A Conversation with Yeon Byeori and the Fox Game
I had a chat with Yeon Byeori that morning.
But since then, I hadn't had a real conversation with her. It felt like she was deliberately avoiding me.
Still, it was fine. By just observing, I could pick up some information.
The thing that gave me that hint was learning her attitude toward me wasn't as indifferent as I'd thought.
She had no drive. No will.
The only time her eyes lit up was when a sortie signal came in, but that didn't last long.
It was obvious she'd lost the money right away. Small-time gambling probably wasn't satisfying her anymore.
"Byeori lost again? That's really harsh."
"Yes. Ah— I don't know why this is happening."
"What do you mean, 'why this is happening'? You already know everything."
The seniors clearly had no idea that Byeori had racked up debt.
She must have hidden it well from them. Even if Jihye overlooked it, Kim Heejin wouldn't have let something like that slide.
That raised one more question in my mind: why did she tell me?
I wasn't close to her and couldn't make any deep inferences. So I just thought about it my own way.
I decided to take her telling me as a distress signal and a declaration of war.
A cry for help—'I want to quit now'—and a taunt—'If you can be a busybody, go ahead'.
...So what could I even do?
If I lent her money here to pay off the debt, what then? Would dramatic effect really make Byeori change her ways and quit gambling?
No way. That was impossible.
So the conversation looped back.
Byeori needed to find something else that could truly capture her heart.
And it wasn't hard to find.
'She's really defenseless, Harang.'
A fragment of the conversation from yesterday.
Yes! Byeori had actually paid attention to my defenselessness! It didn't even have to be limited to actions!
"Senior Yeon Byeori, would you like to go to the convenience store?"
"...Convenience store?"
Yeon Byeori, who had been staring at me without much enthusiasm, turned her gaze back to her phone.
"Or... maybe?"
...She'd changed her mind. She seemed a little curious about what I might be planning.
Kim Heejin and Jeong Seung-ah had tried to come with us, but since we were only going the two of us this time, I came up with a suitable excuse to leave them behind.
So, what exactly were we going to do at the convenience store? If she asked, I'd say we were going to show off my defenselessness to my heart's content.
My first plan was to create a situation where she would worry about me somehow.
...
"Total: 20,400 won."
I thought that, but facing her like this made me feel like I'd hit a wall.
Defenseless. In other words, giving others room.
...How exactly did you do that?
Other seniors had kept saying it too. 'You're really too defenseless.'
But trying it myself, I had no clue how to do it.
How had I even been acting to earn that kind of reaction?
"U-uh... it's 20,400 won."
"Ah! Sorry! Oops!"
There was no one waiting behind me, but I startled and pulled out my card... and it slipped right out of my hand.
The card fell toward the other counter. The cashier crouched down to pick it up.
"Thank you. I must have been distracted."
A mix of embarrassment and awkwardness turned into a forced smile.
I received the card. Our fingertips brushed.
So what was I supposed to do? What exactly was 'defenseless'? I should search on my phone.
"Ah, um... I haven't finished calculating yet..."
"Ah, right. Here it is."
After pausing the phone she'd been tapping, I handed her the card again.
"Thank you."
"No, it's fine."
Defenseless.
The related searches that popped up were 'fox play'.
I knew what fox play was. Was it similar to being defenseless?
Curious, I searched.
'Women fox playing', 'how to fox play well', 'how to subtly seduce', and so on—there were tons of strange articles.
"Senior!"
"Ah, all calculated?"
"Yes. Ah! No! I mean... sorry, but could I... get your number?"
Number? Do I need it?
Honestly, I hadn't been able to think straight while searching for seduction and fox play stuff.
I heard the word 'number'. → Just give it. This much? Spinal reflex quick thinking.
The moment I was about to take the phone the cashier was offering, a hand tapped between us.
"Harang."
"Superhuman Seo Harang?"
"You shouldn't give out your number so easily?"
"Ah, number? Um... it's not that expensive."
"It's not expensive. Besides, if I make trouble for the other person, you'll have trouble too. Looking at you now, it seems like you're thinking about something else."
"Yes. I was just thinking for a moment."
"Um... anyway. Harang, you look really pretty, but there's that scattered part. Be careful."
"I wasn't really thinking of that..."
The man started to protest with a shake of his head, but the moment he heard Byeori's whisper, his face paled.
I couldn't make out the conversation, but it was clear it wasn't going in the direction I wanted.
What I wanted was defenselessness. What I was seeing was scattered.
I didn't want to emphasize her scattered side at all.
"...Crying out..."
"What did you buy?"
As I shook the bag of snacks I'd gotten from the store, Byeori asked.
"Ah, snacks. I was thinking we'd all eat them together."
"All together? Why all of a sudden?"
"Well, sometimes days like this are necessary. Especially since it's a rest area, and we're all just staring at our phones."
"Um... is that so? I thought you were up to something else with me."
"Ah."
"Why, you looked like you were up to something? Honestly, I was hoping. What Harang might be thinking~"
Sharp reasoning slipped out between her lazy expression. But she didn't seem like she was going to back down.
Just flowing with it. Hiding the gap from yesterday and acting relaxed.
Feeling more blocked by her like that, I headed back.
...
With Han Jihye's permission, I opened the snack bag and gathered different kinds of items in one place.
Of course, the party spot was my seat. I couldn't possibly hold a snack party at the senior's heavenly seat.
"What occasion is this?"
"If you lend me some, I'll eat it up."
"Harang, the money... is it okay?"
"...Sorry."
Among the seniors showing different reactions, Byeori stayed quiet. That was her usual vibe anyway.
So... how was I supposed to show defenselessness? No matter how much I thought about it, I still had no answer.
When Han Jihye asked if we had drinks, I quickly pulled out a bottle from the bag.
"Oh, nice sense. What is it, Harang?"
"Aw, I've been here a while too, so this much is fine now."
"...You really drained the flea."
"I'm not a flea. I do have money to spend. And! I even prepared drinks for everyone else!"
Jeong Seung-ah and Kim Heejin's expressions darkened a little. They were doing the same thing, so they should know how much it cost.
Anyway, I passed around the drinks and started opening the snacks.
Right now, at this moment, I had absolutely no idea what to do. The only hint was the 'fox play' I'd just searched for.
It looked like girls didn't do that with each other. If I did it anyway, wouldn't I just get Byeori's hate instead?
"Wow, Harang, you didn't buy the snacks I like? Sigh. What's the point of recruiting a junior? None at all."
"I didn't recruit anyone."
"Heejin has been so cold to me lately? Where did the Heejin go when we were all together with Harang? Unnie seems a little sad."
"...Originally, Hero-nim Jihye forced me to do it. And I'm the senior."
"Where's the senior-junior thing in the barracks? The first one here is the winner."
"That's true. Anyway, I've been training with Harang lately and we're getting closer."
"Yeah, you and Harang and Seung-ah don't hang out together? Do you train, Seung-ah?"
"No. Seung-ahn is the one who treats the injured."
Han Jihye looked at the exercise members including me.
"You're really something."
"Does Hero-nim Jihye do it too?"
No! If that woman gets involved, my stomach won't be able to handle it!
Hearing my internal scream, Han Jihye smiled faintly.
"Really?"
No!!! No!!!
"I won't do it because it's annoying."
Phew. I exhaled in relief.
Right, given Han Jihye's personality, she wouldn't do something like that.
After that, we chatted about various things, but there was no harvest. It just turned into an ordinary snack party.
Byeori had initially shown interest in how I'd come out, but the moment she realized I was just fumbling around, she lost interest right away.
This wouldn't do. I had to try something.
In the end, it seemed I had no choice but to go in the direction I'd thought of earlier. Still, it wasn't completely the worst. There was someone who would leave feedback on the actions I took from now on.
"...Huh? What's wrong? Harang?"
Jeong Seung-ah was the example, sensing my gaze and looking at me.
By the way, the snack party spot had long since been tidied up. No one there was paying attention to what we were saying now.
"Senior Jeong Seung-ah."
But just in case. I might have said the word 'fox play' and gotten treated as a crazy lesbian.
Receiving that kind of treatment in a space where there were no men would be troublesome. Especially since I wasn't even a lesbian.
...Honestly, I was in a state that couldn't even be described, but I moved on from that.
I cautiously brought up the topic to Jeong Seung-ah, who was waiting for my words, as softly as possible so she wouldn't feel offended.
"Do you know what fox play is?"
"Fox play? I know. How rare is it that someone doesn't?"
"If I were to do that kind of thing to you, Senior Jeong Seung-ah, how do you think you'd feel?"
Jeong Seung-ah didn't answer.
She just stood there quietly, staring blankly at me.
So... was it a little off? Had I said something unnecessary?
I couldn't scoop up spilled water, but the moment I was about to say it was just a joke in order to make the nonexistent thing disappear with words...
"...We can just try it."
"You want to try?"
"Yes. Let's go try it now."
It seemed like she'd read my situation. I gave infinite thanks to Jeong Seung-ah, who had eagerly stepped forward first to help me.