Glasses Off, But No Glow-Up (8) -Dak Kong
"Ow."
Dad's thick finger flicked my forehead.
"I told you to be careful. And look what happened after all that warning."
"Hehe, sorry."
"Sigh... Fine. Where's the great Ban Do-young gonna go? It's just the glasses that broke, right? Your legs and arms are fine?"
Judging that any more physical scolding would be pointless with me, Dad left the office to check the state of Do Ha-min's glasses, which had flown off him.
"Sigh, these are totally wrecked."
Dad let out a deep sigh as he examined Do Ha-min's glasses, snapped clean in two at the bridge. Well, of course. I'd smashed them on purpose to wreck them.
"Ha-min, you didn't get hurt anywhere? Any scratches or cuts? Nosebleed?"
"I-I'm fine. It really hit... exactly the glasses."
Ban Do-young's kendo talent was truly exceptional. Precise enough to knock off only the glasses perched right on Do Ha-min's nose bridge without touching him. When it came to swords—or at least the worry-free wooden bokken—it was okay to move pretty boldly.
"Good, at least you're not badly hurt. The lenses look scratched up but not shattered. Still, just in case, stay away from where the glasses fell until I run the vacuum."
"O-okay."
"Ban Do-young, go grab the vacuum."
In case there were shards from the broken lenses scattered around, Dad picked up the fallen glasses and swept the area clean of dust and debris. When running a dojo, the top priority was the students' safety—especially for kids in physical activities like this, you had to handle accidents smoothly.
"Oh, time already..."
"Yeah. Time to head to self-study."
"Sorry, Dojo Master. It's getting late, so I think I have to go fir—"
-Thud!
Do Ha-min, heading into the men's changing room without his glasses, couldn't see a thing and slammed his forehead right into the wall next to the door.
"Ow ow..."
"That's what you get for bumbling around blind. Hey, feel your way in properly. You can at least change clothes on your own, right? Or should I come in and dress you?"
"N-no, I'm good! I can change without glasses just fine!"
"Kekeke. Alright, got it. Dad, this guy's all anxious without his eyes. Should I walk him back to school?"
"Why ask? You broke them, so of course you're responsible and take him home!"
"Nyeh nyeh nyeh. You heard that? Hurry up and change, then come out."
"Sorry, guess I'll impose on you a bit."
While Do Ha-min changed, I considered sneaking a peek into the men's changing room, but I dropped the idea. Mess that up, and I'd bruise his pride. Mocking his face might pass as teasing, but leering below the belt? That hits different.
"Hic."
"Was it that your skills rusted from not wielding a sword in ages? You were yelling some weird technique name, but your form didn't look dead. Why make a mistake you wouldn't even have made in elementary school... It's almost like you targeted just the glasses on purpose..."
"Hic."
"Whoa, what's wrong, Dad? I'm seriously reflecting, okay? Won't happen again."
"Reflecting...? Then come here."
"Huh?"
While I'd glanced away toward the changing room, Dad finished cleaning, set down the vacuum, and pulled out his wallet.
"Here."
"No, this is..."
Dad handed me a black card from his wallet.
"Whoa! The adult card!"
"Not for you to blow on whatever. Use it to get Ha-min new glasses tomorrow."
"Of course, of course. Think I'd forget? If you're worried, I can go to the optician with you tomorrow."
"I can't go. Tomorrow's when Mom comes. Gotta pick her up at the airport."
Dad couldn't juggle both, so despite his unease, he entrusted me with the card.
"I'll handle airport pickup alone tomorrow, so you make sure Ha-min has new glasses by then. Got it?"
"Yep, leave it to me."
"Sigh... If your mom finds out about this unexpected expense out of nowhere, she'll chew me out again..."
"Aw, she won't kill you over it."
"...Sigh."
"...Right?"
He'd looked like the cool dad covering for his kid's mistake when handing over the card, but the second "mom" left his lips, his face drained pale.
"Oh, Do Ha-min's done changing. I'll walk him back then."
"Yeah, and no accidents this time."
"I know."
In that short time, Do Ha-min had swiftly changed back into his uniform. With his daily pre-dawn routine leaving home for school, he was pretty quick even without glasses.
"Head on in, Ha-min. Sorry and thanks for all the trouble today. You two sure have it rough with a problematic daughter and friend like us."
"N-no, it's fine. See you next time, Dojo Master."
"You two gossiping about me again? Self-study starts in five minutes? Quit chatting and come out already?"
Their conversation was dragging, so I nagged from outside, dragging Do Ha-min out.
"C-coming right now! Take care, Dojo Master...!"
"Yeah, get home safe."
Do Ha-min tucked the broken glasses into his uniform jacket pocket and left the dojo.
"Sigh, time's tighter than I thought. Gotta hurry."
Checking his phone, Do Ha-min crouched low, ready to sprint straight to the classroom the moment we got back to school.
"Blind as a bat and you're gonna run off like that?"
Now things were starting to come into focus, bit by bit. His bad habits. When Do Ha-min got rushed, his strides shortened, his pace quickened. Like his urgency leaked straight out of his body. Honest, sure—but it made him seem like he couldn't give himself any breathing room.
"Thanks for walking me to school. I'll head to the classroom first."
"Whoa, hold up. Rushing near the unlit school gate like that..."
With glasses, no big deal if he could see. But poor vision?
-Trip
"...Huh?"
He nearly tripped over the threshold right at the school gate.
"See? That's how you fall."
I grabbed Do Ha-min's hand as his balance tipped, pulling him upright. Be grateful the heroine's taller and stronger than the protagonist in this setup, Do Ha-min.
"Th-thanks... It was dark, couldn't see the step."
"Nearly dragged me down with you. Or is that the plan? Fake a fall to cop a feel?"
"N-no, it's not."
Plenty possible, though. As this world's protagonist, Do Ha-min could trip on a rock and accidentally grope heroines' chests and lips—lucky perv karma. Like a heroine's tardiness is just an excuse to flash panties bumping into the protag in an alley.
"Still, thanks. For catching me so I didn't fall."
At the school entrance, with the gate threshold between us, Do Ha-min and I stood—one inside, one out.
"You're right—better take it slow without tripping, even if it's late. See ya."
"Wait."
I held back Do Ha-min as he tried to head to class.
"Just realized—I haven't really seen it yet. Was getting chewed out by Dad earlier."
"Wh-what...?"
"Your bare face."
-Click
Right then, self-study began, and streetlights flickered on one by one, announcing night and lighting up the area. Only under their glow at the gate could I finally see Do Ha-min's face without glasses.
"Hmm..."
"U-ugh... Hey, staring that hard is kinda..."
Not used to his bare face, Do Ha-min squinted against the streetlight on his face and averted his eyes from mine.
"As expected..."
"Huh...?"
"Taking off the glasses doesn't make you a total hottie, huh?"
"..."
Do Ha-min's bare face was, in a word, average. Not handsome enough to call it that, but not ugly either. The kind of face you'd see anywhere. No dramatic change from before.
"...That's why you stared like that?"
"Sorry, thought you'd look way better. Didn't expect zero difference. Ahahaha."
"..."
I'd hoped for that trope where long-time glasses characters remove them and transform like a new person. Sadly, Do Ha-min's looks stuck realistically to reality.
"What about you? Doesn't my face look different with vs. without? Yours seem pretty strong prescription."
"Never."
"Pfft, look at you sulking with vague answers. Be honest. I know—without 'em, everything looks like smeared graphics."
"...Not for you."
"Huh...?"
"Never once... not looked pretty."
"..."
-Smack!
I gave Do Ha-min's butt a quick emergency kick.
"Wh-why'd you hit me!"
"Sorry, that got dangerous for a sec. Needed to fill the nerd quota quick."