Chapter 203
Chapter 203
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Star-Munching Time (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Wouldn't it be awkward if a boyfriend suddenly crashed a class reunion?
Byul wanted to show me off, but she hadn't made any concrete plans.
So I decided to play a little trick, even if just briefly.
"You said you'd wrap it up quick and come."
"...Huh?"
We'd agreed she'd only chat briefly at the reunion and then we'd go on a date.
So the setup was that her boyfriend—me—had come to pick her up right nearby.
The rest would fall into place naturally; the reunion folks would invite me to join them.
That way, I'd seamlessly blend into the group.
"Whoa..."
All eyes were on me.
Gazes mixed with admiration and awe. Looked like my Charm stat was working on them.
"Don't go yet—stay and chat with us. We were just talking about Byul's boyfriend."
"Oh, really? Noona, seriously?"
Byul's eyes went wide at the "noona," and she looked at me.
She seemed eager to brag a bit, so I'd play along properly.
Did she not get my intent?
Caught off guard by my unusually sweet demeanor, Byul was frozen, not knowing what to do.
"You were talking about me?"
"...Huh? Oh, yeah! We were talking about Si-heon..."
I smiled and gave her a knowing look, and she finally nodded belatedly.
The girls around us looked thrilled.
"Your boyfriend should hang out here with us too."
"You think? But... we didn't reserve—mind if I squeeze in?"
"It's fine! Plenty of no-shows anyway."
"Ah."
Tap tap. A girl in the front seat smacked the shoulder of the guy next to Byul.
"Hey, move it quick. Make some room."
"No, heh heh. Got it."
I naturally sat down next to Byul.
She was so tense her body was rigid.
"......"
-Flustered flustered flustered.
Why couldn't she say a word?
Didn't she want to brag?
I put my hand on her shoulder, showed some affection.
Wasn't that hard—why was she like this?
"...Wow, he's seriously hot. Hope it's not weird to say, but... got any special abilities?"
"Abilities? Nah."
"For real? No way."
With Byul silent, the girls bombarded me with questions.
Abilities—probably referring to Charm-related unique powers some Awakeners got.
My nonchalant denial only heated up the vibe.
"How'd you two meet?"
"Blind date... clicked right away, so we started dating that day. Didn't know she was VP back then..."
"Ooh~"
The mood warmed up with every answer.
Adding a girl to an all-guys booze-up changes everything—this was exactly that.
'...She's still not saying a word.'
I turned to Byul while chatting.
She was stiff as a rock, like water is water and mountains are mountains.
Shy I could understand, but spacing out had me worried.
"Noona."
"...Yeah?"
"You okay? Feeling sick?"
I reached out and gently stroked her forehead.
Her bangs lifted, revealing a pure white brow.
Star-shaped pupils staring into space.
No fever, but still...
Came in lighthearted, but this reaction...
Byul blankly stared at my hand.
Then her face flushed hotter and hotter, strawberry red.
-Hic!
A cute hiccup escaped her lips.
"Noona?"
"N-no fever!"
"Cold? Want me to grab some meds?"
"...Not a cold."
She curtly replied and chugged her beer.
The onlookers seemed shocked somehow.
Like they'd seen a new side of Byul.
They watched her curiously.
"How long you been dating?"
"Uh... two months? She's not like this when it's just us, but shy around friends, I guess."
Cute, but a bit off from the goal.
Byul avoided the stares.
Then one girl who'd been eyeing us teasingly asked,
"...Wow, you're so cool. Byul didn't blackmail you into dating or anything, right? Cuz she's VP. Heh heh."
Flinch—
Byul's shoulders trembled.
She seemed ready to defend against that one, lips parting fidgetily.
"N-no... that's not it."
Her voice was a squeak.
The bold, cute, innocent Byul who'd mastered every internet meme.
Why so deflated around friends who knew her past?
I knew her self-esteem tanked around them, but not this bad.
'She said she changed after her parents died.'
Hated her pathetic self.
Tried to bury and forget that Byul.
But maybe seeing her past self reflected in those who knew it...
Perhaps she'd come to this reunion with me to overcome that trauma.
Was I overthinking?
At least that's how it looked to me.
I knew Azalea, Lee Se-young, even White Peach and Yellow Peach were tied to their pasts.
As her partner, I'd stand by her at least.
"Pfft, blackmail? Eh, maybe a little?"
"Yeah...? Yeah?"
I casually draped my arm around Byul's shoulders.
Pulled her fist-sized head into my arm, hugged her lightly.
Byul stared at me with question marks on her face.
Her eyes looked weary somehow.
I poked her soft cheek and chuckled.
"If liking someone counts as blackmail, sure."
"...H-huh?"
I softened my gaze as tenderly as possible, stroked her hair.
Her face went red-hot from the bold skinship, phone-on-vibrate shaky.
"What the—salty! Heh heh."
"Pfft."
Envy-inducing display had them fake-scolding amid laughs.
But I caught some girls' jealous glances too.
Byul, sensitive to stares, must've seen them.
Effort earned bragging rights.
Jealousy was inevitable, but after always hiding in the class corner, she deserved this spotlight once.
"......"
Byul gazed at me.
Pursed lips quivering, half-lidded eyes misty.
She glanced around once.
"You two look great together."
At the girl's words, her expression softened bit by bit.
"Y-yeah."
She buried her head in my chest instead of pulling away.
"My boyfriend... wouldn't trade him."
A soft smile bloomed on her lips.
Even the jealous women averted their eyes at that flower-like prettiness.
She'd relaxed a lot.
I switched back to my usual face with a mischievous grin.
Gently guiding her to her true self.
"Yeah, she did blackmail me a bit."
"...Huh?"
"Said at the blind date if I didn't date her right away, it'd be bad."
"Hey, when did I—"
"But I liked her too, so we did."
"...Jeez."
Bicker bicker.
She pounded my shoulder, trying to wriggle free.
I hugged tighter and chuckled.
"Last time we bet kisses on a game, and Byul noona threw it on purpose."
"For real? Byul's so cute, heh heh heh."
"No! I didn't!"
Byul squealed.
But startled by her own voice, her eyes went wide.
Looked at me, blink. Glanced around, blink.
Then back to me.
"Byul really did that? She won a high school gaming tourney. Total vixen around her bf."
"Yeah? But more puppy than fox?"
She awkward-laughed at my straight-man setup.
I gently stroked her hair.
"Puppy, yeah. But super fragile sides too. I'm younger, but who's the dongsaeng here?"
"Looks that way. Heh heh."
"Right? Past doesn't matter. She shrinks alone, dunno why. She's plenty pretty and capable."
"Yeah, Byul's got that side."
"Super reliable as VP. But seeing her down worries me... makes me wanna carry her."
True love, true love.
Someone murmured that.
Casual chat, but it must've hit Byul.
She forced a chuckle.
"Pfft, when did I."
"Dead serious."
"...Hey."
"Heh heh. Be right back—bathroom."
Left dazed Byul and headed to the restaurant restroom.
Stood at the urinal, cooling off.
'Feels so awkward saying stuff I wasn't gonna.'
-Splashhh.
Sighed amid the neighboring trickle.
This much boyfriend bragging should suffice, right?
Hoping it'd bolster her shoulders.
-Creak.
One of Byul's classmates followed me in, stood next to me, dropped trou.
Glanced blatantly at my zipper.
I sidestepped right; guy gulped.
"..."
Suddenly deflated after seeing my goods.
...What?
I blankly watched him wash up and leave without looking back.
*****
"Byul, your boyfriend seems great."
Jealous tone.
But different from the thorny jabs that used to make her curl up in pain.
Simple envy.
...Admiration, almost.
Wonder if I'll find a partner like that someday.
Jealous you found one.
Their intent came through.
Outsiders who always hunched were naturals at reading faces.
"You seem to see people well."
"...Yeah?"
Heart pounding.
Si-heon had lots of girls, sure... but he never neglected dates or meetings.
Cherished and cared for his own.
Every word just now pierced her heart.
Whether pure worry or laced with intent to cheer her up.
"Treat your boyfriend right... looked ready to princess-carry you forever?"
"...Think so?"
"Blind if you don't see. Don't take him for a fool."
She etched the constructive advice.
-She's plenty pretty and capable.
Pretty... he called me pretty.
Shy smile where Si-heon couldn't see.
"...We're dating well, yeah. Heh heh."
"Told ya."
High-five smack.
By the time Si-heon returned from the bathroom and sat,
She'd shaken off most discomfort.
"Finally smiling."
That sly grin right away.
First drawn by his ideal-type face.
Now... saw deeper than the face.
'...He's handsome.'
Not the standard beauty everyone assumed.
Realizing it, she...
Wanted someone with overlapping tastes who cared like this.
Ideal romance didn't exist.
One hurt lasts forever. Settle bit by bit.
Someone whose heart matched, fun just looking at.
If that was a young girl's green dream,
...Didn't care if called childish forever.
"Si-heon."
"Yeah?"
"Let's go now."
A place she wanted to go.
With him.