Someone Like You Wouldn't Like <em>Half Half Island</em> Anyway (6)
Do Ha-min's weight pressing against my back from that Half Half Island chapter (6) felt heavier than expected. Not heavy in a solid way, but more like sagging downward. Probably because his legs had gone limp and he couldn't support himself properly, so all his weight was shifting straight down. Like how you could easily lift a 40kg girl, but struggle with a 40kg sack of rice. Thinking of it that way, even with his legs useless, the fact that I could piggyback him in Ban Do-young's body meant he was still squarely in "scrawny kid" territory.
"Pfft."
"W-Why...? Why are you laughing?"
"Nah, kuhuk. With legs this floppy and all."
"Y-You already said my legs were floppy earlier..."
It's not just your legs that are floppy. Ah, but no matter how true it is, this is a pride issue—I'd better not say it out loud.
Right now, Ban Do-young's body was pressed inescapably close to Do Ha-min's entire frame. Especially around the waist— even if I tried to be aware of it, there was no avoiding contact there. So, it was bound to brush against it. That most important part of his lower half.
From the slight sensation against my back, I could roughly gauge the size of Do Ha-min's pride. The top I'm wearing is just a breezy t-shirt good for ventilation, and what's pressing against it is his thin gym shorts. No room for any padding or distortion. The area of sensation transmitting to my back? That was basically the size of Do Ha-min's pride.
This is weird... We're in a situation where I just kissed him and he's riding on my back... Shouldn't his dick be throbbing hard right now, going pit-a-pat, pounding away like a drum?
Or maybe... this size and firmness is Do Ha-min's limit? In that case, future Ban Do-young might have my sympathies.
"S-See? It is tough, right?"
"No, it's not like that."
"But your steps just got slower."
I wasn't tired or anything. It was just that my expectations for the protagonist Do Ha-min's pride had crumbled a bit. But Do Ha-min, unaware of the reason, must have thought my pace slowed because I was running out of stamina.
I haven't confirmed the actual size yet, of course. For now, I had to judge based on the feel against my back. But between the suspiciously soft, downy bare thighs suggesting no growth spurt in sight, and the sensation I'd felt, it was honestly a letdown compared to my hype. What to do—maybe sneak a peek during my morning shower? No way, that's a crime. Dad roams around the second-floor bathroom too. If I got caught, he'd never let Do Ha-min set foot in our house again.
"Tsk... This is hard, so hard."
"S-See? Your face is all scrunched up because I'm heavy. Just put me down—I can walk on my own legs."
"It's fine, it's fine. It's not because of you. I can handle one little shorty no problem."
"..."
"W-What's with that face full of inferiority complex?"
On the way home, I glanced up at a roadside reflector mirror, and Do Ha-min's reflection looked all sulky. I'd meant it as a casual reassurance, but I'd accidentally poked at another of his prides.
"A-Are you mad?"
"..."
"O-kotta?"
"...What guy wouldn't feel his pride stung hearing he's outclassed in weight class by a girl?"
"Eek."
Acting all high and mighty when you're coming home with me. Might as well enjoy the rare high-altitude air while you're up there.
"Ban Do-young, you just thought, 'This tiny guy's all pride, so breathe in that upper air now that you're high up.'"
"Hic."
Do Ha-min seemed pretty attuned to my thought patterns by now. He nailed the specifics of what I was thinking inside.
"It's not that big a difference! Like 7-8cm at most! If it's such a hassle, just let me down...! Let me walk!"
"D-Don't thrash around! Your legs are wounded and can't even hold power! Are you a brat throwing a tantrum for toys?"
"Don't call me a brat either!"
"Fine, I'm sorry! Don't you get that throwing a fit like that just makes you more like a brat?!"
As Do Ha-min squirmed on my back, my body swayed more than expected under his fussing. Even if he was lighter than I'd thought, I was still carrying a boy my own weight. When that weight starts wriggling, of course I'd get tossed around too.
"Hoo... My bad, so just stay still for now. I know I can't just tell you to walk it off since it's my fault too. If it's awkward, at least enjoy the cherry blossoms or something."
"...If it's really tough, tell me. I meant it when I said I want to be your equal."
Do Ha-min's declaration to stand on equal footing with me wasn't just about escaping toy-treatment. It was his way of saying he wanted to break free from one-sided debts like this too.
"Got it. Even I can't just leave Do Teacher—who graciously came to teach our blockhead Ban Do-young—hanging. So relax and stay put. Even while you were thrashing, your legs were dangling limp without any strength."
"...Then I'll impose on you just a little."
"At your service."
Only after we'd reached a rough compromise did Do Ha-min settle down. He tilted his head up slightly, turning his gaze to the falling cherry blossom petals.
Riding high on Ban Do-young's height put his head at the absolute top spot, so the petals drifting down from the cherry trees naturally targeted him first.
"...More are falling than I thought. By midterms, they'll all be gone."
"Yeah, I saw in the mirror earlier—your hair's practically pink now. Looked prettier than expected?"
"S-Stop. I know. It doesn't suit me."
Only then did Do Ha-min notice the petals stuck all over his hair and shake them off. With his semi-curly hair's wild vigor, he'd apparently missed the lighter ones piling up.
"What about me, then?"
"Huh...? What about me."
"Pink hair, I mean. Should I dye mine too while we're at it? Go full pink?"
"Ugh..."
No handy roadside mirror this time, so I couldn't check his face. But just like how I'd gauged his pride's size from texture alone, his reaction told me everything. I was certain. This jerk Do Ha-min was pulling a seriously rude face right at me.
"What's with that reaction? You don't wanna see the world's top beauty get even prettier?"
"Y-You're way too bold rating your own face like that...?"
"Feel free to argue. Name one girl prettier than me in your whole life."
"Well, there hasn't been... but..."
Even preaching humility's virtues, Do Ha-min had to admit he'd never seen a girl topping Ban Do-young in his lifetime.
"S-Still, dyeing your hair's a bad idea."
"No such thing. What, you my boyfriend now? Since when do you get veto power on my image change?"
"N-No. Hair regs. Pink hair'd violate them."
"...Ah."
Right, this is a domestic webtoon world. Come to think of it, even in this webtoon setting, there'd been zero kids with flashy hair colors at school.
"Don't schools usually have at least a couple guys with flame-up hair or reggae locks with goggles? Like in sports clubs. Soccer stars."
"Uh, even so, I don't think there are any..."
There aren't? That's a shame. I'd been looking forward to seeing those types show off skills at the class soccer match in May's sports festival.
"What about vacation? You can dye then—no one's gonna complain. Might as well go white like Magical Girl Marina—"
"...I like it now."
"...Huh?"
"Y-Your hair as is... I think it's the prettiest."
"O-Oh.... R-Right."
What was that? Felt like something just thudded down. His weight shifting?
"Guess I can't help it then. Gotta honor a fan's request. This hair it is for a while."
"Y-Yeah..."
"Kuhuk..."
"D-Don't laugh."
"Sorry, but... ku-kuhuk."
"I-I'm embarrassed too, so stop laughing... It's not even funny."
True, not funny at all. But how could I not laugh? As the heroine, an unintended sincere compliment from the protagonist just blooms laughter uncontrollably.
All your fault, Do Ha-min.
"Oh, convenience store. Let's stop in quick."
On the way home, we reached the shop right by the house. Our place was just a bit farther, but to check on Do Ha-min's condition, I parked him on one of the chairs outside for a sec.
"Knee still bleeding?"
"Ah... Seems stopped."
I flicked on my phone's flashlight to check the wound. The bleeding had indeed stopped, but the scrape from the ground was still raw as ever.
"Hang tight here a minute."
I left Do Ha-min and headed inside.
"Welcome... Oh, hi! You're late today!"
"Hi. Evening shift bro."
The night-shift clerk, mid-phone scroll, jumped when he saw me and greeted warmly. Being right by our house, I'd frequented it plenty in the month since possessing Ban Do-young. The Zero Lime Colas bought here were beyond counting now, so we'd naturally gotten to casual hellos.
"Zero Lime today?"
"Nah, more than that... Got any band-aids or ointment?"
"Uh, band-aids are on the front shelf here..."
"Thanks."
I followed his pointed finger to the first-aid aisle.
"Ah, here... Whoa, band-aids come scented now? Lime-scented—who's the genius behind that?"
"Um, excuse me..."
"What? I'm busy."
"Just curious why band-aids and ointment this late... Someone hurt? The dojo master?"
"No."
"Then who..."
"My boyfriend."
"...Ah. Y-You have a boyfriend."
And with that, our chat ended.