The Reason for Disappointment
I was wrinkling my nose in front of a complete beginner. I don't know many proverbs, but I do know this one means someone acting all high and mighty without realizing how far above them the sky really is.
Just like that proverb, the person currently flailing around in front of me had no idea she was facing someone from another dimension. Jihui was—
“Ugh… One more time!”
“I'm starting to feel like a punching bag. When are you actually going to turn me into one?”
“Aaaargh!! Just get ready already!!”
She was showing off her so-called Master rank skills to their fullest. And that was in front of a Grand Master, no less.
“I don't know much about games, but is this because you're good, or because Jihui sucks?”
“This? Ah, I'm absolute dogshit at games. So yeah, Jihui's the one who's insanely bad.”
“Kaaah! Don't talk crap! Where does a Grand Master get off being such an asshole!!”
“Hahahahaha!”
“Huh?”
While facing off against Jihui, I still had enough leisure to chat with Eunhye. On the other hand, Jihui was burning with the will to win. She'd even cleared the study guides off her desk and charged at me with everything she had, but—
“Oops, my ultimate slipped out by mistake.”
“Why does that even hit me!!”
“Oops, my combo slipped out by mistake.”
“There was a combo like that!?”
“Yawn… Ah, whatever. Just die.”
“Aaaaaargh!!!”
YOU WIN!
The victory message popped up on screen for what felt like the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, Jihui's scream echoed through the PC bang.
“Whoa… That guy's on a winning streak against Jihui?”
“For real? Against Jihui?”
It seemed Jihui was pretty well-known in this PC bang. Well, she was pretty and good at games, so it made sense she'd be treated like an idol around here.
But was it really okay for her to just play games all day without working?
As I was thinking that, the crowd that had gathered around us suddenly shifted their attention elsewhere.
“Tsk. Boss, here's your fifty thousand won.”
“Hahaha, you should've watched more carefully before betting.”
“Shouldn't the boss bet on his own employee?”
“A gambler doesn't live on loyalty.”
Some guy who looked like the owner was running the bets… So I guess it was fine?
Anyway, it was about time I got back to my original purpose.
“Sigh. Hey, let's stop here. You couldn't become a punching bag, but that's just because of your skill level. Don't hold it against me.”
“Ugh… Haa.”
I always went all out regardless of whether my opponent was younger or a girl. Without letting my guard down even once, I'd thoroughly crushed Jihui.
At this point, even she had no choice but to accept the result.
“Haa… Fine, I get it. Tch, but it's been a while since I lost this completely.”
“Same here. It's been ages since I found someone worth playing seriously against.”
“…Is that a compliment?”
“Nope.”
“…Annoying.”
Jihui glared at me with a face that looked like she was about to suggest we settle this in real life. Then she took a deep breath and stood up from her seat. I got up as well.
“Is it over?”
“Yeah.”
Eunhye had zero interest in games, yet she'd stayed right by my side the entire time. She hadn't messed around or wandered off anywhere.
This kid really was surprisingly diligent.
“So, are you ready to tell me about Aju now?”
“I was planning to tell you from the beginning, you know? I just wanted to blow off some steam from studying… Tch.”
Jihui glanced at me as if the game was still fresh in her mind, then suddenly lifted her right foot to stomp on mine.
I dodged it without even looking.
“As expected of a Grand Master's movement. Absolutely insane.”
“Krrgh!!”
Of course I was a Grand Master. Heh heh heh.
“Haa, let's get back to the main topic now.”
Once our match ended, the people who'd gathered around returned to their seats. Eunhye confirmed that the crowd had dispersed and reminded Jihui why we'd come here in the first place.
“Yeah… Well, it's not some special reason or anything. It's just the same old jealousy you'll find anywhere.”
“Jealousy?”
“Yep. Jealousy.”
Jihui set her headset down, leaned against the counter, and crossed her arms. With a completely disinterested expression, she continued.
“In our class, there's this… I forgot her name. But there's a girl and a guy who are basically the center of the class. The girl had a crush on this senior guy. He was pretty handsome.”
The center of the class, huh. Was she talking about the bitch from Daeho's video? I'd seen her at school last time too…
“It was the beginning of the second semester last year, I think. When that senior found out he'd gotten early admission, the girl confessed to him. But he rejected her right away.”
“…Stuff like that even becomes a rumor?”
“She's super famous and has a wide network. Plus she was going around not-so-subtly spreading that she liked him, and she kept other girls in check too.”
“Are there always people like that at schools like yours?”
“The academics are average at best. The students aren't that different from any other school, you know?”
At Jihui's words, I turned to look at Eunhye as if to ask if that was true. She avoided my gaze for a moment before letting out a short sigh.
“Haa, actually, because they avoid touching anything that isn't studying, things like this happen more than you'd think. Aju's situation this time is the same.”
“Tch. What a vicious school.”
“Ah, I agree with that. Well, it does help with studying, though.”
Jihui spoke as if it had nothing to do with her and began fanning herself with her palm, apparently feeling hot. Seeing that, I went over to the PC bang's fridge, grabbed three cans of drinks, and brought them to the counter.
“Ring these up. And take whichever one you like.”
“Oh! You're pretty sharp! Do you have a lot of experience with women?”
“Not none, at least.”
“Wow~ Aju's so lucky~ Having an older guy with experience take the lead.”
“It's not like that…”
“Hehe.”
Jihui, who seemed to have heard me but was just grinning, rang up the drinks I'd taken out. She picked out a fruit juice for herself and started drinking it.
I showed the remaining two cans to Eunhye.
“What do you want?”
“…What?”
“I'm asking what you want to drink.”
“…You're telling me to drink one?”
“You want me to drink both by myself?”
“…”
Eunhye made a strange, ambiguous expression, looking back and forth between me and the drinks before picking up the one closest to her.
Mine was… a carbonated drink.
“Gulp… Haa. So what does that senior who rejected the girl have to do with this situation?”
“Ah, after that, the same senior confessed to Aju right away. And she rejected him immediately too.”
“Ah… So that's how it went.”
“…Haa.”
Both Eunhye and I immediately understood the cause of the situation after hearing Jihui's explanation. She'd been rejected by the guy she liked, and then that same guy got rejected by another girl. Of course… she'd hate that.
“Well, that's probably not the only reason. Honestly, Aju is… ridiculously pretty.”
“That's true.” / “Yeah.”
For the first time since we were born, Eunhye and I shared the exact same opinion. What a strange experience…
“Aju has so many people wrapped around her finger… Anyway, she's basically pretty, has a good personality, and her grades are in the top five of the entire school.”
“There's nothing to compete with, but she doesn't even want to look at her. That's it, right?”
“Exactly. So she dragged everything onto a board that was advantageous to her. The board called political maneuvering.”
“What an excellent school. Teaching students about society properly.”
“…It's not like the entire school is full of kids like that.”
Eunhye muttered those words like she was making an excuse, but she must have felt guilty because she kept fiddling with the tab on her drink can with her finger.
“Of course, Aju had a good reputation at first so it didn't work… But as that girl's interference grew stronger, it naturally became like this.”
“…You don't remember that girl's name?”
“I don't. I'm not interested. Ah, but Teacher knows, right?”
“…You do?”
Now that I thought about it, since Eunhye was Aju's homeroom teacher, she could probably figure out who it was with just this much explanation.
With that expectation, I looked at Eunhye.
“…I'll ask you one thing.”
“What?”
“If you know that girl's name and understand the cause of this situation… what do you plan to do afterward?”
It was the same question Jihui had asked earlier. I'd told her I'd listen first and then decide.
And now that I knew the cause… Eunhye was asking me the exact same thing again.
To that, I answered—
“I'm going to flip the whole thing over. Both that bitch and this entire situation.”
I said it without hiding anything. Jihui grinned, showing her teeth like she found it amusing, while Eunhye—
“…”
Lightly stroked her left side.
That spot…
“Choi Seung-a.”
“…Huh?”
“Choi Seung-a. If you're talking about the girl who stands at the center of the class atmosphere, it's her.”
“…”
Choi Seung-a. I burned the name Eunhye had given me into my mind. It was the name of the bitch I was going to properly crush from now on.
“Then we're done here. I'm heading out.”
“Huh? You're leaving after just hearing that?”
“You think I came here to play games? You should get back to studying soon too.”
“Wow, you actually say sensible things despite how you look?”
“And you say things that deserve to get hit sometimes.”
“I hear that a lot~”
Jihui playfully brushed off my half-joking threat. By the way, in Daeho's videos she mostly just looked like she was sleeping, so I hadn't realized it, but she was actually really bright and chatty.
While I was thinking that, Eunhye approached Jihui and spoke to her in a tone completely different from how she'd spoken to me—gentler, almost caring.
“Don't push yourself too hard. If you get in the habit of sleeping during the day, it'll be tough when Suneung comes.”
“I know. That's why I'm taking a break from my part-time job before the exam.”
“…Right.”
Even though Jihui hadn't fully accepted her advice, Eunhye didn't press the issue. Maybe it was because there was a reason Jihui had to work that part-time job.
“Then Jihui, we'll be going now.”
“Okay, Teacher. Ah, Aju's boyfriend's brother, take care~”
“What the hell is that title?”
“Well, I don't know your name, do I?”
“…Fair enough.”
Come to think of it, I hadn't even told her my name yet. Realizing that, I awkwardly scratched my cheek and introduced myself to Jihui.
“I'm Lee Riha. And I'm not Aju's boyfriend.”
“That's the most surprising part, though~”
“What is?”
“Who knows~ Anyway, both of you take care~”
I asked again because of the slightly irritating remark she'd tacked on, but Jihui just brushed it off casually.
In the end, I let out a dumbfounded chuckle and left the PC bang with Eunhye, seeing Jihui off.
“She's more energetic than I expected.”
“At school she's tired, so she doesn't talk much.”
“That's kind of a shame.”
A bright kid like her not being able to sleep until late because of work and studying felt genuinely unfortunate to me, someone who'd already walked that path.
Of course, since it was effort for her own sake, I didn't feel sorry for her.
Rather, it made me feel both pity and… the desire to cheer her on.
Just like with Aju.
“I'm heading home now. What about you?”
“…I'm going home too.”
“Alright.”
I didn't ask Eunhye if she wanted me to walk her home. We weren't close enough for that, and she probably didn't want to spend any more time with me than necessary. Above all, I'd personally experienced just how strong she was in a fight.
“Get home safe.”
“…”
Eunhye didn't bother responding to my farewell. I didn't wait for one either. I turned my back on her and started walking toward home.
“Get home safe.”
“…”
I didn't return the greeting when Riha said goodbye to me. Even so, he turned his back on me as if he'd never expected a reply in the first place and walked away.
“…Take care.”
I gave a farewell that wouldn't reach him and started walking in the opposite direction.
Then I gently stroked my left side.
“That part of him hasn't changed at all.”
My left side. It was the spot where the last punch Riha had landed on me landed when I was unilaterally beating him up back when we were both middle schoolers.
Anyone could see the outcome of the fight was obvious, and the attack had been meaningless… Yet the image of Riha stepping forward and landing that one hit on me was still vividly clear in my mind.
“I'm jealous…”
Earlier, Jihui had said she was jealous of Aju after seeing how far Riha was willing to go for her. I couldn't say anything in response.
Because that feeling… was something I'd felt a long time ago too.
When a kid who'd just become a middle schooler charged at an adult who was bigger and stronger than him… all for the sake of a girl he had a crush on.
As a woman, it was only natural to feel that way.
“That's exactly why… I was so disappointed.”
When I heard that Riha had started dating a girl who wasn't Aju. For some reason, I felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal.
To the point that I almost hated Riha for it.
Why did it make me feel that bad…? Honestly, even now, I still don't know the reason.