Chapter 43: So, When Are You Free?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: So, When Are You Free?
[But I find that guy so damn frustrating.]
It was the first time.
The first time I’d ever heard Oppa speak so aggressively.
It was a completely different feeling from when he first rejected me.
Back then, he’d sounded indifferent and cold, but this time, his voice sounded like he was venting a deep-seated frustration.
Just a moment ago, a sweet, budding atmosphere had been flowing between us, but that one sentence from Oppa completely flipped the mood.
[What? Why? Gayu is cool.]
Tomieuka Gayu, one of the Hashira from Blade of Demon Annihilation.
This character, who was like the protagonist's senior disciple, was someone I personally found really cute and cool.
He even had a slightly goofy side that made him feel more human, so I always enjoyed it when he appeared, but...
[Have you seen the movie or not?]
Oppa suddenly asked if I’d seen the movie.
[I haven't seen it yet?]
[Hah... That explains it.]
Oppa let out a deep sigh and continued to lecture me in a condescending tone.
[First of all, you absolutely have to watch the movie.]
[But I don't think watching it will make me stop liking Gayu.]
[No? You still have to watch it.]
He was being incredibly insistent, forcing the movie on me with a firm tone.
[Okay, I'll watch it after I finish the series I'm watching now. Then.]
I was already enjoying the show quite a bit, so I had planned to watch the movie even if Oppa hadn't mentioned it.
[Yeah, yeah. You'll definitely change your mind. No man can resist that.]
A small laugh escaped my lips at his remark.
[Oppa. I'm a girl?]
[Even a girl wouldn't be able to resist this.]
I wondered what could possibly be so amazing to make him act like this, but at the same time, I felt like I had discovered a new side to him. I decided to press him a little more persistently.
[But Oppa.]
[Yeah.]
[You seem to really like Blade of Demon Annihilation, huh?]
After a moment of silence, Oppa cleared his throat with a cough.
[Ahem... ahem! Ah. Well. I did enjoy watching it.]
[Then who was your favorite character, Oppa?]
I wondered who his favorite was to make him get so worked up.
[Rengaku.]
[Rengaku? He seemed kind of like an idiot, though?]
[...That's because you haven't seen the rest of it.]
He had been so fired up just a moment ago, but his reaction this time was a bit weaker.
[Really? I guess he gets super cool later on?]
[‘Cool’ might not be enough to describe him.]
[Oh... You're really serious about this.]
After a brief pause, Oppa added a short line.
[...I cried when I watched it in the theater.]
...Cute.
Imagining Oppa sitting alone in a movie theater, shedding tears while watching an anime, I thought he was just too cute.
I could feel the corners of my lips curling up into a smile I couldn't control.
No, seriously. Taemin oppa.
The more I got to know him, the more I realized he was a man full of surprises.
And I think I found those sides of him even more charming.
[Ah. Why aren't you saying anything? You're making me feel awkward.]
Did he have any idea I was covering my mouth, trying to stifle a huge grin?
When I didn't answer, his embarrassed voice came through the phone.
[Sorry. I just started imagining it, and it was kind of funny.]
[No, Doah. I'm telling you, if you really get immersed in the story, you'll cry too.]
[Okay. Then when I watch it, do you want to watch it again with me?]
I subtly tried to set up a date.
Instead of asking him out randomly without any context, arranging a meeting naturally like this was the secret technique of the pros!
Having mastered Hanbit unnie's "Introduction to Dating 101," I was proud of myself for being able to pull this off.
And my opponent was the iron wall of all iron walls, Taemin oppa!
I thought I'd been sufficiently smooth, but...
[...Where would we watch it?]
A question mark appeared over my head at his question.
I had only thought it would be nice to do something together; I hadn't considered a specific time or place.
[Um. Where would be good?]
Honestly, the best place would be my house.
We'd be watching it on Netflix, so leaning against my bed and watching on a laptop would be the most comfortable, but...
But how could I be the one to suggest that?
It hadn't even been a week since Oppa told me to take things a little slower.
If I started inviting him over to my house again, I might seem too easy.
[First, the screen needs to be big.]
...Huh?
I was still pondering the location when I blinked foolishly at his words.
[What?]
[You need a big screen to really feel the emotional impact. Hmmm.]
I had been thinking of watching it on a tablet or a laptop, so his words were completely unexpected.
[A DVD room? Should we watch it at a place like that?]
A... DVD room?
Isn't that... a place where people go to do... naughty things?
Or not? Am I mistaken?
As if he had no clue what I was thinking, Oppa shared his search results with me.
[There's one near the back gate of the school. We can go watch it there, then.]
I started to feel confused all over again at how calmly he was leading me.
[Ah... okay... sure. Then. Should we go watch it together then?]
[Ah. But I'm not sure if the facilities are any good. I'll look into it and let you know.]
[...Okay.]
[Okay. Then you have to finish the main series, at least the anime part, before we watch the movie, alright? Got it?]
[Got it.]
[If you don't watch it all before you go, you won't understand the story, so you really have to finish it.]
[Ah, yes, yes.]
[Well then, go finish watching it.]
...That's it?
Is this how our first phone call ends?
It started with the sweet scent of a budding romance, but the ending didn't feel quite as beautiful.
[...What are you going to do now, Oppa?]
[Me? I'll probably just mess around on my phone for a bit and then go to sleep.]
Isn't there supposed to be a scenario where we fall asleep listening to each other's voices, unable to fight off the drowsiness?
[...Okay.]
[Yep. Sleep well.]
Hmph.
[You too, Oppa.]
Soon, the dial tone signaling the end of the call sounded, and I dove face-first into my pillow.
"...Maybe it wasn't so bad after all."
I had secured our next date, and I'd found out that Oppa had a manga he was genuinely passionate about.
Of course, I wanted to talk a little longer, but it was okay.
There would be many more late nights to call each other in the future.
Trying to get everything on the first try would just be greedy.
Anyway, a DVD room...
My face feeling a little hot, I sent a DM to Hanbit unnie.
[Sensei. Do you have any pro-tips for a DVD room...?]
Monday morning.
Like any other Monday, a sigh of regret for the vanished weekend escaped my lips, but today was different.
"...Hmm."
It was the first day I'd be walking to school with Doah.
Standing in front of the mirror, I adjusted my clothes, even though there was nothing to fix.
Doah's birthday was this Friday.
As October drew to a close, the weather was slowly turning toward winter.
I put on a long black coat that covered my pants pockets and headed out the front door.
"It's cold."
We had agreed to meet at 9:40.
It took me about ten minutes to walk to school, so if Doah came out on time, it would be perfect.
"Hello!"
Her voice flowed out from between a bright red scarf.
"You're out early."
I was pretty sure I had left my house at 9:35, but Doah had arrived before me.
"It seemed like you were always the one who came out first, so I tried coming out first today. Heh."
The scarf covered her mouth, so all I could see was the part of her face above her nose.
When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved like crescent moons, and I found myself smiling back automatically.
"Shall we... get going?"
"Yes!"
The two of us began to walk side by side.
As always, we chatted about little things as we walked down the slope.
"I think we should start looking for a map for our shoot soon."
"If it's okay with you, Oppa, I can do your share of the work for you."
"Huh? Really?"
"You did it for me at the beginning of the semester, so I figured I should pay you back at least once."
She really didn't have to.
But I did think that the quality would be much better if Doah did it rather than me.
She was a pro, after all.
In terms of efficiency, she'd be overwhelmingly better than me fumbling around.
"Try it first, and if you're not sure about anything, let me know then."
Still, I couldn't bring myself to say, "Okay, you can handle it all then," so I gave a more polite answer.
"Um... Oppa."
"Yeah."
"About that place we decided to go."
"You're talking about the movie, right?"
The new plan I'd made with Doah.
The Blade of Demon Annihilation movie.
I was certain Doah would find it plenty entertaining.
I had bawled my eyes out alone when I watched it in the theater.
"Yes. That... are we really going to watch it there...?"
The emotional impact is proportional to the screen size.
I nodded my head vigorously without a hint of hesitation.
"Yeah. Of course."
I had even called the owner to ask if they had the movie.
The price was only about 20,000 won.
It wasn't much different from watching it in a theater, so I thought it was a pretty good deal.
"I was just thinking... isn't the pace a little fast..."
Doah's voice suddenly became so quiet it was barely audible.
Thinking she hadn't finished the anime yet, I decided to give her plenty of time.
"So, when are you free?"
Doah's ears were bright red, perhaps from the cold.