Taking Off Glasses Doesn't Make You a Hottie (10)
Characters in creative works don't usually change their outfits much. It's not just because it's a pain to redraw new designs every time. A character's look is the result of the author carefully thinking about their personality and traits. There's a reason for everything—the daily hairstyle, the necklace and bracelet, the shoes they wear, even the design of their glasses. So, I figured I shouldn't mess with Do Ha-min's glasses too much to suit my tastes. If he ended up looking too hot and the genre drifted into harem territory, I might never get back to my original world.
"Ah, there he is. All done with the eye exam?"
"Yeah, they said his vision's a bit worse, so he needs a slightly stronger prescription than his old ones. Not a huge difference, though."
"Oho, what amazing sights has he been beholding to ruin his eyes like that? Don't tell me it was me?"
"...It was just from wearing the same old glasses too long."
"Pfft haha. Yeah, right. Come sit over here."
Do Ha-min glanced at me and the female clerk sitting on either side of the table, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously approached the seat next to mine. He probably couldn't bring himself to sit by someone he'd just met today.
"Have some popcorn. We couldn't get any at the theater last week, right?"
"Ah, yeah. Thanks."
"What do you want to drink? Zero Lime, as usual?"
"Uh, well... I was just gonna get black coffee..."
"..."
I set down the paper cup I was holding with a deliberate thunk on the table. The one that had been drained of its cola.
"No, actually, Zero Lime's fine."
"That's right, that's right. While you're up, grab one for me too, model student?"
"Yeah..."
Do Ha-min picked up my used paper cup and went to the drink bar to refill it before returning to his seat.
"Luckily, since it's just a student's prescription strength, it'll be compatible with all the models we have in stock."
"Whoa... there are so many kinds."
"I showed your girlfriend—er, I mean, your friend—some good frame options earlier. But since you're the one who has to wear them, take a look through and let me know if anything catches your eye."
"Th-thank you."
Do Ha-min took the catalog from the clerk with trembling hands and slowly flipped through the models inside.
"Hmm... yeah, I'll just go with this one."
After skimming through a few times without much deliberation, Do Ha-min picked a black horn-rimmed frame from a corner section. It was no different from his usual ones—the exact same model I'd just chosen.
"Pfft."
"Wh-what's so funny?"
"Nothing. I just figured you'd pick that one."
"...If you're teasing me, cut it out. I chose it 'cause it looked cheap and sturdy."
"Nyeh nyeh nyeh."
I knew you'd pick that, Do Ha-min. Of course you would. Messing with character designs willy-nilly is a no-go.
"Oh my, your friend picked the same one earlier."
"...Pardon?"
"Hey now, sis, quit saying unnecessary stuff."
"Not just that, but you two really seem in sync. You sure you're not a couple? It's rare to click like this."
"N-no! It's not... like that...!"
Do Ha-min ducked his head, waving his hands frantically and shaking it side to side.
"But she's the one paying, right? What kind of relationship lets a pretty girl like her buy new glasses?"
"Th-that's..."
"I'm paying his debt. 'Cause I smashed this idiot's glasses."
"Gasp! You mean school violence? I should call 117...!"
The clerk whipped out her phone with a panicked look. Even in this webtoon world, the school violence hotline is 117, huh. Posting on an online forum after graduation would probably be more effective.
"N-no! It's not something to report as violence! It was an accident..."
"Yeah, exactly. I aimed right for the glasses and snapped them, but it was an accident."
"Anyway, that's why we're here getting new ones. Just... please don't say stuff that could give this kid the wrong idea."
"Oh, got it, got it. With your stories matching up, we'll adjust the glasses to those specs. Just wait a sec, perpetrator and victim?"
The clerk winked and left with the catalog.
"Whew..."
Do Ha-min patted his flushed face and let out a deep sigh, looking genuinely worried about more weird misunderstandings popping up.
"Haa, my throat's suddenly so dry."
Finally relaxing, Do Ha-min reached for the paper cup on the table to quench his thirst.
"Guess going with cola instead of black coffee like you said was the right call."
"Obviously. Zero Lime is god—invincible."
"Hehe, maybe it is."
Do Ha-min chugged the cola in the cup in one go.
"Then me too... Hey, model student. Hold up."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"That one's my cup you just drank from."
"...Huh? Nah, no way. I bite mine with my teeth to mark it."
"I do the same."
"...F-for real?"
Do Ha-min frantically checked the cup he'd been drinking from. There was the tooth mark he'd bitten into the rim to claim it as his. But on top of that, layered right over it like a true ownership stamp, was a vivid pink tint mark.
Right where I'd been sipping until moments ago, Do Ha-min had pressed his lips in the exact same spot.
"S-sorry... I had no idea...!"
"It really is godlike and invincible, Zero Lime."
"Huh...?"
"Nothing. Just hand over that cup."
Seeing the tint mark on the cup, Do Ha-min jolted in surprise and shakily extended his hand to return it. But inside, only tiny droplets remained—not even a full sip's worth.
"Tch, you already finished it."
"I'll get a new one... let me refill it."
"Nah, there's still some left. In your cup."
"Yeah, okay... wait, what'd you just say?"
"I'm drinking this?"
I grabbed the cup in front of him—the one he'd emptied instead of mine.
"I-it's okay? You sure? We could just get a fresh one..."
"I feel like it. I refilled like five times while you were getting your eyes checked, and they were starting to side-eye me."
"R-right..."
There was plenty of cola left in his cup, but even the great Ban Do-young was starting to feel awkward about heading back for another refill. If there'd been a guy at the cafe counter, he'd have poured it for me, but no—the lady clerk was watching.
"As long as I drink from the spot you didn't touch, it's fine, right?"
"Y-yeah."
"Or do you want me to drink from where you did? I can, if you're sure you won't nosebleed."
"Th-that doesn't happen!"
"Okay, okay. The cafe lady's staring from back there. Keep it down."
He said no, but you never know. If Do Ha-min's nosebleed dirtied these clean tiles, that clerk's gentle face might actually turn furious. So I sipped from his cup, avoiding the part with his tooth marks.
"Do Ha-min customer, your glasses are ready!"
"Yes, I'll pay by card!"
And right on cue, Do Ha-min's glasses were finished.
......
"Thank you, come again!"
"How's the newly seen world treating you, model student?"
"Yeah, I can see great. Thanks for coming with me."
As we left the optician's, new glasses perched on Do Ha-min's nose bridge. After nearly five years of wear that had scratched and oiled up his old pair, the clean matte horn-rims made his face look sharper overall. Of course, that was it. Even through the heroine's eyes, he looked tidy—not handsome. That was the line in the sand.
"Kinda disappointing, though. They had those red flamingo sunglasses—I really wanted to make you wear them."
"Who walks around in ridiculous glasses like that?"
"You never know."
"I like these. They don't slip off even if I move hard, so they'll be comfy for workouts too."
"Oho, not for studying?"
It was a bit unexpected. I figured he'd say something model-student-y like, I'll solve more problems now or I can read the blurry text more carefully. Who knew he'd be fired up about physical training instead.
"...You said you'd teach me. I don't wanna keep looking lame."
"Sigh, say stuff like that and it feels like we gotta do weekend lessons too."
"If it's too much, we can start next week! I'm fine."
"Didn't say it was too much."
I'd gone and studied makeup tutorials on YouTube for nothing—it looked like it'd get sweated off right away.
"C'mon, to my place."
Just as I started walking home with Do Ha-min...
Beep beep—beeeep!
A car horn blared, as if telling us to turn toward the road. Parked in front of the optician's was a minivan that felt oddly familiar. The yellow Carnival we used for dojo transport.
"Dad?"
"Figured it'd be about time, so I came to pick you up. Perfect timing, right?"
Dad parked in the shop's lot and got out of the driver's seat.
"Wait, if Dad's here..."
Following Dad out of the passenger seat was another woman—black-haired, exuding elegant poise.
"It's been a while."
"M-Mom...?"
"What's with you, Do-young? Can't even greet your mom properly after so long?"
"Sh-she's your mom...?"
She looked no older than 40... no, 30. With the eldest in the military and three kids, it was hard to believe. But her slim waist contrasting with wide hips and a bust that screamed she'd never let her kids go hungry made it convincing. Probably what Ban Do-young would look like grown up.
"Do-young's mom. This is Do-young's friend, and he's learning kendo from Do-young..."
"D-Do Ha-min. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Do-young's mom. I'm Cheok Jun-sook."
Wow, my mom's a total badass.