Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Campus Charade
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Morning classes were finally over.
Now it was lunchtime—the time I'd agreed to meet Sea.
I glanced around casually.
Never thought the outside world would feel more dangerous than my place.
Back in my studio apartment, no one ever dropped by, so it was safe.
But at school, who knew when or where someone might be watching.
To convince everyone this "fake relationship" was the real deal,
I had to put on a show right in front of an audience.
But what the hell was I supposed to do?
Kiss her in the crowded square or something? No way in hell.
Now that it was go-time, I had no clue.
She hadn't given me any specific instructions, so I figured Sea would take the lead...
I swallowed dryly as I stepped out of the lecture hall building.
There, in the distance, was a familiar silhouette.
Han Sea.
The moment she spotted me, her lips curved up in a seductive smile as she approached.
'Scary as hell...'
"Darling! You waited for me, right?"
Sea wrapped her arm around mine like she was snatching it away.
"Uh... yeah? Let's go grab some food. Haha."
A few passing classmates shot us sidelong glances.
"They're actually dating for real?"
"Whoa, isn't she the goddess of the business school?"
Piercing stares flew at us like arrows.
I felt like a monkey in a zoo, but Sea didn't care—she clung even tighter to my arm.
Up close, though, something seemed off about her.
Her head was bowed low, and every bit of visible skin was flushed pink.
"Hey, why's your face so red?"
"Oh, I dressed kinda warm... it's hot."
"Really? Doesn't feel that cold today. Let's hit the cafeteria."
We ended up at the student union cafeteria.
I got the 3,500-won cheese pork cutlet.
Everyone trashed the cafeteria food, but I ate it all the time.
Great value, you know?
I sneaked a peek at Sea across from me.
Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed away—pretty determined-looking.
Growing up rich, she didn't fuss over the food at all.
If anything, back when we started hanging out more, she'd eyed it with curiosity.
Sea seemed totally calm, but I was dying inside.
Nerves had me not even knowing if the cutlet was going in my mouth or up my nose.
'When's this girl gonna make her move?'
She'd straight-up ambushed me with a kiss before.
Her usual behavior already leaped past common sense—who knew what she'd pull next.
So even in this packed cafeteria, I was on high alert, every nerve tensed for defense.
"This is good. Want some?"
Sea scooped some corn from her plate onto mine with a spoon.
And that was it.
She went right back to slicing and devouring her cutlet with gusto.
A totally uneventful lunch—boring, even, compared to her usual antics.
On the way out after returning our trays,
the tension eased, and relief washed over me.
'Dodged a bullet.'
Guess lunchtime would pass without incident.
Or maybe just eating together was enough to sell it to onlookers.
Yeah, that made sense.
People gotta eat without choking, after all.
But still...
'Kinda disappointing...'
"!!"
What the hell did I just think?
Disappointing?
Was I hoping for more?
Am I insane?
"Study hard, darling! See you later!"
Sea waved in front of the building.
Her smile under the sunlight was innocently radiant.
"Yeah! Catch you later!"
I forced down the weird feeling and waved back with a grin.
Meanwhile, in a business school lecture hall,
Sea had sent her text and flopped face-down at the back row.
The professor's passionate lecture droned on as white noise.
Her face felt like it was about to explode.
Under the desk, her hands trembled on her lap.
'I'm crazy, crazy...'
Earlier, when she'd first linked arms with Dojin,
the moment his firm forearm brushed her chest,
her mind had gone blank white.
Her heart pounded like it would burst out; she could barely breathe.
She didn't even remember how she'd kept her expression neutral.
This wasn't the plan.
A subtle thigh graze under the table,
or wiping sauce from his lips with her thumb.
She'd stayed up all night scouring YouTube for "killer moves to melt a guy's heart."
But facing Dojin's eyes—cool yet tense—she'd frozen up.
Linking arms and sharing one spoonful of corn was her absolute limit.
'Just his arm brushing me turned my brain to mush...'
How the hell was she supposed to handle anything more intense?
Sea rubbed her burning cheeks against the cold desk.
The heat wouldn't fade.
Yesterday flashed back.
That surprise kiss on Dojin.
How the hell had she pulled that off?
She wanted to grab past-self by the collar and demand answers.
What guts did you have? Were you high?
"Ugh..."
A groan slipped out onto the desk.
Around 3 p.m., we met up again.
Normally, business major Sea and engineering student me wouldn't overlap.
"Understanding Film."
Rumored to be an easy A,
one of the classes we'd deliberately signed up for together.
"Hold on."
As I headed for the back door of the lecture hall, Sea blocked my path.
She stood straight and grabbed my shirt collar.
"What the hell is this? It's all wrinkled."
Her pale fingers fidgeted near my collarbone.
Students passing in the hall glanced our way.
'Ah, here we go.'
I quickly leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"Hey. This count as 'girlfriend acting'?"
Sea’s fingertips froze solid.
Her pupils wavered, lost.
"Huh? Oh... y-yeah! Obviously, right?"
"Cool. Make it convincing."
"Sh-shut up. Just stay still."
Sea roughly brushed off my collar.
Her tone was snappy, but her touch on my neck felt oddly hot.
She yanked her hand away and darted inside like she was fleeing.
The hall was packed—popular class, no standing room.
Chatter buzzed everywhere.
In the chaos, Han Sea stood out like a beacon.
"Yo, check her out. Damn... she walks like an AI."
"Is she even human? Different species or what?"
Students behind us whispered in awe.
Somehow, we ended up side by side in the middle.
The professor entered, the room quieted, and class began.
The best part? Super easy credits—just sit and watch movies.
Perfect for catching Z's or daydreaming.
"Today, we'll examine the traits of French New Wave cinema. Pay attention. Lights out."
The professor's dry voice rang out as the lights clicked off.
Click.
Pitch black.
Only the screen's flickering white light pierced the dark at intervals.
In the gloom, Sea's outline blurred.
Her shoulder hovered just shy of touching mine.
I stifled a yawn and stared blankly at the screen.
Black and white film.
A short-haired actress smoked while strolling the street.
Handheld camera? It shook so much I felt nauseous.
"You don't love me. You just consume my existence."
"Consume? That's capitalist pig shit."
The leads spouted abstract nonsense, then suddenly yelled.
Cut abruptly to another scene.
Jump cut, right?
Professor called it innovative, spitting as he raved.
Honestly, I had no idea what any of it meant.
Just scattered and chaotic.
Were all art films like this?
I wanted to look away, but in the dark, nowhere else to stare.
Boredom crept in.
Then—
Swish.
Something warm overlaid the back of my hand as I watched the screen.
Sea’s hand.
I flinched and turned.
Too dark to see her face.
"...What're you doing?"
I whispered. She leaned right into my ear.
"Shh. Quiet. We’ve got a watcher here."
"What? For real?"
I instinctively scanned around.
"But it's pitch black—no one can see."
"God, you're clueless. Back there, infrared glasses. See 'em?"
"Where? Where? Infrared? That’s badass!"
As I craned back, Sea urgently pinned my shoulder.
"Ugh, just stay put! To avoid getting caught, we gotta stick close. Your hand's warm. Mine's freezing anyway."
Her hand really was ice-cold.
Nerves? Or actually chilly?
She wove her slender fingers between mine.
Palms pressed flush.
I considered pulling away, but in the dark, it'd be too obvious.
More than that, I felt her hand trembling faintly—I couldn't shake her off.
The real problem came next.
She didn't just hold it there. She dragged our clasped hands onto my thigh.
"...Warmer here. Like a heater."
Sea murmured into my ear.
Right then—
The leads on screen launched into a passionate kiss.
Moans and wet sounds poured through the speakers.
The air in the hall thickened, sticky.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed hard. Me? Her? My head fogged; couldn't tell.
Sea gripped tighter.
She pulled our hands deeper, to the inner thigh.
'Whoa!'
That's off-limits.
"Hey, no. That's too far."
I whispered in panic, but she didn't stop.
Like drawn by a magnet. Or busted brakes.
Our joined hands reached the hottest spot on my inner thigh.
I yanked to free myself, but she held firm.
Crowded hall—not easy to wrestle without drawing eyes.
Sea whispered again.
"Dude... it's scorching. What is this?"
"Shut up, psycho. Let go."
Cold sweat beaded on me.
In the dim screen glow, I caught her lip's curve.
Smirking? Freaked out?
Her eyes, oddly relaxed, stared at me.
Her thumb grazed the flesh of my inner thigh.
Twitch.
My body jerked reflexively.
"You serious...!"
That’s when—
Click! Flicker!
Fluorescents blazed on full.
"Alright, up to here. Discuss the director's intent in that scene."
The professor's voice boomed.
Sudden light blinded me.
I shoved Sea’s hand away.
She jolted too, releasing mine with a shrug.
We stared straight ahead, silent.
'Wait.'
Infrared glasses guy in the back, right?
If he was real,
his lenses would've lit my lower half up bright red.
'Nailed the proof, fuck.'