Since I did something so naughty, I guess I'll have to be punished with a forced kiss, right?"
Even though we were studying while working part-time, the things we did didn't change much.
Friday after school. Lee Yu-ri and I finally finished the two-week after-school cleaning punishment we'd received for skipping class.
"Ughhh, it's finally over..."
After finishing the last bit of cleaning, Lee Yu-ri plopped down in a random chair and stretched out with a big yawn. It was probably the first punishment she'd ever received in her life, so it seemed her mind hadn't been at ease the whole time.
"Good work. Isn't this kind of thing a fresh, pretty good experience?"
"Fresh? What's fresh about it? I'm never doing something like this again. Why did I do that that day..."
"Right? Why did you? If you'd just run into my arms from the start, you could've gotten some healing and felt better."
"Wh-what are you saying? Back then my mentality was completely broken—"
"So if your mentality hadn't been broken, you would've come into my arms?"
"......"
"I'm kidding."
When Lee Yu-ri's expression turned fierce, I quickly backpedaled. Then I walked behind her as she slumped in the chair and started massaging her shoulders.
"Should I give our Yu-ri, who's finally been freed from her first-ever punishment, a massage as a reward?"
"Am I a child? Why would you..."
Lee Yu-ri replied in a lukewarm tone. Then, one minute later.
"Aah... Ah, right there... A little harder..."
She was completely melting under my shoulder massage, enjoying it to the fullest.
"Where did the person who said 'Why would you' a minute ago go?"
"Shut up, it feels really good right now... Ah, there, there."
"Your shoulders are really stiff, ma'am. Lots of knots."
"Really? Then put in a little more effort and work them out for me."
"Will do."
"Aah... That feels so good. Should I have asked you to do this sooner?"
"Isn't your attitude changing way too fast in just one minute?"
"It's your fault for being too good at massaging."
I massaged her shoulders for a while before shifting into a back hug position, crossing my arms in front of her collarbone. If I lowered my hands just a little, I'd be touching her chest, but Lee Yu-ri didn't show any resistance or rejection.
The incredibly high wall around her heart was slowly, steadily crumbling.
"What?"
Instead of pushing me away, she simply turned her head back to look at me and gave that one-word reply.
"Hey, since it's a celebration for being freed, want to hang out and grab dinner together?"
"Where?"
"I haven't decided on a menu or anything. We can just walk around and go wherever looks good? We could hit the arcade or karaoke before dinner too."
"Arcade...?"
Lee Yu-ri's eyes changed slightly. She clearly hadn't completely forgotten the fun all those machines could bring.
"Yeah. We can work up a sweat playing DDR or air hockey or whatever. That way we'll get hungry fast, right? I've been working part-time until Thursday, so if we don't do it today, we won't have time after school. What do you think? Want to go?"
"...... Let's go."
The way she answered while shyly avoiding my gaze was so cute I could barely stand it.
We spent a fun afternoon just like on our last date—working up a sweat at the arcade and singing our hearts out at the coin karaoke place. Lee Yu-ri seemed to be in an incredibly good mood from the date with me. She couldn't stop smiling the entire time and was showing her emotions much more openly than usual.
"Ugh, I must've screamed too loud. My throat hurts."
"Want a cola? Should I get some from the vending machine?"
"It's fine. You're the one who's broke. How much of your living expenses do you have left?"
"...About 30,000 won?"
"You really can't live like this. And with that, how were you planning to eat dinner?"
"It's only one week until payday, so if I spend 20,000 won today and somehow survive on the remaining 10,000..."
"Living the 10,000-won lifestyle? I'll just buy dinner today. But when you get your paycheck, you have to treat me once."
"Thank you so much, President Lee Yu-ri."
Lee Yu-ri gave me a subtle look that was hard to tell was pity or exasperation, then went to the vending machine and got two cans of cola. She handed me one and asked a question.
"Who would've ever imagined that the great Han Seong-jin would be walking around like a beggar, mooching meals off people?"
"The more I listen, the more pathetic I feel, so please stop."
"But were you always like this? How did you live before then? How did you play around and eat?"
"It's not a very nice story to hear."
Lee Yu-ri paused mid-sip of her cola at my words. After taking another sip, she looked at me.
"Still, I want to hear it. About you."
"You'll be disappointed."
"I already was from the beginning."
I was momentarily at a loss for words. What kind of emotion was it to be disappointed in someone and like them at the same time?
"You're definitely going to regret asking."
"I won't. So tell me."
"Sigh... Up until last year, I regularly collected 'tribute money' from the kids in my gang. From first-years to third-years. You can probably guess how they got that money without me saying it. And after beating up kids from other schools, I'd rob them too... Stuff like that."
"......"
Lee Yu-ri opened her mouth wide in utter disbelief.
"That's why I said there was no point in hearing it."
"The more I hear, the more I wonder how someone like you could exist... But I still wanted to know. What your past that I didn't know about was really like. How you lived. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed."
Lee Yu-ri took another sip of her cola.
"But when I look at the you standing in front of me right now, you don't seem like the kind of person who would do those things."
"I'm really not like that anymore. I hope you can believe that."
"...I'll believe you. I'll take the fact that you're broke and acting all pathetic right now as proof."
"Thanks."
"Instead."
Lee Yu-ri lightly tapped her fist against my chest as she spoke.
"Make me certain of my faith in you."
"For example?"
"Promise me you'll at least pass the failing cutoff line on this test. And come to my house tomorrow and actually study properly. Show me with your actions that you've really changed."
"I'll try really hard, but the failing cutoff... Honestly, that's a bit scary."
"You already have a reason to study hard because of that weird bet with Eun-ji anyway, right? This is just one more thing added to it. And the cutoff is only an average of 60 points. If you try even a little, you can do it."
"No, that's what someone smart like you would say. For an idiot like me—"
"Do it."
"Yes, ma'am."
After hearing my answer, Lee Yu-ri thought for a moment, then started twirling her hair around her finger. She shyly avoided my eyes.
"Instead... If you pass the failing cutoff on the test... I'll give you a reward too."
It was a very tempting offer.
"A reward? What is it? Suddenly I feel like studying really hard."
"What? So you weren't planning to study hard in the first place?! Ah, anyway, I can't tell you right now! After you pass... I'll tell you then."