Chapter 30: It's Nothing.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 30: It's Nothing.
I didn't mean to eavesdrop.
I had just walked into the classroom and saw Taemin Oppa, so I was thinking of saying hi, but...
"Damn, right?"
Just as I was catching my breath to greet him.
Taemin Oppa's classmate, Yoonje Oppa, swooped in and took the seat next to him, stealing my chance.
Having missed my timing, I felt too awkward to interrupt, so I just sat down in the row right behind them and put my bag down, getting ready for class.
"Today?"
"Yeah. 8 PM tonight."
...If he's meeting someone at 8 PM, that means he's not playing games with me.
Having overheard their entire conversation, I started to get nervous.
Of course, it wasn't that I didn't trust Taemin Oppa, but the important thing was that I had seen the picture of the woman on Yoonje Oppa's screen.
She had the kind of looks that could easily get her tens of thousands of followers.
When I saw a flicker of hesitation cross Taemin Oppa's face as he mulled over Yoonje Oppa's words, I instinctively answered for him.
"...O-Oppa is busy today!"
I'd said it, but...
The two of them sitting in front turned their gazes toward me.
Taemin Oppa, in particular, stared at me with a puzzled expression.
Why... why are you looking at me like that?
We were supposed to play games together today... right?
Finding the short silence unbearable, I added one more thing with a hint of desperation.
"...Right?"
As if to ask if what I said was true, Yoonje Oppa turned his head toward Taemin Oppa.
"Ah. Yeah. I have plans with Doah today."
"What's with you two?"
Yoonje Oppa let out a smirk, as if he'd sensed the subtle atmosphere between us.
"Doah."
Yoonje Oppa's voice was playful.
"Yes?"
"So what are you and Taemin doing today?"
"We were... going to... play games..."
I'd only ever exchanged greetings with Yoonje Oppa; this was the first time I'd had a long conversation with him.
"How'd you manage to snag Han Taemin?"
"Huh?"
"I've never seen Han Taemin do anything with a girl since we started school."
He's never done anything with a girl...?
"Hey, Seo Yoonje. Stop talking nonsense and just find someone else to go with."
Taemin Oppa's expression hardened as he openly tried to shut down the conversation between Yoonje Oppa and me.
"Taemin. Not telling your hyung beforehand... I'm a little hurt."
"Ah, seriously, cut the crap!"
"Wow... I thought you were lying when you told me you were going to start dating someone. Was it Kim Doah?"
...Taemin Oppa said he was going to date someone?
But he already rejected me a long time ago...
Every time Yoonje Oppa opened his mouth, new information about Taemin Oppa came pouring out.
"Let's begin the class."
With the sound of the microphone being tapped, the class began, and only then did Yoonje Oppa stop teasing and interrogating us.
I rested my chin on my hand and stared blankly ahead.
Watching Taemin Oppa's broad back, my confusion only grew because of what Yoonje Oppa had said.
Did him saying he was going to date someone mean there was another girl before me?
At the very least, it seemed like I wasn't the main character of that story.
With Taemin Oppa's looks, I could see how he might have a new girl he was talking to every day, but understanding it and being okay with it were two different things.
Yoonje Oppa's question was also valid.
In fact, it was something I wanted to ask myself.
[Just why did Taemin Oppa open up his heart to me?]
I couldn't figure out why this oppa, famous for being like an impenetrable fortress, was still so accepting of only me.
What on earth could he be thinking right now?
*
I'm pissed.
From the moment Doah showed up, that bastard Yoonje has been pissing me off to no end.
To be honest, before Doah spoke up, I thought the conversation was pretty normal.
Yoonje was just making his usual offer, and I was just turning him down like I always do.
But I couldn't stand him spouting nonsense to Doah.
Ah! Why! Why the hell would he say something like that?!
Every time he said something, I saw Doah's expression darken, and I was overcome with the intense urge to punch the guy sitting next to me.
I was already thinking I was screwed after cussing her out in-game yesterday, and now you have to pour oil on the fire to feel satisfied?
There was no way I could focus on the lecture.
All I could think about was what kind of explanation I'd have to give Doah after class.
[Actually, the person I told Yoonje I was going to date was Luka-tan, hehe!]
Fuck. How am I supposed to say that?
It's ridiculous if I explain it, but if I don't...
Agh... seriously. Dammit.
Seo Yoonje. Don't you ever ask me for anything again.
I needed to have a sharp word with him.
"That's all for today's class. Next week, we will be learning about media literacy."
The moment class ended, I quickly packed my things and went over to Doah.
"Doah."
"Yes?"
The point I wanted to make was that she should just let that bastard Yoonje's words go in one ear and out the other.
He was just talking nonsense.
I wanted to tell her this, but it didn't feel right to do it here.
There were too many people watching, and besides, Yoonje hadn't even left the classroom yet.
"Lunch. Want to get some together?"
"...Lunch?"
"Yeah. At the cafeteria."
This was my last class for the day, but since I didn't know Doah's schedule, I just suggested we eat at the cafeteria.
"Okay."
Doah nodded in agreement, and we left the media hall and headed to the building with the student cafeteria.
2 PM.
The peak lunch rush was over, so the cafeteria was fairly empty.
"What do you want to eat?"
"I'll have..."
Standing in front of the kiosk, Doah selected the kimchi fried rice.
Too lazy to think about it, I decided to get the same thing.
We got our food and sat facing each other, but...
"...So, can we not play games together today?"
Doah asked first, just as I was trying to figure out an opening line.
"No, no. What are you talking about? Of course we can."
"Yoonje Oppa seemed really desperate."
"Ah. He's just always like that. He's desperate no matter what he does."
It sounded a little funny, but I was sure the denial got across.
"I see. I thought you were asking me to eat with you because we couldn't play games tonight."
"You were my prior engagement. There's no way I'd do that."
Even if Doah had asked later, my time was hers.
"That's a relief."
Looking pleased, Doah broke into a bright smile.
"Ah, but Oppa. Something weird happened to me yesterday."
Something weird that Doah would tell me about.
I instinctively knew what she was about to bring up and swallowed hard.
"What is it?"
"You know that username you sent me yesterday?"
"Yeah."
"I ran into them in a normal game while queuing yesterday. Did you happen to play yesterday?"
I steady my breathing.
Poker face.
Poker face.
You can do this, Han Taemin.
"No? I didn't play yesterday."
"Really? But it was the exact same username you told me."
"Ah... then my friend might have been using it."
"Your friend?"
"Yeah. I share that account with a friend."
The account I had used exclusively for myself had suddenly become an account for everyone.
"I see. That explains it..."
Doah nodded a couple of times as if she finally understood.
"Why? What was he like?"
I felt like a culprit in a detective manga, playing dumb.
"Ah... um... they seemed like the type to pick fights?"
Don't laugh, Han Taemin.
If you laugh, you're fucked.
"He's got a bit of a short temper. He gets suspended so often that we share the account."
"Aha."
Doah took a spoonful of fried rice and chewed with her small mouth.
"Ah... I wonder if that bastard got my account suspended too."
Pretending not to know, I checked my email.
"What the. It really did get suspended."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah. Look at this."
I held out my phone screen for Doah to see.
[Your Legends of League account has been suspended.]
"Whoa. Then we can't play today?"
"No, no. I have another account."
I'd hastily bought an account online last night.
It was a Bronze account, so it would be perfect for playing with Doah.
"But... it did seem like your friend needs to fix his gaming habits."
"In what way?"
"Well, he kept trying to make these impossible plays and then stubbornly insisted he was right."
My brow twitched.
Hold it in, Han Taemin.
It's Doah. It's Luka-tan.
You know you can't get serious with a Bronze player.
"Ahaha... yeah, he can be a bit like that."
"He doesn't look at the map and just spams pings on me. It was a 2v3 from the start, how are you supposed to win that?"
Doah seemed to be reliving yesterday's memory, completely immersed in badmouthing me.
"...What a total noob."
Doah's direct hit almost made me shoot up from my chair.
I wanted to pull up the replay right then and there and explain why we could have won.
If you just auto-attacked there to build Conqueror stacks and kited them around the tower, it was an easy wiiiiin!
When I didn't say anything and just quietly suppressed my anger, Doah finally seemed to notice my expression.
"Oppa. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
I'm fine, Luka-tan.
Inside, I was a complete wreck, but I just forced a smile.