It Wasn't Temporary After All? (4)
Tae-il bolted straight to the bathroom the moment he got home from school.
He scrubbed his body raw with body wash, worried his skin might peel off.
After washing up, he collapsed right onto his bed.
Even when Yu Hana called him to eat, he turned her down and just slept.
He was mentally exhausted.
Left: Mori Yuuya. Right: Asakura.
The two arch-demons had tormented him for over an hour straight.
"If it's really that tough, want some latex gloves?"
"D-Do you have any?"
"But you'll have to feed them by hand. How about it?"
"You're a demon!"
They'd force him to experience feeding crickets to lizards.
"Frogs. Total chaos if they escape the enclosure."
"Gotta be careful weeding 'cause you can't tell leaves from food?"
"No, the frogs aren't the problem!"
Or hand him a sealed plastic cup full of fruit flies for frog food out of nowhere.
"FYI, if you spill that, we're not going home tonight?"
"Catastrophe."
"D-Don't push! Uwaaaah!"
Or startle him so bad he nearly dumped the cup full of thousands of fruit flies.
If he'd known it'd be like this, he should've just waited for a new teacher next semester, Tae-il deeply regretted his choice.
He never should've gotten tangled with the Animal Husbandry Club.
And so, after that intensely regret-filled day, the weekend arrived in a flash.
After an early breakfast, while doing dishes with Yu Hana, Tae-il explained yesterday's dinner skip in grim detail.
"Anyway, so I might be coming home late from now on."
"Really? Mom doesn't mind. You okay with that, Tae-il?"
Yu Hana eyed her son with concern—he'd abruptly joined the Animal Husbandry Club.
"You got bit by a dog as a kid and you're terrified of animals."
"No dogs there."
"And that's not all. You freak out over bugs too. Whenever one shows up at home, I end up more scared because of you."
Yu Hana shook her head.
Any bug in the house, and Tae-il shattered his high-note limits with new records.
Such a stable, clear high note.
Yu Hana once thought her son was the high-note god reborn as Park Wan-gyu.
"You were epic as a kid. Remember?"
"When I was little?"
"Chuseok. At the cemetery, spider on your stomach—you lost it. Whole family thought the mountain was on fire."
"Don't remember."
He did, but pride kept him from admitting it.
"Too bad. Should've filmed it. What a missed opportunity..."
"Why film that? Who'd enjoy it?"
"Mom would? And Ayane'd love it too, right?"
"..."
Tae-il's face twisted horribly.
Ayane probably would love it. Might tease him with bug toys like a kid. And sadly, he'd fall for it every time.
"Pfft. So, really okay? Our super-scared son in Animal Husbandry? Dad'll be shocked."
"I only took turtles and fish for now..."
One fact Tae-il hid from Yu Hana.
He cried yesterday.
For real. Nearly passed out dumping fruit flies into the frog tank.
Even Asakura, who'd pushed his membership, second-guessed it amid his explosive reaction.
But it was so funny, she laughed, thinking this might actually work.
Yuuya was no exception.
To them, Tae-il was nothing more or less than a clown for laughs.
"Kinda wild, though. Seen rabbits at school, but lizards and turtles? World's changed."
"Your latte again?"
"Try 10 years. You'll be like Mom."
"Ten years..."
His dish-drying hand stopped.
Ten years from now, what would he be?
Tae-il pictured himself on stage.
Ayane and the original members stood beside him.
Imagining the band's unborn future, he set down the clean dish.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang perfectly timed.
Yu Hana hip-bumped Tae-il from the sink.
"Sakuraba must be here. Can't keep a lady waiting. Go on."
"Got it."
Peeled off rubber gloves, wiped hand water and sweat on his shirt.
"Whew."
Deep breath to relax before opening the door.
Forced a natural, easy smile.
"Alright. Come on i—n?"
Tae-il froze mid-open.
The half-open door swung wide from shoe nudges.
Beyond: three girls greeting him.
"Oh my? Didn't expect to see you here, Shin Tae-il."
Iris waved casually in ladylike Korean.
"Eugh. What? Why's she here? Your house, right, Katsuragi?"
Rena showed blatant dislike.
Never even met him, yet hostile already—Tae-il was dumbfounded.
Wait, more importantly, why are they here?
Something was seriously wrong. An unforeseen bomb dropped. Carpet-bombing like WWII.
Tae-il's mind flashed white like a stun grenade.
The culprit. Where's the damn culprit...
Like an unoiled machine, Tae-il creakily turned his stiff neck.
Left: Rena. Right: Iris.
With original band members flanking her, eye-contact Ayane stuck out her tongue sullenly.
"Ehehe. Sorry, Shin-chiin?"
"Holy crap."
Tae-il's sanity bolted to Korea.
"Whoa."
Sakuraba was stunned.
Too stunned for words.
Even an all-star team challenging her at Interhigh wouldn't shock her this much.
"What the hell, Tai-chi? What happened?"
Sakuraba elbow-poked Tae-il's side upon seeing his girl-packed room.
Her poke carried unintended emotion; Tae-il yelped softly.
"I dunno..."
"..."
Sakuraba shot him a side-eye.
Her face screamed If you don't know, who does?
Tae-il felt wronged.
"No, really. Thought it was just you, opened the door—they were there..."
"Yeah?"
Sakuraba snorted, scanning the room occupants.
First: Arisugawa Iris.
Most suspicious—she'd shown up unannounced before.
Eye contact: she welcomed with a charming smile.
"Hi, Sakuraba-san. We're acquainted, right? Arisugawa here. Call me Iris."
"Acquainted, huh? Call me Sakuya then."
Next: sullen-faced Honjo Rena, contrasting bright Iris.
Famous enough—Sakuya remembered her name.
"Honjo Rena, right? Nice to meet you. Sakuya."
"Uh, yeah. Nice."
Rena awkwardly smiled, shaking Sakuya's offered hand.
Rumors said small, but damn... tiny.
Her hand engulfed Rena's—Sakuya inwardly marveled.
Least connected to Tae-il, though.
Sakuraba smiled soft and easy, non-threatening.
Finally...
"Studying together's more efficient anyway, right?"
Unabashed culprit: Katsuragi Ayane.
Figures it'd go quiet...
Sakuraba recalled Ayane's blatant guarding from their first meeting.
Puppy-faced innocent look, but scheming as hell.
A sigh-worthy combo formed.
"Yuuma High's celebs all gathered. Careful, Tai-chi. Might get stabbed on the way to school."
"Me? Why!?"
"'Cause Yuuma's freshman beauty top four are all here?"
Ignoring Tae-il's protest—did that exist?—Sakuya plopped at the round table.
Cheeks faintly flushed, inwardly embarrassed.
"Ahem! Life's full of surprises. Thought we'd only meet at Miss Contest."
"Ahaha. Same. Never dreamed I'd meet Sakuya like this."
"Dropping the yo-biste casual already, huh?"
"If we're gonna be friends, better fast, right?"
Iris beamed, joy incarnate.
Unlike scheming Ayane, pure inside and out.
"Feels like we'd get along."
"Really? Honored."
They shook hands amiably.
Huh? Why're they buddies now?
Ayane puzzled inwardly as Iris hugged Rena next.
"Rena-chin too—lucky!"
"What now?"
"Sakuya's study whiz from Free Class—perfect for boosting your grades! Like Ayane said, good we came, right?"
"Hey! You really..."
"Gotta dodge failing this time! Final fail means remedial."
Caught red-handed with bad grades, Rena flushed jujube-red.
"Honjo's bad at school?"
"Yeah! Super bad!"
"Please shut up, you bi—argh!"
Rena swallowed her curse painfully.
Couldn't call Iris "milk bags" in front of newbies.
Tae-il muttered quietly.
"Three Free Class, two College Prep. Dream team..."
"Right?"
Truly dreamy—in every way.
Ayane, the intersection, started traffic control.
"Ayane and Arisug—ahem!—Iris are fine reviewing. This study group's for Shin-chiin and Honjo-san mainly. Okay?"
"Me?"
"Sakuraba-san does fine without help, right?"
"Haha. True. Kinda disappointing though."
Sakuraba chin-propped, glaring at Ayane.
"Wanted to learn how well Katsuragi teaches."
"Ayane teach you?"
"Ahaha. I'll ask if stuck."
"Do. Ayane'll explain step-by-step."
Sparks flew as eyes locked mid-air.
Ow, my stomach...
Sandwiched, Tae-il felt breakfast rising.
Still, feigned calm and continued.
"Ayane, you sure? College Prep exams are way harder."
"Yeah! Teaching helps me study too. Right, Iris?"
"Totally! Ayane's right!"
Iris nodded vigorously, sycophant grin.
Stuck to Rena, casual with Sakuya, now Ayane.
Somehow it works.
Tae-il watched the girls' jam session, entranced.
Original members assembled—straight from canon.
Fan heaven for him.
"What subject first?"
"Exploratory?"
Sakuraba pulled workbooks galore from her bag at Iris's question.
"Heard ranges overlap least. Tai-chi's weak on Japan geography—perfect for us rotating teaches."
Rena smirked at Tae-il's weakness reveal.
"What, high schooler who doesn't know Japan geography?"
"Uh, I'm Korean, not Japanese..."
"Do I look Japanese?"
Rena puffed her dubious chest proudly.
Most foreign-looking here.
"Rena-chin's Japanese, right? Japanese passport. Sucks at English."
"Hey!"
Honjo Rena: foreigner cosplay fail spectacularly!
But backup arrived: Ayane.
"Honjo-san's right. Shin-chiin's Korean, but lived in Japan over 10 years and doesn't know geography? Huge issue! Common knowledge, Shin-chiin! Ignorance gets you mocked!"
"Gloom girl's right for once."
"Gloom girl!?"
Stabbed in the back after helping.
Enemies everywhere.
Whoa...
Tae-il hand-covered his mouth to hide his grin.
Gloom girl.
Rena's canon nickname for Ayane.
Live version—nostalgic thrill.
Fanboy cells reignited; otaku never dies.
Tae-il speechless, Iris hugged Rena defensively.
"Sorry! Rena-chin's mouthy! But good kid! I vouch!"
"Ahaha. Gloom girl—Honjo's got naming sense."
Sakuraba muttered softly, Sneaky girl fits too.
Rena lit up at Sakuya's buy-in, chattering brightly.
"Right? Good nickname, I think."
"Rena-chin!? I shielded you!"
"Where's she gloomy!?"
"C'mon, obvious. Mi reba wakaru—see and know. No?"
"No clue!?"
"Self-naming first-person's sus already..."
"Rena-chin! Don't trash her quirks like that!"
"Iris!?"
"Ahahaha!"
Chaos reigned.
Three girls break dishes; four topple pillars.
Rena eyed awkwardly but blended fast.
But why me...?
No clue why, but Rena hid no hostility toward Tae-il.
Unfair.
"Tai-chi."
"Yeah, Sakuraba?"
"You zoning out staring. Okay?"
"Obvious. Four pretty flowers chatting—lost in it, right?"
"Ugh, Rena-chin, cringey line."
"Nah. Honjo's right. Entranced."
Tae-il shyly rubbed his neck.
Thought he'd acclimated to beauty disparity world—nope.
Original assemble: eye-melting.
Flower field incarnate.
And like magic—room chatter halted.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Ayane, Sakuya, Iris, Rena—all stared piercingly at Tae-il.
"Uh, h-hey...?"
Red, yellow, blue, purple eyes bore in overwhelmingly; Tae-il instinctively shrank, sensing danger.
Rena recovered first, pointing accusingly.
"That's his type?"
"Yeah. Sometimes feels deliberate. Ayane's suffered."
"Wow. That archetype exists IRL."
Rena stuck tongue in disgust.
Tae-il, bashed cluelessly, looked wronged.
"Did I do something?"
"Clueless too. Serious. Iris, he's no good."
"Rena-chin too strict~."
Rena ranted on mercilessly; Iris laughed merrily.
Sakuraba rescued him.
"Ahaha. Ease up. Kinda cute watching, no?"
"You blind or...? Nah, nothing."
Rena smacked her lips.
Tough as Lu Bu elsewhere, soft on Sakuya—canon.
"Anyway."
Endless like this—Tae-il cut in forcibly.
"When do we study?"
"Now."
Sakuraba smacked workbook on hand like waiting.
Glasses on her face somehow.
"This for you, Tai-chi."
"Uh, thanks."
"Honjo, this. Mine originally. I'll do with Tai-chi."
"Uh, yeah. Thanks..."
Rena, expecting no real study vibe, flustered taking it.
Iris peeked, impressed.
"Detailed. Sakuya made it?"
"Like training—systematic for new stuff."
Organize info to stick first. Then repeat like workouts till mastered.
Prep thorough.
Ayane, empty-handed, grumbled.
"Brute athlete method."
"Efficient."
Sakuraba countered.
"Shin-chiin does fine without hand-holding."
"Basics matter most. Soil first for sprouts."
"Why fight over that...?"
Tae-il ducked embarrassed.
Iris, front-row to rivalry, muttered comfy.
Prime spot.
Ayane-Sakuraba flanking Tae-il; her and Rena right of Ayane.
Watching Tae-il-Ayane leisurely while helping Rena.
Planned to bail after today—nope.
No urge to wedge into that battlefield, but fondness for Tae-il sprouted wildly.
Not romantic—comradeship.
Not just BARD.
Shelves: music books/albums, not manga/porny mags. Bed: recent-played guitar.
Audio interface/amp hiding somewhere—she wouldn't blink.
Tae-il did music, clearly.
Others might suspect contrived plot.
But Ayane led her here.
Ayane's trustworthy.
Tae-il's reactions today, Ayane's open crush—no way she'd expose if fake.
Inviting us screams Sakuraba-check.
Thus, this room's natural state.
Minor tidy for scheduled Sakuya, still boyishly messy.
What to do...
Iris licked lips quietly.
Time aplenty.
Observe slow, discern real or not.
If real?
Key to reclaiming failed middle-school dream.
Not hard.
For dream, she'd wait forever.
Iris watched the romcom comfy.