That Bastard's the One Who's Gonna Steal My Virginity (3)
“Hwaaaang!”
“Teacher! Do Ha-min made Min-ji cry!”
Back in elementary school, once a month on seat-changing day, nine out of ten girls who ended up next to Ha-min would bury their faces in their desks and burst into tears. It was a monthly ritual, and Ha-min would turn away from his sobbing seatmate with a complicated expression. What words of comfort could he offer? The cause of those tears was him.
If you compared it to drawing lots at the stationery store in front of school, sitting next to Ha-min was a straight-up losing ticket. Front row by the teacher's desk or back by the window—it didn't matter.
“It's by lottery, so crying won't change it.”
“Hey, just endure it for a month.”
At least elementary school wasn't so bad. Kids only despaired and shed tears over their fate back then.
“Hey, Do Ha-min. Let's switch seats. I want to sit next to Min-ji.”
“R-right... now...?”
“We just gotta switch back before homeroom in fifth period. No one'll notice.”
“Still...”
“Ugh, fuck. Look at you blabbering. Hurry up and answer. You switching or not?”
Once middle school hit, kids started fixing their own bad luck. The homeroom teacher never stuck around the classroom long enough to catch them.
One day, he'd be up front by the teacher's desk. Another, by the classroom door. Ha-min spent most of middle school at someone else's desk.
“What the heck, Do Ha-min? You were at the back yesterday, now you're up front?”
“Uh... well...”
“Someone asked to switch with you, huh?”
“...”
“Hey, whoever switched seats with Do Ha-min during class, get back to your spot before I tell your homeroom teacher.”
The worst was when a sharp-eyed teacher caught on. When Ha-min stood up in panic at the order to return, the kid in his seat would scowl and reluctantly rise.
“Haa... fuck. Do Ha-min, you pathetic loser. Can't even sit naturally for one thing.”
Those words, whispered as they brushed past on the way back under the teacher's watch, still lingered as trauma in Ha-min's memory.
In his classroom, kids wanted his seat. No one wanted to sit next to him.
“Move your bag.”
“M-move it...? Why?”
“'Cause I'm sitting next to you.”
Except for this girl now standing before Ha-min, her name—Ban Do-young—embroidered on her left chest.
“Ah, I wanna have sex.”
“Uh... huh?”
Did I hear that wrong? Ha-min doubted his perfectly fine ears, ignoring the crazy girl who wanted to sit next to him.
New kind of bullying...? Something like that.
His first thought, as always, was that he might be the target. Maybe she'd figured out early he wasn't local and was prepping to mess with him. No other explanation for spouting something like that to a total stranger with that face.
Memories from nine years of school life piled up unbidden, tilting toward the negative.
But he couldn't just ignore her words and pretend nothing happened. Ha-min was firmly in the inferior position here—he couldn't brush off the alpha's declaration.
“Hoo... Why do I have all this damn body fat but still freeze so easily? Makes no sense. Useless except when I need a guy's warmth, right?”
“Uh, yeah...”
Ha-min nodded blankly, not even grasping her words fully. But maybe because he'd humored her a bit, the shadow in Do-young's eyes softened slightly. A first for him—a girl assigned to his side actually brightening up.
“Um...”
“Yeah? Finally mustered the guts to talk to me? What is it? Spit it out.”
“Th-there are plenty of other seats... why here?”
“Duh, 'cause it's cold. Closer to body heat means warmer, right?”
“R-right...”
His voice came out a bit clumsy from nerves, but unlike the middle school kids who'd nagged him, Do-young didn't scowl at his fumbling speech.
“You don't seem cold. Window open in this weather.”
“Oh, no... just felt stuffy... thought some air might help...”
“Ooh, hot-blooded type, huh? Solar body?”
“S-solar... body?”
“Ah, kids these days don't know that stuff.”
Ha-min tilted his head at the unfamiliar term. Some trend among the cool kids?
“Well, I've never been super cold-sensitive... but not like I never get sick either... Caught COVID once in middle school...”
“Hmm, so COVID exists here too. Here, gimme your hand. Let's see how warm.”
“N-no... wait!”
Ha-min yanked his desk back as Do-young lunged for his hand. A bit more force, or if she'd grabbed a second later, he'd have toppled chair and all.
“Ack, cold...”
“Your hand's warm.”
The moment their palms touched, goosebumps raced over Ha-min. Was it her soft hand? Or just how icy hers was?
“Ooh, bigger than I thought? One size up from mine?”
He'd assumed she was bigger in every way, but Do-young's hand was surprisingly small and dainty. Small, pale hands suited classic beauties, right? By that logic, even her hands were beautiful.
“Nice and toasty. You exercise or something?”
“N-no. Just walk from the station to save bus fare.”
“Hmm. Then why keep scooting back? You're way too jumpy. Heh...”
A faint smile curved Do-young's lips, chasing away the shadows. Pretty even frowning, but her smile? On another level.
Maybe she's not so bad after all...
Ha-min's wariness eased, thoughts softening toward her.
Name's... Ban Do-young.
Relaxed curiosity drew his gaze to the orange-stitched name on her chest.
“Hey, where you looking?”
“...Ah.”
His name-check caught Do-young's eye. Name tags went on the left chest per uniform rules.
“You little perv... not the hand, but here caught your eye?”
“No, that's not—! I was just checking your name...!”
Thud. Flailing in panic, Ha-min knocked over the bag he'd been shoving aside.
Stuff spilled from the unzipped mouth—mostly college prep workbooks. Fine on its own; he'd pass as the model student cramming from day one. Play it right, and they'd peg him as a study-obsessed nerd, lose interest, and bail.
If only pure workbooks had fallen.
“What's this?”
“Th-that's...”
One lone book. Amid textbooks and workbooks, unrelated to school: Magical Girl Marina★Harina.
Ha-min's cherished novel, purged to focus on entrance exams. A tale of a magical girl fighting cosmic horror without losing hope—a human anthem.
“Searched shelves and drawers top to bottom, couldn't find it... why's it here...”
The last straggler from his purge. And now, of all times, it tumbled out.
Heroine Marina's illustration hit the pile first, shoving aside workbooks. Torn clothes from brutal battle, pink bits teasing exposure—edgy cover art.
“Hmm, into this stuff, huh.”
Click.
Do-young snapped a phone pic of the cover.
“G-give it back!”
“Hold on, lemme see... Ooh, she's the protagonist? Magical girl protags are usually flat, but this one's stacked.”
“H-hurry up and give it!”
“Eh, still, mine are bigger.”
“Seriously...!”
“How's she transform? Like this? Pure★Change!”
“That's not how it goes...!”
Do-young struck the pose—hands up in peace signs. It grated extra, mimicking trendy idol manga despite the fanservice.
But Ha-min's reach fell short, height no match for her grip.
“Give it back already—I was gonna toss it!”
“Hey, if you're dumping it, at least let me peek... What's this magical girl story like?”
“Stop and hand it over—!”
Creak!
The back door burst open with a racket.
“Yo, Ban Do-young! You actually beat us here? What's up, coming to school this early!”
“Eek...!”
Girls in matching uniforms poured in, greeting Do-young—clearly her friends.
“Huh? Who's that?”
“Don't recognize him.”
“Do-youngie, you know him?”
“Uh... kinda.”
“...Screwed.”
Ha-min sensed the trap closing. Caught with his novel by girls his age, word spreading to the class. The absolute worst route, barreling straight ahead.
“Hey.”
“...Huh?”
“What're you doing? Put it away quick.”
A pale hand offered his dropped novel into Ha-min's stunned view.
“They haven't seen yet. Hurry.”
Do-young whispered just for him, blocking the view of her friends behind her. Her tiny hands couldn't fully hide—“Magical Girl” peeking as “Witch”—but she covered Marina's cleavage well enough.
“Teachers say all kids waiting in classrooms gotta go to the auditorium. You too, Do-young.”
“Yeah, coming. One sec.”
Do-young shoved the novel into Ha-min's hand and left with the girls.
Ha-min stood dazed, clutching it.
“What're you doing? Hurry up.”
“Uh, uh...”
Do-young peeked back from the door.
“Pure★Change.”
“Damn it...! I said that's not it!”
Double peace from the “witch” was just icing.